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diff --git a/old/68124-0.txt b/old/68124-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 5b71191..0000000 --- a/old/68124-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8741 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of With the pilgrims to Mecca, by Hadji -Khan - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: With the pilgrims to Mecca - The great pilgrimage of A.H. 1319; A.D. 1902 - -Authors: Hadji Khan - Wilfrid Sparroy - -Contributor: A. Vambéry - -Release Date: May 19, 2022 [eBook #68124] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Turgut Dincer, Thomas Frost and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH THE PILGRIMS TO -MECCA *** - - - - - -[Illustration: THE HAREM, SHOWING THE KA’BAH, AND THE OTHER SANCTUARIES -WITHIN THE HAREM. - -(_From an old Indian Illustration._)] - - - - - WITH THE - PILGRIMS - TO MECCA - - THE GREAT PILGRIMAGE - OF A.H. 1319; A.D. 1902 - BY HADJI KHAN, M.R.A.S. - (_Special Correspondent of the “Morning Post”_) - AND WILFRID SPARROY - (_Author of “Persian Children of the Royal Family”_) - WITH AN INTRODUCTION - BY PROFESSOR A. VAMBÉRY - - LONDON AND NEW YORK - JOHN LANE, MDCCCCV - - - - - PRINTED BY W. H. WHITE AND SON - THE ABBEY PRESS, EDINBURGH - - - - -TO - -THE HONOURABLE OLIVER A. BORTHWICK - - ... OH, NEVER STAR - WAS LOST HERE BUT IT ROSE AFAR! - LOOK EAST, WHERE WHOLE NEW THOUSANDS ARE! - - - - -The Authors take this opportunity of renewing their acknowledgments of -all they owe to the Editor of _The Morning Post_, to whose friendly -interest and encouragement the success of the serial publication, under -the title of the “Great Pilgrimage,” was in a considerable measure due. -In tendering to him their hearty thanks, they feel it would be scarcely -fair to themselves were they to allow the reader to take this, the -present fruit of their respective labours, to be a mere republication. -It is something far more than that, one-fifth of the book, and that the -most interesting part of all, being absolutely new; while the whole of -the remainder has been not only carefully revised, but also recast, -and, to some extent, rewritten. But the reader owes the new material to -Mr. Dunn’s kindness in relinquishing his right to it in order that it -might appear for the first time in the pages of “With the Pilgrims to -Mecca.” - - _28th April 1904._ - - - - - MY OWN EAST! - HOW NEARER GOD WE WERE! HE GLOWS ABOVE - WITH SCARCE AN INTERVENTION, PRESSES CLOSE - AND PALPITATINGLY, HIS SOUL O’ER OURS; - WE FEEL HIM, NOR BY PAINFUL REASON KNOW! - THE EVERLASTING MINUTE OF CREATION - IS FELT THERE. - - ROBERT BROWNING. - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -Amongst the varied and manifold impressions of my long and intimate -connection with the Mohammedan world none is more lively and more -interesting than my experiences with the Hajees, the dear, pious and -good-natured companions on many of my wanderings in Moslem Asia. We in -Europe can hardly have an idea of the zeal and delight which animate -the pilgrim to the holy places of Arabia, not only during his sojourn -in Mekka and Medina, not only whilst making the Tawaf (procession -round the Kaaba), not only during the excursion to the valley of Mina, -where the exclamation of “Lebeitk yá Allah” rends the air round the -Arafat--but long before he has started on his arduous and formerly -very dangerous journey to the birthplace of Islam. The Hadj, being one -of the four fundamental commands of Islam, is looked upon by every -true believer as a religious duty the fulfilment of which is always -before his eyes, and if prevented by want of means or by infirmity he -will strive to find a Wekil (representative), whom he provides with -necessary funds to undertake the journey and to pray in his name at -the Kaaba, and when the Wekil has returned he hands over the Ihram (a -shirt-like dress in which the pilgrimage is performed) to his sender -who will use it as his shroud, and appear before the Almighty in -the garb used on the Hadj. The further the Moslem lives from Arabia -the greater becomes the passion to visit the holy places of his -religion, and if there was a country in which the desire to fulfil -this holy command was most fervently cultivated and executed, it was -decidedly Central Asia and Eastern Turkestan, where nearly two-thirds -of the pilgrims formerly perished, partly in consequence of epidemics -and inclemency of weather, partly also at the hands of robbers or -through thirst in the desert. And yet these Turk or Tartar Hadjees -often disregard all dangers and perils of a long journey, and begin -to economise the money necessary for travelling expenses many years -before they have set out, for a man destitute of means is not allowed -to undertake the Hadj, the same prohibition exists also for a man who -is not bodily strong enough, or who has to provide for a family left -back at home. It is true, in accordance with the saying “Hem ziaret hem -tidjaret” (Pilgrimage and Business together), there are people, who -connect trade with religion, but their devotion is often criticised, -whereas the pure religious intention meets everywhere with the greatest -praise and veneration, and a successfully accomplished visit to the -holy places of Arabia makes a Mohammedan respected not only in his -community but also in the outlying districts of his country. On his -return journey from Mekka and Medina the Hajee gets an official -reception all along his route. He is met by young and old, by rich and -poor, everybody tries to rub his eyes or his cheeks to the dress of the -man, in order to catch an atom of the dust coming from the Kaaba or -from the grave of the Prophet, and if the Hajee is the bearer of some -_Khaki-Mubarak_ (_i.e._, blessed earth from the grave of Mohammed), or -if he is in possession of a small bottle of “Zemzem” (the holy fountain -in the precinct of the Kaaba), there is no end and limit to the -pressing throng around him. I have seen people kissing the footsteps -of such a pilgrim, embracing and petting him, and what struck me most -was the scene where Kirghis or Turkoman nomads cried like children on -seeing one of these Hajees, and when they began to quarrel, nay, to -fight, for the opportunity to bestow hospitality on a returning Hajee, -be he even an Uzbeg or a Tajik, whom they otherwise dislike. - -Yes, the Haj is a most wonderful institution in the interest of the -strength, unity and spiritual power of Islam; it is a kind of religious -Parliament and a gathering place for the followers of the prophet, -where the sacred Hermandad is fostered despite all differences of race -and colour, and whereas the temple in Jerusalem does often become the -cockpit of different Christian sects, and the arena of bloody fights, -which would fatally end without the intercession of the Moslem soldiers -of the Padishah, we meet with perfect peace and concord in the court of -the Kaaba, where the four sects have got their separate places without -interfering with each other, and where Hanefites, Shafaites, Malekites -and Hanbalites pay simultaneously their veneration to the founder of -their religion. Even the Shiite Persian is not molested as long as he -does not offend the believers by an ostentatious exhibition of his -schismatic views, what he rarely does, for _dissimulation_ is not -prohibited according to the tenets of the Shiites. - -The foregoing remarks about the Haj have been quoted here with the -intention to realise the importance of this religious custom of Islam, -and particularly to show how necessary it is to know and to appreciate -duly the political, social and ethical qualities of this precept -ordained by the prophet. - -Well, in order to gain full information on this subject, we have been -in need of an account of the Haj written by a Mohammedan who is not -attracted by curiosity, but by religious piety, who had free access -to every place, who is not hampered by fear of being discovered as -a Christian, and who is besides a shrewd observer. These essential -qualities I find in Mr. Haji Khan, M.R.A.S., the pilgrim, who calls -himself also “Haji Raz” (the mystery Haji). It may be well said that -Christian travellers like Burkhard, Burton, Maltzan, and others, have -exhausted the subject relating to the holy places of Islam, but a -Mohammedan sees more and better than any foreigner, and I do not go too -far when I say that Mr. Haji Khan, with his thorough English education, -would have been more fitted to describe, unaided, the life and the -manners of the Haj, than was his Turkish fellow-believer, Emin Effemdi, -author of a Turkish account of the same topic. - -I daresay it will be the case with many other subjects relating to -the actual and past features of the Eastern life, if natives will be -only educated to describe the peculiarities of their own nations and -creeds, and for this reason it is desirable that the number of scholars -like Mr. Haji Khan should increase, and that this present book, -written in collaboration with Mr. Wilfrid Sparroy, should meet with a -well-deserved reception. - -Great credit is due to Mr. Wilfrid Sparroy, to whose high qualities as -a writer, this joint production owes so much. Both Mr. Haji Khan and -Mr. Wilfrid Sparroy are to be congratulated on the results of their -labours: they have succeeded in bringing the East nearer to the West. - - A. VAMBÉRY. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PART I - - A PERSIAN PILGRIM IN THE MAKING-- - - PAGE - - 1. THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHET 21 - - 2. CONDITIONS OF PILGRIMAGE 31 - - 3. FORBIDDEN VIANDS 32 - - 4. THE WORK OF PURIFICATION 33 - - 5. PRAYERS 35 - - 6. ASPECTS OF SOCIAL ISLÁM 37 - - 7. STORIES OF THE MUSLIM MOONS 47 - - 8. PERSIAN SÚFÍISM--PERSIAN SHIAHISM IN ITS - RELATION TO THE PERSIAN PASSION-DRAMA 62 - - - PART II - - THE STORY OF THE PILGRIMAGE-- - - CHAP. I. LONDON TO JIDDAH 81 - - CHAP. II. FROM JIDDAH TO MECCA 102 - - CHAP. III. WITHIN THE HAREM--SOME REMARKS - ON THE ORTHODOX SECTS OF ISLÁM 111 - - CHAP. IV. COMPASSING OF THE KA’BAH 126 - - CHAP. V. THE COURSE OF PERSEVERANCE 140 - - CHAP. VI. SCENE IN AN EATING-HOUSE--VISIT - TO THE KA’BAH 153 - - CHAP. VII. ON THE ROAD TO ARAFAT 173 - - CHAP. VIII. ON THE ROAD TO ARAFAT (_concluded_) 193 - - CHAP. IX. ARAFAT DAY: NIGHT 212 - - CHAP. X. ARAFAT DAY: DAYBREAK 223 - - CHAP. XI. ARAFAT DAY: FORENOON AND - AFTERNOON 234 - - CHAP. XII. THE DAY OF VICTIMS: FROM SUNDOWN - TO SUNSET. THE DAYS OF DRYING FLESH 245 - - - PART III - - MECCAN SCENES AND SKETCHES-- - - CHAP. I. THE MECCAN BAZAARS 255 - - CHAP. II. THE TALISMAN-MONGER 266 - - CHAP. III. SEYYID ’ALÍ’S STORY OF HIS REDEMPTION 280 - - CHAP. IV. HEALING BY FAITH 289 - - APPENDIX. SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE EXISTENCE - OF A SLAVE MARKET IN MECCA 299 - - - INDEX. 309 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - PAGE - - THE HAREM, SHOWING THE KA’BAH, AND THE OTHER - SANCTUARIES WITHIN THE HAREM _Frontispiece_ - - COPIES OF THE KURÁN WORN _en bandoulière_ BY - MUSLIMS WHEN TRAVELLING OR ON PILGRIMAGE 39 - - A PERSIAN SUFÍ OF THE ORDER OF THE LATE - SEPHI ’ALÍ SHÁH 65 - - A GROUP OF MIXED PILGRIMS 85 - - A PILGRIM “AT SEA”--SUEZ RAILWAY STATION 85 - - PREPARING TO EMBARK AT SUEZ 91 - - PILGRIMS EMBARKING AT SUEZ 99 - - BEFORE WEIGHING ANCHOR AT SUEZ 99 - - A MOORISH GENTLEMAN IN MOORISH DRESS 121 - - THE POORER SIDE OF EGYPTIAN MUSLIMS 143 - - PUTTING ON IHRÁM AT JIDDAH 155 - - MUSSAH STREET AT MECCA 155 - - AN EGYPTIAN COFFEE-HOUSE FREQUENTED BY THE POOR 161 - - AN EGYPTIAN DONKEY AND ITS DRIVER 183 - - THE MUSICIAN CAMEL CAVALCADE 201 - - WATER-CARRIERS OF MECCA 207 - - (_a_) THE PASHA OF HEJAZ; (_b_) THE AMINUS-SURREH 207 - - THE SHERÍF OF MECCA IN HIS UNIFORM 215 - - A LEARNED MUSSULMAN OF INDIA 229 - - PERSIAN PILGRIMS FROM TABRIZ, HAVING TEA ON - BOARD THE STEAMER 239 - - DISEMBARKING AT JIDDAH 249 - - PILGRIMS AT JIDDAH 249 - - AN EGYPTIAN GROCER 267 - - A PERSIAN PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY 291 - - AN ARAB SHEYKH OF THE TOWN 297 - - - - -PART I - - - - -ERRATA - - - Page 22, line 34, _For_ Jellalu’d-dín’s “Al Beidáwí,” _read_ - Al-Beidáwí’s commentary. - Page 31, line 10, _For_ “Hájí Ráz,” _read_ Hadji Khan. - Page 31, line 11, _For_ Chapter V., Part III., _read_ Appendix. - Page 32, line 12, _For_ formerly, _read_ formally. - {Page 57, line 1, _For_ 1320, _read_ 1319. - {Page 245, line 19, _For_ 1320, _read_ 1319. - Page 69, line 7, _For_ uncle, _read_ father-in-law. - Page 69, lines 29-30, _For_ too rash and too indiscreet, _read_ - too forbearing and too magnanimous. - {Page 72, line 12, _For_ daughter Fatima, _read_ sister Zainab. - {Page 76, line 13, _For_ daughter Fatima, _read_ sister Zainab. - Page 93, line 21, _For_ Yásuf, _read_ Yûsuf. - Page 93, lines 22-23, _For_ Al Beyyid, _read_ Al Beidáwí. - {Page 115, line 1, _For_ Tomb of Abraham, _read_ Station of - Abraham. - {Page 130, line 28, _For_ Tomb of Abraham, _read_ Station of - Abraham. - Page 117, line 9, _For_ Merú, _read_ Merve. - Page 134, line 8, _For_ ordnance, _read_ ordinance. - Page 166, line 32, _For_ mosque, _read_ temple. - Page 199, line 19, _For_ Tabbál, _read_ Tabl. - Page 237, line 12, _For_ Kharnum, _read_ Khanum. - Page 237, line 12, _For_ Mrs. Zobeideh, _read_ Lady Zobeideh. - Page 251, line 4, _Omit_ the Merciful and Compassionate. - Page 266, line 20, _For_ God is just, _read_ God is Great. - - - - -WITH THE PILGRIMS TO MECCA - - - - -PART I - -A PERSIAN PILGRIM IN THE MAKING - - -I.--MESSAGE OF THE PROPHET. - -The day before I left England for Persia some seven years ago, I went -to see my uncle, the author of the “Siege of Metz.” On saying good-bye -he made me a present of the Kurán. “Here,” said he, “is the thing to -be read. It will be the best introduction to the new life awaiting you -in the East. If you can lay hold of the spirit of this book you will -not be alone out there, but among men and brothers, for the Kurán is a -sincere revelation of much that is eternally true.” I never saw George -Robinson again: in less than a week--before I had left Paris--his -spirit had passed to the bourne whence all revelations come, and where -truth, in its completeness, will be revealed. - -Now, it should be the critic’s aim, in dealing with all true books, to -place himself on the same plane as the author, and to look in the same -direction, fixing the same end. This is more especially true of what -his attitude should be towards a message that has been held sacred by -countless millions for more than thirteen hundred years. The merits -of the Kurán and the far-reaching reforms of the Prophet of Islám can -be appreciated worthily only by such men as have taken the trouble to -acquaint themselves with the idolatrous superstitions of the Arabians -in the time of Ignorance, and with the empty logical jangling of the -rival Syrian Christian sects at the close of the Sixth Century. And the -critic having grasped the lifelessness of religious practice before -the coming of Muhammad, would be wise to reveal, first of all, what -there is of truth, and to spread what light there is in the written -word of the great reformer, abandoning to the bigot and the purblind -the less fruitful occupation of stirring in the cauldron of religious -controversy. To that end, indeed, it were not amiss that he should -cultivate his imagination, for the imaginative have turned the corner -of their narrower selves, and theirs is an ever-widening vision. To -those who, living by the word of Christ, diffuse darkness, Muhammad -will ever be either a charlatan or an unscrupulous man of the sword. -Well, the Prophet’s followers must take heart of grace. History itself -as well as the Kurán has proclaimed the charges to be false. - -The keynote to Muhammad’s character is sincerity. Sincerity rings -out clear enough in every word of his book. He was a man in whom -the fire-thought of the desert burned so fiercely that he could not -help being sincere. He was so truly sincere, indeed, as to be wholly -unconscious of his sincerity. Now, of all the stories related of him -none affords a more convincing proof of his thorough honesty than -the one which shows him to have been, at least once in practice, a -backslider from the high ideal of conduct that he preached. This story, -from Al-Beidáwí’s commentary, is thus related by Sale: - -“A certain blind man named Abdallah Ebn Omm Mactúm came and interrupted -Muhammad while he was engaged in earnest discourse with some of the -principal Kuraish, of whose conversion he had hopes; but, the Prophet -taking no notice of him, the blind man, not knowing that Muhammad was -otherwise busied, raised his voice, and said, ‘O apostle of God, teach -me some part of what God hath taught thee’; but Muhammad, vexed at this -interruption, frowned, and turned away from him,” for which he was -reprehended afterwards by his conscience. This episode was the source -of the revelation entitled “He Frowned.” “The Prophet frowned, and -turned aside,” so runs Chapter lxxx. of the Kurán, “because the blind -man came unto him; and how dost thou know whether he shall peradventure -be cleansed from his sins; or whether he shall be admonished, and the -admonition shall profit him? The man who is wealthy thou receivest with -respect; but him who cometh unto thee earnestly seeking his salvation, -and who fearest God, dost thou neglect. By no means shouldst thou act -thus.” We are also told that the Prophet, whenever he saw Ebn Omm -Mactúm after this, showed him marked respect, saying, “The man is -welcome on whose account my Lord hath reprimanded me,” and that he made -him twice Governor of Medina. And yet many still persist in calling -Muhammad a charlatan. Surely a prophet who, in reproving others, spared -not himself, has won the right to be respected as an honest man. For my -part I believe him to have been one whose word was his bond, and whose -hand it had been good to grasp. - -As for his having been a mere victorious soldier, he was in the -beginning “precisely in a minority of one.” Your Napoleon finds in -patriotism his most successful recruiting sergeant. But the call -of patriotism had summoned to Muhammad’s standard not a single -recruit, because he was despised by the patriotic (if the Kuraish, the -predominant tribe in Arabia, and the keepers of the Ka’bah, deserved -to be so called) and was rejected by them. Assuredly Muhammad drew the -sword; he was driven to draw it in the end. But how did he get the -sword, and to what purpose did he put it when he had it? Muhammad’s -sword was forged in the furnace of that passionate, human soul of his, -was tempered in the flame of divine compassion, and gave to every -Arab an Empire and a creed. Islám was the sword! The blade of steel -achieved no miracle, it merely drew blood--sufficiently corrupt. It -was the sword of Muhammad’s word which freed the Arab heart from its -vices and fired it with a wider patriotism and a purer faith. His -battle-cry was the declaration of God’s unity; his sword was the faith; -his battlefield the human heart and soul; and his enemy idolatry and -corruption. “Yá Alláh!” and “Yá Muhammad!” carried the Arabian conquest -from Mecca to Granada, and from Arabia to Delhi. The conquering hosts -fought rather with their hearts and with their souls than with their -swords and their strong right hands; inculcating in the conquered no -earthly vanities, as do modern Muhammadan rulers, but the principles of -liberty, solidarity, unity, equality, and compassion. - -Forty thousand Arabs, under their famous leader, Sád Vaghás, having -defeated five hundred thousand Persians and overthrown the mighty -Persian Empire, in the battle of Khadasieh, on the plain of Nahavend, -deeply rooted their faith in the heart of the alien race, and then left -her to be ruled by her own people, in accordance with the precepts -of the new revelation. Omar, perhaps the greatest Caliph, is said to -have lived throughout his life on a loaf of barley bread and a cup of -sour milk a day. And Alí’ the Prophet’s son-in-law, whom the Persians -revere as his true successor, lived for no other purpose than to help -the poor and to succour the weak. He was, as Carlyle assures us, a man -worthy of Christian knighthood. So also was his son, Huseyn, whose -glorious martyrdom has endeared him to the hearts of the Persian people. - -In the East men are ruled and guided by religious laws and not by -positive ones, so Muhammad’s aim was to make the Arabians free and -united by lessening the sufferings of the poor and by establishing -equality among the people. That these aims and aspirations cannot be -consummated through positive laws alone must be abundantly clear to -every man in the civilised West who has watched the gradual rise among -us of Socialism and the deadly growth of Anarchy. We Western peoples -merely pray that God’s will may be done on earth as it is in Heaven. -Whereas Muhammad, being, as he was, a practical reformer, made it -incumbent on his followers to contribute to the consummation of the -Divine Law by bestowing on the poor a fair share of the things that -they loved. - -The very core of the Muhammadan faith lies, as I conceive, in three -broad principles. First, in the declaration of God’s unity. “Say, -God is one God; the eternal God: He begetteth not, neither is He -begotten: and there is not one like unto Him.” This short chapter, as -is well known, is held in particular veneration by the Muhammadans, -and declared, by a tradition of the Prophet, to be equal in value to -a third part of the whole Kurán. It is said to have been revealed -in answer to the Kuraish, who had asked Muhammad concerning the -distinguishing attributes of the God he invited them to worship. For -Muhammad held that all the prophets from the creation of the world have -been Unitarians; that as Moses was a Unitarian so also was Christ; that -Christianity, as practised in Syria, was a break in God’s revelation -of Himself as One, and that he, Muhammad, had been specially chosen by -God to re-admonish mankind of this fundamental truth. - -As this ground idea satisfies the Oriental’s reason, so the second, -Islám, that is, resignation from man to God, responds to the inner -voice of his soul, and seems to lead his heart warmly to embrace -the third principle of the Muhammadan faith, which, in the golden -age of the Muhammadan Era, was the means of establishing equality -among the people--I mean the principle of charity, of alms-giving, -of compassion from man to man. Unswerving obedience to the spirit -and the letter of these three laws carried with it the obligation of -unswerving loyalty to the Prophet. When we pray, we Christians, we say -“Give us this day our daily bread.” The Muhammadans, under penalty of -everlasting torment, are obliged to sacrifice, to the poor and needy, -a due proportion of the things that they love--not merely of their -superfluity--with the result that each man among them, by that fact -alone, constitutes himself, as it were, a willing instrument of God’s -will that His Kingdom of Heaven shall reign on earth. Another fact that -proves Muhammad to have been something far more than a man of the sword -is that to this day Muhammadans hail one another on meeting with the -word “Salám” (have peace). Indeed, peace being an essential condition -of undertaking the sacramental Pilgrimage to Mecca, it is unlawful to -wage war during the three months’ journeying of the Muslim lunar year, -namely, in Shavvál, Zú-’l-ka’dah, and Zú-’l-hijjah. - -“Contribute out of your subsistence towards the defence of the religion -of God,” says Muhammad, “and throw not yourself with your own hands -into perdition [that is, be not accessory to your own destruction -by neglecting your contributions towards the wars against infidels, -and thereby suffering them to gather strength], and do good, for God -loveth those who do good. Perform the Pilgrimage of Mecca, and the -visitation of God; and if ye be besieged send that offering which shall -be the easiest, and shave not your heads until your offering reacheth -the place of sacrifice. But whoever among you is sick, or is troubled -with any distemper of the head, must redeem the shaving of the head by -fasting, by alms, or by some offering [either by fasting three days, by -feeding six poor people, or by sacrificing a sheep]. But he who findeth -not anything to offer shall fast three days in the Pilgrimage, and -seven when he be returned: these shall be ten days complete. This is -incumbent on him whose family shall not be present at the Holy Temple.” - -“The Pilgrimage must be performed in the known months (_i.e._, Shavvál, -Zú-’l-ka’dah, and Zú-’l-hijjah); whosoever therefore purposeth to go -on Pilgrimage therein, let him not know a woman, nor transgress, nor -quarrel in the Pilgrimage. The good which ye do, God knoweth it. Make -provision for your journey, but the best provision is piety, and fear -me, O ye of understanding. It shall be no crime in you if ye seek an -increase from your Lord by trading during the Pilgrimage. And when -ye go in procession from Arafat [a mountain near Mecca] remember God -near the holy monument, and remember Him for that He hath directed -you, though ye were before this of the number of those who go astray. -Therefore go in procession from whence the people go in procession, and -ask pardon of God, for God is gracious and merciful. And when ye have -finished your holy ceremonies, remember God, according as ye remember -your fathers, or with a more reverend commemoration. Yea, remember -God the appointed number of days [three days after slaying the -sacrifices], but if any haste to depart from the Valley of Mina in two -days it shall be no crime in him. And if any tarry longer it shall be -no crime in him--in him who feareth God. Therefore, fear God and know -that unto Him ye shall be gathered.... They who shall disbelieve and -obstruct the way of God, and hinder men from visiting the Holy Temple -of Mecca, which we have appointed for a place of worship unto all men: -the inhabitant thereof and the stranger have an equal right to visit -it: and whosoever shall seek impiously to profane it, we will cause -him to taste a grievous torment. And proclaim unto the people a solemn -Pilgrimage; let them come unto thee on foot, and on every lean camel, -arriving from every distant road, that they may be witnesses of the -advantages which accrue to them from visiting this holy place, and may -commemorate the name of God on the appointed days [namely, the first -ten days of Zú-’l-hijjah, or the tenth day of the same month, on which -they slay the sacrifices, and the three following days] in gratitude -for the brute cattle which he hath bestowed on them. Wherefore eat -thereof, and feed the needy and the poor. Afterwards let them put an -end to the neglect of their persons [by shaving their heads, and the -body from below the neck, and cutting their beards and nails in the -valley of Mina, which the pilgrims are not allowed to do from the time -they become Muhrims, and have solemnly dedicated themselves to the -performance of the Pilgrimage, till they have finished the ceremonies, -and slain their victims]; and let them pay their vows [by doing the -good works which they have vowed to do in their Pilgrimage], and -compass the ancient house [_i.e._, the Ka’bah, which the Muhammadans -pretend was the first edifice built and appointed for the worship of -God]. This let them do. And whoever shall regard the sacred ordinances -of God: this will be better for him in the sight of his Lord. All -sorts of cattle are allowed you to eat, except what hath been read -unto you, in former passages of the Kurán, to be forbidden. But depart -from the abomination of idols, and avoid speaking that which is false: -being orthodox in respect to God, associating no other god with him; -for whosoever associateth any other with God is like that which falleth -from heaven, and which the birds snatch away, or the wind bloweth to a -far distant place. This is so....” - -One of the benefits of this Pilgrimage, and, perhaps, the greatest of -all, if we regard the sacrament either from the political and social -or from the religious standpoint, was, and is, the gathering together -in Mecca of Muhammadans of every race and of every sect. There, and in -the city of Medina, they first saw the dawn of their religious faith -and their political power; there their hearts were drawn together -in unity and strength; and there, in the early days of the Caliphs, -they discussed their latest achievements, the glory of their future -conquests, and studied the wants and needs of their co-religionists. -Within the walls of the Holy of Holies they wept and prayed that God -might renew within them a cleaner spirit through faith; and there, -too, they strove with all earnestness to raise themselves to the full -height of the Prophet’s conception of manhood, which encouraged such -virtues as hospitality, generosity, compassion, heroism, courage, -parental love, filial respect, and passive obedience to the will of -God. Thus Mecca, in the days of Pilgrimage, might be looked upon as an -immense club or a university where Muhammadans, from every quarter of -the globe, meet and discuss their political and social problems, and -prostrate themselves in prayer to the one and only Divinity. - -Another effect of this Pilgrimage--an effect which has grown less -marked with the increased facility and comfort of travelling--is that -it kindled energy and courage in such people as would never have left -the safe seclusion of their harems had it not been for the rewards -which the undertaking is said to gain for them hereafter. For the -Oriental nations, be it remembered, are not as a rule of a roving -spirit; they are far more inclined by nature to a life of ease and -security than to one of danger and privation. “Travel,” says an Arab -proverb, “is a portion of hell-fire,” and so, perhaps, nothing save the -hope of paradise or the dread of perdition would ever have induced the -meditative Oriental to brave the trials and the hardships of the long -road to Mecca. - -In our hearts we believe the proof of the Divine Spirit using any -religion is that it does not deteriorate. The chief objection to -Welsh Calvinism, which, like Muhammadanism, is based on the theory -of Predestination, is that it grows worse. It was once simply -and sincerely religious: it is now mainly political spite. Has -Muhammadanism deteriorated beyond recognition--say, in the eyes of the -student of the Kurán, or does it still hold tight by “the cord of God”? -Do the Sunnís hold themselves aloof from the Shi’ahs, or do they dwell -together, within the Holy Temple, in brotherly love and concord? Their -daily salutation of “Salám,” is it sunk to a mere empty form, or is -it still the expression, as it once undoubtedly was, of a hearty wish -to bring about the Prophet’s single aim? And of all the nationalities -congregated yearly in the city of concourse--the Arabians, the -Persians, the Afghans, the Egyptians, the Muhammadans of India and -China--which among them all is the most worthy to be commended for -its enlightenment and progress? All these questions, and many more -on the social and religious life of the East, will be answered in -the course of the second and third parts of this volume. And in the -meanwhile, I cannot do better than gather into focus the preliminary -notes of my literary partner, beginning with the customs incidental -to the pilgrimage; for the main thing now is to leave nothing unsaid -which would enable the reader to enter into the spirit and the form of -the sacred journey. And henceforward, though I shall always express -myself in my own words, the personal pronoun, whenever used, will -apply, throughout this work, to my collaborator, Hadji Khan, with the -exception of the contents of the Appendix. - - -II.--CONDITIONS OF PILGRIMAGE. - -That being understood, the conditions must be mentioned which, in -theory, though not necessarily in practice, limit the number of -Muhammadans that go on the pilgrimage. First, the Muhammadan must -be of age--that is, he must have completed his fifteenth year when, -according to the Muhammadan Law, a boy becomes a man. Secondly, he -must be of a sound constitution in order to endure the fatigue of the -journey. Thirdly, he should have no debts whatever, but should be -sufficiently well-to-do to defray his own travelling expenses, after -having distributed one-fifth of his property among the Seyyids, given -one-tenth of the remainder in alms, and made provision during his -absence for the support of the family and the servants he leaves behind -him. Fourthly, he should support both the mosque in which he prays -and the fund of the saint he adores the most by making his religious -adviser a present in proportion to his means. Fifthly, he must be -either a virtuous or a sincerely penitent man, for he cannot legally -undertake the pilgrimage unless his wealth has been gained in a lawful -manner. Strictly speaking, a thief, for example, cannot be a pilgrim, -nor can the money earned by accepting bribes be used to cover the -expenses of the journey. The best money to use for the purpose is that -which has been gained from the produce of the soil, or else that which -has been bequeathed by a virtuous father. Sixthly, the Muhammadan who -would be a Hájí must start with an absolutely clean conscience: he must -look to it that the friends he leaves behind him shall have no just -cause to be offended with him. Though he need not heed the slander of -the malignant, he must formally repent of his sins, bidding his friends -and acquaintances good-bye with the words, “Halálám kuníd.” Seventhly, -a woman should be accompanied by one of her Meharem, that is by one of -the men who are privileged to see her unveiled--namely, by her father, -her husband, her brother, her uncle, her born slave, or her eunuch. -In short, the pilgrims should be really good Muslims, adhering firmly -to all the laws laid down in the Kurán, and following religiously the -special teaching of their chosen directors, whose prescriptive right to -regulate the minor details of the rites and observances of the Faith, -has resulted in their wielding a tremendous power over their flocks -even in political matters. - - -III.--FORBIDDEN VIANDS. - -From the little that has been said of the influence of the Persian -clergy you will understand that the priests require their pilgrims -to adhere strictly to the letter of the laws appertaining to the -prohibition and recommendation of certain articles of food. They must -reckon as prohibited and, therefore, impure, twelve things, among -which may be counted pork, underdone meat, the blood of animals, and -wines. Though a digression, it will not be out of place to mention here -that the wine, of which Omar Khayyám and the Súfís in general sing, -is more likely to be the juice of the grape than the interpretation -put on it by such commentators as see in it a symbol of God’s love. -For the effect produced on the brain by the forbidden drink is in -itself something of a mystery, as it were, a divine afflatus, more -particularly is it so considered by a people of such a temperate habit -as the Persians. Some of the higher classes, no doubt, drink hard, -and even drink to get drunk, but upon the whole the Muhammadans, and -especially the Persians, are, in comparison with the majority of -European peoples, extremely sober, bearing their griefs without seeking -the consolation of the bottle. - - -IV.--THE WORK OF PURIFICATION. - -Now, purifications must be made either in flowing water, or in about -half a ton of stagnant pure water. When the nose bleeds it must be -dipped three times, after being well washed. Strange to say, the sweat -of the camel--the animal that bears the pilgrim to Mecca--is said to -be unclean to the touch and its pollution must, like the handling of -dogs, pigs, and rats, be cleansed away by the customary purifications. -Ablutions, called _wuzú’h_ should precede every prayer that is _farz_ -or incumbent, and _wuzú’h_ consists first in washing the hands three -times by pouring water from the right hand over the left hand and -rubbing them together, next in washing the face three times with the -right hand, then in pouring the water with the right hand over the -left elbow and rubbing down the forearm, and last of all in repeating -the process with the left hand over the right forearm. After this -_maseh_ must be performed by dipping the right hand in water and -rubbing it over the front portion of the head, and also by rubbing over -the right foot with the wet right hand, and the left foot with the wet -left hand. If the hands or the feet be sore or wounded then clay takes -the place of water, and this particular kind of purification is called -_tyammom_. The devout before reading the Kurán, or before entering the -shrine of a saint or the court of a mosque, should perform _wuzú’h_ or -_tyammom_, and in doing so they should resolve within themselves to -recite such and such a prayer. This is called _Niyyat_, or Declaration -of Intention. - -According to a Shi’ah traditionalist, Imám Huseyn has laid down twelve -rules to be observed at meal times. The first four are essential to the -salvation of all true Muslims. They should remember to say “Bismillah” -before tasting each dish, and refrain from eating of the forbidden -viands; they should also assure themselves that the food laid before -them has been bought with money obtained from a legal source, and -should end by returning thanks to God. The second four, though not -universally obeyed, are admitted by all to be “good form,” and consist -in washing the hands before meat, in sitting down inclined to the left, -in eating with the thumb and the first two fingers of the right hand, -which hand must be kept especially clean for the purpose. The last -four rules deal with matters of social etiquette. They are kept by -most Muhammadans in polite society, and are as follows: One should not -stretch across the tablecloth, but should partake only of such dishes -as are within one’s reach; one should not stuff the mouth too full, nor -forget to masticate the food thoroughly; and one should keep the eyes -downcast and the tongue as silent as possible. - -It is a tradition that the washing of hands before meals will -materially help the true Muslim to grow rich, and be the means of -delivering him from all diseases. If he rub his eyes immediately after -the ablution they will never be sore. The left hand must not be used in -eating unless the right be disabled. - -All true Muslims when eating are advised to begin with salt and finish -with vinegar. If they begin with salt they will escape the contagion of -seventy diseases. If they finish with vinegar their worldly prosperity -will continue to increase. The host is in etiquette bound to be the -first to start eating and the last to leave off. Tooth-picking is -considered an act of grace, for Gabriel is reported to have brought a -tooth-pick from heaven for the use of the Prophet after every meal. The -priests recite certain passages of the Kurán before and after lunch and -dinner, and also before drinking water at any hour of the day. - - -V.--PRAYERS. - -All Muslims must say five prayers every day, and the following six -things should be observed before the prayers are acceptable to God: -(1) _wuzú’h_ or _tyammom_, (2) putting off dirty clothes, (3) covering -one’s body and head and doffing the shoes, (4) keeping the appointed -time, (5) determining the exact position of Mecca, and (6) assuring -one’s self as to the purity of the place in which the prayers are said. -Before beginning one must say within one’s self what prayers one is -about to recite, and for what purpose one is going to recite them, and -at the end one must raise the hands to Heaven, saying, “May peace -be with Muhammad and with his disciples.” For prayer was by Muhammad -deemed so urgent an act of reverence that he used to call it the pillar -of religion and the key of paradise, declaring “that there could be no -good in that religion wherein was no prayer.” It behoves every pilgrim, -therefore, in his sacred habit, to pray at least five times every -twenty-four hours; (1) in the morning before sunrise, (2) when noon -is past and the sun begins to decline from the meridian, (3) in the -afternoon before sunset, (4) in the evening after sunset and before day -be shut in, and (5) after the day is shut in and before the first watch -of the night. Besides these, there are certain other prayers which, -though not expressly enjoined, are commended as a special act of grace, -more particularly perhaps to the pilgrims in ihrám. Among these may be -mentioned the separate prayers generally said at night (_i.e._, the -namáz-i-tahajjud and the vitr), and the extra prayers not prescribed -by law, the naváfil and the namáz-i-mustahabb. The positions of the -body are as follows: (1) kiyám, that is, standing erect, with the hands -down by the sides; (2) takbírguftán, declaring God’s greatness, on -raising the hands on either side of the face, with the thumbs under -the lobes of the ears, and the fingers extended; (3) rukú, inclining -the body from the waist and placing the hands on the knees; (4) kunút, -standing with the head inclined forward and the hands on either side of -the face; (5) dú zánúnishastán, kneeling, the hands lying flat on the -thighs; and (6) sijdah, prostration, in which the forehead must touch -the ground, or the lump of unbaked clay that is known by the name of -“mohre.” A full prayer is made up of five “rakats” or prostrations, -during which not a word save the prayer as prescribed should be -uttered. Part of the prayer is said aloud and part in a whispering -tone. The greatest care should be taken to pronounce each word with -the correct Arabic accent, since ill-pronounced words, unless the -result of a natural defect, are said to be unacceptable to the Creator. -The pilgrim should say special prayers on Friday, and every time he -has recourse to the Kurán before deciding on any course of action -whatsoever. A special prayer is said by the devout about one hour after -midnight. This is called the midnight prayer, and is, of course, a -tedious task. Hence it is sometimes said sarcastically of a man with a -loose belief in the Faith: “He says midnight prayers!” The prayers most -readily answered are the prayers said in Mecca. Thus when a pilgrim -sets out on his journey he is requested by his friends to pray for them -at the House of God. The name of the person for whom one prays should -be uttered, otherwise the prayer will have no effect. Every pilgrim -must take with him a rosary, the square piece of unbaked clay called -“mohre,” and a copy of the Kurán, for a passage of the Kurán must be -read after every prayer. - - -VI.--ASPECTS OF SOCIAL ISLÁM. - -It is now time to give the reader, in as terse and as condensed a -form as possible, a general idea of the part played by religion in -the workaday lives of the children of the Faith, beginning with their -toilet, that is, with their dressing and bathing, with the combing of -their hair and the cutting of their nails. - -A pious Persian Muslim, before wearing any new article of clothing, -performs his ablutions and prostrates himself twice in prayer. A man -of a less devout, but a more superstitious, trend of mind contents -himself with consulting the _taghvím_ or the _estakhhareh_[1] muttering -to himself, ere he dons the garment, “In the name of God the Merciful -and Clement!” His friends on seeing the new apparel cry out, “May it be -auspicious!” The rewards of a man who says his prayers before putting -on a new suit of clothes will be in proportion to the number of threads -in the cloth. Hence it has come to be a practice to preserve the -material from the blight of the Evil Eye by besprinkling it with pure -water over which a prescribed passage of the Kurán has been read. - -[1] For fuller particulars of the _taghvím_ and the _estakhhareh_, see -page 289 “Healing by Faith.” - -It is unlucky for a Muslim to sit down before taking off his shoes. -When drawing them on it is equally unlucky for him to stand up. The -custom, in the first instance, is to rise, doffing first the left -shoe and then the right one. The procedure must be reversed in every -particular when putting them on. The universal belief in omens is -traditional, and extends, among other things, to precious stones. By -far the luckiest of these is the flesh-coloured cornelian, which is -a great favourite with the men. It owes its popularity to the fact -that the Prophet himself is said to have worn a cornelian ring set in -silver on the little finger of his right hand. It grew still more in -favour at a later period, because Jafar, the famous Imám, declared -that the desires of every man who wore it would be gratified. And -thenceforward its property to bless has been regarded as axiomatic by -the superstitious to whom I am referring. - -[Illustration: COPIES OF THE KURÁN WORN _EN BANDOULIÈRE_ BY MUSLIMS -WHEN TRAVELLING OR ON PILGRIMAGE.] - -The Shiahs have the name of one of the twelve Imáms engraved on the -stone; others make use of it as a seal bearing their own names. Hardly -less lucky are the turquoise and the ruby, which are believed to have -the effect of warding off poverty from those who are fortunate -enough to possess them. This is why they are treasured by the fair sex, -the ruby being, perhaps, the more dearly loved of the two. - -Every bath has generally three courts. On entering each one of these -the devout say the prayers prescribed for the occasion, but the -generality of Muslims, unless they intend to perform the religious -purifications, consider it sufficient to greet the people who are -present with the word “Salám!” It is considered inauspicious to brush -the teeth in the baths, but certain portions of hair must be removed by -a composition of quicklime and arsenic, called nureh, and the nureh, -though efficacious enough, no matter when it may be used, is said to -add immeasurably to a man’s chance of salvation by being laid on either -on a Wednesday or on a Friday. - -The application of the juice of the marsh-mallow as an emollient -for the hair is strongly recommended by the saints. Their object in -bequeathing this advice to the consideration of their flock was not to -inculcate vanity. They had a higher aim than that. Their desire was to -stave off starvation from the fold, for that, in their opinion, would -be the result of using the lotion on an ordinary day of the week; while -rubbing the head vigorously with the precious juice on the Muslim -Sabbath would be certain to preserve the skin from leprosy and the mind -from madness. To the use of a decoction of the leaves of the lote-tree -a divine relief is attributed, for the mere smell of it on the hair of -the most unregenerate has on Satan an effect so disheartening that he -will cease from leading them into temptation for no less than seventy -days. - -The pressure of the grave will be mitigated by a skilful and untiring -application of the comb in this life. The blessing of the comb is -said to have been revealed to Imám Jafar. Women are not excluded from -the spiritual benefits derived from the comb. But, remember, the hair -must not be done in a frivolous, much less in a perfunctory fashion. -Far from it. On no account whatever must the hair be neglected, for -Satan is attracted by dishevelled locks. They are, as it were, a net in -which he catches the human soul. Therefore, since the priests and the -merchants of Islám shave their heads in most parts of the Muslim world, -special attention should be paid by them to their beards and eyebrows. -A pocket-comb made of sandal-wood is often carried by the true -Believers, who, it may be hoped, turn it to good account in moments of -spiritual unwillingness on the part of the natural man. - -A Mullá’s beard is an object of veneration to his flock. He may trim -it lest it should grow as wild as a Jew’s, but he is forbidden by -tradition to shave it. Even the scissors must be plied sparingly and to -the accompaniment of prayer. Perhaps the orthodox length of this almost -divine appendage of the true Muslim is the length of the wearer’s hand -from the point of the chin downwards. This is known as a ghabzeh or -handful. A priest may be allowed to add the length of the first joint -of his little finger, otherwise his power to awe might grow lax. The -soul is in danger every time he forgets to cut his sharib, that is, the -tip of his moustache, which should be reduced to bristles once a week. -Once on a time a faithful follower of the Prophet asked one of the -Imáms what he should do to increase his livelihood. The Imám answered -unhesitatingly: “Cut your nails and your sharib on a Friday as long as -you live!” - -Again, according to a Shi’ah traditionist, if a Muslim gaze into -a looking-glass, before saying his prayers, he will be guilty of -worshipping his own likeness, however unsightly it may appear in his -eyes. The hand must be drawn across the forehead, ere the hair or the -beard be adjusted, or else the mirror will reflect a mind given over -to vanity, which is a grievous, if universal sin. The new moon must -be seen “on the face” of a friend, on a copy of the Kurán, or on a -turquoise stone. Unless one of these conditions be observed, there is -no telling what evil might not happen. - -The devout who are most anxious to vindicate tradition perform two -prostrations on beholding the new moon, and sacrifice a sheep for the -poor as an additional safeguard against her baneful rays. The Evil -Eye more often than not has its seat in the socket of an unbeliever. -Therefore, the Muslim who, on being brought face to face with a -heretic, should not say the prayer by law ordained must look to his -charms or suffer the inevitable blight. A cat may look at a king; a -king may shoot a ferocious animal; and a thief may run away with the -spoil. But a true Believer must guard his faith against aggression -every time he sees a thief, a ferocious animal, or a king. For very -different reasons, he must recite a prescribed formula of prayer -on the passing of a funeral procession, and also on his seeing the -first-fruits of the season and its flowers. The dead, it is said, will -hear his voice if, on crossing a cemetery, he cry aloud: “O ye people -of the grave, may peace be with you, of both sexes of the Faithful!” - -As the sense of sight gives rise to devotional exercises, so also does -the sense of hearing. The holy Muslim should lend a prayerful ear to -the cries of the muezzin during the first two sentences of the summons, -and when the call to prayer is over he should rub his eyes with his -fingers, in order to produce the signs of weeping--a mark of contrition -and of emotional recrudescence in the matter of piety. The true -Believer, whenever he hears the Sureh Sújdeh read in the Kurán, should -prostrate himself and repeat the words after the reader. If he hear -a Muslim sneeze he should say, “May peace be with thee!” and if the -sneeze be repeated, “Mayest thou be cured!” But, if a Kafir sneeze, the -response must be expressed in the wish to see him tread “the straight -path.” - -Every child of Islám, before going to bed, should perform his ablutions -and say his prayers. If he wish to be delivered from nightmare and -all its terrors let him say to Allah: “I take refuge in Thee from the -evil of Satan,” and if he is afraid of being bitten by a scorpion let -him appeal to Noah, saying, “May peace be with thee, O Noah!” One -day Eshagh-ben-Ammar asked Imám Jafar how he could protect himself -against the attack of that malignant arachnidan. The Imám replied: -“Look at the constellation of the Bear; therein you will find a small -star, the lowest of all, which the Arabs call Sohail. Fix your eyes in -the direction of that star, and say three times, ‘May peace be with -Muhammad and with his people: O Sohail, protect me from scorpions,’ and -you will be protected from them.” Eshagh-ben-Ammar goes on to relate -that he read the formula every evening before going to bed, and that it -proved successful; but one evening he forgot to repeat it, and, as a -consequence, was bitten by a black scorpion. - -Prayers are also said against mosquitoes and other insects. This -cleanses the conscience of the irate Muslim, if it fail in preserving -his skin. The Eastern peoples in general and the Muhammadans in -particular are early risers. Sleep after morning prayers, which are -said before sunrise, is sure to cause folly; sleep in the middle of -the day is believed to be necessary and suitable to work; while sleep -before evening prayers has precisely the same effect as after the -devotions of the early morning. A traditionist says that the prophets -slept on their backs, so as to be able to converse with the angels at -any hour of the night; that the faithful must sleep on their right -sides, and the Kafirs on their left; and that the deves take their rest -on their stomachs. - -Usury, though interest on money was strictly prohibited by the Prophet, -is among the Muslims of the present day a common practice. They evade -the letter of the law by putting what the Persians call “a legal cap -over the head” of the usurious transaction. The money-lender picks up -a handful of barley and says to the borrower, “Give me the rate of -interest as the cost of this grain, which I now offer to sell to you -at that price;” and the borrower replies that he accepts the bargain. -Also, a merchant must know all the laws appertaining to buying and -selling. Imám ’Ali is said to have made a daily round of the bazaars of -Kufa crying out the while, “O ye merchants and traders, deal honestly -and in accordance with the laws of your Prophet. Swear not, neither -tell lies, and cheat not your customers. Beware of using false weights, -and walk ye in the paths of righteousness.” - -A high priest in Mecca assured me that to enjoy a derham of interest is -as bad as taking the blood of seventy virgins. The admonitions of ’Alí -the Just, though sometimes read, are less often followed. On leaving -his house a merchant must say “Bismillah,” and then blow to his left -and his right and also in front of him, so as to clear the way to good -business. - -The pious recite, on entering the bazaar, a prayer ordained for the -occasion. When the bargain is clinched the seller should cry out, “God -is great! God is great!” But there should be no dishonest bargaining -over the purchasing of these four things: the winding sheets for the -dead, the commodities to be distributed in charity, the expenses on -the journey to Mecca, and the price of a slave’s ransom. In all these -transactions the buyer and seller must act according to the dictates of -fair play. The man who buys a slave should lay hold of him by a hair of -his head and say the prescribed prayer; after which, if guided by Imám -Jafar, he must change the name of his purchase. Slaves are treated with -every consideration, so much so indeed that in the household of Eastern -potentates, whose treatment of their dependents is extremely arbitrary, -the slaves lord it over the servants. - -It is said, in the traditions, that a true Muslim should marry -neither for money nor for beauty, but should be guided by the woman’s -moral worth and spiritual endowments. His choice is referred to the -arbitrament of the _estakhhareh_. “A chaste maiden will make a good -wife; for she will be sweet-tempered to her husband, and mild but -firm in the treatment of her children.” This saying is attributed to -the Prophet. “A bad wife, a wicked animal, and a narrow house with -unsociable neighbours, those are the possessions which try a man’s -temper,” cried one of the Imáms, himself a saintly man. “The best woman -is she who bears children frequently, who is beloved by her relatives, -who shows herself obedient to her husband, who pleases him by wearing -her best clothes, and who avoids the eyes of men who cannot lawfully -see her.” These words were uttered by Muhammad, if we are to believe -tradition. - -The wedding must not take place when the moon is under an eclipse, nor -when she is in the sign of Scorpio. The best time is between the 26th -and the end of the lunar month. Muhammad recommended festivals to be -celebrated on five occasions: on wedding and nuptial days, on the birth -of a child, on the circumcision of a child, on taking up one’s abode -in a newly-purchased house, and on returning from Mecca. Only persons -of unblemished reputation should be invited to the marriage or the -nuptial feasts. - -To the man who brings him news of the birth of a male child the father -should give a present. The nurse should lose no time in singing the -first chapter of the prescribed prayer in the baby’s right ear, and -what is called the standing prayer in its left one, and if the water -of the Euphrates be procurable it should be sprinkled on the baby’s -forehead. - -On the seventh day after the child’s birth the ceremony of the Aghigheh -is performed in Persia. This consists in killing a fatted sheep, in -cooking it, and in distributing the flesh among the neighbours or among -the poor who come to the door. In memory of the occasion a cornelian -engraved with a Kurán text, and sometimes surrounded with precious -stones, as in the cover-design to the present volume, is fastened to -the baby’s arm by means of a silk band, and is worn perhaps to the end -of its life. Not a single bone of the Aghigheh sheep should be broken; -certain prayers should be read before the sheep is killed; and the -parents should not take part in the feast. - -The baby is not often weaned until it is two years old, Muhammad -believing that the mother’s milk is the best and acts beneficially on -the child’s future character and temperament. - - -VII.--STORY OF THE MUSLIM MOONS. - -The twelve Muhammadan months are lunar, and number twenty-nine and -thirty days alternately. Thus the whole year contains only three -hundred and fifty-four days; but eleven times in the course of thirty -years an intercalary day is added. Accordingly, thirty-two of our -years are, roughly speaking, equal to thirty-three Muhammadan years. -The Muhammadan Era dates from the morning after the Hegira, or the -flight of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina, that is, on the 16th of -July, A.D. 622. Every year begins earlier than the preceding one, so -that a month beginning in summer in the present year will, sixteen -years hence, fall in winter. The following are the names of the months, -which do not correspond in any way with ours: 1, Muharram; 2, Safar; 3, -Rabíu-’l-avval; 4, Rabíu-’s-sání or Rabíu-’l-ákhir; 5, Jumádáu-’l-úlá; -6, Jumádáu-’s-sání or Jumádáu-’l-ákhir; 7, Rajab; 8, Sha’bán; 9, -Ramazán; 10, Shavvál; 11, Zú-’l-ka’dah, or Zí-ka’d; 12, Zú-’l-hijjah, -or Zí-hajj. Many stories of these months were told to me by the priests -and the pilgrims whom I met at Mecca, and it is therefore my intention -to tell over again the stories of the most cherished months of the -Muslim year. These are Rajab, Sha’bán, Ramazán, Shavvál, Zú-’l-ka’dah, -Zú-’l-hijjah, and Muharram. - -On the Day of Judgment, the Holy Muezzin, sitting on the Throne, will -cry out, ere he pass judgment on the Faithful, saying: “O moons of -Rajab, Sha’bán, and Ramazán, how stands it with the deeds of this -humble slave of ours?” The three moons will then prostrate themselves -before the Throne, and answer: “O Lord, we bear witness to the good -deeds of this humble slave. When he was with us he kept on loading his -caravans with provisions for the next world, beseeching Thee to grant -him Thy divine favour, and expressing his perfect contentment with the -fate that Thou hadst sent unto him.” After them their guardian-angels, -meekly kneeling on their knees, will raise their voices in praise of -the pious Muslim, crying: “O Lord God Almighty, we also bear witness -to the good deeds of this humble slave of Thine. On earth his eyes, -his ears, his nose, his mouth, and his stomach were all obedient both -to whatsoever Thou hast forbidden and also to whatsoever Thou hast made -lawful. The days he passed in fasting, and the nights in sleepless -supplication. Verily he is a good doer!” Then Allah will command his -slave to be borne into Paradise on a steed of light, accompanied by -angels, and by all the rewards of his piety on camels of light, and -there he will be conducted to a palace whose foundation is laid in -everlasting felicity, and whose inmates never grow old. The moon of -Rajab is the month of Allah. It is said that there is a stream of that -name in Paradise, whose water is white, and more wholesome than milk -and sweeter than honey. The first to welcome the new arrival will be -this stream, which will straightway wend its course round his palace. -To Salim, one of his disciples, Muhammad is reported to have said: “If -you keep fast for one day during the month of Rajab you will be free -from the terror of death, and the agony of death, from the percussion -of the grave, and the loneliness thereof. If you keep fast for two days -the eight doors of Paradise will be opened unto you.” - -The authoritative tradition goes that a crier will make himself heard -from between the earth and the sky, summoning the pious who observed -the prayers and the privations of the moon of Rajab: “Oh, ye Rajabians, -come forth and present yourselves before your Creator.” Then the -Rajabians, whose heads will be crowned with pearls and rubies, and -whose faces will be bathed in the universal light, will arise and stand -before the Throne. And each one among them will have a thousand angels -on his right hand and a thousand on his left, and they will shout with -one accord, saying: “O, ye Rajabians, may ye be deserving of all the -holy favours ye are about to receive!” And last of all, Allah, in his -mercy, will say to them: “O my male and female slaves, I swear by my -own magnanimity, that I will give you lodgings in the most delightful -nooks of my Paradise, namely, in the palaces around which flow the most -refreshing streams of purest water.” - -A baby is to the Muslim a symbol of purity: and so a man who worships -God in the month of Rajab will become like unto a new-born child, -always provided that he repent of the sins which he has committed, and -follow the law of the Prophet. Not until then will the pious Rajabian -be in a fit state, in his character of new-born babe, to start life -afresh. The Muhammadans, in so far as duty and obedience are concerned, -put on pretty much the same footing the relation of the slave to his -master, of the wife to her husband, of the child to its parent, and of -the guest to his host. The parallel between the last-mentioned and the -preceding is complete because the guest must acquiesce in his host’s -will, which is supreme. In the matter of repentance, that of Nessouh is -exemplary among the Muhammadans. - -Now, this man Nessouh was in his face and his voice so like a woman -that his wicked nature persuaded him to wear skirts that he might -add to his experience of the opposite sex by mixing freely among -its members. Soon, his curiosity growing in ratio with his acquired -knowledge, we hear of him as an attendant in the hammam of the royal -seraglio, where he might have pursued his studies in peace and in -rapture had not one of the Royal Princesses, who had lost a ring, cast -suspicion on every servant in turn. The seed of Nessouh’s repentance -was sown when the decree went out that all the attendants of the baths -were to be searched. The fear lest his sex should be discovered yielded -so swiftly to repentance for having veiled it, that Almighty Allah -despatched an angel from Paradise to discover the missing treasure -before the decree took effect; and thenceforward Nessouh, out of -the gratitude of his heart, renounced his studies of human nature in -petticoats, and vied with the most rigid disciplinarians in prayer and -in fasting. His virtues grew so conspicuous in male attire that his -repentance has come to be accepted as worthy of imitation by every true -Believer. - -According to tradition it was on the first day of God’s moon that -Noah, having taken his seat in the Ark, commanded all the men and -jinns and beasts that were with him to keep fast from sunrise to -sunset. On the evening of the same day, when the sun was going down, -the Ark, riding over the flood, would have heeled over had not Allah -sent seventy thousand of his angels to the rescue. It is interesting -to note that the number of all the traditional rewards of virtue, as -well as that of such of the heavenly hosts as lend their assistance in -cases of distress, is always a multiple of seven. A Meccan priest added -the following to my collection of “rewards”: God will build seventy -thousand cities in Paradise, each city containing seventy thousand -mansions, each mansion seventy thousand houris, each houri surrounded -by seventy thousand beautiful serving women, for the pilgrim--mark -this--who shall say his prayers with the best accent on the Hájj -Day. The Mullá in question was himself a perfect Arabic scholar; his -enunciation in reciting the forthcoming bliss was faultlessly correct; -each syllable seemed to pay his lips the tribute of a kiss for the -pleasure it had derived from listening to the mellifluous sound of its -predecessors. This learned priest will be in his element on all scores -should the Paradise of his invention be materialised. - -As Rajab belongs to Allah so Sha’bán is held sacred to the Prophet. -For we read in the history of Islám that Muhammad, who entered Medina -on the first day of the gracious moon, commanded the muezzins to make -it known to his people that the good actions which they might perform -during the month would help both himself and them to gain salvation; -whereas their evil actions would be committed against his apostleship, -and would on that account be the more severely punished hereafter. - -Once a year, on the approach of Ramazán, the precincts of Paradise, and -all its gardens and palaces, are illuminated, festooned, and decorated, -and a most tuneful wind, known in Arabic by the name of Meshireh, -makes music in the trees. Now, no sooner do the houris hear this sound -than they rush out from their seclusion, and cry aloud: “Is there any -one to marry us through the desire to perform a good deed towards the -creatures of God?” Then, turning to Rezvan, the guardian of Paradise, -“What night is this?” they ask; and Rezvan answers, “O ye fair-faced -houris, this is the eve of the holy moon of Ramazán. The gates of -Paradise have I ordered to be opened unto the fast-keepers of the Faith -of the Faithful.” Then Allah, addressing the angel who has the charge -of Hell, says to him: “O Málik, I bid thee to close thy gates against -the fast-keepers of the faith of my Apostle.” And next, summoning the -Archangel of Revelations, He gives command, saying: “O Gabriel, go -forth in the earth and put Satan in chains, and all his followers, -that the path of my chosen people may be safe.” So, on the first day -of Ramazán, Gabriel swoops down on the earth accompanied by hosts of -angels. He has six hundred wings, and opens all of them except two. In -his hands he bears four green banners, emblems of the Muslim creed. -These he plants on the summit of Mount Sinai, and on the Prophet’s tomb -at Medina, and in the Harem of Mecca. His army of angels bivouacs on -the plains round about the Holy City and on the surrounding mountains. -On the eve of the day of reward, which is called Ghadre, the angels -are ordered to disperse throughout the Muslim world, and every true -Believer seen praying during that night is embraced by one of them, -and his prayer meets with an angelic Amen. At the dawn of Ghadre day -a heavenly bugle recalls the angels to Mecca. When Gabriel returns to -Heaven it is to say to Allah, “My Lord, all the true Believers have I -forgiven in Thy name save those who have been constant wine-bibbers, or -incurred the displeasure of their parents, or indulged in abusing their -fellow Muslims.” - -The various sects of the Muhammadans disagree a good deal as to the -date of Ghadre day. Some say it is on the 19th, some on the 21st, and -others on the 23rd of the Muslim Lent; but all agree in believing it to -be the day on which the books of deeds, good and evil, are balanced, -and on which the angels make known to Muhammad the predestination of -his followers for whom he intercedes. All Shi’ahs who would win a -reputation for piety must keep Ahia, that is, pass the three nights -above-mentioned in fasting and holy devotions--a penance of untold -severity in that every day of the month must be similarly spent from -sunrise to sundown. Through most ardent prayers on the 21st of Ramazán -the devout Mussulman may win the privilege of becoming a Hájí in the -following year. The 7th is the anniversary of Muhammad’s victory -over the Kuraish in the battle of Badre, and is a great day with -all Islamites. For the rest, the Arabs follow the example of their -Prophet in breaking their fast on dates and water; special angels -are appointed to plant heavenly trees, and to build divine palaces -in readiness for such of the Muslims as should neither neglect their -religious purifications nor forget to behave themselves as “Allah’s -guests.” Many Muslims, unquestionably, adhere strictly to all the rites -and observances of the occasion; not a few, on the other hand, though -they may fast during the day, devote the night to feasting. Indeed, in -every capital of Islám, in Teheran, in Constantinople, and in Cairo, -the darkling hours are given up by certain people to amusements and -sometimes to vicious pursuits. - -The heavenly hosts under the Archangel Gabriel, with his five hundred -and ninety-eight wings wide open, and his green banner flying over the -gate of the Ka’bah,--the heavenly hosts, I say, dispersing through the -Muslim world on the eve of Ghadre will prevail on the ghosts of the one -hundred and twenty-four thousand prophets to kiss the Muslims that are -piously engaged at night, delivering them from the danger of drowning, -of being buried under ruins, of choking at meal times, and of being -killed by wild beasts. For them the grave will have no terror, and on -leaving it a substantial cheque on the keeper of Paradise, crossed and -made payable to bearer, will be placed in the hands of each one of them. - -On the first day of the moon of Shavvál, the fast of Ramazán being -over, all true Muslims are supposed to give away in charity a measure -of wheat, barley, dates, raisins, or other provisions in common use. -The guests who stay over the preceding night are entitled to receive -a portion of the alms distributed by the master of the house next -morning; and hence only the poor and needy are invited to accept -hospitality on the occasion of the Zikat-é-Fetre--that is, the festival -of alms-giving. The fulfilment of the law is believed not only to -produce an increase of wealth in the forthcoming year, but also to -cleanse the body of all impurities. So much for the rewards as a -stimulus to honesty. Now for the penalty as a deterrent from greed. -In the third Súra of the Kurán it is written: “But let not those who -are covetous of what God of His bounty hath granted them imagine that -their avarice is better for them; nay, rather it is worse for them. For -that which they have covetously reserved shall be bound as a collar -about their necks on the day of the resurrection: and God is well -acquainted with what ye do.” Shiahs are reluctant to get married in the -interval between the first of Shavvál and the tenth of Zú-’l-hijjah, -because the Prophet is said to have married Aishah, the enemy of ’Alí, -about that time. On the other hand the Sunnis, who reverence that -brilliant woman, commemorate her wedding day by solemnising their own -during this season, unless they are performing the pilgrimage of Mecca. - -The most sacred day of the following month--the moon of -Zú-’l-ka’dah--is the twenty-fifth. On that day Adam was created; -Abraham, Ishmael, and Jesus were born, and the Shiah Messiah, the -concealed Imám, will come again to judge the world. A Muslim, if he -keep fast on the twenty-fifth of Zú-’l-ka’dah, will earn the rewards -of a man to whom Allah in his mercy should grant the privilege and the -power of praying for nine hundred years. On the first of Zú-’l-hijjah, -which is the month of pilgrimage, Abraham received from God the title -of Al-Khalíl, or the Friend of Allah. It is accounted a good deed -to fast from the first to the tenth day of this the last journeying -month; it is also wise to do so, for it is not every month in the -year that the Mussulman can win, by nine days of fasting, the fruits -of a whole lifetime of self-denial. Another tradition deserving of -mention in connection with this month is that Jesus, in the company -of Gabriel, was sent to earth by God with five prayers, which he was -commanded to repeat on the first five days of the pilgrims’ moon; but -the two holiest days of the moon of Zú-’l-hijjah are the ninth and -the tenth. On the ninth, after morning prayer, the pilgrims, in olden -times, departed from the Valley of Mina, whither they had come on the -previous day, and rushed in a headlong manner to Mount Arafat, where a -sermon is preached, and where they performed the devotions entitling -them to be called Hájís. But nowadays they pass through Mina to Mount -Arafat without stopping on the outward journey; and at sunset, after -the sermon is over, they betake themselves to Muzdalifah, an oratory -between Arafat and Mina, and there the hours of the night are spent in -prayer and in reading the Kurán. - -On the tenth, by daybreak, the holy monument, or _al Masher al harám_, -is visited, after which the pilgrims hasten back, on the rising of the -sun, to the Valley of Mina, where, on the 10th and the two following -days, the stoning of the Devil takes place, every pilgrim casting a -certain number of stones at three pillars. This rite is as old as -Abraham, who, being interrupted by Satan when he was about to sacrifice -his son Ishmael, was commanded by God to put the tempter to flight -by throwing stones at him. Next, still on the same day, the tenth of -Zú-’l-hijjah, and in the same place, the Valley of Mina, the pilgrims -slay their victims, and when the sacrifice is over they shave their -heads and trim their nails, and then return to Mecca in order to take -their leave of the Ka’bah. All these ceremonies will be described in -detail in the forthcoming narrative. Meanwhile, by way of further -introduction, a few words must be said as to the animals sacrificed. -The victims should be camels, kine, sheep, or goats. The camels and -kine should be females and the sheep and goats males. In age the camels -should be five years and not less; the cows and goats in their second -year; and the sheep not younger than six months. All should be without -blemish, neither blind nor lame: their ears should not have been cut, -nor their horns have been broken. The males should be complete, and all -be well fed. They were woefully lean, however, in the year 1319 of the -Flight. The camels are sacrificed while standing, the fore and hind -legs being tied together. A single blow is delivered where the head -joins the neck, the name of God being uttered the while. The victim -must face the Kiblah, and the butcher or the pilgrim, as the case may -be, stands on the right of the animal he is going to slay. If the -pilgrim be too tender-hearted to deal the blow, he should catch hold -of the butcher’s wrist, so as to take part in the act of sacrifice. -All the other victims--namely, the kine, the sheep, and the goats--are -made to lie on their sides facing Mecca, all four legs being securely -fastened, then their throats are cut with a sharp knife, without, -however, severing the head from the body. - -The custom of sacrificing a camel on the tenth day of Zú-’l-hijjah -prevails among the Shiahs in most of the towns of Persia and of Central -Asia. The ceremony varies with the locality; but the one we witnessed -was so picturesque that we cannot refrain from describing it. For the -first nine days the camel, richly caparisoned, is led through the -streets of the city; half a dozen Dervishes, intoning passages of -the Kurán, swing along at the head of the procession; at every house -the camel is made to halt, and subscriptions are raised towards its -purchase-money and its maintenance. The victim, goaded on from street -to street and from square to square, ends at last by collecting alms -for its tormentors. On the eve of the Day of Sacrifice the camel is -stripped of its gaudy trappings, and its body is, as it were, mapped -out into portions with red ink, one portion being allotted to every -quarter of the city. The place of sacrifice is usually outside the city -walls, and early in the morning each district arms its strongest men to -go and claim its share of the carcase. Each group may contain as many -as twenty men, bristling from head to foot with uncouth weapons, and a -band of drummers adds to the barbaric display the sounds of discordant -music. One man in each group rides on horseback and wears a cashmere -shawl; it is he who receives into his hands the sacrificial share -of the parish he represents. Prayers are said, and then, at a given -signal, the butcher prepares his knife, and the cutters appointed by -the respective quarters make ready to hack the victim in pieces. The -camel, bare of covering, and marked all over with the red lines, turns -its supercilious eyes on the eager cutters, and they, in their turn, -watch the butcher. The wretched victim may or may not be conscious of -its fate. I believe it to be conscious; but, whether it is or not, -there is no sign of terror in its eyes, only the customary look of sly -disdain. No sooner does the butcher plunge the knife into the camel’s -windpipe than the cutters vie with one another as to who shall be the -first to finish carving the still animate body, each allotted part of -which is handed warm and well-nigh throbbing with life, to the horseman -of the quarter to which it belongs. He takes it in procession to the -house of the magistrate, who distributes it among the poor. - -The prayer most acceptable to God is that of Nodbeh, which must be -said by the pilgrims on Mount Arafat, with tears pouring from their -eyes. The Prophet rose to a noble conception of the next life. He not -only believed that the pure-hearted will see God, he also proclaimed -that blessing to be the height of heavenly bliss. The Muslim Paradise, -therefore, in its material aspect unalloyed, is the invention of the -tradition-mongers. According to the orthodox among them, it is situated -above the seven heavens, immediately under the Throne of God. Some say -that the soil of it consists of the finest wheat flour, others will -have it to be of the purest musk, and others again of saffron. Its -palaces have walls of solid gold, its stones are pearls and jacinths, -and of its trees, all of which have golden trunks, the most remarkable -is the Tree of Happiness, Túba, as they call it. This tree, which -stands in the Palace of Muhammad, is laden with fruits of every kind, -with grapes and pomegranates, with oranges and dates, and peaches and -nectarines, which are of a growth and a flavour unknown to mortals. In -response to the desire of the blessed, it will yield, in addition to -the luscious fruit, not only birds ready dressed for the table, but -also flowing garments of silk and of velvet, and gaily caparisoned -steeds to ride on, all of which will burst out from its leaves. There -will be no need to reach out the hand to the branches, for the branches -will bend down of their own accord to the hand of the person who -would gather of their products. So large is the Túba tree that a man -“mounted on the fleetest horse would not be able to gallop from one -end of its shade to the other in a hundred years.” All the rivers of -Paradise take their rise from the root of the Tree of Happiness; some -of them flow with water, some with milk, some with wine, and others -with honey. Their beds are of musk, their sides of saffron, their -earth of camphire, and their pebbles are rubies and emeralds. The most -noteworthy among them, after the River of Life, is Al-Káwthar. This -word, Al-Káwthar, which signifies _abundance_, has come to mean the -gift of prophecy, and the water of the river of that name is derived -into Muhammad’s pond. According to a tradition of the Prophet, this -river, wherein his Lord promised him abundance of wisdom, is whiter -than milk, cooler than snow, sweeter than honey, and smoother than -cream; and those who drink of it shall never be thirsty. - -The blessed, having quenched their thirst in Muhammad’s pond, are -admitted into Paradise, and there they are entertained to dinner by the -Supreme Host. For meat they will have the ox Balám and the fish Nún, -and for bread--mark this--God will turn the whole earth into one huge -loaf, and hand it to His guests, “holding it like a cake.” When the -repast is over they will be conducted to the palaces prepared for them, -where they will dwell with the houris they have won by their good deeds -on earth. They will fare sumptuously through all eternity, and without -loss of appetite, eat as much as they will: for all superfluities will -be discharged by sweat as fragrant as musk, so that the last morsel of -food will be as comforting as the first. - -The imagination of the tradition-mongers is not less extravagant -when it busies itself with the holy festivals of the faith. The -A’yáde-Shadir, perhaps the most important of these feast-days, falls -on the eighteenth of Zú-’l-hijjah. Books might be written--nay, -tomes innumerable have been filled--to do honour to the attributes -of that day. In fact, Oriental exaggeration in general, and the -Shiah superstition in particular, reach the climax of fancy in the -description of the events that are supposed by the devout Shiah to have -happened on the A’yád of Ghadir. For was it not on the eighteenth of -Zú-’l-hijjah that Muhammad mounted a camel, and, raising ’Alí in his -arms, appointed this chivalrous cousin and son-in-law of his to be his -lawful successor? This righteous act on the part of the Prophet is the -corner-stone of the Shiah faith, and so it is not unnatural, perhaps, -that it should have been made the source of unnumbered traditions. We -read, among other inventions, that it was on that day that God chose -to humiliate Satan by ordering an angel to rub his nose in the dirt; -that the Archangel Gabriel, along with a host of angels, came down -from heaven in the evening, bearing a throne of light, which he placed -opposite to the Ka’bah, and from which he preached to his companions a -stirring sermon in praise of Islám and its Prophet; that Moses had made -his will in favour of Aaron and that Jesus had selected Simon Peter to -go and preach to the Jews on the same day in their own lives. - -The waters that acknowledged ’Alí to be the Prophet’s successor became -“sweet” or fresh on the eighteenth of Zú-’l-hijjah. The rest either -remained salt or turned brackish. The birds that accepted ’Alí as -Muhammad’s heir were taught to sing like a nightingale or to talk like -a parrot. Those that denied him were stricken deaf and dumb. For the -angels who delighted to honour him a sumptuous palace was built with -slabs of gold and silver in alternate order. Two hundred thousand domes -crowned this edifice, and half of them were made of red rubies, and -half of green emeralds. Through the courtyard flowed four rivers: one -with water, one with milk, another with honey, and a fourth with wine. -Trees of gold, bearing fruits of turquoise, grew along the banks, and -on the branches were perched the most marvellous birds. Their bodies -were made of pearls, their right wings of rubies, and their left wings -of turquoises. All the hosts of heaven gathered together, praising God. -The birds dived, singing, into the streams. The angels clapped their -hands and shouted. The houris joined in the chorus. Then, with one -accord, they all raised their voices in homage of ’Alí and his wife, -the Prophet’s daughter, Fatima. Lovers should remember to strengthen -the bond of affection by exchanging rings. The men should kiss each -other frequently whenever and wherever they meet. The servants should -kiss their master’s hands, and the children those of their parents. If -a Muslim smile on his brother-Muslim on this holy a’yád, God will smile -on him on the day of the resurrection. If he die, he will receive the -rewards of a martyr of the faith. If he call on a true believer, he -will be visited in the grave when he draws his last breath by seventy -thousand angels. If he neglect neither the ordained prayer nor the -prescribed purification, he will be entitled to rank with the man to -whom God has granted the rewards of one hundred thousand pilgrimages -to Mecca. And a week later, on the 25th of Zú-’l-hijjah, the angel of -revelations brought down from heaven to the Prophet the chapter of the -Kurán, entitled Man, and told Muhammad that God congratulated him on -the virtues of his family. - - -VIII.--PERSIAN SÚFÍISM; AND PERSIAN SHIAHISM IN ITS RELATION TO THE -PERSIAN PASSION-DRAMA. - -Since the narrative which follows this introduction is written rather -from the Persian and Shiah than from the Turkish and Sunni point of -view, it is necessary for us to dwell briefly on two more important -subjects in connection with Persian thought:--(_a_) on the love of -metaphysical speculation which vindicates the claim of Aryan thought -to be free, and which has given rise to the doctrines of Súfíism,--our -immediate consideration; and (_b_) on the growth of Shiahism, the State -religion, and more particularly in its relation to the Passion-Drama, -which is the outcome of the Muharram celebrations in honour of Huseyn’s -martyrdom. - -(_a_) _Persian Súfíism._ - -Now the Súfís, who are split up into numerous sects, with slightly -varying doctrines, speak of themselves as travellers, for they regard -life as a journey from their earthly abode to the spiritual world. The -stages between them and their destination are reckoned as seven. Some -call them seven regions, and others seven towns. Unless the traveller -get rid of his animal passions and pass safely through these seven -stages he cannot hope to lose himself in the ocean of Union, nor slake -his thirst for immortality in the unexampled wine of Love. The first -region before the traveller, the region of Aspiration, can only be -traversed on the charger of Patience. Though a thousand temptations -beset him on the road he must not lose heart, but must seek to cleanse -his mind from all selfish desires. Other-worldliness should alone -absorb his thoughts, and to that end the gates of friendship and of -enmity should be closed against the people of the world. Only thus can -he find his way into the heart of the realm, wherein every traveller is -a lover in search of the True Beloved. - -One day Majnún, whose love for Laili has inspired many a Persian -poet, was playing in a little sand heap when a friend came to him and -said--“Why are you wasting your time in an occupation so childish?” “I -am seeking Laili in these sands,” replied Majnún: whereat his friend, -all lost in amazement, cried--“Why, Laili is an angel, so what is the -use of seeking her in the common earth?” “I seek her everywhere,” said -Majnún, bowing his head, “that I may find her somewhere.” - -And so the traveller, on this stage of his pilgrimage, should regard -no earthly abode as too humble a shrine for the spirit of the True -Beloved. He should eat, but only to live; he should drink, but only -to love; and, though all worldlings should be shunned, he should keep -in touch with the hearts of his fellow-travellers lest, peradventure, -he might lose a guide to his destination. Now, if he find in this -region some sign from the Unsigned, and trace the lost Beloved, he -will pass forthwith into the limitless bourne of Devotion, and see -the setting of the sun of Inspiration, and watch in rapture the dawn -of Love. At this time the crops of Wisdom are burnt in the fire of -Affection, and the traveller loses all consciousness of self; he knows -neither knowledge nor ignorance; he recognises neither certainty nor -doubt; but, turning his back on the dusk of perplexity, he rides breast -forward on the charger of Pain and Endurance, drawing ever nearer to -the light of salvation. In this Kingdom of the Soul, he will know -nothing but tribulation unless he strive strenuously to escape from -himself on the wings of self-renunciation. “Oh, traveller, if thou -wouldst gaze on the Joseph face of thy Beloved turn not away from the -Egypt of Love! And wouldst thou attain to divine truth, oh learn the -way of friendship from the grate, consuming thyself for the sake of the -True Beloved! For the love that thou wouldst find demands the sacrifice -of self to the end that the heart may be filled with the passion to -stand within the Holy of Holies, in which alone the mysteries of the -True Beloved can be revealed unto thee. This is so.” - -[Illustration: A PERSIAN SUFÍ OF THE ORDER OF THE LATE SEPHÍ ’ALÍ SHÁH.] - -And thenceforward the traveller, his heart aglow with the sacred -fire of Love, tears aside the curtain of earthly passions, and wins -his way into the Kingdom of Knowledge. He has passed by slow degrees -from doubt into certainty and from darkness into light. Seeing with -clearer eyes he is now quick to discern wisdom in ignorance and in -oppression justice. Then, on ascending hopefully the ladder of Wisdom, -he rises higher and higher above the ocean of being, and enters into -closer communion with the spirit of the one he seeks. The arc of truth -becomes an almost perfect round, and he is drawn irresistibly towards -the centre, where dwells the object of his quest. After traversing the -realm of knowledge, which is the last stage of fear, the traveller -enters the first City of Union, and drinks deep from the bowl of its -spirit: and the next thing he does is to enter the chamber of the True -Beloved. As all the shine of the sea and its shade are reflected in the -heart of a single pearl, so now the infinite splendour is manifested -within the traveller’s soul. Looking round him with the eyes of Unity -he recognises his true identity in that of his host, and reads the name -of the Beloved in his own name. The circle of his aspirations will soon -be complete, for the sun of divine grace is seen to rise equally on -all creatures; and he is prepared in spirit to advance one step nearer -the end. And soon, on the breeze of godly independence, which blows -from the spirit’s flame and burns the curtain of poverty, the traveller -is borne into the City of Freedom. There he will know no sorrow, but -will pass through the gates of joy, and, though he be on the earth, -will ride the heaven of power, and quench his thirst in the wine of -love. The sixth stage on the road to immortality is that of Amazement. -Sometimes he will notice perfect poverty in riches, and sometimes -perfect wealth in poverty. His surprise will grow at every step. Each -second will bring a fresh revelation. Now he will dive into the ocean -of divine omniscience, and now be carried to the crest of omnipotence -divine. - -The traveller passes swiftly from this stage into the region of -absolute poverty and nothingness, which is the true forgetfulness of -self in the love of the Beloved. He is now as a pearl in the sea of -the infinite splendour: poor in the things created, but rich beyond -counting in the things that are spiritual and pure. And thus, casting -aside the burden of consciousness for ever, he becomes one with the -Beloved and enters the Kingdom of Immortality. The renunciation of -self, therefore, is the Alpha and Omega of the Súfí doctrine: the -lover, in other words, must turn the Beloved, otherwise he can never -hope to gain admittance into the Chamber of Love. “One came to the -Beloved’s door and knocked. And a voice from within whispered, ‘Who -is there?’ And the lover answered, saying, ‘It is I.’ Then the voice -said, ‘There is not room in this house for thee and me,’ and the door -was not opened unto him. So the lover went back into the desert and -fasted and prayed. And at the end of a year he returned once more to -the Beloved’s door and knocked. And the voice from within said again, -‘Who is there?’ And this time the lover, having learned the lesson of -self-renunciation, answered, ‘It is thyself,’ and the door was opened -unto him.” - -(_b_) _The Shiah Faith in its Relation to the Persian Passion Play._ - -The Shiah faith is as old as ’Alí; for, on the feast of Ghadir, he is -said to have been selected by Muhammad as his successor. In the ages -immediately succeeding the Prophet, it spread itself East and West. The -Muslim colonies, in various parts of the Empire, embraced its political -teaching. It took root even in Mecca and Medina; but it was in Persia -alone that it grew, in the Ninth Century, to be the State religion, -waning and waxing in its hold on the people during the dynastic -changes to which the country subsequently submitted itself; until, -in the declining years of the Fifteenth Century, under the Safaví -Kings, it re-established its grip, this time for good, on the national -conscience. The mourning celebration of the month of Muharram, in which -the whole country, with the exception of the Sunnis, takes part to -this day, was founded in the Tenth Century by Ahmad Muizz-u’d-Dawlat. -In order to appreciate the depth of feeling underlying this yearly -commemoration, the reigns of the early Caliphs must be reviewed. For, -in the story of the family of the Tent, lies the _raison d’être_ of the -Muharram celebration. - -When Muhammad died he was succeeded by his father-in-law, Abú Bekr, a man -of great prudence and sincere piety. His rule was accepted by all the -Prophet’s companions, if we except the Hashemites, who, under the -leadership of ’Alí, declined at first to take the oath of fidelity. But -the death of Fatima, the wife of ’Alí, so subdued the spirit of her -husband that he made his peace with the aged Caliph, who died after -a reign of two years, bequeathing his sceptre to the iron hand of -the incorruptible Omar. In the twelfth year of a reign of unexampled -glory Omar was assassinated, and his successor was elected by six of -his most trustworthy lieutenants. Othman, the man chosen by them, had -been Muhammad’s secretary: he was not a successful ruler. His helpless -character and resourcelessness of mind succumbed to the burden of his -responsibilities; his subjects rose in arms throughout his Empire, and -the treachery of one of his secretaries hastened his downfall. The -brother of Ayeshah is believed to have led the assassins, and Othman, -with the Kurán on his knees, was pierced with a multitude of wounds. -He died in the year 655 A.D., in the eleventh year of his reign. The -inauguration of ’Alí put an end to the anarchy that ensued; but, -with all his bravery and all the brilliancy of his endowments, ’Alí -was alike too forbearing and too magnanimous to cope successfully with the -difficulties of his position. He was not so much a politician as a -poet turned knight-errant, a religious enthusiast turned soldier. The -first Caliph would have secured the allegiance of Telha and Zobeir, -two of the most powerful of the Arabian chieftains, by gifts. Omar, -the second Caliph, would have insured his authority and checked their -lawlessness by casting them into prison. Whereas ’Alí, from purely -chivalrous motives, left them to their own devices without, however, -in his contempt for what he had condemned in another as self-seeking -generosity, bribing them to keep the peace. And so Telha and Zobeir -escaping from Medina, fled, and raised the standard of revolt in -Assyria. The Prophet’s widow, Ayeshah, the implacable enemy of ’Alí, -accompanied them, and was present at the battle in which the Caliph, -at the head of twenty-nine thousand men, defeated the enemy, and in -which the rebel leaders were slain. This battle was called the Day of -the Camel: for, “in the heat of the action, seventy men, who held the -bridle of Ayeshah’s camel, were successively killed or wounded; and the -cage or litter in which she sat was struck with javelins and darts like -the quills of a porcupine.” Ayeshah was reproached by the victorious -’Alí, and then sent under escort to Medina where she lived to the end -of her days at her husband’s tomb. - -Meanwhile, Moawiyah, the son of Abú Sophian, had assumed the title -of Caliph and won the support of the Syrians and the interest of the -house of Ommiyah, and against him ’Alí now marched. Mounted on a -piebald horse, and wielding his two-edged sword with terrific effect, -he literally ploughed his way through the ranks of the Syrians, crying -out at every stroke of the blade, “God is victorious.” In the course -of the night in which the battle raged he was heard to repeat “that -tremendous exclamation” four hundred times. Nothing save flight would -have saved his enemies, had not the crafty Moawiyah exposed on the -foremost lances the sacred books of the Kurán, thus turning the pious -zeal of his opponents against themselves; and ’Alí, in the face of -his followers’ awe, was constrained to submit to a humiliating truce. -In his grief and anger he retreated to Kufa; his party was dejected; -the distant provinces of Persia, of Yemen, and of Egypt acclaimed his -stealthy rival; and he himself, in the mosque of his city of refuge, -fell a victim to a fanatic’s knife. - -Moawiyah, after the death of ’Alí, brought about the abdication of the -latter’s son Hasan, who, retiring without regret from the Palace of -Kufá, went to live in a hermit’s cell near the tomb of the Prophet, his -grandfather. There he was poisoned, and, as many believe, by his wife. -But Huseyn, his younger brother, was not set aside so easily. In every -way worthy to inherit the regal and sacerdotal office, he added to -Hasan’s benevolence and piety, no insignificant measure of his father’s -indomitable spirit, having served with honour against the Christians -in the siege of Constantinople. So that, when Moawiyah proclaimed -his son Yazid, who was as dissolute as he was weak-minded, to be the -Commander of the Faithful and the successor of the Apostle of God, -Huseyn, who was living in Medina at the time, scorned to acknowledge -the title of the youth, whose vicious habits he despised. One hundred -and forty thousand Muslims of Kufá and thereabouts professed their -attachment to Huseyn’s cause, and a list of these adherents of his was -transmitted to Medina. Against the advice of his wisest friends, he -resolved to traverse the desert of Arabia, and to appear on the banks -of the Euphrates--a river held sacred to this day by every Shiah. He -set out with his family, crossed the barren expanse of desert, and -approached the confines of Assyria, where he was alarmed by the hostile -aspect of the country and “suspected either the ruin or the defection -of his party.” His fears were well founded. Obeidullah, the Governor -of Kufá, had quelled the rising insurrection; and Huseyn, in the -plain of Kerbela, was surrounded by a body of five thousand horse, -who cut off his communication with the city and the river. Rather -than retreat to a fortress in the desert and confide in the fidelity -of the tribe of Tai he proposed to the chief of the enemy the choice -of three honourable courses of action--that he should be allowed to -return to Medina, or be stationed in a frontier garrison against the -Turks, or safely conducted to the presence of Yazid. He was informed -that he must surrender unconditionally or accept the consequences of -his rebellion. “Do you think to terrify me with death?” he replied, and -to his sister Zainab, who deplored the impending ruin of his house, -he said: “Our trust is in God alone. All things, both in heaven and in -earth, must perish and return to their Creator. My brother [Hasan], my -father [’Alí], my mother [Fatima], were better than I am; and every -Mussulman has an example in the Prophet.” His little band of followers -consisted only of thirty-two horsemen and forty foot soldiers. He -begged them to make good their own escape by a hasty flight; but they -held firm to their allegiance, refusing to desert him in his straits. -In return he prayed that God might accept his death as a propitiation -for their sins; they vowed they would not survive him, and the family -of the Tent, as Huseyn and his fellow-martyrs are lovingly called by -the Shiahs, passed the night in holy devotions. - -The last hours of their lives cannot be more tersely told, and -therefore more suitably to our purpose, than in the words of Gibbon: - - “On the morning of the fatal day, Huseyn mounted on horseback, with - his sword in one hand and the Kurán in the other; his generous band - of martyrs were secured in their flanks and rear, by the tent-ropes - and by a deep trench which they had filled with lighted faggots, - according to the practice of the Arabs. The enemy advanced with - reluctance, and one of their chiefs deserted, with thirty followers, - to claim the partnership of inevitable death. In a very close onset, - or single combat, the despair of the Fatimites was invincible; but - the surrounding multitude galled them from a distance with a cloud - of arrows, and the horses and men were successively slain: a truce - was allowed on both sides for the hour of prayer; and the battle at - length expired by the death of the last of the companions of Huseyn. - Alone, weary, and wounded, he seated himself at the door of his tent. - As he tasted a drop of water he was pierced in the mouth with a dart; - and his son and nephew, two beautiful youths, were killed in his - arms. He lifted his hands to heaven; they were full of blood, and he - uttered a funeral prayer for the living and the dead. In a transport - of despair his sister issued from the tent, and adjured the general - of the Cufians that he would not suffer Huseyn to be murdered before - his eyes; a tear trickled down his venerable beard; and the boldest of - his soldiers fell back on every side as the dying hero threw himself - among them. The remorseless Shamer, a name detested by the Faithful, - reproached their cowardice; and the grandson of Mahomet was slain - with three and thirty strokes of lances and swords. After they had - trampled on his body, they carried his head to the castle of Kufá, and - the inhuman Obeidullah struck him on the mouth with a cane. ‘Alas!’ - exclaimed an aged Mussulman, ‘on these lips have I seen the lips of - the Prophet of God!’ In a distant age and climate the tragic scene of - the death of Huseyn will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader. On - the annual festival of his martyrdom, in the devout pilgrimage to his - sepulchre, his Persian votaries abandon their souls to the religious - frenzy of sorrow and indignation.” - -The date of Huseyn’s death was the tenth of Muharram. The month is -one of mourning throughout the Shiah world, every man and every woman -wearing black, and Passion plays based on the tragedy of the Tent -being performed in all the chief cities and even in the more important -villages of Persia, while the day itself is made the occasion of a -yearly outburst of grief, of rage, and of fanaticism, which is as -unbridled as it is sincere. On this the Day of Cutting, processions -bearing banners draped in black pass weeping through the streets; the -Muslim Friars, or, to give them their true title, the Seyyid Rúsé -Kháns, lead the way, rending their naked breasts with knives or with -needles, and swelling the shouts of “Yá-Huseyn! Yá-Hasan!” with the -refrains of their wildest hymns. The flow of blood drives the populace -beside itself. In every thoroughfare men of the lower classes run to -join the ranks of the mourners, laying bare their right shoulders and -breasts to the weapons they carry. And soon every ward of every city -in the country echoes and re-echoes, not less to the curses showered -on the head of Omar, than to the cries in lamentation of ’Alí’s -assassination, of Hasan’s murder, and of Huseyn’s martyrdom. The -universal mourning animates the collective body of the nation as with -one soul. If it is mixed with a mean hatred for a man of unrivalled -integrity and force of character, it is still, as the expression of the -nation’s love for its chosen hero, a sentiment of loyal devotion and -enduring compassion. The noise of the grief over Huseyn’s remote death -may ring discordant, unphilosophic, and almost barbaric, in these days -of the lukewarm enthusiasms and uninspiring scepticism which sap the -energies of the more cultured of mankind; but it rings all the more -moving to those who can hear and understand. For “it is the noise of -the mourning of a nation” mighty in its grief, as Lionel Tennyson has -it. - -So true and so deep is this outburst of sorrow that every Englishman -who believes the Persian people to be corrupt should weigh well his -evidence before he passes a sentence so sweeping and so unjust. The -nobility of a nation is dependent, not so much on ends which consist -in “immediate material possession” of European means and methods of -transport, as “on its capability of being stirred by memories,” on its -faculty to animate an alien creed with the breath of its own spirit, -or on the courage of its conscience to remain incorruptible in the day -of persecution and death. These tests, though they be of the spirit -and as such unworthy of the consideration of a trading nation and a -commercial age, would, if applied to Persia, raise that distressful -country to the rank of the first eminence. The power of steam, though -it rules the waves and devours distance, has its limits as a civilising -influence, among mankind. It cannot fill the hungry heart, though it -may be the means of overloading the belly; much less, if less may be, -can it inspire in the soul by its achievements the passion whereof -the religious drama of Persia is the embodiment. The incorruptibility -of the Persian’s outlook on spiritual truth has been vindicated in -the blood of countless martyrs, and out of his susceptibility to be -inspired by the heroism of the mighty dead, or, to put the proposition -more particularly, out of his unfeigned devotion to the memory of the -family of the Tent, has sprung the Shiah Passion-drama, as from the -depth of a whole Empire’s sorrow. Were it not so, the growth of the -Miracle-play, that passionate outcry of the Aryan spirit in the Persian -Muslim, would be a miracle indeed. - -The truth is, the Shiah religious drama makes a most touching appeal -to the best qualities of the heart and the mind. In its pathos, the -episode of the Tent recalls the tragedy of Calvary, and the virtues -of the members of the House of Hashem might have been modelled on -those of the twelve Apostles of Christ. The sublime figure of Huseyn -stands out among them as the redeemer of his people. As the Founder of -Christianity was tempted of the devil in the wilderness to forego His -lofty mission that He might gain a worldly kingdom, so Huseyn, in the -scene on the plain of Kerbela, rejects the assistance offered to him by -the King of the Jinns on purpose to atone for the sins of his people -by death. On the Cross Christ’s heart forsook him--once, and only -once. It was when He cried: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken -me?” In like manner the heroic Huseyn, within sight of Kufá, having -to baffle the attack of Yazíd and his hosts by turning aside from the -direct road leading to his city of refuge, and seeing the exceeding -anguish of his beloved sister Zainab, had felt the sting of his own -destiny: “Ye crooked conducted spheres,” he had cried, “how long will -ye tyrannise over us? How long will ye act thus cruelly to the family -of God’s Prophet?” Then, nerving himself to the trial, he prophesied -his death on the morrow, and said, with his customary fortitude, that -the sacrifice of himself and his companions was not a cause for grief, -since it would work for the salvation of his grandfather’s people; and -thenceforward his resolution to meet the fate he had chosen for himself -never swerved; not even when the very angels of heaven sought to save -his life from sheer love of a soul so dauntless and so incorruptible. - -The reward of his martyrdom is won in the last scene of all, which -represents the resurrection. The Prophet, failing to save his followers -from punishment, notwithstanding the united efforts of himself, of -’Alí, and of Hasan, throws away his rod, his cloak, and his turban, -in his disappointment. Nor is he in the least pacified until Gabriel -makes it clear to him that Huseyn, who “has suffered most,” must lend -him the assistance he requires. The compassionate heart of the man is -wrung, so that when Huseyn makes his appearance it is to receive from -his magnanimous grandsire the key of intercession. The Prophet says to -him: “Go thou, and deliver from the flames every one who hath in his -lifetime shed a single tear for thee, every one who hath in any way -helped thee, every one who hath performed a pilgrimage to thy shrine, -or mourned for thee, and every one who hath written tragic verses to -thee. Bear each and all with thee to Paradise.” And this being done, -all the sinners redeemed by their mediator enter into heaven, crying: -“God be praised! by Huseyn’s grace we are made happy, and by his favour -we are delivered from destruction.” - -One word more. Among the sinners whom Muhammad commanded Huseyn to -rescue from hell-fire, as the reader will have read, perhaps with a -smile, were those who had written tragic verses in praise of the martyr -of the Tent. His smile may, possibly, ring out in a laugh when we -inform him that the Seyyid Rúzé Kháns, the Shiah friars, are said to -have been the originators of the Passion-drama. The foresight of the -authors in thus securing for themselves an entrance into Paradise and -for their fellow-writers the yearly prayers of the endless generations -of mankind, was it not ingenuously artful? - - - - -PART II - - - - -PART II - -THE STORY OF THE PILGRIMAGE - - - - -CHAPTER I - -LONDON TO JIDDAH - - -On bidding good-bye to the mighty capital of the world I reminded her -that though her sombre stone mansions and teeming streets--and shall -I say her epic atmosphere?--have for me an unspeakable charm, I was -glad to be on my way to the city of great concourse, towards which -I had so often turned my face in prayer, and in which the hearts of -many millions of people are deeply rooted. Indeed, so certain are the -majority of finding salvation within her sacred walls that it would be -no exaggeration to declare their highest aspiration to be to see Mecca -and die. Ah, well, I for one shall pray to see London again, for how -could I ever forget the least of her gifts to me? Dear Alma Mater, _au -revoir_! - -While I was thus meditating the train puffed out of the station, and -the shore of the English Channel was reached. The weather was mild, -the sky was clear; even the worst sailor might feel sure of having a -delightful passage, and I, praise the Powers, am a good sailor. And -so it was: we reached the neighbouring shore without the slightest -qualm, and arrived in Paris at six o’clock in the morning. Many people -were already on the move--unlike London, where hardly anybody is seen -about at that time of the day, except, perhaps, the loitering scum that -begins to rise from the excess of the previous night’s libations. On -the way from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon I noticed signs of -the festivities in connection with the Centenary of Victor Hugo, and I -could not help admiring the new statue raised this year to commemorate -the strenuous genius of that great man. One short hour in Paris, then -our train sped southward in brilliant sunshine, which seemed to draw me -nearer to that burning Arabian land whither I was bound. - -On my arrival at Marseilles I booked a berth on board the steamer -_Rewa_, belonging to the British India Steam Navigation Company, as it -proved to be the only one that would enable me to reach Port Said and -to proceed thence to Suez by rail in time to catch the connection by -boat to Jiddah. - -I shall neither tax the reader’s patience nor trespass on my space by -relating the trivial incidents of a voyage that presented little of -interest to a travel-worn mind. It will be enough to say that the wind, -which was as fair as one could desire till we reached the Straits of -Messina, was bent afterwards on making another and an angrier sea. The -discomfort of the passengers, most of whom were Britains bound for -India, was betrayed by their seclusion from the open air. The nearer -we approached the East, the more kindly grew the elements, until, -on the seventh day, about seven o’clock in the morning, Port Said -hove in sight. An hour later I had packed my kit and was ready for a -hearty landing. Steaming slowly into the canal we passed the pier, -which was still in course of construction, saluted the statue of de -Lesseps, and raised a shout of surprise on counting not less than five -Russian warships before we had reached our moorings. Those guardians of -Russian prestige had come from Chinese waters, had remained five days -at Suez, and were now coaling at Port Said, where they had arrived on -the previous day. Not one single British man-of-war was to be seen. I -had my breakfast at eight, after which I bade farewell to the captain -and my travelling companions, going ashore in one of the boats that -surrounded our steamer. - -Two trains start from Port Said to Suez every day, one in the forenoon -and one in the evening. The line as far as Ismailia is a narrow tramway -having a gauge of 2ft. 8in.; the cars are consequently both narrow -and uncomfortable, and take about three hours to do the journey. On -my bidding good-bye to the dragoman I had engaged, he assured me -that he was far too devout a Muslim to fleece so pious a pilgrim as -myself, and he would not accept a centime more than five francs for -the boat, the carriage, and his special services. It was from him that -I first heard of the outbreak of cholera in Arabia--a report that was -unfortunately confirmed at Suez, whither I journeyed in the discomfort -of a dust-storm and a hot easterly wind. We arrived at Ismailia at one -o’clock, or thereabouts, having left Port Said at a quarter to ten -o’clock. This place, when the canal was being cut, was the headquarters -of the workmen; but now it has sunk in importance, many of the -buildings having actually fallen in ruins. Some of the managers of the -company, however, are still living there, and the best houses in the -town are at their disposal. Employment is provided on the canal for -some hundred and twenty pilots, most of whom are Greeks and Frenchmen, -though a few Englishmen have been recently added to the staff. The -railway from Cairo to Suez, which belongs to the Egyptian Government, -passes through Ismailia and picks up the passengers for Suez who have -travelled so far by the Canal Company’s toy line. Henceforward the -journey was made in comfort, for the line, though a single one, is -a standard British gauge and the train provided with an excellent -waggon-restaurant. Nearly all the passengers on board were Arabs and -low-class Europeans in the third-class compartments. We stopped at -three stations on the way, and every time it happened we were greeted -by a weird chorus of Arab song, of which the burden was the “Wondrous -names of God and the virtues of His Prophet.” I was somewhat amused -to hear the words, “Not I, by God!” in reply to my inquiry as to -whether or not a certain Arab would be good enough to fetch a bottle -of soda water for me. For I, being unused to the climate, had suffered -tortures from thirst in the scorching heat and driving dust-clouds, -the intervals between the stages being extremely long and tedious--in -fact, it took the train seven hours and a quarter to cover the hundred -miles that separate Port Said from Suez. Nor was the prospect of a -sort to slake the thirst of the weary pilgrim. All along the line hugs -the right bank of the canal, and nothing is to be seen except the soft -white sand of the glowing desert, unless it be an occasional patch of -green grass or a cluster of date trees, irrigated by the fresh-water -canal newly cut in order to conduct the much-needed water from a spot -near Cairo to Port Said and Suez, the latter a place which stands in -sore want of the cleansing and refreshing element. - -[Illustration: A PILGRIM “AT SEA”--SUEZ RAILWAY STATION.] - -[Illustration: A GROUP OF MIXED PILGRIMS.] - -On my arrival at the station a dragoman, one of the plagues of Egypt, -joined himself to my suite, informing me with glib mendacity that -he carried both Arabia and the Land of the Pyramids in his pocket, -whereas, as a matter of fact, he had not once left his native town. -However, as I could not shake the fellow off, I made the best of a -bad bargain by taking him out shopping with me. First, I bought a deep -crimson fez with a long black silk tassel and a straw lining. Though -it looked both cool and fanciful, and was therefore pleasing to my -Oriental eye, I am not certain that a turban would not have been more -in keeping with the complete Arab suit which I subsequently purchased. -This consisted of a thin linen shirt, a pair of trousers, and two long -and graceful robes. The shirt was worn as long as a night-shirt, it -had no collar, and the roomy sleeves were left open at the wrists. -The trousers were more interesting, and of a curious shape and an odd -material, being made of thin white calico, and so cut that whereas an -elephant’s thigh could scarcely fill the ample width of the uppermost -part, one had the greatest difficulty in slipping the feet through -the lower ends which clung tightly round the ankles. As for the two -robes, which were long enough to cover the nether garments, the inner -one was made of the finest silk, striped in successive colours of red, -yellow, and green, and was left entirely open in front, but the left -breast overlapped the right, to which it was buttoned from the armpits -downwards. The outer habit of a blueish colour served as a cloak to -the inner one, was made of the same material, and cut in precisely the -same way. No socks were worn, and the shoes were not unlike ordinary -slippers, with this exception, that they were turned up at the toes. - -On donning this picturesque attire I returned to the Hôtel d’Orient by -way of the narrow and filthy bazaars, where my attention was attracted -by a band of dancers who were drawing together a crowd of sightseers -of every nationality. While one man was cutting his capers in the -skin of a Polar bear, a second, tambourine in hand, powdered his face -to imitate a European, while a third, got up in guise of a Negro, -played with a lively monkey in chains, and three dancing girls with -huge artificial moles on their faces completed the company. All these, -including the monkey, pranced up and down to the tune vociferated by -the women and accompanied on the tambourine by the man with the white -face, repeating at intervals the shrill cry of “Hullá-hee-há-há.” - -As I sat within the courtyard of the Hotel, listening to the voice -of the Greek prima donna who sang nightly to the assembled guests, I -could not refrain from smiling within myself at the transformation -in my appearance and demeanour which recalled to my memory a line of -Obaid Zakani’s satire of “The Mouse and the Cat,” which runs: “Be of -good cheer, comrades, the cat has become pious.” These glad tidings -were spread abroad by a little mouse that, having hidden itself under -the altar of a mosque at Kirmán, overheard the cat reading aloud the -passage of repentance, meekly kneeling on its knees. Unfortunately the -cat, the symbol of vicious cunning, broke its vows a little time after, -and I wondered how far and how long I should succeed in keeping mine. - -Next morning I came across a blind Arabian priest patiently waiting on -the landing-stage for the departure of the steamer, and in the evening -he was still in the self-same spot, kneeling on his prayer-rug and -singing aloud the verses of the Kurán in a deep original Arab melody, -rosary in hand. His young son was kneeling by his side, listening with -downcast eyes to the never-ceasing chants of his father, who knew by -heart every word of the sacred book, to say nothing of the saddening -elegies of the Arabian traditionists. Like most of the singers of the -East, who pour out their rhapsodies all day long in an ever-flowing -torrent of melody, he was extremely monotonous, and so I sought to stem -the current of his song by entering into conversation with him. On -hearing from me that he would be obliged to descend into the hell of -the Turkish quarantine and to remain there five days before he could -hope to ascend into the pilgrim’s paradise of Mecca, a look of keen -distress swept like a cloud over his enraptured countenance. Rising -slowly to his feet, he raised his sightless eyes, saying: “God, if -it please Him, will provide me with a swift means of transport to -His city. We shall meet again.” So confident was his tone that my -own misgivings yielded to the hope that I should yet overcome the -difficulty of the quarantine. And soon after I was informed that all -the first-class passengers on board the last pilgrim boat would be -allowed to proceed to their destination without let or hindrance, -but the unfortunate deck passengers would have to conform to the -regulations. Never was the privilege of wealth and the curse of poverty -brought home to the hearts of the weary in a more convincing fashion. -The next best thing to being wealthy, I told myself, is to have the -prerogatives of wealth thrust upon one. - -Having had my passport _viséd_, I booked a berth and went on board -the Khedivieh steamer, which completed the distance between Suez and -Jiddah--some six hundred and forty-five nautical miles--in about eighty -hours. At ordinary times these steamers are simply employed on the mail -service, one of them leaving Suez for Jiddah every week--generally on -Thursday--and another leaving Jiddah for Suez on the same day. Though -they practically belong to a British syndicate, they go under the name -of Khedivieh steamers. The captain and the chief officers are English, -whereas the crew are Egyptians and Lascars. During the pilgrimage -steamers run frequently between the two ports, and in the year 1902 -not less than two hundred thousand pilgrims, I was told, had landed at -Jiddah, the majority of whom embarked at Suez. Among these numbers -must be reckoned the eighty thousand Russian subjects from the Caucasus -and Central Asia, who, for the first time since they came under the -Russian rule, had been granted the privilege of undertaking the ancient -pilgrimage. Rumour credited them with being the main cause of the -cholera that year. If only the half of what I heard about them were -true their pollution would still beggar description. - -The cruise in the Red Sea is not so interesting as that in the -Mediterranean. Save an occasional ragged rock rising from the yellow -waters, or a flight of white birds over the steamer, nothing was to be -seen from hour to hour. - -[Illustration: PREPARING TO EMBARK AT SUEZ.] - -When we sighted the port of Jiddah, which I shall describe by-and-by, -we were told to put on our ihrám, or sacred habit, before entering -the holy territory on our way to Mecca. As a preliminary, I at once -removed my Arabian costume, washed my hands, up to the elbow, and my -feet, up to the knees; I afterwards shaved the upper lip, leaving the -fresh-grown, unsightly beard to its own fate. Then, having performed -the prescribed ablution of the head, I closed my eyes and expressed, -with the tongue of my heart, the earnest desire to cast off the garb of -unrighteousness and pride and to put on the winding-sheet of humility -and of passive obedience to God’s will. Last of all, that I might be -worthy to visit His house, I prostrated myself on the prayer-rug and -said aloud the following formula of devotion: “O Almighty God, Thou art -without a mate; I praise Thy sovereign grace with all my heart; Thou -art pure and everlasting;” then I repeated three times: “O Lord, Thou -art without a mate,” adding, “I praise, O Lord, Thy apostle Muhammad -and his disciples and his family; in like manner, I also praise our -father Abraham and his house.” The next thing I said was: “Send down -upon me, O Lord, the healthful spirit of Thy satisfaction; open unto -me, I beseech Thee, the gates of Paradise, and shelter me from the fire -of Hell.” And this petition I also repeated three times. I was then -ready to don the sacred habit. - -Now, my ihrám, which I had bought at Suez, consisted of two thin -woollen wrappers and a pair of sandals. One wrapper was tied about the -middle and allowed to fall all round to the ankles, while the other -was thrown over the shoulders, leaving my head and the forearms bare. -Both wrappers were spotlessly white, and had neither seam nor hem. The -sandal was a kind of shoe, consisting of a sole fastened to the foot by -means of a tie which passed between the large toe and the first toe of -the foot; it left uncovered both the instep and the heel. This sacred -habit was worn by all pilgrims during the four days preceding the Hájj -Day. While they have it on they must neither hunt nor fowl, though they -are allowed to fish--a doubtful privilege in a dry land. This precept, -according to Ahmad Ebn Yûsuf, is so strictly observed that nothing will -induce pilgrims to kill so much as a flea. We are told by Al Beidáwí, -however, that there are some noxious animals that they have permission -to kill during the pilgrimage, such animals, for instance, as kites, -ravens, scorpions, mice, and dogs given to bite. Pilgrims must keep -a constant watch over their words and their actions so long as they -wear the sacred habit. Not a single abusive word must be uttered; all -obscene discourse and all converse with women must be avoided; and not -a single woman’s face must be seen, save that of a wife, a sister, or a -cousin-german, _i.e._, a sister’s or a brother’s daughter. The men, as -I have said, must now doff their sewn clothes and must keep both their -faces and their heads uncovered; but the woman must be, as it were, -hermetically sealed in their stitched cloaks and veils. The only part -of their bodies that they have the right to expose, if they like, is -the palms of their hands. For the rest, they must not travel alone, but -must be accompanied by a man who may lawfully see them unveiled. - -Poor pilgrims! They suffered from right and left. First came the -blood-suckers’ passport picnic. Here the pilgrim was plagued to death -with questions that the most cursory perusal of his safe-conduct had -rendered unnecessary. “Where do you come from? When did you leave? How -did you get here? What are your intentions? Why this? How that? When -the other?” The poorer pilgrims complained that they were positively -fleeced on the most frivolous pretexts. “Your passport is not properly -written; you must pay forty-eight piastres,” and so on. - -Then the customs’ authorities emerged. “Will you walk into my parlour?” -these mosquitoes said to the pilgrims. To the imaginative mind the -buzzing which filled the room spelt the word _bakhshísh_. Woe betide -the pilgrim who did not so interpret the sound! All these officials, as -a Persian would say, had arms longer than their legs--in other words, -they reached out an itching palm to every pilgrim, and, casting an -appealing smile on him, seemed as though they would ask him to tickle -it with the counter-irritant of a “tip.” They opened my kit-bags -and turned everything topsy-turvy before I had time to bridle their -official zeal in the customary way. Among the contents were an English -newspaper and a novel, and these were promptly confiscated for no other -reason than that I had read them both. I cannot say that I made them a -present of my purse by way of pouring coals of fire on their heads. It -was otherwise in my case. I tied my purse-strings a little tighter, -and responded to their _bakhshísh_-coveting smiles with a smile equally -_bakhshísh_-coveting. It is wise, when you know the ropes, to husband -your resources till you reach the interior, for there your comfort in -travelling will depend on your having a purse well lined. By following -this rule, I was not so ill-prepared as I might otherwise have been to -meet the claims on my charity of the professional beggars who waylaid -my every step in the quaint old city of Jiddah. - -Such a scene! Crowds of Arabs were lying on the filthy ground, which, -despite the heat, seemed strangely damp. Some were praying, some were -snoring, others were smoking, many were wrestling in the mud, but by -far the greater number of them merely dreamed away the passing hours, -too idle even to open their eyes. You might stay from sunrise to sunset -by the side of the more meditative among them without their showing the -least signs of life. How differently constituted are these loafers from -the free-born Arabs of the desert! The women held themselves somewhat -aloof from the men, and sat smoking their pipes, or chatting like -magpies, in groups of three or four. The sight of a new face seemed -to have lost its attraction for them, or perhaps they had grown weary -of criticising the gait and the appearance of the incoming pilgrims. -Having now seen a good many of them, however, as it were by stealth, -I think I may say with confidence that among the Arabs of Hejaz the -men are far better-looking than the women. This is mostly the women’s -own fault, for they ruin the beauty of their faces by tattooing their -chins. Were it not for this unsightly custom, peculiar to the Arabs, -the womenfolk, though corpulent, might be regarded as comely. The men, -on the other hand, are fairly handsome, being tall and lean, and having -high-bridged noses, flashing black eyes, and lofty foreheads. I am -speaking more especially of the wild Arabs of the desert and not of -the townsmen, whose faces, however handsome they may be, are too often -marred by an expression of cupidity and cunning. - -Jiddah, though dirty, is a very picturesque city. It has narrow -serpentine streets which are rarely more than seven or eight feet wide, -and is surrounded by five turreted walls of great antiquity rising to -a height of twelve feet or so. Of these walls the northern measures in -length about seven hundred and thirty-one yards, the southern seven -hundred and sixty-nine, the eastern five hundred and eighty-five, the -western six hundred and twenty-four, and the south-eastern some three -hundred and seventy-nine. There are about three thousand houses in the -city, most of which are built of limestone and shut out from the street -by walls which sometimes conceal the roofs of the houses within. Here -and there a small window in the surrounding walls affords ventilation -to the house. It is only a few years since a big well was dug at a -place called Bashtar, some two miles distant from the city, the water -of which is conducted by means of underground passages. This well bears -the name of the reigning Sultan of Turkey. Pure drinking water being -scarce, sakkás or water-carriers are seen about the streets carrying -the precious liquid on their backs in big leathern bags. Of recent -years several mosques and caravanserais and one steam mill have been -erected outside the city walls. The governor’s residence, together -with the post-office and almost all of the more modern buildings, lies -outside the walls, facing the Red Sea. The shops, raised not more than -a foot above the ground, are about two yards and a half in width and -some three yards deep in the interior. Butchers, grocers, fruiterers, -and linen drapers are crowded together much as they are in an English -street. The babble within the bazaar is beyond description. Your first -conjecture is that a free fight is about to begin between the tradesman -and his customer; but, on making ready to intervene in the cause of -peace, you find to your pleasure or your chagrin that the vociferous -couple shake hands, first by touching the right hand and then by -raising both hands to the right eye, after which the shopkeeper makes -tender inquiries as to his customer’s health, and then the bargaining -begins. It took me over an hour to buy a few yards of cloth. The -ancient draper was too lazy to reach out for the stuff himself, so he -ordered his boy to bestir himself in my interests. The cloth being -handed to him, the draper fingered it caressingly, saying: “The cloth -is soft to the touch, its splendour dazzles the eyes! Such an exquisite -material has not been seen in this market for years!” The cloth was -to my liking, and so I made haste to ask the price of it. The draper -shook his head reprovingly. Then he said: “Hurry and haste belong -to Satan: I usually sell this cloth at thirty piastres a yard to my -customers, but to you I will sell it for twenty-five, because you have -found favour in my sight.” I made him a counter-bid of five piastres a -yard in order to cut the barter short. Whereupon the draper, nodding -in admiration of my guile, gazed around him for close on five minutes. -When he opened his mouth at last it was to say in his most winning -voice: “My good sir, since you are looking so well, so handsome, and so -distinguished, I will part with this priceless material at the trifling -cost to yourself of fifteen piastres a yard.” “Not so,” I replied. -“Since you are a bright old man I will increase my favour in your sight -by adding a piastre to my last bid; in other words, I now offer you -six piastres a yard.” The draper raised his hand to Heaven. “That is -impossible! I ask pardon of God.” I now turned on my heel and walked -away. He called me back at once. “Sir,” he said, “I would not have you -leave me in displeasure. Give whatever you like, the cloth is yours. I -am your sacrifice.” I retraced my steps. “Nonsense,” I returned; “how -is it possible for me to give what I like for the stuff, since you -are the tradesman and know its proper value?” The old man smiled, and -said, “Honoured sir, the lowest price I can possibly accept for this -material is ten piastres a yard.” It was now my turn to smile. “Sir,” I -replied, “I have no wish to offend you by leaving your shop, and so I -will buy the cloth from you for seven piastres a yard instead of going -to your rival yonder, who has offered to sell me some at six and a half -piastres.” - -The draper then handed me a stool, and said, smiling, “You are not easy -to deal with. Come, sit down, and smoke this hukah, and we shall not -part in anger.” So I sat down in front of the shop, and while I sucked -meditatively at the pipe he handed to me, the stuff was measured, cut, -and folded, the tacit understanding between us being that we would -meet half-way, namely at eight piastres and a half. By the time I had -finished my smoke the material was ready for me, and so I lost no time -in returning to the hotel. - -The harvest season of the shopkeepers is during the journeying months. -Their most striking characteristic in the eyes of a Persian pilgrim is -that they all wear white beards. The reason of this probably is that -young shopkeepers would stand not a ghost of a chance of competing -successfully with their elderly rivals. Moreover, all greybeards in the -Muhammadan religion are entitled to receive special veneration from the -young. Another reason is that nearly all the young men are employed by -the pilgrims as guides, as servants, and as drivers. - -[Illustration: PILGRIMS EMBARKING AT SUEZ.] - -[Illustration: BEFORE WEIGHING ANCHOR AT SUEZ.] - -Everything moves slowly in these Arab towns. You will break the laws -of good breeding if you walk fast there. Consider the camel of the -desert, how he walks; he hurries not, neither does he make a sound: so -take this finnikin creature as your model and form your gait on the -camel’s. All Orientals pin implicit faith in the doctrine of “slow but -sure,” and when they give you some work they recommend you to be “slow -over it,” believing that a thing done smartly is not often done well. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -FROM JIDDAH TO MECCA - - -The time at my disposal being limited, I went at once in search of a -guide, who should accompany me to Mecca and thence to Arafat, and put -me in the way of performing the rites and mysteries of the Hájj. The -men who officiate in that capacity are called _moghavems_. The pick -of them had fallen to the lot of the early-comers who had flocked to -Jiddah in great numbers; but with my customary luck, I chanced upon -a Persian _moghavem_, whose knowledge of the ceremonies and the holy -places of the Pilgrimage was seasoned with the waggish conceits of -a singularly original mind. His sceptical witticisms were the more -piquant in that he gloried in the name of Seyyid ’Alí. For the rest, -he had travelled far and wide, had sat down and laughed beside the -waters of Babylon, had wandered on foot as far to the East as Benares, -and had undertaken the Pilgrimage of Mecca half a dozen times. I -congratulated him on his globe-trotting habit, whereupon he showed a -gleam of white teeth, raising himself on the tips of his toes, and -stroked his unkempt beard complacently. Then he aired his knowledge of -geography. “Yá-Moulai,” he said with unexpected gravity, “Allah has -had me in His keeping, may He be praised! He has revealed to me the -innermost secrets of the world, and shown to me the whole creation. -I have been everywhere except in Hell, and even that experience will -not be withheld from me, I trust, when I come to die. True it is, -yá-Moulai, that this life is a riddle; we solve it when we give up the -ghost--perhaps. Anyhow, my one desire in this world is to go to Europe -that I may see China and study the philosophy of that wonderful land.” -I had to avert my head lest he should detect the struggle between -amusement and politeness which convulsed every feature of my face. - -“Ah,” said he, “your Excellency is fortunate to have met me: the Hájj -Season is far advanced: _moghavems_ are scarce: and I am one of the -most reasonable of men. If you will burst from the bonds of economics -in the matter of salary, you will find in me a pleasant travelling -companion and a lettered guide.” - -“Will two dollars a day content you?” I asked. The offer was a liberal -one, and on the spur of a grateful impulse he clinched the bargain -without a moment’s hesitation. This trait of character endeared him to -me, and so I treated him on a footing of social equality so long as he -was my cicerone. - -Now, the day was the sixth day of the moon: a distance of some -forty-six miles lay between us and the Holy City: and, furthermore, -since the Pilgrims had to leave Mecca on the 8th for the hill of -Arafat, it followed that we had not a single moment to lose in making -preparations for our journey. With many words Seyyid ’Alí staked his -wages that, by hiring asses and riding alone, we could cover the -road in eleven hours. “Of course,” said he, “we must run the risk of -being attacked by Bedouins who lie in wait for stragglers. Indeed, -only two days ago, so the rumour runs in the bazaars, a caravan of -forty Persian pilgrims was robbed on leaving Heddah for Mecca: and -everybody we meet--depend upon it--will do his utmost to terrify us -with blood-curdling stories of Arab lawlessness and violence. However, -let us pin our faith not in firearms and bravado, but in our cool heads -and our stout hearts. And, in the meanwhile, I will take you to a -caravanserai, where we shall find an acquaintance of mine, who is the -owner of a drove of the fleetest asses in Hejaz. His name is Nassir, -and he owns allegiance to the fighting clan of Harb. From him we will -hire three donkeys: one for your Excellency, one for the effects we -have with us, and a third for myself. Nassir will accompany us on foot, -and be a protector to us in the wilderness. Let us hasten lest his -services be engaged.” - -After bartering with Nassir, it was settled that I should pay him -two dollars for the use of each animal (two-thirds to be paid in -advance and one-third on alighting in Mecca), while he himself was to -receive, in return for his services, a _bakhshísh_ in proportion to his -usefulness on the road. - -In appearance he was a typical representative of his race, both in -bearing and in dress, as well as in accoutrements and in strength. -Tall and lean, he had the appearance of a man that had been baked in -an oven: his skin was as brown and as wrinkled as a walnut-shell, his -features seemed to leap out of the face, while his eyes declared the -nobility of a virile though savage nature. He wore a long yellow shirt, -reaching below the knees, with a red cotton belt round the waist, in -which was stuck an ugly-looking dagger. Slung crosswise over his back a -Bedouin generally carries an old-fashioned flint rifle, having a barrel -some two yards in length, with a bow-shaped stock covered all over with -small square chips of white shells. For this ungainly weapon Nassir -substituted a stout Arab club, which was a fortunate thing for Seyyid -’Alí, perhaps, inasmuch as wordy wars between the two men came to be of -hourly occurrence. - -About five o’clock in the evening, after having smoked a pipe of peace -at a coffee-house in the bazaars, we mounted our asses, Seyyid ’Alí -and myself, while the fleet-footed driver, go as hard as we might, -kept pace with us, without so much as turning a hair. We rode through -the Mecca gate, and then bore off in a north-easterly direction in -order that I might have an opportunity of visiting Eve’s Tomb. This -excursion, because it took us a little out of our way, was not to -the liking of our Harbi warrior, who, in his anxiety to reach Mecca -by sunrise, was bent on sparing both his own breath and his beasts -of burden. But I, having made up my mind to pay my respects to the -resting-place of our common mother, was not to be gainsaid; and I -contrived to convict my opponent of churlishness by making a point of -reaching my destination within half an hour--that is in less than half -the time he had said it would take. - -Assuredly, Arabia is the cradle of credulity. In that land of legend -the historian catches his breath. He is ill at ease, alternately -bewildered and sceptical, as might be expected of a man, who, reaching -out for truth, lays hold of a myth at every step. Thus, on gaining -admittance to the enclosure, I was amazed to notice the exceeding -length of the Tomb, and on measuring the low walls believed to define -the outlines of Eve’s body, I found that they were one hundred and -seventy-three yards long, and about twelve feet broad. In the centre -a low dome is conspicuous; it is said to crown Eve’s navel. “What a -monster!” I cried, laughing, “easy lies the head of our common mother.” -The guide corrected me, saying, “The Well of Wisdom is mistaken. The -tomb was not long enough to contain her blessed head. It is well known -that only the trunk and limbs of her lie here.” Rising to my full -height, five feet nine in my sandals, I asked him to account for the -dwindling in the size of man. “The Fountain of Learning must remember,” -he replied, “that Eve, our Mother, fell, and with her fell the stature -of the human race.” The explanation found a crack in the armour of -my credulity, and so, turning back into the direct road, we resumed -our journey, joining a caravan of about thirty pilgrims of mixed -nationalities, Egyptians, Syrians, Caucasians, Indians, and Malays. - -Instead of refreshing breezes, which would have come as a positive -godsend, the wind, blowing from the south-west, spread abroad an -abominable vapour, and caused the sand to rise and fall like the bosom -of the ocean. Sand-heaps twelve feet high might be scattered at any -moment in these whirlwinds; but, fortunately, though our asses often -sunk over their fetlocks, we reached in safety the Hill of Gaem (the -first stage for caravans), where, according to a local superstition, -the Messiah will first appear. A small booth here made ample amends for -the scarcity of water, and I could not remember ever having tasted more -fragrant and delicious coffee. - -Slowly but surely the ground now began to rise, and the sand to grow -firmer. A caravan of camels glided stealthily by, bells tinkling, -pilgrims reciting the Kurán, and the drivers singing to their camels a -deeply melodious song called _Hodi_, which has on them the effect of a -goad, urging them on to a brisk unchanging pace. To this accompaniment -a camel will cover a great distance without stopping, the general -belief being that the camel gets drunk with the sweet burden of the -_Hodi_ song. - -Overnight, long after sunset, my Harbi driver himself began to sing -aloud in the gathering darkness, asking God to protect him from the -goblins of the wilderness, and always in a lugubrious minor key, as if -he was going to weep. But ever and anon we heard an original song set -to the music of the desert, wild as the wastes, elusive as the winds, -as revealing and obscure as the tuneless solitudes from whose heart -it would seem to spring--a song that broke through melody, and added -its tameless burden to the music of the spheres. On cultured Europeans -these untutored outbursts would have an uncanny effect, causing the -centuries to roll back to the days of their barbarian ancestry, and -awakening within them, perhaps, one of those haunting dream-memories of -birth far back in the misty past, of an anterior existence in keeping -with the strains of incoherent minstrelsy when men, labouring under -the burdens of consciousness, sang as the spirit moved them, knowing -nothing of the laws of counterpoint and harmony. Such a song was sung -by Seyyid ’Alí as we left Heddah, a song written by a famous Sufí -writer-- - - “My sorrow is Sorrow; my companion is Sorrow; my mate is Sorrow; - Where’er I go there’s none to care for me but Sorrow; - My Sorrow does not let me sleep alone at night; - Well done, my mate! bravo, my mate! hurrah, my Sorrow!” - -The surrounding hills caught the intonation in their ragged arms -and flung it back into the dim-lit sea of eddying sand, echoing and -re-echoing the word “Sorrow!” Then my own Arab driver, carried beyond -himself, raised his voice in the self-same song, and soon the whole -caravan burst out, crying, “Well done, my mate! bravo, my mate! hurrah, -my Sorrow,” the hills repeating the last word. Wagner, the one master -who has given us the music of the sea and the stars, of the winds and -the streams, and of all the vague yearnings that torment the human -heart, would have understood us, would perhaps have played the part -of echo on his return to civilisation, would certainly have joined in -the chorus of that wild Arabian air attuned to Arabia’s barren though -luminous solitudes. - -Here, at Heddah, a more than usually serious quarrel arose between -Seyyid ’Alí and Nassir on the subject of the national virtues of -their respective countries. It would certainly have ended in a free -fight, had not I, awaking from a snooze at the uproar, turned to the -pugnacious Arab, who had accused the Persian of hypocrisy, and said -in a tone of gentle reproof: “Yá Nassir, is it true that a Persian -is double-faced?” For the space of a minute he eyed the supercilious -Seyyid, deliberating; then he turned to me. “I wish he were only -double-faced,” he replied, “for then I should know how to deal with -him. But Satan has given him as many as two thousand faces, and it is -beyond the power of any one man to see them all in his lifetime.” I -pursued the inquiry, saying, “Oh, Nassir, supposing you were asked to -describe the Persian character, how would you sum it up?” This time -he turned his flashing eyes on me. “Character comes from conscience,” -he answered; “but a Persian has none.” My guide spat derisively on -the sand, muttering, “Courtesy is unknown to these people;” then he -addressed me in his own language, saying: “But, yá-Moulai, there’s -truth in what the burnt-father said, the Almighty Mason having put so -many constituents into the clay of a Persian that it is very difficult -to analyse it. Our countryman has as many coils and colours as a -serpent. He is the essence of politeness and native refinement. He is -the personification of jealousy and envy. Conceit and hypocrisy are -embodied in him, and so also are generosity and _amour propre_.” - -The mere sound of the mellifluous Persian drove Nassir beside himself. -Raising his stout Arab club, which the Persians call Hájí Yemút or -the Pilgrim Slayer, he vowed that he would teach the guide a lesson -in courtesy; and then, suddenly bethinking himself that any act of -violence on his part would be sure to affect his pocket in the matter -of _bakhshísh_, he turned a contemptuous back upon his adversary, -and said to me, smiling all over his face: “This club of mine has -many qualifications. It is useful in urging my ass to mend its pace, -it gives me support when I am tired, and shelter from the sun when -I am sleepy”--here he stuck it in the sand, and tied at the top a -strip of cloth on a crossbar--“it serves as a line on which to dry my -washed clothes, as an altar when it is the hour for me to pray, as a -leaping-pole when a mountain torrent stems my path; and, may Allah -be praised, it is my surest defence against all my enemies, be they -men or beasts, and so, when I die, God forbid, I will leave it as an -inheritance to my son.” - -Midnight saw us again on the way, and, in the course of our ride over -the gravelly ground that rose ever higher the nearer we approached the -mountains, we overtook a big caravan that was preceded by a couple -of heralds, who bore aloft the green banner of the Faith, whereon -was inscribed the Muhammadan watchword. “There is no God but God, -and Muhammad is His Messenger.” Then came the cavalcade of pilgrims, -the rear being brought up by a string of camels, and other beasts of -burden, heavily laden with tents and water-skins, or mashks, with -kitchen utensils and provisions. Like ourselves, these men were -latecomers, but being overburdened they were soon left far in the rear -by us, indeed they could not hope to reach Mecca before noon on the -following day, whereas we were bent on sighting the Holy City ere the -rising of the sun. - -At the last resting-house, I struck up acquaintance with a Persian -pilgrim, seated on a coarse mat; he declared the Arabs to be cowards, -while I defied him to justify this charge. “What!” he cried, “anything -will frighten them; they are so superstitious. For instance, if a -rabbit spring up at their feet and run away from them they will -pursue it until it is lost to sight. But if the rabbit comes towards -them, they will lose heart, turn on their heels and scuttle as fast -as they can lay their legs to the ground, the timid creature in hot -pursuit at their heels. However, I will admit that they hold fast -together, that they are staunch and true to one another, that they will -sacrifice their lives to protect their comrades against the strangers -at their gates.” He then began to scratch himself vigorously, giving -voice the while to an impromptu verse. Said he; “From sunset to early -dawn there’s a merry-making in the kingdom of my body. The mosquitoes -are the flutists, the fleas the dancers, and I’m the harpist”--that -is, the scratcher, the same word being used in Persian. I left the -quaint fellow playing the accompaniment to the dance of the frolicsome -fleas and humming mosquitoes, and rode on my way, singing. The ground -rose higher and higher. On passing Mount Shíní the road takes a -north-easterly direction, and leads to the tomb of Sheykh Mahmud, a -priest who is held in special veneration by the Arabs, though the -dilapidated state of his grave would scarcely confirm this attitude -towards him. And then, at last, on pursuing the way a little further, -the minarets of the City of God rise, with the sun, before the -pilgrim’s eyes. “Oh, would that I, having beheld its domes, might fall -and die,” is now the true Muslim’s devoutest wish. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -WITHIN THE HAREM--SOME REMARKS ON THE ORTHODOX SECTS OF ISLÁM - - -The first thing I did before entering Mecca was to perform my ablutions -and say my prayers, according to the custom; and then I rode to the -encampment on the outskirts of the city where I hoped to find two -Persian friends of mine who, in accordance with a previous arrangement -between us, had been good enough to take along with them the camp -equipment which they had bought for me at Cairo. When I had discovered -their whereabouts, I dismissed Nassir, giving him a liberal present, -and then sat down to breakfast, my friends congratulating me upon my -safe arrival. - -The meal over, Seyyid ’Alí took me under his wing, urging me to -accompany him to the Harem of the House of God without loss of time, -that we might perform the initial ceremony--namely, the compassing of -the Ka’bah--in the cool of the early morning. So bidding my friends -good-bye, I set out with my guide, who was in sore straits to cloak -his native mirthfulness in the folds of his íhram. Do what he would -to conceal his natural character, he could not wholly restrain it -within the limits of decorum incumbent on every pilgrim wearing that -winding-sheet of humility. - -The streets were crowded with tents, camels, mules, asses, horses, -pariah dogs, and a motley crowd of pilgrims. The din the dogs made in -the small hours of the day was indescribable. A pack of jackals would -be quiet in comparison. Through even the narrowest lanes must pass the -lordly Sheríf and his suite, the sun-baked Sheykhs on horseback, the -ladies of the harem sitting astride of mules led by their servants, the -peasant pilgrims on foot, and every kind of beast of burden heavily -laden with water-skins and provisions. Accidents were consequently of -hourly occurrence in the press of the throng. On reaching the holy -precincts, my guide turned to me and said, in a cautious undertone, -pointing to the Ka’bah in the middle of the Harem: “What need have I of -the Ka’bah? it is only four walls; the Ka’bah round which I hop is the -face of my Beloved.” - -Now, the word Harem which is used to designate the courtyard of every -Muhammadan mosque, means “holy place;” and thus the famous mosque of -Mecca or, more correctly, the open court in the middle of which the -House of God is situated bears the name of Harem. The same expression -is used by the Turks to denote the inner apartments of their houses, -since the women who dwell there are held sacred to the family. The -Harem of the Holy City is an imperfect rhomboid in shape, its opposite -sides being not quite equal. The length extends from east to west and -the breadth from north to south. The northern side is one hundred and -seventy-eight yards long, and the southern one hundred and eighty, -while the western side is one hundred and eighteen yards broad, and the -eastern one hundred and seventeen. Of the twenty-two gates that give -admittance to its precincts, eight are on the northern length, four -on the eastern breadth, seven on the southern length, and three on the -western breadth. The most sacred of these gates are the Gate of Peace -(Salám) and the Gate of Purity (Safá). The Gate of Peace, through which -the pilgrims must enter, taking care to say the prescribed prayer on -its threshold, leads into the extreme north-eastern end of the Harem; -while the Gate of Safá is the one in the centre of the southern length, -through which the pilgrims must pass out in order to say their prayers -on the platform beyond, from which platform, indeed, the gate takes its -name of Purity. There are no doors to these gates, and from every one -a flight of steps conducts the Faithful down to the Harem, the surface -of which lies about twelve feet below that of the streets, dipping -gradually another three feet towards the centre, where the Ka’bah -stands; and on the walls of each gate are inscribed the names of the -four Caliphs, Abú Bekr, ’Omar, ’Othmán, and ’Alí. The Shiahs, having -rubbed their hands on the name of the fourth Caliph, raise them to -their faces, and say: “May peace be with Muhammad and with his people.” - -To the best of my reckoning, there are some five hundred and -seventy-five pillars in the colonnade that runs round the four sides -of the Harem. But the Muhammadans, in general, have a prejudice -against counting them, and the Meccans, in particular, declare them -to be “innumerable.” The eastern side of the Harem is enclosed by a -single row of columns, while the other sides have columns three deep. -These columns, roughly speaking, measure about two feet in diameter -and twenty feet in height. Some of them bear Arabic inscriptions that -are scarcely legible now, and others are strengthened by means of -iron bands or by iron shafts running from top to bottom. Every third -column is round, standing between two octagonal pillars, some four -feet apart; every second column supports a pointed arch; and every -fourth column a dome that is whitewashed from without, and painted from -within in stripes of blue, red, and yellow. The front of the arches -are coloured in the same gaudy fashion, as are also the greater number -of the seven beautiful minarets from which the muezzins raise the -voice of the Faith calling the pilgrims to prayers. There are three -of these minarets along the northern length, one at each corner of -the opposite side, a sixth along the eastern breadth, and a seventh -at the thither end of the cloister attached to the northern side of -the Harem. The columns, with the exception of a few on the northern -and eastern sides, said to have been brought from Egypt, reflect no -artistic taste whatever on the part of the sculptors that carved them. -Those that are made of marble or of porphyry are in one piece--huge -blocks rough-hewn by unskilful hands--and the others are made of -granite or of sandstone from the neighbouring mountains, and composed -of three slabs, shaped, dressed, and then cemented together. At least -a dozen raised pavements--called Farsh-ul-Hajar--of varying widths, -lead to and from the gates of the Ka’bah, the broadest being from the -Zaideh gate to the House of God. The floor of the colonnades is paved -all round, but the granite slabs are put together in a very rough and -ready fashion. The inner path immediately round the Ka’bah is a few -inches below the general surface, itself some fifteen feet below that -of the streets without; but beyond the iron pillars, from which are -hung the glass lanterns that light up the precincts of the House of -God by night, rises a second paved way, somewhat higher than the inner -one, about five yards broad, while a third, on a still higher level, is -even wider. Bordering on this pavement from without are the Meghámé -Ibrahím, the Station of Abraham, the Bábé Shaibeh, the Arch of Peace, and -the four Megháms belonging to the four Sunni orthodox sects, behind -which runs the gravelled expanse of the Harem. Dozens of sweepers are -engaged daily in cleaning the floors and pavements, but their efforts, -in face of the crowd all too careless of the laws of cleanliness, are -vain. - -Of the four Megháms above-mentioned the Meghámé-Hanefi is the largest, -and is situated to the east of the Ka’bah, some twelve yards from it. -It rests on twelve pillars, is open on all sides, and has a small upper -chamber, whence the muezzins call the Hanefites to prayer. These are -known as “the followers of reason,” and owe their origin to Abú Hanífa -al Nómán Ebn Thábet. He was born at Cufa in the eightieth year of the -Hegira, and died in the hundred and fiftieth in prison at Bagdad, where -he had been confined because he refused to be made a kádi or judge. -The reason he gave for refusing to officiate in that capacity may be -given in his own words. “If I speak the truth, they’ll say I am unfit; -but if I tell a lie a liar is not worthy to be a judge.” He is said -to have read the Kurán no less than seven thousand times during his -imprisonment. His doctrine brought into prominence by Abú Yúsúf, Chief -Justice under the Caliphs al Hádi and Harún ur Rashid, now prevails -generally among the Turks and Tartars. In the time of Ignorance the -Kuraish used to hold their councils where the Meghámé-Hanefi now -stands. The Maleki pulpit, to the south-west of the Ka’bah, is a small -building open on all sides, and resting on four pillars. The learned -doctor who founded the sect of the Malekites was called Malek Ebn Ans. -He was born at Medina in the year ninety of the Hegira, and there he -also died at the age of eighty-seven. His teaching is based on the -traditions of the Prophet. On his death-bed he said to a friend who -found him in tears: “How should I not weep, and who has more reason -to weep than I? Would to God that for every question decided by me -according to my own opinion I had received so many stripes, then would -my accounts be easier. Would to God I had never given any decision of -my own.” His followers are scattered over Africa, mainly in Barbary. -The Sháfeïtes have their Meghám on the top of the cupola-crowned -building which covers the Zem-Zem well, whence the criers call to -worship, but the congregation pray round the Ka’bah itself. The author -of this, the third orthodox sect, went by the name of Muhammad Ebn -Edris al Sháfeí. His birthplace is uncertain. Some say he was born at -Caza, others at Ascalon, in Palestine, on the very day that Abú Hanifa -died in the year one hundred and fifty of the Hegira. At the age of -seven he was taken to Mecca, where he was educated. He is said to have -been the first Muhammadan to reduce the science of jurisprudence into a -systematic method, and he was undoubtedly a man of great learning, of -sincere piety, and of calm, deliberate judgment. Two sayings attributed -to him throw a light on his character: “Whoever pretends to love the -world and its Creator at the same time is a liar;” “I am considering -first whether it be better to speak or to hold my tongue.” This was -said to a man who, having asked his opinion and received no reply, -demanded an explanation of this silence. The doctrine of this sect, -like that of the Malekites, is founded on the traditions of Muhammad, -and is now embraced by a good many people in Arabia and by a few in -Persia as well. - -The Meghám of the fourth orthodox sect, that bears the name of -Hanbalí, is situated not far from the Zem-Zem well, opposite the Black -Stone--which is itself embodied in the south-eastern wall of the -Ka’bah--and is of the same structure as that of the Sháfeïtes. It is -there that the Sheríf and many of the other dignitaries perform their -worship. It is divided into two compartments by means of a canvas wall, -the men occupying the front, and the women the back part, at evening -prayers. There are two traditions as to the birthplace of Ahmed Ebn -Hanbal, who founded this school of religious thought. Those who believe -him to have been born at Merve, in Khorasán, the native city of his -parents, assure us that his mother brought him thence to Bagdad when he -was still at the breast; while others declare that he was born after -his mother’s arrival in that city, in the year of the Hegira 164. He -was an intimate friend of al Sháfeí, who was also his master, and was -so well instructed by him in the traditions of the Prophet that it is -said he could repeat over a million of them. On his return from Egypt -he refused to acknowledge the Kurán to be created, and was consequently -scourged and cast into prison by order of the Caliph al Mutasem. On the -day of his death no fewer than twenty thousand Christians, Jews, and -Magians embraced the Mussulman faith, and he was followed to his grave -by eight hundred thousand men and sixty thousand women. This sect soon -became extremely powerful, so much so indeed that in the year 323 H., -in the Caliphate of al Rádi, they burst from all restraint in their -iconoclastic zeal, breaking into people’s houses in Bagdad, spilling -any wine they found, chastising the singing women they came across, -and smashing their musical instruments in bits. A severe edict had the -effect of bridling their undisciplined fervour, so that the Hanbalites -are not very numerous nowadays outside the boundaries of Arabia. The -followers of these four men worship together in the evening, but at -other times they pray in the order of their seniority. The four pulpits -were erected, in 973 of the Hegira, by Sultán Suleymán, who also -founded, outside the Harem, a school for fifteen students under a head -master and a preacher for each one of the orthodox sects, allotting to -every school a portion of the floor of the Harem as a place of worship. -These schools are said to be still flourishing, and are subsidised from -the funds of the Ka’bah. - -Before the time of the Prophet the ground on which the Harem is now -situated belonged to several landlords of the tribe of Kuraish, who -laid great store by the property on account of its proximity to the -House of God. To Omar, the second Caliph, the idea of extending the -Harem first occurred, and it was he who built the walls round it. The -gates were erected by Abdullah Zobair. Thenceforward every Caliph and -every Sultán made a point of beautifying the sacred enclosure until -it came at last to wear its present appearance. However, considering -the enormous sums contributed by the quick and the dead on purpose to -keep it in repair it is being shamefully neglected in this year of the -Flight. How the priests who batten on the fund can find it in their -consciences to watch the decay of their surroundings without loosening -their purse-strings in order to check it is a source of wonder to many -a child of Islám. They are “resigned,” these unrighteous stewards, for -no other reason than because theirs is a bed of roses. “After us the -Deluge” is their motto, and it cannot be denied that of all the sacred -places of the Faith that of the Harem, situated as it is in the gap of -the surrounding cliffs and dipping as it does towards the centre where -the Ka’bah stands, is the best adapted to be a target to the winds and -the rain. For the floods, when they descend, rush down the flights of -steps of the gateways and inundate the open sanctuaries, and that is -why the Ka’bah has been so often destroyed and rebuilt in the course -of the centuries. These priests of the Harem may be as wise as serpents -where their own interests are involved, but they are not so harmless as -doves where those of the Faithful in general clamour for redress. - -Talking of the Deluge reminds me of the pigeons that strut about the -floor of the Harem or wing their flight above its sacred buildings. -They are the prettiest birds imaginable, and so tame that they will -come and perch on the pilgrims’ shoulders and feed out of their hands. -In colour they are of a blueish brown, with deeper spots of the same -colour on their breasts and backs. They have grey rings round their -necks, and their wings are streaked with black lines. A traditionist -says that to feed one of these birds is to ensure to one’s self a -sumptuous palace in heaven; whereas to kill one of them is as bad as -committing homicide, and meets with the same punishment hereafter. -The consequence of this belief is that there are crowds of women -whose business it is to sell grain to the pilgrims for the Harem -pigeons, about twenty grains of wheat in a box costing not less than -one piastre. The tradition was that the pigeons never alighted on the -domes and minarets of the Harem, but hovered above them, like guardian -angels. The fact that the sanctuaries now stand in frequent need of -whitewashing is taken to be a proof of the growing wickedness of the -people, and a certain sign that the Day of Judgment is at hand. - -[Illustration: A MOORISH GENTLEMAN IN MOORISH DRESS.] - -On entering the Harem all men are equal, all privileges of rank must be -waived. The most despotic Oriental ruler has no power over his fellows -there. Even the Hereditary Sheríf of Mecca must be as courteous to his -servants or his slaves as he would be to the Sultan of Turkey were he -present. Everybody is come to worship his Creator, the Ruler Supreme -over empires and republics, and so all distinctions of rank are laid -aside. The Prophet, wise in his generation beyond all men, was the -first to protect the helpless against despotism by ruling the conduct -of human affairs through the principle of religious equality. But for -his laws the lower classes of the East would have been at the mercy of -their co-religionists of the higher castes. If the Prophet alternately -cajoled and coerced the superstitious to be virtuous and meek by the -promise of a material Paradise and by the fear of a material Hell, what -then? He sought merely to achieve his end through the weaknesses of the -natural man, knowing that there is nothing that men covet more than the -permanent pleasures which satiate human passions, and nothing that they -had rather shun than a punishment which endures for ever. The spirit of -his teaching and his laws, however, was anything but material. It made -for unity and fraternity and equality, and the consequence was that in -the early days of the Faith his followers were inspired by the noblest -aspirations of the mind and heart. And as for the corporeal joys of -Paradise they knew that these were not the highest their Prophet had -promised to them, for they hoped to attain to that most blessed degree -of heavenly felicity which is reserved for the Faithful who are found -worthy to behold God’s face from the rising of the sun till the going -down of the same. The case is otherwise with the majority of the -Muhammadans of to-day. For their country and their countrymen they -take too little thought, each one of them beseeching God to shower His -favours on himself or herself alone. The priests of the Golden Age of -the Faith sat on a camel or stood on a high hill and preached, not -on form but on spirit. Their watchword was unity--unity of religion -under the banner of faith and charity. To-day, on the contrary, the -Mullás of Mecca mount a pulpit and air their erudition, that is, -their knowledge of the traditions, as they interpret them according -to their respective schools, and end with a few wandering, lifeless -sentences in condemnation of all heretics, in contempt of this life, -and in praise of the world to come. A philosopher would consider their -sermons ridiculous. The freethinkers of the times of ’Omar and ’Alí had -no sound excuse for raising their voices against the priests, who were -then the guides of the mind as well as those of the conduct. But the -wonder now is that a Faithful can be found to obey the behests of these -tradition-ridden miracle-mongers, who do nothing to lessen the breach -between the sects, but leave the more enlightened laymen to lead the -way to reunion. - -Muhammad set these miracle-mongers a good example. For we read that -when Muaz was appointed Governor of Yemen he was asked by the Prophet -by what rule he would be guided in the administration of the province. -“By the law of the Kurán,” said Muaz. “But if you find no direction -therein?” “Then I will act according to the example of the Prophet.” -“But if that fails?” “Then I will exercise my own judgment.” Muhammad -not only approved of the answer of his follower, but also advised his -other representatives to follow the same rule of conduct. That rule -ought to be written over the door of every mosque in Islám. My Meccan -experiences prove this, that the faith of the priest is stagnant -from the want of the breath of reason. In its decadence Islám is -priest-begotten and priest-ridden. In its purity it was full of the -spirit of the Holy Ghost, a religion simple and sincere, whereof such -men as ’Alí and ’Omar were made. The founder would be the first to -cleanse the minds of his present-day disciples of the false traditions -that have been ascribed to him. He would bid them look up, facing the -light, and setting their thoughts free to soar. In his lifetime he, -believing “God to be more loving to His servants than the mother to -her young,” fought strenuously and with a patience almost sublime to -overcome the corrupt and idolatrous practices of his fellow-countrymen -of the time of Ignorance. Not otherwise would he fight to-day in order -to free his co-religionists from the ever-permeating spread of the -priestly misinterpretations of his message. His voice would be raised -to proclaim the right of every man to reject what is unreasonable in -the dictations of the priests. “Knowledge,” said he on one occasion, -“is our friend in the desert, our companion when friendless, our -ornament among friends, our armour against our enemies.... To listen to -the words of the learned and to inculcate the lessons of science is of -more value than religious exercises.” - -Now, a religion which is lively to-day chiefly through the appeal -it can make to what is corporeal and comfortable, as is undoubtedly -the case with Islámism at the present time, stands in sore need of a -spiritual reformer, the more so because its spirit is still alive, -in the pages of the Kurán and in the memory of the mighty dead. Many -Muslims still seek the name, and are diligent in seeking it, but they -less often try to find the object, forgetting that the moon is not in -the stream but in the sky. “He, God, is the Enduring, and all else -passeth away”--all except such futile traditions as, heaven knows, are -dead enough to have earned a decent burial, and the arbitrary ruling of -the priests, to whose pernicious influence there would appear to be no -limit. The hearts of these unrighteous stewards deserve to be branded -with the two matchless odes, admirably translated by Professor Browne, -of Cambridge University, which are inscribed on the tomb of Háfiz, in -an orange garden at Shíráz, the two first lines of which run: - - “Where is the good tidings of union with Thee? for I will rise up - with my whole heart; - I am a bird of Paradise, and I will soar upwards from the snare of - the world.” - -And again: - - “O heart, be the slave of the King of the World, and be a king! - Abide continually under the protection of God’s favour!” - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -COMPASSING OF THE KA’BAH - - -When we reached the outer gateway of the Bábé Salám, which leads into -the vestibule, it was to bow humbly and then to prostrate ourselves -twice on the threshold, kissing its sacred dust. After this we rose, -saying aloud, with closed eyes and outstretched hands: - - “O God, this city is Thy city and this temple Thy temple. I am come - hither in search of Thy compassion, and in perfect obedience to Thy - commands. O Lord, I am submissive to Thy power, I am in passive - contentment with Thy chastisements, I seek the fulfilment of all my - desires from Thee and from none but Thee. Oblige me with Thy divine - compassion, O God, and fling open to me the gates of Paradise.” - -We then passed into the vestibule, and, no sooner did our eyes behold -from the inner gateway the surface of the Harem than we stretched out -our hands once more to the sky and closed our eyes in prayer, saying: - - “O Lord, this harem is Thy harem and the harem of Thy apostle. - Therefore, since I am here in response to Thy command, preserve - my flesh and blood from the fire of Hell and deliver me from Thy - punishments on the Day of Judgment.” - -Then, advancing the left foot, we said: - - “O God, grant me Thy protection from the temptations of the devil--may - he be accursed! I praise Thy prophet, O Lord, and also his disciples; - O, forgive me my sins and open on me the gates of Thy mercy.” - -Next, when we walked through the inner gateway, and went down the -double flight of steps leading to the colonnades, whence the Ka’bah -twinkled on us its dusky, square face, we bowed reverently to the House -of God and forthwith recited the prayer, which being interpreted, runs: - - “In the Name of the great Lord who is alone. There is no god like unto - Him. O God, I visit this Thy temple, praising Thee, and glorifying Thy - name. Nothing can be done save through Thee, for Thine is the power, - and Thine the will alone.” - -Then I paused awhile, and my eyes took in the impressive scene. - -The open Harem, surrounded on a higher level by the colonnades that -are surmounted by the crescented domes, was packed with pilgrims -from every quarter of Islám. In the middle is the Ka’bah, hemmed in -on three sides of its solid cubic walls by the semi-circular row of -columns already described. Now, facing the gold Spout, on the outer -side of the pillared enclosure, stands the station of the Hanifites. -There, in front of the pulpit, were grouped in the space between the -paved ways and in every attitude of worship the followers of reason. -Some were standing erect, their hands folded on their breasts, others -were kneeling on their prayer rugs, and many were bowed to the lump -of clay. Opposite to them were praying the Hanbalites before the -pavilion-shaped pulpit that forms the extreme limit of the enclosure on -the side nearest to the Black Stone. Priests and peasants, merchants -and princes, all had come from far and near to render unto God their -hearts and minds in accordance with the law of the Prophet. Those -living people clothed in the garments of the dead, there they were, -in the very centre whence had sprung the Faith that flashed forth its -rays over the East, there they were, and why? To do homage to Him whom -Muhammad had made manifest and had delighted to honour thirteen hundred -and twenty years ago. It must be conceded, even by the sceptical and -the scoffer, that the voice of the “illiterate” Prophet has still -the power to work wonders. Hark, his followers are shouting their -allegiance to his watchword. Up go their voices to the burning sky -overhead: “There is no god but God! Muhammad is the Messenger of God!” - -Few could remain silent on hearing the cry of Faith within the columned -square of the Harem. It rang out like a trumpet-call, filling the heart -with an emotion never felt before. Sincere and true, it drowned the -rambling eloquence of the priest haranguing the Malekites out there -to the west. It gathered in volume as it passed from lip to lip until -the very pillars of the Harem seemed to shake. And then from time -to time was sung the Talbih, which might be called the song of the -winding-sheet, so frequently was it repeated by the pilgrims in íhrám: - - Labbaik, Allahomma, Labbaik! - Labbaik, la Sherika lak Labbaik! - Labbaik, enal-hamda, vanahmeta lak Labbaik! - Labbaik, la Sherika lak Labbaik! - -It swelled ever higher, my guide and I joining in the chorus of praise -and thanksgiving, since it was our bounden duty so to do on setting -foot inside the sacred precincts. Having fulfilled the law of the -Prophet or of tradition in that particular, we were about to direct -our steps to the Ka’bah through the old gate of Beni-Sheybeh, which is -similar in shape to a triumphal arch, when my guide, standing suddenly -stock-still, turned on me a countenance of such antic self-reproach -that I was more than half afraid he had made up his mind to wring -from me a present ere he would pursue his avocation. Perhaps my -determination to resist his blandishments expressed itself in my face, -for he lost no time in correcting the impression he had made, saying: -“Yá-Moulai, I ask pardon of al Moakkibát, I prostrate myself before -the two guardian angels who, in order to cope with the difficulty of -recording in their respective books the good and the evil actions of -every Muslim, are changed from day to day, and I entreat the ones who -are on duty now not only to overlook the negligence whereof I accuse -myself, but also to allow me to retrieve, to the furtherance of our -eternal welfare, the blunder which I have committed. Know then, that to -him who reads a certain prayer near the Salám Gate, after descending -the steps thereof and passing the colonnades, shall be granted the free -gift of one hundred thousand good deeds, together with this additional -benefit, that an equal number of his sins shall be blotted out. Come, -yá-Moulai, let us lose no time in laying down the burden of our -misdeeds.” So saying, he conducted me to the proper place, and made me -repeat after him the following prayer: - - “I begin in the name of God, and by the help of God, from God and - towards God, and through what is ordained by God, and on the faith - of the apostle of God. Praise be to God, peace be with the apostle - of God, peace be with Muhammad, the son of Abdullah. O prophet of - God, may God in His compassion grant thee His peace! And may peace - be with all the prophets of God: with Abraham, the friend of God, - and with the messengers of God. Praise be to the Lord of the two - worlds. May peace be with us, and with all the pious creatures of God. - O Lord, may Muhammad be praised, and may his people be praised. May - Muhammad be glorified, and may his people be glorified. May Muhammad - be redeemed, and may his people be redeemed. May Abraham be praised, - and all his people. O Lord, verily, Thou art magnanimous, and highly - to be praised. O Lord, I praise Muhammad Thy slave and Thy prophet. - O Lord, I praise Abraham Thy friend, and all Thy messengers. O Lord, - open to me the gates of Thy mercy, and bring me into obedience to Thee - and into submission to Thy will. O Lord, protect me under the shelter - of faith. For, verily, I am Thy slave, O Lord, and Thy guest in this - Thy house. O Lord the Compassionate, I remind thee that there is no - Lord but Thee. Thou art alone, and hast no mate. Thou art everlasting. - Thou begettest not, neither art Thou begotten, and there is not any - one like unto Thee. Verily, Muhammad is Thy slave and Thy apostle--may - peace be with him and with his people. O Generous, O Magnanimous, O - Exalted, O Just!” - -Then we said three times, “God is Great!” and then, “I seek shelter -in Thee from the snares of the devils of man and jinn, and from the -evils that may betide the Arab and Ajem!” We afterwards put the right -foot foremost on the floor of the Harem, and thence returned with -steady steps to the arch of Beni-Sheybeh, which is hard by the Station of -Abraham, and there we raised our hands again and cried: “O Lord, grant -me admittance into Thy place of righteousness, and likewise a safe -return therefrom, and send down to us by Thy saving power a mighty king -that we may say: ‘Then came Right and destroyed Wrong. Verily, Wrong is -destroyable.’” - -Now, the first ceremony of the Tewaff--that is, of the compassing of -the Ka’bah--must be performed in front of the Hajerul-Asvad or Black -Stone--a sacred relic which requires a short description before we -proceed on our way round the Ka’bah: and as an introduction to this -description we must relate the story of the creation of Adam, as told -by the Muhammadans. They tell us that God, having resolved to fashion -a creature in his own likeness, sent the angels, Gabriel, Michael, and -Israfil, one after another, to fetch for that purpose seven handfuls -of earth from seven depths and of seven colours. The earth, however, -foreseeing the revolt of man from the will of his Creator, persuaded -the angels to return without performing God’s command, so sure was she -of drawing down on herself the divine wrath should the inanimate clay -be made to breathe. The angel Azraïl was then despatched by God on the -same errand, and he, closing his heart against the earth’s appeal, -executed his commission remorselessly, on which account the Lord -appointed him to be the angel of death, charging him thenceforward to -separate the souls from the bodies. The earth which Azraïl had taken -was carried to a place between Mecca and Tayef, where it was first -kneaded by the angels, and then moulded by God into a human form. It -was afterwards left to dry for the space of forty years, the angels -visiting it frequently. Among these angels was Edris--who from being of -those that are nearest to God became the devil--and he, not contented -with looking on the work of the Creator, which he knew to have been -designed to be his superior, vowed he would never acknowledge it as -such, and he kicked it till it rang. Then God breathed His own spirit -into the clay, so that it was made man, and God called his name Adam, -and placed him in Paradise, and formed Eve out of his left side. - -Now, when Adam fell and was cast out of Paradise there fell with him -a certain Stone, which has since become the most cherished possession -in the Muhammadan world. The legend runs that it was restored to -Paradise at the Deluge, after which it was brought back to the earth -by Gabriel and given to Abraham, who set it in the south-eastern corner -of the Ka’bah, which he is said to have built. There it remained till -the Karmatians--that sect, founded in the year 278 of the Hegira by a -native of Khúzistán called Karmata, which overturned the fundamental -points of Islám--bore it away in triumph to their capital, having first -polluted its sacred precincts by burying there three thousand dead -bodies, by tearing the golden Spout from its place, and by dividing -among themselves the veil of the temple itself. The citizens of Mecca -sought to redeem the Stone by offering no less than five thousand -pieces of gold for it; but the ransom was scornfully rejected by the -impious sectaries, who hoped by keeping it in their possession to draw -the pilgrims from the Holy City to their own capital. Some twenty-two -years later, however, having failed to achieve the purpose they had at -heart, they sent back the Stone of their own free will, covering their -discomfiture by declaring it to be a counterfeit. The dismay of the -Meccans was allayed when they discovered that the stone would swim on -water, that being the peculiar quality of the stone they had lost, and -so they were satisfied that the true one had been returned to them. - -At first the Stone was whiter than milk, but it grew to be black, -either by the touch of a certain class of woman, by the sins of -mankind, or by the kisses of the pilgrims. All believers, whatever may -be the cause to which they attribute the change of colour, agree that -the defilement is purely superficial, the inside of the Stone being -still as white as the driven snow. Let us hope that the same thing can -be said of the hearts of the Faithful, whose lips are supposed to have -wrought on this lodestone of theirs a transformation so miraculous. -The silver box wherein it lies is about twenty inches square, and is -raised a little more than five feet from the ground. A round window -having a diameter of some nine inches is kept open on purpose to enable -the pilgrims to kiss or to touch the treasure within, which is known -as “the right hand of God on earth.” This year the act of osculation -was not performed by more than ten pilgrims out of every hundred that -attempted it, the crowd being utterly undisciplined in its zeal. It -must be confessed that I owed my good fortune to main strength, for I -shoved my way through the excited mob and examined the Stone curiously -while kissing it. In colour it is a shining black; in shape, hollow -like a saucer, presumably the result of the pressure of devoted lips. -A pilgrim, if he fail in touching the Stone, must make a reverential -salám before it, and then pass on. Special prayers are also said. My -guide, before leaving, recited for my edification certain lines from -the “Fotúhúl Haremeyn,” which in rhythmic prose would run something -like this: - - “Think not that the Ka’bah was made from the earth--in the body of - the world it took the place of the heart. And the stone that you call - the Black Stone was itself a ball of dazzling light. In ages past, - the Prophet said, it shone like the crescent moon, until at last the - shadows, falling from the sinful hearts of those that gazed on it, - turned its surface black. Now, since this amber gem that came to the - earth from Paradise with the Holy Ghost has received such impressions - on itself, what should be the impressions which our hearts receive? - Verily, whosoever shall touch it, being pure of conscience, is like - unto him that has shaken hands with God.” - -In front of this Stone, the first rite is performed: it is called -Niyyat or Determination. The various forms and ceremonies at this stage -of the pilgrim’s initiation vary with the sect to which he belongs, -but six points are common to all Muhammadans. First, Niyyat, including -the declaration of passive obedience to God’s will, the belief in His -day of judgment, and the formal repentance of all sins committed; -second, the frequent recitation of the watchword of the Faith which -is called Takbir; third, the reading of Esteghfar, a short chapter of -repentance and of tacit submission to God’s ordinance; fourth, certain -formulæ in praise of Allah and the Prophet, which are known by the -name of Tahleel; fifth, the intoning of Hamde, which is the chapter -of praise; and lastly, the lively repetition of Ghúl-hú-Allah, which -runs: “In the name of the most merciful God. Say, God is one God; the -eternal God: He begetteth not, neither is He begotten: and there is not -any one like unto Him.” The pilgrim, on making his “Determination,” -must raise his hands to his cheeks, putting the thumbs under the lobes -of his ears, and stretch up his shoulders, allowing his chest to droop -inward, and say in a voice toned to a reverent spirit: “O Allah, Thou -art omnipotent, Thou art glorified. I purpose, in Thy excellent name, -to make seven complete circuits round Thy blessed house.” Having -repeated this after the motewaff or guide, I cried out: “In the name of -God, God is great!” Then the stream of Hájís caught me to its bosom, -and I was tossed about as in a whirlpool. Fortunately Seyyid ’Alí stuck -close to my side, and there, in the eddying torrent of human beings -that gave forth a sound as of a swelling sea, we raised our voices, my -motewaff and I, one after the other, and cried: “O Allah, I do perform -this rite out of the fulness of my belief in Thee, in acknowledgment -of Thy book, and in faithfulness to Thy covenant, according to the -example of Thy prophet Muhammad--may he be blessed and glorified!” And -all the while we struggled as hard as we could to get within touch -of the Hajerul-Asvad, which, as we knew well from the pressure of -the throng, was the lodestone that drew the sheeted pilgrims to the -south-eastern corner of the house. Now we were driven forward, and then -we were hurled back; indeed, the bare-footed Faithful, seeing their -hopes alternately rise and fall, grew grimly resolute to kiss the Black -Stone, cost them what it might. The yearning to do so, which had filled -their hearts with piety in the seclusion of their homes, gave place -at close quarters to a determination so fierce and so uncontrollable -as might have offered to a cool-headed spectator a living picture of -Pandemonium. Every now and then a pilgrim would succeed in snatching -a hasty kiss, after which he would be flung aside, and another, less -fortunate than himself, would have to be contented with touching the -Stone with his hand and kissing that; but by far the greater number -had no other choice than to pass on with a salaam expressive of good -intentions. Some said their prayers with the tongue of their hearts, -and with tears in their eyes; others said them aloud, the sweat -streaming down their cheeks. “O Lord, I bring my heart and soul to -Thee, I acknowledge Thy Book faithfully, I give evidence that there is -not any one equal to Thee, and I promise to obey Thy Commandments.” - -Opposite to the place called al-Moltezem, between the Black Stone -and the gate of the Ka’bah, we paused and said: “O Allah, Thou who -art omnipotent, I beseech Thee to pardon my sins in violating Thy -commands.” A few steps forward brought us face to face with the gate -itself, whose threshold is raised so high above the ground that the -pilgrims must mount by means of steps moving on wheels which are kept -alongside a wall of the Zem-Zem well when not in use. There we stopped -again, saying: - - “O Allah, this house is Thy house, this sanctuary is Thy sanctuary, - this peaceful shelter is Thy shelter, and this place is the place - of all those that flee to Thee from hell-fire. O Allah, Thy house is - great and Thou art magnanimous; verily, Thou art compassionate and - merciful. From fire, O Allah, and from the cursed Satan deliver me: - yea, render my flesh and blood scatheless in the fire of hell, and - pour on me Thy mercy on the day of judgment, and shower on me Thy - blessings in this world and the next.” - -We proceeded thence to the north-eastern angle called the Rokné-Araghi, -where we halted in order to ask another blessing, and cried out in a -tone of deepest contrition: “O Allah, I take refuge with Thee from -evil, from doubt, from disobedience, from disunion, from immorality, -from hypocrisy, and from all evil thoughts concerning one’s family and -one’s estate.” And when we went in front of the Mizab, gold Spout, a -few paces farther on, it was to say: “O Allah, grant me refuge under -the canopy of Thy heaven on the day whereon there is no shelter save -Thy shelter. O Allah, make me to drink of the same cup as Muhammad, -on whom be blessings and glory!” Then we proceeded on our way till -we reached the Rokné-Shami or the north-western angle, and there we -said: “O Allah, may it please Thee to accept this pilgrimage, making -it a praiseworthy perseverance and a laudable deed. O Compassionate, -O Beloved, O Lord, O Merciful, and Omnipotent!” Next, on reaching -the south-western angle or Rokné-Yemani, we fell again to praying, -in accordance with the law: “O, Allah, our Lord and Ruler, grant us -prosperity in this world and happiness in the next, and deliver us -from the punishments of fire. O Allah, I seek shelter in Thee from -infidelity and from poverty and from the sorrows of life and from the -pangs of death; I also take refuge in Thee from ignominy in this world -and in the world to come.” The last prayer we said was at the starting -point, facing the Black Stone. Finding it impossible to approach -within arm’s reach, we lifted up our hands from afar, and then bowed, -saying: “O Lord of this sacred relic, I flee to Thee and to ‘Thy right -hand on earth’ from all want and also from all infidelity.” - -In this, the first circuit or “shaut,” we used the step called -“harvaleh,” walking briskly and shrugging the shoulders up and down, -and we adopted the same gait on the second and third “ashwat” (plural -form of “shaut”). But, in performing the remaining four circuits, a -more grave and stately tread was assumed according to the custom. -This ordinary eastern walk is called “teamol” and combines dignity -of demeanour with leisure of pace; it is a contemplative fashion of -walking, what the French would call _recueilli_, and is admirably -suited to a pilgrim’s devotional stroll round the House of God. On the -other hand, the reformer who should wish to introduce the go-ahead -civilisation of the West could not begin better than by levying a -prohibitive tax on the “teamol.” Sale records the tradition that this -sevenfold compassing of the Ka’bah was ordered by Muhammad, “that his -followers might show themselves strong and active, to cut off the hopes -of the infidels, who gave out that the immoderate heats of Medina had -rendered them weak.” A second tradition is that the circular motion -represents the orbicular motion of the heavenly bodies; a third, that -it is meant to symbolise the Egyptian wheels, those hieroglyphics -of the instability of human fortune; and a fourth, that it arose -from a custom among the Pagan Arabs, who, if they wished to humble -themselves, were wont to walk seven times round the person or persons -whom they delighted to exalt. Anyhow, the compassing of the Ka’bah, -be its origin what it may, is held by the Muhammadans to be an act of -self-sacrifice from man to God. I was much struck by the fact that -the victims of cholera and of other diseases were borne round the -sacred precincts in rude wooden coffins by their friends, who cried out -in tones of lamentation, “Yá-Allah! Yá-Allah!” It was an impressive -funeral procession, and is said to relieve the pressure of the grave, -and to insure to the corpse a safe and a speedy entrance into Paradise. -The Tewaff is brought to a close by a reverential visit to the tomb -of Abraham, which faces the door of the House. It is an open pavilion -resting on four pillars, and crowned with a crescented cupola. - -There my guide and I, taking up our position on the thither side of -the tomb which was thus placed between ourselves and the House of God, -prostrated ourselves twice, saying our morning prayers the while; and -then, sitting on our hips, we raised our hands to the sky and said with -closed eyes: - - “We give praise to Thee, O Lord, we glorify Thee in the name of - Muhammad--may peace be with him and with his people! O God, accept - this Hájj from me, and allow it not to be the last one. I praise thee, - O Lord, in all Thy attributes, I praise Thee for all Thy blessings; I - praise Thee for all Thou willest, I praise Thee for all Thy power. O - Lord, accept this worship from me, and cleanse my heart, and sharpen - my sense of duty. Take compassion on me, O God, for my worship’s sake, - and because I accept the words of Thy prophet--on whom be peace! O - Lord, make me to detest those that do not worship Thee, and make me - to love those who love Thee, and those who love Thy prophet and Thy - angels and all Thy pious creatures.” - -Then, bowing our foreheads to the ground, we said aloud: - - “O Lord, I worship Thee on my face; there is no God but Thee; Thou art - just and merciful; Thou art the beginning of everything, and the end - of everything; for Thine is the management and Thine the power alone. - O Thou that forgivest the sins of Thy people, pardon my offences, - for in Thee do I now confess my sins. Verily, no one can pardon grave - sinners except Thyself. I say, there is not any one to be compared - with Thee.” - -The rewards of a correct performance of the Tewaff and of the necessary -prayers--preferably at sundown, the best time for meditation--are of a -sort to render the rite extremely popular among the pilgrims. At every -step they take, in making the seven circuits, no fewer than seventy -thousand sins will be blotted out of their bad books, and an equal -number of virtues be added to the companion volumes containing their -good actions. Nor is this all, for they will be made, at the same rate, -the intercessors of seventy thousand sinners; they will build up to -themselves the same number of palaces in heaven, and will earn the -fulfilment of seven hundred thousand of their desires in this world, -and of seventy thousand in the world to come. And that, no doubt, is -why we took precious care that our steps, even when walking briskly, -as we were obliged to do for the first three circuits, should be, if -smart, extremely short ones. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE COURSE OF PERSEVERANCE - - -Having encompassed the Ka’bah seven times, we stood hard by the tomb -of Abraham and watched the pilgrims fighting to kiss the Black Stone. -The wonder was that we had emerged from the tight scrimmage with a skin -more or less whole. The perspiration oozed out of the pores in streams: -laying hold of the fag end of my sacred habit I wiped my forehead. “You -must not touch yourself,” said Seyyid ’Alí; “it is a grievous sin.” -“Let your conscience rest in peace,” I replied; “I will do penance by -sacrificing a sheep.” - -The guide smiled. “There is no stain, however vile, but money shall -blot it out. Would that I were a rich man!” “Thou fool,” I cried, “how -about the stain of superstition? Will money wipe it out, think you?” -“Yá-Moulai,” he whispered, “speak low.... Listen. It is easier to -dig the heart out of a mountain with the sharp end of a needle than -to remove ignorance from the mind of a mullá. However, the Course -of Perseverance has yet to be trod. Come let us hop and be of good -courage, for to-morrow we must go in procession to Arafat. We must -begin again with Niyyat; that is, with a declaration of intention in -front of the Black Stone, and after that we must proceed to Safá, and -say our prayers there.” “I ask pardon of Allah!” I shrilled. “Look, the -people will be trodden under foot near the Black Stone!” The guide was -silent, his eyes were turned to where the crowd was thickest. “Look,” -he said, “a man is down. They are trampling him to death. That has -often happened. In 581 of the Hegira no less than eighty-four men were -trodden to death inside the Ka’bah. In 972 of the Flight sixty-five -men were suffocated through the pressure of the crowd in the Harem -itself.... Praise Allah, the man is up again.... See, his friends are -bearing him to a place of safety.” ... - -God of love, what a sight! “He has achieved merit,” said the guide, -“except, it may be, in the eyes of the ‘mother of his children.’ She -will cease to love him when she sees him. However, he may die, and -thus she may be spared the shock of--did you--but what have I done to -offend you?” My reply was curt. “I find your levity somewhat tedious,” -I said impatiently. The wag was irrepressible. He waxed argumentative -suddenly, affirming that the snares of the heart are beauty of face -and charm of voice. He bade me to look on his own manly countenance. I -might believe it or not, but even he had been deceived more than once. -What chance of keeping love, therefore, had the wretch whose face had -been stamped as flat as the palm of his hand? “Listen, and I will hum -you a song,” he whispered, “but it must be low, since it concerns the -heart, the theme of the poets, and not the soul, which is the concern -of the priests. For my part I am on the side of the poets. Even in -Mecca. The song is old. It was sung by Adam in the Garden of Eden after -the Fall. I have found it true. Therefore, and for no other reason, it -is worth quoting-- - - “‘Oh, heart of mine, how often canst thou trace - Thy aching wounds to one bright maiden’s Face! - How often must, amid discordant din, - Another’s Voice be toned to take you in! - - “‘Yet ah, my heart, among thy darling foes, - Was one that matched both Nightingale and Rose; - A Flow’r, she bloomed a day; a Bird, her flight - She winged ... and turned thy Day to endless Night.’” - -“Alas, my poor heart, its disease is incurable, I fear. No matter. -Safá awaits our coming. We will go and ‘declare our intention,’ and -then be off to the hill of Purity. Let us skip and hop, for to-morrow -we die. Yá-Allah! yá-Muhammad!” So, approaching as near as we could to -the Black Stone, we closed our eyes, giving it as our determination -to run seven times between the platforms of Safá and Marveh, and to -recite the prescribed prayers at the appointed places. It is considered -an act of grace in the devout to proceed thence to the Zem-Zem well, -and, drawing a bucket of water by means of the windlass with his own -hands, to besprinkle therewith his head and back and stomach, after -which he should drink a handful of the water, repeating the following -prayer: “O Lord, I beseech Thee to make this draught for me a source -of inexhaustible knowledge, a vast livelihood, and a preventive of all -pains and diseases.” - -[Illustration: THE POORER SIDE OF EGYPTIAN MUSLIMS.] - -Frequent allusion is made to this spring in Arabian and Persian -literature. Its water ranks second to that of Kúsar, a stream that runs -in the Garden of Paradise, keeping the grass ever green and the flowers -ever blooming. The prettiest ruby wine is compared by the poets to the -water of Zem-Zem; for they believe it to be the spring that “gushed out -for the relief of Ishmael,” when Hagar, his mother, wandered beside -him in the wilderness. The story goes that when she saw the bubbling -water it was to call to her son, in the Egyptian tongue, “Zem, zem!” -(“Stay, stay!”). The taste of the water is difficult to describe, but -it is certainly bitterish. My guide, to whom I had appealed in the -matter, answered, saying, “Allah--may I be His sacrifice--has made -this water sacred, as you know. It is neither sweet nor bitter, neither -fresh nor salt, neither scented nor stinking, but would appear in its -taste to be a mixture of all these qualities. In everything sacred -there must be a mystery, or how could the mullás live?” As to its -attributes, they may be counted by the hundred. There is no disease -that it will not cure provided it be taken with a “pure” conscience. It -is as inspiring to a Muslim poet as that of Helicon to an unbeliever. -It prolongs life and purifies the soul of him that drinks it in -unswerving obedience to God through the mediation of Muhammad. The -rich pilgrims carried gold or silver flasks in which they poured -the precious water, keeping it as a preservative of health, or as a -remedy in case of sickness. An Indian Prince told me that he intended -to keep his in order to restore the eyesight of his brother, who had -been unable to accompany him on the pilgrimage. The Faithful bring -their winding-sheets along with them and wash them in the holy spring. -Some Negroes from Zanzibar have the honour to be the guardians of the -well and the dispensers of its contents, and they exact as much as -twenty piastres from the poor pilgrims for the washing of one of these -winding-sheets, and ten times that amount from the rich. - -Now, this practice of washing the grave-clothes stands in need of -explanation. When a Muslim dies and is buried, he is received by a -heavenly host, who gives him notice of the coming of the two examiners, -Nakir and Monker. These are two angels as livid as death and as black -as a putrid corpse, and they proceed to question him concerning his -faith, more especially as to the unity of God and the apostleship of -the Prophet. If he prove himself a true Mussulman, he is suffered to -rest in peace and is refreshed by the air of Paradise. But, if he be -of a loose belief, he is gnawed and stung till the resurrection by -ninety-nine dragons that have seven heads each, the earth pressing -harder and harder on his body without, unfortunately, injuring the -dragons. It is in order to escape from this torture that the pilgrims -wash their winding-sheets, in the life-giving water of Zem-Zem, -some of them taking the precaution to make assurance doubly certain -by inscribing on the sheets, in coloured letters, the most sacred -chapters of the Kurán. One of the pilgrims showed me a winding-sheet -belonging to himself on which had been written in green ink every -single chapter of the Book. The well is covered with a small square -building crowned with a cupola and a crescent, and is paved inside with -marble. There are four Chinese windlasses at the top of the shrine for -drawing the water, and these were working all day long, the keepers -having the greatest difficulty in restraining the ardour of the poor, -tradition-ridden devouts, some of whom were wrought to such a pitch of -blind fanaticism that it was as much as the Negroes could do to prevent -them from flinging themselves into the well. - -Since I had not the good fortune to win my way to the windlass, I took -a jug of Zem-Zem water, making the attendant a present of ten piastres -for it. Then, having performed the necessary ablutions, I went out by -the old gate (on the thither side of the Place of Abraham) and ascended -the stairs of Safá. We found the platform alive with pilgrims, and -there, facing the Ka’bah, we had to pass in review all the blessings -we had received from God during our lives, from the days of our birth -upward. That done, we repeated seven times in an audible tone: “God -is great.... I praise thee, O Lord!... There is no god but God....” -Three times: “There is no god but the one God; there is not anyone -like unto Him. For His is the kingdom, and to Him do we lift up our -praise. He is the giver of life and the giver of death. Death and -life He bestoweth on all living creatures, but He dieth not, neither -doth He sleep. He is almighty over everything....” Once: “O Lord, I -praise Muhammad and his people.” Three times: “I praise the Lord who -endureth for ever, I praise the everlasting Lord.” Three times: “I -confess there is no god but God, and I confess likewise that Muhammad -is His slave and His apostle. We worship Him whom we praise, and none -but Him!” Then three times we cried: “O Lord, have mercy on me, and be -compassionate to me, and give me justice in this world and in the world -to come.... O Lord, give us Thy blessing in this life, and grant us Thy -peace in the next, and protect us from the punishment of fire.” Next, -having repeated one hundred times the words “God is great; there is -no god but God, and Him do I praise,” I said aloud: “O Lord, I praise -Thee in death and in what comes after death. In Thee, O God, do I -seek shelter from the darkness of the grave, from the pressure of the -grave, and the disturbance of the grave. Under the canopy of Thy divine -compassion do I take refuge on the day when there is no shelter but Thy -shelter.” Then, in my inmost mind, I gave up to the Lord my faith, my -person, and my people, crying: “I return to Thee, O Lord, Who alone art -compassionate and merciful, my faith, myself, my people, my property, -and my progeny. O Lord, make me to act according to Thy Book and the -dictation of Thy apostle: make me faithful to Thy people, and protect -me from revolution.” As an increase of wealth, so says tradition, this -prayer should also be read: “O Lord, I seek shelter in Thee from the -punishments of the grave: from its troubles, and its separations, and -its awe, and its percussion, and its blackness, and its closeness.” -Then, uncovering the back, one should raise the voice, crying out loud: -“O Lord, pardon! O Thou who hast commanded to pardon, O Thou who art -the first to pardon--pardon, pardon, pardon, pardon! O Generous! O -Compassionate! O Near! O Far! make me to achieve Thy satisfaction by -acting in obedience unto Thee!” Then, descending from the platform, -I said: “I persevere seven times in running between Safá and Marveh, -and this I do in order to fulfil my pilgrimage and in obedience to the -command of the Lord of the Universe.” - -The distance between the two hills is four hundred and thirty-eight -yards. The course has to be traversed seven times. It begins at Safá -and ends on the seventh lap at Marveh. Those who are too weak or too -ill “to persevere” on foot must be carried on a horse, a camel, a -mule, or a donkey, like the women, who, if sufficiently wealthy, are -accompanied by three hired servants. The first, the forerunner, who -clears the way, wears an expression of indescribable gravity. You can -tell by his face that you have only to cast an eye behind him to behold -a “Light of the Harem.” The second, leading the beast by the bridle, -looks religiously ahead, and the third brings up the rear, doing all -in his power to protect his precious burden from the shrieking crowd. -If a pilgrim at this stage of initiation allow his thoughts to dwell -on the fair sex he must sacrifice a calf in the Valley of Mina. From -the foot of Safá to the first minaret at the south-eastern end of -the Harem the pilgrim must walk at his ease, and there he must say a -prayer. It is this: “I begin in the name of God, and by God, and God -is great. May peace be with Muhammad and with his household. O Lord, -the compassionate and merciful, who art capable beyond my knowledge, O -Thou who art most exalted and most generous, take this act of worship -of mine, which is not worthy of Thee, and, enriching it with Thy -abundance, make it more deserving of Thy acceptance. I offer up my -‘perseverance’ to Thee, O Lord, and in Thee my hope and my strength -are fixed. O Thou that acceptest the devotion of the pious, reject not -my offering, O God.” Thenceforward, until he reached the Baghleh Gate, -some eighty yards away, the pilgrim had to suit his gait as far as in -him lay to the rolling pace of a camel on the trot. He had now reached -the starting point for hopping. Two big green flags were flying to give -him warning. Up went the left leg of every mother’s son and of many a -father’s daughter--for to every woman who rode there were twenty on -foot--and a great deal of panting confusion and breathless excitement -ensued. Hands were lifted to the sky, voices were raised in praise of -God, asking for strength “to persevere,” mules stampeded, horses lashed -out with their heels, camels pierced their way through the surging mob -as silently and as irresistibly as a ship breasts the sea, men and -women being hurled aside like waves. The endurance displayed by the -bare-footed devout was marvellous. They were buoyed by the assurance -that they were supported by the angels, Gabriel being the captain of -the guard. - -Now shoved forward by the pilgrims in the rear, now carried back by -those who were returning from Marveh, I hopped about in a vicious -circle, groaning and perspiring, like a man bereft of his senses. -Should I never reach the blessed Gate of Ali! Who said the distance -was not more than seventy-five yards? Let him hop over the course and -he will multiply its figures by ten at every step. The folly of it all -seemed to crash down on the crown of my bare head, shattering my belief -in human sanity. For, carried away by the obligation of imitating -the “persevering” antics of my fellow-pilgrims, I found myself now -hopping on one leg like a melancholy heron, and now, on reaching Ali’s -Gate, pitching and rolling and labouring along like a spent camel -under a goad. Yá-Allah! yá-Muhammad! I cut a sorry figure in my own -estimation, no matter what merit I earned in the minds of my co-mates -in affliction. So depressed was I that I had forgotten to say the -prescribed prayer at the second minaret before reaching the Baghleh -Gate: “O God, the possessor of praise and knowledge and mercy and -magnanimity, pardon my trespasses, for, verily, there is no forgiver of -sins but Thee alone.” Many were maimed for life, not a few were killed, -accident followed accident, but still the unheeding wave of pilgrims -swept along over the fiery sand, shrieking and gesticulating, till my -senses seemed to swoon. My guide, inured to the Arabian heat and to the -unhallowed confusion of the course, performed his part with a studied -dignity and a nimbleness of resource which added a touch of humour to -an exhibition otherwise saddening. But these pilgrims themselves were -tormented by no such self-accusing thoughts. If their feet were cut -they had the consolation of believing that the streams of Paradise -would wash them whole, for the cool water of Salsabíl and Tasním, if -they succumbed to their devotional exertions, would it not be lifted to -their parched lips by divine peris and everlasting life be theirs? - -What might strike the spectator most of all would probably be the -contrast presented by the dignity of the prayers and the occasional -outbursts of religious extravagance on the part of the priest-ridden -and ignorant among the pilgrims. The prayers might be read in any -church in Christendom. The stormy outburst from all reserve could -only be witnessed nowadays in the East, where religion, that ship -of salvation, though seaworthy enough in its undeniable if narrow -sincerity, is in constant danger of being wrecked in the breakers of -fanaticism. Muhammad reverenced science. Several sayings have been -already quoted in which it was rated by him at its true value. The -priests persist in disregarding its lessons from sheer self-interest. -It is not the light of religion which they spread abroad. It is the -fire of fanaticism which they fan--a fire which, by throwing out -abundant heat but no light whatever, burns while diffusing darkness. -“God does not change the condition of a people,” said Muhammad, “until -they change it for themselves.” If these retrograde priests had kept -themselves abreast of the times, as they were in duty bound to do as -followers of a man of progressive genius, the crescent of Islám had -been a well-nigh perfect round long ago. Enlightenment was not wanting -on the part of a great number of laymen, as I shall show later on; but -as to the greater number of the priests I met at Mecca, well, let us -hope that, on ascending the platform of Marveh, they were conscious of -falling short of the responsibilities of their office, and that they -made amends by throwing into the prayer of repentance the burden of a -contrite spirit: “O Lord, Thou that hast commanded to pardon; O Thou -that lovest pardon; O Thou that grantest pardon; O Thou that forgivest -with pardon; O Lord, pardon! pardon! pardon! pardon!” And if they could -then weep out of the fulness of a heart ill at ease in its breast, and -not perfunctorily as by law ordained, there might be some hope of their -redemption. All joined in the concluding prayer, which runs: “O Lord, -verily, I beseech Thee, in all circumstances, to endow me plentifully -with tacit faith in Thee, and also to grant that I may be pure of -intention in my resignation to Thy divine will.” - - -PLAN OF THE HAREM. - -_An Explanation of the Frontispiece._ - - SM indicates the Salám Gate, through which the pilgrim must enter and - where the course begins; AM, the Tomb of Abraham; BK, the Black Stone; - K, the Ka’bah, or House of God; Z, the Fountain of Zem-Zem; SA, the - Safá Gate, through which the pilgrim passes out on his course; S, - Safá, the platform on which one must walk and pray; BH, the Baghleh - Gate, the starting-point for hopping; AI, the Ali Gate, the finishing - place for hopping, but on the return journey the starting-point, - with BH as its ending. M indicates Marveh, the platform on which the - pilgrim must walk and pray. The distance for hopping--marked by two - pointers at BH and AI--is some seventy-five yards, the dotted lines - showing the Course of Perseverance, and the arrow-heads indicating its - direction. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -SCENE IN AN EATING-HOUSE--VISIT TO THE KA’BAH - - -It was two o’clock by the time we had completed the Course of -Perseverance, and, since we had broken our fast at an early hour in -the morning, we betook ourselves in a mighty hurry to the eating-house -of Stád Mukhtar, the Effendi pastrycook of Mecca. The caravan we had -left behind us at Heddah, swollen beyond recognition on the journey -up, had just arrived, and Mussah-street was in a veritable delirium of -excitement. It was dry and blazing weather, with a glow as of a furnace -in the air, and the passing of the caravan, with its streaming banners, -its jaded camels, and its betousled pilgrims, added to the poignance -of our hunger by delaying the hour that should see it satisfied. Only -one glimpse we took of the medley of men and beasts. As we raised our -eyes we saw, securely strapped on an ambling mule, a man of lofty mien, -albeit distressingly wasted, with streaming white beard and hair, and -the face of a corpse for tense impassivity. His eyes, deep sunk and -expressionless, met mine. He at once raised his voice--and never shall -I forget the eerie exaltation ringing in its tones--and cried aloud: -“Praise be to God on high, who hath brought me alive into His house. -Blessed is he who dieth in the house of the Lord. May He be praised and -glorified!” And from the crowd there arose a shout, that passed from -lip to lip in a fervour of congratulation: “May it be auspicious.... -May your eyes be lightened.... May your years be increased.... May -your shadow never grow less.... Yá--Allah!... Yá--Muhammad!” The grim -fortitude of that towering wraith of a man on the nimble-footed mule -stirred in his co-religionists I know not what feelings of awe and -gratification. For pity there was no room in their breasts; envy there -might have been, but of a sort whereof heroism is engendered; not one -among them but had wished to be in the place of him who, supported by -faith and guided by death, had won the crown of self-martyrdom. In a -moment the man was gone past. - -“Islám,” said Seyyid ’Alí, “see how brightly it burns in a grate worthy -to contain the sacred fire. That man’s zeal has made me rich in faith. -I tell you that the stars of heaven were a mean decoration for a zealot -so long-suffering and sincere. But come, Yá-Moulai, let us break our -fast in the famous eating-house of Stád Mukhtar. Behold, the entrance -awaits our coming, for the door is open.” - -[Illustration: MUSSAH STREET AT MECCA.] - -[Illustration: PUTTING ON IHRÁM AT JIDDAH.] - -On crossing the threshold we uttered a loud salám, looking up into -the air the while. Then we stepped inside, for, as the Persians say, -if you wish to escape reproof you must assume the same “colour” as -your company. The shop was oblong, measuring some 24ft. by 9ft., at -a guess. Rough stools and low black erections on four legs took the -place of chairs and tables. I counted no less than sixty pilgrims -engaged in eating. It would have been impossible to count the beggars -who came crowding in. These I brushed unceremoniously aside, much to -the annoyance of one of them, who cried out in vulgar Arabic: “May -your meal not sit well on you! How can you eat while we are starving -here?” Compassion laid its hand in mine, and I would have given the -petitioner a present, ungracious though he was, had not Seyyid ’Alí -restrained me, saying: “Yá-Moulai, do not judge our friend by his -looks. His appearance, I grant, is poverty-stricken beyond the power -of repletion, but, you may take my word for it, his wealth underground -surpasses the dreams of this slave of yours.” In this opinion he was -supported by the pilgrims inside, who assured me that the residential -beggars of Mecca are often extremely rich and in the habit of burying -the money they wring from the credulity or the generosity of the -strangers within the gates. The din in the eating-house was beyond -belief. Everybody spoke at once, and at the top of his voice. A pack of -children fresh from school would give you an idea of the uproar. The -first questions the pilgrims asked of one another were their names, -their nationalities, their professions, and their family pedigrees. -Around one of the diminutive tables were seated two men, and, as there -were a couple of vacant stools, I took one of them, my guide, as a mark -of respect, sitting down on my left. Shortly after another pilgrim -came in, and, picking up a stool, wedged himself between Seyyid ’Alí -and myself, muttering a half-reluctant “Bismillah!” The gentleman -directly facing me was a Turkish Effendi, Mahmud Bey by name. Like the -majority of the inmates, he was clad in íhram, but his face singled -itself out by virtue of its stony reserve. On the extreme right was -a Persian Mirza, called Zainul-Abedin, whose countenance prepared me -for the authoritative unction of his speech. A stalwart Afghan sat on -my guide’s left hand, while the intruder, who had separated us, was a -native of Hyderabad, Deccan. His name was Abdul Saleh. - -The Persian Mirza was the first to break the silence. Looking at each -of us in turn he said, in his mellowest tones: “Bah! Bah! Khúsh amedid! -You are welcome. You have brought purity into the City of God.” - -“And so have you,” was ’Alí’s affable response. “I was the essence of -impurity when I left my native town of Ardebil to perform this holy -pilgrimage; but I trust that God may purify my conscience.” The guide -changed his birthplace with his company. “Do you come from Ardebil, my -friend?” said Abdul Saleh. “Many learned people have come from that -blessed city. The poet calls it the House of Knowledge.” - -Seyyid ’Alí smiled a sarcastic smile. “Even the learned, my good -brother of Hindustan,” quoth he, “are prisoners within the limits of -the knowable, so fear not to inform the company wherein the fame of -Ardebil consists.” My guide referred to the fact that the place he had -chosen as his native town is the convict station of Persia. - -“God forbid!” replied Abdul Saleh, courteously, “for the tact that -is yours shows the poet to have been right. The abode of learning -must count you among its most honoured citizens.” These amenities put -the whole table in a good temper, and Seyyid ’Alí was not long in -summoning the waiter, Omar, who, having informed us that his master, -Stád Mukhtar, had gone to Mina in order to open a branch establishment -there, awaited our orders in an attitude so free and easy that Mahmud -Bey, frowning ever so slightly, grew a degree more reserved than ever. -The waiter wore a fez with a streaming tassel, a long white robe, -and a bright silk sash, from which hung an apron that had once been -white. The dishes we ordered were a ghormeh of camel’s flesh roasted -in onions; a kúfteh, or mincemeat, served with rice and seasoned with -spices; a lamb kebab on a skewer folded in a sheet of bread fresh from -the oven; and a sweet called mehlabi, which looked like English jelly. -Omar, placing his right hand to his ear, like a muezzin bugling out -the cry of the Faith, shouted out at the top of his voice to the cook -in the adjoining kitchen: “Ghormeh! Kúfteh! Kebab! Melabi! Eikki!” -then, seeing that his cigarette was gone out, he asked me to provide -him with a match, which was given to him by my guide, who did not share -Mahmud Bey’s ill-disguised disapproval of the waiter’s demeanour. The -Turk, raising his eyes to mine, said across the table: “Effendim, the -waiters of Stambul have better manners--however.” A contemptuous shrug -of the shoulders completed the sentence. The speaker addressed me in -his own language, though he was a good Arabic scholar; but a political -discussion which followed a question of mine as to whether Abdul Saleh -approved or disapproved of the British rule in India was held in Arabic. - -“The poet says: ‘The essence of human enjoyment is the belly,’” said my -guide, “so let us enjoy ourselves in a human fashion.” - -“What will you say,” objected Masoud, “if I assure you that the poet -means the spiritual belly and not the bodily one?” - -“This,” replied Seyyid ’Alí, quickly, “that there was once a Dervish -whose mysticism had so clouded his understanding that he interpreted -the writings of Omar Khayyam as you would have me interpret them. -The drinking of wine, according to him, was meant to symbolise the -adoration of God. Now, it chanced that the dervish broke the law, and -was brought before his Governor, who sentenced him ‘to eat five hundred -sticks.’ The farrashes, fortified by the juice of the grape, laid on -with a will. It was heart-rending to hear the shrieks of the sufferer. -His philosophy deserted him, so that he yelled for mercy. The minions -of the law appealed to the Governor, who said to the dervish: ‘Have no -fear, they are merely spiritual sticks. You must eat them every one. -May they go down well with you.’ Are you answered?” - -“Blessed be Islám. Long live the Caliphs of the Faith!” cried Abdul -Saleh, as though he had just awoke from sleep. - -“And long live the Ameers!” said Masoud, in a frenzy of patriotism. -“May the soul of Abdur Rahman Khan, the conqueror of Kafiristan, the -light of the nation and religion, rest in peace, and may the sword of -Islám grow sharper day by day.” - -“The sword of Islám is sharp enough,” cried Seyyid ’Alí, “but it -requires men to use it, as in the age of the blessed Caliphs.” - -“What do you mean by that?” said the Persian Mirza, in anger. “Do you -think we have no men in Persia? May God keep stiff the neck of Iran. -One man of Iran is worth fifty foreign unbelievers.” - -“Particularly if they come from Káshán and Isfahán,” added the guide, -sarcastically, referring to the alleged lack of courage in the -inhabitants of those two towns. - -“May your heart be cleansed,” cried the Mirza. “Your sarcasm, I take -it, is aimed at the authorities, that enlist so few soldiers from the -southern provinces, and scarce a single man from the towns you mention.” - -The Turk looked surprised. “Do you mean to say that Isfahán and Káshán -do not contribute to the strength of the Persian Nizam?” he asked. -“How, then, can Persia defend herself against aggression?” - -“You do not know, my good friend,” replied the Mirza, “what the -Persians can do. We have no cause to fear any foreign invasion.” - -“Certainly not,” said the Afghan, with the tongue in his cheek, -dreaming no doubt of the sacking of Isfahán by his countrymen. - -[Illustration: AN EGYPTIAN COFFEE-HOUSE FREQUENTED BY THE POOR.] - -“If you will have patience,” said the guide, “I will tell you the -circumstances that led the authorities, whereon the sun of the Faith -shines, to abandon the practice of enrolling recruits from Káshán -and Isfahán.” - -We had now finished our meal and were drinking coffee and smoking -hukkahs, and so we lent a willing ear to the sceptical rogue, who -proceeded thus: - -“Early in the reign of the late martyred Shah-in-Shah--may peace be -on his soul--the late Amin-ud-dowleh of Káshán assumed the reins of -government, and when that came to pass his fellow-citizens implored him -to free them from the obligation of serving in the Army. The Minister -laid before them a plan whereby they might achieve the end they had in -view. Now you must know that Teherán is a mighty capital, and if any -one of you doubt the fact let him go there at midday and listen to the -booming of the great gun, which shatters the buildings round about, -laying whole streets in ruins. Well, one day, when the Shah-in-Shah was -driving through the parade square, he saw a squad of Kásháni soldiers -weeping over a dead comrade. His Majesty, having made inquiries, was -informed that the brave Kásháni had died from the fright caused by -the sound of the midday gun. Then the Shah, bursting out laughing, -disbanded the whole regiment, giving strict orders to discontinue the -enlistment of soldiers from Káshán.” - -“Why don’t you finish the story, my friend?” asked the Mirza. “The -sting lies in the tail thereof. For when the regiment was disbanded the -soldiers asked for a Cavalry escort to conduct them safely home.” A -roar of laughter followed. - -“As for the non-enlistment of soldiers from Isfahán,” resumed the -Mirza, “take this story from me as its true cause. The soldiers of the -Isfahán regiment had not received any pay for a long time, and so they -waylaid his Majesty one day when he was driving to the shrine of Shah -Abdul Azim and asked him to give them relief. The Secretary for War, -fearing revelations and the consequences, approached his Majesty and -told him that the soldiers had rebelled in connection with the cursed -Bábí Rebellion. The late Shah returned to the Palace at once, and had -fourteen of the soldiers executed, and then started on a trip to the -hills. When he came back it was to discover the mistake he had made, -and, as an act of repentance, he absolved the town from the yoke of -soldiery.” - -The Turk, Mahmud Bey, rose and made to leave the eating-house. Looking -the Persian Mirza in the eyes, he said: “My friend, it is better to -be seated in a corner, deaf and dumb, than to have a tongue that is -not under one’s control. I have the honour to bid you good-bye.” My -guide and I followed him, leaving the others to digest his admonition -at their leisure, and bent our steps once more in the direction of the -Harem for the purpose of visiting the interior of the House of God. - -The gate of the House, except on certain occasions, is kept shut. -It is opened for men on the tenth day of the month of Muharram, -and for women on the following day. During each of the months of -Rabíu-’l-avval, Rajab, and Ramazán (the Muhammadan Lent) admittance is -granted on two occasions to the devout, who are again free to cross -the sacred threshold once in the month of Sha’ban. On the twelfth day -of Rabíu-’l-avval prayers are offered by the high priest of Mecca, -within the Ka’bah, for the health of his Majesty the Sultan. This -ceremony is a private one. The open sesame to the house, in the days of -pilgrimage, is the seductive jingle of gold. An influential Hájí, by -means of _bakhshísh_, can effect an entrance whenever he likes, but his -poverty-stricken fellow-pilgrims are not granted the same privilege. -Twice every year the house is ceremoniously cleaned and washed. When -that happens it is incumbent on the Sheríf, the Governor-General of -Hejaz, the head priest, the keepers, and the priestly officials to -be present, after they have performed the prescribed purifications -and ablutions of the body. The first annual cleaning takes place on -the twentieth day of Rabíu-’l-avval. First the floor of the house is -scrubbed with the water from the Zem-Zem well, then the walls are -besprinkled with ottar of roses and other fragrant scents. Aloe-wood -is kindled in braziers, and spreads its delicious perfume through the -air. The officials prostrate themselves twice in prayer, after which -they withdraw. The second cleaning of the year is effected in the same -fashion on the twentieth day of Zi-ka’d, preparatory to the ceremony -of draping the outer walls of the house with ihrám. For, thirteen days -before the Hájj-day, the Ka’bah itself is clothed in the winding-sheet -of humility, as though it were regarded unworthy to be called the House -of God. - -This ihrám of the shrine consists of a soft white material manufactured -in Yemen, and is hung on the outer walls to the height of seven feet -from the ground. One of the most interesting sights is the selling -of this stuff to the richer pilgrims by the keepers of the Ka’bah. -A square inch of it will often fetch as much as £3. The purchaser -considers it his most cherished possession. The mere touch of it is -held to cure every sickness. The sight of it is enough to protect its -owner from the evil eye. So long as he has it about him Satan will -practise his snares on him in vain. Thousands of miracles are believed -to be wrought by its use. “So-and-So is a lucky man,” one devout will -say to another, “he has obtained through God’s grace a strip of the -ihrám of the Blessed Ka’bah.” The chief door-keeper of the present -day goes by the name of Sheykh Shaban. The post is a coveted one, and -has become hereditary of recent years. On the Hájj-day the ihrám is -taken down, and is replaced by the kesveh, which is composed of eight -pieces of black silk, embroidered round the margins with Kurán texts -in letters of gold, and of a curtain of the same design and colour. Two -of these pieces of silk go to cover each one of the outer walls. They -are hung from the corners on long silver loops. The curtain is used to -drape the silver-plated door, and falls to the ground from a rod of -solid silver beautifully chased. - -The “Square House,” or Ka’bah, stands almost in the centre of the -Harem, rather nearer to the west than to the east. The ground whereon -it lies is accounted holy, since it was here that Adam, after his -expulsion from the Garden of Eden, first worshipped his Creator, a tent -being sent down from heaven for the purpose. This act of grace on the -part of the heavenly hosts was the compassionate result of a conference -over which the Archangel Gabriel had presided. There was substituted -for the tent by Adam’s son Seth a structure of clay and stone which -was rebuilt at a later period, under the superintendence of Abraham -and Ishmael his son. So much for the legendary history of the house. -The task of restoring the sacred edifice, in the time of Ignorance, -fell to the lot of the four chief tribes of Arabia. It was rebuilt by -the Kuraish, a few years after Muhammad’s birth, and was destroyed by -the torrents thirty-five years after its completion. Then ensued an -intertribal war, each of the clans claiming for itself a complete side -of the house which should face its tents, till the cause of strife -was settled by an agreement among the contending tribes to accept the -arbitration of Abú-Amid, the chief of the Kuraish. The decision of -Abú-Amid was that the tribes should abide by the determination of the -man who, on the following Friday afternoon, should be the first to -leave the temple. So haphazard an arrangement was bound to appeal to -the sportsmanlike instinct of a race that has been ever wont to test -the wisdom of its actions by the arbitrament of chance. The warriors -sheathed their swords, and when the fateful day arrived not a single -murmur was raised against the man who, being the first to reach the -open air, set about planning the building as it now appears. This man, -it is said, was Muhammad. The Ka’bah, which was certainly reconstructed -in the year 1627--the successive Sherífs and Sultans adding to its -interior decoration--is said to have been destroyed and restored twelve -times since the death of the Prophet. - -In shape the Ka’bah is an almost solid square, having from outside a -length of fourteen yards, and being eleven yards broad and sixteen -yards high. From afar it has the look of an immense block of -dark-coloured granite. The double roof is supported from within by -pillars of aloe-wood, and is held in so great reverence by the devout -that it is declared by them never to have been polluted by the Harem -pigeons until recently, the present misbehaviour on the part of the -birds being taken as a sign of the approaching end of the world. The -gateway, which fills a considerable portion of the eastern wall, is -raised about six feet from the ground, and measures in height some four -yards, as far as I could gauge. The door itself is made of aloe-wood, -and is covered over with plates of solid silver, and studded with heavy -silver nails. The precious metal was presented to the house, in 959 -of the Hegira, by the generous Sultan Suleymán. Inlaid in the eastern -end of the southern wall of the Ka’bah is the famous Black Stone which -might be said to be the centre of the pilgrims’ circling aspirations, -and the pivot of their circumambulations round the sacred precincts. -Another stone, marking the Sepulchre of Ishmael, lies at the base of -the northern wall, and from the roof above there projects a horizontal -semicircular rainspout, which, including the end fixed in the wall, is -five yards long, measures twenty-four inches in width, and is made of -massive gold. The water flows from the lip of the split pipe to the -floor of the Harem below. The tomb of Abraham, the legendary builder of -the temple, is situated close by, to the east, not far from the Gate of -Beni Shaibeh. - -The Prophet’s faithful followers, when they say their prayers, must -turn their faces in the direction of the Ka’bah, no matter where they -may be. This ascertaining of the exact position of the House of God, -which is the centre of the Holy City, is called “taking the Kiblah or -Outlook.” Thus the Muhammadans of Syria, and those beyond it to the -north, having fixed the Kiblah, are face to face with the northern -wall, sacred to the Stone of Ishmael and the gold rainspout: their -prayers are therefore sure to be heard. Those of Persia, Turkistan, -Northern India, Sind, and a part of China, look in the direction of -the north-eastern angle, called the Rokné-Araghi, which is an equally -blessed outlook, since the door of the house is on the eastern side -and rather more to the north than the south thereof. The faces of the -Muslims of Aden, of Southern India, of Madagascar, and of Australia, -are turned to the eastern wall or the south-eastern corner of it, -while those of the faithful of Constantinople, as well as those of the -Muhammadans of some parts of Russia, are opposite to the western wall -of the sacred building. The Boers believed themselves to be the “chosen -people.” It is a pity they are not Muhammadans. For, if they were, -they would be considered now the chosen people of Islám for the simple -reason that they would face the southern wall of the Ka’bah, wherein is -laid the Black Stone of immemorial sanctity. But the prayers the most -acceptable to God, when all is said and done, are the prayers raised -from any quarter within the Harem of the House of Allah on earth. - -The interior of the Ka’bah is far more impressive than the exterior. -The silver threshold is reached by means of a staircase running on -wheels. There the pilgrim must prostrate himself, asking God to grant -him his heart’s desire. He must be careful to maintain the correct -demeanour, closing his eyes and lifting up his hands, inasmuch as the -angels, who are believed to keep watch over the entrance, are quick to -resent the slightest breach in the prescribed ceremony. The guide who -accompanied me assured me of the fact. He was good enough to see that -I had forgotten neither my rosary of ninety-nine beads corresponding -with the wondrous names of God used in prayer, nor yet the lump of -clay (called mohre) whereon are stamped the selfsame names, together -with those of the twelve Imáms and the Prophet. It was on the clay -that I bowed my head in contrition when I fell on my knees. My guide, -who had also prostrated himself, expressed the conviction, on rising, -that the angels were on his side. I was also about to declare myself -to be on the side of the angels when a couple of sturdy pilgrims, in -their impatience to behold the Light of their eyes, wedged me tight -between their bulky forms and then hustled me to the ground, adding -insult to injury by being obviously unconscious of the presence of my -humble body. They were “absent-minded beggars” with a vengeance. I can -only say that, on regaining my feet, I hoped the silent prayer I said, -on the spur of my annoyance, would be answered ere long; but when I -crossed the doorsill I was overcome by a sense of my own unworthiness, -so that I pardoned the men who had offended me. I raised my eyes. The -ceiling was flat, and supported on three columns of aloe-wood, and from -it hung vases of great beauty on delicate gold chains. The walls were -covered with red velvet, save where, in white squares, were written, in -Arabic characters, the words “Allah-Jal-Jelalah! (Praise to God the -Almighty!)” The velvet is said to have been a gift from Sultan Abdul -Aziz. In the corner formed by the northern and eastern walls there is -a door leading to the roof. This door, which is called the Door of -Repentance, is closed to the public; but a prayer said on the hither -side of the threshold meets with a gracious response, and the pilgrim -is clean-washed of his sins if he but touch the wood with his hand. The -floor is now flagged with marble--the work of some twenty years ago. - -While I was admiring the unpretentious grace of the holy shrine, -and meditating from its threshold on the golden age of Islám, my -guide broke in on my thoughts, saying: “You are allowed to make two -prostrations at the base of any one of the pillars. Let me advise you, -in the welfare of your immortal soul, to choose the one facing the -Black Stone outside, which is the most sacred spot under the canopy -of heaven.” The difficulty was to force my way thither. The whole -house was packed with pilgrims. Some were praying, some were weeping, -others were groaning or beating their chests, and all--except the -Bedouins--were clad in their sacred habits. A great awe fell on me. -It was as though the graves had yielded up their dead at the blast of -Israfil’s trumpet. All eyes were blind, all ears deaf. The thought -of home, of country, of wife and child seemed drowned as in a sea of -passionate devotion to the Creator of those human blessings. And from -outside, in the Harem, there arose the chant of the Talbih, which every -pilgrim must sing on sighting Mecca, on donning the Ihrám, on entering -the Harem, on starting for the Valley of Desire and the Mountain of -Compassion, and on performing the little pilgrimage of Omreh. I paused -in the effort to reach the southern pillar, and listened to the singing -from without. - - Labbaik, Allahomma, Labbaik! - Labbaik, la Sherika lak Labbaik! - Labbaik, enal-hamda, Vanahmeta lak Labbaik! - Labbaik, la Sherika lak Labbaik! - - (Verily, here am I! O Allah, here I am! - Verily, here am I! O Allah, thou hast no mate! - Verily, here am I, O Allah! All praise and glory to thee! - Verily, here am I! O Allah, thou hast no mate!) - -On my soul, it was fine! All my senses must have deserted me. I -must have lost all consciousness of self suddenly. The burden of -existence seemed to be lifted. If I did not actually slip off the -slough of the flesh I came to realise in a flash that the soul is -immortal. These introspective thoughts were not mine at the moment of -the transformation. They were retrospective, forced on me, when, on -coming back to a sense of my surroundings, I found myself kneeling -at the Door of Repentance, and heard myself crying “Labbaik, la -Sherika lak Labbaik.” Yes; there was I--“an Agnostic who would like to -know”--rubbing my brow on the marble floor of the Ka’bah, without the -dimmest notion in my mind as to how I came to be there. Only a month -before I had been sipping lemon squash in a London restaurant. Strange. -The first thing I did was to look round in search of my guide, as -sceptical a rascal as ever breathed. He was on his knees, at my side, -his eyes starting out of the sockets. I put my hand on his shoulder. -“Come,” I said, “let us go out. I’m suffocating.” He rose to his feet, -looking scared and abashed; but his face assumed its usual expression -of sunny mirth on reaching the Harem. He put his tongue in his cheek -as of yore; then, repenting him of his unregenerate mood, he told the -truth. “Yá-Moulai (Oh, sir),” said he, “within the house so great -reverence fell on me that I did hardly think of the blessed hourís -and perís promised to me in Paradise. The same emotion overmasters -me every year on entering into the Ka’bah of Allah, and yet what does -it all mean? What is the value of this dream which we call life, and -which is my true self? Is it the self that inquires, scoffs, doubts, -but wants to find truth? Or is it the self that you discovered a moment -ago bereft of every sense save one, namely, that which would seem to -have drawn me irresistibly to a power whose will none would seem able -to dispute? Has that power an existence outside my emotions, or is it -merely the fabric of my senses? You are silent, Yá-Moulai. Well, there -are more ways of getting drunk than by drinking of the juice of the -forbidden fruit. I escaped from myself just then on a spiritual rather -than a spirituous fluid. Let us return to our camp.” - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -ON THE ROAD TO ARAFAT - - -The most important days of the Pilgrimage are the 8th, 9th, and 10th of -the moon of Zú-’l-hijjah. Now, the 8th of Zú-’l-hijjah is the day of -the Repose of the Soul. In Arabic it is called Youm-ul-Tarvih, and it -sees the exodus of the pilgrims from Mecca on their way to the Hill of -Arafat. The most noteworthy “column” of the Hájj is the sermon which is -preached on the mount on the following day. No pilgrim is qualified to -call himself Hájí unless he is present on that occasion. The preacher -sits on a camel, and the pilgrims gather round him, those who can find -no room on the slopes taking up their positions on the plain. Not ten -pilgrims in a hundred can hear a word, and so the majority while away -the time in praying, in weeping, in chatting, in telling stories, and -even in making love. If they fall asleep or lose consciousness they -are counted as absent. They must arrive before noon and must remain -until after sunset. If they leave before the appointed time they must -pay forfeit either by sacrificing a camel or else by keeping fast for -eighteen days running. This day is named Youm-ul-Arafat in Arabic. - -The pilgrims, before reaching the plain of Arafat, must perform their -religious purifications, and, on arriving on the Hill itself, they must -recite the following Niyyat: “O God, I purpose, in obedience to Thy -commands, to abide here until the setting of the sun.” With this they -must say aloud a prayer which runs: “I praise Thee, I glorify Thee, -O Lord; there is no God but Thee. I have burdened my conscience with -wrongdoing, and now acknowledge my sins. O, forgive me my trespasses, -O Lord, for, verily, Thou art the best forgiver.” Nor is this all; for -the pilgrims, having declared their intention and confessed their sins, -must pray for their parents, their relatives, their co-religionists, -their servants, and their slaves. The number of persons thus honoured -in the remembrance should not be less than forty; and for this act -of grace the pilgrims will be rewarded one hundred thousandfold. -Furthermore, in the course of the day what we have called the Song -of the Winding-sheet or Talbih must be repeatedly intoned, as must -also the Tamjid or hymn of praise, and the glorification of God’s -omnipotence, which is styled Takbir. Then, when the sun is setting, the -pilgrims turn their faces in the direction of the Ka’bah and recite -this prayer: “I take refuge in Thee, O Lord, from poverty, and from -the evil that may come out of the day or the night; I repent of all -my wicked deeds, trusting in Thy gracious pardon; and I seek shelter -from fear in Thy protection: O Lord, I repent, I repent, I repent.” -The second “column” of the Hájj takes place immediately after sunset, -when the pilgrims rush forward impetuously from Arafat to Muzdalifah, -in order to remember God near the holy monument (in Arabic, al Masher -al harám), where, on a mountain on the thither side of Muzdalifah, the -Prophet is said to have stood praying until his face shone as one who -had seen his Lord. There the pilgrims pass the night, and at the hour -of morning prayer they say: “O Lord, in obedience to Thy commands, I -break my morning at Thy Masher al harám.” Thence they proceed to Mina, -through which valley they passed on their road to Arafat, and there the -stoning of the devil and the slaying of the sacrifices, two notable -“columns” of the pilgrimage, are performed. This is the Youm-ul-Nahre -or Day of Sacrifice. - -On the eve of Youm-ul-Tarvih my friends and I went to stay the night -with a Persian grandee who had taken up his lodgings in a large house -near the Harem. We will call his name Ardashir Morad Khan. His was in -many respects an exceptional character. He had acquired a knowledge -of the French tongue without learning to detest the French nation, -and had studied the Darwinian theory of the origin of species without -aping the European. His conversation was grave and impersonal. He was -communicative without being confidential. He never betrayed a trust, -nor blabbed his personal secrets. From him I learned all I know of the -political situation in Persia; and the Youm-ul-Tarvih was six hours -gone--remember, in the East, the day begins and ends with the setting -of the sun--ere we closed the debate and flung ourselves down to rest. -Morning broke. Ardashir Morad Khan, having performed his ablutions, was -saying his prayers, and I was drinking a cup of tea when there came a -knock at the door, and a Persian friend of ours rushed into the room. -His excitement knew no bounds. He stood bereft of speech from sheer -lack of breath; but his face spoke volumes. - -“Well, Sheykh Eissa,” said I, “what is the news?” - -Ardashir Morad Khan dropped his rosary and looked up, listening. Sheykh -Eissa coughed as if to clear his gorge, and cried-- - -“My manuscript on the Bedouins is lost; the precious volume has been -stolen! For the last seventeen years, as I told you yesterday, I have -wandered from tribe to tribe as a talisman-monger in order that I might -study the customs and the character of the Bedouins, and give to the -world a faithful history of my experiences. I had promised to show you -the result of my labour, and now I am constrained by fate to re-shape -my impressions. Youm-ul-Tarvih? Wáh! How can my soul repose?” - -I handed the rebellious little man a cup of tea. Having taken a sip, -he reached out for the sugar. “Your tea is as bitter as mortality,” -he said, and straightway converted it into syrup. I recalled a pretty -Persian story. “Perhaps,” I replied, “the clay from which the cup was -made was once man.” The fancy, though borrowed, restored the Sheykh’s -good humour. “It is the burned clay of my thief’s grandfather,” he -declared, with a quaint uplifting of his shaggy eyebrows, “or I am an -infidel. My precious manuscript--how can to-day be Youm-ul-Tarvih? -Assuredly it is the Day of Sacrifice.” Seyyid ’Alí now entered the -room. He said: “I have engaged a _moghavem_, what we Persians call a -_hamlehdar_; he will be here with his mules and camels at midday; and -our tents are even now on their way to the Hill of Arafat, where an -aristocratic position has been reserved for them.” - -“Surely you mean the Valley of Mina?” I asked. “No, no,” broke in our -host, Ardashir Morad Khan; “the custom of sleeping at Mina on the -outward journey was abolished long ago on account of the delay its -observance occasioned, and that for no purpose that would warrant----” - -Sheykh Eissa leaped to his feet. “I ask pardon of God,” he cried. “Why, -the Prophet himself was accustomed to halt at Mina from six hours after -sunrise on Youm-ul-Tarvih until sunrise next morning, and there he -used to say the five prescribed prayers. Surely that fact alone would -warrant our observance of the law?” - -“Well,” I replied, “I must confess that I am delighted to know that we -shall have more roomy quarters for the night. The Valley of Mina is a -mere gully. According to my calculation there must be scarcely less -than three hundred thousand pilgrims in this city.” - -“Say four hundred thousand and you will not exaggerate the number,” -interrupted our host. “What is your opinion, Sheykh Eissa?” - -“The pilgrims are innumerable this year, your Excellency. It is not -possible to count them. The angels in heaven are not more numerous. -Nine years ago the pilgrims outnumbered the present calculation of our -distinguished friend. This year Youm-ul-Nahre falls on a Friday, and I -am sure there never was before a concourse so great in the City of God.” - -“I admire the beauty of your flight, Sheykh Eissa,” I said, dryly. -“But let us deal with facts. I came here by the last pilgrim boat. -Some two hundred thousand passports had then been handed in at Jiddah -by the seafaring pilgrims. Do you mean to say that the number of Hájís -who have crossed the desert are equal to the number of those who have -crossed the seas from every corner of the Muslim world? I will never -believe it. The advantages are all in favour of the oversea route. It -is cheaper, it is quicker, it is safer, and it is perhaps less tedious. -For a fare of a few dollars any starveling can go by steamer from Suez -to Jiddah. The result is that the old caravan routes with the one -exception of the Syrian are, comparatively speaking, deserted. For -instance, the Muslims of Morocco and North Africa are now conveyed to -Mecca by sea. The contingent sent by Persia down the Gulf outnumbers -that which journeys across Arabia. True, the Syrian caravan still -maintains not a little of its ancient glory. This year it is unusually -gigantic, containing as it does, in my opinion, not less than seventeen -thousand camels. The Bedouins are also, I admit, in force; so let us -say there are two hundred and fifty thousand pilgrims in Mecca all -told. We shall have a better opportunity of testing the accuracy of -the figures when we are encamped on the Plain of Arafat. But be the -number what it may, it is, at the lowest estimate, far too great for -me not to congratulate myself that the custom of sleeping overnight in -that death-trap of Mina has been done away with.” - -Sheykh Eissa smiled. “It would be impossible to extol its charms as -a camping-ground. But I, for one, remember that, though the halt on -the outward journey has been abolished, there we must stay for three -or at the least for two days after slaying the sacrifices. For the -rest, I am far from sharing your love of the oversea route from the -outlying dominions of the Prophet. In my youth I travelled by caravan -from Morocco to Medina and thence to this holy city. Along the northern -coast of Africa, through Algeria, Tunis, and Tripoli, to the Land of -Pyramids, we wandered, halting for one day in every six days in order -that our camels might gather strength to sustain the hardships of the -road; and in Cairo we joined the Egyptian caravan, whence we proceeded -together on our way--an endless string of pilgrims, glorying in our -liberty, praising God for His gifts of heaven and earth, burying our -dead where they fell--now in the Sinaitic Peninsula, and now in the -desert to the south, until we reached at last the sepulchre of the -Prophet and the place of his birth. I deny not that God created the sea -as well as the desert. Nay, nay, spare your eloquence. My stomach at -sea is as inconstant as the waters. I am a Bedouin at heart. However, -you must stay at Mina for three or for two days after the Day of -Sacrifice.” - -“If the cholera fiend should not drive us hence in search of refuge,” I -interpolated. “The epidemic is on the increase. The sacrifices slain, -we shall be only too glad to make good our escape to the sea.” - -“True,” said Seyyid ’Alí, grimly, “if the cholera fiend should not -choose for us an underground route to a city of eternal rest! If it -please God, I shall conduct your Excellency to Jiddah so soon as the -sun shall set on Youm-ul-Nahre. For I have no wish to fall a victim to -the fell disease, Sheykh Eissa.” - -With the foregoing words my guide bade us good-bye and went about his -business in my service. He came back, however, almost immediately. “May -it please your Excellency,” he said, addressing Ardashir Morad Khan, -“Khalil is fallen sick of the cholera and is even now at the point of -death.” Now, Khalil was our host’s steward and had set out for the -Hill of Arafat in charge of the tents and baggage. Ardashir Morad Khan -looked extremely grave. “God have mercy on his soul!” he cried. Then, -“Where is he now?” he asked; “and who has taken his place?” Seyyid ’Alí -replied that the man had been brought back on a bier to Mecca, and was -then lying in a cellar attached to the kitchen of the house in which we -were. A panic would have followed this statement had not our host cried -out in a voice of sternest command: “I must request you all to be calm. -We must set the servants an example of courage. Are we not the slaves -of God?... Well, Seyyid ’Alí, who has taken over the control of our -caravan?” “The cook of your Excellency’s household,” replied my guide, -“assumed the direction of affairs. I have done my best to restore the -confidence of your Excellency’s household. The servants need a firm -hand to keep them from running away.” - -So Ardashir Morad Khan left the room, and when he came back I requested -permission to see the sick man. The other guests, who were sitting -round the room with their backs to the walls, jumped up at once and -made a low bow to me as I passed by to the servant’s quarters. The -Meccan houses are generally lower than the surface of the street -without, and when this is the case a flight of stone steps leads from -the first floor into the court round which the apartments range. I -found Khalil in the cellar. He was sinking fast. Nobody had dared to -stay with him. His eyes were dried up in the sockets and blackened -all round the rims. Not an ounce of flesh remained on his body. The -stench was unendurable. The bearers, having stretched his legs in the -direction of the Ka’bah and given him a cup of sour milk wherewith -to quench his thirst, had gone away, leaving him a prey to the fell -disease. Compassion rent my heart, but I could do nothing: remedy I -had none. I saw, moreover, that he was too far gone to recover, and, -indeed, scarcely was he aware of my presence than his new-born hope was -strangled by death. “Yá--Allah!” he muttered, and that was the last -time he drew breath. Having rejoined my host, I went with him into the -city. - -The streets were packed with camels, brought in thousands by the -Bedouins and by the Syrian and the Egyptian drivers. Round about the -Harem the _moghavems_ tried our endurance to the utmost. These are the -men who conduct the pilgrims by camel caravan to the Hill of Arafat -and back, supplying all their needs on the journey. There is no fixed -price for the hiring of a camel, but by dint of persistent bargaining -it is possible to get one for five shillings, and each _moghavem_ may -have as many as fifty pilgrims under him. We were tormented by these -contractors more than I had ever been tormented by the Indian jugglers -outside the gates of any hotel in Bombay. They were as plentiful as -flies in Egypt and not less irritating. Perhaps that is the fault of -the pilgrims themselves. They begin by feigning indifference, and when -they have reduced the _moghavems_ to a haughty silence they assume -an air of eager business. Thus the _moghavems_ have learned from -experience never to take no for an answer. - -Out of the madding crowd the talk was all of the cholera epidemic. -On my way to a coffee-house I happened to meet a Turkish official, -an acquaintance of mine, and he gave it as his conviction that the -death-rate had risen to over five hundred victims a day. He advised -me to leave the Valley of Mina at sunset on the tenth of the moon. -In the coffee-house a Syrian pilgrim entered into conversation with -me. He told many stories of his pilgrimage across the desert: of -the discomforts and the perils of the road, of the cruelties of -the drivers, and the almost inconceivable presumption of his own -_moghavem_. With the immense caravan had come the Syrian Mahmil, in -the charge of a Pasha, and the Surreh, in the care of another Turkish -dignitary. This Surreh is the pension sent from Constantinople to -the officials of the Harem. It was formerly the accumulated hoard of -centuries of legacies. It is now managed by the Imperial Treasury. A -strong force of cavalry accompanied the caravan, which, according to -the pilgrim in question, counted some eighteen thousand camels. - -The number stated was, perhaps, an exaggeration, though a pardonable -one, for the string which I saw on reaching the Plain of Sheykh Mahmud, -where the caravan had been encamped, and which was now on the move, -extended for miles and miles. I determined then and there to avoid the -crush on the road by remaining in Mecca until the day was far spent. -It was four hours before sunset ere I could tear myself away from the -Plain of Sheykh Mahmud. The endless string of camels and of pilgrim -wayfarers was an unforgettable sight, and on my return to my host’s -house I met crowds of Syrian and Egyptian stragglers, mounted and on -foot, proceeding up the Moalla to rejoin the immense caravan which was -already threading its way to the mountains. - -Seyyid ’Alí gave me a hearty welcome when I entered the house. He had -scoured the city, he said, in search of me, and had given me up for -dead. I found everything in readiness for our journey, and when we -had smoked a kalyán or two and quenched our thirst we got astride our -ambling mules and made for the Hill of Arafat. - -Now, when my friends and I left Mecca for the Hill of Arafat it was -about four o’clock in the afternoon of Youm-ul-Tarvih. Late as it was, -the streets were still packed with men and beasts. In the indescribable -confusion steady progress was impossible, and to the universal disorder -was added the danger of a general stampede on the part of our mules. -The uncertain tempers of those animals of ours taxed our patience to -the utmost. We had hired them in the belief that they were tractable -creatures trained to amble. We rode them in terror of our lives, -conscious of our impotence to control their paces. Now they would -charge through a crowd in a panic blind and headlong, and next they -would stand stock-still in a sweat of suspicion at the mere sight of a -straw or a splash of water on the road. Our _moghavem_, having a lively -inkling of our rising indignation, assured us with haughty unconcern -that we had been wiser to have followed his advice and ridden camels. -With one thing and another it took us quite an hour to reach the -outskirts of the city. All the people we had met wore íhram except the -drivers and the servants, who were in their ordinary clothes. - -[Illustration: AN EGYPTIAN DONKEY AND ITS DRIVER.] - -Outside Mecca the road widens, taking an abrupt turn from a northerly -to a north-easterly direction. We passed innumerable huts and Bedouin -tents, we skirted the Jebelé-Nur or Mountain of Light on our left, and -then, swerving back to the north, we kept a sharp look-out for the -pitfalls which beset our every step. In no case were the mountains -many miles away. The colour of them changed gradually from a gloomy -drab to a deep brown. Many camels had knocked up and lay festering -in the sun. Along the route dead pilgrims had been buried so close -to the surface that the odour of putrefaction polluted the air. The -stench of decaying flesh was positively sickening. Again and again I -had to hold my nose and cry aloud, “Astaghferallah Menash-Shaitan: I -seek shelter in God from Satan.” This phrase was used more often than -any other, and in varying moods and with many meanings. Every time an -animal fell down its driver would mutter the expression. If the animal -remained obstinate, refusing to rise, the driver would rub his hands -and repeat the words. An Arab Sheykh who rode behind me took refuge in -God against the devil whenever he failed in his attempt to get past -me. This was merely a sign of impatience. Had he given vent to his -feelings by saying the formula sixty-nine times in quick succession I -might possibly have made way for him for no other reason than because -I should have expected him to strike a blow in defence of his claim to -precede me. For the Prophet has said: “Utter not a word in wroth until -you have repeated seventy Astaghferallahs.” Believe me, it is a word -to conjure with. As a mark of ironic negation it is more convincing -than the strongest affirmative. In a rocky pass I asked Seyyid ’Alí, -whose face had turned copper-red, and whose lips were scorched, if he -was thirsty. “Astaghferallah, yá-Moulai!” he cried, smiling ironically. -Later on, in the neck of the pass, where two men could not ride -abreast, I had proof of the expression being used by way of a courteous -refusal. Riding far ahead of us two mullás in íhram, with shaven heads -and unkempt beards, drew rein simultaneously, each requesting the other -to pass on. This exchange of punctilio was most unseasonable. So long -did the two priests bandy courtesy, crying “Astaghferallah” one after -the other, that the word was soon used in a contrary sense by the -pilgrims in the rear. - -We waited about five minutes for the intervening pilgrims to ride on -in single file, and when we reached the spot it was to find that the -road lay between two rocks some four feet apart. One of my friends, -quoting a well-worn proverb, bent towards me and remarked: “Why do they -not remove those stones out of the path of the Faithful?” Seyyid ’Alí -observed a priest in front of him, and replied significantly, “I behold -a bigger stone in my path!” The priest, who was reading the Kurán atop -of his camel, overheard the words, and tugged his camel round that -he might face the sceptical rascal. The camel made a vicious snap at -Seyyid ’Alí’s mule. The mule, finding itself between two fires--the -rock on the one side and the camel on the other--sat down on its -haunches; and my guide, crying out the word, “Astaghferallah,” came a -cropper, striking his head against a stone. The upper portion of his -íhram fell off. “Was it you, Seyyid ’Alí who fell?” cried Sheykh Eissa. -Seyyid ’Alí, all bruised and bleeding, crept from under the mule’s -legs, and picked up his sacred habit. “Astaghferallah!” he replied; “it -was not I who fell. It was my íhram. Unfortunately I happened to be in -it.” A burst of laughter followed and then a shrill scream. “I verily -believe,” said Sheykh Eissa, addressing me, “that your guide would make -a kitten ‘eat a dozen sticks’ if it mispronounced the Arabic letter -‘ain’ in the feline word ‘maou! maou!’” - -But I had turned whence the scream had come and made him no reply. My -guide’s mishap, as I saw on looking ahead, had excited the compassion -of a lady in a palanquin. She was a Meccan. No sooner did she see the -blood than she uttered a shriek of deepest commiseration. Then she -recovered herself, and cooed out a couple of orders. Her warmth of -heart was now as evident as had been her emotional susceptibility. In -one breath she summoned her husband and sent him to Seyyid ’Alí with -an offer of a certain famous prescription for wounds and bruises. In -the next she implored her _moghavem_ to ransack on one of the camels a -chest that contained, among other things, a small bottle of scorpion -oil. It was the remedy in question. This is the way it is prepared: -the stings having been extracted, a couple of black scorpions are -dried in the sun, are then put in a bottle holding about half a pint -of castor-oil, and in this they are kept corked up for the space of -a year. The unwilling Arab made demur, pleading that the delay would -inconvenience the pilgrims behind her own caravan; but she reduced -him to obedience with a look. “Be sharp!” she crooned, as he swung -reluctantly on his heel; so sweet was her voice that without another -sign of hesitation he leaped forward to carry out her wishes. The camel -was made to kneel down by the wayside; then the chest was overhauled. -By the time her husband had returned the precious oil was found and -given to him. “Take it,” she said, still gazing in ’Alí’s countenance -over her husband’s shoulder, “and tell him to use it unsparingly lest -the beauty of his face should be ruined.” Meccan gentlewomen allow -themselves a certain freedom of speech and action, otherwise a less -presentable man than this woman’s husband might have been jealous -enough to resent the frank admiration in her voice. Seyyid ’Alí, having -laid on the oil by means of a wooden bodkin used for the purpose, -handed the bottle back to the husband, who pressed him to accept the -rest of its contents, which would be useful, he said, in case of -further accident. My guide, however, refused with many thanks, saying -that he could not find it in his heart to deprive the giver of the -possibility of exercising her compassion on the next unfortunate she -might chance to meet. And with this our respective caravans moved on. - -Before reaching the Valley of Mina a serious accident happened, this -time to a Malay pilgrim--an accident that proved fatal to him, for he -was crushed to death in a stampede of mules. I am happy to say that -our own caravan was not concerned in the disaster. Two women swooned -at the sight, and all the other women round about raised their voices -in bitterest lamentation, as though they had lost a near relative. -A quarter of an hour after, when the unfortunate man had been laid -to rest in his shallow grave, the two women who had fainted fell -to prattling merrily as if nothing untoward had occurred. In fact, -the chief characteristics of the Oriental woman are her absolute -helplessness outside the restricted limits of her special sphere of -influence, and the swiftness with which she passes from one emotion -to another. There is no transition in her moods. She passes from the -tearful or the terrible to the mirthful or the ridiculous at a single -bound of her mercurial temperament. She is at once more womanish and -more womanly than her European sisters. Not less marked, on this -journey of ours to the holiest mountain of Islám, were the vanity of -the wealthier classes as it preened itself among the men, and the -unfailing good humour of the mob. A Persian nobleman, to whom my host -had attached himself, had a special chamberlain whose sole duty it was -to hand his lord and master a cigarette whenever he felt disposed to -smoke. Another grandee of the same nationality, if he had occasion to -drop his reins in order to adjust his beard, would cry out at the top -of his voice to his _moghavem_, saying: “Boy, come here! Hand me the -reins!” preserving the while an expression of sphinx-like aloofness -from all human kind. - -As for the good temper of the crowd, it was due, I avow, to the -soberness of each and every individual in it. Of drunkenness there -was nothing on the road so far as my experience went, though I am -constrained to admit that a good many pilgrims of my acquaintance had -smuggled along with them a bottle or two of brandy apiece which, as a -safeguard against prying eyes, had been labelled “cholera mixture.” -When I say the mob was sober I only mean that it was not drunk. Its -humour, of course, was individualised. It varied with the character -of the unit. Some of the pilgrims were lively, frivolous, even rowdy -in a playful sort of way, meaning no mischief. These chatted and -chaffed and flirted, killing monotony in many a breach of etiquette. -They being theoretically resigned to the will of Allah, were resolved -in practice to reflect Omnipotence in a merry mood. Others, rapt -and devotional, intoned the holy and instructive Kurán, as they sat -on their camels or limped barefooted over the stony ground. Prayers -were muttered, religious hymns were sung, tears were shed, tales were -told, amid the deafening shouts of the drivers and the lofty orders -of the _moghavems_. Conspicuous in their pastime on the road were the -Bedouins. Either they beguiled the tedium of the march by singing -love-songs that acted like magic on the listeners, or else they showed -that their weariness under restraint was invincible by frequent -salivation. For yawning is almost exclusively a European habit. -Oriental folk rarely yawn in public. If they are bored they give odd -little sham coughs instead, while the Bedouins get rid of their moral -phlegm or call attention to its existence by expectorating. Nor is the -habit regarded even by the most courteous among them as offensive: it -is hallowed by custom. The virtue of politeness is relative. In Great -Britain, for example, the very sound of the word “belch” could only -be described as unspeakable; whereas the act itself in many Eastern -countries breathes grace and gratitude after meat on the part of the -guests. The more often it is repeated by them the better pleased is -their host. Thus it is not in a carping frame of mind that I have -written down whatever in the manners of my co-religionists excited my -quasi-European squeamishness. - -Now, the road, before entering the narrow Wadi of Mina, in which a -village stands, narrows into a gap and climbs a flight of stone steps. -There the pilgrims thought it necessary, as, indeed, I suppose it was, -to call a halt, while they performed a two-prostration prayer, and in -the chaos of confusion which arose I was separated from my companions, -or shoved forward by the pressure of the crowd behind me. I was about -to force my way back to them when I caught sight of a young Syrian -girl sitting astride an ass. In the excitement of the moment she had -forgotten to cover her face, and our eyes met. On the instant all -thought of returning left me, for the girl was good to behold. The -caravan she was with numbered about fifty people, and with it I rode -along through the village into the dreary gully beyond. Every now and -then we would glance at each other, the maiden and I. She was shy, and -I was anything but bold, breathing, in her neighbourhood, a spell so -pure. So on we journeyed, side by side, I covertly watching her every -movement, and she playing hide-and-seek with my eyes, until at last I -summoned the courage to smile on her. By chance, or I know not by what -blessing, the smile was returned, and so heartening was its effect on -me that my whole being seemed to throb, “not from one heart, but from a -hundred!” Never was I so near to a complete surrender to love at first -sight. In the meantime the sun was going down behind the mountains in -the west; shopkeepers were busy erecting their booths in readiness for -the return of the Hájj on the Day of Sacrifice; torches were lighted, -casting a lurid glare around; cannons were fired and rockets flung -aloft to announce to the weary pilgrims the hour of evening prayer. -There, in the ruddy light about us and the gathering darkness beyond, -my maiden and I knelt down, obeying the call of the faith, within arm’s -reach of each other. In my heart of hearts I prayed that God would give -me one day a helpmate as sweet as my companion. - -Not a word had passed between us, nor did we exchange more than a -glance, when the caravan got under way again. To my dismay there came -along, with furtive tread, an ugly-looking Syrian, barefoot and old, -and entered into conversation with me, placing himself, with an air of -suspicion that nettled, and a look of proprietorship that alarmed me, -between the maiden and myself. I thought that he might be her father, -but he said he was her husband. Instinctively I drew rein, and soon she -was lost to me in the blackness of the night. Caravan after caravan -went by, but there I remained, meditating first on the ways of the -veil-worn sex, and then on my hapless lot, cut off as I was from my -companions, with only a few mejidis in silver in a small bag round my -neck. By and by the moon rose, and I pulled myself together. In truth, -the pangs of a healthy appetite began to clamour for satisfaction, -and so I pressed forward until I reached the top of the valley, which -was simply blocked with pilgrims, all hurrying as fast as they could -go to the Mosque of Khaif. There I alighted, and, leading my mule -by the bridle, made to cross the open space in front, where several -coffee booths offered refreshment; but my obstinate beast would not -budge, pull as I might. Not for nothing do the Easterns call them -“the children of donkeys.” They are certainly more stubborn and more -uncertain than their mothers. Many paupers were hanging about, and any -one of them would have been only too glad to take the mule in tow, but -the danger was that he would run away with it--such cases of theft are -of frequent occurrence on the pilgrimage--and therefore I called to a -booth-keeper asking him to send out his man to take charge of the beast -that I might go and quench my thirst and smoke a pipe at his stall. -Once rid of my stupid burden, I pushed my way into the booth which was -crowded with pilgrims of the poorer classes. My sudden appearance among -them raised not a little astonishment. I fraternised at once with a -needy Bedouin, and together we smoked a pipe of peace. Suddenly a gun -went off outside the booth, the report echoing and re-echoing among the -mountains. “A blood-feud!” cried my companion, leaping to his feet, -then ran out of doors. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -ON THE ROAD TO ARAFAT - -_(Concluded)_ - - -More shots followed in quick succession: everybody in the booth made -a rush for the door, except the booth-keeper and myself: and we stood -staring at each other for some moments without uttering a single word. -But my companion did not long remain silent under the questioning look -I turned upon him. “The sons of dogs!” he cried: “they have not paid -me!” and, before I could even smile at the humour of the situation, he -was gone. - -Accordingly, I made haste to overtake him, laughing quietly to myself -as I observed, on reaching the open air, that the artful rogues had -made good their escape under cover of the general panic, thus gaining -for themselves, in the estimation of their indignant dupe, a reputation -of cunning aforethought, which nothing I could say succeeded in -shaking. When I assured him that they had merely turned the blood-feud -to their own advantage, seizing the occasion as a source of profit to -themselves, he informed me that there are a thousand and one ways of -levying _bakhshísh_ by night, every one of which is practised during -the Hájj season, by the freebooters of Hejaz. “By Allah!” he cried, -“I say, the shots were fired by the Bedouins as a signal to those -customers of mine. They are in league with one another, and the money -that should be in my possession will soon be divided among those -lawless tribesmen.” - -Whilst I was arguing with him, however, about fifty clansmen rode -swiftly by on dromedaries, and disappeared in the direction of Arafat. -Hardly had they passed out of sight than we heard the reports of their -rifles, and after a little while the more distant battle-cries of their -opponents. “You only heard the pursued,” said I, “but the pursuers you -have seen. You would not believe your ears; do you believe your eyes?” - -“Perhaps you are right,” he admitted, with surly reluctance. “But is -my loss any the less? Take care lest you yourself become the argument -of your present attitude towards me in my trouble. Those men belonged -to the tribe of Hozail, and they are famous marksmen. To travel -alone to-night might mean death. The wisest thing that you could do, -therefore, would be to await the arrival of the next caravan.--Tell me, -are you rich?” - -I untied the little bag I wore around my neck (the sacred habit having -no pockets), and emptied its contents into the palm of my hand. “That -is all the money I have about me,” I replied; “but my present poverty -should be my best protector on the road.” - -“No, no!” he cried: “the people believe you to be rich, and therein -lies the danger of your riding by yourself.... Ah, here comes a band of -pilgrims; thank God,” he added, as he pocketed the _bakhshísh_ I gave -him: “Allah be with you!” - -The caravan to which I now attached myself was composed of eighteen -lean camels laden with the effects of some eighty Malay wayfarers, and -of three half-starved asses belonging to the _moghavem_, on one of -which was strapped the corpse of an old man. A torch-bearer led the -way on foot. He was a man with such an infamous past that even his -fellow-pilgrims, disreputable as they appeared, held aloof from him, in -terror of their lives. Still, when I came to scrutinise his appearance -at close quarters, I could not find it in my heart to withhold the -compassion that his feeble condition aroused in me. As his weakness -grew more evident at every step, so the strength of will, which alone -kept him from sinking, seemed to point to some concentrated purpose -that he was determined to accomplish. Whilst I was wondering what this -fixed idea of his might be, his companions whispered among themselves, -and then came to me and said that he had run amuck in Penang, doing -to death his wife and family; and they entreated me earnestly not -to enter into conversation with him, lest he should be seized with -another fit of homicidal madness and do me some serious hurt. But -this story, terrible as it was, merely increased the interest I took -in the man. I pitied him the more, because, whatever insane impulses -might have ruled his past life, there could be no doubt of his being -now possessed with a passion to reach the goal that should redeem him -from the consequences of his misdeeds. That goal was the Mountain of -Mercy, as the Muslims love to call the Hill of Arafat, and thus the -pilgrimage was to him an act of penance, a penitential journey: every -breath he drew was a token of his remorse and his every step, a proof -of his yearning to gain salvation. The Malays, if I may judge from my -observations of these specimens of the race, are lacking in the gift -of self-restraint on the spur of their emotions. They never attempt to -assume the virtues which they do not possess. If they are afraid, they -lay bare their souls, and are not ashamed of their cowardice. Their -natures are in keeping with the jungles of their native country--crude, -chaotic, rank as the undergrowth, and as responsive to their tameless -instincts as are the tiger, the bison, and the crocodile. The more -closely I studied the torch-bearer’s demeanour, the more convinced -I became of its sincerity. He bore his sufferings with a stoical -endurance, to which his companions were blind, or at least indifferent, -leaving him to gather what encouragement he might from a word of -sympathy that I gave him. Raising his cadaverous eyes to mine, he -thanked me with a smile more eloquent than words, more moving than -tears. It seemed to say: “Brother, thy loving-kindness has revealed me -to myself, and, behold, I am afraid.” A lump rose in my throat so that -I could scarcely speak. “Be of good courage,” I whispered: “take refuge -in God from thyself, and all will be forgiven thee.” The words renewed -his purpose, and, knitting his brow in a frown of lithe resolution, he -staggered on over the rugged pathway. - -The road, winding through several declivities of the valley, dips at -length into the basin-plain of the surrounding mountains. There it -takes a sharp turn to the east, which direction it keeps until on the -limits of Arafat a place called Alemeyn is reached. When we were midway -between the mosque of Khaif and the Hill of Arafat four of the camels -died from exhaustion, and the loads they bore had to be divided among -the freshest of the animals that were left. Whilst this was being done -by the _moghavem_, our torch-bearer, in a state of wild excitement -at the interruption, flung down the guiding light, and then fell to -pacing restlessly to and fro, reeling in his gait like a drunken man, -and muttering incoherently to himself; nor would he consent to pick up -the torch, despite the _moghavem’s_ repeated orders, until the caravan -resumed its march. - -Shortly after, another delay was occasioned by the death of a pilgrim -who had walked all the way from Mecca supported on his brother’s arm. -The _moghavem_ refused to set the corpse on one of his asses (that -it might be buried, as the brother wished, on the holier ground of -Arafat), declaring that an additional burden would break the back of -his stoutest donkey. On this the brother burst into a storm of grief, -and my heart so ached for him in his disappointment that I volunteered -to bear the body beside me on my mule. A straggler, overhearing -this offer, cried out in broken Arabic: “If you do not lend me your -assistance, I too shall assuredly fall down and die.” Seeing that the -poor wretch was indeed worn out with sickness and fatigue, I made a -virtue of necessity and dismounted, telling him that the price of -his taking my place was that he should take care of the corpse. His -readiness to comply with this condition, which would carry with it the -necessity of religious purification, proved him to be no malingerer, -and a second glance at him was enough to assure me that he had not many -more hours to live. - -All being ready, I laid hold of the mule by the bridle, and led the -dying and the dead to the front of the caravan. To my surprise, I saw -that the torch-bearer, in his anxiety to make the best use of his -remaining strength, was some distance away, and so determined was I to -keep in touch with him, and, if necessary, force him to accept my help, -that I broke into a run, as fast as I could lay my tender bare feet to -the ground. When I came up to him it was to hear a volley of musketry -which seemed to proceed from a distance of not more than two hundred -yards ahead of us; and, not long after, there came, from the rear, the -ever-nearing tramp of a troop of horsemen riding at full speed. - -The terror of the Malays, wholly undisguised, drove them into one -another’s arms. Not knowing which way to turn, they all huddled -together like a flock of sheep, while the torch-bearer, whose one -idea was proof against any danger that might beset him, broke silence -for the first time, and derided them unmercifully because of their -cowardice. - -Then out stepped the Arab _moghavem_, as shepherd of the -cowering rabble, and cried: “Be not afraid, but keep close -to me!” And on this, he rushed quickly to the fore, shouting -out at the top of his voice, in the Bedouin dialect of Hejaz: -“Yá-Aghadin-ul-ghoum-Nahn-Meskinna-al-Zowarin!” - -This sentence, “O tribal chieftains, we are only the poor of the -pilgrims,” he kept on repeating as he strode boldly forward: every now -and then he turned round in order to hearten the cowering wretches that -came trembling after him; but, before he had advanced a hundred paces, -the galloping in the rear grew so loud that he ordered the caravan to -halt and take whatever cover it could devise. - -With a swiftness of decision, born of a common fear that the horsemen -were Bedouins on the warpath, the terrified pilgrims made the camels -kneel down at the sides of the road, and entrenched themselves behind -them, scarcely daring to breathe, lest their whereabouts should be -revealed. And no sooner had they flung themselves on the ground than -the troop came rushing past, proving itself to be a squadron of -Sherífian cavalry in pursuit of the freebooters. Much to the joy of -the pilgrims, the firing ceased almost immediately after, and the -skirmishers in front of us were heard to beat a rapid retreat on Arafat. - -On the silence that ensued, came the tinkle of an approaching caravan, -to which, on the principle that there is safety in numbers, we resolved -to attach ourselves. The new-comers, forty in number, were Indian -settlers of Mecca, passive-eyed and wheedling of tongue, and with us -they were only too willing to make common cause, bearing themselves -towards us with that spirit of brotherhood which is perhaps the -most humanising characteristic of the Islamic faith. Within half an -hour’s march of Alemeyn, our united party was overtaken by a band of -professional men and women--musicians, singers, and dancers--who, -mounted on gaily-caparisoned camels, presented a vivid contrast to our -poverty-stricken pilgrims on foot. As each one went by, he or she was -greeted by our greybeards with loud derisive cries of “Astaghferallah! -Astaghferallah!” This demonstration on the part of our old men was -meant to imply that theirs was the garb of virtue, however naked -might be their wretchedness. In the same belief, I utter seventy -_Astaghferallahs_ before I venture to describe this entertaining -company. - -Altogether they numbered thirteen persons, the musicians being men, -and the singers and dancers being the Flowers of Delight of Mecca. -First came a drummer, beating intermittently, but at regular intervals, -on a curiously shaped double drum, not unlike a huge orange cut in -two, and so joined that each part came under each hand. It is called -_nagghareh_ by the Persians, and gave forth a shrill, discordant noise, -that not even the big egg-shaped drum (Tabl), which was beaten -energetically with two long drum-sticks by the man that followed, -could drown or materially modify. Behind these drummers rode two -women singers, whose voices were as the tinkling of the heavy bangles -with which their arms and ankles were laden. Next in the line of -march was a young man with a withered face, blowing incessantly on an -instrument called _surná_, that bears a resemblance, in form and also -in tone, to a Scotch bagpipe. After him, a couple of dancing girls, -with streaming ringlets, and clad in silk dresses of many colours, -burst into rippling laughter at every second, partly because it was -their business to be merry-hearted, and partly because they found -food for mirth in the members of our caravan. But when they saw the -number of our dead--and our Indian contingent had added not less than -seven to our funeral train--their lively amusement was stilled, and -one of them said to me, on passing by: “Were I in your place, O Haji, -I should bury the corpse, and offer the seat it occupies to yonder -torch-bearer, who seems to stand in sore need of succour.” “The wishes -of the dead must be respected, O Compassionate Heart,” I replied; “and -as for the torch-bearer, nothing would persuade him to renounce his -task of self-sacrifice. He has taken a vow to perform the pilgrimage -on foot, and he comes from a far distant country.” The answer she -returned was lost in the ear-piercing squeak of a _kerná_--a woeful -wind instrument at least four feet in length--and in the scarcely -less strident din of a third tom-tom. The rear was brought up by two -men--the one thumbed a stringed _rubáb_, a Bedouin instrument admirably -adapted to the music of the wastes; while the other, the jester of -the band, had powdered his face with barley flour, and wore a tall -head-gear of white lambskin, and a long cloak of vari-coloured silk. -Casting a quizzical eye on our effects, and one look in particular on -my mule with its dual burden of the dead and the dying, he remarked, -in an audible tone, imitating the Indian accent: “_Wah, wah, wah! -Ahlul-Jehannum!_ Bah, what a hell party!”--an expression that, in face -of the open self-sufficiency of the majority among us, made me roar -with laughter. My companions, refraining from retaliation in kind, -contented themselves with repeating the word _Astaghferallah_ until -their tormentor had passed out of hearing. - -[Illustration: THE MUSICIAN CAMEL CAVALCADE.] - -The reader will understand that these musicians and dancers were not -proceeding to Arafat that they might be present at the forthcoming -sermon on the mount. Their aim was to collect as much money as they -could wring from the pilgrims, and then be the first to lead the -procession back to Mina. For there, after the Lenten hardships of -the Hájj are ended, several days are spent in holding revels and in -merry-making. - -An uninterrupted march of half-an-hour, under a stormy sky, brought us -to where two walls define the boundary of Arafat. There the _moghavem_ -halted, and cried out, in a joyful voice, “O blessed pilgrims, here we -are on the exalted soil of Alemeyn! May peace be with Muhammad and with -his family!” - -Forthwith there arose on all sides such an outburst of religious -enthusiasm as I had not witnessed even in the Harem of the Ka’bah. -Cries of “Labbaik allahhomá labbaik!” passed from lip to lip. The -torch-bearer fell on his face to the earth, and shed tears of delirious -joy. The dying man on my mule sank to the ground, dragging the corpse -with him, and sang praises to Allah with his last breath. A native -dervish, beside himself with hashshish-bibbing, danced furiously round -and round, beating on his bare breast, and tearing his unkempt locks, -and shrieking excitedly, “Yá-Hú! Hú-yá!” Then, with one accord, we -all prostrated ourselves five times in prayer, rending the air with a -chorus of “Here I am, O Allah, here am I!” - -After the excitement had subsided, the _Sahebin-ul-Maiet_, or owners -of the dead, met in conference together, and decided that it would -be best to bury the corpses of their friends before we entered the -encampment on the plain of Arafat. To that end the help of the Bedouin -drivers was solicited. A grave was dug, measuring about ten feet by -twelve, and having a depth of some two-and-a-half feet and into this -the bodies were lowered and placed side by side, some wrapt in their -white _kefans_, and the rest wearing the habits they died in. The pit -was then filled up, and large stones were piled a-top, serving the -double purpose of preventing the corpses from being snatched by beasts -of prey, and of marking the place where they lay buried. This done, an -Indian _mullá_, putting his thumbs behind the lobes of his ears, the -fingers extended, exclaimed with indescribable fervour, “One only is -great--one Allah!” while the pilgrims, taking their stand behind him, -bowed themselves to the ground in prayer. - -The funeral rites over, the _mullá_ declared the dead to be “martyrs in -the Faith,” on which the _moghavems_ of our respective caravans, having -made all necessary preparations, ordered us to press forward in the -direction of the city of tents. - -I looked round in search of the torch-bearer, but he was nowhere to be -seen, nor could anyone whom I questioned tell me what was become of -him. I never saw him again. - -On resuming our journey, the threatening storm-clouds overhead -dissolved in a shower of rain which drenched us to the skin. More -impatient than ever to find Seyyid ’Alí and my Persian friends, I bade -the Malay and Indian wayfarers a hasty farewell, then, urging my mule -into a quick ambling pace, was soon far in advance of their caravan. - -The road is very narrow at Alemeyn, but it widens considerably, -as, taking a sudden bend from the east to the north-north-east, it -approaches the central broadway of the encampment. This thoroughfare -was turned into a bustling open-air bazaar. Coffee-booths were erected -at intervals of every twenty or thirty yards, and at these places the -crowd was thickest, and blazing torches impregnated the air with smoke -and the stench of noisome oil. It is customary to keep awake throughout -the hours of this night, praying and reading the Kurán; and maybe the -practice was honoured in the observance by many a pious pilgrim within -the seclusion of his tent; but, in this gadabout centre of uproar and -confusion, the vigil was passed in no such devotional mood. Eating -and drinking took the place of religious exercises. Stories were told -to the bubbling of the water-pipe; love songs were intoned under the -journeying moon; and pilgrims, whose minds were sharpened with long -brooding over metaphysical conundrums, could yet find the keenest zest -in bartering noisily over the purchase of a melon. - -It passed through my mind that here, if anywhere, I should be likely -to happen upon Seyyid ’Alí, for his pleasure-loving disposition, as I -shrewdly guessed, would be irresistibly attracted to where it could -be best satisfied and displayed. And in this expectation I gave my -mule in charge of a beggar, and, having ordered a cup of coffee at a -refreshment stall, sat down on a stool to keep watch. - -I had not been waiting more than a quarter of an hour when I saw Sheykh -Eissa come riding towards me. The “rose of my heart bloomed,” and I -leaped to my feet with joy, calling him by his name. At last his eyes -met mine, and in another moment he was at my side. - -“Sir,” he said, with a deep salaam; “Seyyid ’Alí is looking for you -_dar-beh-dar_--from door to door. He has just gone down the road with -our _moghavem_, and one of our servants, and a Bedouin driver, to see -if he can find you. If you had bought one of my talismans, you would -not have lost yourself in the crowd.” - -“My friend,” I replied, “you will remember the story of the Slave in -Sa’adi’s book of the _Rose Garden_. When he was on board ship he cried -night and day from fear of the sea. Then Fate threw him overboard that -he might appreciate the safety of the ship, and be thankful to be -rescued and set on board again. I have learned the same lesson on the -journey from Mina to Arafat. There is no condition in life so miserable -but it may be rendered almost pleasant, in retrospect, by a more -wretched one still.” - -Meanwhile, Seyyid ’Alí hastening up with his companions, had overheard -my remarks, and now interrupted me, saying with some heat: “Yá-Moulai, -I am grateful for this--that the company of vagabonds should have had -the effect of making my society less tedious to you now than it was -before you deprived me of the brightness of your presence! Verily, I -have good reason to rejoice that you fell among thieves and rogues!” - -“You misinterpret his Excellency’s words,” cried Sheykh Eissa. “Your -vanity lies so close to the skin that----” - -“Why should you make it bleed, then?” I broke in. “A truce to your -quarrelling. Show me the way to our camp. My eyes are heavy with sleep. -It is as much as I can do to keep them open. Come, Seyyid ’Alí, unknit -your sullen brow. I have missed you grievously. Let that assurance -suffice to heal your wounds.” - -As I spoke a bugle sounded the hour of midnight. Seyyid ’Alí, still -somewhat glum, started off at once, carrying a thick Bedouin club. -After him came the servant, bearing a lighted _fánús_ in his hand, -while Sheykh Eissa and myself followed close at his heels, leaving the -_moghavem_ in the rear to look after our mules. - -Our way lay to the east of the central broadway. Before entering -our own quarters, in the north-eastern corner of the plain, where -all the dignitaries of the Hájj had pitched their tents, the Sheykh -pointed out to me the high-pinnacled pavilions of the Sheríf of -Mecca, of the Amin-us-Surreh, of the Pashavat of Turkey, of the -Persian Consul-General, of the High Priest of Teheran, of the military -commanders of Hejaz, and of the Amir-ul-Hájj-ul-Shami and the -Amir-ul-Hájj-ul-Mesri. - -[Illustration: WATER-CARRIERS OF MECCA.] - -[Illustration: THE PASHA OF HEJAZ AND THE AMINUS-SURREH.] - -“His Holiness the Sheríf,” said he, “has more tents than one could -count at one’s ease. Do you see that high pavilion where the green -flag is flying? That is the audience-chamber of his Holiness. Some of -the tents serve as dining-rooms, some as withdrawing-rooms, some -as bath-rooms. Others, again, as sentinel houses, as stables, as -cooking-houses, as servants’ apartments, and so forth.” - -Well, the tents of all the grandees, including those of my Persian -hosts, were surrounded by _tejirs_ or canvas walls measuring about -seven feet in height. The extent of the confined space varied of course -with the number of one’s retinue; our enclosure being comparatively -small covered a stretch of ground about fifty paces square. A sentinel -was on guard at the entrance, above which hung a Persian lantern, -and directly in front of us as we passed through was a semi-circular -partition of canvas which concealed from sight the series of tents -beyond. - -These tents of ours, five in number, must not be confounded with the -ones we had used at Mecca. They belonged to a Persian _moghavem_ -attached to the Syrian caravan, and were made of white canvas lined on -the inside with a particular kind of red cloth that goes by the name of -_shelleh_. Supported on nine poles covered with the same material, they -were so constructed that any one of the sides could be converted at -will into the front entrance, and that doors could be opened wherever -and whenever needed. By this means it was possible to keep the interior -relatively cool. - -The floor of our withdrawing-tent was spread with Persian rugs, and -at the further end facing the doorway was a downy _mokhata_ or pillow -divan. To this snug abode I returned, after I had washed my hands and -feet in a tent close by, to find that the servants, following the -hospitable custom of the Bedouins, had already laid the cloth for -supper. My hosts were not present; having dined, they were fast asleep -in their own tents. - -It is not considered seemly in the East for inferiors to sit down -in the presence of their superiors, nor do the latter ever so far -forget their superiority as to stand up in welcoming a guest of lower -rank. The act of rising is a recognition of equality, and not a mere -greeting. Thus, when “I fell down to supper” (as the late Shah was -fond of saying in the diary of his European tour) I was in etiquette -bound to accept the homage of Sheykh Eissa and Seyyid ’Alí’, who were -standing up. But their attitude of docile humility so tickled my sense -of the ridiculous that I raised my head after a few minutes, and said: -“Ah, are you there? _Bismillah_, sit down ... _Yá-Allah!_” - -The invitation was certainly a breach of social custom on my part, -inasmuch as I was the master--a breach, however, for which the -exclamation of _yá-Allah_, which is an acknowledged substitute for -rising, made ample amends in my humble opinion. With an equal contempt -for formality, or finding the silence oppressive beyond endurance, I -then gave them permission to talk. If I refrained from inviting them to -partake of the savoury dishes of camel’s flesh prepared for me, it was -simply because I knew that they had already broken their fast. - -The conversation fell on the subject of the Bedouins. The Sheykh, -having told me a story of a blood-feud between two clans, untied a -little parcel which he was in the habit of carrying about with him, -and took out three steel dice loosely threaded on wire and inscribed -with talismanic characters, together with a brass disk divided into -squares and covered all over with hieroglyphics. “By means of these two -things,” said he (while Seyyid ’Alí tipped me a wink of incredulity), -“I can foretell the future.” - -With those words, he shook the dice in both his hands, and threw them -on the magic disk, and then, after making pretence to read the signs -on the face of the dice, as well as those within the squares they -occupied, he sat meditating for several minutes in gloomy silence. -“Blood,” he muttered at length, biting the thumb of his right hand, -“blood, I say, will be shed on this plain before the rising of -the sun. A peaceful caravan will be annihilated by a warrior band. -Terrible! I see some pilgrims: they belong to my native land; I hear -them crying for mercy: but the clansmen--ah, what is this I read?--yes, -the clansmen of Hozail, having plundered them, refuse to give quarter. -Surely this is a warning to me to keep a sharp look-out that I may use -my influence should woe betide my fellow-countrymen! May God protect -them through my timely aid!” - -By this time I had finished my meal, and, having drunk a cup of coffee -and smoked a kalyán, I dismissed the fortune-telling Sheykh, who -promised, before he went away, to return at daybreak and accompany me -to a sort of gymkhana, where the Bedouins were to show their skill in -horsemanship. And then, being dead tired, I said good-night to Seyyid -’Alí and flung myself down to rest. Seyyid ’Alí, on leaving the room, -sang a Persian lullaby softly to himself. It ran something like this:-- - - Hence, begone, thou desert ogre, - Sleep would fain my baby lull: - Baby, hush, thine eyes are drowsy, - And the night is growing dull. - Hush, the night is full of shadows, - Full of phantoms dark and dread; - Soundly sleep, my precious baby, - Morning comes with joyous tread. - Hushaby, Beloved of Allah, - Sleep, and thou shalt go to school, - Pen in hand, shalt learn thy lessons, - Sagely con each word and rule. - Thou shalt read the wondrous sayings, - That in holy Koran stand; - Famous shalt thou be, my baby, - Wealthy, mighty, handsome, grand. - Hushaby, thou breathest smoothly, - And thine eyes like daisies close; - Sleep hath caught thee to her bosom - Rest, my baby, sweet repose. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -ARAFAT DAY: NIGHT[2] - -[2] In the East the night precedes the day, thus our Sunday night is -their Monday night. - - -It has always been difficult, if not impossible, to satisfy the -cravings of an inquisitive nature; and when Seyyid ’Alí left the tent, -singing the Persian lullaby, my curiosity was not long in overcoming -my desire to sleep. It was not the prayerful hum of the canvas city -that kept me awake; it was the undevotional uproar, with the appeal -it made to my love of adventure. I lay there for some time thinking, -as men active and alert in body and mind will, of the chances I might -miss of witnessing some deed of heroism or of violence, were I to allow -myself to count the possible cost of the risk, rather than the certain -opportunities of distinction which its dangers would present to a man -of an enterprising spirit. - -With these thoughts in my mind, I leaped to my feet and at once -wandered out in the camp. To me it seemed one vast place of sepulture; -for, go where I might, there I happened upon the victims of the cholera -fiend or its terrible ally, fear. I saw them writhing on the ground, -with limbs hideously contorted and faces blackened like charcoal; I -heard the sick groaning from within the tents as I hurried by to the -more convivial surroundings of the market-place; and I stumbled over -the graves in which the dead had been shovelled with unseemly haste by -their terror-stricken friends. The custom was to bury the dead outside -their tents (or wherever they might happen to fall, if away from the -camp), but to this custom the neighbours sometimes objected in a craven -regard for their own safety; for my part, the longing to recreate my -mind amid more companionable scenes, caused me to run all the way to -the meidán. And there, carousing with the ragtag and bobtail of the -loiterers and stragglers of the encampment, I counted private soldiers, -our guardians of the peace, by the score. They filled the front benches -of almost every coffee-booth, making the night merry with their hearty -laughter, while their companions, not behindhand in conviviality, burst -out singing love-songs to the accompaniment of the clapping of hands. - -The Bedouin Sheykhs, virile, dignified, and exclusive, did not deign -to take part in these revels, but spent the vigil of the night on the -Mountain of Mercy or in the cafés that they kept for their private use. -They were not dressed in the pilgrim’s garb; they were arrayed in all -the warlike trappings of their tribal splendour; and being impressed -by this silent declaration of their independence, I came at length to -the conclusion that they, regarding themselves as the chosen people of -the Faith and the holy places as their inheritance, deemed it right -that the winding-sheet of humility should be worn not by themselves, -but by those who visited the Holy Land of Islám from beyond the seas. -Another characteristic of theirs, a characteristic that runs on -parallel lines with the first, is the attitude of the Sheykhs to their -clansmen, and _vice versâ_, as it reveals itself in the expression of -their faces. As every one knows who has studied the laws of this free -and irresistible people, despotism, as it exists in the Muhammadan -monarchies, is a thing impossible amongst them; and the consciousness -of this inalienable grace, why, upon my word, their faces positively -shone with it! Every Sheykh’s face is as free as is that of his -clansman from that meek and submissive servility which is the mark of -the Persian or (in a less degree) the Turkish dependent in the company -of his master. A Sheykh, on the other hand, being first amongst equals, -bears himself towards his followers with a dignity and charm commingled -out of paternal pride and childlike modesty, nor does such an one -consider his position to be threatened because his tribesmen never -cringe. They, too, are freeborn men and carry their heads high even -in the presence of the Sheríf of Mecca, who holds his race too dear -to exact an obsequious homage. Indeed, his face never wears a frown; -his voice is never raised in anger; and yet for all who come near him -the consciousness of his power lies not in themselves, but in the man -himself: in a word, it lies in his complete self-forgetfulness and his -freedom from all arrogance and pretence. - -[Illustration: THE SHERÍF OF MECCA IN HIS UNIFORM.] - -Well, as I walked along in the direction of the Holy Mountain, I found -a great many pilgrims engaged in calling out the names of such of -their absent friends as had begged to be remembered on the night of -Arafat. The Prophet recommended his followers to perform this act of -remembrance, and said that whosoever among them should thus create -seventy pilgrims by proxy would be rewarded with seventy palaces in -the world to come and the praises of seventy thousand angels. Imagine, -then, with what zeal and devotion my fellow-pilgrims lifted up their -voices! After each name, loud cries of “Here I am, O Allah! here am -I!” were raised by one and all, the Maghrebis singling themselves out, -to my amusement, by the number of women’s names that came tripping -off their tongues; it seemed for all the world as though they were -resolved to win the praise of none save female angels! - -Tickled not a little by this delicious trait of character, I wandered -on, falling the while into a vein of pleasant memories on the friends I -had left behind me, until I was suddenly recalled to myself by a mighty -hue and cry. And this is what had happened. A Bedouin thief, breaking -through the tent of a pilgrim whom he knew to be engaged in calling out -names on the plain, saw in a corner a round bundle in a white cloth. -With greedy hands he made to possess himself of its contents when, to -his intense amazement, a woman burst from its folds, shrieking! She had -wrapped herself up in the cloth ere she went to sleep, as the custom -is among Orientals of the lower class, so that not even her head was -visible to the nefarious Bedouin, who, on now perceiving his mistake, -threw himself on the floor, with the intention of slipping headforemost -under the tent. He had certainly got away at once, had not the husband -returned, and, in the belief that the thief had it in the mind to take -advantage of his dearest treasure, laid hold of the intruder by the -leg, giving the alarm that had startled me from my day-dream. The woman -swooned away, while the Bedouin tugged himself free and made good his -escape. A few minutes later, a sergeant and his men shouldered their -way through the crowd that had collected round the entrance--too late -for once. - -I hesitated a moment before I ventured to put my fate to the test of -further experience. I knew well that I risked robbery, if not death, -in continuing my ramble; for, as I had noticed from the moment of my -setting out, the camp was haunted by paupers with the most evil and -desperate faces I ever beheld. They lay in wait for the unwary pilgrim -wherever the gloom was densest, and at best the lanterns and torches -about each tent shed but a dismal glimmer on its purlieus; but the -desire to scale the Hill of Arafat and to say my prayers on its summit, -at last overcame the whispers of alarm. My only weapon was a stout -cudgel, which I had picked up as a protection against the pariah dogs -that barked at every passer-by; however, as only a couple of dollars -were left in the little bag round my neck, I felt that I could plod -along in the teeth of danger with no load of uneasy wealth on my mind. -And so, with a fresh glow of courage, I sallied forth. - -It was by this time about half-past three in the morning, and a lull -seemed to fall on the camp, or perhaps this was merely a fancy of mine, -a testimony to my jangled nerves. Be this as it may, I had not taken -a hundred paces before I had the evidence of my senses to testify to -the fact that my recent misgivings had been something more than the -suggestions of timidity or nervousness. For, on reaching a secluded -and storm-rent tent, I was suddenly surrounded by a gang of paupers, -who sprang out upon me, clamouring for alms in a tone so threatening, -that my pride rebelled and would not allow me to purchase my safety -at its expense. Enough, I thought, if I seek refuge in yonder tent. A -hail of stones about my head increased my determination to gain the -place of shelter, about fifty yards away, and thither I cudgelled me a -path with a desperate expenditure of strength. The surly rascals trod -close upon my heels, stoning “the devil of a Jew” with surly illwill; -but inside the tent they dared not follow me. For all that, if they -had committed the blunder of counting the booty before the battle was -won, I had soon the discomfiture to discover that innocence in distress -may be less fortunate in its destiny than villainy in disguise. To the -injuries I had received at the hands of the robbers were now added the -insults of the inmates of the tent. They stood on the defensive, taking -me to be a thief; I called heaven to witness that I had come near to -being his victim; whereupon they assumed the offensive, and, catching -me by the nape of the neck, dragged me outside and gave me in charge -of a sentinel who, as ill-luck would have it, happened to be on his -beat. Without saying a word, I disbursed myself of half the money I -had about me, which was a proof of the innocence of my intentions so -convincing to the sentinel, that he let me loose and fell to upbraiding -my unwilling hosts for their unjustifiable suspicions. His eloquence -took the sting out of the reception they had given me, and I went on my -way blithely enough. - -When I at last reached the Hill of Arafat, it was to find that the -Bedouins and the Sheykhs of the tribe of Kuraish had already taken -possession of the best places around the enclosure whence the sermon -would be preached on the following afternoon; for it was there, about -half-way up the Hill, that Muhammud was wont to address his followers, -sitting on a dromedary. This place, as well as the summit beyond, -is reached by means of a broad flight of steps, which, winding up -the southern slope of the Mount, gets gradually more precipitate and -narrow. No attempt to keep order was made by anybody in authority, with -the result that the pilgrims going up would meet the pilgrims coming -down, and be locked tight in one another’s arms, each party fighting -its hardest to force a passage through. On the crest the pressure of -the crowd was even greater: I mean more especially in the neighbourhood -of the Makam, or prayer-niche of Adam, with its white-washed platform -and central obelisk, where pious wayfarers from every quarter of Islam -were pouring out their thanks to God from the innermost tabernacle of -the heart. - -Having said a two-prostration prayer--a duty that I had not neglected -on passing the sermon enclosure below--I turned to the north where, -in the valley separating the Hill from the surrounding mountains, a -band of Bedouin shepherds had lighted huge roaring bonfires, by the -light of which I could see their flocks (so soon to be slaughtered as -a sacrifice to the Omnipotent) peacefully nibbling the sparse green -herbage of the lowlands. - -From the north I went to the south, and gazed down on the plain below, -to where, under the ruddy glare of the torches and the yellow light of -the lanterns, the tents of the faithful stood out against the darkness -beyond. The only regularly pitched camps were those of the soldiery, -the Sheríf, and the other dignitaries of the Hájj; all of these -occupied the space on the left-hand side of the observer; while in the -fore-ground, to the right, as well as to the left, the tents of the -Syrian and the Egyptian caravans were conspicuous: and most of these -were either circular or elliptical in shape and of considerable size, -sometimes as many as twenty pilgrims, and never less than ten, sleeping -in a single tent. For the arrangement between a Syrian pilgrim and his -_moghavem_ is this: The pilgrim pays the _moghavem_ a certain sum of -money in return for which the latter guarantees (1) to find him a seat -in a _kejaveh_ when the caravan is on the move, (2) to give him the use -of a camel on which to set his provisions and belongings, and (3) to -reserve for him a sleeping-compartment within one of the tents that are -thus turned into portable caravanserais. - -Now, the Syrian caravan, whose commander considers himself the chief -of all the foreign pilgrims and brings with him a strong detachment of -cavalry, claims superiority over that of Egypt; but both caravans glory -in the possession of a Mahmil or Holy Carpet, a treasure, by the bye, -that is not a carpet at all, but a square wooden frame with a top in -the shape of a pyramid. A becrescented ball of gilt silver is set on -the four corners of the square and on the crest of the pyramid, and -the little shrine is covered all over with rich brocade embroidered in -gold and edged with silk tassels. This covering varies in colour and -in material, but, generally speaking, the Syrian Mahmil is draped with -green velvet and the Egyptian with red. The origin of the Mahmil is -said by some to date back to the year 645 of the Hegira, when a Queen -of Egypt, called the Tree of Pearls, made use of a similar kind of -thing as a litter, on the occasion of her pilgrimage to Mecca; and the -tradition goes that she borrowed the design from the chest in which -Muhammad stored the wares that he took with him on his journey from -Medina to Syria, a journey made before he had revealed to the Arabians -his new doctrine. Nowadays the Mahmil is empty. But a copy of the -Kurán is fastened outside below the topmost crescent. In the course of -time the Egyptian Mahmil came to be known by the name of Aishah, the -Prophet’s second wife, who one day questioned him, saying: “Now am I -not better than Kadijah? She was a widow, old, and had lost her looks; -you love me better than you did her?” And Muhammad answered: “No, by -Allah! She believed in me when none else would believe. In the whole -world I had but one friend, and she was that.” And it is after this -peerless woman Kadijah that the Syrians have called their Mahmil. Along -with that of Egypt goes what is called the Kesveh, which consists of -eight pieces of black silk and a green curtain. The first is used for -covering the walls of the Ka’bah, and the second for veiling the tomb -of Abraham. This ceremony, which takes place during the pilgrimage, was -first instituted by Kurb, King of Yemen, and in the year of the Hegira -750, a man named Suleyman bought seven villages in Egypt, the produce -of which has since gone to defray the yearly expenses of the Kesveh. -These villages now yield an income of about £7,000 sterling, and all -this money is spent in purchasing the Kesveh and in despatching it with -great pomp to Mecca. - -After meditating for about half an hour on the inexhaustible subject -of my sins, I forced my way through the press to the foot of the Hill, -and after several adventures in a place called the “Kitchen of Adam” -(where the Indian and Meccan pilgrims of the poorest classes pitched -their tents and where even the dervishes and beggars had found a -shelter)--adventures too trivial to be related here, I returned at last -to my own pavilion, and “laid me down with a will” to sleep. The whole -encampment was now wrapped in a solemn hush. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -ARAFAT DAY: DAYBREAK - - -Pop, pop, pop! I lay between sleeping and waking, and wondered what the -noise could be. Bang, bang, bang! And again, bang, bang! I awoke with -a start--surprised to find myself wide awake; but an hour’s sleep is -not long enough to stupify a man. The reports grew louder, and the dogs -began to bark from every corner of the encampment. - -“Come hither to prayers,” sang out the muezzins; “devotion is better -than sleep.” By that time every pilgrim was up and stirring. Wheuf! -the air of the false dawn, how chill it was! I summoned a servant, -telling him to light a fire outside the tent; other pilgrims followed -my example; and soon the hissing samovar gave promise of a cup of tea. - -The eastern horizon, in the meantime, was growing redder and still -more red; and the pilgrims, having performed their ablutions and said -their prayers, began to intone the Talbiyah and the Tahlil, pouring out -their supplications to God and their belief in His unity, in a wailing -lilt of entreaty and contrition. Others stood in circles, beating -their breasts and singing the Labbaik. It was a scene of enthusiasm -impossible to describe. - -Rap-tap-tap, tap-rap-rap, floated on the air: it was the sentinels -beating their drums to salute the break of day. Guns fired incessantly -on the hills and in the valley and on the plain. And now the hawkers -and the worshippers, the water-carriers and the paupers, the hungry -and the ascetic, all began to shout together. “Sweet water refreshes -the soul,” cried the water-carriers; “drink of the sacred water of -Ainé-Zobeideh.” “Give in the name of Allah,” whined the beggars; “my -living is in the gift of Allah. Are ye not the creatures of Allah? -Yá-Allah, yá-Allah!” “Light the fire and fill the cup,” said a Persian -officer, in his eagerness to break his fast. “And don’t forget to -‘fatten’ the water-pipe,” added his companion. “And you shall ‘dig up -its grandfather’ [that is, be the last to smoke it as it passes from -mouth to mouth], my friend,” said the officer, smiling. - -When the sun came up on us, I saw Sheykh Eissa for the first time -that morning; he was standing at a distance of some yards, talking to -Seyyid ’Alí, whose handsome face shone with its usual expression of -light-hearted amusement. The two men bowed to me reverentially, their -hands folded on their breasts. - -“Look, yá-Moulai,” said Seyyid ’Alí, “the top of the Mountain of Mercy -is so full of tents and animals and men, that the poor jinns, to say -nothing of the angels,----” - -“Now, don’t talk blasphemy, my friend,” interrupted a priest called -Mullá Ahmad. “Do you think there is no room left for the angels?” - -“God forbid!” cried Seyyid ’Alí, raising his eyes aloft. “They can -perch on the tent-poles, or on the camel-saddles.” - -“Kofre-negueíd (don’t blaspheme)!” yelled the Mullá. “Don’t you -know that the angels are transparent? But for that the sun would be -eclipsed, so dense is the choir of angels in the circumambient air.” - -“Is that so?” replied Seyyid ’Alí, with a smile that incensed his -questioner beyond all measure. “Does not the Holy Tradition say that -there must be six hundred thousand souls on this Blessed Plain, and -that the deficiency, if any, will be made up with the necessary number -of heavenly choristers? I had not thought that the deficiency was so -great as to cause so vast a reinvasion of light from above.” - -“The Tradition,” shouted the Mullá, “says that there must be _fully_ -six hundred thousand souls: there may be more, but there cannot be -less----” - -“How many pilgrims are there, do you think?” I asked, interrupting the -Mullá. - -“It is human to err,” he replied, sententiously; “but, however many -there may be, and I believe there are 600,000 and more, Allah may -increase them. And as for the angels, Seyyid ’Alí, they will confine -themselves to the regions of the air, immediately above us, and will -say ‘Amen’ to our prayers and supplications.” - -“Multiply your estimate by 3 and divide it by 6, and you will not be -so far out of your reckoning, I think,” and so saying, I appealed to -Sheykh Eissa for his opinion. - -The Sheykh scanned the encampment with critical eyes. “Let us say,” he -murmured at last, “that this city of tents on the plain and the hills -contains innumerable souls and moving beasts. Am I not right, Mullá -Ahmad?” - -“Well said, my friend!” cried the Mullá. “Nobody save Allah--may I be -His sacrifice!--could count the number one by one. And who are we that -we should set a limit to God’s omnipotence and clemency?” - -The Turkish authorities were almost as ignorant in the matter as the -rest of the pilgrims. Some of the former said 280,000, others 380,000; -a more daring calculation was twice the first number (560,000); -and the most timid of all was that of a Turkish official of my -acquaintance, who estimated the concourse of pilgrims at 250,000. Now, -in 1807, there were 83,000 pilgrims in Mecca, according to Ali Bey; -in 1814, Burkhardt, the Swiss traveller, who visited the Holy City in -disguise, under the name of Sheykh Ibrahim, calculated that there were -70,000 pilgrims; while Richard Burton (Sheykh Abdullah), in 1850, found -the number reduced to 50,000;--a number which, in 1902, was increased -fivefold, in my humble opinion; indeed, I maintain with the utmost -confidence that this calculation of mine, if somewhat too high, cannot -possibly be reduced below 220,000; for the opinion among the Meccans -was unanimous that the Bedouin and foreign elements, on the occasion of -my pilgrimage, were more than four times as numerous than they had been -within the memory of the oldest inhabitants. - -Now, as regards the plan of the encampment, it has always been the -endeavour of the well-to-do to keep as close to the Mountain of Mercy -(the Hill of Arafat) as possible, and the consequence of this is that -the whole expanse of the northern face of the plain is more or less -aristocratic, with an effort to regularity in the arrangement of the -tents, the most distinguished camping-places being in the north-eastern -angle, where the Sheríf’s pavilions are pitched, and all along the -north and north-western ridges, where the tents of the Turkish soldiery -and the foreign grandees spread themselves in unbroken lines to the -point of attraction in the north-east. For to sun themselves in the -light of the Sheríf’s beneficent eye, is the ambition of all pilgrims -who have any claim to regard themselves as gentlefolk. The more the -plain slopes to the south, the more it is covered with the tents of the -vulgar and with the pilgrims that have no tents at all; while midway -between the two extremes are the booths and stalls of the open-air -bazaars: these are also scattered here and there in every encampment. -The Syrian and the Egyptian caravans, with their respective Mahmils, -take up their appointed places, nowadays, without any serious dispute -arising between them; but in olden times the rivalry was so keen and -so bitter, that blood was often shed. The Meccan religious officials, -the Turkish civil and military authorities, and the privileged grandees -of all nations, including, of course, the Persian Consul-General, -follow the precedent of immemorial custom; but for the rest the rule of -“first come, first served” holds good in every quarter of the plain, -I mean within the limits of the broadly defined distinctions of class -which make it expedient, if not compulsory, for the paupers and less -reputable pilgrims to keep to the south, leaving the northern regions -to their brethren of higher castes. In theory, the Mussulmans are all -equal, each to each; but, socially, they are at least as exclusive -as the Christians, and infinitely more exacting where etiquette and -ceremony are concerned; while at Mecca, the Kiblah of the Faith, -there is, with the yearly influx of pilgrims of heterogeneous races, -a growing tendency to assimilate the two most striking effects of -western centralisation as seen in the capitals of Europe--namely, an -inclination to become more and more tolerant in matters of religion, -and a determination to regard wealth as the determinative factor in -separating class from class. To every student of Islám the first of -these is of tremendous importance. He must bear constantly in mind -that the embroilments between the seventy-two sects, so far from being -irreconcilable, show a steady inclination to become less marked in the -holy city of Mecca at the present day, notwithstanding the hostility -of the priests towards a complete reunion. Time was when the Shiahs, -to which sect the Persians and the Nakhowalis of Medina belong, were -precluded from exercising their religious rites in their own way, and -when they were even shut out from the regular encampment on the plain -of Arafat. But to-day they are not only allowed to gain salvation -as the spirit moves them through the performance of their special -ceremonies; they are also accorded the privilege of following the time -laid down in their own almanacks for the due solemnisation of their -sacred rites, and that altogether apart from the Orthodox sects who -follow invariably the instructions of the Kazi of Mecca. - -This is an immense gain; let us consider what it means: Does it not -mean that the Prophet’s aim in making Pilgrimage an inseparable part -of the Faith, is getting, year by year, a step nearer to completion? -And if so, can the enthusiast’s belief in the possibility of an united -Islám--an Islám rooted in “one life, one law, one element, the one -far-off divine event,” be dismissed as a dream too spiritual to be -substantiated? I say no; for a dream that is already a spiritual truth, -as it most certainly is among the enlightened at the present time, -may one day become a political fact in the eyes of the whole world. -However, come with me to the Persian encampment, and I will tell you -on the way something more about the city of tents, as well as something -more of the Mussulmans of the Shiah persuasion. - -[Illustration: A LEARNED MUSSULMAN OF INDIA.] - -The first thing that struck me, by the light of day, was the contrast -presented by the personal cleanliness of such of the pilgrims as had -performed their ablutions, and the inconceivable filthiness of the -surroundings in which they lived. To attempt to describe the causes -that resulted in this insanitary condition of the encampment (a -condition that, in the absence of any medical help worth mentioning, -added considerably to the violence of the cholera and the number of -its victims) would be to enumerate the disgusting habits of every -individual camp-follower in the train of the grandees, not to allude -to those of the poor and destitute, who either lived under tattered -rags over rude crossbars, like the dervishes, or slept with the vermin -on the naked ground. The scene was pleasing to the eye, no doubt; but -the contagion spread by its most picturesque features was none the less -overpowering to the nose. At a distance it was artistic: a glimpse of -gipsy life twinkling with colour; walk into it, and it was only fetid -stench and festering pollution. The tents of the less poverty-stricken -caravans were pitched in rings called _dowars_; the beasts of burden -being hobbled in the centre, or tethered to the tent-pegs outside; and -the shape and colour of the tents, if less various than the facial -types of those who dwelt in them, were sufficiently diversified, in -certain quarters, to relieve the monotony of the general picture. -Red within and white without, the tents of the middle classes were -dome-shaped, while those of the privileged dignitaries were as -sumptuous and varied in colour and form as those of the poorest classes -were ingenious in contrivance. The Sherífian colours were green and -gold and red, and the most beautiful pavilions of all were certainly -his. After these, perhaps, came those belonging to the Persian -Consul-General, who made a not unsuccessful attempt to compete with -the highest in the splendour and completeness of his camp equipment. -Moreover, the thoroughfares of the select corner of the plain were, -upon the whole, well-ordered and creditably policed, more especially -was this the case with those in closest proximity to the Turkish -authorities. - -And now with these preliminary remarks on the appearance of the city -of tents by day, I will ask the readers to follow me into the Persian -encampment situated midway between the Syrian and Egyptian caravans; -for it is my present wish to be the means of introducing him to that -interesting Shiah sect that flourishes in the neighbourhood of Medina -and is known by the name of Nakhowalis. I had a long talk with about -a dozen of these men (they had accompanied the Persian pilgrims from -Medina to Mecca as guides) and it is on the information that I gleaned -from them that this short paragraph is based. - -Well, when the Prophet fled from Mecca, with a few devoted followers, -he was received by a great number of the people of Medina with every -mark of confidence. Those who fled with him were afterwards called -Mohajer or Immigrants, while those who went out to help him from the -city of refuge came to be known by the name of Anssar or Auxiliaries. -It is from the latter party that the Nakhowalis claim descent. They -now number about two thousand families, and live, in open feud with -the Orthodox inhabitants, outside the city gates. They have their own -mosques and cemetery, as they are not allowed to worship within the -Harem of the Prophet’s Tomb, nor were they permitted, until quite -recently, to cross its threshold. The cause of all their disabilities, -however, is of a political rather than religious nature; for all of -them hold the first two Caliphs in execration, the greater number -forswearing allegiance to Othman as well. The bond of sympathy between -the two groups thus formed is the veneration and love they bear -Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, ’Alí, whom they believe to have been -the lawful successor of the Prophet. However much or little they may -differ in doctrine from the Shiahs of Persia, they are acknowledged by -the latter as belonging to the same communion; indeed, the Persians -contribute, year by year, considerable sums of money to the support of -these distant co-religionists of theirs--sums which are handed over -to them by one of the Persian pilgrims. Moreover, a Nakhowali, if he -chance to visit the country of the Lion and the Sun, will be sure to -return with bags full of money; nor is this charity of a sort that -loses both itself and friend, the recipient being quick in responding -to every act of friendship, as many a Persian pilgrim had good reason -to remember if, as it usually happened, he took up his abode at -the friendly hearth of a Nakhowali. Hospitable and chivalrous, the -Nakhowalis adhere strictly to this unwritten law of the desert-born, -that a guest must be protected even if he be an infidel; none the less -they count both Jew and Christian as unclean, being as scrupulous -in this particular as the Persians, whose rules they follow in the -discharge of their religious purifications. - -My informants, who were armed to the teeth, were handsome, swarthy, -and fearless-looking. They bitterly resented the fact that, on certain -points of religious observance, they were constrained to obey the -instructions of the Kazi of Medina, rather than those of their own -clergy. They declared that this obedience had been wrung from them as -a condition of their freedom to have priests of their own; but since -I had not an opportunity of going to Medina to see for myself, it -would be unwise to give further publicity to reports which reached me -either through the Orthodox Madani, who were naturally antagonistic, -or through the Shiah Nakhowalis, who were not less certainly biassed -in their own favour. Their womenfolk (to make an end of this short -discourse) are reputed to be the most beautiful of all at Medina; they -were so closely veiled, however, that they might just as well have been -the ugliest--none save their husbands could tell. - -The scene now changes. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -ARAFAT DAY: FORENOON AND AFTERNOON - - -Early in the morning, shortly after my visit to the Persian encampment, -the Turkish cavalry paraded and manœuvred. The troops were composed of -Turks, Kurds, Arabs, and Albanians. To see these men in the pride of -a soldier’s bearing, you must watch them as they rush into life and -motion; for with their ragged uniforms and unlikely-looking mounts, -they are at a disadvantage when standing at attention. But once let -them get in full swing, and they soon prove that they are trained -for use and not for show. To me this sudden change from unsoldierly -slovenliness to skill and daring activity, was a revelation. And -the horses--lean Arabs from Southern Arabia or wiry nags from -Egypt--responded spiritedly to every twist and turn of the bridle -wrist: they too were transformed. The feats of horsemanship performed -by the Albanians were the wonder and delight of every pilgrim. These -manœuvres of theirs, so different from those of European cavalry, are -doubtless aboriginal. They leave their cantonment in fighting array, -riding to the tattoo of a small kettle-drum called _nakus_. On a -sudden, at a beat of the drum, the regiment opens out, scattering in -all directions: each man pricks it in pursuit of the enemy, firing -incessantly into the air. The sound of the drum now changes, and the -men come galloping back, meeting in a dense column: then all is -ordered confusion and breathless expectation. The signal is given, -and then with impetuous fury the whole squadron hurls itself on the -spot chosen to represent the enemy’s position. The men, alternately -dispersing and reforming, advancing and retreating, obey every beat of -the drum, their horses being as intelligently alert as well-trained -polo ponies. So reckless were the Albanians on this occasion, that it -was a miracle that only a rider here and there came to grief. And all -the time this sham fight was raging, horsemen from every corner of -chivalrous Arabia galloped aimlessly about the encampment, waving their -tufted spears. In the hearts of the pilgrim bands watching their every -movement they struck an awe not unmixed with terror: for, as Seyyid -’Alí put it, the horses seemed shod with lightning as they flashed to -and fro; and lightning, may it not spare the guilty and strike the -righteous?... - -You must not think that the pilgrims were idle all this while--not -even Seyyid ’Alí and myself. A party of us met about nine o’clock to -visit the holy places on the plain, Seyyid ’Alí acting as guide. My -companions were Sheykh Eissa, Mullá Ahmad, Mirza Yusúf, and Seyyid -Muhsin. The demeanour of these men is worth describing as a touch of -character. The tour being a religious duty, their mien was designed to -give expression to the earnestness of their devotion. The talkative -charm-monger, Sheykh Eissa, strode forward as in a trance; though he -rarely said a word, his lips moved constantly, as if he were whispering -in the ear of a jinn: he was spellbound. His companion, Mullá Ahmad, -looking neither to the right nor the left, tripped along with mincing -steps, reciting prayer after prayer in Arabic (classical style). The -man who walked at my side was Mirza Yusúf, than whom a deaf-mute of -ordinary intelligence had made himself better understood; for the -Mirza, having taken a vow to remain silent till he had repeated -the Verse of the Throne seven thousand times, replied to all my -questions by signs and nods and awkward contortions of the body. As -for the two Seyyids--Muhsin, a friend of mine from Central Persia, -and ’Alí, a man you already know--even they, though drawn together -by the law of affinity, yet felt constrained to conceal their innate -lightheartedness from each other, wearing in its place an expression of -sanctimoniousness more comical than insincere. - -Well, the usual course is to proceed at once to a place called -Jammé-Sakhra, where the Prophet used to stand and say his Talbiyah; -but my friends, allowing themselves to be persuaded by me, had set -out instead in the direction of the Mountain of Mercy. There, with -even greater difficulty than on the previous night, I shoved my way -up the first flight of steps, using Seyyid ’Alí sometimes as a buffer -and sometimes as a wedge. The others had remained below, being afraid -to risk the dangers of the ascent; for even on the lowest skirts of -the Mountain the swarms of pilgrims were subjected to pretty rough -handling; while on a somewhat higher ridge the Wahhabis of Nijd were -quarrelling with the Bedouins of Al-Hejaz as to who should have the -best places for listening to the Kazi’s eloquence in the afternoon. -We had skirted the angry disputants and reached the steps not much -the worse for wear; but despite all our efforts we found it quite -impossible to mount higher than the first enclosure whence the sermon -is preached. There we might have stayed till sunset, a prey to the -rapacity of paupers, had not the pilgrims on the plain learned wisdom -from our plight, and stayed where they were. This lessened the pressure -round the platform: and the number of pilgrims coming up being now -less than the number going down, we took advantage of this opportunity -without a moment’s hesitation, and allowed ourselves to be carried -away by the downgoing stream to the foot of the Hill. - -On reaching the bottom, we turned to the right and made for the -Ainé-Zobeideh--Zobeideh, wife of Caliph Harun-ur-Rashid. To this spring -has been given the power of working miracles: merely dip a black cloth -in it, and it will be washed as white as milk. No dye can resist its -cleansing property, no stone withstand its charm. I might believe this -or not as I liked, said Seyyid ’Alí; for his part, he would demand -no greater wonder than that it should quench his thirst--a thirst -that was insatiable, he begged Zobeideh Khanum (Lady Zobeideh) to -believe. Throwing himself on his stomach, he wriggled through the -crowd to the water’s brink; I did likewise; and then, having washed -our hands and feet and quenched our thirst, we crawled back and said a -two-prostration prayer out of the gratitude of our hearts. - -“God bless Zobeideh! May her fountain never run dry!” cried Seyyid -’Alí; then off we went at last to where the Prophet used to recite -his Supplication before preaching his sermon on the Mount. This -place, as already mentioned, is called Jammé Sakhra: it is a small -enclosure standing within whitewashed walls, and is divided into two -compartments--one for men and one for women--both of which contain -prayer-niches. Here our friends were awaiting our arrival, having said -their prayers--a duty which they discharged a second time (God will -increase His kindness!) by way of returning thanks for our safety. - -By this time the sun shone in the zenith, and the whole plain was -covered with worshippers, saying their mid-day prayers: the angels, -as they believed most fervently, lending ear to their entreaties and -responding to such as were sincere with an approving Amen. - -Now, a Mussulman believes in earnest; watch him as he bows himself -in praise or supplication, and you will not doubt his sincerity. His -faith is unquestioning, for is it not to him as an elemental force, as -necessary as the air he breathes? Why, it warms him like fire, this -faith of his, and refreshes him like water, nor is the earth than it -more solid and indestructible. The East has many things still to learn -from the West, but faith is not one of them. Surrounded by the dying -and the dead, these terror-struck pilgrims, at the first cry of the -muezzin, regained their presence of mind. They had been stricken with -fear as with an ague, they had fled from death as from a scourge, but -at the first sound of that devotional summons, they stood at attention -before their Creator, like soldiers awaiting the word of command. And -then, as though God had spoken, they bowed their bare heads--then -they sank on their bare knees--and then they prostrated themselves on -the ground. Do you doubt their sincerity still? And if their faith is -unimpeachable, can you deny that the Prophet was less magnificently -sincere? - -With these thoughts in my mind, I hurried to our tents to read a few -chapters of the Kurán and to say the prescribed prayers, before setting -out again to witness the Sheríf’s procession and attend the Kazi’s -sermon. This day, the 9th of the moon, was a day of fasting; but a good -many pilgrims found pretexts for breaking their fasts, and I, being -worn out after the long journey of the preceding day and the exciting -vigil of the night, was among the number. Having eaten my fill, I -dropped fast asleep, to be awakened about three o’clock by the firing -of guns. Our party at once left the tents, giving full instructions to -the servants to have everything in readiness for the rush from Arafat -at sundown. - -[Illustration: PERSIAN PILGRIMS FROM TABRIZ, HAVING TEA ON BOARD THE -STEAMER.] - -Then out once more into the plain, weltering in the sunshine, to -stand, bare-headed and with naked feet, until the sun should sink -behind the horizon.... - -The Egyptian Mahmil had already passed on to its appointed place on the -mountainside; but, fortunately, we were not too late to see the passing -of its Syrian rival which, draped in its covering of gold and green, -now threaded its way across the plain. The Mahmil headed by a dozen -led horses of the purest Arabian strain, all richly caparisoned with -embroidered cashmere shawls, was surrounded by a squadron of horsemen -and camel-riders; while immediately in front of the prancing Arabs, -came heralds in white headgear and red coats, bearing silver batons in -their hands. And thus the green badge of Syria moved on to its allotted -place on the skirts of the Mountain of Mercy. - -Hardly had it reached its destination, than the band of the Sherífian -procession crashed out a march: and soon afterwards the cavalcade -drew near. A score or two of men on foot cleared the course, making -vigorous use of the long staves they carried in their hands. A number -of mace-bearers, who came next, were followed in turn by a regiment -of Sherífian cavalry, barbarously dressed and gallantly mounted, each -man prepossessing the spectator in his favour. Even more popular was -the appearance of the magnificent body of men which next excited our -admiration. It was a staff of Arab chieftains, the pick of the country, -riding on mettlesome thoroughbreds, and combining in their persons -all the chivalry and the dash of their indomitable race. Then a blaze -of crimson-red--the Sherífian state colour: this struck my eye on the -flowing saddle-cloths of the led horses of His Holiness, the Sheríf of -Mecca, who, meekly riding on a white mule, quite alone in the line, was -clad, like the poorest of the poor among the pilgrims, in Ihrám. Behind -him walked his courtiers and the members of his Household, while a -crowd of Bedouin Sheykhs on horseback or on camels brought up the rear. - -When the cavalcade was stationed near the Mahmils, guns were fired -again and again to announce that the sermon was about to begin. Then, -amid the sighs and sobs and tears of that vast congregation, the Kazi -of Mecca, sitting on a dromedary, began to preach, or (perhaps more -correctly) to pray. Speaking in Arabic verse, each line being repeated -about a dozen times by the pilgrims, he intoned the rhythmic psalm in a -deep but ringing voice. The opening passages ran as follows:-- - - Thou, O Lord, no mate possessest: - Thou, in truth, the King of kings! - I am here for Thee--for Thee: - I am here with praise for Thee. - Thou no compeer hast, O Allah! - Nights are darkened at Thy command: - Stars are shining in obedience: - Angels praise Thee round Thy Throne. - Prophets come at Thy beck and call: - The sun goes round to sing Thy praises: - Thou art holy and Thy name is holy: - Thou art merciful, magnanimous, and compassionate! - - * * * * * - - May the end of our life come with heavenly blessing! - May the angels of punishment pass by from our doors! - We glorify and praise Thee, Lord! - May the angels of mercy show their grace to us! - May our humble supplications be acceptable to Thee! - We glorify and praise Thee, Lord! - -At first the pilgrims held their breath, afraid of missing a word; but -as the prayers and psalms and exhortations proceeded, their enthusiasm -grew more and more unrestrained. No longer content with repeating the -Kazi’s words, line by line, they burst into tears, and from tears -into shrieks. They beat their breasts, sobbing from sheer excess of -joy; they could be seen, on the plain, whirling round and round, as -they sang the Labbaik. Some swooned, partly from delirium of religious -emotion, and partly from the effect of the sun’s excessive heat. One -moment--and your blood seemed to boil and your brain to swim in liquid -fire; then came relief: you were drenched in sweat, reduced to liquid -that alternately evaporated and gushed out of every pore. I was wedged -so tight in a compact mass of pilgrims, within a stone’s throw of the -preacher, that there was no chance of my reaching the haven of my one -desire--the cooling spring where I had slaked my thirst at noonday. And -so one hour wore on. - -What had happened among the pilgrims out there in the dancing glare of -the sunlit plain, I cannot say; but the least said about the reports -of the behaviour of some of them, the better. No good purpose can be -served by emphasising the exceptional and parading the obscene. Where -I stood, longing for the sound of running water, there, at least, the -solemnity and the fervour of the congregation were of a sort to take -one’s reason captive, overcoming, by sheer repetition of appeal, even -the craving I had to swill my gullet with a draught of water. - -Another hour went by: the sun was sinking in the west: the eastern -horizon turned colour, passing from a purple shade to a tone of deepest -crimson. The green flag on the mountain-top still floated high in -air; still the preacher gave out his message, to the ever-increasing -excitement of his people; and then at last, just as the sun dipped in a -pool of red, the signal of Essraf was given. The sermon was over, and -the night of another day begun. We were now entitled to call ourselves -Hájís. - -“_Aydákum Ghebúl_ (May your festival be accepted),” cried Seyyid ’Alí, -kissing me three times on the cheeks, in accordance with the practice. - -And I returned the kisses, saying-- - -“_Tebarik-Allah!_ (May God be glorified).” - -I now pass on to the Day of Sacrifice and the Days of Drying Flesh. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -THE DAY OF VICTIMS: FROM SUNDOWN TO SUNSET. THE DAYS OF DRYING FLESH. - - -Long before the signal of Essraf was given, the canvas-city had been -in a state of confusion: so that by the time the sermon was over most -of the tents had been folded and stowed away. Thus everything was now -ready for the impetuous rush from Arafat. - -The pilgrims’ jubilation was then at its height. The uproar was -deafening: drums were beaten, bugles called us to make haste, and -rocket after rocket exploded as it whirred through the air.... We -waited half an hour or so, exchanging kisses and congratulations, and -then a path was prepared for the cavalcades. The Egyptian Mahmil took -the right-hand side of the road and the Syrian the left: after them -charged the mounted pilgrims, followed by those on foot, all and each -showing the same reckless determination to press forward over every -obstacle, no matter how narrow the road might be. - -This headlong stampede after the sermon on the Mount is historic. It -never grows stale with the years. The havoc it wrought in 1319 of the -Flight it would be quite impossible to exaggerate; for the confusion -which has become traditional was increased fivefold by the number -of pilgrims, a number that was vastly greater than any within the -recollection of the authorities. Women and men swooned in the crush -and were trampled to death--litters were overthrown and smashed in -pieces--camels were trodden under foot: but neither disaster nor death -could, in the slightest degree, glut the wild desire by which the crowd -was moved--the desire, namely, of being more completely possessed by -the feeling of a religion-wrought delirium. It was not a triumphant -procession of peaceful pilgrims, therefore, though that is undoubtedly -what it should be; it was a charge of religious madmen running _amok_. -How many were killed or maimed, I can hazard no guess; but of this I am -quite certain,--the casualties had not been so terrible on any previous -occasion within the memory of man. - -Thus the dense mass moved on, and about the hour of midnight we reached -Muzdalifah. There we halted for the night, the pious passing the time -in praying and reading the Kurán. Very few pilgrims took the trouble -to pitch tents here, the vast majority of them sleeping on the ground. -Before lying down to rest, Seyyid ’Alí and I collected forty-nine -stones apiece for the Lapidation of the Devil in the valley of Mina. - -Now, this ceremony takes place three times: first, between sunrise and -sunset on the 10th of the moon when every pilgrim must fling seven -stones at a buttress, situated at the Meccan entrance to the valley, -and called the Great Devil. These seven stones must be gathered at -Muzdalifah, and have to be washed seven times and each time in fresh -water. On the following day, the 11th, twenty-one stones must be -thrown: seven at the Great Devil as before, seven at the Wusta or -Central Point in the middle of the valley, and, last of all, seven -more at the Ula or First Place lying at that entrance to Mina which -faces Arafat. All these twenty-one stones may be gathered either in -the valley itself or at Muzdalifah on the return journey; but they, -too, must be washed seven times and each time in fresh water. The -same rules apply to the third Lapidation, which is held on the 12th of -Zú-’l-hijjáh: and the three ceremonies aforementioned are performed in -commemoration of the tradition that Abraham was tempted three times of -the Devil, at those very places in the valley, what time he was about -to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Now the first day, which is the 10th of -Zú-’l-hijjah, is called the Day of Victims, while the two following -days are called the Days of Drying Flesh in the Sun. - -Awaking early, my party set out, at peep of day, to the sacred monument -hard by, where, amid scenes of indescribable solemnity, the Festival -Prayers were celebrated by the Kazi of Mecca, who also preached a short -sermon. Departing thence at sunrise, we arrived at Mina about nine -o’clock, one of our servants dying of cholera on the road. We buried -him where he fell, each one of us wondering if his own life would be -the next to come to an end. What would happen after the slaying of the -victims we dared not think. The prospect looked gloomy in the extreme. - -Having eaten a good meal, we traversed the valley in the direction of -Mecca, in order to be rid, as soon as possible, of the tiresome duty of -stoning the Great Devil. When we reached the entrance to the valley, -it was to find our access to his Satanic Majesty blocked by a vast -concourse of excited pilgrims. The road, about thirteen yards wide, -was packed with horsemen, camel-riders, litters, pilgrims on foot, and -women in _kejavehs_, all struggling and fighting to get within stone’s -throw of the buttress which rests against a wall that is only a little -higher than itself which is--say, three yards high by two yards broad. -Of the Orthodox sects the Shafeis are the most privileged, for they are -allowed to stand at a distance of five cubits from the Devil, whereas -the Hanefis are supposed to make their attack the more formidable by -fighting at close quarters--within arm’s reach of the Arch Foe. - -And all the while the great mountains frowned down upon us; very -awe-inspiring I found them: the seven stones I had brought along with -me fell at my feet only to be picked up by Seyyid ’Alí. - -“Come, yá-Moulai,” said he: “the devil is not so big after all. See, I -will fling your stones as well as my own at little devils like myself.” - -After this “ceremony” was over, we returned to our camp where a barber -was waiting “to bring me out of Ihrám.” When he had trimmed my hair, -shaving it round the nape of the neck, and had cut my nails, I made to -take off the pilgrim’s garb, saying--“In the name of God the Merciful -and Compassionate, I intend to doff my Ihrám of pilgrimage, according -to the usage of it by the Prophet, on whom be blessings and glory! O -Allah, reward me to the number of the hairs of my head with Light, -Purity, and Grace. In the name of God--God is great!” Upon this the -barber helped me to undress and (after I had had a bath) to put on my -gala attire which was Egyptian in make and in material. - -[Illustration: DISEMBARKING AT JIDDAH.] - -[Illustration: PILGRIMS AT JIDDAH.] - -By this time the servants had purchased the victims, and they now came -to tell me that all preparations had been made for the sacrifice. I -deputed Seyyid ’Alí to slay my harmless sheep, from a sudden invasion -of squeamishness. And before the day was over the valley of Desire was -turned into a reeking slaughter-house, and, it may be added, into a -cemetery for the dead pilgrims. These also were victims--the victims -of the misdirected religious zeal which had prompted a slaughter that -served no other purpose than to spread the epidemic. The less said -of it here the better. I have no wish to make the reader sick. It -will be enough to add, to what has been said in a previous chapter, -that the camels were sacrificed by none but grandees, who dispatched -their victims with the words: “In the Name of God! God is great!” the -same words being used by the other pilgrims in sacrificing the sheep! - -All beasts of prey are believed by the superstitious to keep away from -the valley during the Day of Sacrifice and the Days of Drying Flesh; -for, had not the victims been brought down from heaven by angels, and -driven by them under the guidance of Bedouin shepherds, to the place -of slaughter? But the truth is that the Takruri negroes were more -blood-thirsty than any of the carnivorous animals or birds of prey: -they laid in wait until the sheep were killed, feasting their eyes on -the creatures’ dying agonies, and then pounced on the carcases like -hungry vultures. - -Now, a great many pilgrims, after casting off the Ihrám and putting -on their festival attire, went at once to Mecca, visited the Ka’bah, -repeating the ceremonies already described, and then returned to Mina -to slay their victims. One of our party who had taken this course fell -sick of the cholera on the road, and the news of his grave condition -reached us at mid-day. We therefore determined to take up our quarters -in Mecca, for our comrade’s sake, and to return to Mina, day by day, -in order to complete our stoning of the Devil. Sheykh Eissa, however, -remained behind to take charge of our camp; and when we got back again -next morning, it was to hear from him a flamboyant account of the -fireworks and jollifications of the Great Festival that we had missed. -We listened to his stories of the too-unfettered revelry by night with -heavy hearts, for our friend was dead. Outside, the whole valley stank -like a shambles, hundreds of pilgrims having succumbed overnight to the -cholera epidemic; and so, when we had stoned the Devil for the second -time, we bent our steps again to the Holy City, taking care to remember -our comrade in our prayers as we passed by the mosque of Khaif. There -we saw some poor pilgrims drying the flesh of a dead sheep--a revolting -spectacle. Next day, the 12th of Zú-’l-hijjah, we cast the remaining -twenty-one stones at the three buttresses in the Valley of Desire, and -were ready on the 13th to join the little pilgrimage to Al-Omreh--a -mosque near the pillars of Alemeyn--having to that end performed -ablutions with the water of Zem-Zem, and put on the ihrám once more, -and made our declaration of intention opposite the Black Stone. It -took us about three hours to reach the sacred spot where we said a -two-prostration prayer after having subjected our heads and hands and -feet to a second ablution. Then we rode back to Mecca and again went -through all those ceremonies within the Harem and between Mount Safá -and Mount Marveh which have been described in the earlier pages of this -narrative. This brought the little pilgrimage of Omreh to an end, and -the ihrám was finally removed. Thenceforward the streets of Mecca were -crowded with pilgrims dressed in every costume of the East. - -I remained a week in the Holy City after the Day of Victims--indeed, -no pilgrim could bring himself to leave the Kiblah of the Faith before -the 18th of Zú-’l-hijjah--and whiled away the time by frequent visits -to the Harem and the bazaars. By these means I added considerably to my -knowledge of the pilgrims and their ways. The result of my observations -will be found overleaf. - -On the 18th I attached myself to a strong caravan bound for Jiddah, and -there I said good-bye to Seyyid ’Alí. The reader will meet him again, -however, in the brief pages of Part III. - - - - -PART III - - - - -PART III - -MECCAN SCENES AND SKETCHES - - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE MECCAN BAZAARS - - -The European, who prides himself on his practicality, is inclined to -look down on the merchant’s calling, though it is surely one of the -most practical of all. The Oriental, on the other hand, who is supposed -to be the most romantic of mortals, generally holds it in high esteem. -Therefore the Oriental, if he is less practical in that he is slow -to adopt the time-saving methods of his Western brother, is far more -logical in paying every respect to a calling which is one of the chief -factors in the welfare of nations. Moreover, the Oriental’s attitude -towards travelling proves him to be far more practical than he is -generally believed to be. As a general rule he takes to roving, either -to lay up for himself treasures in heaven by visiting holy places, or -to better his condition in life by trading in foreign parts. If he is a -pilgrim he combines the spiritual and the worldly aims above-mentioned, -strong in the Prophet’s assurance that it shall be no crime in him -if he seek an increase from his Lord during his pilgrimage. The -consequence is that Mecca is turned every year into a bustling fair, -an exchange and mart where Eastern commodities of every description -can be purchased in cash or in kind. This being understood, I will ask -the reader to accompany my guide and myself on our shopping tour of -the Meccan bazaars, for I must not forget, as a true pilgrim, to buy a -soughát or present for each of the friends I left behind me. - -“Yá-Moulai,” said my guide, “let me advise you to grease your tongue -with honey before we go, that the shopkeepers may respond to the -compliments you must pay them by lowering their prices. I notice that -you have a smile on your lips. Yá-Allah! do you wish to return with -an empty purse? Press your lips together, affect a poverty-stricken -demeanour, otherwise you will be fleeced not only by the traders, but -also by every beggar in Mecca, more particularly by those who lie in -wait for the generous-hearted round about the Harem. On entering each -shop you must cough as hard as you can, though you tear your chest in -pieces: then the shopkeeper will be compassionate in the matter of -charges. Another counsel I would offer you is this. Let us suppose you -want to buy a knife. The first thing you must do is to ask the cutler -for a sword, then for a dagger, then for a pair of scissors, and, -after refusing all of these things with a sneer, you must command him -to show you a knife in a voice toned to insinuate that the purchasing -of that article is an act of generosity on your part, a magnanimous -recompense to him for his trouble. For our merchants, though they are -often crafty and betray a suspicious conscience, are, if you treat them -as they expect to be treated, of a childlike simplicity. So cast off -your sandals that you may acquire the reputation of a saint and thus -be treated fairly in the bazaars. Believe me, Yá-Moulai, if you follow -these instructions, you will drive a better bargain with the Meccan -than you would by trusting to the honesty of a Firangi trader who is -civilisation-proof against these simple wiles.” And so chattering he -led me through the crowded streets, and would have asked for alms, that -I might pass as a beggar, had I not forbidden him sternly to practise -in my service a piece of deceit as unworthy of himself as it would be -humiliating to me; whereon he glanced at me furtively muttering in his -beard: “He is as proud as a Shahzadeh.” - -The city of Mecca is divided into two parts. Of these the upper -quarters are called Malá, as opposed to the lower ones, which are known -by the name of Misfál. The shops are very similar to those at Jiddah; -but in the street that bears the name of Mussah, which is the broadest -and most picturesque thoroughfare, they occupy, I may say, the ground -floor of the houses on both sides, presenting to the passers-by such a -wealth of Oriental goods as I for one had not seen before. The familiar -word “bazaar” is Persian, its Arabic equivalent being Súgh, and a -whole quarter is sometimes called after its neighbouring market, as is -the case, for instance, with the quarter called Súghé-Seghir. To the -North of Mussah-street is situated the Soueygha Bazaar, where goods -(especially the belongings of dead pilgrims) are sold by auction twice -a day, in the morning and in the evening, and there also slaves are -exhibited and knocked down to the highest bidder. The Syrian Bazaar, -or Sughé-Shamí, is to be found to the east of this slave market; -the armourers display their weapons in the Súghé-Geshatshi near the -Platform of Purity, whence the Sughé-Lail, or Night bazaar, is within -easy reach; while further to the east, below the skirts of Mount Abú -Ghobais, in a market named Moamil, pottery of any description can -be bought by the pilgrims as receptacles for the curative water of -Zem-Zem. In a square to the east of this bazaar camels and sheep are -sold, and fruit stalls are kept by Bedouins: and from thence one passes -to the blacksmiths’ shops or Sughé-Haddadin. - -The pilgrim who would purchase shoes or sandals must seek the upper -quarters of the town, and there, in the north of Malá, he will find -what he wants in abundance, as well as many provision stores which -serve to replenish the supplies of the yearly caravans; for most of -these dealers have agencies at Jiddah, Bombay, and Cairo. In the same -quarter, still to the north, is the meat market, most of the butchers -being Bedouin Arabs who keep special flocks of sheep and camels -for slaughter and for sale. From this bazaar the way lies through -some extremely narrow and dirty lanes to the Zokáké-Seni or Chinese -Market, where gold and silver vessels and jewellery are sold by a few -Muhammadans of the Celestial Empire. Thence to the north-east are -situated the dyers’ shops, which go by the name of Sughé-Sabbaghin. -The manufacture of indigo dye, which is much used in Arabia, is very -interesting. First the small leaves are dried in the sun, then they -are powdered and put into earthenware jars filled with water, where -they remain overnight. Next morning the leaves are stirred thoroughly -until a dark blue froth is produced in the water, after which they are -left to settle. When the indigo is taken from the bottom it is spread -on cloths to drain, and is then mixed with dates and saltpetre. The -method of calendering the garments dyed with indigo consists in beating -them on stones with wooden hammers, which is generally done to the -accompaniment of a song. - -“Bismi’lláhi’r-Rahmáni’r-Rahim!” With those words on our lips we -entered the bazaar to the north of the Harem. What first struck my -attention was a man sitting on a rug with a small wooden frame in front -of him, a round blue tile by his side, a reed pen in his right hand, -and a few sheets of paper in his left. He was an Arab scribe, and -around him were gathered a crowd of illiterate pilgrims, all waiting -for him to write their letters. The first to go forward was an Afghan -pilgrim. He had muscular limbs and a fierce, scowling face. Said he: -“Write me a letter to my brother: he is ill and lives at Sakhir.” The -scribe, who was sitting on his hips, cocked up his right leg ever so -slightly so as to form a sort of table, and asked the Afghan what he -was to say. “By God!” exclaimed the native of Sakhir, “I expect you -to provide something more than the paper and the penmanship. You must -supply the words as well. What! you know not what to write? Have I not -said that my brother is sick and like to die? Tell him that I will -bring him a bottle of Zem-Zem water--that will cure him, if it please -Allah--and a winding-sheet that has been dipped therein, which will -be useful if he die--God forbid!” Here my guide stepped to the front, -saying, “From the Percussion of the Grave and from the Interrogation -of the Grave may God the Merciful and Clement deliver him!” A bright -smile flashed over the Afghan’s face. “May your kindness increase!” -said he. Meanwhile, the scribe dipped his pen in the silk threads on -the blue tile which served the purpose of an inkstand. These threads -were soaked in soot and water, and it took about three dips to write a -single word. Every now and then he would raise the paper to the left -side of his face and look at it slantingly out of the corner of his -eye. If a word did not please him he would rub it out by moistening -his forefinger and dabbing it half-a-dozen times on the word, for the -ink left no permanent trace on the paper but came off in layers when -rubbed with the wet finger. The lines of the letter were wide apart, -and an ample margin was left on both sides. When the bottom of the page -was reached the scribe filled the margins lengthwise, and then fell -to writing between the lines. I could not help thinking that the sick -Sakhiri would find it easier to answer the interrogations of Nakír and -Munkar, those dread Inquisitors of the Grave, than to read the letter -from Mecca, which struck me as being almost as difficult to decipher as -a Chinese poem. When the last word was written the Afghan took out his -purse, to the strings of which was tied a round seal of brass whereon -his name was engraved. Having unfastened the seal he handed it to the -scribe. It amused me to see that the purse was withheld by the canny -Afghan, who obviously had no intention of losing over the transaction -more than he had bargained for. - -All Orientals, particularly the Persians, lay great store by their -seals. Those of the lower classes are generally round and made of -brass, and are either fastened to their purse strings or left dangling -by their waistbands. The mullás have a preference for square seals -of cornelian set in base silver, as approved by the Prophet; while -the high officials “gratify the pride of irresponsibility,” or the -instincts of taste in the matter, some choosing gold seals ornamented -with diamonds, and others turquoise seals decorated with pearls or -with rubies. Sometimes a line of poetry is engraved on the seal as -well as the owner’s name. I knew a pious Shi’ah whose seal bore this -inscription: “The slave of the King of the country, Imám ’Alí,” only -the last word, of course, being his own name. Later, on our journey -through the bazaars, we chanced to see a Persian hakkák, or seal-maker, -at work. The cornelian he was carving was fixed in tar on the small -board in front of him. The deft way in which he wielded his small -hammer was the result of a steady hand and an unerring eye, gifts -for which the Persians are justly famous. The motto was intended -to commemorate his pilgrimage to the Mother of Cities, and ran as -follows: “Sadik, the least of Hájís and the slave of God, in the city -of God!” - -I entered into conversation with this man Sadik, and was lucky to find -in him a very lantern of traditions. The works of Baidáwí, of Abú -Sa’íd al-Khadrí, of al-Farrá of Bagh, of Nu’man Ibu Bashír, of Abú -Hurairah, of ’Abd Allah Ibu Mas’ud, to say nothing of the Persian and -Arabian poets, he seemed to know by heart. When I complimented him on -his learning, he replied, saying: “If I am blessed by God with a good -memory, it is because I have never eaten a quince, or a sour apple, -or fresh coriander, or garlic, or the remainder of a mouse’s meal; -nor have I, to the best of my belief, ever read a book written by the -blind, nor drawn blood from the nape of my neck. For these things -weaken the memory and produce folly. From the unseemly demeanour of -your guide”--the rascal had been more exasperating than usual--“I would -hazard the conjecture that he has tasted of many a mouse’s meal.” - -The guide grew exceeding wrath, and would have struck the speaker had I -not prevented him; then he cried, “You lie! the humiliation you would -thrust on me, see, I cast it back in your face!” The seal-maker smiled -good-humouredly. “Friend,” said he, “the humiliation was mine, and not -yours, for have I not spoken to a careless listener? Know, however, -for your future guidance, that a man, if he meet with humiliation, -has sometimes nobody but himself to blame. This will certainly be -his sorry case if he sit down uninvited to another’s table, or if -he respect not his host, or if he hope for kindness from a foe or -for learning from the low-born; so much the more will he suffer the -inevitable consequence if he honour not his Prophet, his country, and -his King. And”--here he turned to the crowd--“to listen inquisitively -to another’s conversation has the same effect as addressing an -inattentive audience. I would not have ye be guilty of the former, -which is the extreme of discourtesy, any more than I would have the -latter, which is the acme of humiliation, thrust on me a second time by -the friend to whom I spoke.” - -I watched the guide, who could not contain his spleen. “Thou -sententious ass!” he shrieked, making as if to take off his sandal -wherewith to belabour the seal-maker. Once more he was met by a meek -and smiling countenance. “Verily,” quoth Sadik, “if one show leniency -to the mean, the low, or the servant, one must expect to be imposed -on. I do but light a lamp in broad daylight, or sow seed in the desert -sand, which is as wasteful as eating when one’s stomach is laden, or as -showing consideration to one who is not deserving of it. Three things -tend towards madness: the first is to walk with the blind, the second -is to talk to the deaf, and the third is to sleep alone.” - -By this time the sun had risen high in the heavens, and the mat awnings -suspended on poles were already drawn down in order to keep out the -fierce rays of sunlight, so on we went till we came to the tin-makers’ -bazaar. There we heard a cry of “Yá Allah! yá Allah!” and, on looking -round, beheld a funeral procession. The corpses, four victims of the -epidemic, were being borne from the Harem to the graveyard on rough -serirs, or wooden biers peculiar to Mecca. When the procession had -passed by, I entered one of the shops and bought a couple of tin -bottles, each of which would hold about two pints of Zem-Zem water. It -is not customary to bargain over the purchasing of these articles since -they are meant to contain the water of the sacred spring. - -Across the way, in a shop full of musty manuscripts of questionable -antiquity, I chanced on a veritable treasure. This was an exquisite -copy of the Kurán in the old Kufi writing. It was plain that the -bookseller had no conception of its value, for when I asked him the -price of it he said, “Give whatever you like, and I will be content to -part with it. We must not attempt to make a profit out of the Word of -God, though it were well that we should seek to profit by its lessons.” - -The Muhammadans are not supposed “to sell” the Kurán like any other -book: a “hedieh,” or “present” goes to defray the cost of production. I -offered a “hedieh” of a Turkish pound, not so much as dreaming that the -bid would be accepted; but to my intense delight the shopkeeper, having -raised the Book to his lips, and from the lips to his eyes, and from -the eyes to his forehead, handed it to me, saying, “This is the Word of -Allah; I give it to you, earnestly begging you to pray for me when you -read it!” - -I certainly prayed for him five times that day out of a grateful heart, -and I made a point of doing so until, just before I embarked on my -homeward voyage, I looked for the precious Book only to find it gone, -along with several other valuable purchases. - -Soon after leaving the bookseller’s, being in need of rest and -refreshment, we entered a coffee-house which was literally filled with -a crowd of pilgrims of every nationality in the East. Conspicuous -in flowing abás with white and yellow stripes were two Sheykhs, who -were sitting on stools at a low table, and with them I entered into -conversation, offering them a cup of coffee each. The elder, a man -of about forty-five, belonged to the tribe of Beni Súbh, while his -companion, who was many years younger, owed allegiance to the tribe of -Owf; consequently, both of them were members of the fighting clan of -Harb Bedouins, who either live in tents about two stages from Mecca, -on the road to Medina, or reside, if they are settled Arabs, in the -towns of Rabegh, Safrá, and Fará. Of all the tribes of Harb none is -more dreaded by the pilgrims than that of Owf, more particularly are -they feared by the caravans that travel between the two holy cities. -Their power and bravery are undeniable, as was clearly proved during -the Wahhábí invasion of Hejaz. Closely allied to them are the tribes of -Beni Amere and Zobeid. - -The young Sheykh, with whom I now struck up an acquaintance, declared -that the Owf, with all their shortcomings, could teach moral lessons to -the rest of the clan, and he attributed their predatory habits to the -“overboiling spirit that was in them.” He contradicted the report that -his tribe had robbed forty Persian pilgrims of their belongings between -Heddah and Mecca, and had murdered three Syrians between Medina and -the Prophet’s birthplace. He professed strong attachment to the person -of the Sheríf, and expressed the hope that we would live to see the -union of every tribe of Arabia under his sway; in fact, he was a true -patriot, frank of speech, of engaging manners, and showing no signs of -lawless violence. - -Not less courteous was his companion. On hearing that he was a Sheykh -of Beni Sobh I asked him if he would tell me something about the famous -balsam of Mecca, for I had read that the amyris-tree, which exudes this -fragrant juice, grows on the mountain of Jébélé-Sobh, between the towns -of Rabegh and Bedre. He was good enough to comply with my request, -being a connoisseur on the subject. The trees, Bishon, as he called -them, have a straight stem, and grow to the height of about twelve -feet. In the middle of summer incisions are made by the women in the -soft bark with a special kind of knife, whereon a white juice oozes -out, and this the women collect with the thumb-nails of their right -hands, and put into a sheepskin or into a vessel of burnished copper. -The balsam, if the incisions are made later in the season, takes on a -yellowish colour, and loses a good deal of its virtue as a tonic. - -The Persian pilgrims, I was told, are unwearied in their efforts to -obtain the honey-like balm in its unadulterated form, but they rarely -succeed unless they go to the headquarters of Beni Sobh, for the stuff -sold as balsam in the Meccan bazaars is hardly ever pure. The Arabs -themselves can detect by the smell whether it is adulterated or not. -Fortunately for the pilgrims there are certain other tests which are -said to be infallible. The best balsam sinks in water, has a bright -blue flame when alight, and, if you put a drop on your finger and set -fire to it, it will burn without injuring the skin. The Persian traders -mix turpentine with it, probably because the yellow balsam, even when -it has not been “doctored,” smells of that resinous substance, but the -Arabs adulterate the white balsam with inoffensive oils of several -kinds. Every morning the pilgrims who could afford to buy the precious -tonic would take a drop in their tea or their coffee, and I know from -experience that it has the most invigorating effect on the nervous -system. - -The senna of Mecca, which is exported to Persia, to Central Asia, and -to Syria, is also a product of the country of the tribesmen of Beni -Sobh, who may be regarded as the richest and most peaceful of the -tribes of Harb, reaping as they do the produce of their rich valleys -without molesting the caravans in the hope of spoil. The date-tree is -cultivated by them, my friend the Sheykh being the fortunate possessor -of over a thousand trees. It surprised me to hear that these palms are -sold not by the grove but by the tree, and, as it sometimes happens, -the dates of a single tree may belong to two or more owners. When a -tree has to be fructified, the gardener, having laid bare the female -spathe and shaken over it the male pollen, sings in a low voice, -saying: “Please God, you will thrive and be fruitful.” - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE TALISMAN-MONGER - - -On leaving the coffee-house (Kahvé-Kháné) we heard the voice of a -muezzin calling to prayers. It was noon. “Listen,” said Seyyid ’Alí, -“I know the Mullá well; he has the soul of a saint and the voice of an -angel.” Emotional, the tears ran down ’Alí’s cheeks in streams; then, -drying his eyes, his whole face shone as from some sudden light within -him. The scoffer was mute--silenced by the majestic melody of that -far-flung summons; but it must not be supposed that any translation -in English could reflect the dignity of the original Arabic, the most -devotional tongue ever spoken by the lips of man: - - Mighty is the Lord! Mighty is the Lord! - Mighty is the Lord! Mighty is the Lord! - I bear witness, there is no god but God! - I bear witness, there is no god but God! - I bear witness, Muhammad is the messenger of God! - I bear witness, Muhammad is the messenger of God! - Come hither to prayers! Come hither to prayers! - Come hither to salvation! Come hither to salvation! - God is Great! There is no other god than God! - -[Illustration: AN EGYPTIAN GROCER.] - -The words swept over the city like a storm cloud, fraught with -darkness, thunder, and lightning--symbols these of the mysteries, -the threats, and the promises of the Faith. The mere sound of the -full-throated syllables, even to one who had no Arabic, would, however -obscure it might be, suggest something alike threatening and revealing. -It was as though some moonless desert had found a tongue to proclaim -to-morrow’s sunrise. - -“By my life!” cried Seyyid ’Alí, “why, this human voice, acknowledging -the might of the most Mighty, finds its way to the core of being. I -do repent in that I did make mock of the engraver of seals. He was a -righteous man, and of excellent courtesy and address. I have committed -a fault. I have eaten dirt. I am the humblest of his servants. Come, -yá-Moulai, let us hasten to say the Fátihah within the holy precincts -of the Harem.” This prayer runs: - -“Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds, the Compassionate, the -Merciful, the King of the Day of Judgment. Thee do we worship, and of -Thee do we seek help. Lead us in the right way, the way of those to -whom Thou hast been gracious, not of those with whom thou art angry, -nor of those who go astray.” - -This, the opening chapter of the Kurán, is held in special veneration -by the Muhammadans, by whom it is sometimes called the chapter of -prayer, of thanksgiving, of treasure, and is repeated by them as often -as the Christians repeat the Lord’s Prayer. Not less precious is the -sublime passage in the second Súra, descriptive of the Divine Majesty, -and entitled Ayatu’l-Kúrsí--that is, being translated, the Verse of the -Throne. It runs something like this: - -“God, save whom there is no God, is the living, the self-subsisting -one. Slumber overpowereth Him not, nor sleep. Unto Him belongeth -whatsoever is in the heavens, and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is -he that shall intercede with Him, save through His good pleasure? He -knoweth that which is past, and that which is to come unto them; and -they understand not a single iota of His knowledge, except so far as -He hath willed. His firmament spans the heavens and the earth, the -preservation whereof doth not distress Him. And He is the most High, -the most Supreme.” - -Having said our prayers, my guide and I, we left the Harem and returned -to the bazaars. The smell of burning aloe-wood drew our eyes to a shop -where combs seemed to be the only purchasable articles. These combs, -made of ebony, were of two kinds. The first, used by the men, are -called male combs. They are provided with a single row of teeth. The -others, known as female combs, have teeth on both sides. We passed on. -A man bearing a sheepskin was hawking honey, like the water of the eye -for purity. It is brought down to the Meccan markets by the Arabs of -the clan of Beni Salem, another branch of the tribe of Harb, who also -dwell not far from Rabegh, and are more numerous than the two tribes -aforementioned, whose Sheykhs we had the pleasure of meeting in the -coffee-house. Among the countless hawkers thronging the thoroughfares -not a single Arab milkman did we see. We met only one milkman, and he -was an Indian. For milk-selling is not a popular pursuit in Arabia. -Indeed, it carries with it the stigma of an ineffaceable disgrace, -the term “milk-seller” having come to bear the meaning of “bastard.” -In like manner the Persians make use of the expression “mást-kash,” -sour milk carrier, on the rare occasions when they are driven to -reprove a mean flatterer. The first shop we entered was that of a -draper who drove a remunerative trade in winding-sheets. There we -noticed the poorer side of the East. Crowds of beggars--not necessarily -poverty-stricken--were practising their lucrative business. Some were -weeping, many were malingering, and one was really dead. There was no -bargaining over the prices of the grave-clothes. Every purchaser chose -the one he could afford to buy. While I was selecting mine Seyyid ’Alí -intervened, saying, in an undertone: - -“Yá-Moulai, allow me to persuade you to buy the oldest you can find, -to the end that Nakír and Munkar, when you come to die (God forbid), -may pass you by as having already answered their cross-examination -as to your spiritual preparedness. For my own part, being in sound -health--praise be to God on high!--I have no faith whatever in the -existence of those Inquisitors. I am of the opinion of the Persian -grandee who, having stuffed the mouth of his dead groom with grain, -and having opened the grave in due course, found the grain still in -the groom’s mouth, and cried: ‘This is proof positive that he never -answered Munkar and Nakír, and strong presumptive evidence that no such -Inquisitors exist!’ Nay, grow not impatient with me. Am I not the least -of thy slaves?” - -The sceptical rogue chuckled, emitting a sound like that of a camel -drinking water. The winding-sheet I bought cost about fifteen -shillings. Later on I had it washed in the water of Zem-Zem. It -measures about 8ft. by 4ft. In the middle the figure of a cypress -tree is inscribed with the Verse of the Throne as a protection to the -wearer from the Percussion of the grave; and other verses from the same -chapter of Al-Beghar surround the hem thereof. For the life of me I -could not help being sorry that I should not see myself in it as others -would see me--a reflection which nearly stifled my guide with laughter. -“Since you are still a good enough Muslim to be superstitious,” said -he, “I would suggest that we should next visit a talisman-monger’s, for -there you would find charms to protect you against the Evil Eye and the -contagion of every disease.” Thither, therefore, we bent our steps. - -The talisman-monger, as I discerned from his features, stern and -passive, and from the determination of mind underlying them, was -half-Turk, half-Syrian. The Syrians are of a resolute character, and -seldom take a step that does not bring them nearer to the end they -keep ever in view. In this regard they are the antithesis of the -Egyptians, who seem utterly aimless if left to their own devices. In -their attitude towards work the Syrians are more persevering than the -Persians, and less conceited in character. They are at their best -as men of action. As men of thought they are inferior both to the -Persians, who are the Hamlets of the East, and to the Bedouins, whose -wild, imaginative spirits equip them for pillage and for poetry alike. -They are extremely fond of music, these cheery sons of a flowery soil, -though here, again, they must yield the palm to the fiery clansmen of -the Arabian deserts. The charm-seller, a characteristic specimen of -his race, an excellent business man, was taken completely by surprise -when I asked him to give a name to a certain cornelian set in silver -gilt and inscribed with a Kurán text. “May God protect me from Satan,” -he muttered in pious horror. “Here is a Muhammadan who knows not a -Bábághúli!” Then, recovering slowly from his astonishment, he went -on to explain that it is worn by a Muslim child in commemoration of -the Aghigheh sacrifice, and I may repeat here that it forms the chief -feature of the cover design to this volume. - -After much bargaining I bought a Bábághúli for a couple of Turkish -pounds, and found in it, beyond its usual interest, a magnificent -example of Perso-Syrian work. The cornelian, which is circular in shape -and slightly raised in the middle, is of a rosy shade, and measures -about an inch in circumference. On it is engraved, in the finest Naskh -writing, a short chapter of the Kurán, which must have cost the artist -half-a-year’s labour. The stone is set in silver of a floral design, -with two loops or links, through which are threaded strings of gold -ending with tassels and a running noose for fastening round the arm. -Round the centre stone are inlaid twenty-two rubies and emeralds, in -alternate order, eleven of each. These stones alone, though they are -not cut properly, are worth three times as much as I gave for the -whole thing. I made haste to tie the Bábághúli round my biceps, more -from fear of theft than any superstitious motive, and promised not to -part with it in any circumstances; whereat my guide, sneering, said, -“May the devil give you a wide berth, yá-Moulai!” the talisman-monger -endorsing the wish by adding, “May it be auspicious.” - -The wearing of a túgh, or silver chain, to which is attached a silver -bowl called kashkúl, is confined to the Shiahs. It is worn round the -neck by many Persian boys, and is changed every year until the boy is -nine years old. By the end of that time he has nine chains laid by. -These are sent, as propitiatory offerings, to the shrine of some saint, -that of Abbas in Kerbela being the most sacred. Thus it comes about -that a boy, so long as he wears the túgh, is called “the dog of Abbas,” -and is said to be under the special protection of that saintly man. I -turned to my guide. “How is it,” said I, “that he is called Abbas’s -dog, and not ‘Allah’s dog,’ or, more becomingly still, ‘Allah’s child’?” - -“I will answer you in a parable,” replied Seyyid ’Alí. “There was -once a certain man who owned a flock of sheep. Every morning, when he -drove his flock out of the fold to the pasture-land, he would say, ‘O -Abbas, keep watch over my sheep, which I leave in your protection;’ -and then he would go about his work until it was time to drive the -sheep home again. One day he was too busy to act as shepherd, and so -he sent his son in his stead. The boy, having brought the sheep to the -grazing ground, said within himself: ‘I wonder why my father leaves -the sheep in the care of Abbas. Did not Allah create them as well as -him? Assuredly my father has committed a fault.’ And, so thinking, he -left the sheep in charge of their Creator. Now it happened that, Abbas -having resigned his office, a pack of wolves passed by, and, being -famished, spared not even a lamb: so that when the father went in -search of the sheep, he could not find a single one. Having questioned -his son, he learned the truth. ‘Silly boy,’ said he, ‘knowest thou not -that Allah takes care of all his creatures, of the wolves as well as of -the sheep, whereas Abbas, listening to our entreaties, would keep the -beasts of prey from attacking our flocks and herds? Be wiser to-morrow -than you were this morning.’ So you see, yá-Moulai, that there is no -use in trying to be anything to Allah beyond what one really is.” - -At the end of nine years these chains are valued, and the price of -them is distributed among the poor, after which they are sent to -the shrine of Abbas. To the chain a pair of hands made of silver is -sometimes hung, in memory of Abbas, whose hands were cut off on the -plain of Kerbela. The talisman-monger had hundreds of these chains and -bowls and hands in his shop, and also, among other things, heaps of -mázús, or oak-apples. These oak-apples are used as charms by nearly -all Muhammadans. Those in the shop were of two kinds. Some were nearly -black and perfectly circular; others were of a light brown colour and -spheroid in shape. Among those of a spheroidal shape was a mázú of -exceptional beauty, evidently intended for a woman. The two ends of the -hollow spheroid were set in silver with numerous figures exquisitely -chased, one group of which was that of a female slave handing over the -heart of her young mistress to the expectant lover. This particular -kind of mázú, I was told, is suspended on a chain and worn on their -breasts by the women. Other oak-apples are seen hanging from the tip of -children’s caps on a silk band, along with prayer-bags made of green -velvet and containing texts from the Holy Scriptures. - -Meanwhile my guide, having struck up acquaintance with a countryman -of his from Hamadan, was engaged in conversation with him. This new -friend, Murshid Khan by name, was a tall swarthy fellow. He had come to -buy a chip of the sacred tree talh’, an acacia which has small round -golden blossoms, whereof he related the following legend: - -“Many centuries ago a certain peasant went to cut wood in a forest -near the city of Hamadan. This he had been wont to do every winter in -order to eke out his livelihood, during the cold weather, as is still -the custom among the peasantry in our parts. Now, it chanced that his -axe struck against a branch of a talh’ which, as it happened, was in -the way of the tree he was felling. To his consternation a stream of -blood oozed out, followed by cries the most pitiable he had ever heard. -They seemed, in their distressful anguish, to come from the heart of -a mother that had lost her child. The axe fell from the peasant’s -hand, and he himself sank to the ground in a faint. When he recovered -consciousness it was to look for the talh’ ... only to find it gone! He -returned to the city as fast as his legs would carry him and there he -told his story, which was spread abroad among the people. And from that -day to this the wood of the talh’ has been regarded as sacred. Children -use it in the place of mázús, and barren women, if they hang a chip of -it above their beds for the space of forty consecutive Fridays, will -bear children in due course. This is so.” - -Here the guide, Seyyid ’Alí, interrupted the speaker, saying: “Light -of my heart, thou speakest the truth. In my country, in the town of -Behbehan, near Shíráz, we have a famous way of protecting our women -folk against the attacks of Aal--that cursed ogress who comes to cut -out the liver of every mother after the birth of her child. First we -draw four lines round the walls of the house; then at each of the four -corners we plant a branch of the talh’ tree; and a dagger, with an -onion atop, is stuck in the ground facing the door. This is the only -possible way of keeping Aal out--may she be accursed!” - -“Sarkár,” said Murshid Khan, turning to me, “I have, with these two -eyes of mine, seen things beyond belief, though I believe in them -myself, and many a true believer shares the belief with me.” Here he -turned his face in the direction of the Harem, raised his eyes, and -cried: “By the owner of this Harem, the truth of my story is this: I -had a sister, by name Javáher, who became Jinni, Jinnstruck, when she -was ten years old. She had been of an equal mind until one day she went -into a field in Hamadan, where a servant was milking the goats. It -appears that she spilt the milk by accidentally kicking over the bowl -containing it, and thenceforward her mind was troubled: she was Jinni. -Now we people of Hamadan accounted ourselves lucky in that there lived -among us a pious Mullá ’Alí, whose extraordinary capabilities were a -matter of wonder and adoration. As a Jinn-gir, or Jinn-trapper, he was -unrivalled. Him, therefore, we called in that he might cast out the -Jinn that had disturbed the peace of my sister’s mind. When he came -he brought with him his famous tás--a bowl used for ablutions--and a -long white sheet. Having filled the tás, he ordered my sister to sit -down beside it and to gaze into the water. Then he threw the sheet -over the child and the bowl, and made certain passes with a wand he -held in his right hand. Whereupon, as we noticed to our terror, there -arose a mighty stir beneath the sheet, as though a host were fighting -there. On a signal from Mullá ’Alí the tumult ceased and all was in -a hush. Suddenly, the good priest, calling my sister by her name, -said: ‘What do you see there?’ And my sister replied, in a dreamy, -awestruck whisper: ‘O, Mullá ’Alí, I see him seated gloriously on a -throne studded with precious gems, and hundreds of attendants, both -men and women, are kneeling before him. It is the King of the Jinns.’ -‘And what do you hear? be attentive!’ said the priest. ‘One little -Jinn,’ replied my sister, in a terror-stricken voice, ‘is prostrating -herself before his Majesty, and this is what she says: “Javáher--may -she be punished--spilled a bowl of milk a month ago, and hurt my toes, -and I have been lame ever since. Though my friends have cast a spell -over her, I must request your Majesty to increase her punishment, that -she may learn to fear the displeasure of our King.” Oh, oh, oh! How -she cries and weeps before the throne of his Majesty; I am fainting.’ -‘Beg her humbly to forgive you, and promise to be more careful in the -future, and all will be well,’ cried Mullá ’Alí. It was impossible to -doubt the sincerity of my sister’s repentance, and when the priest -removed the sheet, which he did so soon as my sister had made her -appeal before the throne, behold my sister was in her right mind -once more. I forgot to say that before the removal of the covering -a neighbour came in, saying that he had lost a gold diamond ring, -probably by theft. So the priest commanded my sister to ask the Jinn -she had injured to tell her where the ring was. The Jinn in question -was good enough to mention the thief by name, much to the delight of -our neighbour, who subsequently recovered his property. I can assure -you, Sarkár, that this last proof of the Mullá’s power made Hamadan -the safest city in Persia. Theft was unknown there. May Mullá ’Alí have -a long life!” - -The talisman-monger was the next to speak. He said: “You must know that -I am not always in Mecca. I come here for the three journeying months, -then I return to Smyrna, where I have two shops of this nature in the -bazaars. Next to one of my shops there is a small coffee-house, whither -I go for refreshment in my leisure hours. About three years ago there -came to Smyrna a man named Dervish Ibrahim, from Turkistan. Everybody -except myself believed in the supernatural power of this dervish, who -wore a white beard on a shining face. One evening, when I had closed my -shop and was proceeding home, I found the dervish seated on the front -bench of the coffee-house, surrounded by his followers. He called me by -my name--Abdullah-ben-Jafar--though it had never been mentioned before -him, and when I went to him he said: ‘I can see from your face that you -scoff at the power of talismans, though you sell them to those who are -wiser than yourself, and therein show yourself possessed of some share -of wisdom. It is my humour to-night to reveal to you a single drop -of the ocean of omnipotence. Come, take this scrap of paper, whereon -I have written a few words to the dead, carry it to the neighbouring -cemetery, bury it in the sand near the entrance, and bring back to me -a handful of the sand. Be careful, on returning, not to look behind -you, for, if you do so, you will be torn in a million pieces that will -be distributed among those that lie there. Look ahead, and your life -will be safe.’ Well, curiosity possessed me, and off I went. When I -had buried the scrap of paper, and taken up a handful of sand, I heard -thunder and the voices of the dead crying, ‘Oh, Abdullah-ben-Jafar, -take not the sand away, else you will be cut in bits. Stop! Stop! -Stop!’ I shuddered all over my body, and lost consciousness suddenly. -When I awoke it was to see the sun rising. I hurried to the dervish, -and kissed his feet, and implored him to forgive me for having doubted -his power to work miracles.” - -This story-telling had attracted a number of pilgrims, who, to the -exaltation of the talisman-monger, fell to examining his curiosities -with a view to business. After every purchase, Abdullah-ben-Jafar -raised his hands to heaven, and cried: “Praise be to God on high! May -His kindness be increased!” - - - - -CHAPTER III - -SEYYID ’ALÍ’S STORY OF HIS REDEMPTION - - -On leaving the talisman-monger’s we went about our shopping in the -Meccan bazaars, my guide pointing out to me the places of interest on -the way. He grew excited when we passed a certain coffee-house, from -within whose doors, as he assured me, he had escaped from himself -into the bosom of the Beloved more times than he could count. “There -are better ways of ascending into heaven, yá-Moulai,” he exclaimed, -ecstatically, “than by being buried underground!” He paused as if to -give me the opportunity of begging him to explain the connection; but -all I said in reply was that a Tower of Silence would scarcely suit one -whose tongue was for ever on the wag. - -“’Tis true,” he affirmed, in no way disconcerted, “the birds of prey -are not to my liking. I would discourse of the parrot of mysteries, -that hath opened to me the gates of Paradise more than once. If your -Excellency would acquaint himself with----” I interrupted him, saying: -“Are you speaking of hashísh, my friend? If you are, let me tell you -that I have no wish to renew my experience of the drug.” And when I -hurried on, he drew a deep breath, but whether of disappointment or of -relief I couldn’t make out. “In that coffee-house, yá-Moulai,” he said -at last, “you might have tasted of every narcotic of the drowsy East: -of hashísh, the master Seyyid, or the Parrot of Mysteries, an acquired -taste; of bang, a most potent liberator of thought; and, lastly, of -opium, which is, as we Persians have it, the Antidote, the healer of -every ill except the one it engenders. I was once a well-seasoned -vafurí (opium-smoker), and could discourse of mysteries more eloquently -than any dervish. My nose would grow wet every time I smoked a pipe -of hashísh and my imagination bear me on its wings to the seventh -heaven, or plunge me into the lowest hell. Those were days of spiritual -intoxication--yá-Allah. What cured me of drug-bibbing was the dread of -remaining in the abode of the damned.” - -He sauntered on, telling over the beads of his rosary. “Never,” he -cried suddenly, “shall I forget the last pipe of hashísh I smoked.” I -followed him up on the scent of a story. “Come,” said I, “tell me your -tale, and have done with it.” - -“Well, it was at Shíráz; I was in the society of some twenty matured -dervishes, and the year was at the spring and the sun was set. I never -hear a nightingale, nor smell a rose, but I can taste that kalyan -of hashísh and tobacco. Not that I was conscious at the time of any -stomachic qualm. Not more than half-a-dozen whiffs were enough to speed -me on my way into a world in which this mortal flesh lay shuddering -at the terrible aspect of things--terrible beyond the imagination of -the unenlightened to conceive. Supper was brought in. Among the dishes -laid before me was a plate of piláw, dome-shaped, having on top a -multitude of round pieces of meat, and these, to my exceeding terror, -came tumbling down the pyramid of white rice, owing to the carelessness -of the servant in handling the dish. But what did I, in my excited -fancy, behold, yá-Moulai? I thought I was at the foot of a snow-clad -mountain, whose crest dwarfed that of Demavend, and from the summit -thereof there came hurtling down on me huge boulders of massy rock. I -cried aloud in terror, and tried to hide myself in the corner of the -room. My friends, the dervishes, laid hold of me, and carried me into -the compound, and flung me into the tank, and in so doing they cheated -me to believe that a host of angels had rescued me from the avalanche, -and, bearing me into Paradise, had cast me into the living waters of -Salsabíl. For, on opening my eyes, I saw a heavenly houri, whose face -shone as the face of the sun. Her feet were on the earth, but her head -reached as high as the fourth heaven. How could I--a man of ordinary -stature--make love to a houri whose height, even among the ladies of -Paradise, must have been a swallow’s flight above the average? True, -I might sit in adoration at her feet, but that a taller man than I -would have the pleasure of kissing her lips seemed only too likely. -This thought was blasphemy in itself; and no sooner did it creep into -this unregenerate mind of mine than two angels caught me by the hands -and threw me into the burning furnace of hell. And this sudden change -in my fortunes corresponded with the actions of my friends in taking -me out of the tank and putting me to bed, and applying a hot remedy to -what they believed to be a cold disease. Yá-Allah, how I burned, but -without consuming, in that fire of the unredeemed. I cried for help, -but Allah--may I be His sacrifice--cast me still deeper into the hell -of His displeasure, saying, ‘He who would worship me must worship me -in soberness and sincerity! Eschew all narcotics, O Seyyid ’Alí, lest -I leave thee here to perish in the flames.’ Then repentance wrung my -heart so that the tears started to my eyes and overflowed. And when -that happened a wind from heaven blew, and I caught sight of a cloud -of sun-lit hair--the hair of the divine houri who had previously -overawed me--and these radiant tresses were wafted by the wind within -arms’ reach of my despair. I clutched them in these two hands. The -exhilaration of a swift ascent filled my soul with thanksgiving, and a -shriek--like a throb of pain--darted through me from without, striking -on the drum of consciousness within me. In other words, I awoke to -find myself lying at home, with a handful of my wife’s hair pressed -to my lips in rapture. How I came to be there I never discovered, but -the mother of my children explained to me with many words that the too -forcible removal of the hair I held in my fingers had left a bald patch -on the crown of her head. And this, yá-Moulai, is the true story of my -redemption.” - -Meanwhile, we had reached the northern extremity of Mussah-street, -where in a shop I noticed a number of small bags of yellow leather -containing, as Seyyid ’Alí informed me, the celebrated henna of Wady -Fatima. This valley, called after the Prophet’s daughter, the wife -of ’Alí, his cousin, is situated about eight hours’ journey to the -north-west of Mecca, on the road to Medina. The whole neighbourhood -abounds in the shrub from whose pounded leaves the henna paste is -produced. The act of dyeing the hair with henna is known by the name -of khezab, and is so popular among the Muhammadans of both sexes that -it has come to be almost a religious rite. Many a devout dyes his -hands and feet and hair once a week, the paste giving to the skin an -orange-reddish colour, and deepening the original shade of dark hair to -a ruddy black. On the hammám day the henna is taken to the bath; the -attendant forms it into a paste in small dishes used for the purpose -and called jamé-henna; the decoction should be allowed to stand for -half an hour before it is applied to the skin and the hair. There -are special women artists who draw, on the soles of the feet and the -palms of the hands, all manner of pictures with this dye. Not less -than eight hours are devoted to the practice, the victims--women, -of course--lying with outstretched limbs, for the henna “to take its -colour.” - -If one neglects to make use of the dye one runs the risk of bringing -misfortune and leprosy on one’s whole family. The henna of Wady Fatima, -which has a perfume peculiar to itself, is considered particularly -blessed. I was told by the shopkeeper--a prejudiced person, no -doubt--that the Devil himself could be rendered harmless to the Muslim -who should dye his hands once a week and employ an apt quotation from -the Kurán, always provided he were not clad in ihrám. The assurance -that he had sold one hundred thousand bags of the precious dye to the -pilgrims within the month gave me a lively notion of the credulity of -his customers. - -Next day I had an opportunity of witnessing the funeral of one of -the chief priests of Mecca, who had died of cholera. The procession, -despite the panic created by the epidemic, was of considerable length. -Half a dozen mullás, intoning passages of the perspicuous Book, led -the way. These were followed by twelve unkempt dervishes in quaint -uniforms, reciting in unison the praises of the dead priest. Then came -the rough bier peculiar to Mecca on the shoulders of ten pilgrims of -as many nationalities. The son, supported by two stalwart priests, and -the chief mourners came next, and after them the women, about twenty -in number, and a crowd of beggars, who had heard that the flesh of -two camels was to be distributed among them. Every now and then, as -we noticed on watching the procession pass by, the bearers would be -relieved of their burden by the most eager among the bystanders, for -it is a tradition that seventy thousand angels will praise the man who -lends a helping hand in carrying the dead to the cemetery. A frequent -cry went up of “O Lord, may his sins be forgiven him. Praise be with -Muhammad and with his people.” - -“Yá-Moulai,” said Seyyid ’Alí, “you saw how the people lent their -assistance in order to win the approval of the angels? Well, I will -tell you of a clever trick performed in Mecca last year by four Sunnis -who had murdered a Shiah in a lodging-house. One of the assassins was -chosen by the arbitrament of the _estakhhareh_ to buy the bier and -to bring it to the house where the body lay. That being done, the -mutilated corpse was laid inside by the four men, who, so to speak, -bore the burden of their misdeed into the street. The passers-by, -seeing a funeral, hastened to offer their help in carrying the -corpse to its resting-place. No sooner was each one of the assassins -relieved than he made good his escape, so that by the time the -washing-house was reached the culprits had all disappeared. The crime -was detected when the body was taken out to be washed. Suspicion fell -on the bearers--half a dozen strange pilgrims who had lent a willing -shoulder--and they were brought before the Kazi on the charge of -murder. They only escaped death by paying a heavy sum in blood money.” - -We pursued our course eastward to the temporary Syrian bazaar called -Sughé-Shami. Goods from all parts of Syria--from the town of Smyrna to -the remotest fastness of Lebanon--were to be found there. The Syrians -drove a lively trade in silk stuffs from Damascus and Aleppo, as well -as in European cotton prints and in steel ware. The steel ware was -sold as “Inglisi,” though it was generally of German manufacture, -imported into Asia Minor either direct from the Fatherland or from -Constantinople. I saw “Inglisi” silk umbrellas, with what appeared to -be silver handles, priced at half a mejidi, or about two shillings. -German watches, guaranteed to be “Inglisi,” could be bought at a cost -varying from four to ten shillings. On the other hand, Persian carpets -were far more expensive there than they are in London, and so also -were Turkish ones. Silk headgear called _chepi_ and silk kerchiefs -called _kefi_ were in great request among the Bedouins, who purchased, -besides, the dried fruits of Syria. There were many coffee-houses _à -la turque_, where story-tellers recited in flowery language, either -Arabic or Turkish, the tales of the Arabian Nights. Some pilgrims might -sit listening from sunrise to sunset, but my guide and I, having drunk -a cup of coffee, proceeded on our way, past the Prophet’s birthplace, -to the Moamil or pottery bazaar. There, as I watched the potters at -work, I couldn’t help quoting the immortal lines of Omar Khayyám, as -translated by Fitzgerald: - - “For I remember stopping by the way - To watch a potter thumping his wet clay; - And with its all-obliterated Tongue - It murmur’d--‘Gently, Brother, gently, pray.’” - -Thence, in the Sughé-Lail, the carpenters have their niches. My guide -told me a story of a Meccan carpenter who went once to measure a -doorway of one of the houses in the neighbourhood. Having forgotten -his yard measure he calculated the width by opening his arms. Then, -still keeping his arms in the same position, he hastened back to his -shop. On the way he fell down a well; the people gathered round; and -one among them threw him a rope, but the carpenter refused to catch -hold of it, lest he might change the measurement of the doorway. “Ah, -my friend,” said I, “there I waited for you. That story is taken from -‘Mullá Nasiru’-Din,’ a book satirising the mock piety and the folly of -the priests. You must be more careful in choosing the tales you would -foist on my credulity.” And so wrangling we reach the cattle market. - -Now, kindness to animals is specially recommended by Muhammad, but -his followers have still much to learn in practice. The sheep and -cattle are driven to the market in the early morning, before sunrise, -and, unless they are sold, must remain all day long without anything -to eat or to drink. The condition of some of the sheep was pitiful. -The camels, that are not accustomed to be for ever nibbling like the -sheep, appeared to suffer less from the deprivation of food. In that -quarter of the town nearly all the tradesmen, whether cattle-sellers, -butchers, fruiterers, or grocers, were Bedouins, dwelling in their -encampments inside the town, and holding themselves aloof from the -Arab townsmen and the foreigners. In manners, customs, and morality -they have suffered but little change from the time of the Prophet, -for, unlike the Meccans themselves, they have borrowed none of the -characteristics of their co-religionists from alien countries. They -forbid their women to be on intimate terms with the townswomen; and -when you meet them buying and selling in the market place they are -always extremely reserved, and sometimes not less haughty in their -demeanour towards you. For the frankness which is their most pleasing -quality in their canvas cities is held in restraint so soon as they -take up their quarters in Mecca during the pilgrimage. The women, both -rich and poor, work hard, in most cases even harder than the men, and -that is why they wear, in contrast to the townswomen, who are corpulent -and comely, an appearance of being as muscular as they are lean and -sun-baked. Near the cattle market we saw some low shops and warehouses -in which corn and provisions were being sold by Indians and Egyptians -to some Bedouins who had entered the town in order to replenish their -supplies, and there, too, the out-going caravans are wont to take -in their eatables for the homeward journey. Rice and wheat are the -commodities which are most needed by the Bedouins of Hejaz, and in -these the southern Indians carry on a brisk trade with the interior of -that barren province. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -HEALING BY FAITH - - -Two things play an important part in the family life of Persia. The -first of these, the yearly almanac or _taghvím_ is studied with a -pathetic trust by all. In a day that has been marked unlucky they see -the frustration of their hopes and prayers, however perseveringly -they may strive, by earnest effort, to elude the working of the -fateful stars and to bring about the consummation of their wishes. -“The most blessed hour for prayer,” I was told by one of them, “is -when the planet Jupiter is in conjunction with the culminating point -of the firmament.” And when I began to argue with him, he said in -astonishment: “Have you no faith in _estakhhareh_ either?” I replied: -“If you can prove to me by any passage in the Kurán that God will lend -his advice to the Muslim who shall consult Him through the beads of -a rosary, I will believe in the _taghvím_, the _estakhhareh_, or any -_fáll_ or omen you care to mention. But, first, let me be sure that -I understand the method of making an _estakhhareh_. Having read a -verse of the Holy Scriptures, you place the finger on a bead, then, -counting the beads from that point to the nearer end of the thread, -you believe that God will grant you your heart’s desire provided the -number be odd, but that He will refuse your request if it be even. Am I -right?” “Certainly,” he replied; “for if my prayer be reasonable and -I deserving in the sight of God, He will assuredly guide my hand.” “It -is obvious,” I retorted, “that God can and does guide His slaves; but -I deny that He shares your belief in the luck of odd numbers. Let the -Prophet be my intercessor. This is what he says: - -“‘Do ye acquire knowledge, for he who acquireth knowledge in God’s -service performeth an act of piety; he who giveth utterance to it -praiseth the Lord; he who is diligent in search of it worshipeth God; -and he who imparteth it offereth sacrifice to Him.’ Now, your faith -is rooted not in knowledge, but in superstition. Look around you, and -you will see the wonders of God in the working of laws immutably just, -eternally the same. I tell you that action and reaction are equal -and opposite, that the ordered weal and woe are the results of our -own actions good and evil, and I advise you to put on the armour of -knowledge in the desert less you fall a victim to the superstitious of -whom you now are one. ‘The ink of the scholar,’ the Prophet tells us, -‘is more holy than the blood of the martyr.’” - -My opponent, however, remained unconvinced. He assured me that his -spiritual director would not dream of wearing a new ’abá without first -consulting the _taghvím_, nor would he take it on himself to administer -a dose of medicine to a sick child without asking God, through the -beads of his rosary or the pages of the Kurán, whether the remedy would -be efficacious or not. Of the progress of medical science the Shi’ah -pilgrims knew nothing. - -[Illustration: A PERSIAN PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY.] - -Galen and Avicenna are still regarded as the leading masters of the -profession, and their treatises are the only ones that are studied. -Diseases are divided into hot and cold. A cold remedy is applied to a -hot disease, and a hot remedy to a cold one. The doctors bleed patients -suffering from malarial fever. They keep small-pox endemic by their -curious remedies. Silver armlets containing texts out of the Kurán -are worn as preservatives of health. The saints and _estakhharehs_ are -sometimes the only doctors. “The One who sends fever takes it away -... Khodá rahím ast (God is merciful).... If He wants me to remain -here He will cure me.... He is the best doctor.” Offerings in money -or in sweet-meats are given to the poor for the patient’s recovery. -The money is placed under the pillow every night, and is distributed -every morning among the needy. The patient, despite the stifling -atmosphere, is persuaded to believe in a speedy recovery, everybody -telling him that he will soon be quite _kushdell_ or cheerful. But when -the end draws near a priest is summoned in haste, and the dying man, -if he has no just cause of complaint against a child or against his -wife, says not a word as to the distribution of his property, having -full confidence that the divine law will be religiously followed. He -instructs the priest as to the rites to be observed at his funeral and -the offerings to be paid for the peace of his soul. He may command his -sons to obey their mother and to respect their sisters. If he has no -issue he may settle his property on a school, a mosque, a saint, or a -water cistern. - -The corpse must not remain more than twenty-four hours in the house. -The hammámí, or bath-keeper, now enters the house in the capacity of -an undertaker. He places the body on a _korsi_, that is, on a raised -wooden platform in the middle of the room; a copy of the Kurán and -a decanter of rose-water are set down near the head; and a cashmere -shawl is laid over the remains. For a month or forty days after burial -a _ghari_ or hired priest keeps watch over the grave, praying for the -soul’s peace of the newly-departed, and reading the Kurán aloud. On the -night of the interment the percussion of the grave, the fesharé-ghabre, -is supposed to take place. The priest must keep on reciting a certain -passage of the Kurán, called Ayatu’l-Kúrsí or the Verse of the Throne, -in order to extend the space and prevent the pressure. Then come Monker -and Nakír--those livid-faced angels of death--and question the deceased -concerning his faith. If his answers be satisfactory, ’Alí will cause -him to be refreshed by the air of Paradise; if not, he will be beaten -on the temples with iron maces. - -The evening before I left Mecca for Jiddah I was suffering from a -racking headache, and my friends advised me to consult a certain Arab -physician. The curiosity to have an interview with this leech overcame -my scepticism concerning his health-giving touch, so off I went to the -east of the town where he dwelt, taking my guide with me; and there, -in a winding lane some three feet wide, we found his house. My guide -summoned the servant by banging at the outer door with his club. In -about ten minutes what we judged to be a small urchin appeared behind -the door and asked us in a piping treble what we wanted. Having assured -himself that we were not Bedouin Arabs bent on pillaging the sacred -house, he drew back the bars, bidding us enter in the name of God the -Merciful and Clement. - -The courtyard through which we passed was unpaved and not more than -five yards square. The apartments--six fetid cells--ranged round -three sides of it. The hakím’s room faced the door. We walked in with -the greeting “Salám ’aleykum! Peace be unto you!” The faith-healer -was seated cross-legged on a mat in a corner of the cell. He rose -to receive us, saying “Bismillah! in the name of God!” the Eastern -equivalent of “Please come in.” He was of middle height, lean, of a -pleasing countenance; his eyes were deep-set, brilliant, smiling; his -beard measured the span of a man’s hand; and his teeth flashed between -lips framed for laughter. He wore a white handkerchief round his head, -and a long blue gown reached to his ankles. Nothing could exceed the -courtesy of our host. As a mark of respect, he insisted on my taking -his place; my guide, heaving a “Yá-Allah!” and a sigh of relief, sank -to my side on the left; while the sunny-faced saint, squatting at -my right hand, turned a beaming eye on his trusty henchboy, who was -standing in the doorway, waiting for the orders of his lord and master. - -In the East they never break the ice of silence with a remark on the -weather. The customary opening is to inquire if you are in health. I -told the doctor, in answer to his question, that I had a bad headache, -and had come to him to be cured. When he had raised his hands and -cried out “Yá-Muhammad!” thereby invoking the Prophet to lend him -the assistance he required, it was to ask me on which side the head -ached. I touched the spot, whereon he fell to rubbing it vigorously -with the palm of his right hand, calling out the while to the urchin -to fetch the necessary apparatus for the forthcoming operation. The -boy disappeared. In a few minutes he came back, bearing in both his -hands a round hollow plate of clay in which were a few lumps of burning -charcoal. - -The next things he brought in were a couple of round iron rods about -twice the length of an ordinary pencil, together with a cup filled with -a black fluid used as ink and composed, if I mistake not, of a mixture -of starch and the soot of an oil lamp. The doctor thrust the rods in -the glowing charcoal. The fear of being branded bathed my brow in -sweat. The doctor, assuring me that I had no cause to be afraid, cried -out: “If we lose heart at the sight of these little rods, how much the -more shall we suffer when we feel the weight of the maces of the angels -of punishment. May God protect you from the fire of hell!” - -The tips of the rods by this time were red-hot. Having dipped them -in the cup of ink, he closed his eyes, and then raised his voice in -an incantation that lasted several minutes. Not a single word could I -understand. When it was over he opened his eyes, and, saying the word -“Bismillah,” proceeded to draw with one of the rods on my right temple -five perpendicular lines crossed by five horizontal ones, thus forming -sixteen tiny squares. The same pattern was traced on the left temple -with the second rod. Several magic hieroglyphics besides were inscribed -in the same manner behind my ears and on the nape of my neck. - -After every operation the good doctor would pause to ask me: “Is the -pain gone now?” Four times did I tell him the truth; then, fearing that -he would begin to tattoo my body, I assured the persevering little -man that I never felt better in my life. His joy knew no bounds. -Raising his hands to heaven, he cried, “Praise be to God Almighty, who -hath sent to this poor family a power so miraculous. The secret was -bequeathed to my father by the Lord God, and when my father died he -left it to me as an inheritance. On no account must you wash off the -signs until to-morrow morning; for if you do the pain will return to -punish you. The blight of the Evil Eye was the cause of your headache. -Go in peace. You are welcome.” - -The following day I set out on my homeward journey, taking Seyyid ’Alí -with me as far as Jiddah; and when I said good-bye to him I felt that -I was losing an entertaining companion. That the reader may experience -the same feeling of loss in parting from me is my dearest hope on -bidding him farewell. - -[Illustration: AN ARAB SHEYKH OF THE TOWN.] - - - - -APPENDIX - -By WILFRID SPARROY - -SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE EXISTENCE OF A SLAVE MARKET IN MECCA - - -I brought the notes of “Hájí Ráz” to a conclusion in the last chapter; -and he himself has bidden the reader farewell. It now remains for me -to say a few words on what I conceive to be the greatest weakness in -the Mussulman faith as interpreted by the Mullahs; and in so doing I -wish it to be understood, particularly by my Eastern readers, that -I am solely responsible for the opinions I am about to express on -the subject of the Mussulman’s attitude to slavery, the existence of -which, in the fourteenth century of the Hegira, must be a source of -some misgiving on the part of those who sympathise with so much in the -Muslim creed. And I appeal throughout to the enlightened laymen of our -Indian Empire, on whose interpretations of the Prophet’s message the -welfare of Islám will, in the future, depend in an ever-increasing -degree. - -Now, the British are the champions of freedom: under their flag every -man is born free. Nothing is more hateful, to their way of thinking, -than that one human being should be the slave of another. In their -opinion the quality of slavery is to brutalise both the slave and -his master--the slave by depriving him of the self-respect which is -the heritage of every man who is free to choose his own career and -to rule, within the limits of humanity, his own destiny; and the -master, by making him the owner of a human soul--a responsibility so -awful that it is far more likely to lower him to the level of a beast -than it is to raise him to the height of a god. If this, in brief, be -a fair statement of the British attitude towards slavery, it will be -interesting and, in a measure, enlightening to the reader to follow, by -way of contrast, the argument supported by the ordinary Mussulman. - -To be frank, the present-day followers of the Prophet--those who have -not been brought under the influence of European civilisation--have far -less sympathy with the opinions expressed in the opening paragraph, -than had Muhammad himself. Humanly speaking, the British crusade -against slavery is not only beyond their comprehension--it is also -above it. Their outlook on life, with its rights, its limitations, and -its responsibilities, differs fundamentally from that of the followers -of the Founder of Christianity. The Christian, who speaks of himself as -“a child of God and an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven,” believes, -if we misinterpret him not, that the first step is with him, and the -road with God. In other words, he holds the inspiriting belief, which -is, indeed, the source of all his worldly progress and his prosperity, -that God has given him the right to act of his own initiative, but -not the power--or only a circumscribed power--to foresee whither his -actions will lead him. Therefore, in calling himself “a child of God,” -he has chosen the title that would best express his independence and -his limitations. The Muhammadan, on the other hand, cannot admit -that he has the power to move of his own free will, much less the -right to do so. He holds that every true Muslim is, and must be, “the -slave of God,” the theory of free-will being to the Muslim trend -of thought so antagonistic that it has come to bear much the same -meaning as lawlessness. Hence his aversion from Europe and all its -ways. “How,” he asks, “can morality and law flourish in a continent, -in which thought is free, in which women are free, in which God’s -will is superseded by the will of man? Freedom? I say we are all the -slaves of God, even when we are the slaves of other men. There is not -one creature who is free to act. Only the Creator is free. It is our -predestined lot to be submissive to His will.” - -I hope the reader is following the thread of my argument. It is the -feeling of the East which I would attempt to lay bare. The existence -of slavery in these days is the natural outcome of that feeling. Many -a child is kept illiterate for no other reason than because its father -is illiterate. If the father is a pea-parcher or a bean-roaster, the -son must be a pea-parcher or a bean-roaster; for a son is nothing more -than a child of its father. This thraldom, to a lad of originality -and spirit, is unbearable, but he must either endure it, or else -run the risk of being an outcast. Thus the son is the slave of his -father. In his turn the father is under the bondage of his spiritual -director, who too often serves no other God than Mammon. The tendency -of the Muslim, however, is to accept the guidance of his “master” with -unquestioning humility. All might go well with him if his “master”--we -mean his priest--were always a man to be trusted, and the right man -to lead. Unfortunately the Muslim priest more often than not is more -unenlightened, more selfish, more avaricious, more unscrupulous than -most of his flock, and thus there is a danger of his enslaving the -whole fold. Poor sheep, they, believing him to be the shepherd of -God, are accustomed to follow him whithersoever he may ensnare them. -They are doomed to perish together on the rock of Predestination, -unless these “masters” can be brought to revise the interpretation -they have put on their Prophet’s teaching. Muhammad, as a matter of -fact, was careful not to draw a too narrow line between the scope and -the limitations of the human will. There is nothing in his message -which need deter a progressive Muslim from accepting the belief that -the first step is with him always, and there is no doubt that the -acceptance of such a belief by the whole Muslim world would go far -to breathe new life into the body politic. For it would give to the -imagination an ever-widening vision of human responsibility, of human -knowledge, and of human destiny. It would emancipate every race that is -proud to pay allegiance to the Prophet, and would make slavery, in its -widest as well as in its literal sense, a curse of the unredeemed past. - -“We know,” says Mr. J. H. Shorthouse, speaking in the words of an -oracular voice, addressing the King of Diamonds in a pack of cards, -“that we possess a power by which the fall of the cards is systematised -and controlled. To a higher intelligence than ours, doubtless, -combinations which seem to us inscrutable are as easily analysed -and controlled. In proportion as intellect advances we know this to -be the case, and these two would seem to run side by side into the -infinite--law, and intellect, which perceives law, until we arrive -at the insoluble problem whether law is the result of intellect or -intellect of law.” - -Now, the Mussulman, in trying to solve this problem, seems to me to -have chosen the solution which is more likely than not to paralyse -the intellect and clog the wheels of progress. For if he is oppressed -or poor or ignorant or unhappy, he may say it is God’s will that he -should be so; and thus he may remain stationary, making no effort to -keep abreast with the march of civilisation. In other words, he may -come to be a slave to his god. And so, to make an end of this preamble, -it is not surprising that in countries where most men are to some -extent slaves, socially and politically speaking, there should be men -and women who belong, as purchasable and saleable chattels, to such -families as can afford to buy them. But--and this is an all-important -point--the Prophet wrought his manly utmost to mitigate the ill-effects -of slavery: it flourished exceedingly, as every schoolboy knows, long -before his time, and in other countries besides his own; but, thanks -to Muhammad’s laws, the lot of the slaves of Islám was, and is still, -immensely happier than was ever that of the slaves of pagan Rome or -of Christian North America. It is related that Abdullah Ansari went -one day to visit the Prophet, and received from him the following -instructions; “On this the last Friday of Ramazán, you must devote -yourself ‘to taking leave’ of the month, and to redeeming as many -slaves as you can: and these things you must do in order that God -may be gracious unto you.” The “leave-taking,” be it known to the -reader, is practised every year, but the old custom of setting one’s -slaves free on the last day of the congregation of the Muslim Lent has -completely died out. However, though it was not possible for Muhammad -to abolish slavery in a lifetime, the system being far too deeply -rooted in the customs of the country, he fully realised the oppression -to which the slaves had been subjected, and left nothing undone which -would ameliorate their fate. - -Thus, in Súra xxiv. of the Kurán, entitled “Light,” it is written: -“And unto such of your slaves as desire a written instrument allowing -them to redeem themselves on the payment of a certain sum, write one, -if ye know good in them: that is, if ye have found them faithful, and -have reason to believe they will fulfil their engagement; and give -them likewise of the riches of God which He hath given you, either by -bestowing on them of your own substance or by abating them a part of -their ransom.” Some commentators believe the last admonition to be -addressed not only to the masters but to Muslims in general, making -it an obligation on them all to assist those who have obtained their -liberty and paid their ransom, either by giving the ransomed slaves of -their own stock, or by admitting them to have a share in the public -alms. One of the Imáms, as we read in a Shi’ah book of traditions, -put a very generous interpretation on the Prophet’s words; for on -the approach of the Hájj Day he would buy as many slaves as he could -afford to set free--a signal and heartening proof that Muhammad had not -preached in vain. But, alas! in these modern days a slave is rarely -allowed to buy his freedom--unless, indeed, he be utterly worthless -as a servant--until such time as his master is dead. A good Muslim -either releases his slaves on his death-bed, having no further use of -their services, or makes provision for their redemption in his will. -The money and the belongings which they may have amassed, as well as -they themselves, are during his lifetime his inalienable property, and, -therefore, on the first day of the moon of Shavvál he must, on paying -his Zikkát (that is, one-tenth of his gross estate), include therein -the purchase-price of his slaves and the value of their hoards. - -Another instance of the Prophet’s solicitude for the best welfare -of the slaves must not be omitted here. In his reverence for virtue -he took such steps as would, to a certain extent, guard the female -slaves from the indelicacy of their masters. If the masters have -deteriorated morally, less than one might expect from the burden of -their responsibility and the force of their temptation, dealing as far -as in them lies with kindness by their slaves, what can be said in -respect of morality of the unfortunate slaves themselves? In a play -modelled on the European drama, an Oriental writer has chosen for -his hero a Negro slave by name Pistachio, to whom he attributes the -lowest traits of ignorance and cunning. Pistachio is the evil genius -of the family. He turns the house into a secret gambling hell. He -brings about a _liaison_ between his master’s daughter and a suitor -rejected by her parents; and, by winning his mistress’s favour, excites -the apprehension and jealousy of her husband. Every act of treachery -is committed under the cloak of folly. His perversity has no limit, -and his ingratitude no end. Making every allowance for reasonable -exaggeration, we have in Pistachio a type of what an Oriental slave -too often is. For there is no manner of doubt that a man, born and -bred in slavery, knowing next to nothing of the refining influence of -education, is more apt to represent rather the worse, than the better, -side of human character. Some slaves there are, doubtless, who, like -Arab horses, are surpassingly faithful to their masters, but there -are others--perhaps more numerous--who, in the effrontery of deceit -and moral degradation could hardly be matched by the most thankless -rascal in the sink of hypocrisy. Of the majority connecting the extreme -types whose portraits I have sketched, two things may be said with -almost unquestionable certainty. They are self-willed and effeminate -when young, and indolent and self-willed when old. In their youth, -provided they be good-looking, they are regarded with suspicion by -their masters, if they are male, and with jealousy by their mistresses -if they are female. They live, whether they be men or women, in the -strength-sapping seclusion of the harems, and hence, for one reason, -their lack of such qualities as go to the making of healthy manhood. -For intellect they must be placed not much above the level of the -dog--in fact, if the dog could speak, he would put in his claim to the -higher rank. - -I have hardly heard of a single slave in an Oriental house who deserves -to be noted for his intellectual power. Since he is so cunning and can -set the whole family by the ears, how comes it that he is so dull of -understanding? Does the cause lie solely in the neglect of education? -Surely not, for if it did his master’s case would often be no better -than his own. Is the reason, then, to be sought beneath the surface of -his skin? Scarcely, I think, since, under the British flag in South -Africa, his brother blacks are gaining fast in intellectual strength. -No; set your slave free; let him have a body he can call his own. -Educate him that he may develop a mind to rule himself. Give him light, -and room, and liberty. Do this, you master of Islám’s slave, and your -jesters shall have no cause in the future to satirise the wretched -victim who, bought in chains and reared in sloth, is nothing less than -a living stigma cast on your manhood. If anything could emancipate your -sense of justice, it would be a visit to the Slave Market of Mecca. -Go there, see for yourself the condition of the human chattels you -purchase. You will find them, thanks to the vigilance of the British -cruisers, less numerous, and consequently more expensive, than they -were in former years; but there they are, flung pell-mell in the open -square--in crowds that clamour for a recrudescence of Muhammad’s -attitude towards slavery. - -One group, that of a mother and daughter, excited the sympathy of -many pilgrims. The girl, unthinking, giddy, broke every now and then -into shrill laughter. In her mirth, more terrible to witness than -grief, it seemed as though she would while away the hours of exciting -expectation. For the girl was bent on winning a master; slavery had -for her no terror, a mother no reclaiming tie. Every time the daughter -laughed her mother’s face twitched all over, and then grew rigid. It -was plain, to the sympathetic eye, that she had forced herself to -rejoice in her own anguish--her daughter’s unconcern, telling herself, -it may be, that, though her own pain would soon be the greater, her -daughter’s would be so much the less. The one, dreading the parting, -disguised her secret anguish, or found her consolation in her child’s -heartlessness; the other, who could not conceal her anxiety lest she -should be overlooked, was innocent of a qualm. The dealer, standing by, -cried out: “Come and buy, the first fruits of the season, delicate, -fresh, and green; come and buy, strong and useful, faithful and honest. -Come and buy.” The day of sacrifice was past, and the richer pilgrims -in their brightest robes gathered round. One among them singled out the -girl. They entered a booth together. The mother was left behind. One -word she uttered, or was it a moan of inarticulate grief? Soon after, -the girl came back. And the dealer, when the bargaining was over, said -to the purchaser: “I sell to you this property of mine, the female -slave Narcissus, for the sum of £40.” “And I,” replied the pilgrim, -“agree to pay you £40 for your property, Narcissus.” Thus the bargain -was clinched. This time the mother’s despair was voiceless; for it -meant to stay with her always. - -Most of the slaves, male and female, came from Nubia and from -Abyssinia, and these are said to be the most faithful. “Hájí Ráz” -tried his best to determine the extent of the traffic at Mecca, but -in a country where the census is unknown, where every nobleman is an -independent ruler, and where the revenue cannot be calculated with -any degree of accuracy, he found it impossible to form even a working -hypothesis as to the number of human beings that are sold yearly in the -city of God. That the trade by sea is on the decrease is certain; but -many a slaver escapes from the clutch of the British cruisers owing -to the shallow waters of the Red Sea and to the fact that the pursuer -cannot go ashore. Moreover, the overland route is always open. Thus he -was told that the generality of the richer pilgrims commemorated the -sacramental journey by buying at least one slave, and often two. The -price varied. A woman-slave, if she were good to behold, fetched by -far the higher price--from £20 to £80. Men slaves could be bought for -sums varying from £15 to £40. The children-in-arms were sold with their -mothers, an act of mercy; but those that could feed themselves had to -take their chance. More often than not they were separated from their -mothers, which gave rise to scenes which many a sympathetic pilgrim -would willingly forget if he could. - -It is the custom among the Muhammadans to change the names of their -newly-acquired property. Thus the slaves that go to Persia and to -Central Asia are called by the names of the flowers if they are -women, and by those of the precious stones if they are men. Of the -precious stones Turquoise and Cornelian are the most common. Flowers -and precious stones! Are they not men and women, O children of Islám, -and if they are, why do you not restore to them, in accordance with -the express commands of Muhammad, the Prophet, the breath that would -reanimate and the light that would redeem them?... “But zeal outruns -discretion. Here I end.” - - - - -INDEX - - - Aal, 276 - - Aaron, 61 - - Abbas, 274 - - Abdallah Ebn Omm Mactúm, 23 - - Abdullah Ansari, 303 - - Abdur Rahman Khan, 160 - - Abraham, 55, 115, 140, 166, 247 - - ’Abd Allah Ibu Mas’ud, 261 - - Abú Amid, 166 - - Abú Bekr, 69, 113 - - Abú Ghobais, Mount, 257 - - Abú Hanifa, 115 - - Abú-Hurairah, 261 - - Abú Sa’íd al-Khadrí, 261 - - Abú Sophian, 70 - - Abú Yúsúf, 115 - - Abyssinia, 307 - - Adam, 131, 166 - - Afghan pilgrim, 259 - - Aghigheh sacrifice, 47, 272, 273 - - Ahia, 53 - - Ahmad Ebn Hanbal, 117 - - Ahmad Ebn Yúsúf, 93 - - Ahmad Muizz-u’d-Dawlat, 69 - - Ainé-Zobeideh, 224, 237 - - Albanians, 234, 235 - - Al Beyyid, 93 - - Alemeyn, 196, 203, 204, 252 - - Al-Farra of Bagh, 261 - - Algeria, 178 - - Al Hadi, 115 - - ’Alí, Imám, his knighthood, 24, 25 - - ----, his injunctions to traders, 45 - - ----, traditions concerning him, 61 - - ----, his wife, Fatima, Muhammad’s daughter, 69 - - ----, his character as Caliph, 69, 70 - - ----, as the “Lion of God,” 70, 71 - - ----, his murder, 71 - - ----, his name inscribed on the gates of the Harem, 113 - - Al-Káwthar, 59 - - Al-Khalíl, 55 - - Al Mutasem, Caliph, 117 - - Al Moakkibat, 129 - - Al Omreh, 252 - - Al Radí, Caliph, 117 - - Amin-ud-dowleh, 163 - - Amin-us-Surreh, 206 - - Amir-ul-Hájj-ul-Mesri, 206 - - Amir-ul-Hájj-ul-Shami, 206 - - Arab club, 109 - - Arab priest, blind, 88, 89 - - Arabs, 22, 24, 95, 96, 97, 98, 101, 104, 105, 108; - see also “Bedouins” - - Arafat, 27, 56, 102, also Chapters IX., X., XI., Part II. - - Arch of Beni Sheybeh, 130 - - Ardebil, 158 - - Aryan, 62, 75 - - Assyria, 71 - - Avicenna, 290 - - A’yáde-Ghadir, 60, 61, 62 - - Ayatu’l-Kúrsí, translated, 269, 270 - - Ayeshah, 55, 69, 70, 221 - - Azrail, 131 - - - Bábághúlí, 47, 272, 273 - - Bábí rebellion, 164 - - Babylon, 102 - - Bagdad, 117 - - Baidáwí, 261 - - Balám, 60 - - Balsam of Mecca, 264, 265 - - Barbary, 116 - - Bashtar, 96 - - Baths, Muslim, 41, 50 - - Bedouins, 94-96, 103, 104, 189, 192-194, 210, 211, 213, 214, 219, - 234, 235, 236, 263, 264, 265, 270, 272 - - Bedre, 264 - - Benares, 102 - - Behbehan, 276 - - Beni Amere, Bedouin tribe, 264 - - Beni Salem, Bedouin tribe, 270 - - Beni Shaibeh, gate, 168 - - Beni Subh, Bedouin tribe, 263, 264, 265 - - Black Stone, 131-135, 140, 167 - - Bombay, 180 - - Burkhardt, 226 - - Burton, Richard, 226 - - - Cairo, 54, 111, 178 - - Calvinism, Welsh, 30 - - Caucasus, 90 - - Cholera, see Preface, also 83, 178, 179, 180, 181, 187, 203, 204, - 212, 213, 284 - - Christ, 76 - - Compassing of the Ka’bah, 130-139 - - Constantinople, 54 - - Cover-design to the present volume, see “Bábághúlí” - - Critic, his aim, 21 - - ----, his attitude to the Kurán, 22 - - - Day of Arafat, see Chapters IX., X, XI., Part II. - - Day of the Repose of the Soul, see Chapter VII., Part II. - - Day of Victims, see Chapter XII., Part II. - - Date-trees, 265 - - Delhi, 24 - - Demavend, 281 - - Devil, see “Lapidation” and “Edris” - - - Edris, 131 - - Egyptian Mahmil, 220, 221, 241, 242, 245 - - Eshagh-ben-Amar, 44 - - Essraf, 245 - - Estakhareh, 38, 46, 285, 289, 290 - - Esteghfar, 134 - - Euphrates, 47, 71 - - Eve, 105, 106, 131 - - - Family of the Tent, 72, 73, 75 - - Fará, 263 - - Fatihah, translated, 269 - - Fatima, 61, 69, 72 - - “Fotúhúl Haremeyn,” 138 - - - Gabriel, angel of Revelations, 52-55, 60, 62, 76, 131, 166 - - Gaem, 106 - - Gala, 290 - - Gate of Peace, see “Salám Gate” - - Gate of Purity, see “Safá Gate” - - Ghadir, 68 - - Ghadre-Day, 52, 53, 54 - - Ghúl-hú-Allah, 134 - - Gibbon, 72, 73 - - Gold Spout, 127, 132, 136 - - Granada, 24 - - - Hamadan, 275, 276, 278 - - Hamde, 134 - - Hanbalites, 116, 117, 118 - - Hanefites, 115, 248 - - Harb, Bedouin tribe, 104, 263, 264, 265, 270 - - Harem of Mecca, 112-120, 123-129, 134-141 - - Harem pigeons, 119, 167 - - Harun-ur-Rashid, Caliph, 115 - - Hasan, eldest son of Imám ’Alí, 71 - - Hashem, 75 - - Hashemites, 69, 75 - - Hashísh, 280, 281 - - Heddah, 103, 108 - - Hegira, 48 - - Hejaz, 91-101, 164, etc. - - Henna, 283, 284 - - Hodi, 106 - - Hozail, Bedouin tribe, 194, 211 - - Hugo, Victor, 82 - - Huseyn, Imám, younger son of ’Alí, his knighthood, 25 - - ----, his rules of etiquette, 34 - - ----, his character, 71 - - ----, his last stand, 73 - - ----, his death, 73 - - ----, mourned by the Persians, 74, 75 - - ----, hero of the Persian Passion Drama, 76 - - ----, receives the key of intercession from Muhammad, 77 - - - Ihrám, pilgrims’ habit, 90, 93, 94, 165, 166 - - Indian Pilgrims, 198, 200, 222 - - Isfahán, 160 - - Ishmael, 55, 56, 167 - - Islám, social, 37, 38, 41-47, see Chap. VI., Part II., and also the - chapters of Part III. - - Ismailia, 73 - - Israfil, 131 - - - Jafar, Imám, 38, 42, 44, 46 - - Jammé Sakhra, 237 - - Jebelé-Nur, 182 - - Jesus, 55, 61 - - Jiddah, 89, 90, 93-101 - - Jinns, 276, 277 - - Jumádáu-’l-ákhir, 48 - - Jumádáu-’l-sání, 48 - - Jumádáu-’l-úlá, 48 - - - Ka’bah, 28, 56, 60, 111, 112, 114, 115, 131, 134-141, 164-172, 251 - - Kadijah, 221 - - Karmata, 132 - - Karmatians, 132 - - Kashán, 160 - - Kazi of Mecca, 238, 242, 247 - - Kerbela, 72, 76, 274 - - Kesveh, 221, 222 - - Khadasieh, 24 - - Khaif, 191, 196, 252 - - Khayyám, Omar, 33, 159, 286 - - Khedevieh, 89 - - Kiblah, see “Mecca” - - Kirmán, 88 - - Kitchen of Adam, 222 - - Kufa, 45, 71, 73, 76 - - Kuraish, 23, 24, 53, 115, 118, 166 - - Kurán, Geo. Robinson’s opinion of it, 21 - - ----, refers to the Pilgrimage, 26-29 - - ----, used as a talisman, 43 - - ----, the third Súra, 54, 55 - - ----, Chapter entitled “Man,” 62 - - ----, its use in battle, 70 - - ----, see “Fatihah,” and “Ayatu’l-Kursí” - - ----, Chapter entitled “Light,” 303 - - Kurb, King of Yemen, 221 - - Kurds, 234 - - - Laili, 63 - - Lapidation of the Devil, 246, 247, 252 - - Lascars, 89 - - Lesseps, de, 83 - - Lote-tree, 41 - - - Magrebis (Moroccans), 214, 217 - - Mahmil, 220, 221, 241, 242, 245; - see also “Syrian Mahmil” - - Majnun, 63 - - Malay pilgrims, 194, 195, 196, 197 - - Malek Ebn Ans, 115, 116 - - Malekites, 115, 116 - - Malik, Guardian of Hell, 52 - - Marseilles, 82 - - Marshmallow, 41 - - Marveh, 142, 148-152, 252 - - Maseh (ablution), 34 - - Masher al haram, 174 - - Mecca, 29, 48, 68, 81, 103; - see also chapters of Part III. - - Medina, 23, 48, 52, 68, 70, 72, 178, 227, 232, 233, 263 - - Meshireh, 52 - - Messiah, 106 - - Messina, 82 - - Michael, archangel, 131 - - Mina, 28, 55, 56, 148, 176; - see also Chap. XII., Part II. - - Mizab, see “Gold Spout” - - Moalla, 181 - - Moawiyah, 70, 71 - - Moghavems, 103, 176, 180, 182, 188, 194, 198, 209, 220 - - Morocco, 178; - see also “Maghrebis” Moses, 61 - - Mount Shíní, 110 - - Muezzin, 43, 48, 51, 237, 238, 266 - - Muhammad, the Prophet, - - ----, his sincerity, 22 - - ----, “He Frowned,” 23 - - ----, as a soldier, 24 - - ----, his aims as reformer, 25 - - ----, his declaration of God’s unity, 25 - - ----, his view of Christianity, 25, 26 - - ----, the sense he had of his mission, 26 - - ----, his charity, 26 - - ----, approves of the Pilgrimage, 27, 28, 29 - - ----, his cornelian ring, 38 - - ----, his reverence for chastity, 46 - - ----, his ideal woman, 46 - - ----, the festivals which he encouraged, 46, 47 - - ----, on the moon of Rajab, 49 - - ----, his victory over the Kuraish, 53 - - ----, his pond in Paradise, 59 - - ----, his secretary, Othmán, 69 - - ----, his love for his grandson, Imám Huseyn, 73 - - ----, hands over to Huseyn the key of intercession, 77 - - ----, his political aims, 120 - - ----, his highest conception of the Hereafter, 120 - - ----, catechises Muaz, Governor of Yeman, 123 - - ----, his patience, 124 - - ----, his respect for knowledge, 124, 290 - - ----, on the sevenfold compassing of the Ka’bah, 137 - - ----, his loyalty to his first wife, Kadijah, 221 - - ----, his flight from Mecca, 232 - - ----, his kindness to animals, 287 - - ----, his attitude to slavery, see Chap. V., Part III. - - Muhammadan, months or moons, 47-62 - - ----, Paradise, 58, 59, 120 - - ----, Orthodox Sects, 115-120, 123, etc. - - ----, Mullás, 120, 123, 124, 125, etc. - - ----, Prayers, 126-152, 173, 174, 238 - - ----, self-sacrifice, 137, 138, etc. - - ----, fortitude, 153, 154 - - ----, beggars, 157 - - ----, women, 46, 88, 94, 95, 148, 187, 188, 199, 200, 217, 306, 307, - 308 - - ----, musicians, 198, 199, 200 - - ----, centralisation, 227 - - Muharram, 48, 62, 68, 69, 73 - - Munkar, 145, 146, 260, 271 - - Mussah-street, Mecca, 153, 257 - - - Nahavend, 24 - - Nakhowales, 227, 232, 233 - - Nakir, 145, 146, 271 - - Napoleon, 23 - - Negro slaves, see Chap. V, Part III - - Nessouh, 50, 51 - - Niyyat, 34, 133, 134, etc. - - Noah, 44, 51 - - Nodbeh, 58 - - Nu’man Ibu Bashír, 261 - - Nún, 60 - - Nureh, 41 - - - Obeidullah, Governor of Kufa, 71 - - Omar, second Caliph, 24, 69, 70, 74, 113 - - Ommiyah, 70 - - Othman, third Caliph, 69, 113 - - Owf, Bedouin tribe, 263 - - - Paris, 82 - - Persian Passion-play, 75, 76, 77 - - ---- character, at its best, 74, 75 - - ---- character, according to Nassir, 108 - - ---- character, according to Seyyid ’Alí, 108 - - ---- witticisms, 109, 110 - - ---- mysticism, 62-68, 109, 110 - - ---- poem, 141, 142 - - ---- story, 176; also Chap. III, Part III - - ---- humour, 186; also Chap. III, Part III - - ---- noblemen, 188, 189 - - ---- fable, 205 - - ---- Consul-General of Hejaz, 206, 227, 231 - - ---- High-Priest of Teherán, 206 - - ---- tents, 209 - - ---- lullaby, 211 - - ---- water-pipes, 224 - - ---- seal-maker, 260, 261, 262 - - ---- character, 272 - - ---- parable, 273, 274 - - ---- superstition, 275, 276, 277 - - ---- satire, 286 - - Pilgrimage, conditions, 31, 32 - - ----, the whole of the book Pilgrims, their number, 225, 226 - - ----, the whole of the book - - Port Said, 82, 83, 84 - - Purifications, 33, 34, 35 - - - Queen of Egypt, a, 221 - - - Robegh, 263, 264, 270 - - Rabíu-’l-avval, 48, 164, 165 - - Rabíu-’l-sáné, 48 - - Rajab, 48, 49, 50, 164 - - Ramazán, 48, 52, 53, 164 - - “Rewa,” 82 - - Rewards, of Pilgrimage, 51 - - Rezvan, Guardian of Paradise, 52 - - Robinson, George, 21 - - Rome, 303 - - Rukú, 36 - - Russian warships, 83 - - ---- Muslim subjects, see Preface, 90 - - - Sád Vaghas, 24 - - Safá Gate, 113, 146, 147, 148, 252 - - Safar, 48 - - Safaví kings, 68 - - Safrá, 263 - - Salám Gate, 113, 126, 129 - - Salim, 49 - - Salsabil, 150 - - Sandals, 93 - - Scorpio, 46 - - Sermon, the Kazi’s, 242-244 - - Seyyid ’Alí, plays an important part throughout Parts II. and III. - - Seyyid Rúsé Kháns, 74, 77 - - Sha’bán, 48, 51, 52, 164 - - Sháfeis, 116, 117, 247 - - Shamer, 73 - - Shavvál, 26, 27, 48, 54 - - Sheríf of Mecca, 119, 164, 206, 209, 214, 220, 226, 231, 241, 242 - - Sheykh Mahmud, his tomb, 110 - - ----, plain of, 181 - - Shi’ahs, Keep Ahia, 53 - - ----, their marriages, 55 - - ----, their Messiah, 55 - - ----, their sacrifices, 57, 58 - - ----, their superstitions, 60, 61, 62 - - ----, their faith and early history, 68-77 - - ----, their sacred river, 71 - - ----, their emancipation in Mecca, 227, 228 - - ----, their medical science, 290, 293 - - ----, their funerals, 293, 294 - - Shiráz, 125, 281 - - “Siege of Metz,” 21 - - Sijdah, 36 - - Simon Peter, 61 - - Sinai, Mount, 52 - - Sinaitic Peninsula, 178 - - Shorthouse, J. H., 302 - - Slave Market, at Mecca, see Chap. V, Part III - - Smyrna, 278 - - “Sorrow,” a Súfí song, 109 - - Suez, 84, 85, 86 - - Súfíism, 33, 62-68 - - Sultán, Suleymán, 118, 167 - - Sultan (Turkey), 119 - - Sunnis, see “Muhammadan Orthodox Sects,” also under the separate - headings of those Sects - - Sureh sújdeh, 44, 182 - - Syrian caravan, 177, 220 - - ---- Mahmil, 181, 220, 221, 241, 242 - - ---- pilgrims, 181, 191, 220 - - ---- bazaar, in Mecca, 257; see also Chap. II., Part III. - - ---- character, 272 - - - Taghvím, 38, 289 - - Tahlil, 223 - - Tai, tribe, 72 - - Takbir, 134 - - Talbih, 128, 171, 174, 223 - - Talh’-tree, 295 - - Tamjid, 174 - - Tasnim, 150 - - Tayef, 131 - - Teamol, 137 - - Teherán, 54 - - Telha, 70 - - Tennyson, Lionel, 74 - - Tewaff, see “Compassing of Ka’bah” - - Tripoli, 178 - - Tunis, 178 - - Turks, see “Orthodox Sects,” and also under “Muhammadan,” and 226, - 227, etc. - - Turkistán, 278 - - - Ula, 246 - - Unitarians, 25, 26 - - Usury, 45 - - - Vaghas, Sád, 24 - - Valley of Mina, see “Mina” - - Viands, forbidden, 32, 33 - - Victims, 56, 57, 58 - - Vitr, 36 - - - Wady Fatima, 283, 284 - - Wagner, 107 - - Wahabis, 236 - - Wusta, 246 - - Wuzú’h, 33, 35 - - - Yazid, 71 - - Yemen, 71, 123, 165 - - Youm-ul-Arafat, Chapters IX., X., XI., Part II. - - Youm-ul-Nahre, Chapter XII., Part II. - - Youm-ul-Tarvih, Chapter VII., Part II. - - - Zaideh Gate, 114 - - Zakani, 88 - - Zanzibar, 145 - - Zem-Zem well, 116, 142, 145, 165, 257, 259 - - Zikat, 54, 304 - - Zobeir, 70 - - Zú-’l-hijjah, 26, 27, 28, 48, 55, 56, 60, 62, 173, 174, 175 - - Zú-’l-ka’dah, 26, 27, 48, 55 - - - - -Transcriber’s Note - - -Clear printer’s errors have been corrected by the transcriber; as far -as possible, however, original spelling, punctuation, and accented -characters have been retained. 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