And

'The Righteous Man's Kiblaah, The pure love of God,--which may all men

learn and practise.'

The Mussulmaun Faith directs them to believe, not only in the prophets and

their writings, but also that they are intercessors at the throne of grace;

for this reason Mahumud taught his followers to call on God to hear them

for the sake of,--

'1st. Adam, Suffee Ali ("the Pure" is the nearest possible translation).'

'2nd. Noah, the Prophet of God.'

'3rd. Abraham, the Friend of God.'

'4th. Moses, who Conversed with God.'

'5th. Jesus, the Soul of God.'

'6th. Mahumud, the Prophet of God.'[13]

Those persons who are devout in the exercise of their religious duties day

by day, in the concluding part of the morning Namaaz strictly observe the

practice of Mahumud and the Emaums, in the prayers of intercession; and

the 'Salaam-oon-ali Khoom',[14] (peace or rest be with thee) O Adam Suffee

Ali! and to thee, O Noah, the Prophet of God! and to thee, O Abraham! &c.

&c. going through the line in the manner and rotation above-described,

concluding with the several Emaums, twelve in number (as in their Creed).

It will be seen by this, that they have reverence for all who came from

God, to teach mankind His will. They believe also, that the Holy Prophets

are sensible of the respect paid to them by existing mortals, as also when

on earth they knew what was in the hearts of those men they conversed with.

I have the honour to be acquainted with a lady of the Mussulmaun Religion,

who lives in accordance with the Faith she professes. There was a period

in her life, within my recollection, when she had very severe trials of a

domestic nature. She trusted in God for relief, and followed in the way

she had been instructed, keeping fasts and holy days; testifying her

respect for the prophets, by observing those days for extra prayer and

giving alms, which the Khoraun and commentaries represent as worthy to be

done, by the devout Mussulmauns.

Amongst the number of days strictly observed by this pious lady during her

troubles, was the Nativity of Jesus Christ, for whose sake she fed the

hungry, clothed the naked, and gave alms to the necessitous. I was the

more delighted when first hearing of this circumstance, because I had

judged of the Mussulmaun faith by common report, and fancied they rejected,

with the Jews, our Redeemer having come. They, on the contrary, believe,

according to their Prophet's words, 'that He was born of the Virgin Mary;

that He worked miracles; that He ascended after His earthly commission had

ceased, to the seventh heaven; that He will again visit the earth (when

their Emaum Mhidhie will also appear), to cleanse the world of its corrupt

wickedness, when all men shall live in peace, and but one faith shall

prevail, in the worship of the true God'.

The Mussulmaun work, 'Hyaatool Kaloob' (which I have so often referred to),

contains, with the lives of all the prophets, the Life of Jesus Christ,

His acts, and the Ungeel[15] (Gospel). The Gospel they have is in many

things different from ours; it is not formed into books by the apostles,

neither are the miracles united with the Gospel, but are detailed as the

acts of Christ Jesus. What they understand by the Ungeel, is, 'the Word of

God by the mouth of Jesus';--for instance, the Sermon on the Mount, or, in

other words, the precepts of Jesus. I am indebted to the Meer for this

information.

The Mussulmauns say, 'All power belongs to God.--Who would dare dispute

the miracle of Christ's birth? Is there any thing difficult with God? God

first formed Adam from the dust; and by His word all things were created.

Is there any thing too great for His power? Let no man, then, dispute the

birth of Christ by a pure Virgin.' They believe that Jesus Christ was the

Prophet of God, but they believe not that He is God; and they deem all who

thus declare Christ to be God, as unfaithful both to God and to Christ.

I have said the Mussulmauns of each sect have extra prayers, beside the

Namaaz, or daily services of prayer. I suppose there are a greater variety

of prayers amongst these people than with those of any other religion.

Very few, if any, of the devout men, in the early ages of their religion,

have omitted to leave behind them some testimony of their regard for

posterity in the form of 'prayers', dictating the words most likely to

lead the heart of the creature to the worship of the Creator; and also

directions how to pray for any particular object they may desire to

accomplish by the aid of God, in whom they are instructed and believe the

fulness of power, as of glory, ever was, is, and will be to all eternity.

If the Mussulmaun suffers by persecution, by sickness, by loss of property,

or any other distress of mind or body, he applies himself to the

particular prayer of a favourite Emaum, or holy scribe, suited to his

exact case. I cannot do better here than copy the translation my husband

has made of the leading causes for the use of that prayer called

'Daaood's[16] (David's) Mother's Prayer', in which I have known so many

people to be engaged, when under difficulties, at the appointed period,

viz. the fifteenth day of the month Rujub. The prayer itself occupies

about sixteen closely written pages, and the person intending to make use

of it, is expected to bathe and fast, as commanded by Mahumud, who

instructed his followers in this prayer, which was then called 'The

Opening of Difficulties',[17] afterwards, and to the present day 'David's

Mother's Prayer', by reason of a miraculous occurrence which followed her

having fulfilled the task of fasting, preparation, and the prayer alluded

to.

'A very poor woman had been engaged in the family of the Emaum Jaffur

Saadick,[18] as wet-nurse to his son; she was much respected in the family,

who wished to have retained her with them, when the child was weaned; but

she would return to her own village, where her son was living, at some

distance from the city of Koofah.

'Her son, named Daaood, grew up under her maternal care, and proved the

great comfort and solace of her life, by his dutiful and affectionate

bearing towards her. At that period the reigning King of Arabia was a most

cruel man, and an idolater; he persecuted all the professors of the "True

Faith" whenever they came within his reach, with the most barbarous

brutality.

'One day, at an early hour, Daaood's mother presented herself at the house

of the Emaum, in great distress of mind, and related the heavy affliction

which had befallen her, in the loss of her dearly loved son (then a fine

youth), who had been decoyed by the wicked emissaries of the King, for the

purpose, it was feared, of immolation--as it was known to be his custom,

when, laying the foundation of a building, to deposit living victims of

the Mussulmaun faith beneath it. The poor woman had no hope her eyes would

ever again be blessed with the sight of her fondly-loved son, and still

more agonizing were her fears, that his protracted sufferings would be of

the same terrible description with numbers of the faithful who had fallen

into the hands of that wretched heathen King.

'Her friends in the Emaum's family grieved over the sad affliction with

which their favourite had been visited. The Emaum strove to comfort her,

and proposed that she should perform the prayer in which Mahumud had

instructed his followers for "The Opening of Difficulties". "Alas!"

replied the woman, "poor ignorant that I am, how shall I repeat that

prayer; I cannot read: knowest thou not, my Emaum, that I am not

acquainted with letters?" "But I will teach you the prayer," answered the

Emaum; "you shall repeat it after me, and by diligence you will acquire it

perfectly by that day, on which our Prophet commanded his followers to

perform the fast and offer this prayer, that God might be pleased to

remove their calamities."

'The poor woman obeyed all the injunctions and advice of the Emaum Jaffur

Saadick punctually; acquired, by her diligence, the words of the prayer;

strictly observed the preparation by fast; and, on the fifteenth "day of

Rujub", the prayer was duly performed, with sincere devotion and perfect

faith in God's power, and His infinite mercy.

'In the mean time, it appears, the King having been much troubled in a

dream, he was warned to release his prisoner from captivity without delay,

at the peril of destruction to himself and all he possessed. The warning

dream presented him with a view of the gulf to which he was condemned, if

he delayed the release of Daaood from his confinement. The person of the

youth was so clearly represented to the King in his dream, that there

could be no possible mistake in the particular captive to be freed, out of

the many he held in bondage. The King awakening from his troubled sleep,

demanded of his attendants where the young man was confined; and learning

from the chief officer of his court that Daaood was sent to a distant

place, to be the offering buried under the foundation of a house, erecting

by his command: the swiftest camels were ordered immediately, to convey

messengers with two bags of gold, and the King's mandate, peremptorily

ordering the release of the youth, if happily he yet existed; and if the

building was proceeding with, the superintendent was cautioned to pull it

down with the utmost care and dispatch, so that nothing should be omitted

which could be done to preserve that life now so dear to the hopes of the

King.

'The messengers reached the place on the third day after Daaood had been

immured in the foundation of the building. Small, indeed, were the hopes

that the King's desires would be gratified. The builder, however, more

humane than his employer, had so raised the work round the person of

Daaood, as to leave him unhurt by its pressure, and having left a small

aperture for air, his life was preserved;--the masonry being removed

promptly, and with caution, the youth was discovered not only alive, but

even uninjured by the confinement. The courier mounted the boy on the

camel, with the present of gold contained in two bags, and conveyed Daaood,

without loss of time, to his mother's abode.

'All the particulars having undergone due investigation, it was clearly

proved that it was on that very day when the poor woman was occupied in

her fast and prayer, that her son Daaood was released from the foundation

of the King's house and restored to his home. From this time forward the

prayer of "Opening Difficulties" was denominated "Or of Daaood's Mother".'

Turning over my collection of curiosities for the story of Daaood's Mother,

which the Meer translated for me many years since, I met with an ancient

anecdote which. I received from the same dear revered friend I must often

quote as my author when I am detailing the particulars of things which I

have heard and not seen,--Meer Hadjee Shaah,--who tells me he has found

the following anecdote in the 'Commentary on The History of Moses'.--It is

translated by my husband.

'When Huzerut[19] Moosa (Moses), "to whose spirit be peace!" was on earth,

there lived near him a poor yet remarkably religious man, who had for many

years supported himself and his wife by the daily occupation of cutting

wood for his richer neighbours; four small copper coins (equivalent to our

halfpence) proved the reward of his toil, which at best afforded the poor

couple but a scanty meal after his day's exertions.

'The prophet Moosa passed the Woodcutter one morning, who accosted him

with "O Moosa! Prophet of the Most High; behold I labour each day for my

coarse and scanty meal; may it please thee, O Huzerut! to make a petition

for me to our gracious God, that He may in His mercy grant me at once the

whole supply for my remaining years, so that I shall enjoy one day of

earthly happiness, and then, with my wife, be transferred to the place of

eternal rest". Moosa promised and made the required petition; his prayer

was answered from Mount Tor, thus:--

'"This man's life is long, O Moses! nevertheless, if he be willing to

surrender life when his supply is exhausted, tell him thy prayer is heard,

the petition accepted, and the whole amount shall be found beneath his

jhaawn namaaz[20] (prayer-carpet) after his early prayers."

'The Woodcutter was satisfied when Moosa told him the result of his

petition, and when the first duties of the morning were concluded, he

failed not in looking for the promised remittance, where, to his surprise,

he found a heap of silver coins. Calling his wife, the Woodcutter told her

what he had required of the Lord through his Holy Prophet Moosa; pointing

to the result, they both agreed it was very good to enjoy a short life of

happiness on earth and depart in peace; although they could not help again

and again recurring to the number of years on earth they had thus

sacrificed. "We will make as many hearts rejoice as this the Lord's gift

will admit," they both agreed, "and thus we shall secure in our future

state the blessed abode promised to those who fulfil the commands of God

in this, since to-morrow our term of life must close."

'The day was spent in providing and preparing provisions for the meal. The

whole sum was expended on the best sorts of food, and the poor made

acquainted with the rich treat the Woodcutter and his wife were cooking

for their benefit. The food was cooked for the indigent, and allotments

made to each hungry applicant, reserving for themselves one good

substantial meal, to be eaten only when the poor were all served and

satisfied. It happened at the very moment they were seated to enjoy this

their last meal, as they believed, a voice was heard, "O friend! I have

heard of your feast,--I am late, yet may it be that you have a little to

spare, for I am hungry to my very heart. The blessing of God be on him who

relieves my present sufferings from hunger!" The Woodcutter and his wife

agreed that it would be much, better for them to go to heaven with half a

bellyful, than leave one fellow-creature on earth famishing for a meal;

they, therefore, determined on sharing their own portion with him who had

none, and he went away from them rejoicing. "Now," said the happy pair,

"we shall eat our half-share with unmixed delight, and with thankful

hearts. By to-morrow eve we shall be transferred to paradise."

'They had scarcely raised the savoury food to their opening mouths, when a

voice of melancholy bewailing arrested their attention, and stayed the

hands already charged with food;--a poor wretched creature, who had not

tasted food for two whole days, moaned his piteous tale in accents that

drew tears from the Woodcutter and his wife--their eyes met and the

sympathy was mutual; they were more willing to depart for heaven without

the promised benefit of one earthly enjoyment, than suffer the hungry

creature to die from want of that meal they had before them. The dish was

promptly tendered to the bewailing subject, and the Woodcutter and his

wife consoled each other by thinking that, as their time of departure was

now so near at hand, the temporary enjoyment of a meal was not worth one

moment's consideration. "To-morrow we die, then of what consequence to us

whether we depart with full or empty stomachs!" And now their thoughts

were set on the place of eternal rest. They slept, and arose to their

morning orisons with hearts resting humbly on their God, in the fullest

expectation that this was their last day on earth: the prayer was

concluded, and the Woodcutter in the act of rolling up his carpet, on

which he had bowed with gratitude, reverence, and love to his Creator,

when he perceived a fresh heap of silver on the floor;--he could scarcely

believe it was not a dream. "How wonderful art Thou, O God!" cried the

poor Woodcutter; "this is Thy bounteous gift that I may indeed enjoy one

day before I quit this earth." And when Moosa came to him, he (Moosa) was

satisfied with the goodness and power of God; but he retired again to the

Mount to inquire of God the cause of the Woodcutter's respite. The reply

given to Moosa was, "That man has faithfully applied the wealth given in

answer to his petition. He is worthy to live out his numbered years on

earth, who, receiving My bounty, thought not of his own enjoyments whilst

his fellow men had wants he could supply." And to the end of the

Woodcutter's long life, God's bounty lessened not in substance; neither

did the pious man relax in his charitable duties of sharing with the

indigent all that he had, and with the same disregard to his own

enjoyments.'

I have but little to add, as regards the manner of worship amongst my

Mussulmaun acquaintance; but here I cannot omit remarking, that the women

are devout in their prayers and strict in their observance of ordinances.

That they are not more generally educated is much to be regretted; this,

however, is their misfortune, not their fault. The Mussulmaun faith does

not exclude the females from a participation in the Eternal world,[21]--as

has so often been assorted by people who could not have known them,--and

the good Mussulmaun proves it by his instruction of the females under his

control in the doctrines of Mahumud, and who he believes to be as much

dependent on him for guidance on the road to heaven, as for personal

protection from want or worldly dangers.

The pure life of Fatima, Mahumud's only daughter, is greatly esteemed as

an example of female excellence, whom they strive to imitate as much as

possible, as well in religious as in moral or domestic duties. They are

zealous to fulfil all the ordinances of their particular faith,--and I

have had the best possible opportunity of studying their

character,--devotion to God being the foundation on which every principal

action of their lives seems to rest.

In my delineation of character, whether male or female, I must not be

supposed to mean the whole mass of the Mussulmaun population. There are

good and bad of every class or profession of people; it has been my good

fortune to be an inmate with the pious of that faith, and from their

practice I have been aided in acquiring a knowledge of what constitutes a

true disciple of Mahumud.

[1] The writer mixes up the Persian and Arabic names of the hours of

prayer. The proper names, according to this list, are: i,

Namaz-i-Subh, from dawn to sunrise; ii, Salatu'l-Zuhr, when the

sun has begun to decline; iii, Salatu'l 'Asr, midway between

Nos. ii and iv; iv, Sala tu'l-Maghrib, a few minutes after sunset;

v, Salatu'l 'Isha, when night has closed in.

[2] _Namaz-i-Tahajjid_, the prayer after midnight.

[3] _Wazifah_, 'a daily ration of food', a term used for the daily

lesson or portion of the _Koran_ read by devout Musalmans. The

_Koran_ is divided into thirty lessons (_siparah_) for use

during the month Ramazan.

[4] Special readers (_muqri_) of the _Koran_ are needed, owing to

the want of vowels in the Arabic character (Sale, _Preliminary

Discourse_, 47). Readers are often employed to recite the _Koran_

over a corpse on the way to Karbala.

[5] Known as Khadim.

[6] _Allahu akbar ... Muhammadan rasulu'llah._ In English the

entire call runs: 'Allah is most great (four times), I testify that

there is no God but Allah (twice), I testify that Muhammad is the

Apostle of Allah (twice), Come to prayer (twice), Come to salvation

(twice), Allah is most great (twice), There is no God but Allah!'

[7] Known as _Ja'e-namaz,_ 'place of prayer'.

[8] See p. 27.

[9] The _Salatu'l-Juma'_, the Friday prayer, is obligatory. Friday was

appointed a Sabbath to distinguish Musalmans from Jews and

Christians.

[10] _Darzi_.

[11] _Dhobi_.

[12] See p. 74.

[13] The correct titles are as follows: Adam, _Safiyu'llah,_ 'The

Chosen One of God'; Noah, _Nabiyu'llah_, 'The Prophet of God';

Abraham, _Khalilu'llah_, 'The Friend of God'; Moses,

_Kalimu'llah_, 'He that spoke with God'; Jesus, _Ruhu'llah_,

'A Spirit from God'; Muhammad, _Rasulu 'Illah,_ 'The Prophet of

God'.

[14] _Salam-'alai-kum._

[15] _Injil, [Greek: e'uaggélion]_, the Gospel, as opposed to

_taurat_, the Pentateuch.

[16] Daud.

[17] The Fatiha, or opening chapter of the _Koran_, used like the

Pator-noster.

[18] Ja'afar as-Sadiq.

[19] _Hazrat_, 'Reverend', or 'Superior'.

[20] _Ja'e-namaz_, known also as _sajjadah_, or _musalla_.

[21] The assertion that the Koran teaches that women have no souls is

incorrect. See the texts collected by Hughes, _Dictionary of Islam_,

pp. 677 ff.