“_Aba-seine._”—The river Indus is so termed in the Pushtu language, and
the word comes from the Arabic: Aba, father, and Seine, a river. Pushtu
is spoken in the region of Kandahar Kafiristan, and round about Attock,
and is said to bear a similarity to the Semitic and Iranian languages.
“_Imam._”—From the Arabic, a leader in religious affairs; a priest of
the Mahomedan faith; answers to “Mullah,” or “Mulwanah.” In the district
round about Ghazi, and in other parts of India, the “Imam,” or “Mullah,”
performs many religious offices. He often calls to prayer as a
“Muezzin,” from the Arabic word “Izn,” and generally this is done from a
minaret of the Mosque. After prayers, where with his face to Mecca he
leads the worshippers, he collects the boys of the village and teaches
them the Koran. He also bathes and washes the deceased male members of
the faith, and prepares the body for burial, and puts on the “Kuffun,”
or shroud. This Kuffun or shroud consists of three pieces of cloth if
for a man, and five if for a woman, and must be white. After shrouding
the body, they tie one band above the head, a second below the feet, and
a third about the chest. He is present at all marriages, or “Nikahs.”
“_Pulāo._”—From a Persian word, and means a kind of sweet pudding of
meat with flour, ghee, and sugar, and sometimes raisins mixed with it.
“_Parata._”—Or “Parātha,” a kind of bread or cake made from wheaten
flour mixed with butter or ghee, and of several layers like pie-crust,
and put on a griddle over a slow fire.
“_Moslem Grave._”—This is dug down for about five feet or so, north and
south. For a woman the depth should be to the height of a man’s chest,
if for a man to the height of the waist. At the base a recess is cut out
from the soil for the reception of the body, which is laid on its back,
and the head is so turned as to be facing Mecca. In ordinary soils after
the body has been put in the recess, slates or stones are placed to
prevent the filled-in soil from coming in contact with the body. If the
soil is sandy it is kept up by the use of chatties, or earthenware
vessels, in lieu of slates or stones. There is always a stone placed on
the surface at head and foot, to indicate the position of the body.
These are called “Moonee.” The grave of a female is indicated by a third
stone, placed between the others.
In the Ghazi district some of these head-stones are very high, often of
five or six feet in height, and of slate, which is readily obtained in
the neighbourhood.
On some of these slates used as tombstones it is customary to delineate
over the graves of important Mahomedan personages, and known to have
been devout men, sketches of the Rosary, or “Thusbee,” the goblet, or
“Kooza,” and the tooth-stick, or “Miswak.” This stick, used as a
dentifrice, is made here from the root of the “Pilvo” tree. In the
village of “Kazeepur,” the names of the deceased are sometimes painted
on the slates.[2]
Footnote 2:
Some people make various kinds of niches for lamps near the head of
the grave called Churagdān.
Generally the graveyards of the Mussulmen are near the road-side, that
the deceased may receive the benefit of the “Dua Khair,” or solemn
prayers of devout passers-by.
_Note._—Kazeepur has its local sayings also. Once a very devout man, and
a born poet, visited this village and also that of Ghazi; his name was
“Peeloh,” and it is currently said that before he quitted the district
he ascended the Gundghur Hills, opposite to Harripur, and left the
following lines with one of the bards of the village.
Peeloh! cheriya Gundgurh thay
Kias kureh khalo
Agê vagê Sinde Rani
Pichê vagê Haro.
Chach binah Summundur dhay
Jo gudhê soho
Dhunnie gurray Rungaree
Bhummy baithê ro.