,illustration3 ,,the ,,harem1 ,,showing 
,,the ,,ka',,bah1 ,,and ,,the ,,other   
,,sanctuaries  ,,within ,,the ,,harem4  
7,from an old ,indian ,illustration47   
,,with ,,the    ,,pilgrims    ,,to      
,,mecca      ,,the ,,great ,,pilgrimage 
,,of ,a4,h4 #acai2 ,a4,d4 #aijb    ,,by 
,,hadji ,,khan1 ,m4,r4,a4,s4            
7,special ,correspondent of the         
8,morning ,post07    ,,and ,,wilfrid    
,,sparroy    7,author of 8,persian      
,children of the ,royal ,family07       
,,with ,,an ,,introduction    ,,by      
,,professor ,a4 ,,vamb,,ry      ,,london
 ,,and ,,new ,,york    ,,john ,,lane1   
,,mdccccv            ,,printed ,,by ,w4 
,h4 ,,white ,,and ,,son    ,,the ,,abbey
 ,,press1 ,,edinburgh          ,,to     
,,the ,,honourable ,,oliver ,a4         
,,borthwick                444 ,,oh1    
,,never ,,star    ,,was ,,lost ,,here   
,,but ,,it ,,rose ,,afar6    ,,look     
,,east1 ,,where ,,whole ,,new           
,,thousands ,,are6          ,the        
,authors take this opportunity of       

renewing their acknowledgments of  all  
they owe to the ,editor of ,the ,morning
 ,post1 to whose friendly  interest and 
encouragement the success of the serial 
publication1 under  the title of the    
8,great ,pilgrimage10 was in a          
considerable measure due4  ,in tendering
 to him their hearty thanks1 they feel  
it would be scarcely  fair to themselves
 were they to allow the reader to take  
this1 the  present fruit of their       
respective labours1 to be a mere        
republication4  ,it is something far    
more than that1 one-fifth of the book1  
and that the  most interesting part of  
all1 being absolutely new2 while the    
whole of  the remainder has been not    
only carefully revised1 but also recast1
  and1 to some extent1 rewritten4 ,but  
the reader owes the new material to     
,mr4 ,dunn's kindness in relinquishing  
his right to it in order that it  might 
appear for the first time in the pages  
of 8,with the ,pilgrims to  ,mecca40    
#bhth ,april #aijd4                     

,,my ,,own ,,east6      ,,how ,,nearer  
,,god ,,we ,,were6 ,,he ,,glows ,,above 
,,with ,,scarce ,,an ,,intervention1    
,,presses ,,close      ,,and            
,,palpitatingly1 ,,his ,,soul ,o',,er   
,,ours2      ,,we ,,feel ,,him1 ,,nor   
,,by ,,painful ,,reason ,,know6         
,,the ,,everlasting ,,minute ,,of       
,,creation      ,,is ,,felt ,,there4    
,,robert ,,browning4                    
,,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 ,hajees1 the dear1 
pious and  good-natured companions on   
many of my wanderings in ,moslem ,asia4 
,we in  ,europe can hardly have an idea 
of the zeal and delight which animate   
the pilgrim to the holy places of       
,arabia1 not only during his sojourn  in
 ,mekka and ,medina1 not only whilst    
making the ,tawaf 7procession  round the
 ,kaaba71 not only during the excursion 

to the valley of ,mina1  where the      
exclamation of 8,lebeitk y ,allah0 rends
 the air round the  ,arafat--but long   
before he has started on his arduous and
 formerly  very dangerous journey to the
 birthplace of ,islam4 ,the ,hadj1 being
 one  of the four fundamental commands  
of ,islam1 is looked upon by every  true
 believer as a religious duty the       
fulfilment of which is always  before   
his eyes1 and if prevented by want of   
means or by infirmity he  will strive to
 find a ,wekil 7representative71 whom he
 provides with  necessary funds to      
undertake the journey and to pray in his
 name at  the ,kaaba1 and when the      
,wekil has returned he hands over the   
,ihram 7a  shirt-like dress in which the
 pilgrimage is performed7 to his sender 
who will use it as his shroud1 and      
appear before the ,almighty in  the garb
 used on the ,hadj4 ,the further the    
,moslem lives from ,arabia  the greater 
becomes the passion to visit the holy   
places of his  religion1 and if there   

was a country in which the desire to    
fulfil  this holy command was most      
fervently cultivated and executed1 it   
was  decidedly ,central ,asia and       
,eastern ,turkestan1 where nearly       
two-thirds  of the pilgrims formerly    
perished1 partly in consequence of      
epidemics  and inclemency of weather1   
partly also at the hands of robbers or  
through thirst in the desert4 ,and yet  
these ,turk or ,tartar ,hadjees  often  
disregard all dangers and perils of a   
long journey1 and begin  to economise   
the money necessary for travelling      
expenses many years  before they have   
set out1 for a man destitute of means is
 not allowed  to undertake the ,hadj1   
the same prohibition exists also for a  
man who  is not bodily strong enough1 or
 who has to provide for a family left   
back at home4 ,it is true1 in accordance
 with the saying 8,hem ziaret hem       
tidjaret0 7,pilgrimage and ,business    
together71 there are people1 who        
connect trade with religion1 but their  

devotion is often criticised1  whereas  
the pure religious intention meets      
everywhere with the greatest  praise and
 veneration1 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 country4  
,on his  return journey from ,mekka and 
,medina the ,hajee gets an official     
reception all along his route4 ,he is   
met by young and old1 by rich and  poor1
 everybody tries to rub his eyes or his 
cheeks to the dress of the  man1 in     
order to catch an atom of the dust      
coming from the ,kaaba or  from the     
grave of the ,prophet1 and if the ,hajee
 is the bearer of some  ,khaki-,mubarak 
7i4e41 blessed earth from the grave of  
,mohammed71 or  if he is in possession  
of a small bottle of 8,zemzem0 7the holy
 fountain  in the precinct of the       
,kaaba71 there is no end and limit to   
the  pressing throng around him4 ,i have
 seen people kissing the footsteps  of  

such a pilgrim1 embracing and petting   
him1 and what struck me most  was the   
scene where ,kirghis or ,turkoman nomads
 cried like children on  seeing one of  
these ,hajees1 and when they began to   
quarrel1 nay1 to  fight1 for the        
opportunity to bestow hospitality on a  
returning ,hajee1  be he even an ,uzbeg 
or a ,tajik1 whom they otherwise        
dislike4    ,yes1 the ,haj is a most    
wonderful institution in the interest of
 the  strength1 unity and spiritual     
power of ,islam2 it is a kind of        
religious  ,parliament and a gathering  
place for the followers of the prophet1 
where the sacred ,hermandad is fostered 
despite all differences of race  and    
colour1 and whereas the temple in       
,jerusalem does often become the        
cockpit of different ,christian sects1  
and the arena of bloody fights1  which  
would fatally end without the           
intercession of the ,moslem soldiers  of
 the ,padishah1 we meet with perfect    
peace and concord in the court of  the  

,kaaba1 where the four sects have got   
their separate places without           
interfering with each other1 and where  
,hanefites1 ,shafaites1 ,malekites  and 
,hanbalites pay simultaneously their    
veneration to the founder of  their     
religion4 ,even the ,shiite ,persian is 
not molested as long as he  does not    
offend the believers by an ostentatious 
exhibition of his  schismatic views1    
what he rarely does1 for dissimulation  
is not  prohibited according to the     
tenets of the ,shiites4    ,the         
foregoing remarks about the ,haj have   
been quoted here with the  intention to 
realise the importance of this religious
 custom of ,islam1  and particularly to 
show how necessary it is to know and to 
appreciate  duly the political1 social  
and ethical qualities of this precept   
ordained by the prophet4    ,well1 in   
order to gain full information on this  
subject1 we have been  in need of an    
account of the ,haj written by a        
,mohammedan who is not  attracted by    

curiosity1 but by religious piety1 who  
had free access  to every place1 who is 
not hampered by fear of being discovered
 as  a ,christian1 and who is besides a 
shrewd observer4 ,these essential       
qualities ,i find in ,mr4 ,haji ,khan1  
,m4,r4,a4,s41 the pilgrim1 who calls    
himself also 8,haji ,raz0 7the mystery  
,haji74 ,it may be well said that       
,christian travellers like ,burkhard1   
,burton1 ,maltzan1 and others1 have     
exhausted the subject relating to the   
holy places of ,islam1 but a            
,mohammedan sees more and better than   
any foreigner1 and ,i do not go too  far
 when ,i say that ,mr4 ,haji ,khan1 with
 his thorough ,english education1  would
 have been more fitted to describe1     
unaided1 the life and the  manners of   
the ,haj1 than was his ,turkish         
fellow-believer1 ,emin ,effemdi1  author
 of a ,turkish account of the same      
topic4    ,i daresay it will be the case
 with many other subjects relating to   
the actual and past features of the     

,eastern life1 if natives will be  only 
educated to describe the peculiarities  
of their own nations and  creeds1 and   
for this reason it is desirable that the
 number of scholars  like ,mr4 ,haji    
,khan should increase1 and that this    
present book1  written in collaboration 
with ,mr4 ,wilfrid ,sparroy1 should meet
 with a  well-deserved reception4       
,great credit is due to ,mr4 ,wilfrid   
,sparroy1 to whose high qualities as  a 
writer1 this joint production owes so   
much4 ,both ,mr4 ,haji ,khan and  ,mr4  
,wilfrid ,sparroy are to be             
congratulated on the results of their   
labours3 they have succeeded in bringing
 the ,east nearer to the ,west4      ,a4
 ,,vamb,,ry4          ,,contents        
,,part ,i      ,a ,,persian ,,pilgrim   
,,in ,,the ,,making--                   
,,page      #a4 ,,the ,,message ,,of    
,,the ,,prophet                         
#ba      #b4 ,,conditions ,,of          
,,pilgrimage                            
#ca      #c4 ,,forbidden ,,viands       

#cb      #d4 ,,the ,,work ,,of          
,,purification                          
#cc      #e4 ,,prayers                  
#ce      #f4 ,,aspects ,,of ,,social    
,,isl,m                            #cg  
#g4 ,,stories ,,of ,,the ,,muslim       
,,moons                        #dg      
#h4 ,,persian ,s,f,,ism--,,persian      
,,shiahism ,,in ,,its       ,,relation  
,,to ,,the ,,persian ,,passion-,,drama  
#fb        ,,part ,,ii      ,,the       
,,story ,,of ,,the ,,pilgrimage--       
,,chap4 ,i4    ,,london ,,to ,,jiddah   
#ha      ,,chap4 ,,ii4   ,,from ,,jiddah
 ,,to ,,mecca                     #ajb  
,,chap4 ,,iii4  ,,within ,,the          
,,harem--,,some ,,remarks               
,,on ,,the ,,orthodox ,,sects ,,of      
,,isl,m           #aaa      ,,chap4     
,,iv4   ,,compassing ,,of ,,the         
,,ka',,bah                 #abf         
,,chap4 ,v4    ,,the ,,course ,,of      
,,perseverance               #adj       
,,chap4 ,,vi4   ,,scene ,,in ,,an       
,,eating-,,house--,,visit               

,,to ,,the ,,ka',,bah                   
#aec      ,,chap4 ,,vii4  ,,on ,,the    
,,road ,,to ,,arafat                    
#agc      ,,chap4 ,,viii4 ,,on ,,the    
,,road ,,to ,,arafat 7concluded7        
#aic      ,,chap4 ,,ix4   ,,arafat      
,,day3 ,,night                          
#bab      ,,chap4 ,x4    ,,arafat ,,day3
 ,,daybreak                     #bbc    
,,chap4 ,,xi4   ,,arafat ,,day3         
,,forenoon ,,and                        
,,afternoon                             
#bcd      ,,chap4 ,,xii4  ,,the ,,day   
,,of ,,victims3 ,,from ,,sundown        
,,to ,,sunset4 ,,the ,,days ,,of        
,,drying ,,flesh      #bde        ,,part
 ,,iii      ,,meccan ,,scenes ,,and     
,,sketches--      ,,chap4 ,i4    ,,the  
,,meccan ,,bazaars                      
#bee      ,,chap4 ,,ii4   ,,the         
,,talisman-,,monger                     
#bff      ,,chap4 ,,iii4  ,,seyyid      
',,al',s ,,story ,,of ,,his ,,redemption
    #bhj      ,,chap4 ,,iv4   ,,healing 
,,by ,,faith                            

#bhi      ,,appendix4   ,,some          
,,reflections ,,on ,,the ,,existence    
,,of ,a ,,slave ,,market ,,in ,,mecca   
#bii        ,,index4                    
#cji          ,,list ,,of               
,,illustrations                         
,,page      ,,the ,,harem1 ,,showing    
,,the ,,ka',,bah1 ,,and ,,the ,,other   
,,sanctuaries ,,within ,,the ,,harem    
,frontispiece      ,,copies ,,of ,,the  
,,kur,n ,,worn en bandoulire ,,by       
,,muslims ,,when ,,travelling ,,or ,,on 
,,pilgrimage              #ci      ,a   
,,persian ,,suf ,,of ,,the ,,order ,,of 
,,the ,,late    ,,sephi ',,al ,,sh,h    
#fe      ,a ,,group ,,of ,,mixed        
,,pilgrims                              
#he      ,a ,,pilgrim 8,,at             
,,sea0--,,suez ,,railway ,,station      
#he      ,,preparing ,,to ,,embark ,,at 
,,suez                           #ia    
,,pilgrims ,,embarking ,,at ,,suez      
#ii      ,,before ,,weighing ,,anchor   
,,at ,,suez                        #ii  
,a ,,moorish ,,gentleman ,,in ,,moorish 

,,dress                 #aba      ,,the 
,,poorer ,,side ,,of ,,egyptian         
,,muslims                  #adc         
,,putting ,,on ,,ihr,m ,,at ,,jiddah    
#aee      ,,mussah ,,street ,,at ,,mecca
                               #aee     
,,an ,,egyptian ,,coffee-,,house        
,,frequented ,,by ,,the ,,poor      #afa
      ,,an ,,egyptian ,,donkey ,,and    
,,its ,,driver                    #ahc  
,,the ,,musician ,,camel ,,cavalcade    
#bja      ,,water-,,carriers ,,of       
,,mecca                                 
#bjg      7a7 ,,the ,,pasha ,,of        
,,hejaz2 7b7 ,,the ,,aminus-,,surreh    
#bjg      ,,the ,,sher,f ,,of ,,mecca   
,,in ,,his ,,uniform                    
#bae      ,a ,,learned ,,mussulman ,,of 
,,india                         #bbi    
,,persian ,,pilgrims ,,from ,,tabriz1   
,,having ,,tea ,,on    ,,board ,,the    
,,steamer                               
#bci      ,,disembarking ,,at ,,jiddah  
#bdi      ,,pilgrims ,,at ,,jiddah      
#bdi      ,,an ,,egyptian ,,grocer      

#bfg      ,a ,,persian ,,professor ,,of 
,,theology                      #bia    
,,an ,,arab ,,sheykh ,,of ,,the ,,town  
#big          ,,part ,i                 
,,errata         ,page #bb1 line #cd1   
,for ,jellalu'd-dn's 8,al ,beidw10 read 
,al-,beidw's commentary4     ,page #ca1 
line #aj1          ,for 8,hj ,rz10 read 
,hadji ,khan4     ,page #ca1 line #aa1  
,for ,chapter ,v41 ,part ,,iii41 read   
,appendix4     ,page #cb1 line #ab1     
,for formerly1 read formally4    ,page  
#eg1 line #a1           ,for #acbj1 read
 #acai4    ,page #bde1 line #ai1        
,for #acbj1 read #acai4     ,page #fi1  
line #g1           ,for uncle1 read     
father-in-law4     ,page #fi1 lines     
#bi-cj1      ,for too rash and too      
indiscreet1 read                        
too forbearing and too magnanimous4     
,page #gb1 line #ab1          ,for      
daughter ,fatima1 read sister ,zainab4  
,page #gf1 line #ac1          ,for      
daughter ,fatima1 read sister ,zainab4  
,page #ic1 line #ba1          ,for      

,ysuf1 read ,ysuf4     ,page #ic1 lines 
#bb-bc1      ,for ,al ,beyyid1 read ,al 
,beidw4    ,page #aae1 line #a1         
,for ,tomb of ,abraham1 read ,station of
                                        
,abraham4    ,page #acj1 line #bh1      
,for ,tomb of ,abraham1 read ,station of
                                        
,abraham4     ,page #aag1 line #i1      
,for ,mer1 read ,merve4     ,page #acd1 
line #h1          ,for ordnance1 read   
ordinance4     ,page #aff1 line #cb1    
,for mosque1 read temple4     ,page     
#aii1 line #ai1         ,for ,tabbl1    
read ,tabl4     ,page #bcg1 line #ab1   
,for ,kharnum1 read ,khanum4     ,page  
#bcg1 line #ab1         ,for ,mrs4      
,zobeideh1 read ,lady ,zobeideh4        
,page #bea1 line #d1          ,omit the 
,merciful and ,compassionate4     ,page 
#bff1 line #bj1         ,for ,god is    
just1 read ,god is ,great4              
,,with ,,the ,,pilgrims ,,to ,,mecca    
,,part ,i    ,a ,,persian ,,pilgrim ,,in
 ,,the ,,making      ,i4--,,message ,,of

 ,,the ,,prophet4    ,the day before ,i 
left ,england for ,persia some seven    
years ago1 ,i went  to see my uncle1 the
 author of the 8,siege of ,metz40 ,on   
saying good-bye  he made me a present of
 the ,kurn4 8,here10 said he1 8is the   
thing to  be read4 ,it will be the best 
introduction to the new life awaiting   
you  in the ,east4 ,if you can lay hold 
of the spirit of this book you will  not
 be alone out there1 but among men and  
brothers1 for the ,kurn is a  sincere   
revelation of much that is eternally    
true40 ,i never saw ,george  ,robinson  
again3 in less than a week--before ,i   
had left ,paris--his  spirit had passed 
to the bourne whence all revelations    
come1 and where  truth1 in its          
completeness1 will be revealed4    ,now1
 it should be the critic's aim1 in      
dealing with all true books1 to  place  
himself on the same plane as the author1
 and to look in the same  direction1    
fixing the same end4 ,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 years4   
,the merits  of the ,kurn and the       
far-reaching reforms of the ,prophet of 
,islm 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 ,ignorance1   
and with the empty logical jangling of  
the  rival ,syrian ,christian sects at  
the close of the ,sixth ,century4 ,and  
the  critic having grasped the          
lifelessness of religious practice      
before  the coming of ,muhammad1 would  
be wise to reveal1 first of all1 what   
there is of truth1 and to spread what   
light there is in the written  word of  
the great reformer1 abandoning to the   
bigot and the purblind  the less        
fruitful occupation of stirring in the  
cauldron of religious  controversy4 ,to 
that end1 indeed1 it were not amiss that
 he should  cultivate his imagination1  

for the imaginative have turned the     
corner  of their narrower selves1 and   
theirs is an ever-widening vision4 ,to  
those who1 living by the word of        
,christ1 diffuse darkness1 ,muhammad    
will ever be either a charlatan or an   
unscrupulous man of the sword4  ,well1  
the ,prophet's followers must take heart
 of grace4 ,history itself  as well as  
the ,kurn has proclaimed the charges to 
be false4    ,the keynote to ,muhammad's
 character is sincerity4 ,sincerity     
rings  out clear enough in every word of
 his book4 ,he was a man in whom  the   
fire-thought of the desert burned so    
fiercely that he could not  help being  
sincere4 ,he was so truly sincere1      
indeed1 as to be wholly  unconscious of 
his sincerity4 ,now1 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  
been1 at least once in practice1 a      
backslider from the high ideal of       
conduct that he preached4 ,this story1  

from ,al-,beidw's commentary1 is thus   
related by ,sale3    8,a certain blind  
man named ,abdallah ,ebn ,omm ,mactm    
came and interrupted  ,muhammad while he
 was engaged in earnest discourse with  
some of the  principal ,kuraish1 of     
whose conversion he had hopes2 but1 the 
,prophet  taking no notice of him1 the  
blind man1 not knowing that ,muhammad   
was  otherwise busied1 raised his voice1
 and said1 #8,o apostle of ,god1 teach  
me some part of what ,god hath taught   
thee'2 but ,muhammad1 vexed at this     
interruption1 frowned1 and turned away  
from him10 for which he was  reprehended
 afterwards by his conscience4 ,this    
episode was the source  of the          
revelation entitled 8,he ,frowned40     
8,the ,prophet frowned1 and  turned     
aside10 so runs ,chapter lxxx4 of the   
,kurn1 8because the blind  man came unto
 him2 and how dost thou know whether he 
shall peradventure  be cleansed from his
 sins2 or whether he shall be           
admonished1 and the  admonition shall   

profit him8 ,the man who is wealthy thou
 receivest with  respect2 but him who   
cometh unto thee earnestly seeking his  
salvation1  and who fearest ,god1 dost  
thou neglect4 ,by no means shouldst thou
 act  thus40 ,we are also told that the 
,prophet1 whenever he saw ,ebn ,omm     
,mactm after this1 showed him marked    
respect1 saying1 8,the man is  welcome  
on whose account my ,lord hath          
reprimanded me10 and that he made  him  
twice ,governor of ,medina4 ,and yet    
many still persist in calling  ,muhammad
 a charlatan4 ,surely a prophet who1 in 
reproving others1 spared  not himself1  
has won the right to be respected as an 
honest man4 ,for my  part ,i believe him
 to have been one whose word was his    
bond1 and whose  hand it had been good  
to grasp4    ,as for his having been a  
mere victorious soldier1 he was in the  
beginning 8precisely in a minority of   
one40 ,your ,napoleon finds in          
patriotism his most successful          
recruiting sergeant4 ,but the call  of  

patriotism had summoned to ,muhammad's  
standard not a single  recruit1 because 
he was despised by the patriotic 7if the
 ,kuraish1 the  predominant tribe in    
,arabia1 and the keepers of the ,ka'bah1
 deserved  to be so called7 and was     
rejected by them4 ,assuredly ,muhammad  
drew the  sword2 he was driven to draw  
it in the end4 ,but how did he get the  
sword1 and to what purpose did he put it
 when he had it8 ,muhammad's  sword was 
forged in the furnace of that           
passionate1 human soul of his1  was     
tempered in the flame of divine         
compassion1 and gave to every  ,arab an 
,empire and a creed4 ,islm was the      
sword6 ,the blade of steel  achieved no 
miracle1 it merely drew                 
blood--sufficiently corrupt4 ,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 faith4 ,his  battle-cry was the
 declaration of ,god's unity2 his sword 
was the faith2  his battlefield the     

human heart and soul2 and his enemy     
idolatry and  corruption4 8,y ,allh60   
and 8,y ,muhammad60 carried the ,arabian
 conquest  from ,mecca to ,granada1 and 
from ,arabia to ,delhi4 ,the conquering 
hosts  fought rather with their hearts  
and with their souls than with their    
swords and their strong right hands2    
inculcating in the conquered no  earthly
 vanities1 as do modern ,muhammadan     
rulers1 but the principles of  liberty1 
solidarity1 unity1 equality1 and        
compassion4    ,forty thousand ,arabs1  
under their famous leader1 ,sd ,vaghs1  
having  defeated five hundred thousand  
,persians and overthrown the mighty     
,persian ,empire1 in the battle of      
,khadasieh1 on the plain of ,nahavend1  
deeply rooted their faith in the heart  
of the alien race1 and then left  her to
 be ruled by her own people1 in         
accordance with the precepts  of the new
 revelation4 ,omar1 perhaps the greatest
 ,caliph1 is said to  have lived        
throughout his life on a loaf of barley 

bread and a cup of  sour milk a day4    
,and ,al' the ,prophet's son-in-law1    
whom the ,persians  revere as his true  
successor1 lived for no other purpose   
than to help  the poor and to succour   
the weak4 ,he was1 as ,carlyle assures  
us1 a man  worthy of ,christian         
knighthood4 ,so also was his son1       
,huseyn1 whose  glorious martyrdom has  
endeared him to the hearts of the       
,persian people4    ,in the ,east men   
are ruled and guided by religious laws  
and not by  positive ones1 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 people4
 ,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     
,anarchy4 ,we ,western peoples  merely  
pray that ,god's will may be done on    

earth as it is in ,heaven4  ,whereas    
,muhammad1 being1 as he was1 a practical
 reformer1 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 loved4    ,the    
very core of the ,muhammadan faith lies1
 as ,i conceive1 in three  broad        
principles4 ,first1 in the declaration  
of ,god's unity4 8,say1  ,god is one    
,god2 the eternal ,god3 ,he begetteth   
not1 neither is ,he  begotten3 and there
 is not one like unto ,him40 ,this short
 chapter1 as  is well known1 is held in 
particular veneration by the            
,muhammadans1  and declared1 by a       
tradition of the ,prophet1 to be equal  
in value to  a third part of the whole  
,kurn4 ,it is said to have been revealed
  in answer to the ,kuraish1 who had    
asked ,muhammad concerning the          
distinguishing attributes of the ,god he
 invited them to worship4 ,for          
,muhammad held that all the prophets    

from the creation of the world have     
been ,unitarians2 that as ,moses was a  
,unitarian so also was ,christ2 that    
,christianity1 as practised in ,syria1  
was a break in ,god's revelation  of    
,himself as ,one1 and that he1          
,muhammad1 had been specially chosen by 
,god to re-admonish mankind of this     
fundamental truth4    ,as this ground   
idea satisfies the ,oriental's reason1  
so the second1  ,islm1 that is1         
resignation from man to ,god1 responds  
to the inner  voice of his soul1 and    
seems to lead his heart warmly to       
embrace  the third principle of the     
,muhammadan faith1 which1 in the golden 
age of the ,muhammadan ,era1 was the    
means of establishing equality  among   
the people--,i mean the principle of    
charity1 of alms-giving1  of compassion 
from man to man4 ,unswerving obedience  
to the spirit  and the letter of these  
three laws carried with it the          
obligation of  unswerving loyalty to the
 ,prophet4 ,when we pray1 we            

,christians1 we say  8,give us this day 
our daily bread40 ,the ,muhammadans1    
under penalty of  everlasting torment1  
are obliged to sacrifice1 to the poor   
and needy1  a due proportion of the     
things that they love--not merely of    
their  superfluity--with the result that
 each man among them1 by that fact      
alone1 constitutes himself1 as it were1 
a willing instrument of ,god's  will    
that ,his ,kingdom of ,heaven shall     
reign on earth4 ,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       
8,salm0 7have peace74 ,indeed1 peace    
being an essential condition  of        
undertaking the sacramental ,pilgrimage 
to ,mecca1 it is unlawful to  wage war  
during the three months' journeying of  
the ,muslim lunar year1  namely1 in     
,shavvl1 ,z-'l-ka'dah1 and ,z-'l-hijjah4
    8,contribute out of your subsistence
 towards the defence of the religion  of

 ,god10 says ,muhammad1 8and throw not  
yourself with your own hands  into      
perdition that is1 be not accessory to  
your own destruction  by neglecting your
 contributions towards the wars against 
infidels1  and thereby suffering them to
 gather strength1 and do good1 for ,god 
loveth those who do good4 ,perform the  
,pilgrimage of ,mecca1 and the          
visitation of ,god2 and if ye be        
besieged send that offering which shall 
be the easiest1 and shave not your heads
 until your offering reacheth  the place
 of sacrifice4 ,but whoever among you is
 sick1 or is troubled  with any         
distemper of the head1 must redeem the  
shaving of the head by  fasting1 by     
alms1 or by some offering either by     
fasting three days1 by  feeding six poor
 people1 or by sacrificing a sheep4 ,but
 he who findeth  not anything to offer  
shall fast three days in the            
,pilgrimage1 and  seven when he be      
returned3 these shall be ten days       
complete4 ,this is  incumbent on him    

whose family shall not be present at the
 ,holy ,temple40    8,the ,pilgrimage   
must be performed in the known months   
7i4e41 ,shavvl1  ,z-'l-ka'dah1 and      
,z-'l-hijjah72 whosoever therefore      
purposeth to go  on ,pilgrimage therein1
 let him not know a woman1 nor          
transgress1 nor  quarrel in the         
,pilgrimage4 ,the good which ye do1 ,god
 knoweth it4 ,make  provision for your  
journey1 but the best provision is      
piety1 and fear  me1 ,o ye of           
understanding4 ,it shall be no crime in 
you if ye seek an  increase from your   
,lord by trading during the ,pilgrimage4
 ,and when  ye go in procession from    
,arafat a mountain near ,mecca remember 
,god  near the holy monument1 and       
remember ,him for that ,he hath directed
  you1 though ye were before this of the
 number of those who go astray4         
,therefore go in procession from whence 
the people go in procession1 and  ask   
pardon of ,god1 for ,god is gracious and
 merciful4 ,and when ye have  finished  

your holy ceremonies1 remember ,god1    
according as ye remember  your fathers1 
or with a more reverend commemoration4  
,yea1 remember  ,god the appointed      
number of days three days after slaying 
the  sacrifices1 but if any haste to    
depart from the ,valley of ,mina in two 
days it shall be no crime in him4 ,and  
if any tarry longer it shall be  no     
crime in him--in him who feareth ,god4  
,therefore1 fear ,god and know  that    
unto ,him ye shall be gathered4444 ,they
 who shall disbelieve and  obstruct the 
way of ,god1 and hinder men from        
visiting the ,holy ,temple  of ,mecca1  
which we have appointed for a place of  
worship unto all men3  the inhabitant   
thereof and the stranger have an equal  
right to visit  it3 and whosoever shall 
seek impiously to profane it1 we will   
cause  him to taste a grievous torment4 
,and proclaim unto the people a solemn  
,pilgrimage2 let them come unto thee on 
foot1 and on every lean camel1  arriving
 from every distant road1 that they may 

be witnesses of the  advantages which   
accrue to them from visiting this holy  
place1 and may  commemorate the name of 
,god on the appointed days namely1 the  
first  ten days of ,z-'l-hijjah1 or the 
tenth day of the same month1 on which   
they slay the sacrifices1 and the three 
following days in gratitude  for the    
brute cattle which he hath bestowed on  
them4 ,wherefore eat  thereof1 and feed 
the needy and the poor4 ,afterwards let 
them put an  end to the neglect of their
 persons by shaving their heads1 and the
  body from below the neck1 and cutting 
their beards and nails in the  valley of
 ,mina1 which the pilgrims are not      
allowed to do from the time  they become
 ,muhrims1 and have solemnly dedicated  
themselves to the  performance of the   
,pilgrimage1 till they have finished the
 ceremonies1  and slain their victims2  
and let them pay their vows by doing the
  good works which they have vowed to do
 in their ,pilgrimage1 and  compass the 
ancient house i4e41 the ,ka'bah1 which  

the ,muhammadans  pretend was the first 
edifice built and appointed for the     
worship of  ,god4 ,this let them do4    
,and whoever shall regard the sacred    
ordinances  of ,god3 this will be better
 for him in the sight of his ,lord4 ,all
  sorts of cattle are allowed you to    
eat1 except what hath been read  unto   
you1 in former passages of the ,kurn1 to
 be forbidden4 ,but depart  from the    
abomination of idols1 and avoid speaking
 that which is false3  being orthodox in
 respect to ,god1 associating no other  
god with him2  for whosoever associateth
 any other with ,god is like that which 
falleth  from heaven1 and which the     
birds snatch away1 or the wind bloweth  
to a  far distant place4 ,this is       
so44440    ,one of the benefits of this 
,pilgrimage1 and1 perhaps1 the greatest 
of  all1 if we regard the sacrament     
either from the political and social  or
 from the religious standpoint1 was1 and
 is1 the gathering together  in ,mecca  
of ,muhammadans of every race and of    

every sect4 ,there1 and in  the city of 
,medina1 they first saw the dawn of     
their religious faith  and their        
political power2 there their hearts were
 drawn together  in unity and strength2 
and there1 in the early days of the     
,caliphs1  they discussed their latest  
achievements1 the glory of their future 
conquests1 and studied the wants and    
needs of their co-religionists4  ,within
 the walls of the ,holy of ,holies they 
wept and prayed that ,god  might renew  
within them a cleaner spirit through    
faith2 and there1  too1 they strove with
 all earnestness to raise themselves to 
the full  height of the ,prophet's      
conception of manhood1 which encouraged 
such  virtues as hospitality1           
generosity1 compassion1 heroism1        
courage1  parental love1 filial respect1
 and passive obedience to the will of   
,god4 ,thus ,mecca1 in the days of      
,pilgrimage1 might be looked upon as an 
immense club or a university where      
,muhammadans1 from every quarter of  the

 globe1 meet and discuss their political
 and social problems1 and  prostrate    
themselves in prayer to the one and only
 ,divinity4    ,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    
hereafter4 ,for the  ,oriental nations1 
be it remembered1 are not as a rule of a
 roving  spirit2 they are far more      
inclined by nature to a life of ease and
  security than to one of danger and    
privation4 8,travel10 says an ,arab     
proverb1 8is a portion of hell-fire10   
and so1 perhaps1 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 ,mecca4  
,in our hearts we believe the proof of  

the ,divine ,spirit using any  religion 
is that it does not deteriorate4 ,the   
chief objection to  ,welsh ,calvinism1  
which1 like ,muhammadanism1 is based on 
the theory  of ,predestination1 is that 
it grows worse4 ,it was once simply  and
 sincerely religious3 it is now mainly  
political spite4 ,has  ,muhammadanism   
deteriorated beyond recognition--say1 in
 the eyes of the  student of the ,kurn1 
or does it still hold tight by 8the cord
 of ,god08  ,do the ,sunns hold         
themselves aloof from the ,shi'ahs1 or  
do they dwell  together1 within the     
,holy ,temple1 in brotherly love and    
concord8 ,their  daily salutation of    
8,salm10 is it sunk to a mere empty     
form1 or is  it still the expression1 as
 it once undoubtedly was1 of a hearty   
wish  to bring about the ,prophet's     
single aim8 ,and of all the             
nationalities  congregated yearly in the
 city of concourse--the ,arabians1 the  
,persians1 the ,afghans1 the ,egyptians1
 the ,muhammadans of ,india and         

,china--which among them all is the most
 worthy to be commended for  its        
enlightenment and progress8 ,all these  
questions1 and many more  on the social 
and religious life of the ,east1 will be
 answered in  the course of the second  
and third parts of this volume4 ,and in 
the  meanwhile1 ,i cannot do better than
 gather into focus the preliminary      
notes of my literary partner1 beginning 
with the customs incidental  to the     
pilgrimage2 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      
journey4 ,and henceforward1 though ,i   
shall always express  myself in my own  
words1 the personal pronoun1 whenever   
used1 will  apply1 throughout this work1
 to my collaborator1 ,hadji ,khan1 with 
the  exception of the contents of the   
,appendix4      ,,ii4--,,conditions ,,of
 ,,pilgrimage4    ,that being           
understood1 the conditions must be      
mentioned which1 in  theory1 though not 

necessarily in practice1 limit the      
number of  ,muhammadans that go on the  
pilgrimage4 ,first1 the ,muhammadan must
  be of age--that is1 he must have      
completed his fifteenth year when1      
according to the ,muhammadan ,law1 a boy
 becomes a man4 ,secondly1 he  must be  
of a sound constitution in order to     
endure the fatigue of the  journey4     
,thirdly1 he should have no debts       
whatever1 but should be  sufficiently   
well-to-do to defray his own travelling 
expenses1 after  having distributed     
one-fifth of his property among the     
,seyyids1 given  one-tenth of the       
remainder in alms1 and made provision   
during his  absence for the support of  
the family and the servants he leaves   
behind  him4 ,fourthly1 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  
means4 ,fifthly1 he must be  either a   
virtuous or a sincerely penitent man1   

for he cannot legally  undertake the    
pilgrimage unless his wealth has been   
gained in a lawful  manner4 ,strictly   
speaking1 a thief1 for example1 cannot  
be a pilgrim1  nor can the money earned 
by accepting bribes be used to cover the
  expenses of the journey4 ,the best    
money to use for the purpose is that    
which has been gained from the produce  
of the soil1 or else that which  has    
been bequeathed by a virtuous father4   
,sixthly1 the ,muhammadan who  would be 
a ,hj must start with an absolutely     
clean conscience3 he must  look to it   
that the friends he leaves behind him   
shall have no just  cause to be offended
 with him4 ,though he need not heed the 
slander of  the malignant1 he must      
formally repent of his sins1 bidding his
 friends  and acquaintances good-bye    
with the words1 8,hallm kund40          
,seventhly1  a woman should be          
accompanied by one of her ,meharem1 that
 is by one of  the men who are          
privileged to see her unveiled--namely1 

by her father1  her husband1 her        
brother1 her uncle1 her born slave1 or  
her eunuch4  ,in short1 the pilgrims    
should be really good ,muslims1 adhering
 firmly  to all the laws laid down in   
the ,kurn1 and following religiously the
  special teaching of their chosen      
directors1 whose prescriptive right to  
regulate the minor details of the rites 
and observances of the ,faith1  has     
resulted in their wielding a tremendous 
power over their flocks  even in        
political matters4                      
,,iii4--,,forbidden ,,viands4    ,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 food4 ,they must    
reckon as prohibited and1 therefore1    
impure1 twelve things1 among  which may 
be counted pork1 underdone meat1 the    
blood of animals1 and  wines4 ,though a 

digression1 it will not be out of place 
to mention here  that the wine1 of which
 ,omar ,khayym and the ,sfs in general  
sing1  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 love4  ,for the      
effect produced on the brain by the     
forbidden drink is in  itself something 
of a mystery1 as it were1 a divine      
afflatus1 more  particularly is it so   
considered by a people of such a        
temperate habit  as the ,persians4 ,some
 of the higher classes1 no doubt1 drink 
hard1  and even drink to get drunk1 but 
upon the whole the ,muhammadans1 and    
especially the ,persians1 are1 in       
comparison with the majority of         
,european peoples1 extremely sober1     
bearing their griefs without seeking    
the consolation of the bottle4          
,,iv4--,,the ,,work ,,of ,,purification4
    ,now1 purifications must be made    
either in flowing water1 or in about    
half a ton of stagnant pure water4 ,when

 the nose bleeds it must be  dipped     
three times1 after being well washed4   
,strange to say1 the sweat  of the      
camel--the animal that bears the pilgrim
 to ,mecca--is said to  be unclean to   
the touch and its pollution must1 like  
the handling of  dogs1 pigs1 and rats1  
be cleansed away by the customary       
purifications4  ,ablutions1 called wuz'h
 should precede every prayer that is    
farz  or incumbent1 and wuz'h consists  
first in washing the hands three  times 
by pouring water from the right hand    
over the left hand and  rubbing them    
together1 next in washing the face three
 times with the  right hand1 then in    
pouring the water with the right hand   
over the  left elbow and rubbing down   
the forearm1 and last of all in         
repeating  the process with the left    
hand over the right forearm4 ,after this
  maseh must be performed by dipping the
 right hand in water and  rubbing it    
over the front portion of the head1 and 
also by rubbing over  the right foot    

with the wet right hand1 and the left   
foot with the wet  left hand4 ,if the   
hands or the feet be sore or wounded    
then clay takes  the place of water1 and
 this particular kind of purification is
 called  tyammom4 ,the devout before    
reading the ,kurn1 or before entering   
the  shrine of a saint or the court of a
 mosque1 should perform wuz'h or        
tyammom1 and in doing so they should    
resolve within themselves to  recite    
such and such a prayer4 ,this is called 
,niyyat1 or ,declaration  of ,intention4
    ,according to a ,shi'ah             
traditionalist1 ,imm ,huseyn has laid   
down twelve  rules to be observed at    
meal times4 ,the first four are         
essential to the  salvation of all true 
,muslims4 ,they should remember to say  
8,bismillah0  before tasting each dish1 
and refrain from eating of the forbidden
  viands2 they should also assure       
themselves that the food laid before    
them has been bought with money obtained
 from a legal source1 and  should end by

 returning thanks to ,god4 ,the second  
four1 though not  universally obeyed1   
are admitted by all to be 8good form10  
and consist  in washing the hands before
 meat1 in sitting down inclined to the  
left1  in eating with the thumb and the 
first two fingers of the right hand1    
which hand must be kept especially clean
 for the purpose4 ,the last  four rules 
deal with matters of social etiquette4  
,they are kept by  most ,muhammadans in 
polite society1 and are as follows3 ,one
 should not  stretch across the         
tablecloth1 but should partake only of  
such dishes  as are within one's reach2 
one should not stuff the mouth too full1
 nor  forget to masticate the food      
thoroughly2 and one should keep the eyes
  downcast and the tongue as silent as  
possible4    ,it is a tradition that the
 washing of hands before meals will     
materially help the true ,muslim to grow
 rich1 and be the means of  delivering  
him from all diseases4 ,if he rub his   
eyes immediately after  the ablution    

they will never be sore4 ,the left hand 
must not be used in  eating unless the  
right be disabled4    ,all true ,muslims
 when eating are advised to begin with  
salt and finish  with vinegar4 ,if they 
begin with salt they will escape the    
contagion of  seventy diseases4 ,if they
 finish with vinegar their worldly      
prosperity  will continue to increase4  
,the host is in etiquette bound to be   
the  first to start eating and the last 
to leave off4 ,tooth-picking is         
considered an act of grace1 for ,gabriel
 is reported to have brought a          
tooth-pick from heaven for the use of   
the ,prophet after every meal4 ,the     
priests recite certain passages of the  
,kurn before and after lunch and        
dinner1 and also before drinking water  
at any hour of the day4                 
,v4--,,prayers4    ,all ,muslims must   
say five prayers every day1 and the     
following six  things should be observed
 before the prayers are acceptable to   
,god3  7#a7 wuz'h or tyammom1 7#b7      

putting off dirty clothes1 7#c7 covering
  one's body and head and doffing the   
shoes1 7#d7 keeping the appointed  time1
 7#e7 determining the exact position of 
,mecca1 and 7#f7 assuring  one's self as
 to the purity of the place in which the
 prayers are said4  ,before beginning   
one must say within one's self what     
prayers one is  about to recite1 and for
 what purpose one is going to recite    
them1 and  at the end one must raise the
 hands to ,heaven1 saying1 8,may peace  
be with ,muhammad and with his          
disciples40 ,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 paradise1       
declaring 8that there could be no  good 
in that religion wherein was no prayer40
 ,it behoves every pilgrim1  therefore1 
in his sacred habit1 to pray at least   
five times every  twenty-four hours2    
7#a7 in the morning before sunrise1 7#b7
 when noon  is past and the sun begins  
to decline from the meridian1 7#c7 in   

the  afternoon before sunset1 7#d7 in   
the evening after sunset and before day 
be shut in1 and 7#e7 after the day is   
shut in and before the first watch  of  
the night4 ,besides these1 there are    
certain other prayers which1  though not
 expressly enjoined1 are commended as a 
special act of grace1  more particularly
 perhaps to the pilgrims in ihrm4 ,among
 these may be  mentioned the separate   
prayers generally said at night 7i4e41  
the  namz-i-tahajjud and the vitr71 and 
the extra prayers not prescribed  by    
law1 the navfil and the                 
namz-i-mustahabb4 ,the positions of the 
body are as follows3 7#a7 kiym1 that is1
 standing erect1 with the hands  down by
 the sides2 7#b7 takbrguftn1 declaring  
,god's greatness1 on  raising the hands 
on either side of the face1 with the    
thumbs under  the lobes of the ears1 and
 the fingers extended2 7#c7 ruk1        
inclining  the body from the waist and  
placing the hands on the knees2 7#d7    
kunt1  standing with the head inclined  

forward and the hands on either side of 
the face2 7#e7 d znnishastn1 kneeling1  
the hands lying flat on the  thighs2 and
 7#f7 sijdah1 prostration1 in which the 
forehead must touch  the ground1 or the 
lump of unbaked clay that is known by   
the name of  8mohre40 ,a full prayer is 
made up of five 8rakats0 or             
prostrations1  during which not a word  
save the prayer as prescribed should be 
uttered4 ,part of the prayer is said    
aloud and part in a whispering  tone4   
,the greatest care should be taken to   
pronounce each word with  the correct   
,arabic accent1 since ill-pronounced    
words1 unless the  result of a natural  
defect1 are said to be unacceptable to  
the ,creator4  ,the pilgrim should say  
special prayers on ,friday1 and every   
time he  has recourse to the ,kurn      
before deciding on any course of action 
whatsoever4 ,a special prayer is said by
 the devout about one hour after        
midnight4 ,this is called the midnight  
prayer1 and is1 of course1 a  tedious   

task4 ,hence it is sometimes said       
sarcastically of a man with a  loose    
belief in the ,faith3 8,he says midnight
 prayers60 ,the prayers most  readily   
answered are the prayers said in ,mecca4
 ,thus when a pilgrim  sets out on his  
journey he is requested by his friends  
to pray for them  at the ,house of ,god4
 ,the name of the person for whom one   
prays should  be uttered1 otherwise the 
prayer will have no effect4 ,every      
pilgrim  must take with him a rosary1   
the square piece of unbaked clay called 
8mohre10 and a copy of the ,kurn1 for a 
passage of the ,kurn must be  read after
 every prayer4      ,,vi4--,,aspects    
,,of ,,social ,,isl,m4    ,it is now    
time to give the reader1 in as terse and
 as condensed a  form as possible1 a    
general idea of the part played by      
religion in  the workaday lives of the  
children of the ,faith1 beginning with  
their  toilet1 that is1 with their      
dressing and bathing1 with the combing  
of  their hair and the cutting of their 

nails4    ,a pious ,persian ,muslim1    
before wearing any new article of       
clothing1  performs his ablutions and   
prostrates himself twice in prayer4 ,a  
man  of a less devout1 but a more       
superstitious1 trend of mind contents   
himself with consulting the taghvm or   
the estakhhareh#a muttering  to himself1
 ere he dons the garment1 8,in the name 
of ,god the ,merciful  and ,clement60   
,his friends on seeing the new apparel  
cry out1 8,may it be  auspicious60 ,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 cloth4 ,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 
,kurn has been read4    #a ,for fuller  
particulars of the taghvm and the       
estakhhareh1 see  page #bhi 8,healing by
 ,faith40    ,it is unlucky for a       
,muslim to sit down before taking off   

his shoes4  ,when drawing them on it is 
equally unlucky for him to stand up4    
,the  custom1 in the first instance1 is 
to rise1 doffing first the left  shoe   
and then the right one4 ,the procedure  
must be reversed in every  particular   
when putting them on4 ,the universal    
belief in omens is  traditional1 and    
extends1 among other things1 to precious
 stones4 ,by  far the luckiest of these 
is the flesh-coloured cornelian1 which  
is  a great favourite with the men4 ,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 hand4 ,it
 grew still more in  favour at a later  
period1 because ,jafar1 the famous ,imm1
 declared  that the desires of every man
 who wore it would be gratified4 ,and   
thenceforward its property to bless has 
been regarded as axiomatic by  the      
superstitious to whom ,i am referring4  
,illustration3 ,,copies ,,of ,,the      
,,kur,n ,,worn ,,en ,,bandouli,,re ,,by 

,,muslims  ,,when ,,travelling ,,or ,,on
 ,,pilgrimage4    ,the ,shiahs have the 
name of one of the twelve ,imms engraved
 on the  stone2 others make use of it as
 a seal bearing their own names4 ,hardly
  less lucky are the turquoise and the  
ruby1 which are believed to have  the   
effect of warding off poverty from those
 who are fortunate  enough to possess   
them4 ,this is why they are treasured by
 the fair sex1  the ruby being1 perhaps1
 the more dearly loved of the two4      
,every bath has generally three courts4 
,on entering each one of these  the     
devout say the prayers prescribed for   
the occasion1 but the  generality of    
,muslims1 unless they intend to perform 
the religious  purifications1 consider  
it sufficient to greet the people who   
are  present with the word 8,salm60 ,it 
is considered inauspicious to brush  the
 teeth in the baths1 but certain        
portions of hair must be removed by  a  
composition of quicklime and arsenic1   
called nureh1 and the nureh1  though    

efficacious enough1 no matter when it   
may be used1 is said to  add            
immeasurably to a man's chance of       
salvation by being laid on either  on a 
,wednesday or on a ,friday4    ,the     
application of the juice of the         
marsh-mallow as an emollient  for the   
hair is strongly recommended by the     
saints4 ,their object in  bequeathing   
this advice to the consideration of     
their flock was not to  inculcate       
vanity4 ,they had a higher aim than     
that4 ,their desire was to  stave off   
starvation from the fold1 for that1 in  
their opinion1 would  be the result of  
using the lotion on an ordinary day of  
the week2 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 madness4 ,to the use of a
 decoction of the leaves of the         
lote-tree  a divine relief is           
attributed1 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
  days4    ,the pressure of the grave   
will be mitigated by a skilful and      
untiring  application of the comb in    
this life4 ,the blessing of the comb is 
said to have been revealed to ,imm      
,jafar4 ,women are not excluded from    
the spiritual benefits derived from the 
comb4 ,but1 remember1 the hair  must not
 be done in a frivolous1 much less in a 
perfunctory fashion4  ,far from it4 ,on 
no account whatever must the hair be    
neglected1 for  ,satan is attracted by  
dishevelled locks4 ,they are1 as it     
were1 a net in  which he catches the    
human soul4 ,therefore1 since the       
priests and the  merchants of ,islm     
shave their heads in most parts of the  
,muslim world1  special attention should
 be paid by them to their beards and    
eyebrows4  ,a pocket-comb made of       
sandal-wood is often carried by the true
  ,believers1 who1 it may be hoped1 turn

 it to good account in moments of       
spiritual unwillingness on the part of  
the natural man4    ,a ,mull's beard is 
an object of veneration to his flock4   
,he may trim  it lest it should grow as 
wild as a ,jew's1 but he is forbidden by
  tradition to shave it4 ,even the      
scissors must be plied sparingly and to 
the accompaniment of prayer4 ,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 downwards4 ,this  
is known as a ghabzeh or  handful4 ,a   
priest may be allowed to add the length 
of the first joint  of his little       
finger1 otherwise his power to awe might
 grow lax4 ,the  soul is in danger every
 time he forgets to cut his sharib1 that
 is1 the  tip of his moustache1 which   
should be reduced to bristles once a    
week4  ,once on a time a faithful       
follower of the ,prophet asked one of   
the  ,imms what he should do to increase
 his livelihood4 ,the ,imm answered     

unhesitatingly3 8,cut your nails and    
your sharib on a ,friday as long as  you
 live60    ,again1 according to a       
,shi'ah traditionist1 if a ,muslim gaze 
into  a looking-glass1 before saying his
 prayers1 he will be guilty of          
worshipping his own likeness1 however   
unsightly it may appear in his  eyes4   
,the hand must be drawn across the      
forehead1 ere the hair or the  beard be 
adjusted1 or else the mirror will       
reflect a mind given over  to vanity1   
which is a grievous1 if universal sin4  
,the new moon must  be seen 8on the     
face0 of a friend1 on a copy of the     
,kurn1 or on a  turquoise stone4 ,unless
 one of these conditions be observed1   
there is  no telling what evil might not
 happen4    ,the devout who are most    
anxious to vindicate tradition perform  
two  prostrations on beholding the new  
moon1 and sacrifice a sheep for the     
poor as an additional safeguard against 
her baneful rays4 ,the ,evil  ,eye more 
often than not has its seat in the      

socket of an unbeliever4  ,therefore1   
the ,muslim who1 on being brought face  
to face with a  heretic1 should not say 
the prayer by law ordained must look to 
his  charms or suffer the inevitable    
blight4 ,a cat may look at a king2 a    
king may shoot a ferocious animal2 and a
 thief may run away with the  spoil4    
,but a true ,believer must guard his    
faith against aggression  every time he 
sees a thief1 a ferocious animal1 or a  
king4 ,for very  different reasons1 he  
must recite a prescribed formula of     
prayer  on the passing of a funeral     
procession1 and also on his seeing the  
first-fruits of the season and its      
flowers4 ,the dead1 it is said1 will    
hear his voice if1 on crossing a        
cemetery1 he cry aloud3 8,o ye people   
of the grave1 may peace be with you1 of 
both sexes of the ,faithful60    ,as the
 sense of sight gives rise to devotional
 exercises1 so also does  the sense of  
hearing4 ,the holy ,muslim should lend a
 prayerful ear to  the cries of the     

muezzin during the first two sentences  
of the summons1  and when the call to   
prayer is over he should rub his eyes   
with his  fingers1 in order to produce  
the signs of weeping--a mark of         
contrition  and of emotional            
recrudescence in the matter of piety4   
,the true  ,believer1 whenever he hears 
the ,sureh ,sjdeh read in the ,kurn1    
should  prostrate himself and repeat the
 words after the reader4 ,if he hear  a 
,muslim sneeze he should say1 8,may     
peace be with thee60 and if the  sneeze 
be repeated1 8,mayest thou be cured60   
,but1 if a ,kafir sneeze1 the  response 
must be expressed in the wish to see him
 tread 8the straight  path40    ,every  
child of ,islm1 before going to bed1    
should perform his ablutions  and say   
his prayers4 ,if he wish to be delivered
 from nightmare and  all its terrors let
 him say to ,allah3 8,i take refuge in  
,thee from the  evil of ,satan10 and if 
he is afraid of being bitten by a       
scorpion let  him appeal to ,noah1      

saying1 8,may peace be with thee1 ,o    
,noah60 ,one  day ,eshagh-ben-,ammar    
asked ,imm ,jafar how he could protect  
himself  against the attack of that     
malignant arachnidan4 ,the ,imm replied3
  8,look at the constellation of the    
,bear2 therein you will find a small    
star1 the lowest of all1 which the      
,arabs call ,sohail4 ,fix your eyes in  
the direction of that star1 and say     
three times1 #8,may peace be with       
,muhammad and with his people3 ,o       
,sohail1 protect me from scorpions1' and
  you will be protected from them40     
,eshagh-ben-,ammar goes on to relate    
that he read the formula every evening  
before going to bed1 and that it  proved
 successful2 but one evening he forgot  
to repeat it1 and1 as a  consequence1   
was bitten by a black scorpion4         
,prayers are also said against          
mosquitoes and other insects4 ,this     
cleanses the conscience of the irate    
,muslim1 if it fail in preserving  his  
skin4 ,the ,eastern peoples in general  

and the ,muhammadans in  particular are 
early risers4 ,sleep after morning      
prayers1 which are  said before sunrise1
 is sure to cause folly2 sleep in the   
middle of  the day is believed to be    
necessary and suitable to work2 while   
sleep  before evening prayers has       
precisely the same effect as after the  
devotions of the early morning4 ,a      
traditionist says that the prophets     
slept on their backs1 so as to be able  
to converse with the angels at  any hour
 of the night2 that the faithful must   
sleep on their right  sides1 and the    
,kafirs on their left2 and that the     
deves take their rest  on their         
stomachs4    ,usury1 though interest on 
money was strictly prohibited by the    
,prophet1  is among the ,muslims of the 
present day a common practice4 ,they    
evade  the letter of the law by putting 
what the ,persians call 8a legal cap    
over the head0 of the usurious          
transaction4 ,the money-lender picks up 
a handful of barley and says to the     

borrower1 8,give me the rate of         
interest as the cost of this grain1     
which ,i now offer to sell to you  at   
that price20 and the borrower replies   
that he accepts the bargain4  ,also1 a  
merchant must know all the laws         
appertaining to buying and  selling4    
,imm ',ali is said to have made a daily 
round of the bazaars of  ,kufa crying   
out the while1 8,o ye merchants and     
traders1 deal honestly  and in          
accordance with the laws of your        
,prophet4 ,swear not1 neither  tell     
lies1 and cheat not your customers4     
,beware of using false weights1  and    
walk ye in the paths of righteousness40 
,a high priest in ,mecca assured me that
 to enjoy a derham of interest is  as   
bad as taking the blood of seventy      
virgins4 ,the admonitions of ',al  the  
,just1 though sometimes read1 are less  
often followed4 ,on leaving  his house a
 merchant must say 8,bismillah10 and    
then blow to his left  and his right and
 also in front of him1 so as to clear   

the way to good  business4    ,the pious
 recite1 on entering the bazaar1 a      
prayer ordained for the  occasion4 ,when
 the bargain is clinched the seller     
should cry out1 8,god  is great6 ,god is
 great60 ,but there should be no        
dishonest bargaining  over the          
purchasing of these four things3 the    
winding sheets for the  dead1 the       
commodities to be distributed in        
charity1 the expenses on  the journey to
 ,mecca1 and the price of a slave's     
ransom4 ,in all these  transactions the 
buyer and seller must act according to  
the dictates of  fair play4 ,the man who
 buys a slave should lay hold of him by 
a hair of  his head and say the         
prescribed prayer2 after which1 if      
guided by ,imm  ,jafar1 he must change  
the name of his purchase4 ,slaves are   
treated with  every consideration1 so   
much so indeed that in the household of 
,eastern  potentates1 whose treatment of
 their dependents is extremely          
arbitrary1  the slaves lord it over the 

servants4    ,it is said1 in the        
traditions1 that a true ,muslim should  
marry  neither for money nor for beauty1
 but should be guided by the woman's    
moral worth and spiritual endowments4   
,his choice is referred to the          
arbitrament of the estakhhareh4 8,a     
chaste maiden will make a good  wife2   
for she will be sweet-tempered to her   
husband1 and mild but  firm in the      
treatment of her children40 ,this saying
 is attributed to  the ,prophet4 8,a bad
 wife1 a wicked animal1 and a narrow    
house with  unsociable neighbours1 those
 are the possessions which try a man's  
temper10 cried one of the ,imms1 himself
 a saintly man4 8,the best woman  is she
 who bears children frequently1 who is  
beloved by her relatives1  who shows    
herself obedient to her husband1 who    
pleases him by wearing  her best        
clothes1 and who avoids the eyes of men 
who cannot lawfully  see her40 ,these   
words were uttered by ,muhammad1 if we  
are to believe  tradition4    ,the      

wedding must not take place when the    
moon is under an eclipse1 nor  when she 
is in the sign of ,scorpio4 ,the best   
time is between the #bfth  and the end  
of the lunar month4 ,muhammad           
recommended festivals to be  celebrated 
on five occasions3 on wedding and       
nuptial days1 on the birth  of a child1 
on the circumcision of a child1 on      
taking up one's abode  in a             
newly-purchased house1 and on returning 
from ,mecca4 ,only persons  of          
unblemished reputation should be invited
 to the marriage or the  nuptial feasts4
    ,to the man who brings him news of  
the birth of a male child the father    
should give a present4 ,the nurse should
 lose no time in singing the  first     
chapter of the prescribed prayer in the 
baby's right ear1 and  what is called   
the standing prayer in its left one1 and
 if the water  of the ,euphrates be     
procurable it should be sprinkled on the
 baby's  forehead4    ,on the seventh   
day after the child's birth the ceremony

 of the ,aghigheh  is performed in      
,persia4 ,this consists in killing a    
fatted sheep1 in  cooking it1 and in    
distributing the flesh among the        
neighbours or among  the poor who come  
to the door4 ,in memory of the occasion 
a cornelian  engraved with a ,kurn text1
 and sometimes surrounded with precious 
stones1 as in the cover-design to the   
present volume1 is fastened to  the     
baby's arm by means of a silk band1 and 
is worn perhaps to the end  of its life4
 ,not a single bone of the ,aghigheh    
sheep should be broken2  certain prayers
 should be read before the sheep is     
killed2 and the  parents should not take
 part in the feast4    ,the baby is not 
often weaned until it is two years old1 
,muhammad  believing that the mother's  
milk is the best and acts beneficially  
on  the child's future character and    
temperament4      ,,vii4--,,story ,,of  
,,the ,,muslim ,,moons4    ,the twelve  
,muhammadan months are lunar1 and number
 twenty-nine and  thirty days           

alternately4 ,thus the whole year       
contains only three  hundred and        
fifty-four days2 but eleven times in the
 course of thirty  years an intercalary 
day is added4 ,accordingly1 thirty-two  
of our  years are1 roughly speaking1    
equal to thirty-three ,muhammadan years4
  ,the ,muhammadan ,era dates from the  
morning after the ,hegira1 or the       
flight of the ,prophet from ,mecca to   
,medina1 that is1 on the #afth of       
,july1 ,a4,d4 #fbb4 ,every year begins  
earlier than the preceding one1 so  that
 a month beginning in summer in the     
present year will1 sixteen  years hence1
 fall in winter4 ,the following are the 
names of the months1  which do not      
correspond in any way with ours3 #a1    
,muharram2 #b1 ,safar2 #c1              
,rabu-'l-avval2 #d1 ,rabu-'s-sn or      
,rabu-'l-khir2 #e1 ,jumdu-'l-l2  #f1    
,jumdu-'s-sn or ,jumdu-'l-khir2 #g1     
,rajab2 #h1 ,sha'bn2 #i1  ,ramazn2 #aj1 
,shavvl2 #aa1 ,z-'l-ka'dah1 or ,z-ka'd2 
#ab1 ,z-'l-hijjah1  or ,z-hajj4 ,many   

stories of these months were told to me 
by the priests  and the pilgrims whom ,i
 met at ,mecca1 and it is therefore my  
intention  to tell over again the       
stories of the most cherished months of 
the  ,muslim year4 ,these are ,rajab1   
,sha'bn1 ,ramazn1 ,shavvl1 ,z-'l-ka'dah1
  ,z-'l-hijjah1 and ,muharram4    ,on   
the ,day of ,judgment1 the ,holy        
,muezzin1 sitting on the ,throne1 will  
cry out1 ere he pass judgment on the    
,faithful1 saying3 8,o moons of  ,rajab1
 ,sha'bn1 and ,ramazn1 how stands it    
with the deeds of this  humble slave of 
ours80 ,the three moons will then       
prostrate themselves  before the        
,throne1 and answer3 8,o ,lord1 we bear 
witness to the good  deeds of this      
humble slave4 ,when he was with us he   
kept on loading his  caravans with      
provisions for the next world1          
beseeching ,thee to grant  him ,thy     
divine favour1 and expressing his       
perfect contentment with the  fate that 
,thou hadst sent unto him40 ,after them 

their guardian-angels1  meekly kneeling 
on their knees1 will raise their voices 
in praise of  the pious ,muslim1 crying3
 8,o ,lord ,god ,almighty1 we also bear 
witness  to the good deeds of this      
humble slave of ,thine4 ,on earth his   
eyes1  his ears1 his nose1 his mouth1   
and his stomach were all obedient both  
to whatsoever ,thou hast forbidden and  
also to whatsoever ,thou hast made      
lawful4 ,the days he passed in fasting1 
and the nights in sleepless             
supplication4 ,verily he is a good      
doer60 ,then ,allah will command his    
slave to be borne into ,paradise on a   
steed of light1 accompanied by  angels1 
and by all the rewards of his piety on  
camels of light1 and  there he will be  
conducted to a palace whose foundation  
is laid in  everlasting felicity1 and   
whose inmates never grow old4 ,the moon 
of  ,rajab is the month of ,allah4 ,it  
is said that there is a stream of that  
name in ,paradise1 whose water is white1
 and more wholesome than milk  and      

sweeter than honey4 ,the first to       
welcome the new arrival will be  this   
stream1 which will straightway wend its 
course round his palace4  ,to ,salim1   
one of his disciples1 ,muhammad is      
reported to have said3 8,if  you keep   
fast for one day during the month of    
,rajab you will be free  from the terror
 of death1 and the agony of death1 from 
the percussion  of the grave1 and the   
loneliness thereof4 ,if you keep fast   
for two days  the eight doors of        
,paradise will be opened unto you40     
,the authoritative tradition goes that a
 crier will make himself heard  from    
between the earth and the sky1 summoning
 the pious who observed  the prayers and
 the privations of the moon of ,rajab3  
8,oh1 ye ,rajabians1  come forth and    
present yourselves before your          
,creator40 ,then the  ,rajabians1 whose 
heads will be crowned with pearls and   
rubies1 and  whose faces will be bathed 
in the universal light1 will arise and  
stand  before the ,throne4 ,and each one

 among them will have a thousand angels 
on his right hand and a thousand on his 
left1 and they will shout with  one     
accord1 saying3 8,o1 ye ,rajabians1 may 
ye be deserving of all the  holy favours
 ye are about to receive60 ,and last of 
all1 ,allah1 in his  mercy1 will say to 
them3 8,o my male and female slaves1 ,i 
swear by my  own magnanimity1 that ,i   
will give you lodgings in the most      
delightful  nooks of my ,paradise1      
namely1 in the palaces around which flow
 the most  refreshing streams of purest 
water40    ,a baby is to the ,muslim a  
symbol of purity3 and so a man who      
worships  ,god in the month of ,rajab   
will become like unto a new-born child1 
always provided that he repent of the   
sins which he has committed1 and  follow
 the law of the ,prophet4 ,not until    
then will the pious ,rajabian  be in a  
fit state1 in his character of new-born 
babe1 to start life  afresh4 ,the       
,muhammadans1 in so far as duty and     
obedience are concerned1  put on pretty 

much the same footing the relation of   
the slave to his  master1 of the wife to
 her husband1 of the child to its       
parent1 and of  the guest to his host4  
,the parallel between the last-mentioned
 and the  preceding is complete because 
the guest must acquiesce in his host's  
will1 which is supreme4 ,in the matter  
of repentance1 that of ,nessouh is      
exemplary among the ,muhammadans4       
,now1 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 members4 ,soon1 his  
curiosity growing in ratio with his     
acquired  knowledge1 we hear of him as  
an attendant in the hammam of the royal 
seraglio1 where he might have pursued   
his studies in peace and in  rapture had
 not one of the ,royal ,princesses1 who 
had lost a ring1 cast  suspicion on     
every servant in turn4 ,the seed of     
,nessouh's repentance  was sown when the

 decree went out that all the attendants
 of the baths  were to be searched4 ,the
 fear lest his sex should be discovered 
yielded  so swiftly to repentance for   
having veiled it1 that ,almighty ,allah 
despatched an angel from ,paradise to   
discover the missing treasure  before   
the decree took effect2 and             
thenceforward ,nessouh1 out of  the     
gratitude of his heart1 renounced his   
studies of human nature in  petticoats1 
and vied with the most rigid            
disciplinarians in prayer and  in       
fasting4 ,his virtues grew so           
conspicuous in male attire that his     
repentance has come to be accepted as   
worthy of imitation by every true       
,believer4    ,according to tradition it
 was on the first day of ,god's moon    
that  ,noah1 having taken his seat in   
the ,ark1 commanded all the men and     
jinns and beasts that were with him to  
keep fast from sunrise to  sunset4 ,on  
the evening of the same day1 when the   
sun was going down1  the ,ark1 riding   

over the flood1 would have heeled over  
had not ,allah  sent seventy thousand of
 his angels to the rescue4 ,it is       
interesting  to note that the number of 
all the traditional rewards of virtue1  
as  well as that of such of the heavenly
 hosts as lend their assistance in      
cases of distress1 is always a multiple 
of seven4 ,a ,meccan priest added  the  
following to my collection of 8rewards03
 ,god will build seventy  thousand      
cities in ,paradise1 each city          
containing seventy thousand  mansions1  
each mansion seventy thousand houris1   
each houri surrounded  by seventy       
thousand beautiful serving women1 for   
the pilgrim--mark  this--who shall say  
his prayers with the best accent on the 
,hjj  ,day4 ,the ,mull in question was  
himself a perfect ,arabic scholar2 his  
enunciation in reciting the forthcoming 
bliss was faultlessly correct2  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  predecessors4 
,this learned priest will be in his     
element on all scores  should the       
,paradise of his invention be           
materialised4    ,as ,rajab belongs to  
,allah so ,sha'bn is held sacred to the 
,prophet4  ,for we read in the history  
of ,islm that ,muhammad1 who entered    
,medina  on the first day of the        
gracious moon1 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 salvation2  whereas   
their evil actions would be committed   
against his apostleship1  and would on  
that account be the more severely       
punished hereafter4    ,once a year1 on 
the approach of ,ramazn1 the precincts  
of ,paradise1 and  all its gardens and  
palaces1 are illuminated1 festooned1 and
 decorated1  and a most tuneful wind1   
known in ,arabic by the name of         
,meshireh1  makes music in the trees4   
,now1 no sooner do the houris hear this 

sound  than they rush out from their    
seclusion1 and cry aloud3 8,is there any
  one to marry us through the desire to 
perform a good deed towards the         
creatures of ,god80 ,then1 turning to   
,rezvan1 the guardian of ,paradise1     
8,what night is this80 they ask2 and    
,rezvan answers1 8,o ye fair-faced      
houris1 this is the eve of the holy moon
 of ,ramazn4 ,the gates of  ,paradise   
have ,i ordered to be opened unto the   
fast-keepers of the ,faith  of the      
,faithful40 ,then ,allah1 addressing the
 angel who has the charge  of ,hell1    
says to him3 8,o ,mlik1 ,i bid thee to  
close thy gates against  the            
fast-keepers of the faith of my         
,apostle40 ,and next1 summoning the     
,archangel of ,revelations1 ,he gives   
command1 saying3 8,o ,gabriel1 go  forth
 in the earth and put ,satan in chains1 
and all his followers1  that the path of
 my chosen people may be safe40 ,so1 on 
the first day  of ,ramazn1 ,gabriel     
swoops down on the earth accompanied by 

hosts of  angels4 ,he has six hundred   
wings1 and opens all of them except two4
 ,in  his hands he bears four green     
banners1 emblems of the ,muslim creed4  
,these he plants on the summit of ,mount
 ,sinai1 and on the ,prophet's tomb  at 
,medina1 and in the ,harem of ,mecca4   
,his army of angels bivouacs on  the    
plains round about the ,holy ,city and  
on the surrounding mountains4  ,on the  
eve of the day of reward1 which is      
called ,ghadre1 the angels  are ordered 
to disperse throughout the ,muslim      
world1 and every true  ,believer seen   
praying during that night is embraced by
 one of them1  and his prayer meets with
 an angelic ,amen4 ,at the dawn of      
,ghadre day  a heavenly bugle recalls   
the angels to ,mecca4 ,when ,gabriel    
returns to  ,heaven it is to say to     
,allah1 8,my ,lord1 all the true        
,believers have ,i  forgiven in ,thy    
name save those who have been constant  
wine-bibbers1 or  incurred the          
displeasure of their parents1 or        

indulged in abusing their  fellow       
,muslims40    ,the various sects of the 
,muhammadans disagree a good deal as to 
the  date of ,ghadre day4 ,some say it  
is on the #aith1 some on the #bast1 and 
others on the #bcrd of the ,muslim      
,lent2 but all agree in believing it to 
be the day on which the books of deeds1 
good and evil1 are balanced1  and on    
which the angels make known to ,muhammad
 the predestination of  his followers   
for whom he intercedes4 ,all ,shi'ahs   
who would win a  reputation for piety   
must keep ,ahia1 that is1 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
 sundown4 ,through most ardent prayers  
on the #bast of ,ramazn  the devout     
,mussulman may win the privilege of     
becoming a ,hj in the  following year4  
,the #gth is the anniversary of         
,muhammad's victory  over the ,kuraish  
in the battle of ,badre1 and is a great 

day with  all ,islamites4 ,for the rest1
 the ,arabs follow the example of their 
,prophet in breaking their fast on dates
 and water2 special angels  are         
appointed to plant heavenly trees1 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 8,allah's  guests40 ,many 
,muslims1 unquestionably1 adhere        
strictly to all the rites  and          
observances of the occasion2 not a few1 
on the other hand1 though  they may fast
 during the day1 devote the night to    
feasting4 ,indeed1 in  every capital of 
,islm1 in ,teheran1 in ,constantinople1 
and in ,cairo1  the darkling hours are  
given up by certain people to amusements
 and  sometimes to vicious pursuits4    
,the heavenly hosts under the ,archangel
 ,gabriel1 with his five hundred  and   
ninety-eight wings wide open1 and his   
green banner flying over the  gate of   
the ,ka'bah1--the heavenly hosts1 ,i    

say1 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 night1 delivering them from the      
danger of drowning1  of being buried    
under ruins1 of choking at meal times1  
and of being  killed by wild beasts4    
,for them the grave will have no terror1
 and on  leaving it a substantial cheque
 on the keeper of ,paradise1 crossed and
  made payable to bearer1 will be placed
 in the hands of each one of them4      
,on the first day of the moon of        
,shavvl1 the fast of ,ramazn being      
over1 all true ,muslims are supposed to 
give away in charity a measure  of      
wheat1 barley1 dates1 raisins1 or other 
provisions in common use4  ,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  morning2 and hence only the 
poor and needy are invited to accept    

hospitality on the occasion of the      
,zikat--,fetre--that is1 the festival   
of alms-giving4 ,the fulfilment of the  
law is believed not only to  produce an 
increase of wealth in the forthcoming   
year1 but also to  cleanse the body of  
all impurities4 ,so much for the rewards
 as a  stimulus to honesty4 ,now for the
 penalty as a deterrent from greed4  ,in
 the third ,sra of the ,kurn it is      
written3 8,but let not those who  are   
covetous of what ,god of ,his bounty    
hath granted them imagine that  their   
avarice is better for them2 nay1 rather 
it is worse for them4 ,for  that which  
they have covetously reserved shall be  
bound as a collar  about their necks on 
the day of the resurrection3 and ,god is
 well  acquainted with what ye do40     
,shiahs are reluctant to get married in 
the  interval between the first of      
,shavvl and the tenth of ,z-'l-hijjah1  
because the ,prophet is said to have    
married ,aishah1 the enemy of ',al1     
about that time4 ,on the other hand the 

,sunnis1 who reverence that  brilliant  
woman1 commemorate her wedding day by   
solemnising their own  during this      
season1 unless they are performing the  
pilgrimage of ,mecca4    ,the most      
sacred day of the following month--the  
moon of  ,z-'l-ka'dah--is the           
twenty-fifth4 ,on that day ,adam was    
created2  ,abraham1 ,ishmael1 and ,jesus
 were born1 and the ,shiah ,messiah1 the
  concealed ,imm1 will come again to    
judge the world4 ,a ,muslim1 if he  keep
 fast on the twenty-fifth of            
,z-'l-ka'dah1 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 years4 ,on the 
first of ,z-'l-hijjah1  which is the    
month of pilgrimage1 ,abraham received  
from ,god the title  of ,al-,khall1 or  
the ,friend of ,allah4 ,it is accounted 
a good deed  to fast from the first to  
the tenth day of this the last          
journeying  month2 it is also wise to do
 so1 for it is not every month in the   

year that the ,mussulman can win1 by    
nine days of fasting1 the fruits  of a  
whole lifetime of self-denial4 ,another 
tradition deserving of  mention in      
connection with this month is that      
,jesus1 in the company  of ,gabriel1 was
 sent to earth by ,god with five        
prayers1 which he was  commanded to     
repeat on the first five days of the    
pilgrims' moon2 but  the two holiest    
days of the moon of ,z-'l-hijjah are the
 ninth and  the tenth4 ,on the ninth1   
after morning prayer1 the pilgrims1 in  
olden  times1 departed from the ,valley 
of ,mina1 whither they had come on the  
previous day1 and rushed in a headlong  
manner to ,mount ,arafat1 where a       
sermon is preached1 and where they      
performed the devotions entitling  them 
to be called ,hjs4 ,but nowadays they   
pass through ,mina to ,mount  ,arafat   
without stopping on the outward journey2
 and at sunset1 after  the sermon is    
over1 they betake themselves to         
,muzdalifah1 an oratory  between ,arafat

 and ,mina1 and there the hours of the  
night are spent in  prayer and in       
reading the ,kurn4    ,on the tenth1 by 
daybreak1 the holy monument1 or al      
,masher al harm1  is visited1 after     
which the pilgrims hasten back1 on the  
rising of the  sun1 to the ,valley of   
,mina1 where1 on the #ajth and the two  
following  days1 the stoning of the     
,devil takes place1 every pilgrim       
casting a  certain number of stones at  
three pillars4 ,this rite is as old as  
,abraham1 who1 being interrupted by     
,satan when he was about to sacrifice   
his son ,ishmael1 was commanded by ,god 
to put the tempter to flight  by        
throwing stones at him4 ,next1 still on 
the same day1 the tenth of              
,z-'l-hijjah1 and in the same place1 the
 ,valley of ,mina1 the pilgrims  slay   
their victims1 and when the sacrifice is
 over they shave their  heads and trim  
their nails1 and then return to ,mecca  
in order to take  their leave of the    
,ka'bah4 ,all these ceremonies will be  

described in  detail in the forthcoming 
narrative4 ,meanwhile1 by way of further
  introduction1 a few words must be said
 as to the animals sacrificed4  ,the    
victims should be camels1 kine1 sheep1  
or goats4 ,the camels and  kine should  
be females and the sheep and goats      
males4 ,in age the camels  should be    
five years and not less2 the cows and   
goats in their second  year2 and the    
sheep not younger than six months4 ,all 
should be without  blemish1 neither     
blind nor lame3 their ears should not   
have been cut1  nor their horns have    
been broken4 ,the males should be       
complete1 and all  be well fed4 ,they   
were woefully lean1 however1 in the year
 #acai of the  ,flight4 ,the camels are 
sacrificed while standing1 the fore and 
hind  legs being tied together4 ,a      
single blow is delivered where the head 
joins the neck1 the name of ,god being  
uttered the while4 ,the victim  must    
face the ,kiblah1 and the butcher or the
 pilgrim1 as the case may  be1 stands on

 the right of the animal he is going to 
slay4 ,if the  pilgrim be too           
tender-hearted to deal the blow1 he     
should catch hold  of the butcher's     
wrist1 so as to take part in the act of 
sacrifice4  ,all the other              
victims--namely1 the kine1 the sheep1   
and the goats--are  made to lie on their
 sides facing ,mecca1 all four legs     
being securely  fastened1 then their    
throats are cut with a sharp knife1     
without1  however1 severing the head    
from the body4    ,the custom of        
sacrificing a camel on the tenth day of 
,z-'l-hijjah  prevails among the ,shiahs
 in most of the towns of ,persia and of 
,central  ,asia4 ,the ceremony varies   
with the locality2 but the one we       
witnessed  was so picturesque that we   
cannot refrain from describing it4 ,for 
the  first nine days the camel1 richly  
caparisoned1 is led through the  streets
 of the city2 half a dozen ,dervishes1  
intoning passages of  the ,kurn1 swing  
along at the head of the procession2 at 

every house  the camel is made to halt1 
and subscriptions are raised towards its
  purchase-money and its maintenance4   
,the victim1 goaded on from street  to  
street and from square to square1 ends  
at last by collecting alms  for its     
tormentors4 ,on the eve of the ,day of  
,sacrifice the camel is  stripped of its
 gaudy trappings1 and its body is1 as it
 were1 mapped  out into portions with   
red ink1 one portion being allotted to  
every  quarter of the city4 ,the place  
of sacrifice is usually outside the city
  walls1 and early in the morning each  
district arms its strongest men to  go  
and claim its share of the carcase4     
,each group may contain as many  as     
twenty men1 bristling from head to foot 
with uncouth weapons1 and a  band of    
drummers adds to the barbaric display   
the sounds of discordant  music4 ,one   
man in each group rides on horseback and
 wears a cashmere  shawl2 it is he who  
receives into his hands the sacrificial 
share  of the parish he represents4     

,prayers are said1 and then1 at a given 
signal1 the butcher prepares his knife1 
and the cutters appointed by  the       
respective quarters make ready to hack  
the victim in pieces4 ,the  camel1 bare 
of covering1 and marked all over with   
the red lines1 turns  its supercilious  
eyes on the eager cutters1 and they1 in 
their turn1  watch the butcher4 ,the    
wretched victim may or may not be       
conscious of  its fate4 ,i believe it to
 be conscious2 but1 whether it is or    
not1  there is no sign of terror in its 
eyes1 only the customary look of sly    
disdain4 ,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 body1 
each allotted part of  which is handed  
warm and well-nigh throbbing with life1 
to the horseman  of the quarter to which
 it belongs4 ,he takes it in procession 
to the  house of the magistrate1 who    
distributes it among the poor4    ,the  

prayer most acceptable to ,god is that  
of ,nodbeh1 which must be  said by the  
pilgrims on ,mount ,arafat1 with tears  
pouring from their  eyes4 ,the ,prophet 
rose to a noble conception of the next  
life4 ,he not  only believed that the   
pure-hearted will see ,god1 he also     
proclaimed  that blessing to be the     
height of heavenly bliss4 ,the ,muslim  
,paradise1  therefore1 in its material  
aspect unalloyed1 is the invention of   
the  tradition-mongers4 ,according to   
the orthodox among them1 it is situated 
above the seven heavens1 immediately    
under the ,throne of ,god4 ,some say    
that the soil of it consists of the     
finest wheat flour1 others will  have it
 to be of the purest musk1 and others   
again of saffron4 ,its  palaces have    
walls of solid gold1 its stones are     
pearls and jacinths1  and of its trees1 
all of which have golden trunks1 the    
most remarkable  is the ,tree of        
,happiness1 ,tba1 as they call it4 ,this
 tree1 which  stands in the ,palace of  

,muhammad1 is laden with fruits of every
 kind1  with grapes and pomegranates1   
with oranges and dates1 and peaches and 
nectarines1 which are of a growth and a 
flavour unknown to mortals4 ,in         
response to the desire of the blessed1  
it will yield1 in addition to  the      
luscious fruit1 not only birds ready    
dressed for the table1 but  also flowing
 garments of silk and of velvet1 and    
gaily caparisoned  steeds to ride on1   
all of which will burst out from its    
leaves4 ,there  will be no need to reach
 out the hand to the branches1 for the  
branches  will bend down of their own   
accord to the hand of the person who    
would gather of their products4 ,so     
large is the ,tba tree that a man       
8mounted on the fleetest horse would not
 be able to gallop from one  end of its 
shade to the other in a hundred years40 
,all the rivers of  ,paradise take their
 rise from the root of the ,tree of     
,happiness2 some  of them flow with     
water1 some with milk1 some with wine1  

and others  with honey4 ,their beds are 
of musk1 their sides of saffron1 their  
earth of camphire1 and their pebbles are
 rubies and emeralds4 ,the most         
noteworthy among them1 after the ,river 
of ,life1 is ,al-,kwthar4 ,this  word1  
,al-,kwthar1 which signifies abundance1 
has come to mean the  gift of prophecy1 
and the water of the river of that name 
is derived  into ,muhammad's pond4      
,according to a tradition of the        
,prophet1 this  river1 wherein his ,lord
 promised him abundance of wisdom1 is   
whiter  than milk1 cooler than snow1    
sweeter than honey1 and smoother than   
cream2 and those who drink of it shall  
never be thirsty4    ,the blessed1      
having quenched their thirst in         
,muhammad's pond1 are  admitted into    
,paradise1 and there they are           
entertained to dinner by the  ,supreme  
,host4 ,for meat they will have the ox  
,balm and the fish ,nn1  and for        
bread--mark this--,god will turn the    
whole earth into one huge  loaf1 and    

hand it to ,his guests1 8holding it like
 a cake40 ,when the  repast is over they
 will be conducted to the palaces       
prepared for them1  where they will     
dwell with the houris they have won by  
their good deeds  on earth4 ,they will  
fare sumptuously through all eternity1  
and without  loss of appetite1 eat as   
much as they will3 for all superfluities
 will  be discharged by sweat as        
fragrant as musk1 so that the last      
morsel of  food will be as comforting as
 the first4    ,the imagination of the  
tradition-mongers is not less           
extravagant  when it busies itself with 
the holy festivals of the faith4 ,the   
,a'yde-,shadir1 perhaps the most        
important of these feast-days1 falls  on
 the eighteenth of ,z-'l-hijjah4 ,books 
might be written--nay1  tomes           
innumerable have been filled--to do     
honour to the attributes  of that day4  
,in fact1 ,oriental exaggeration in     
general1 and the  ,shiah superstition in
 particular1 reach the climax of fancy  

in the  description of the events that  
are supposed by the devout ,shiah to    
have  happened on the ,a'yd of ,ghadir4 
,for was it not on the eighteenth of    
,z-'l-hijjah that ,muhammad mounted a   
camel1 and1 raising ',al in his  arms1  
appointed this chivalrous cousin and    
son-in-law of his to be his  lawful     
successor8 ,this righteous act on the   
part of the ,prophet is the             
corner-stone of the ,shiah faith1 and so
 it is not unnatural1 perhaps1  that it 
should have been made the source of     
unnumbered traditions4 ,we  read1 among 
other inventions1 that it was on that   
day that ,god chose  to humiliate ,satan
 by ordering an angel to rub his nose in
 the dirt2  that the ,archangel         
,gabriel1 along with a host of angels1  
came down  from heaven in the evening1  
bearing a throne of light1 which he     
placed  opposite to the ,ka'bah1 and    
from which he preached to his companions
 a  stirring sermon in praise of ,islm  
and its ,prophet2 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 lives4    ,the waters that
 acknowledged ',al to be the ,prophet's 
successor became  8sweet0 or fresh on   
the eighteenth of ,z-'l-hijjah4 ,the    
rest either  remained salt or turned    
brackish4 ,the birds that accepted ',al 
as  ,muhammad's heir were taught to sing
 like a nightingale or to talk like  a  
parrot4 ,those that denied him were     
stricken deaf and dumb4 ,for the  angels
 who delighted to honour him a sumptuous
 palace was built with  slabs of gold   
and silver in alternate order4 ,two     
hundred thousand domes  crowned this    
edifice1 and half of them were made of  
red rubies1 and  half of green emeralds4
 ,through the courtyard flowed four     
rivers3 one  with water1 one with milk1 
another with honey1 and a fourth with   
wine4  ,trees of gold1 bearing fruits of
 turquoise1 grew along the banks1 and   
on the branches were perched the most   

marvellous birds4 ,their bodies  were   
made of pearls1 their right wings of    
rubies1 and their left wings  of        
turquoises4 ,all the hosts of heaven    
gathered together1 praising ,god4  ,the 
birds dived1 singing1 into the streams4 
,the angels clapped their  hands and    
shouted4 ,the houris joined in the      
chorus4 ,then1 with one  accord1 they   
all raised their voices in homage of    
',al and his wife1  the ,prophet's      
daughter1 ,fatima4 ,lovers should       
remember to strengthen  the bond of     
affection by exchanging rings4 ,the men 
should kiss each  other frequently      
whenever and wherever they meet4 ,the   
servants should  kiss their master's    
hands1 and the children those of their  
parents4 ,if  a ,muslim smile on his    
brother-,muslim on this holy a'yd1 ,god 
will smile  on him on the day of the    
resurrection4 ,if he die1 he will       
receive the  rewards of a martyr of the 
faith4 ,if he call on a true believer1  
he  will be visited in the grave when he

 draws his last breath by seventy       
thousand angels4 ,if he neglect neither 
the ordained prayer nor the  prescribed 
purification1 he will be entitled to    
rank with the man to  whom ,god has     
granted the rewards of one hundred      
thousand pilgrimages  to ,mecca4 ,and a 
week later1 on the #beth of             
,z-'l-hijjah1 the angel of  revelations 
brought down from heaven to the ,prophet
 the chapter of the  ,kurn1 entitled    
,man1 and told ,muhammad that ,god      
congratulated him on  the virtues of his
 family4      ,,viii4--,,persian        
,s,f,,ism2 ,,and ,,persian ,,shiahism   
,,in ,,its ,,relation ,,to ,,the        
,,persian ,,passion-,,drama4    ,since  
the narrative which follows this        
introduction is written rather  from the
 ,persian and ,shiah than from the      
,turkish and ,sunni point of  view1 it  
is necessary for us to dwell briefly on 
two more important  subjects in         
connection with ,persian thought3--7a7  
on the love of  metaphysical speculation

 which vindicates the claim of ,aryan   
thought  to be free1 and which has given
 rise to the doctrines of ,sfism1--our  
immediate consideration2 and 7b7 on the 
growth of ,shiahism1 the ,state         
religion1 and more particularly in its  
relation to the ,passion-,drama1  which 
is the outcome of the ,muharram         
celebrations in honour of ,huseyn's     
martyrdom4    7a7 ,persian ,sfism4      
,now the ,sfs1 who are split up into    
numerous sects1 with slightly  varying  
doctrines1 speak of themselves as       
travellers1 for they regard  life as a  
journey from their earthly abode to the 
spiritual world4 ,the  stages between   
them and their destination are reckoned 
as seven4 ,some  call them seven        
regions1 and others seven towns4 ,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 ,union1 nor     
slake  his thirst for immortality in the
 unexampled wine of ,love4 ,the first   

region before the traveller1 the region 
of ,aspiration1 can only be  traversed  
on the charger of ,patience4 ,though a  
thousand temptations  beset him on the  
road he must not lose heart1 but must   
seek to cleanse  his mind from all      
selfish desires4 ,other-worldliness     
should alone  absorb his thoughts1 and  
to that end the gates of friendship and 
of  enmity should be closed against the 
people of the world4 ,only thus can  he 
find his way into the heart of the      
realm1 wherein every traveller is  a    
lover in search of the ,true ,beloved4  
,one day ,majnn1 whose love for ,laili  
has inspired many a ,persian  poet1 was 
playing in a little sand heap when a    
friend came to him and  said--8,why are 
you wasting your time in an occupation  
so childish80 8,i  am seeking ,laili in 
these sands10 replied ,majnn3 whereat   
his friend1  all lost in amazement1     
cried--8,why1 ,laili is an angel1 so    
what is the  use of seeking her in the  
common earth80 8,i seek her everywhere10

 said  ,majnn1 bowing his head1 8that ,i
 may find her somewhere40    ,and so the
 traveller1 on this stage of his        
pilgrimage1 should regard  no earthly   
abode as too humble a shrine for the    
spirit of the ,true  ,beloved4 ,he      
should eat1 but only to live2 he should 
drink1 but only  to love2 and1 though   
all worldlings should be shunned1 he    
should keep  in touch with the hearts of
 his fellow-travellers lest1            
peradventure1  he might lose a guide to 
his destination4 ,now1 if he find in    
this  region some sign from the         
,unsigned1 and trace the lost ,beloved1 
he  will pass forthwith into the        
limitless bourne of ,devotion1 and see  
the setting of the sun of ,inspiration1 
and watch in rapture the dawn  of ,love4
 ,at this time the crops of ,wisdom are 
burnt in the fire of  ,affection1 and   
the traveller loses all consciousness of
 self2 he knows  neither knowledge nor  
ignorance2 he recognises neither        
certainty nor  doubt2 but1 turning his  

back on the dusk of perplexity1 he rides
 breast  forward on the charger of ,pain
 and ,endurance1 drawing ever nearer to 
the light of salvation4 ,in this        
,kingdom of the ,soul1 he will know     
nothing but tribulation unless he strive
 strenuously to escape from  himself on 
the wings of self-renunciation4 8,oh1   
traveller1 if thou  wouldst gaze on the 
,joseph face of thy ,beloved turn not   
away from the  ,egypt of ,love6 ,and    
wouldst thou attain to divine truth1 oh 
learn the  way of friendship from the   
grate1 consuming thyself for the sake of
 the  ,true ,beloved6 ,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 ,holies1 in which   
alone the mysteries of the  ,true       
,beloved can be revealed unto thee4     
,this is so40    ,illustration3 ,a      
,,persian ,,suf ,,of ,,the ,,order ,,of 
,,the ,,late ,,seph ',,al ,,sh,h4       
,and thenceforward the traveller1 his   

heart aglow with the sacred  fire of    
,love1 tears aside the curtain of       
earthly passions1 and wins  his way into
 the ,kingdom of ,knowledge4 ,he has    
passed by slow degrees  from doubt into 
certainty and from darkness into light4 
,seeing with  clearer eyes he is now    
quick to discern wisdom in ignorance and
 in  oppression justice4 ,then1 on      
ascending hopefully the ladder of       
,wisdom1  he rises higher and higher    
above the ocean of being1 and enters    
into  closer communion with the spirit  
of the one he seeks4 ,the arc of truth  
becomes an almost perfect round1 and he 
is drawn irresistibly towards  the      
centre1 where dwells the object of his  
quest4 ,after traversing the  realm of  
knowledge1 which is the last stage of   
fear1 the traveller  enters the first   
,city of ,union1 and drinks deep from   
the bowl of its  spirit3 and the next   
thing he does is to enter the chamber of
 the ,true  ,beloved4 ,as all the shine 
of the sea and its shade are reflected  

in the  heart of a single pearl1 so now 
the infinite splendour is manifested    
within the traveller's soul4 ,looking   
round him with the eyes of ,unity  he   
recognises his true identity in that of 
his host1 and reads the name  of the    
,beloved in his own name4 ,the circle of
 his aspirations will soon  be complete1
 for the sun of divine grace is seen to 
rise equally on  all creatures2 and he  
is prepared in spirit to advance one    
step nearer  the end4 ,and soon1 on the 
breeze of godly independence1 which     
blows  from the spirit's flame and burns
 the curtain of poverty1 the traveller  
is borne into the ,city of ,freedom4    
,there he will know no sorrow1 but  will
 pass through the gates of joy1 and1    
though he be on the earth1  will ride   
the heaven of power1 and quench his     
thirst in the wine of  love4 ,the sixth 
stage on the road to immortality is that
 of ,amazement4  ,sometimes he will     
notice perfect poverty in riches1 and   
sometimes  perfect wealth in poverty4   

,his surprise will grow at every step4  
,each  second will bring a fresh        
revelation4 ,now he will dive into the  
ocean  of divine omniscience1 and now be
 carried to the crest of omnipotence    
divine4    ,the traveller passes swiftly
 from this stage into the region of     
absolute poverty and nothingness1 which 
is the true forgetfulness of  self in   
the love of the ,beloved4 ,he is now as 
a pearl in the sea of  the infinite     
splendour3 poor in the things created1  
but rich beyond  counting in the things 
that are spiritual and pure4 ,and thus1 
casting  aside the burden of            
consciousness for ever1 he becomes one  
with the  ,beloved and enters the       
,kingdom of ,immortality4 ,the          
renunciation of  self1 therefore1 is the
 ,alpha and ,omega of the ,sf doctrine3 
the  lover1 in other words1 must turn   
the ,beloved1 otherwise he can never    
hope to gain admittance into the        
,chamber of ,love4 8,one came to the    
,beloved's door and knocked4 ,and a     

voice from within whispered1 #8,who  is 
there8' ,and the lover answered1 saying1
 #8,it is ,i4' ,then the voice  said1   
#8,there is not room in this house for  
thee and me1' and the door  was not     
opened unto him4 ,so the lover went back
 into the desert and  fasted and prayed4
 ,and at the end of a year he returned  
once more to  the ,beloved's door and   
knocked4 ,and the voice from within said
 again1  #8,who is there8' ,and this    
time the lover1 having learned the      
lesson of  self-renunciation1 answered1 
#8,it is thyself1' and the door was     
opened  unto him40    7b7 ,the ,shiah   
,faith in its ,relation to the ,persian 
,passion ,play4    ,the ,shiah faith is 
as old as ',al2 for1 on the feast of    
,ghadir1 he is  said to have been       
selected by ,muhammad as his successor4 
,in the ages  immediately succeeding the
 ,prophet1 it spread itself ,east and   
,west4 ,the  ,muslim colonies1 in       
various parts of the ,empire1 embraced  
its political  teaching4 ,it took root  

even in ,mecca and ,medina2 but it was  
in ,persia  alone that it grew1 in the  
,ninth ,century1 to be the ,state       
religion1  waning and waxing in its hold
 on the people during the dynastic      
changes to which the country            
subsequently submitted itself2 until1   
in the declining years of the ,fifteenth
 ,century1 under the ,safav  ,kings1 it 
re-established its grip1 this time for  
good1 on the national  conscience4 ,the 
mourning celebration of the month of    
,muharram1 in which  the whole country1 
with the exception of the ,sunnis1 takes
 part to  this day1 was founded in the  
,tenth ,century by ,ahmad               
,muizz-u'd-,dawlat4  ,in order to       
appreciate the depth of feeling         
underlying this yearly  commemoration1  
the reigns of the early ,caliphs must be
 reviewed4 ,for1  in the story of the   
family of the ,tent1 lies the raison    
d'tre of the  ,muharram celebration4    
,when ,muhammad died he was succeeded by
 his father-in-law1 ,ab ,bekr1 a man  of

 great prudence and sincere piety4 ,his 
rule was accepted by all the  ,prophet's
 companions1 if we except the           
,hashemites1 who1 under the  leadership 
of ',al1 declined at first to take the  
oath of fidelity4 ,but  the death of    
,fatima1 the wife of ',al1 so subdued   
the spirit of her  husband that he made 
his peace with the aged ,caliph1 who    
died after  a reign of two years1       
bequeathing his sceptre to the iron hand
 of  the incorruptible ,omar4 ,in the   
twelfth year of a reign of unexampled   
glory ,omar was assassinated1 and his   
successor was elected by six of  his    
most trustworthy lieutenants4 ,othman1  
the man chosen by them1 had  been       
,muhammad's secretary3 he was not a     
successful ruler4 ,his helpless         
character and resourcelessness of mind  
succumbed to the burden of his          
responsibilities2 his subjects rose in  
arms throughout his ,empire1 and  the   
treachery of one of his secretaries     
hastened his downfall4 ,the  brother of 

,ayeshah is believed to have led the    
assassins1 and ,othman1  with the ,kurn 
on his knees1 was pierced with a        
multitude of wounds4  ,he died in the   
year #fee ,a4,d41 in the eleventh year  
of his reign4 ,the  inauguration of ',al
 put an end to the anarchy that ensued2 
but1  with all his bravery and all the  
brilliancy of his endowments1 ',al  was 
alike too forbearing and too magnanimous
 to cope successfully with the          
difficulties of his position4 ,he was   
not so much a politician as a  poet     
turned knight-errant1 a religious       
enthusiast turned soldier4 ,the  first  
,caliph would have secured the          
allegiance of ,telha and ,zobeir1  two  
of the most powerful of the ,arabian    
chieftains1 by gifts4 ,omar1  the second
 ,caliph1 would have insured his        
authority and checked their  lawlessness
 by casting them into prison4 ,whereas  
',al1 from purely  chivalrous motives1  
left them to their own devices without1 
however1  in his contempt for what he   

had condemned in another as self-seeking
  generosity1 bribing them to keep the  
peace4 ,and so ,telha and ,zobeir       
escaping from ,medina1 fled1 and raised 
the standard of revolt in  ,assyria4    
,the ,prophet's widow1 ,ayeshah1 the    
implacable enemy of ',al1  accompanied  
them1 and was present at the battle in  
which the ,caliph1  at the head of      
twenty-nine thousand men1 defeated the  
enemy1 and in  which the rebel leaders  
were slain4 ,this battle was called the 
,day of  the ,camel3 for1 8in the heat  
of the action1 seventy men1 who held the
  bridle of ,ayeshah's camel1 were      
successively killed or wounded2 and the 
cage or litter in which she sat was     
struck with javelins and darts like  the
 quills of a porcupine40 ,ayeshah was   
reproached by the victorious  ',al1 and 
then sent under escort to ,medina where 
she lived to the end  of her days at her
 husband's tomb4    ,meanwhile1         
,moawiyah1 the son of ,ab ,sophian1 had 
assumed the title  of ,caliph and won   

the support of the ,syrians and the     
interest of the  house of ,ommiyah1 and 
against him ',al now marched4 ,mounted  
on a  piebald horse1 and wielding his   
two-edged sword with terrific effect1   
he literally ploughed his way through   
the ranks of the ,syrians1 crying  out  
at every stroke of the blade1 8,god is  
victorious40 ,in the course  of the     
night in which the battle raged he was  
heard to repeat 8that  tremendous       
exclamation0 four hundred times4        
,nothing save flight would  have saved  
his enemies1 had not the crafty         
,moawiyah exposed on the  foremost      
lances the sacred books of the ,kurn1   
thus turning the pious  zeal of his     
opponents against themselves2 and ',al1 
in the face of  his followers' awe1 was 
constrained to submit to a humiliating  
truce4  ,in his grief and anger he      
retreated to ,kufa2 his party was       
dejected2  the distant provinces of     
,persia1 of ,yemen1 and of ,egypt       
acclaimed his  stealthy rival2 and he   

himself1 in the mosque of his city of   
refuge1  fell a victim to a fanatic's   
knife4    ,moawiyah1 after the death of 
',al1 brought about the abdication of   
the  latter's son ,hasan1 who1 retiring 
without regret from the ,palace of      
,kuf1 went to live in a hermit's cell   
near the tomb of the ,prophet1 his      
grandfather4 ,there he was poisoned1    
and1 as many believe1 by his wife4  ,but
 ,huseyn1 his younger brother1 was not  
set aside so easily4 ,in every  way     
worthy to inherit the regal and         
sacerdotal office1 he added to  ,hasan's
 benevolence and piety1 no insignificant
 measure of his father's  indomitable   
spirit1 having served with honour       
against the ,christians  in the siege of
 ,constantinople4 ,so that1 when        
,moawiyah proclaimed  his son ,yazid1   
who was as dissolute as he was          
weak-minded1 to be the  ,commander of   
the ,faithful and the successor of the  
,apostle of ,god1  ,huseyn1 who was     
living in ,medina at the time1 scorned  

to acknowledge  the title of the youth1 
whose vicious habits he despised4 ,one  
hundred  and forty thousand ,muslims of 
,kuf and thereabouts professed their    
attachment to ,huseyn's cause1 and a    
list of these adherents of his was      
transmitted to ,medina4 ,against the    
advice of his wisest friends1 he        
resolved to traverse the desert of      
,arabia1 and to appear on the banks  of 
the ,euphrates--a river held sacred to  
this day by every ,shiah4 ,he  set out  
with his family1 crossed the barren     
expanse of desert1 and  approached the  
confines of ,assyria1 where he was      
alarmed by the hostile  aspect of the   
country and 8suspected either the ruin  
or the defection  of his party40 ,his   
fears were well founded4 ,obeidullah1   
the ,governor  of ,kuf1 had quelled the 
rising insurrection2 and ,huseyn1 in the
  plain of ,kerbela1 was surrounded by a
 body of five thousand horse1  who cut  
off his communication with the city and 
the river4 ,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 ,medina1 or be stationed in a 
frontier garrison against the  ,turks1  
or safely conducted to the presence of  
,yazid4 ,he was informed  that he must  
surrender unconditionally or accept the 
consequences of  his rebellion4 8,do you
 think to terrify me with death80 he    
replied1 and  to his sister ,zainab1 who
 deplored the impending ruin of his     
house1  he said3 8,our trust is in ,god 
alone4 ,all things1 both in heaven and  
in  earth1 must perish and return to    
their ,creator4 ,my brother ,hasan1 my  
father ',al1 my mother ,fatima1 were    
better than ,i am2 and every  ,mussulman
 has an example in the ,prophet40 ,his  
little band of followers  consisted only
 of thirty-two horsemen and forty foot  
soldiers4 ,he  begged them to make good 
their own escape by a hasty flight2 but 

they  held firm to their allegiance1    
refusing to desert him in his straits4  
,in return he prayed that ,god might    
accept his death as a propitiation  for 
their sins2 they vowed they would not   
survive him1 and the family  of the     
,tent1 as ,huseyn and his fellow-martyrs
 are lovingly called by  the ,shiahs1   
passed the night in holy devotions4     
,the last hours of their lives cannot be
 more tersely told1 and  therefore more 
suitably to our purpose1 than in the    
words of ,gibbon3     8,on the morning  
of the fatal day1 ,huseyn mounted on    
horseback1 with   his sword in one hand 
and the ,kurn in the other2 his generous
 band   of martyrs were secured in their
 flanks and rear1 by the tent-ropes     
and by a deep trench which they had     
filled with lighted faggots1   according
 to the practice of the ,arabs4 ,the    
enemy advanced with   reluctance1 and   
one of their chiefs deserted1 with      
thirty followers1   to claim the        
partnership of inevitable death4 ,in a  

very close onset1   or single combat1   
the despair of the ,fatimites was       
invincible2 but   the surrounding       
multitude galled them from a distance   
with a cloud   of arrows1 and the horses
 and men were successively slain3 a     
truce   was allowed on both sides for   
the hour of prayer2 and the battle at   
length expired by the death of the last 
of the companions of ,huseyn4   ,alone1 
weary1 and wounded1 he seated himself at
 the door of his tent4   ,as he tasted a
 drop of water he was pierced in the    
mouth with a dart2   and his son and    
nephew1 two beautiful youths1 were      
killed in his   arms4 ,he lifted his    
hands to heaven2 they were full of      
blood1 and he   uttered a funeral prayer
 for the living and the dead4 ,in a     
transport   of despair his sister issued
 from the tent1 and adjured the general 
of the ,cufians that he would not suffer
 ,huseyn to be murdered before   his    
eyes2 a tear trickled down his venerable
 beard2 and the boldest of   his        

soldiers fell back on every side as the 
dying hero threw himself   among them4  
,the remorseless ,shamer1 a name        
detested by the ,faithful1   reproached 
their cowardice2 and the grandson of    
,mahomet was slain   with three and     
thirty strokes of lances and swords4    
,after they had   trampled on his body1 
they carried his head to the castle of  
,kuf1 and   the inhuman ,obeidullah     
struck him on the mouth with a cane4    
#8,alas6'   exclaimed an aged           
,mussulman1 #8on these lips have ,i seen
 the lips of   the ,prophet of ,god6'   
,in a distant age and climate the tragic
 scene of   the death of ,huseyn will   
awaken the sympathy of the coldest      
reader4 ,on   the annual festival of his
 martyrdom1 in the devout pilgrimage to 
his   sepulchre1 his ,persian votaries  
abandon their souls to the religious    
frenzy of sorrow and indignation40      
,the date of ,huseyn's death was the    
tenth of ,muharram4 ,the month is  one  
of mourning throughout the ,shiah world1

 every man and every woman  wearing     
black1 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 ,persia1    
while the day itself is made the        
occasion of a  yearly outburst of grief1
 of rage1 and of fanaticism1 which is as
  unbridled as it is sincere4 ,on this  
the ,day of ,cutting1 processions       
bearing banners draped in black pass    
weeping through the streets2 the        
,muslim ,friars1 or1 to give them their 
true title1 the ,seyyid ,rs  ,khns1 lead
 the way1 rending their naked breasts   
with knives or with  needles1 and       
swelling the shouts of 8,y-,huseyn6     
,y-,hasan60 with the  refrains of their 
wildest hymns4 ,the flow of blood drives
 the populace  beside itself4 ,in every 
thoroughfare men of the lower classes   
run to  join the ranks of the mourners1 
laying bare their right shoulders and   
breasts to the weapons they carry4 ,and 
soon every ward of every city  in the   

country echoes and re-echoes1 not less  
to the curses showered  on the head of  
,omar1 than to the cries in lamentation 
of ',al's  assassination1 of ,hasan's   
murder1 and of ,huseyn's martyrdom4 ,the
  universal mourning animates the       
collective body of the nation as with   
one soul4 ,if it is mixed with a mean   
hatred for a man of unrivalled          
integrity and force of character1 it is 
still1 as the expression of the         
nation's love for its chosen hero1 a    
sentiment of loyal devotion and         
enduring compassion4 ,the noise of the  
grief over ,huseyn's remote death  may  
ring discordant1 unphilosophic1 and     
almost barbaric1 in these days  of the  
lukewarm enthusiasms and uninspiring    
scepticism which sap the  energies of   
the more cultured of mankind2 but it    
rings all the more  moving to those who 
can hear and understand4 ,for 8it is the
 noise of  the mourning of a nation0    
mighty in its grief1 as ,lionel         
,tennyson has  it4    ,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    
unjust4 ,the  nobility of a nation is   
dependent1 not so much on ends which    
consist  in 8immediate material         
possession0 of ,european means and      
methods of  transport1 as 8on its       
capability of being stirred by          
memories10 on its  faculty to animate an
 alien creed with the breath of its own 
spirit1  or on the courage of its       
conscience to remain incorruptible in   
the day  of persecution and death4      
,these tests1 though they be of the     
spirit  and as such unworthy of the     
consideration of a trading nation and a 
commercial age1 would1 if applied to    
,persia1 raise that distressful  country
 to the rank of the first eminence4 ,the
 power of steam1 though  it rules the   
waves and devours distance1 has its     
limits as a civilising  influence1 among

 mankind4 ,it cannot fill the hungry    
heart1 though it  may be the means of   
overloading the belly2 much less1 if    
less may be1  can it inspire in the soul
 by its achievements the passion whereof
  the religious drama of ,persia is the 
embodiment4 ,the incorruptibility  of   
the ,persian's outlook on spiritual     
truth has been vindicated in  the blood 
of countless martyrs1 and out of his    
susceptibility to be  inspired by the   
heroism of the mighty dead1 or1 to put  
the proposition  more particularly1 out 
of his unfeigned devotion to the memory 
of the  family of the ,tent1 has sprung 
the ,shiah ,passion-drama1 as from the  
depth of a whole ,empire's sorrow4 ,were
 it not so1 the growth of the           
,miracle-play1 that passionate outcry of
 the ,aryan spirit in the ,persian      
,muslim1 would be a miracle indeed4     
,the truth is1 the ,shiah religious     
drama makes a most touching appeal  to  
the best qualities of the heart and the 
mind4 ,in its pathos1 the  episode of   

the ,tent recalls the tragedy of        
,calvary1 and the virtues  of the       
members of the ,house of ,hashem might  
have been modelled on  those of the     
twelve ,apostles of ,christ4 ,the       
sublime figure of ,huseyn  stands out   
among them as the redeemer of his       
people4 ,as the ,founder of             
,christianity was tempted of the devil  
in the wilderness to forego ,his  lofty 
mission that ,he might gain a worldly   
kingdom1 so ,huseyn1 in the  scene on   
the plain of ,kerbela1 rejects the      
assistance offered to him by  the ,king 
of the ,jinns on purpose to atone for   
the sins of his people  by death4 ,on   
the ,cross ,christ's heart forsook      
him--once1 and only  once4 ,it was when 
,he cried3 8,my ,god1 ,my ,god1 why hast
 ,thou forsaken  me80 ,in like manner   
the heroic ,huseyn1 within sight of     
,kuf1 having  to baffle the attack of   
,yazd and his hosts by turning aside    
from the  direct road leading to his    
city of refuge1 and seeing the exceeding

  anguish of his beloved sister ,zainab1
 had felt the sting of his own  destiny3
 8,ye crooked conducted spheres10 he had
 cried1 8how long will  ye tyrannise    
over us8 ,how long will ye act thus     
cruelly to the family  of ,god's        
,prophet80 ,then1 nerving himself to the
 trial1 he prophesied  his death on the 
morrow1 and said1 with his customary    
fortitude1 that  the sacrifice of       
himself and his companions was not a    
cause for grief1  since it would work   
for the salvation of his grandfather's  
people2 and  thenceforward his          
resolution to meet the fate he had      
chosen for himself  never swerved2 not  
even when the very angels of heaven     
sought to save  his life from sheer love
 of a soul so dauntless and so          
incorruptible4    ,the reward of his    
martyrdom is won in the last scene of   
all1 which  represents the resurrection4
 ,the ,prophet1 failing to save his     
followers  from punishment1             
notwithstanding the united efforts of   

himself1 of  ',al1 and of ,hasan1 throws
 away his rod1 his cloak1 and his       
turban1  in his disappointment4 ,nor is 
he in the least pacified until ,gabriel 
makes it clear to him that ,huseyn1 who 
8has suffered most10 must lend  him the 
assistance he requires4 ,the            
compassionate heart of the man is       
wrung1 so that when ,huseyn makes his   
appearance it is to receive from  his   
magnanimous grandsire the key of        
intercession4 ,the ,prophet says to     
him3 8,go thou1 and deliver from the    
flames every one who hath in his        
lifetime shed a single tear for thee1   
every one who hath in any way  helped   
thee1 every one who hath performed a    
pilgrimage to thy shrine1  or mourned   
for thee1 and every one who hath written
 tragic verses to  thee4 ,bear each and 
all with thee to ,paradise40 ,and this  
being done1  all the sinners redeemed by
 their mediator enter into heaven1      
crying3  8,god be praised6 by ,huseyn's 
grace we are made happy1 and by his     

favour  we are delivered from           
destruction40    ,one word more4 ,among 
the sinners whom ,muhammad commanded    
,huseyn to  rescue from hell-fire1 as   
the reader will have read1 perhaps with 
a  smile1 were those who had written    
tragic verses in praise of the martyr   
of the ,tent4 ,his smile may1 possibly1 
ring out in a laugh when we  inform him 
that the ,seyyid ,rz ,khns1 the ,shiah  
friars1 are said to  have been the      
originators of the ,passion-drama4 ,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 mankind1 was it not     
ingenuously artful8          ,,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 atmosphere8--have for me an    
unspeakable charm1 ,i was  glad to be on
 my way to the city of great concourse1 
towards which  ,i had so often turned my
 face in prayer1 and in which the hearts
 of  many millions of people are deeply 
rooted4 ,indeed1 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 die4
 ,ah1 well1 ,i for one shall pray to see
 ,london again1 for how  could ,i ever  
forget the least of her gifts to me8    
,dear ,alma ,mater1 au  revoir6         
,while ,i was thus meditating the train 
puffed out of the station1 and  the     
shore of the ,english ,channel was      
reached4 ,the weather was mild1  the sky
 was clear2 even the worst sailor might 
feel sure of having a  delightful       
passage1 and ,i1 praise the ,powers1 am 
a good sailor4 ,and  so it was3 we      
reached the neighbouring shore without  
the slightest  qualm1 and arrived in    

,paris at six o'clock in the morning4   
,many people  were already on the       
move--unlike ,london1 where hardly      
anybody is seen  about at that time of  
the day1 except1 perhaps1 the loitering 
scum that  begins to rise from the      
excess of the previous night's          
libations4 ,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 ,hugo1 and ,i  could not help   
admiring the new statue raised this year
 to commemorate  the strenuous genius of
 that great man4 ,one short hour in     
,paris1 then  our train sped southward  
in brilliant sunshine1 which seemed to  
draw me  nearer to that burning ,arabian
 land whither ,i was bound4    ,on my   
arrival at ,marseilles ,i booked a berth
 on board the steamer  ,rewa1 belonging 
to the ,british ,india ,steam           
,navigation ,company1 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 ,jiddah4    ,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 mind4 ,it will be enough to 
say that the wind1  which was as fair as
 one could desire till we reached the   
,straits of  ,messina1 was bent         
afterwards on making another and an     
angrier sea4 ,the  discomfort of the    
passengers1 most of whom were ,britains 
bound for  ,india1 was betrayed by their
 seclusion from the open air4 ,the      
nearer  we approached the ,east1 the    
more kindly grew the elements1 until1   
on the seventh day1 about seven o'clock 
in the morning1 ,port ,said  hove in    
sight4 ,an hour later ,i had packed my  
kit and was ready for a  hearty landing4
 ,steaming slowly into the canal we     
passed the pier1  which was still in    
course of construction1 saluted the     
statue of de  ,lesseps1 and raised a    

shout of surprise on counting not less  
than five  ,russian warships before we  
had reached our moorings4 ,those        
guardians of  ,russian prestige had come
 from ,chinese waters1 had remained five
 days  at ,suez1 and were now coaling at
 ,port ,said1 where they had arrived on 
the previous day4 ,not one single       
,british man-of-war was to be seen4 ,i  
had my breakfast at eight1 after which  
,i bade farewell to the captain  and my 
travelling companions1 going ashore in  
one of the boats that  surrounded our   
steamer4    ,two trains start from ,port
 ,said to ,suez every day1 one in the   
forenoon  and one in the evening4 ,the  
line as far as ,ismailia is a narrow    
tramway  having a gauge of #b;ft4       
#h;in42 the cars are consequently both  
narrow  and uncomfortable1 and take     
about three hours to do the journey4 ,on
  my bidding good-bye to the dragoman ,i
 had engaged1 he assured me  that he was
 far too devout a ,muslim to fleece so  
pious a pilgrim as  myself1 and he would

 not accept a centime more than five    
francs for  the boat1 the carriage1 and 
his special services4 ,it was from him  
that  ,i first heard of the outbreak of 
cholera in ,arabia--a report that was   
unfortunately confirmed at ,suez1       
whither ,i journeyed in the discomfort  
of a dust-storm and a hot easterly wind4
 ,we arrived at ,ismailia at one        
o'clock1 or thereabouts1 having left    
,port ,said at a quarter to ten         
o'clock4 ,this place1 when the canal was
 being cut1 was the headquarters  of the
 workmen2 but now it has sunk in        
importance1 many of the  buildings      
having actually fallen in ruins4 ,some  
of the managers of the  company1        
however1 are still living there1 and the
 best houses in the  town are at their  
disposal4 ,employment is provided on the
 canal for  some hundred and twenty     
pilots1 most of whom are ,greeks and    
,frenchmen1  though a few ,englishmen   
have been recently added to the staff4  
,the  railway from ,cairo to ,suez1     

which belongs to the ,egyptian          
,government1  passes through ,ismailia  
and picks up the passengers for ,suez   
who have  travelled so far by the ,canal
 ,company's toy line4 ,henceforward the 
journey was made in comfort1 for the    
line1 though a single one1 is  a        
standard ,british gauge and the train   
provided with an excellent              
waggon-restaurant4 ,nearly all the      
passengers on board were ,arabs and     
low-class ,europeans in the third-class 
compartments4 ,we stopped at  three     
stations on the way1 and every time it  
happened we were greeted  by a weird    
chorus of ,arab song1 of which the      
burden was the 8,wondrous  names of ,god
 and the virtues of ,his ,prophet40 ,i  
was somewhat amused  to hear the words1 
8,not ,i1 by ,god60 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 me4 ,for ,i1  
being unused to the climate1 had        
suffered  tortures from thirst in the   

scorching heat and driving dust-clouds1 
the intervals between the stages being  
extremely long and tedious--in  fact1 it
 took the train seven hours and a       
quarter to cover the hundred  miles that
 separate ,port ,said from ,suez4 ,nor  
was the prospect of a  sort to slake the
 thirst of the weary pilgrim4 ,all along
 the line hugs  the right bank of the   
canal1 and nothing is to be seen except 
the soft  white sand of the glowing     
desert1 unless it be an occasional patch
 of  green grass or a cluster of date   
trees1 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 ,suez1 the    
latter a place which stands in  sore    
want of the cleansing and refreshing    
element4    ,illustration3 ,a ,,pilgrim 
8,,at ,,sea0--,,suez ,,railway          
,,station4    ,illustration3 ,a ,,group 
,,of ,,mixed ,,pilgrims4    ,on my      
arrival at the station a dragoman1 one  
of the plagues of ,egypt1  joined       

himself to my suite1 informing me with  
glib mendacity that  he carried both    
,arabia and the ,land of the ,pyramids  
in his pocket1  whereas1 as a matter of 
fact1 he had not once left his native   
town4  ,however1 as ,i could not shake  
the fellow off1 ,i made the best of a   
bad bargain by taking him out shopping  
with me4 ,first1 ,i bought a deep       
crimson fez with a long black silk      
tassel and a straw lining4 ,though  it  
looked both cool and fanciful1 and was  
therefore pleasing to my  ,oriental eye1
 ,i am not certain that a turban would  
not have been more  in keeping with the 
complete ,arab suit which ,i            
subsequently purchased4  ,this consisted
 of a thin linen shirt1 a pair of       
trousers1 and two long  and graceful    
robes4 ,the shirt was worn as long as a 
night-shirt1 it  had no collar1 and the 
roomy sleeves were left open at the     
wrists4  ,the trousers were more        
interesting1 and of a curious shape and 
an odd  material1 being made of thin    

white calico1 and so cut that whereas an
  elephant's thigh could scarcely fill  
the ample width of the uppermost  part1 
one had the greatest difficulty in      
slipping the feet through  the lower    
ends which clung tightly round the      
ankles4 ,as for the two  robes1 which   
were long enough to cover the nether    
garments1 the inner  one was made of the
 finest silk1 striped in successive     
colours of red1  yellow1 and green1 and 
was left entirely open in front1 but the
 left  breast overlapped the right1 to  
which it was buttoned from the armpits  
downwards4 ,the outer habit of a blueish
 colour served as a cloak to  the inner 
one1 was made of the same material1 and 
cut in precisely the  same way4 ,no     
socks were worn1 and the shoes were not 
unlike ordinary  slippers1 with this    
exception1 that they were turned up at  
the toes4    ,on donning this           
picturesque attire ,i returned to the   
,htel d',orient by  way of the narrow   
and filthy bazaars1 where my attention  

was attracted  by a band of dancers who 
were drawing together a crowd of        
sightseers  of every nationality4 ,while
 one man was cutting his capers in the  
skin of a ,polar bear1 a second1        
tambourine in hand1 powdered his face   
to imitate a ,european1 while a third1  
got up in guise of a ,negro1  played    
with a lively monkey in chains1 and     
three dancing girls with  huge          
artificial moles on their faces         
completed the company4 ,all these1      
including the monkey1 pranced up and    
down to the tune vociferated by  the    
women and accompanied on the tambourine 
by the man with the white  face1        
repeating at intervals the shrill cry of
 8,hull-hee-h-h40    ,as ,i sat within  
the courtyard of the ,hotel1 listening  
to the voice  of the ,greek prima donna 
who sang nightly to the assembled       
guests1 ,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     
8,the ,mouse and the ,cat10 which runs3 
8,be of  good cheer1 comrades1 the cat  
has become pious40 ,these glad tidings  
were spread abroad by a little mouse    
that1 having hidden itself under  the   
altar of a mosque at ,kirmn1 overheard  
the cat reading aloud the  passage of   
repentance1 meekly kneeling on its      
knees4 ,unfortunately the  cat1 the     
symbol of vicious cunning1 broke its    
vows a little time after1  and ,i       
wondered how far and how long ,i should 
succeed in keeping mine4    ,next       
morning ,i came across a blind ,arabian 
priest patiently waiting on  the        
landing-stage for the departure of the  
steamer1 and in the evening  he was     
still in the self-same spot1 kneeling on
 his prayer-rug and  singing aloud the  
verses of the ,kurn in a deep original  
,arab melody1  rosary in hand4 ,his     
young son was kneeling by his side1     
listening with  downcast eyes to the    
never-ceasing chants of his father1 who 

knew by  heart every word of the sacred 
book1 to say nothing of the saddening   
elegies of the ,arabian traditionists4  
,like most of the singers of the  ,east1
 who pour out their rhapsodies all day  
long in an ever-flowing  torrent of     
melody1 he was extremely monotonous1 and
 so ,i sought to stem  the current of   
his song by entering into conversation  
with him4 ,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 ,mecca1 a look of keen      
distress swept like a cloud over his    
enraptured countenance4 ,rising  slowly 
to his feet1 he raised his sightless    
eyes1 saying3 8,god1 if  it please ,him1
 will provide me with a swift means of  
transport to  ,his city4 ,we shall meet 
again40 ,so confident was his tone that 
my  own misgivings yielded to the hope  
that ,i should yet overcome the         
difficulty of the quarantine4 ,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 hindrance1  but the unfortunate deck
 passengers would have to conform to the
  regulations4 ,never was the privilege 
of wealth and the curse of poverty      
brought home to the hearts of the weary 
in a more convincing fashion4  ,the next
 best thing to being wealthy1 ,i told   
myself1 is to have the  prerogatives of 
wealth thrust upon one4    ,having had  
my passport visd1 ,i booked a berth and 
went on board  the ,khedivieh steamer1  
which completed the distance between    
,suez and  ,jiddah--some six hundred and
 forty-five nautical miles--in about    
eighty  hours4 ,at ordinary times these 
steamers are simply employed on the mail
  service1 one of them leaving ,suez for
 ,jiddah every week--generally on       
,thursday--and another leaving ,jiddah  
for ,suez on the same day4 ,though  they
 practically belong to a ,british       

syndicate1 they go under the name  of   
,khedivieh steamers4 ,the captain and   
the chief officers are ,english1        
whereas the crew are ,egyptians and     
,lascars4 ,during the pilgrimage        
steamers run frequently between the two 
ports1 and in the year #aijb  not less  
than two hundred thousand pilgrims1 ,i  
was told1 had landed at  ,jiddah1 the   
majority of whom embarked at ,suez4     
,among these numbers  must be reckoned  
the eighty thousand ,russian subjects   
from the ,caucasus  and ,central ,asia1 
who1 for the first time since they came 
under the  ,russian rule1 had been      
granted the privilege of undertaking the
 ancient  pilgrimage4 ,rumour credited  
them with being the main cause of the   
cholera that year4 ,if only the half of 
what ,i heard about them were  true     
their pollution would still beggar      
description4    ,the cruise in the ,red 
,sea is not so interesting as that in   
the  ,mediterranean4 ,save an occasional
 ragged rock rising from the yellow     

waters1 or a flight of white birds over 
the steamer1 nothing was to be  seen    
from hour to hour4    ,illustration3    
,,preparing ,,to ,,embark ,,at ,,suez4  
,when we sighted the port of ,jiddah1   
which ,i shall describe by-and-by1  we  
were told to put on our ihrm1 or sacred 
habit1 before entering  the holy        
territory on our way to ,mecca4 ,as a   
preliminary1 ,i at once  removed my     
,arabian costume1 washed my hands1 up to
 the elbow1 and my  feet1 up to the     
knees2 ,i afterwards shaved the upper   
lip1 leaving the  fresh-grown1 unsightly
 beard to its own fate4 ,then1 having   
performed  the prescribed ablution of   
the head1 ,i closed my eyes and         
expressed1  with the tongue of my heart1
 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 will4
 ,last of all1 that ,i might be  worthy 
to visit ,his house1 ,i prostrated      
myself on the prayer-rug and  said aloud

 the following formula of devotion3 8,o 
,almighty ,god1 ,thou art  without a    
mate2 ,i praise ,thy sovereign grace    
with all my heart2 ,thou  art pure and  
everlasting20 then ,i repeated three    
times3 8,o ,lord1 ,thou  art without a  
mate10 adding1 8,i praise1 ,o ,lord1    
,thy apostle ,muhammad  and his         
disciples and his family2 in like       
manner1 ,i also praise our  father      
,abraham and his house40 ,the next thing
 ,i said was3 8,send down  upon me1 ,o  
,lord1 the healthful spirit of ,thy     
satisfaction2 open unto  me1 ,i beseech 
,thee1 the gates of ,paradise1 and      
shelter me from the fire  of ,hell40    
,and this petition ,i also repeated     
three times4 ,i was then  ready to don  
the sacred habit4    ,now1 my ihrm1     
which ,i had bought at ,suez1 consisted 
of two thin  woollen wrappers and a pair
 of sandals4 ,one wrapper was tied about
 the  middle and allowed to fall all    
round to the ankles1 while the other    
was thrown over the shoulders1 leaving  

my head and the forearms bare4  ,both   
wrappers were spotlessly white1 and had 
neither seam nor hem4 ,the  sandal was a
 kind of shoe1 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 foot2 it left     
uncovered both the instep and the heel4 
,this sacred  habit was worn by all     
pilgrims during the four days preceding 
the ,hjj  ,day4 ,while they have it on  
they must neither hunt nor fowl1 though 
they  are allowed to fish--a doubtful   
privilege in a dry land4 ,this precept1 
according to ,ahmad ,ebn ,ysuf1 is so   
strictly observed that nothing will     
induce pilgrims to kill so much as a    
flea4 ,we are told by ,al ,beidw1       
however1 that there are some noxious    
animals that they have permission  to   
kill during the pilgrimage1 such        
animals1 for instance1 as kites1        
ravens1 scorpions1 mice1 and dogs given 
to bite4 ,pilgrims must keep  a constant
 watch over their words and their       

actions so long as they  wear the sacred
 habit4 ,not a single abusive word must 
be uttered2 all  obscene discourse and  
all converse with women must be avoided2
 and not  a single woman's face must be 
seen1 save that of a wife1 a sister1 or 
a  cousin-german1 i4e41 a sister's or a 
brother's daughter4 ,the men1 as  ,i    
have said1 must now doff their sewn     
clothes and must keep both their  faces 
and their heads uncovered2 but the woman
 must be1 as it were1  hermetically     
sealed in their stitched cloaks and     
veils4 ,the only part  of their bodies  
that they have the right to expose1 if  
they like1 is  the palms of their hands4
 ,for the rest1 they must not travel    
alone1 but  must be accompanied by a man
 who may lawfully see them unveiled4    
,poor pilgrims6 ,they suffered from     
right and left4 ,first came the         
blood-suckers' passport picnic4 ,here   
the pilgrim was plagued to death  with  
questions that the most cursory perusal 
of his safe-conduct had  rendered       

unnecessary4 8,where do you come from8  
,when did you leave8 ,how  did you get  
here8 ,what are your intentions8 ,why   
this8 ,how that8 ,when  the other80 ,the
 poorer pilgrims complained that they   
were positively  fleeced on the most    
frivolous pretexts4 8,your passport is  
not properly  written2 you must pay     
forty-eight piastres10 and so on4       
,then the customs' authorities emerged4 
8,will you walk into my parlour80  these
 mosquitoes said to the pilgrims4 ,to   
the imaginative mind the  buzzing which 
filled the room spelt the word bakhshsh4
 ,woe betide  the pilgrim who did not so
 interpret the sound6 ,all these        
officials1 as  a ,persian would say1 had
 arms longer than their legs--in other  
words1  they reached out an itching palm
 to every pilgrim1 and1 casting an      
appealing smile on him1 seemed as though
 they would ask him to tickle  it with  
the counter-irritant of a 8tip40 ,they  
opened my kit-bags  and turned          
everything topsy-turvy before ,i had    

time to bridle their  official zeal in  
the customary way4 ,among the contents  
were an ,english  newspaper and a novel1
 and these were promptly confiscated for
 no other  reason than that ,i had read 
them both4 ,i cannot say that ,i made   
them a  present of my purse by way of   
pouring coals of fire on their heads4   
,it  was otherwise in my case4 ,i tied  
my purse-strings a little tighter1  and 
responded to their bakhshsh-coveting    
smiles with a smile equally             
bakhshsh-coveting4 ,it is wise1 when you
 know the ropes1 to husband  your       
resources till you reach the interior1  
for there your comfort in  travelling   
will depend on your having a purse well 
lined4 ,by following  this rule1 ,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 ,jiddah4    ,such
 a scene6 ,crowds of ,arabs were lying  
on the filthy ground1 which1  despite   

the heat1 seemed strangely damp4 ,some  
were praying1 some were  snoring1 others
 were smoking1 many were wrestling in   
the mud1 but by  far the greater number 
of them merely dreamed away the passing 
hours1  too idle even to open their     
eyes4 ,you might stay from sunrise to   
sunset  by the side of the more         
meditative among them without their     
showing the  least signs of life4 ,how  
differently constituted are these       
loafers from  the free-born ,arabs of   
the desert6 ,the women held themselves  
somewhat  aloof from the men1 and sat   
smoking their pipes1 or chatting like   
magpies1 in groups of three or four4    
,the sight of a new face seemed  to have
 lost its attraction for them1 or       
perhaps they had grown weary  of        
criticising the gait and the appearance 
of the incoming pilgrims4  ,having now  
seen a good many of them1 however1 as it
 were by stealth1  ,i think ,i may say  
with confidence that among the ,arabs of
 ,hejaz the  men are far better-looking 

than the women4 ,this is mostly the     
women's  own fault1 for they ruin the   
beauty of their faces by tattooing their
  chins4 ,were it not for this unsightly
 custom1 peculiar to the ,arabs1  the   
womenfolk1 though corpulent1 might be   
regarded as comely4 ,the men1  on the   
other hand1 are fairly handsome1 being  
tall and lean1 and having  high-bridged 
noses1 flashing black eyes1 and lofty   
foreheads4 ,i am  speaking more         
especially of the wild ,arabs of the    
desert and not of  the townsmen1 whose  
faces1 however handsome they may be1 are
 too often  marred by an expression of  
cupidity and cunning4    ,jiddah1 though
 dirty1 is a very picturesque city4 ,it 
has narrow  serpentine streets which are
 rarely more than seven or eight feet   
wide1  and is surrounded by five        
turreted walls of great antiquity rising
 to  a height of twelve feet or so4 ,of 
these walls the northern measures in    
length about seven hundred and          
thirty-one yards1 the southern seven    

hundred and sixty-nine1 the eastern five
 hundred and eighty-five1 the  western  
six hundred and twenty-four1 and the    
south-eastern some three  hundred and   
seventy-nine4 ,there are about three    
thousand houses in the  city1 most of   
which are built of limestone and shut   
out from the street  by walls which     
sometimes conceal the roofs of the      
houses within4 ,here  and there a small 
window in the surrounding walls affords 
ventilation  to the house4 ,it is only a
 few years since a big well was dug at a
  place called ,bashtar1 some two miles 
distant from the city1 the water  of    
which is conducted by means of          
underground passages4 ,this well bears  
the name of the reigning ,sultan of     
,turkey4 ,pure drinking water being     
scarce1 sakks or water-carriers are seen
 about the streets carrying  the        
precious liquid on their backs in big   
leathern bags4 ,of recent  years several
 mosques and caravanserais and one steam
 mill have been  erected outside the    

city walls4 ,the governor's residence1  
together  with the post-office and      
almost all of the more modern buildings1
 lies  outside the walls1 facing the    
,red ,sea4 ,the shops1 raised not more  
than  a foot above the ground1 are about
 two yards and a half in width and  some
 three yards deep in the interior4      
,butchers1 grocers1 fruiterers1  and    
linen drapers are crowded together much 
as they are in an ,english  street4 ,the
 babble within the bazaar is beyond     
description4 ,your first  conjecture is 
that a free fight is about to begin     
between the tradesman  and his customer2
 but1 on making ready to intervene in   
the cause of  peace1 you find to your   
pleasure or your chagrin that the       
vociferous  couple shake hands1 first by
 touching the right hand and then by    
raising both hands to the right eye1    
after which the shopkeeper makes  tender
 inquiries as to his customer's health1 
and then the bargaining  begins4 ,it    
took me over an hour to buy a few yards 

of cloth4 ,the  ancient draper was too  
lazy to reach out for the stuff himself1
 so he  ordered his boy to bestir       
himself in my interests4 ,the cloth     
being  handed to him1 the draper        
fingered it caressingly1 saying3 8,the  
cloth  is soft to the touch1 its        
splendour dazzles the eyes6 ,such an    
exquisite  material has not been seen in
 this market for years60 ,the cloth was 
to my liking1 and so ,i made haste to   
ask the price of it4 ,the draper  shook 
his head reprovingly4 ,then he said3    
8,hurry and haste belong  to ,satan3 ,i 
usually sell this cloth at thirty       
piastres a yard to my  customers1 but to
 you ,i will sell it for twenty-five1   
because you have  found favour in my    
sight40 ,i made him a counter-bid of    
five piastres a  yard in order to cut   
the barter short4 ,whereupon the draper1
 nodding  in admiration of my guile1    
gazed around him for close on five      
minutes4  ,when he opened his mouth at  
last it was to say in his most winning  

voice3 8,my good sir1 since you are     
looking so well1 so handsome1 and so    
distinguished1 ,i will part with this   
priceless material at the trifling  cost
 to yourself of fifteen piastres a      
yard40 8,not so10 ,i replied4  8,since  
you are a bright old man ,i will        
increase my favour in your sight  by    
adding a piastre to my last bid2 in     
other words1 ,i now offer you  six      
piastres a yard40 ,the draper raised his
 hand to ,heaven4 8,that is  impossible6
 ,i ask pardon of ,god40 ,i now turned  
on my heel and walked  away4 ,he called 
me back at once4 8,sir10 he said1 8,i   
would not have you  leave me in         
displeasure4 ,give whatever you like1   
the cloth is yours4 ,i  am your         
sacrifice40 ,i retraced my steps4       
8,nonsense10 ,i returned2 8how  is it   
possible for me to give what ,i like for
 the stuff1 since you  are the tradesman
 and know its proper value80 ,the old   
man smiled1 and  said1 8,honoured sir1  
the lowest price ,i can possibly accept 

for this  material is ten piastres a    
yard40 ,it was now my turn to smile4    
8,sir10 ,i  replied1 8,i have no wish to
 offend you by leaving your shop1 and so
 ,i  will buy the cloth from you for    
seven piastres a yard instead of going  
to your rival yonder1 who has offered to
 sell me some at six and a half         
piastres40    ,the draper then handed me
 a stool1 and said1 smiling1 8,you are  
not easy  to deal with4 ,come1 sit down1
 and smoke this hukah1 and we shall not 
part in anger40 ,so ,i sat down in front
 of the shop1 and while ,i sucked       
meditatively at the pipe he handed to   
me1 the stuff was measured1 cut1  and   
folded1 the tacit understanding between 
us being that we would  meet half-way1  
namely at eight piastres and a half4 ,by
 the time ,i had  finished my smoke the 
material was ready for me1 and so ,i    
lost no time  in returning to the hotel4
    ,the harvest season of the          
shopkeepers is during the journeying    
months4  ,their most striking           

characteristic in the eyes of a ,persian
 pilgrim is  that they all wear white   
beards4 ,the reason of this probably is 
that  young shopkeepers would stand not 
a ghost of a chance of competing        
successfully with their elderly rivals4 
,moreover1 all greybeards in the        
,muhammadan religion are entitled to    
receive special veneration from the     
young4 ,another reason is that nearly   
all the young men are employed by  the  
pilgrims as guides1 as servants1 and as 
drivers4    ,illustration3 ,,pilgrims   
,,embarking ,,at ,,suez4                
,illustration3 ,,before ,,weighing      
,,anchor ,,at ,,suez4    ,everything    
moves slowly in these ,arab towns4 ,you 
will break the laws  of good breeding if
 you walk fast there4 ,consider the     
camel of the  desert1 how he walks2 he  
hurries not1 neither does he make a     
sound3 so  take this finnikin creature  
as your model and form your gait on the 
camel's4 ,all ,orientals pin implicit   
faith in the doctrine of 8slow but      

sure10 and when they give you some work 
they recommend you to be 8slow  over    
it10 believing that a thing done smartly
 is not often done well4                
,,chapter ,,ii    ,,from ,,jiddah ,,to  
,,mecca      ,the time at my disposal   
being limited1 ,i went at once in search
 of a  guide1 who should accompany me to
 ,mecca and thence to ,arafat1 and put  
me in the way of performing the rites   
and mysteries of the ,hjj4 ,the  men who
 officiate in that capacity are called  
moghavems4 ,the pick  of them had fallen
 to the lot of the early-comers who had 
flocked to  ,jiddah in great numbers2   
but with my customary luck1 ,i chanced  
upon  a ,persian moghavem1 whose        
knowledge of the ceremonies and the holy
  places of the ,pilgrimage was seasoned
 with the waggish conceits of  a        
singularly original mind4 ,his sceptical
 witticisms were the more  piquant in   
that he gloried in the name of ,seyyid  
',al4 ,for the rest1  he had travelled  
far and wide1 had sat down and laughed  

beside the  waters of ,babylon1 had     
wandered on foot as far to the ,east as 
,benares1  and had undertaken the       
,pilgrimage of ,mecca half a dozen      
times4 ,i  congratulated him on his     
globe-trotting habit1 whereupon he      
showed a  gleam of white teeth1 raising 
himself on the tips of his toes1 and    
stroked his unkempt beard complacently4 
,then he aired his knowledge of         
geography4 8,y-,moulai10 he said with   
unexpected gravity1 8,allah has  had me 
in ,his keeping1 may ,he be praised6 ,he
 has revealed to me the  innermost      
secrets of the world1 and shown to me   
the whole creation4  ,i have been       
everywhere except in ,hell1 and even    
that experience will  not be withheld   
from me1 ,i trust1 when ,i come to die4 
,true it is1  y-,moulai1 that this life 
is a riddle2 we solve it when we give up
 the  ghost--perhaps4 ,anyhow1 my one   
desire in this world is to go to ,europe
  that ,i may see ,china and study the  
philosophy of that wonderful land40  ,i 

had to avert my head lest he should     
detect the struggle between  amusement  
and politeness which convulsed every    
feature of my face4    8,ah10 said he1  
8your ,excellency is fortunate to have  
met me3 the ,hjj  ,season is far        
advanced3 moghavems are scarce3 and ,i  
am one of the  most reasonable of men4  
,if you will burst from the bonds of    
economics  in the matter of salary1 you 
will find in me a pleasant travelling   
companion and a lettered guide40        
8,will two dollars a day content you80  
,i asked4 ,the offer was a liberal  one1
 and on the spur of a grateful impulse  
he clinched the bargain  without a      
moment's hesitation4 ,this trait of     
character endeared him to  me1 and so ,i
 treated him on a footing of social     
equality so long as he  was my cicerone4
    ,now1 the day was the sixth day of  
the moon3 a distance of some  forty-six 
miles lay between us and the ,holy      
,city3 and1 furthermore1  since the     
,pilgrims had to leave ,mecca on the    

#hth for the hill of  ,arafat1 it       
followed that we had not a single moment
 to lose in making  preparations for our
 journey4 ,with many words ,seyyid ',al 
staked his  wages that1 by hiring asses 
and riding alone1 we could cover the    
road in eleven hours4 8,of course10 said
 he1 8we must run the risk of  being    
attacked by ,bedouins who lie in wait   
for stragglers4 ,indeed1  only two days 
ago1 so the rumour runs in the bazaars1 
a caravan of  forty ,persian pilgrims   
was robbed on leaving ,heddah for       
,mecca3 and  everybody we meet--depend  
upon it--will do his utmost to terrify  
us  with blood-curdling stories of ,arab
 lawlessness and violence4 ,however1    
let us pin our faith not in firearms and
 bravado1 but in our cool heads  and our
 stout hearts4 ,and1 in the meanwhile1  
,i will take you to a  caravanserai1    
where we shall find an acquaintance of  
mine1 who is the  owner of a drove of   
the fleetest asses in ,hejaz4 ,his name 
is ,nassir1  and he owns allegiance to  

the fighting clan of ,harb4 ,from him we
 will  hire three donkeys3 one for your 
,excellency1 one for the effects we     
have with us1 and a third for myself4   
,nassir will accompany us on foot1  and 
be a protector to us in the wilderness4 
,let us hasten lest his  services be    
engaged40    ,after bartering with      
,nassir1 it was settled that ,i should  
pay him  two dollars for the use of each
 animal 7two-thirds to be paid in       
advance and one-third on alighting in   
,mecca71 while he himself was to        
receive1 in return for his services1 a  
bakhshsh in proportion to his           
usefulness on the road4    ,in          
appearance he was a typical             
representative of his race1 both in     
bearing and in dress1 as well as in     
accoutrements and in strength4  ,tall   
and lean1 he had the appearance of a man
 that had been baked in  an oven3 his   
skin was as brown and as wrinkled as a  
walnut-shell1 his  features seemed to   
leap out of the face1 while his eyes    

declared the  nobility of a virile      
though savage nature4 ,he wore a long   
yellow shirt1  reaching below the knees1
 with a red cotton belt round the waist1
 in  which was stuck an ugly-looking    
dagger4 ,slung crosswise over his back a
  ,bedouin generally carries an         
old-fashioned flint rifle1 having a     
barrel  some two yards in length1 with a
 bow-shaped stock covered all over with 
small square chips of white shells4 ,for
 this ungainly weapon ,nassir           
substituted a stout ,arab club1 which   
was a fortunate thing for ,seyyid  ',al1
 perhaps1 inasmuch as wordy wars between
 the two men came to be of  hourly      
occurrence4    ,about five o'clock in   
the evening1 after having smoked a pipe 
of peace  at a coffee-house in the      
bazaars1 we mounted our asses1 ,seyyid  
',al  and myself1 while the fleet-footed
 driver1 go as hard as we might1  kept  
pace with us1 without so much as turning
 a hair4 ,we rode through  the ,mecca   
gate1 and then bore off in a            

north-easterly direction in  order that 
,i might have an opportunity of visiting
 ,eve's ,tomb4 ,this  excursion1 because
 it took us a little out of our way1 was
 not to  the liking of our ,harbi       
warrior1 who1 in his anxiety to reach   
,mecca  by sunrise1 was bent on sparing 
both his own breath and his beasts  of  
burden4 ,but ,i1 having made up my mind 
to pay my respects to the  resting-place
 of our common mother1 was not to be    
gainsaid2 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 take4   
,assuredly1 ,arabia is the cradle of    
credulity4 ,in that land of legend  the 
historian catches his breath4 ,he is ill
 at ease1 alternately  bewildered and   
sceptical1 as might be expected of a    
man1 who1 reaching  out for truth1 lays 
hold of a myth at every step4 ,thus1 on 
gaining  admittance to the enclosure1 ,i
 was amazed to notice the exceeding     

length of the ,tomb1 and on measuring   
the low walls believed to define  the   
outlines of ,eve's body1 ,i found that  
they were one hundred and  seventy-three
 yards long1 and about twelve feet      
broad4 ,in the centre  a low dome is    
conspicuous2 it is said to crown ,eve's 
navel4 8,what a  monster60 ,i cried1    
laughing1 8easy lies the head of our    
common mother40  ,the guide corrected   
me1 saying1 8,the ,well of ,wisdom is   
mistaken4 ,the  tomb was not long enough
 to contain her blessed head4 ,it is    
well known  that only the trunk and     
limbs of her lie here40 ,rising to my   
full  height1 five feet nine in my      
sandals1 ,i asked him to account for the
  dwindling in the size of man4 8,the   
,fountain of ,learning must remember10  
he replied1 8that ,eve1 our ,mother1    
fell1 and with her fell the stature  of 
the human race40 ,the explanation found 
a crack in the armour of  my credulity1 
and so1 turning back into the direct    
road1 we resumed  our journey1 joining a

 caravan of about thirty pilgrims of    
mixed  nationalities1 ,egyptians1       
,syrians1 ,caucasians1 ,indians1 and    
,malays4    ,instead of refreshing      
breezes1 which would have come as a     
positive  godsend1 the wind1 blowing    
from the south-west1 spread abroad an   
abominable vapour1 and caused the sand  
to rise and fall like the bosom  of the 
ocean4 ,sand-heaps twelve feet high     
might be scattered at any  moment in    
these whirlwinds2 but1 fortunately1     
though our asses often  sunk over their 
fetlocks1 we reached in safety the ,hill
 of ,gaem 7the  first stage for         
caravans71 where1 according to a local  
superstition1  the ,messiah will first  
appear4 ,a small booth here made ample  
amends for  the scarcity of water1 and  
,i could not remember ever having tasted
 more  fragrant and delicious coffee4   
,slowly but surely the ground now began 
to rise1 and the sand to grow  firmer4  
,a caravan of camels glided stealthily  
by1 bells tinkling1  pilgrims reciting  

the ,kurn1 and the drivers singing to   
their camels a  deeply melodious song   
called ,hodi1 which has on them the     
effect of a  goad1 urging them on to a  
brisk unchanging pace4 ,to this         
accompaniment  a camel will cover a     
great distance without stopping1 the    
general  belief being that the camel    
gets drunk with the sweet burden of the 
,hodi song4    ,overnight1 long after   
sunset1 my ,harbi driver himself began  
to sing  aloud in the gathering         
darkness1 asking ,god to protect him    
from the  goblins of the wilderness1 and
 always in a lugubrious minor key1 as if
  he was going to weep4 ,but ever and   
anon we heard an original song set  to  
the music of the desert1 wild as the    
wastes1 elusive as the winds1  as       
revealing and obscure as the tuneless   
solitudes from whose heart  it would    
seem to spring--a song that broke       
through melody1 and added  its tameless 
burden to the music of the spheres4 ,on 
cultured ,europeans  these untutored    

outbursts would have an uncanny effect1 
causing the  centuries to roll back to  
the days of their barbarian ancestry1   
and  awakening within them1 perhaps1 one
 of those haunting dream-memories of    
birth far back in the misty past1 of an 
anterior existence in keeping  with the 
strains of incoherent minstrelsy when   
men1 labouring under  the burdens of    
consciousness1 sang as the spirit moved 
them1 knowing  nothing of the laws of   
counterpoint and harmony4 ,such a song  
was sung  by ,seyyid ',al as we left    
,heddah1 a song written by a famous ,suf
  writer--      8,my sorrow is ,sorrow2 
my companion is ,sorrow2 my mate is     
,sorrow2    ,where'er ,i go there's none
 to care for me but ,sorrow2    ,my     
,sorrow does not let me sleep alone at  
night2    ,well done1 my mate6 bravo1 my
 mate6 hurrah1 my ,sorrow60    ,the     
surrounding hills caught the intonation 
in their ragged arms  and flung it back 
into the dim-lit sea of eddying sand1   
echoing and  re-echoing the word        

8,sorrow60 ,then my own ,arab driver1   
carried beyond  himself1 raised his     
voice in the self-same song1 and soon   
the whole  caravan burst out1 crying1   
8,well done1 my mate6 bravo1 my mate6   
hurrah1  my ,sorrow10 the hills         
repeating the last word4 ,wagner1 the   
one master  who has given us the music  
of the sea and the stars1 of the winds  
and  the streams1 and of all the vague  
yearnings that torment the human  heart1
 would have understood us1 would perhaps
 have played the part  of echo on his   
return to civilisation1 would certainly 
have joined in  the chorus of that wild 
,arabian air attuned to ,arabia's barren
 though  luminous solitudes4    ,here1  
at ,heddah1 a more than usually serious 
quarrel arose between  ,seyyid ',al and 
,nassir on the subject of the national  
virtues of  their respective countries4 
,it would certainly have ended in a free
  fight1 had not ,i1 awaking from a     
snooze at the uproar1 turned to the     
pugnacious ,arab1 who had accused the   

,persian of hypocrisy1 and said  in a   
tone of gentle reproof3 8,y ,nassir1 is 
it true that a ,persian  is             
double-faced80 ,for the space of a      
minute he eyed the supercilious         
,seyyid1 deliberating2 then he turned to
 me4 8,i wish he were only              
double-faced10 he replied1 8for then ,i 
should know how to deal with  him4 ,but 
,satan has given him as many as two     
thousand faces1 and it is  beyond the   
power of any one man to see them all in 
his lifetime40 ,i  pursued the inquiry1 
saying1 8,oh1 ,nassir1 supposing you    
were asked to  describe the ,persian    
character1 how would you sum it up80    
,this time  he turned his flashing eyes 
on me4 8,character comes from           
conscience10  he answered2 8but a       
,persian has none40 ,my guide spat      
derisively on  the sand1 muttering1     
8,courtesy is unknown to these people20 
then he  addressed me in his own        
language1 saying3 8,but1 y-,moulai1     
there's  truth in what the burnt-father 

said1 the ,almighty ,mason having put so
  many constituents into the clay of a  
,persian that it is very difficult  to  
analyse it4 ,our countryman has as many 
coils and colours as a  serpent4 ,he is 
the essence of politeness and native    
refinement4 ,he is  the personification 
of jealousy and envy4 ,conceit and      
hypocrisy are  embodied in him1 and so  
also are generosity and amour propre40  
,the mere sound of the mellifluous      
,persian drove ,nassir beside himself4  
,raising his stout ,arab club1 which the
 ,persians call ,hj ,yemt or  the       
,pilgrim ,slayer1 he vowed that he would
 teach the guide a lesson  in courtesy2 
and then1 suddenly bethinking himself   
that any act of  violence on his part   
would be sure to affect his pocket in   
the matter  of bakhshsh1 he turned a    
contemptuous back upon his adversary1   
and said to me1 smiling all over his    
face3 8,this club of mine has  many     
qualifications4 ,it is useful in urging 
my ass to mend its pace1  it gives me   

support when ,i am tired1 and shelter   
from the sun when  ,i am sleepy0--here  
he stuck it in the sand1 and tied at the
 top a  strip of cloth on a             
crossbar--8it serves as a line on which 
to dry my  washed clothes1 as an altar  
when it is the hour for me to pray1 as a
  leaping-pole when a mountain torrent  
stems my path2 and1 may ,allah  be      
praised1 it is my surest defence against
 all my enemies1 be they  men or beasts1
 and so1 when ,i die1 ,god forbid1 ,i   
will leave it as an  inheritance to my  
son40    ,midnight saw us again on the  
way1 and1 in the course of our ride over
  the gravelly ground that rose ever    
higher the nearer we approached the     
mountains1 we overtook a big caravan    
that was preceded by a couple  of       
heralds1 who bore aloft the green banner
 of the ,faith1 whereon  was inscribed  
the ,muhammadan watchword4 8,there is no
 ,god but ,god1  and ,muhammad is ,his  
,messenger40 ,then came the cavalcade of
 pilgrims1  the rear being brought up by

 a string of camels1 and other beasts of
  burden1 heavily laden with tents and  
water-skins1 or mashks1 with  kitchen   
utensils and provisions4 ,like          
ourselves1 these men were  latecomers1  
but being overburdened they were soon   
left far in the rear  by us1 indeed they
 could not hope to reach ,mecca before  
noon on the  following day1 whereas we  
were bent on sighting the ,holy ,city   
ere the  rising of the sun4    ,at the  
last resting-house1 ,i struck up        
acquaintance with a ,persian  pilgrim1  
seated on a coarse mat2 he declared the 
,arabs to be cowards1  while ,i defied  
him to justify this charge4 8,what60 he 
cried1 8anything  will frighten them2   
they are so superstitious4 ,for         
instance1 if a  rabbit spring up at     
their feet and run away from them they  
will  pursue it until it is lost to     
sight4 ,but if the rabbit comes towards 
them1 they will lose heart1 turn on     
their heels and scuttle as fast  as they
 can lay their legs to the ground1 the  

timid creature in hot  pursuit at their 
heels4 ,however1 ,i will admit that they
 hold fast  together1 that they are     
staunch and true to one another1 that   
they will  sacrifice their lives to     
protect their comrades against the      
strangers  at their gates40 ,he then    
began to scratch himself vigorously1    
giving  voice the while to an impromptu 
verse4 ,said he2 8,from sunset to early 
dawn there's a merry-making in the      
kingdom of my body4 ,the mosquitoes  are
 the flutists1 the fleas the dancers1   
and ,i'm the harpist0--that  is1 the    
scratcher1 the same word being used in  
,persian4 ,i left the  quaint fellow    
playing the accompaniment to the dance  
of the frolicsome  fleas and humming    
mosquitoes1 and rode on my way1 singing4
 ,the ground  rose higher and higher4   
,on passing ,mount ,shn the road takes a
  north-easterly direction1 and leads to
 the tomb of ,sheykh ,mahmud1 a  priest 
who is held in special veneration by the
 ,arabs1 though the  dilapidated state  

of his grave would scarcely confirm this
 attitude  towards him4 ,and then1 at   
last1 on pursuing the way a little      
further1  the minarets of the ,city of  
,god rise1 with the sun1 before the     
pilgrim's eyes4 8,oh1 would that ,i1    
having beheld its domes1 might fall  and
 die10 is now the true ,muslim's        
devoutest wish4          ,,chapter ,,iii
    ,,within ,,the ,,harem--,,some      
,,remarks ,,on ,,the ,,orthodox ,,sects 
,,of ,,isl,m      ,the first thing ,i   
did before entering ,mecca was to       
perform my ablutions  and say my        
prayers1 according to the custom2 and   
then ,i rode to the  encampment on the  
outskirts of the city where ,i hoped to 
find two  ,persian friends of mine who1 
in accordance with a previous           
arrangement  between us1 had been good  
enough to take along with them the camp 
equipment which they had bought for me  
at ,cairo4 ,when ,i had discovered      
their whereabouts1 ,i dismissed ,nassir1
 giving him a liberal present1  and then

 sat down to breakfast1 my friends      
congratulating me upon my  safe arrival4
    ,the meal over1 ,seyyid ',al took me
 under his wing1 urging me to  accompany
 him to the ,harem of the ,house of ,god
 without loss of time1  that we might   
perform the initial ceremony--namely1   
the compassing of  the ,ka'bah--in the  
cool of the early morning4 ,so bidding  
my friends  good-bye1 ,i set out with my
 guide1 who was in sore straits to cloak
  his native mirthfulness in the folds  
of his hram4 ,do what he would  to      
conceal his natural character1 he could 
not wholly restrain it  within the      
limits of decorum incumbent on every    
pilgrim wearing that  winding-sheet of  
humility4    ,the streets were crowded  
with tents1 camels1 mules1 asses1       
horses1  pariah dogs1 and a motley crowd
 of pilgrims4 ,the din the dogs made in 
the small hours of the day was          
indescribable4 ,a pack of jackals would 
be quiet in comparison4 ,through even   
the narrowest lanes must pass the       

lordly ,sherf and his suite1 the        
sun-baked ,sheykhs on horseback1 the    
ladies of the harem sitting astride of  
mules led by their servants1 the        
peasant pilgrims on foot1 and every kind
 of beast of burden heavily  laden with 
water-skins and provisions4 ,accidents  
were consequently of  hourly occurrence 
in the press of the throng4 ,on reaching
 the holy  precincts1 my guide turned to
 me and said1 in a cautious undertone1  
pointing to the ,ka'bah in the middle of
 the ,harem3 8,what need have ,i of  the
 ,ka'bah8 it is only four walls2 the    
,ka'bah round which ,i hop is the  face 
of my ,beloved40    ,now1 the word      
,harem which is used to designate the   
courtyard of every  ,muhammadan mosque1 
means 8holy place20 and thus the famous 
mosque of  ,mecca or1 more correctly1   
the open court in the middle of which   
the  ,house of ,god is situated bears   
the name of ,harem4 ,the same expression
  is used by the ,turks to denote the   
inner apartments of their houses1  since

 the women who dwell there are held     
sacred to the family4 ,the  ,harem of   
the ,holy ,city is an imperfect rhomboid
 in shape1 its opposite  sides being not
 quite equal4 ,the length extends from  
east to west and  the breadth from north
 to south4 ,the northern side is one    
hundred and  seventy-eight yards long1  
and the southern one hundred and eighty1
  while the western side is one hundred 
and eighteen yards broad1 and the       
eastern one hundred and seventeen4 ,of  
the twenty-two gates that give          
admittance to its precincts1 eight are  
on the northern length1 four  on the    
eastern breadth1 seven on the southern  
length1 and three on the  western       
breadth4 ,the most sacred of these gates
 are the ,gate of ,peace  7,salm7 and   
the ,gate of ,purity 7,saf74 ,the ,gate 
of ,peace1 through which  the pilgrims  
must enter1 taking care to say the      
prescribed prayer on  its threshold1    
leads into the extreme north-eastern end
 of the ,harem2  while the ,gate of ,saf

 is the one in the centre of the        
southern length1  through which the     
pilgrims must pass out in order to say  
their prayers  on the platform beyond1  
from which platform1 indeed1 the gate   
takes its  name of ,purity4 ,there are  
no doors to these gates1 and from every 
one  a flight of steps conducts the     
,faithful down to the ,harem1 the       
surface  of which lies about twelve feet
 below that of the streets1 dipping     
gradually another three feet towards the
 centre1 where the ,ka'bah  stands2 and 
on the walls of each gate are inscribed 
the names of the  four ,caliphs1 ,ab    
,bekr1 ',omar1 ',othmn1 and ',al4 ,the  
,shiahs1 having  rubbed their hands on  
the name of the fourth ,caliph1 raise   
them to  their faces1 and say3 8,may    
peace be with ,muhammad and with his    
people40    ,to the best of my          
reckoning1 there are some five hundred  
and  seventy-five pillars in the        
colonnade that runs round the four sides
  of the ,harem4 ,but the ,muhammadans1 

in general1 have a prejudice  against   
counting them1 and the ,meccans1 in     
particular1 declare them  to be         
8innumerable40 ,the eastern side of the 
,harem is enclosed by a  single row of  
columns1 while the other sides have     
columns three deep4  ,these columns1    
roughly speaking1 measure about two feet
 in diameter  and twenty feet in height4
 ,some of them bear ,arabic inscriptions
 that  are scarcely legible now1 and    
others are strengthened by means of     
iron bands or by iron shafts running    
from top to bottom4 ,every third  column
 is round1 standing between two         
octagonal pillars1 some four  feet      
apart2 every second column supports a   
pointed arch2 and every  fourth column a
 dome that is whitewashed from without1 
and painted from  within in stripes of  
blue1 red1 and yellow4 ,the front of the
 arches  are coloured in the same gaudy 
fashion1 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      
prayers4 ,there are three  of these     
minarets along the northern length1 one 
at each corner of  the opposite side1 a 
sixth along the eastern breadth1 and a  
seventh  at the thither end of the      
cloister attached to the northern side  
of  the ,harem4 ,the columns1 with the  
exception of a few on the northern  and 
eastern sides1 said to have been brought
 from ,egypt1 reflect no  artistic taste
 whatever on the part of the sculptors  
that carved them4  ,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 mountains1 and composed  of
 three slabs1 shaped1 dressed1 and then 
cemented together4 ,at least  a dozen   
raised pavements--called                
,farsh-ul-,hajar--of varying widths1    
lead to and from the gates of the       
,ka'bah1 the broadest being from the    
,zaideh gate to the ,house of ,god4 ,the

 floor of the colonnades is paved  all  
round1 but the granite slabs are put    
together in a very rough and  ready     
fashion4 ,the inner path immediately    
round the ,ka'bah is a few  inches below
 the general surface1 itself some       
fifteen feet below that  of the streets 
without2 but beyond the iron pillars1   
from which are  hung the glass lanterns 
that light up the precincts of the      
,house of  ,god by night1 rises a second
 paved way1 somewhat higher than the    
inner  one1 about five yards broad1     
while a third1 on a still higher level1 
is  even wider4 ,bordering on this      
pavement from without are the ,meghm    
,ibrahm1 the ,station of ,abraham1 the  
,bb ,shaibeh1 the ,arch of ,peace1 and  
the four ,meghms belonging to the four  
,sunni orthodox sects1 behind  which    
runs the gravelled expanse of the       
,harem4 ,dozens of sweepers are  engaged
 daily in cleaning the floors and       
pavements1 but their efforts1  in face  
of the crowd all too careless of the    

laws of cleanliness1 are  vain4    ,of  
the four ,meghms above-mentioned the    
,meghm-,hanefi is the largest1  and is  
situated to the east of the ,ka'bah1    
some twelve yards from it4  ,it rests on
 twelve pillars1 is open on all sides1  
and has a small upper  chamber1 whence  
the muezzins call the ,hanefites to     
prayer4 ,these are  known as 8the       
followers of reason10 and owe their     
origin to ,ab ,hanfa  al ,nmn ,ebn      
,thbet4 ,he was born at ,cufa in the    
eightieth year of the  ,hegira1 and died
 in the hundred and fiftieth in prison  
at ,bagdad1 where  he had been confined 
because he refused to be made a kdi or  
judge4  ,the reason he gave for refusing
 to officiate in that capacity may be   
given in his own words4 8,if ,i speak   
the truth1 they'll say ,i am unfit2  but
 if ,i tell a lie a liar is not worthy  
to be a judge40 ,he is said  to have    
read the ,kurn no less than seven       
thousand times during his  imprisonment4
 ,his doctrine brought into prominence  

by ,ab ,ysf1 ,chief  ,justice under the 
,caliphs al ,hdi and ,harn ur ,rashid1  
now prevails  generally among the ,turks
 and ,tartars4 ,in the time of          
,ignorance the  ,kuraish used to hold   
their councils where the ,meghm-,hanefi 
now  stands4 ,the ,maleki pulpit1 to the
 south-west of the ,ka'bah1 is a small  
building open on all sides1 and resting 
on four pillars4 ,the learned  doctor   
who founded the sect of the ,malekites  
was called ,malek ,ebn ,ans4  ,he was   
born at ,medina in the year ninety of   
the ,hegira1 and there he  also died at 
the age of eighty-seven4 ,his teaching  
is based on the  traditions of the      
,prophet4 ,on his death-bed he said to a
 friend who  found him in tears3 8,how  
should ,i not weep1 and who has more    
reason  to weep than ,i8 ,would to ,god 
that for every question decided by me   
according to my own opinion ,i had      
received so many stripes1 then would  my
 accounts be easier4 ,would to ,god ,i  
had never given any decision of  my     

own40 ,his followers are scattered over 
,africa1 mainly in ,barbary4  ,the      
,shfetes have their ,meghm on the top of
 the cupola-crowned  building which     
covers the ,zem-,zem well1 whence the   
criers call to  worship1 but the        
congregation pray round the ,ka'bah     
itself4 ,the author  of this1 the third 
orthodox sect1 went by the name of      
,muhammad ,ebn  ,edris al ,shfe4 ,his   
birthplace is uncertain4 ,some say he   
was born at  ,caza1 others at ,ascalon1 
in ,palestine1 on the very day that ,ab 
,hanifa  died in the year one hundred   
and fifty of the ,hegira4 ,at the age of
  seven he was taken to ,mecca1 where he
 was educated4 ,he is said to have  been
 the first ,muhammadan to reduce the    
science of jurisprudence into a         
systematic method1 and he was           
undoubtedly a man of great learning1 of 
sincere piety1 and of calm1 deliberate  
judgment4 ,two sayings attributed  to   
him throw a light on his character3     
8,whoever pretends to love the  world   

and its ,creator at the same time is a  
liar20 8,i am considering  first whether
 it be better to speak or to hold my    
tongue40 ,this was  said to a man who1  
having asked his opinion and received no
 reply1  demanded an explanation of this
 silence4 ,the doctrine of this sect1   
like that of the ,malekites1 is founded 
on the traditions of ,muhammad1  and is 
now embraced by a good many people in   
,arabia and by a few in  ,persia as     
well4    ,the ,meghm of the fourth      
orthodox sect1 that bears the name of   
,hanbal1 is situated not far from the   
,zem-,zem well1 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 
,shfetes4 ,it is  there that the ,sherf 
and many of the other dignitaries       
perform their  worship4 ,it is divided  
into two compartments by means of a     
canvas wall1  the men occupying the     
front1 and the women the back part1 at  
evening  prayers4 ,there are two        

traditions as to the birthplace of      
,ahmed ,ebn  ,hanbal1 who founded this  
school of religious thought4 ,those who 
believe  him to have been born at       
,merve1 in ,khorasn1 the native city of 
his  parents1 assure us that his mother 
brought him thence to ,bagdad when he   
was still at the breast2 while others   
declare that he was born after  his     
mother's arrival in that city1 in the   
year of the ,hegira #afd4 ,he  was an   
intimate friend of al ,shfe1 who was    
also his master1 and was  so well       
instructed by him in the traditions of  
the ,prophet that it is  said he could  
repeat over a million of them4 ,on his  
return from ,egypt  he refused to       
acknowledge the ,kurn to be created1 and
 was consequently  scourged and cast    
into prison by order of the ,caliph al  
,mutasem4 ,on the  day of his death no  
fewer than twenty thousand ,christians1 
,jews1 and  ,magians embraced the       
,mussulman faith1 and he was followed to
 his grave  by eight hundred thousand   

men and sixty thousand women4 ,this sect
 soon  became extremely powerful1 so    
much so indeed that in the year #cbc    
,h41  in the ,caliphate of al ,rdi1 they
 burst from all restraint in their      
iconoclastic zeal1 breaking into        
people's houses in ,bagdad1 spilling    
any wine they found1 chastising the     
singing women they came across1  and    
smashing their musical instruments in   
bits4 ,a severe edict had the  effect of
 bridling their undisciplined fervour1  
so that the ,hanbalites  are not very   
numerous nowadays outside the boundaries
 of ,arabia4 ,the  followers of these   
four men worship together in the        
evening1 but at  other times they pray  
in the order of their seniority4 ,the   
four pulpits  were erected1 in #igc of  
the ,hegira1 by ,sultn ,suleymn1 who    
also  founded1 outside the ,harem1 a    
school for fifteen students under a head
  master and a preacher for each one of 
the orthodox sects1 allotting to  every 
school a portion of the floor of the    

,harem as a place of worship4  ,these   
schools are said to be still            
flourishing1 and are subsidised from    
the funds of the ,ka'bah4    ,before the
 time of the ,prophet the ground on     
which the ,harem is now  situated       
belonged to several landlords of the    
tribe of ,kuraish1 who  laid great store
 by the property on account of its      
proximity to the  ,house of ,god4 ,to   
,omar1 the second ,caliph1 the idea of  
extending the  ,harem first occurred1   
and it was he who built the walls round 
it4 ,the  gates were erected by         
,abdullah ,zobair4 ,thenceforward every 
,caliph and  every ,sultn made a point  
of beautifying the sacred enclosure     
until  it came at last to wear its      
present appearance4 ,however1           
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  ,flight4 ,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    
,islm4 ,they are 8resigned10 these      
unrighteous stewards1 for  no other     
reason than because theirs is a bed of  
roses4 8,after us the  ,deluge0 is their
 motto1 and it cannot be denied that of 
all the sacred  places of the ,faith    
that of the ,harem1 situated as it is in
 the gap of  the surrounding cliffs and 
dipping as it does towards the centre   
where  the ,ka'bah stands1 is the best  
adapted to be a target to the winds and 
the rain4 ,for the floods1 when they    
descend1 rush down the flights of  steps
 of the gateways and inundate the open  
sanctuaries1 and that is  why the       
,ka'bah has been so often destroyed and 
rebuilt in the course  of the centuries4
 ,these priests of the ,harem may be as 
wise as serpents  where their own       
interests are involved1 but they are not
 so harmless as  doves where those of   

the ,faithful in general clamour for    
redress4    ,talking of the ,deluge     
reminds me of the pigeons that strut    
about the  floor of the ,harem or wing  
their flight above its sacred buildings4
  ,they are the prettiest birds         
imaginable1 and so tame that they will  
come and perch on the pilgrims'         
shoulders and feed out of their hands4  
,in colour they are of a blueish brown1 
with deeper spots of the same  colour on
 their breasts and backs4 ,they have    
grey rings round their  necks1 and their
 wings are streaked with black lines4 ,a
 traditionist  says that to feed one of 
these birds is to ensure to one's self a
  sumptuous palace in heaven2 whereas to
 kill one of them is as bad as          
committing homicide1 and meets with the 
same punishment hereafter4  ,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  pigeons1 about twenty grains of
 wheat in a box costing not less than   

one piastre4 ,the tradition was that the
 pigeons never alighted on the  domes   
and minarets of the ,harem1 but hovered 
above them1 like guardian  angels4 ,the 
fact that the sanctuaries now stand in  
frequent need of  whitewashing is taken 
to be a proof of the growing wickedness 
of the  people1 and a certain sign that 
the ,day of ,judgment is at hand4       
,illustration3 ,a ,,moorish ,,gentleman 
,,in ,,moorish ,,dress4    ,on entering 
the ,harem all men are equal1 all       
privileges of rank must be  waived4 ,the
 most despotic ,oriental ruler has no   
power over his fellows  there4 ,even the
 ,hereditary ,sherf of ,mecca must be as
 courteous to his  servants or his      
slaves as he would be to the ,sultan of 
,turkey were he  present4 ,everybody is 
come to worship his ,creator1 the ,ruler
 ,supreme  over empires and republics1  
and so all distinctions of rank are laid
  aside4 ,the ,prophet1 wise in his     
generation beyond all men1 was the      
first to protect the helpless against   

despotism by ruling the conduct  of     
human affairs through the principle of  
religious equality4 ,but for  his laws  
the lower classes of the ,east would    
have been at the mercy of  their        
co-religionists of the higher castes4   
,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 ,hell1 what  then8 ,he sought  
merely to achieve his end through the   
weaknesses of the  natural man1 knowing 
that there is nothing that men covet    
more than the  permanent pleasures which
 satiate human passions1 and nothing    
that they  had rather shun than a       
punishment which endures for ever4 ,the 
spirit of  his teaching and his laws1   
however1 was anything but material4 ,it 
made  for unity and fraternity and      
equality1 and the consequence was that  
in  the early days of the ,faith his    
followers were inspired by the noblest  
aspirations of the mind and heart4 ,and 

as for the corporeal joys of  ,paradise 
they knew that these were not the       
highest their ,prophet had  promised to 
them1 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     
same4 ,the case is otherwise with the   
majority of the  ,muhammadans of to-day4
 ,for their country and their countrymen
 they  take too little thought1 each one
 of them beseeching ,god to shower ,his 
favours on himself or herself alone4    
,the priests of the ,golden ,age of  the
 ,faith sat on a camel or stood on a    
high hill and preached1 not  on form but
 on spirit4 ,their watchword was        
unity--unity of religion  under the     
banner of faith and charity4 ,to-day1 on
 the contrary1 the  ,mulls of ,mecca    
mount a pulpit and air their erudition1 
that is1  their knowledge of the        
traditions1 as they interpret them      

according  to their respective schools1 
and end with a few wandering1 lifeless  
sentences in condemnation of all        
heretics1 in contempt of this life1  and
 in praise of the world to come4 ,a     
philosopher would consider their        
sermons ridiculous4 ,the freethinkers of
 the times of ',omar and ',al had  no   
sound excuse for raising their voices   
against the priests1 who were  then the 
guides of the mind as well as those of  
the conduct4 ,but the  wonder now is    
that a ,faithful can be found to obey   
the behests of these  tradition-ridden  
miracle-mongers1 who do nothing to      
lessen the breach  between the sects1   
but leave the more enlightened laymen to
 lead the  way to reunion4    ,muhammad 
set these miracle-mongers a good        
example4 ,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 province4  8,by the law of the     
,kurn10 said ,muaz4 8,but if you find no

 direction  therein80 8,then ,i will act
 according to the example of the        
,prophet40  8,but if that fails80 8,then
 ,i will exercise my own judgment40     
,muhammad  not only approved of the     
answer of his follower1 but also advised
 his  other representatives to follow   
the same rule of conduct4 ,that rule    
ought to be written over the door of    
every mosque in ,islm4 ,my ,meccan      
experiences prove this1 that the faith  
of the priest is stagnant  from the want
 of the breath of reason4 ,in its       
decadence ,islm is  priest-begotten and 
priest-ridden4 ,in its purity it was    
full of the  spirit of the ,holy ,ghost1
 a religion simple and sincere1 whereof 
such  men as ',al and ',omar were made4 
,the founder would be the first to      
cleanse the minds of his present-day    
disciples of the false traditions  that 
have been ascribed to him4 ,he would bid
 them look up1 facing the  light1 and   
setting their thoughts free to soar4 ,in
 his lifetime he1  believing 8,god to be

 more loving to ,his servants than the  
mother to  her young10 fought           
strenuously and with a patience almost  
sublime to  overcome the corrupt and    
idolatrous practices of his             
fellow-countrymen  of the time of       
,ignorance4 ,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 message4 ,his 
voice would be raised  to proclaim the  
right of every man to reject what is    
unreasonable in  the dictations of the  
priests4 8,knowledge10 said he on one   
occasion1  8is our friend in the desert1
 our companion when friendless1 our     
ornament among friends1 our armour      
against our enemies4444 ,to listen to   
the words of the learned and to         
inculcate the lessons of science is of  
more value than religious exercises40   
,now1 a religion which is lively to-day 
chiefly through the appeal  it can make 
to what is corporeal and comfortable1 as

 is undoubtedly  the case with ,islmism 
at the present time1 stands in sore need
 of a  spiritual reformer1 the more so  
because its spirit is still alive1  in  
the pages of the ,kurn and in the memory
 of the mighty dead4 ,many  ,muslims    
still seek the name1 and are diligent in
 seeking it1 but they  less often try to
 find the object1 forgetting that the   
moon is not in  the stream but in the   
sky4 8,he1 ,god1 is the ,enduring1 and  
all else  passeth away0--all except such
 futile traditions as1 heaven knows1 are
  dead enough to have earned a decent   
burial1 and the arbitrary ruling of  the
 priests1 to whose pernicious influence 
there would appear to be no  limit4 ,the
 hearts of these unrighteous stewards   
deserve to be branded  with the two     
matchless odes1 admirably translated by 
,professor ,browne1  of ,cambridge      
,university1 which are inscribed on the 
tomb of ,hfiz1 in  an orange garden at  
,shrz1 the two first lines of which run3
        8,where is the good tidings of  

union with ,thee8 for ,i will rise up   
with my whole heart2       ,i am a bird 
of ,paradise1 and ,i will soar upwards  
from the snare of             the       
world40    ,and again3        8,o heart1
 be the slave of the ,king of the       
,world1 and be a king6       ,abide     
continually under the protection of     
,god's favour60          ,,chapter ,,iv 
,,compassing ,,of ,,the ,,ka',,bah      
,when we reached the outer gateway of   
the ,bb ,salm1 which leads into  the    
vestibule1 it was to bow humbly and then
 to prostrate ourselves  twice on the   
threshold1 kissing its sacred dust4     
,after this we rose1  saying aloud1 with
 closed eyes and outstretched hands3    
8,o ,god1 this city is ,thy city and    
this temple ,thy temple4 ,i am come     
hither in search of ,thy compassion1 and
 in perfect obedience to ,thy           
commands4 ,o ,lord1 ,i am submissive to 
,thy power1 ,i am in passive            
contentment with ,thy chastisements1 ,i 
seek the fulfilment of all my   desires 

from ,thee and from none but ,thee4     
,oblige me with ,thy divine             
compassion1 ,o ,god1 and fling open to  
me the gates of ,paradise40    ,we then 
passed into the vestibule1 and1 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  
prayer1 saying3     8,o ,lord1 this     
harem is ,thy harem and the harem of    
,thy apostle4   ,therefore1 since ,i am 
here in response to ,thy command1       
preserve   my flesh and blood from the  
fire of ,hell and deliver me from ,thy  
punishments on the ,day of ,judgment40  
,then1 advancing the left foot1 we said3
     8,o ,god1 grant me ,thy protection 
from the temptations of the devil--may  
he be accursed6 ,i praise ,thy prophet1 
,o ,lord1 and also his disciples2   ,o1 
forgive me my sins and open on me the   
gates of ,thy mercy40    ,next1 when we 
walked through the inner gateway1 and   
went down the  double flight of steps   

leading to the colonnades1 whence the   
,ka'bah  twinkled on us its dusky1      
square face1 we bowed reverently to the 
,house  of ,god and forthwith recited   
the prayer1 which being interpreted1    
runs3     8,in the ,name of the great   
,lord who is alone4 ,there is no god    
like unto   ,him4 ,o ,god1 ,i visit this
 ,thy temple1 praising ,thee1 and       
glorifying ,thy   name4 ,nothing can be 
done save through ,thee1 for ,thine is  
the power1   and ,thine the will alone40
    ,then ,i paused awhile1 and my eyes 
took in the impressive scene4    ,the   
open ,harem1 surrounded on a higher     
level by the colonnades that  are       
surmounted by the crescented domes1 was 
packed with pilgrims  from every quarter
 of ,islm4 ,in the middle is the        
,ka'bah1 hemmed in  on three sides of   
its solid cubic walls by the            
semi-circular row of  columns already   
described4 ,now1 facing the gold ,spout1
 on the outer  side of the pillared     
enclosure1 stands the station of the    

,hanifites4  ,there1 in front of the    
pulpit1 were grouped in the space       
between the  paved ways and in every    
attitude of worship the followers of    
reason4  ,some were standing erect1     
their hands folded on their breasts1    
others  were kneeling on their prayer   
rugs1 and many were bowed to the lump   
of clay4 ,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 ,stone4      
,priests and peasants1 merchants  and   
princes1 all had come from far and near 
to render unto ,god their  hearts and   
minds in accordance with the law of the 
,prophet4 ,those  living people clothed 
in the garments of the dead1 there they 
were1  in the very centre whence had    
sprung the ,faith that flashed forth its
  rays over the ,east1 there they were1 
and why8 ,to do homage to ,him whom     
,muhammad had made manifest and had     
delighted to honour thirteen hundred    

and twenty years ago4 ,it must be       
conceded1 even by the sceptical and  the
 scoffer1 that the voice of the         
8illiterate0 ,prophet has still  the    
power to work wonders4 ,hark1 his       
followers are shouting their  allegiance
 to his watchword4 ,up go their voices  
to the burning sky  overhead3 8,there is
 no god but ,god6 ,muhammad is the      
,messenger of ,god60    ,few could      
remain silent on hearing the cry of     
,faith within the columned  square of   
the ,harem4 ,it rang out like a         
trumpet-call1 filling the heart  with an
 emotion never felt before4 ,sincere and
 true1 it drowned the  rambling         
eloquence of the priest haranguing the  
,malekites out there  to the west4 ,it  
gathered in volume as it passed from lip
 to lip until  the very pillars of the  
,harem seemed to shake4 ,and then from  
time  to time was sung the ,talbih1     
which might be called the song of the   
winding-sheet1 so frequently was it     
repeated by the pilgrims in hrm3        

,labbaik1 ,allahomma1 ,labbaik6         
,labbaik1 la ,sherika lak ,labbaik6     
,labbaik1 enal-hamda1 vanahmeta lak     
,labbaik6      ,labbaik1 la ,sherika lak
 ,labbaik6    ,it swelled ever higher1  
my guide and ,i joining in the chorus of
 praise  and thanksgiving1 since it was 
our bounden duty so to do on setting    
foot inside the sacred precincts4       
,having fulfilled the law of the        
,prophet or of tradition in that        
particular1 we were about to direct  our
 steps to the ,ka'bah through the old   
gate of ,beni-,sheybeh1 which is        
similar in shape to a triumphal arch1   
when my guide1 standing suddenly        
stock-still1 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 avocation4 ,perhaps
 my  determination to resist his        
blandishments expressed itself in my    
face1  for he lost no time in correcting
 the impression he had made1 saying3    

8,y-,moulai1 ,i ask pardon of al        
,moakkibt1 ,i prostrate myself before   
the two guardian angels who1 in order to
 cope with the difficulty of  recording 
in their respective books the good and  
the evil actions of  every ,muslim1 are 
changed from day to day1 and ,i entreat 
the ones who  are on duty now not only  
to overlook the negligence whereof ,i   
accuse  myself1 but also to allow me to 
retrieve1 to the furtherance of our     
eternal welfare1 the blunder which ,i   
have committed4 ,know then1 that to  him
 who reads a certain prayer near the    
,salm ,gate1 after descending  the steps
 thereof and passing the colonnades1    
shall be granted the free  gift of one  
hundred thousand good deeds1 together   
with this additional  benefit1 that an  
equal number of his sins shall be       
blotted out4 ,come1  y-,moulai1 let us  
lose no time in laying down the burden  
of our  misdeeds40 ,so saying1 he       
conducted me to the proper place1 and   
made me  repeat after him the following 

prayer3     8,i begin in the name of    
,god1 and by the help of ,god1 from ,god
 and   towards ,god1 and through what is
 ordained by ,god1 and on the faith   of
 the apostle of ,god4 ,praise be to     
,god1 peace be with the apostle   of    
,god1 peace be with ,muhammad1 the son  
of ,abdullah4 ,o prophet of   ,god1 may 
,god in ,his compassion grant thee ,his 
peace6 ,and may peace   be with all the 
prophets of ,god3 with ,abraham1 the    
friend of ,god1   and with the          
messengers of ,god4 ,praise be to the   
,lord of the two   worlds4 ,may peace be
 with us1 and with all the pious        
creatures of ,god4   ,o ,lord1 may      
,muhammad be praised1 and may his people
 be praised4 ,may   ,muhammad be        
glorified1 and may his people be        
glorified4 ,may ,muhammad   be redeemed1
 and may his people be redeemed4 ,may   
,abraham be praised1   and all his      
people4 ,o ,lord1 verily1 ,thou art     
magnanimous1 and highly   to be praised4
 ,o ,lord1 ,i praise ,muhammad ,thy     

slave and ,thy prophet4   ,o ,lord1 ,i  
praise ,abraham ,thy friend1 and all    
,thy messengers4 ,o ,lord1   open to me 
the gates of ,thy mercy1 and bring me   
into obedience to ,thee   and into      
submission to ,thy will4 ,o ,lord1      
protect me under the shelter   of faith4
 ,for1 verily1 ,i am ,thy slave1 ,o     
,lord1 and ,thy guest in this   ,thy    
house4 ,o ,lord the ,compassionate1 ,i  
remind thee that there is no   ,lord but
 ,thee4 ,thou art alone1 and hast no    
mate4 ,thou art everlasting4   ,thou    
begettest not1 neither art ,thou        
begotten1 and there is not any   one    
like unto ,thee4 ,verily1 ,muhammad is  
,thy slave and ,thy apostle--may   peace
 be with him and with his people4 ,o    
,generous1 ,o ,magnanimous1 ,o          
,exalted1 ,o ,just60    ,then we said   
three times1 8,god is ,great60 and then1
 8,i seek shelter  in ,thee from the    
snares of the devils of man and jinn1   
and from the  evils that may betide the 
,arab and ,ajem60 ,we afterwards put the

 right  foot foremost on the floor of   
the ,harem1 and thence returned with    
steady steps to the arch of             
,beni-,sheybeh1 which is hard by the    
,station of  ,abraham1 and there we     
raised our hands again and cried3 8,o   
,lord1 grant  me admittance into ,thy   
place of righteousness1 and likewise a  
safe  return therefrom1 and send down to
 us by ,thy saving power a mighty king  
that we may say3 #8,then came ,right and
 destroyed ,wrong4 ,verily1 ,wrong is   
destroyable4'0    ,now1 the first       
ceremony of the ,tewaff--that is1 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'bah3 and as an        
introduction to this  description we    
must relate the story of the creation of
 ,adam1 as told  by the ,muhammadans4   
,they tell us that ,god1 having resolved
 to fashion  a creature in his own      

likeness1 sent the angels1 ,gabriel1    
,michael1 and  ,israfil1 one after      
another1 to fetch for that purpose seven
 handfuls  of earth from seven depths   
and of seven colours4 ,the earth1       
however1  foreseeing the revolt of man  
from the will of his ,creator1 persuaded
  the angels to return without          
performing ,god's command1 so sure was  
she  of drawing down on herself the     
divine wrath should the inanimate clay  
be made to breathe4 ,the angel ,azral   
was then despatched by ,god on the  same
 errand1 and he1 closing his heart      
against the earth's appeal1  executed   
his commission remorselessly1 on which  
account the ,lord  appointed him to be  
the angel of death1 charging him        
thenceforward to  separate the souls    
from the bodies4 ,the earth which ,azral
 had taken  was carried to a place      
between ,mecca and ,tayef1 where it was 
first  kneaded by the angels1 and then  
moulded by ,god into a human form4 ,it  
was afterwards left to dry for the space

 of forty years1 the angels  visiting it
 frequently4 ,among these angels was    
,edris--who from being of  those that   
are nearest to ,god became the          
devil--and he1 not contented  with      
looking on the work of the ,creator1    
which he knew to have been  designed to 
be his superior1 vowed he would never   
acknowledge it as  such1 and he kicked  
it till it rang4 ,then ,god breathed    
,his own spirit  into the clay1 so that 
it was made man1 and ,god called his    
name ,adam1  and placed him in          
,paradise1 and formed ,eve out of his   
left side4    ,now1 when ,adam fell and 
was cast out of ,paradise there fell    
with him  a certain ,stone1 which has   
since become the most cherished         
possession  in the ,muhammadan world4   
,the legend runs that it was restored to
  ,paradise at the ,deluge1 after which 
it was brought back to the earth  by    
,gabriel and given to ,abraham1 who set 
it in the south-eastern corner  of the  
,ka'bah1 which he is said to have built4

 ,there it remained till  the           
,karmatians--that sect1 founded in the  
year #bgh of the ,hegira by a  native of
 ,khzistn called ,karmata1 which        
overturned the fundamental  points of   
,islm--bore it away in triumph to their 
capital1 having first  polluted its     
sacred precincts by burying there three 
thousand dead  bodies1 by tearing the   
golden ,spout from its place1 and by    
dividing  among themselves the veil of  
the temple itself4 ,the citizens of     
,mecca  sought to redeem the ,stone by  
offering no less than five thousand     
pieces of gold for it2 but the ransom   
was scornfully rejected by the  impious 
sectaries1 who hoped by keeping it in   
their possession to draw  the pilgrims  
from the ,holy ,city to their own       
capital4 ,some twenty-two  years later1 
however1 having failed to achieve the   
purpose they had at  heart1 they sent   
back the ,stone of their own free will1 
covering their  discomfiture by         
declaring it to be a counterfeit4 ,the  

dismay of the  ,meccans was allayed when
 they discovered that the stone would   
swim on  water1 that being the peculiar 
quality of the stone they had lost1 and 
so they were satisfied that the true one
 had been returned to them4    ,at first
 the ,stone was whiter than milk1 but it
 grew to be black1  either by the touch 
of a certain class of woman1 by the sins
 of  mankind1 or by the kisses of the   
pilgrims4 ,all believers1 whatever may  
be the cause to which they attribute the
 change of colour1 agree that  the      
defilement is purely superficial1 the   
inside of the ,stone being  still as    
white as the driven snow4 ,let us hope  
that the same thing can  be said of the 
hearts of the ,faithful1 whose lips are 
supposed to have  wrought on this       
lodestone of theirs a transformation so 
miraculous4  ,the silver box wherein it 
lies is about twenty inches square1 and 
is  raised a little more than five feet 
from the ground4 ,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 within1
 which is known  as 8the right hand of  
,god on earth40 ,this year the act of   
osculation  was not performed by more   
than ten pilgrims out of every hundred  
that  attempted it1 the crowd being     
utterly undisciplined in its zeal4 ,it  
must be confessed that ,i owed my good  
fortune to main strength1 for ,i  shoved
 my way through the excited mob and     
examined the ,stone curiously  while    
kissing it4 ,in colour it is a shining  
black2 in shape1 hollow  like a saucer1 
presumably the result of the pressure of
 devoted lips4  ,a pilgrim1 if he fail  
in touching the ,stone1 must make a     
reverential  salm before it1 and then   
pass on4 ,special prayers are also said4
 ,my  guide1 before leaving1 recited for
 my edification certain lines from  the 
8,fothl ,haremeyn10 which in rhythmic   
prose would run something  like this3   
8,think not that the ,ka'bah was made   
from the earth--in the body of   the    

world it took the place of the heart4   
,and the stone that you call   the      
,black ,stone was itself a ball of      
dazzling light4 ,in ages past1   the    
,prophet said1 it shone like the        
crescent moon1 until at last the        
shadows1 falling from the sinful hearts 
of those that gazed on it1   turned its 
surface black4 ,now1 since this amber   
gem that came to the   earth from       
,paradise with the ,holy ,ghost has     
received such impressions   on itself1  
what should be the impressions which our
 hearts receive8   ,verily1 whosoever   
shall touch it1 being pure of           
conscience1 is like   unto him that has 
shaken hands with ,god40    ,in front of
 this ,stone1 the first rite is         
performed3 it is called  ,niyyat or     
,determination4 ,the various forms and  
ceremonies at this stage  of the        
pilgrim's initiation vary with the sect 
to which he belongs1  but six points are
 common to all ,muhammadans4 ,first1    
,niyyat1 including  the declaration of  

passive obedience to ,god's will1 the   
belief in ,his  day of judgment1 and the
 formal repentance of all sins          
committed2  second1 the frequent        
recitation of the watchword of the      
,faith which  is called ,takbir2 third1 
the reading of ,esteghfar1 a short      
chapter of  repentance and of tacit     
submission to ,god's ordinance2 fourth1 
certain  formul in praise of ,allah and 
the ,prophet1 which are known by the    
name of ,tahleel2 fifth1 the intoning of
 ,hamde1 which is the chapter  of       
praise2 and lastly1 the lively          
repetition of ,ghl-h-,allah1 which      
runs3 8,in the name of the most merciful
 ,god4 ,say1 ,god is one ,god2 the      
eternal ,god3 ,he begetteth not1 neither
 is ,he begotten3 and there is not  any 
one like unto ,him40 ,the pilgrim1 on   
making his 8,determination10  must raise
 his hands to his cheeks1 putting the   
thumbs under the lobes  of his ears1 and
 stretch up his shoulders1 allowing his 
chest to droop  inward1 and say in a    

voice toned to a reverent spirit3 8,o   
,allah1 ,thou  art omnipotent1 ,thou art
 glorified4 ,i purpose1 in ,thy         
excellent name1  to make seven complete 
circuits round ,thy blessed house40     
,having  repeated this after the        
motewaff or guide1 ,i cried out3 8,in   
the name of  ,god1 ,god is great60 ,then
 the stream of ,hjs caught me to its    
bosom1  and ,i was tossed about as in a 
whirlpool4 ,fortunately ,seyyid ',al    
stuck  close to my side1 and there1 in  
the eddying torrent of human beings     
that gave forth a sound as of a swelling
 sea1 we raised our voices1 my  motewaff
 and ,i1 one after the other1 and cried3
 8,o ,allah1 ,i do perform  this rite   
out of the fulness of my belief in      
,thee1 in acknowledgment  of ,thy book1 
and in faithfulness to ,thy covenant1   
according to the  example of ,thy       
prophet ,muhammad--may he be blessed and
 glorified60 ,and  all the while we     
struggled as hard as we could to get    
within touch  of the ,hajerul-,asvad1   

which1 as we knew well from the pressure
 of  the throng1 was the lodestone that 
drew the sheeted pilgrims to the        
south-eastern corner of the house4 ,now 
we were driven forward1 and then  we    
were hurled back2 indeed1 the           
bare-footed ,faithful1 seeing their     
hopes alternately rise and fall1 grew   
grimly resolute to kiss the ,black      
,stone1 cost them what it might4 ,the   
yearning to do so1 which had filled     
their hearts with piety in the seclusion
 of their homes1 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  ,pandemonium4 ,every 
now and then a pilgrim would succeed in 
snatching  a hasty kiss1 after which he 
would be flung aside1 and another1 less 
fortunate than himself1 would have to be
 contented with touching the  ,stone    
with his hand and kissing that2 but by  
far the greater number  had no other    
choice than to pass on with a salaam    

expressive of good  intentions4 ,some   
said their prayers with the tongue of   
their hearts1  and with tears in their  
eyes2 others said them aloud1 the sweat 
streaming down their cheeks4 8,o ,lord1 
,i bring my heart and soul to  ,thee1 ,i
 acknowledge ,thy ,book faithfully1 ,i  
give evidence that there is  not any one
 equal to ,thee1 and ,i promise to obey 
,thy ,commandments40    ,opposite to the
 place called al-,moltezem1 between the 
,black ,stone  and the gate of the      
,ka'bah1 we paused and said3 8,o ,allah1
 ,thou who  art omnipotent1 ,i beseech  
,thee to pardon my sins in violating    
,thy  commands40 ,a few steps forward   
brought us face to face with the gate   
itself1 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 use4  
,there we stopped  again1 saying3       
8,o ,allah1 this house is ,thy house1   
this sanctuary is ,thy sanctuary1   this

 peaceful shelter is ,thy shelter1 and  
this place is the place   of all those  
that flee to ,thee from hell-fire4 ,o   
,allah1 ,thy house is   great and ,thou 
art magnanimous2 verily1 ,thou art      
compassionate and   merciful4 ,from     
fire1 ,o ,allah1 and from the cursed    
,satan deliver me3   yea1 render my     
flesh and blood scatheless in the fire  
of hell1 and   pour on me ,thy mercy on 
the day of judgment1 and shower on me   
,thy   blessings in this world and the  
next40    ,we proceeded thence to the   
north-eastern angle called the          
,rokn-,araghi1  where we halted in order
 to ask another blessing1 and cried out 
in a  tone of deepest contrition3 8,o   
,allah1 ,i take refuge with ,thee from  
evil1 from doubt1 from disobedience1    
from disunion1 from immorality1  from   
hypocrisy1 and from all evil thoughts   
concerning one's family and  one's      
estate40 ,and when we went in front of  
the ,mizab1 gold ,spout1 a  few paces   
farther on1 it was to say3 8,o ,allah1  

grant me refuge under  the canopy of    
,thy heaven on the day whereon there is 
no shelter save  ,thy shelter4 ,o       
,allah1 make me to drink of the same cup
 as ,muhammad1  on whom be blessings and
 glory60 ,then we proceeded on our way  
till  we reached the ,rokn-,shami or the
 north-western angle1 and there we      
said3 8,o ,allah1 may it please ,thee to
 accept this pilgrimage1 making  it a   
praiseworthy perseverance and a laudable
 deed4 ,o ,compassionate1  ,o ,beloved1 
,o ,lord1 ,o ,merciful1 and             
,omnipotent60 ,next1 on reaching  the   
south-western angle or ,rokn-,yemani1 we
 fell again to praying1  in accordance  
with the law3 8,o1 ,allah1 our ,lord and
 ,ruler1 grant us  prosperity in this   
world and happiness in the next1 and    
deliver us  from the punishments of     
fire4 ,o ,allah1 ,i seek shelter in     
,thee from  infidelity and from poverty 
and from the sorrows of life and from   
the  pangs of death2 ,i also take refuge
 in ,thee from ignominy in this world   

and in the world to come40 ,the last    
prayer we said was at the starting      
point1 facing the ,black ,stone4        
,finding it impossible to approach      
within arm's reach1 we lifted up our    
hands from afar1 and then bowed1        
saying3 8,o ,lord of this sacred relic1 
,i flee to ,thee and to #8,thy right    
hand on earth' from all want and also   
from all infidelity40    ,in this1 the  
first circuit or 8shaut10 we used the   
step called  8harvaleh10 walking briskly
 and shrugging the shoulders up and     
down1  and we adopted the same gait on  
the second and third 8ashwat0 7plural   
form of 8shaut074 ,but1 in performing   
the remaining four circuits1 a  more    
grave and stately tread was assumed     
according to the custom4  ,this ordinary
 eastern walk is called 8teamol0 and    
combines dignity  of demeanour with     
leisure of pace2 it is a contemplative  
fashion of  walking1 what the ,french   
would call recueilli1 and is admirably  
suited to a pilgrim's devotional stroll 

round the ,house of ,god4 ,on the  other
 hand1 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      
8teamol40 ,sale records the tradition   
that this  sevenfold compassing of the  
,ka'bah was ordered by ,muhammad1 8that 
his  followers might show themselves    
strong and active1 to cut off the hopes 
of the infidels1 who gave out that the  
immoderate heats of ,medina had         
rendered them weak40 ,a second tradition
 is that the circular motion  represents
 the orbicular motion of the heavenly   
bodies2 a third1 that  it is meant to   
symbolise the ,egyptian wheels1 those   
hieroglyphics  of the instability of    
human fortune2 and a fourth1 that it    
arose  from a custom among the ,pagan   
,arabs1 who1 if they wished to humble   
themselves1 were wont to walk seven     
times round the person or persons  whom 
they delighted to exalt4 ,anyhow1 the   
compassing of the ,ka'bah1  be its      

origin what it may1 is held by the      
,muhammadans to be an act of            
self-sacrifice from man to ,god4 ,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 friends1
 who cried out  in tones of lamentation1
 8,y-,allah6 ,y-,allah60 ,it was an     
impressive  funeral procession1 and is  
said to relieve the pressure of the     
grave1  and to insure to the corpse a   
safe and a speedy entrance into         
,paradise4  ,the ,tewaff is brought to a
 close by a reverential visit to the    
tomb  of ,abraham1 which faces the door 
of the ,house4 ,it is an open pavilion  
resting on four pillars1 and crowned    
with a crescented cupola4    ,there my  
guide and ,i1 taking up our position on 
the thither side of  the tomb which was 
thus placed between ourselves and the   
,house of ,god1  prostrated ourselves   
twice1 saying our morning prayers the   
while2 and  then1 sitting on our hips1  

we raised our hands to the sky and said 
with  closed eyes3     8,we give praise 
to ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 we glorify ,thee in 
the name of   ,muhammad--may peace be   
with him and with his people6 ,o ,god1  
accept   this ,hjj from me1 and allow it
 not to be the last one4 ,i praise thee1
   ,o ,lord1 in all ,thy attributes1 ,i 
praise ,thee for all ,thy blessings2 ,i 
praise ,thee for all ,thou willest1 ,i  
praise ,thee for all ,thy power4 ,o     
,lord1 accept this worship from me1 and 
cleanse my heart1 and sharpen   my sense
 of duty4 ,take compassion on me1 ,o    
,god1 for my worship's sake1   and      
because ,i accept the words of ,thy     
prophet--on whom be peace6 ,o   ,lord1  
make me to detest those that do not     
worship ,thee1 and make me   to love    
those who love ,thee1 and those who love
 ,thy prophet and ,thy   angels and all 
,thy pious creatures40    ,then1 bowing 
our foreheads to the ground1 we said    
aloud3     8,o ,lord1 ,i worship ,thee  
on my face2 there is no ,god but ,thee2 

,thou art   just and merciful2 ,thou art
 the beginning of everything1 and the   
end   of everything2 for ,thine is the  
management and ,thine the power alone4  
,o ,thou that forgivest the sins of ,thy
 people1 pardon my offences1   for in   
,thee do ,i now confess my sins4        
,verily1 no one can pardon grave        
sinners except ,thyself4 ,i say1 there  
is not any one to be compared   with    
,thee40    ,the rewards of a correct    
performance of the ,tewaff and of the   
necessary  prayers--preferably at       
sundown1 the best time for              
meditation--are of a  sort to render the
 rite extremely popular among the       
pilgrims4 ,at every  step they take1 in 
making the seven circuits1 no fewer than
 seventy  thousand sins will be blotted 
out of their bad books1 and an equal    
number of virtues be added to the       
companion volumes containing their  good
 actions4 ,nor is this all1 for they    
will be made1 at the same rate1  the    
intercessors of seventy thousand        

sinners2 they will build up to          
themselves the same number of palaces in
 heaven1 and will earn the  fulfilment  
of seven hundred thousand of their      
desires in this world1  and of seventy  
thousand in the world to come4 ,and     
that1 no doubt1 is  why we took precious
 care that our steps1 even when walking 
briskly1  as we were obliged to do for  
the first three circuits1 should be1 if 
smart1 extremely short ones4            
,,chapter ,v    ,,the ,,course ,,of     
,,perseverance      ,having encompassed 
the ,ka'bah seven times1 we stood hard  
by the tomb  of ,abraham and watched the
 pilgrims fighting to kiss the ,black   
,stone4  ,the wonder was that we had    
emerged from the tight scrimmage with a 
skin  more or less whole4 ,the          
perspiration oozed out of the pores in  
streams3  laying hold of the fag end of 
my sacred habit ,i wiped my forehead4   
8,you  must not touch yourself10 said   
,seyyid ',al2 8it is a grievous sin40   
8,let your conscience rest in peace10 ,i

 replied2 8,i will do penance by        
sacrificing a sheep40    ,the guide     
smiled4 8,there is no stain1 however    
vile1 but money shall  blot it out4     
,would that ,i were a rich man60 8,thou 
fool10 ,i cried1 8how  about the stain  
of superstition8 ,will money wipe it    
out1 think you80  8,y-,moulai10 he      
whispered1 8speak low4444 ,listen4 ,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 mull4 ,however1 the ,course  of    
,perseverance has yet to be trod4 ,come 
let us hop and be of good  courage1 for 
to-morrow we must go in procession to   
,arafat4 ,we must  begin again with     
,niyyat2 that is1 with a declaration of 
intention in  front of the ,black       
,stone1 and after that we must proceed  
to ,saf1 and  say our prayers there40   
8,i ask pardon of ,allah60 ,i shrilled4 
8,look1 the  people will be trodden     
under foot near the ,black ,stone60 ,the
 guide was  silent1 his eyes were turned

 to where the crowd was thickest4       
8,look10  he said1 8a man is down4 ,they
 are trampling him to death4 ,that has  
often happened4 ,in #eha of the ,hegira 
no less than eighty-four men were       
trodden to death inside the ,ka'bah4 ,in
 #igb of the ,flight sixty-five  men    
were suffocated through the pressure of 
the crowd in the ,harem  itself4444     
,praise ,allah1 the man is up again4444 
,see1 his friends are  bearing him to a 
place of safety40 444    ,god of love1  
what a sight6 8,he has achieved merit10 
said the guide1  8except1 it may be1 in 
the eyes of the #8mother of his         
children4' ,she  will cease to love him 
when she sees him4 ,however1 he may die1
 and  thus she may be spared the shock  
of--did you--but what have ,i done to   
offend you80 ,my reply was curt4 8,i    
find your levity somewhat tedious10  ,i 
said impatiently4 ,the wag was          
irrepressible4 ,he waxed argumentative  
suddenly1 affirming that the snares of  
the heart are beauty of face  and charm 

of voice4 ,he bade me to look on his own
 manly countenance4 ,i  might believe it
 or not1 but even he had been deceived  
more than once4  ,what chance of keeping
 love1 therefore1 had the wretch whose  
face had  been stamped as flat as the   
palm of his hand8 8,listen1 and ,i will 
hum  you a song10 he whispered1 8but it 
must be low1 since it concerns the      
heart1 the theme of the poets1 and not  
the soul1 which is the concern  of the  
priests4 ,for my part ,i am on the side 
of the poets4 ,even in  ,mecca4 ,the    
song is old4 ,it was sung by ,adam in   
the ,garden of ,eden after  the ,fall4  
,i have found it true4 ,therefore1 and  
for no other reason1 it  is worth       
quoting--        8#8,oh1 heart of mine1 
how often canst thou trace        ,thy  
aching wounds to one bright maiden's    
,face6        ,how often must1 amid     
discordant din1        ,another's ,voice
 be toned to take you in6        8#8,yet
 ah1 my heart1 among thy darling foes1  
,was one that matched both ,nightingale 

and ,rose2        ,a ,flow'r1 she       
bloomed a day2 a ,bird1 her flight      
,she winged 444 and turned thy ,day to  
endless ,night4'0    8,alas1 my poor    
heart1 its disease is incurable1 ,i     
fear4 ,no matter4  ,saf awaits our      
coming4 ,we will go and #8declare our   
intention1' and  then be off to the hill
 of ,purity4 ,let us skip and hop1 for  
to-morrow  we die4 ,y-,allah6           
y-,muhammad60 ,so1 approaching as near  
as we could to  the ,black ,stone1 we   
closed our eyes1 giving it as our       
determination  to run seven times       
between the platforms of ,saf and       
,marveh1 and to  recite the prescribed  
prayers at the appointed places4 ,it is 
considered  an act of grace in the      
devout to proceed thence to the         
,zem-,zem well1  and1 drawing a bucket  
of water by means of the windlass with  
his own  hands1 to besprinkle therewith 
his head and back and stomach1 after    
which he should drink a handful of the  
water1 repeating the following  prayer3 

8,o ,lord1 ,i beseech ,thee to make this
 draught for me a source  of            
inexhaustible knowledge1 a vast         
livelihood1 and a preventive of all     
pains and diseases40    ,illustration3  
,,the ,,poorer ,,side ,,of ,,egyptian   
,,muslims4    ,frequent allusion is made
 to this spring in ,arabian and ,persian
  literature4 ,its water ranks second to
 that of ,ksar1 a stream that runs  in  
the ,garden of ,paradise1 keeping the   
grass ever green and the flowers  ever  
blooming4 ,the prettiest ruby wine is   
compared by the poets to the  water of  
,zem-,zem2 for they believe it to be the
 spring that 8gushed out  for the relief
 of ,ishmael10 when ,hagar1 his mother1 
wandered beside  him in the wilderness4 
,the story goes that when she saw the   
bubbling  water it was to call to her   
son1 in the ,egyptian tongue1 8,zem1    
zem60  78,stay1 stay6074 ,the taste of  
the water is difficult to describe1 but 
it is certainly bitterish4 ,my guide1 to
 whom ,i had appealed in the  matter1   

answered1 saying1 8,allah--may ,i be    
,his sacrifice--has made  this water    
sacred1 as you know4 ,it is neither     
sweet nor bitter1 neither  fresh nor    
salt1 neither scented nor stinking1 but 
would appear in its  taste to be a      
mixture of all these qualities4 ,in     
everything sacred  there must be a      
mystery1 or how could the mulls live80  
,as to its  attributes1 they may be     
counted by the hundred4 ,there is no    
disease  that it will not cure provided 
it be taken with a 8pure0 conscience4   
,it  is as inspiring to a ,muslim poet  
as that of ,helicon to an unbeliever4   
,it prolongs life and purifies the soul 
of him that drinks it in  unswerving    
obedience to ,god through the mediation 
of ,muhammad4 ,the  rich pilgrims       
carried gold or silver flasks in which  
they poured  the precious water1 keeping
 it as a preservative of health1 or as a
  remedy in case of sickness4 ,an       
,indian ,prince told me that he intended
  to keep his in order to restore the   

eyesight of his brother1 who had  been  
unable to accompany him on the          
pilgrimage4 ,the ,faithful bring  their 
winding-sheets along with them and wash 
them in the holy spring4  ,some ,negroes
 from ,zanzibar have the honour to be   
the guardians of the  well and the      
dispensers of its contents1 and they    
exact as much as  twenty piastres from  
the poor pilgrims for the washing of one
 of these  winding-sheets1 and ten times
 that amount from the rich4    ,now1    
this practice of washing the            
grave-clothes stands in need of         
explanation4 ,when a ,muslim dies and is
 buried1 he is received by a  heavenly  
host1 who gives him notice of the coming
 of the two examiners1  ,nakir and      
,monker4 ,these are two angels as livid 
as death and as black  as a putrid      
corpse1 and they proceed to question him
 concerning his  faith1 more especially 
as to the unity of ,god and the         
apostleship of  the ,prophet4 ,if he    
prove himself a true ,mussulman1 he is  

suffered to  rest in peace and is       
refreshed by the air of ,paradise4 ,but1
 if he be  of a loose belief1 he is     
gnawed and stung till the resurrection  
by  ninety-nine dragons that have seven 
heads each1 the earth pressing  harder  
and harder on his body without1         
unfortunately1 injuring the  dragons4   
,it is in order to escape from this     
torture that the pilgrims  wash their   
winding-sheets1 in the life-giving water
 of ,zem-,zem1  some of them taking the 
precaution to make assurance doubly     
certain  by inscribing on the sheets1 in
 coloured letters1 the most sacred      
chapters of the ,kurn4 ,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 ,book4 ,the well is      
covered with a small square  building   
crowned with a cupola and a crescent1   
and is paved inside with  marble4 ,there
 are four ,chinese windlasses at the top
 of the shrine for  drawing the water1  

and these were working all day long1 the
 keepers  having the greatest difficulty
 in restraining the ardour of the poor1 
tradition-ridden devouts1 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 well4      
,since ,i had not the good fortune to   
win my way to the windlass1 ,i took  a  
jug of ,zem-,zem water1 making the      
attendant a present of ten piastres  for
 it4 ,then1 having performed the        
necessary ablutions1 ,i went out by  the
 old gate 7on the thither side of the   
,place of ,abraham7 and ascended  the   
stairs of ,saf4 ,we found the platform  
alive with pilgrims1 and  there1 facing 
the ,ka'bah1 we had to pass in review   
all the blessings  we had received from 
,god during our lives1 from the days of 
our birth  upward4 ,that done1 we       
repeated seven times in an audible tone3
 8,god  is great4444 ,i praise thee1 ,o 
,lord6444 ,there is no god but ,god44440

  ,three times3 8,there is no god but   
the one ,god2 there is not anyone  like 
unto ,him4 ,for ,his is the kingdom1 and
 to ,him do we lift up our  praise4 ,he 
is the giver of life and the giver of   
death4 ,death and  life ,he bestoweth on
 all living creatures1 but ,he dieth    
not1 neither  doth ,he sleep4 ,he is    
almighty over everything44440 ,once3 8,o
 ,lord1 ,i  praise ,muhammad and his    
people40 ,three times3 8,i praise the   
,lord who  endureth for ever1 ,i praise 
the everlasting ,lord40 ,three times3   
8,i  confess there is no god but ,god1  
and ,i confess likewise that ,muhammad  
is ,his slave and ,his apostle4 ,we     
worship ,him whom we praise1 and none   
but ,him60 ,then three times we cried3  
8,o ,lord1 have mercy on me1 and be     
compassionate to me1 and give me justice
 in this world and in the world  to     
come4444 ,o ,lord1 give us ,thy blessing
 in this life1 and grant us ,thy  peace 
in the next1 and protect us from the    
punishment of fire40 ,next1  having     

repeated one hundred times the words    
8,god is great2 there is  no god but    
,god1 and ,him do ,i praise10 ,i said   
aloud3 8,o ,lord1 ,i praise  ,thee in   
death and in what comes after death4 ,in
 ,thee1 ,o ,god1 do ,i  seek shelter    
from the darkness of the grave1 from the
 pressure of the  grave1 and the        
disturbance of the grave4 ,under the    
canopy of ,thy divine  compassion do ,i 
take refuge on the day when there is no 
shelter but ,thy  shelter40 ,then1 in my
 inmost mind1 ,i gave up to the ,lord my
 faith1 my  person1 and my people1      
crying3 8,i return to ,thee1 ,o ,lord1  
,who alone art  compassionate and       
merciful1 my faith1 myself1 my people1  
my property1  and my progeny4 ,o ,lord1 
make me to act according to ,thy ,book  
and the  dictation of ,thy apostle3 make
 me faithful to ,thy people1 and protect
  me from revolution40 ,as an increase  
of wealth1 so says tradition1 this      
prayer should also be read3 8,o ,lord1  
,i seek shelter in ,thee from the       

punishments of the grave3 from its      
troubles1 and its separations1 and  its 
awe1 and its percussion1 and its        
blackness1 and its closeness40  ,then1  
uncovering the back1 one should raise   
the voice1 crying out loud3  8,o ,lord1 
pardon6 ,o ,thou who hast commanded to  
pardon1 ,o ,thou who art  the first to  
pardon--pardon1 pardon1 pardon1 pardon6 
,o ,generous6 ,o  ,compassionate6 ,o    
,near6 ,o ,far6 make me to achieve ,thy 
satisfaction by  acting in obedience    
unto ,thee60 ,then1 descending from the 
platform1  ,i said3 8,i persevere seven 
times in running between ,saf and       
,marveh1  and this ,i do in order to    
fulfil my pilgrimage and in obedience to
 the  command of the ,lord of the       
,universe40    ,the distance between the
 two hills is four hundred and          
thirty-eight  yards4 ,the course has to 
be traversed seven times4 ,it begins at 
,saf  and ends on the seventh lap at    
,marveh4 ,those who are too weak or too 
ill 8to persevere0 on foot must be      

carried on a horse1 a camel1 a  mule1 or
 a donkey1 like the women1 who1 if      
sufficiently wealthy1 are  accompanied  
by three hired servants4 ,the first1 the
 forerunner1 who  clears the way1 wears 
an expression of indescribable gravity4 
,you can  tell by his face that you have
 only to cast an eye behind him to      
behold  a 8,light of the ,harem40 ,the  
second1 leading the beast by the bridle1
  looks religiously ahead1 and the third
 brings up the rear1 doing all  in his  
power to protect his precious burden    
from the shrieking crowd4  ,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 
,mina4 ,from  the foot of ,saf to the   
first minaret at the south-eastern end  
of  the ,harem the pilgrim must walk at 
his ease1 and there he must say a       
prayer4 ,it is this3 8,i begin in the   
name of ,god1 and by ,god1 and ,god  is 
great4 ,may peace be with ,muhammad and 
with his household4 ,o ,lord1  the      

compassionate and merciful1 who art     
capable beyond my knowledge1 ,o  ,thou  
who art most exalted and most generous1 
take this act of worship  of mine1 which
 is not worthy of ,thee1 and1 enriching 
it with ,thy  abundance1 make it more   
deserving of ,thy acceptance4 ,i offer  
up my  #8perseverance' to ,thee1 ,o     
,lord1 and in ,thee my hope and my      
strength  are fixed4 ,o ,thou that      
acceptest the devotion of the pious1    
reject not  my offering1 ,o ,god40      
,thenceforward1 until he reached the    
,baghleh ,gate1  some eighty yards away1
 the pilgrim had to suit his gait as far
 as in  him lay to the rolling pace of a
 camel on the trot4 ,he had now reached 
the starting point for hopping4 ,two big
 green flags were flying to give  him   
warning4 ,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  ensued4 ,hands were lifted 

to the sky1 voices were raised in praise
 of  ,god1 asking for strength 8to      
persevere10 mules stampeded1 horses     
lashed  out with their heels1 camels    
pierced their way through the surging   
mob  as silently and as irresistibly as 
a ship breasts the sea1 men and  women  
being hurled aside like waves4 ,the     
endurance displayed by the  bare-footed 
devout was marvellous4 ,they were buoyed
 by the assurance  that they were       
supported by the angels1 ,gabriel being 
the captain of  the guard4    ,now      
shoved forward by the pilgrims in the   
rear1 now carried back by  those who    
were returning from ,marveh1 ,i hopped  
about in a vicious  circle1 groaning and
 perspiring1 like a man bereft of his   
senses4  ,should ,i never reach the     
blessed ,gate of ,ali6 ,who said the    
distance  was not more than seventy-five
 yards8 ,let him hop over the course and
  he will multiply its figures by ten at
 every step4 ,the folly of it all       
seemed to crash down on the crown of my 

bare head1 shattering my belief  in     
human sanity4 ,for1 carried away by the 
obligation of imitating  the            
8persevering0 antics of my              
fellow-pilgrims1 ,i found myself now    
hopping on one leg like a melancholy    
heron1 and now1 on reaching ,ali's      
,gate1 pitching and rolling and         
labouring along like a spent camel      
under a goad4 ,y-,allah6 y-,muhammad6 ,i
 cut a sorry figure in my own           
estimation1 no matter what merit ,i     
earned in the minds of my co-mates  in  
affliction4 ,so depressed was ,i that ,i
 had forgotten to say the  prescribed   
prayer at the second minaret before     
reaching the ,baghleh  ,gate3 8,o ,god1 
the possessor of praise and knowledge   
and mercy and  magnanimity1 pardon my   
trespasses1 for1 verily1 there is no    
forgiver of  sins but ,thee alone40     
,many were maimed for life1 not a few   
were killed1  accident followed         
accident1 but still the unheeding wave  
of pilgrims  swept along over the fiery 

sand1 shrieking and gesticulating1 till 
my  senses seemed to swoon4 ,my guide1  
inured to the ,arabian heat and to the  
unhallowed confusion of the course1     
performed his part with a studied       
dignity and a nimbleness of resource    
which added a touch of humour to  an    
exhibition otherwise saddening4 ,but    
these pilgrims themselves were          
tormented by no such self-accusing      
thoughts4 ,if their feet were cut  they 
had the consolation of believing that   
the streams of ,paradise  would wash    
them whole1 for the cool water of       
,salsabl and ,tasnm1 if  they succumbed 
to their devotional exertions1 would it 
not be lifted to  their parched lips by 
divine peris and everlasting life be    
theirs8    ,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 pilgrims4 ,the       

prayers might be read in any  church in 
,christendom4 ,the stormy outburst from 
all reserve could  only be witnessed    
nowadays in the ,east1 where religion1  
that ship  of salvation1 though         
seaworthy enough in its undeniable if   
narrow  sincerity1 is in constant danger
 of being wrecked in the breakers of    
fanaticism4 ,muhammad reverenced        
science4 ,several sayings have been     
already quoted in which it was rated by 
him at its true value4 ,the  priests    
persist in disregarding its lessons from
 sheer self-interest4  ,it is not the   
light of religion which they spread     
abroad4 ,it is the  fire of fanaticism  
which they fan--a fire which1 by        
throwing out  abundant heat but no light
 whatever1 burns while diffusing        
darkness4  8,god does not change the    
condition of a people10 said ,muhammad1 
8until  they change it for themselves40 
,if these retrograde priests had kept   
themselves abreast of the times1 as they
 were in duty bound to do as  followers 

of a man of progressive genius1 the     
crescent of ,islm had  been a well-nigh 
perfect round long ago4 ,enlightenment  
was not wanting  on the part of a great 
number of laymen1 as ,i shall show later
 on2 but  as to the greater number of   
the priests ,i met at ,mecca1 well1 let 
us  hope that1 on ascending the platform
 of ,marveh1 they were conscious of     
falling short of the responsibilities of
 their office1 and that they  made      
amends by throwing into the prayer of   
repentance the burden of a  contrite    
spirit3 8,o ,lord1 ,thou that hast      
commanded to pardon2 ,o ,thou  that     
lovest pardon2 ,o ,thou that grantest   
pardon2 ,o ,thou that forgivest  with   
pardon2 ,o ,lord1 pardon6 pardon6       
pardon6 pardon60 ,and if they could     
then weep out of the fulness of a heart 
ill at ease in its breast1 and  not     
perfunctorily as by law ordained1 there 
might be some hope of their  redemption4
 ,all joined in the concluding prayer1  
which runs3 8,o ,lord1  verily1 ,i      

beseech ,thee1 in all circumstances1 to 
endow me plentifully  with tacit faith  
in ,thee1 and also to grant that ,i may 
be pure of  intention in my resignation 
to ,thy divine will40      ,,plan ,,of  
,,the ,,harem4    ,an ,explanation of   
the ,frontispiece4     ,,sm indicates   
the ,salm ,gate1 through which the      
pilgrim must enter and   where the      
course begins2 ,,am1 the ,tomb of       
,abraham2 ,,bk1 the ,black ,stone2   ,k1
 the ,ka'bah1 or ,house of ,god2 ,z1 the
 ,fountain of ,zem-,zem2 ,,sa1 the      
,saf ,gate1 through which the pilgrim   
passes out on his course2 ,s1   ,saf1   
the platform on which one must walk and 
pray2 ,,bh1 the ,baghleh   ,gate1 the   
starting-point for hopping2 ,,ai1 the   
,ali ,gate1 the finishing   place for   
hopping1 but on the return journey the  
starting-point1   with ,,bh as its      
ending4 ,m indicates ,marveh1 the       
platform on which the   pilgrim must    
walk and pray4 ,the distance for        
hopping--marked by two   pointers at    

,,bh and ,,ai--is some seventy-five     
yards1 the dotted lines   showing the   
,course of ,perseverance1 and the       
arrow-heads indicating its   direction4 
,,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
  ,perseverance1 and1 since we had      
broken our fast at an early hour in  the
 morning1 we betook ourselves in a      
mighty hurry to the eating-house  of    
,std ,mukhtar1 the ,effendi pastrycook  
of ,mecca4 ,the caravan we had  left    
behind us at ,heddah1 swollen beyond    
recognition on the journey  up1 had just
 arrived1 and ,mussah-street was in a   
veritable delirium of  excitement4 ,it  
was dry and blazing weather1 with a glow
 as of a furnace  in the air1 and the   
passing of the caravan1 with its        
streaming banners1  its jaded camels1   
and its betousled pilgrims1 added to the
 poignance  of our hunger by delaying   
the hour that should see it satisfied4  

,only  one glimpse we took of the medley
 of men and beasts4 ,as we raised our   
eyes we saw1 securely strapped on an    
ambling mule1 a man of lofty mien1      
albeit distressingly wasted1 with       
streaming white beard and hair1 and  the
 face of a corpse for tense impassivity4
 ,his eyes1 deep sunk and               
expressionless1 met mine4 ,he at once   
raised his voice--and never shall  ,i   
forget the eerie exaltation ringing in  
its tones--and cried aloud3  8,praise be
 to ,god on high1 who hath brought me   
alive into ,his house4  ,blessed is he  
who dieth in the house of the ,lord4    
,may ,he be praised and  glorified60    
,and from the crowd there arose a shout1
 that passed from  lip to lip in a      
fervour of congratulation3 8,may it be  
auspicious4444  ,may your eyes be       
lightened4444 ,may your years be        
increased4444 ,may  your shadow never   
grow less4444 ,y--,allah6444            
,y--,muhammad60 ,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  gratification4 ,for
 pity there was no room in their        
breasts2 envy there  might have been1   
but of a sort whereof heroism is        
engendered2 not one  among them but had 
wished to be in the place of him who1   
supported by  faith and guided by death1
 had won the crown of self-martyrdom4   
,in a  moment the man was gone past4    
8,islm10 said ,seyyid ',al1 8see how    
brightly it burns in a grate worthy  to 
contain the sacred fire4 ,that man's    
zeal has made me rich in faith4  ,i tell
 you that the stars of heaven were a    
mean decoration for a zealot  so        
long-suffering and sincere4 ,but come1  
,y-,moulai1 let us break our  fast in   
the famous eating-house of ,std         
,mukhtar4 ,behold1 the entrance  awaits 
our coming1 for the door is open40      
,illustration3 ,,mussah ,,street ,,at   
,,mecca4    ,illustration3 ,,putting    
,,on ,,ihr,m ,,at ,,jiddah4    ,on      

crossing the threshold we uttered a loud
 salm1 looking up into  the air the     
while4 ,then we stepped inside1 for1 as 
the ,persians say1  if you wish to      
escape reproof you must assume the same 
8colour0 as  your company4 ,the shop was
 oblong1 measuring some #bd;ft4 by      
#i;ft41 at  a guess4 ,rough stools and  
low black erections on four legs took   
the  place of chairs and tables4 ,i     
counted no less than sixty pilgrims     
engaged in eating4 ,it would have been  
impossible to count the beggars  who    
came crowding in4 ,these ,i brushed     
unceremoniously aside1 much to  the     
annoyance of one of them1 who cried out 
in vulgar ,arabic3 8,may  your meal not 
sit well on you6 ,how can you eat while 
we are starving  here80 ,compassion laid
 its hand in mine1 and ,i would have    
given the  petitioner a present1        
ungracious though he was1 had not       
,seyyid ',al  restrained me1 saying3    
8,y-,moulai1 do not judge our friend by 
his  looks4 ,his appearance1 ,i grant1  

is poverty-stricken beyond the power  of
 repletion1 but1 you may take my word   
for it1 his wealth underground          
surpasses the dreams of this slave of   
yours40 ,in this opinion he was         
supported by the pilgrims inside1 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 
gates4 ,the din in the eating-house was 
beyond  belief4 ,everybody spoke at     
once1 and at the top of his voice4 ,a   
pack of  children fresh from school     
would give you an idea of the uproar4   
,the  first questions the pilgrims asked
 of one another were their names1  their
 nationalities1 their professions1 and  
their family pedigrees4  ,around one of 
the diminutive tables were seated two   
men1 and1 as there  were a couple of    
vacant stools1 ,i took one of them1 my  
guide1 as a mark  of respect1 sitting   
down on my left4 ,shortly after another 

pilgrim  came in1 and1 picking up a     
stool1 wedged himself between ,seyyid   
',al  and myself1 muttering a           
half-reluctant 8,bismillah60 ,the       
gentleman  directly facing me was a     
,turkish ,effendi1 ,mahmud ,bey by name4
 ,like the  majority of the inmates1 he 
was clad in hram1 but his face singled  
itself out by virtue of its stony       
reserve4 ,on the extreme right was  a   
,persian ,mirza1 called ,zainul-,abedin1
 whose countenance prepared me  for the 
authoritative unction of his speech4 ,a 
stalwart ,afghan sat on  my guide's left
 hand1 while the intruder1 who had      
separated us1 was a  native of          
,hyderabad1 ,deccan4 ,his name was      
,abdul ,saleh4    ,the ,persian ,mirza  
was the first to break the silence4     
,looking at each  of us in turn he said1
 in his mellowest tones3 8,bah6 ,bah6   
,khsh amedid6  ,you are welcome4 ,you   
have brought purity into the ,city of   
,god40    8,and so have you10 was ',al's
 affable response4 8,i was the essence  

of  impurity when ,i left my native town
 of ,ardebil to perform this holy       
pilgrimage2 but ,i trust that ,god may  
purify my conscience40 ,the guide       
changed his birthplace with his company4
 8,do you come from ,ardebil1 my        
friend80 said ,abdul ,saleh4 8,many     
learned people have come from that      
blessed city4 ,the poet calls it the    
,house of ,knowledge40    ,seyyid ',al  
smiled a sarcastic smile4 8,even the    
learned1 my good  brother of            
,hindustan10 quoth he1 8are prisoners   
within the limits of  the knowable1 so  
fear not to inform the company wherein  
the fame of  ,ardebil consists40 ,my    
guide referred to the fact that the     
place he had  chosen as his native town 
is the convict station of ,persia4      
8,god forbid60 replied ,abdul ,saleh1   
courteously1 8for the tact that  is     
yours shows the poet to have been right4
 ,the abode of learning  must count you 
among its most honoured citizens40      
,these amenities put  the whole table in

 a good temper1 and ,seyyid ',al was not
 long in  summoning the waiter1 ,omar1  
who1 having informed us that his master1
  ,std ,mukhtar1 had gone to ,mina in   
order to open a branch establishment    
there1 awaited our orders in an attitude
 so free and easy that ,mahmud  ,bey1   
frowning ever so slightly1 grew a degree
 more reserved than ever4  ,the waiter  
wore a fez with a streaming tassel1 a   
long white robe1  and a bright silk     
sash1 from which hung an apron that had 
once been  white4 ,the dishes we ordered
 were a ghormeh of camel's flesh roasted
  in onions2 a kfteh1 or mincemeat1     
served with rice and seasoned with      
spices2 a lamb kebab on a skewer folded 
in a sheet of bread fresh from  the     
oven2 and a sweet called mehlabi1 which 
looked like ,english jelly4  ,omar1     
placing his right hand to his ear1 like 
a muezzin bugling out  the cry of the   
,faith1 shouted out at the top of his   
voice to the cook  in the adjoining     
kitchen3 8,ghormeh6 ,kfteh6 ,kebab6     

,melabi6 ,eikki60  then1 seeing that his
 cigarette was gone out1 he asked me to 
provide  him with a match1 which was    
given to him by my guide1 who did not   
share  ,mahmud ,bey's ill-disguised     
disapproval of the waiter's demeanour4  
,the  ,turk1 raising his eyes to mine1  
said across the table3 8,effendim1 the  
waiters of ,stambul have better         
manners--however40 ,a contemptuous shrug
  of the shoulders completed the        
sentence4 ,the speaker addressed me in  
his own language1 though he was a good  
,arabic scholar2 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 ,arabic4     
8,the poet says3 #8,the essence of human
 enjoyment is the belly1'0 said my      
guide1 8so let us enjoy ourselves in a  
human fashion40    8,what will you say10
 objected ,masoud1 8if ,i assure you    
that the poet  means the spiritual belly
 and not the bodily one80    8,this10   

replied ,seyyid ',al1 quickly1 8that    
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 them4  ,the drinking  
of wine1 according to him1 was meant to 
symbolise the  adoration of ,god4 ,now1 
it chanced that the dervish broke the   
law1 and  was brought before his        
,governor1 who sentenced him #8to eat   
five hundred  sticks4' ,the farrashes1  
fortified by the juice of the grape1    
laid on  with a will4 ,it was           
heart-rending to hear the shrieks of the
 sufferer4  ,his philosophy deserted    
him1 so that he yelled for mercy4 ,the  
minions  of the law appealed to the     
,governor1 who said to the dervish3     
#8,have no  fear1 they are merely       
spiritual sticks4 ,you must eat them    
every one4  ,may they go down well with 
you4' ,are you answered80    8,blessed  
be ,islm4 ,long live the ,caliphs of the
 ,faith60 cried ,abdul  ,saleh1 as      

though he had just awoke from sleep4    
8,and long live the ,ameers60 said      
,masoud1 in a frenzy of patriotism4     
8,may the soul of ,abdur ,rahman ,khan1 
the conqueror of ,kafiristan1 the  light
 of the nation and religion1 rest in    
peace1 and may the sword of  ,islm grow 
sharper day by day40    8,the sword of  
,islm is sharp enough10 cried ,seyyid   
',al1 8but it  requires men to use it1  
as in the age of the blessed ,caliphs40 
8,what do you mean by that80 said the   
,persian ,mirza1 in anger4 8,do you     
think we have no men in ,persia8 ,may   
,god keep stiff the neck of ,iran4  ,one
 man of ,iran is worth fifty foreign    
unbelievers40    8,particularly if they 
come from ,kshn and ,isfahn10 added the 
guide1  sarcastically1 referring to the 
alleged lack of courage in the          
inhabitants of those two towns4    8,may
 your heart be cleansed10 cried the     
,mirza4 8,your sarcasm1 ,i take  it1 is 
aimed at the authorities1 that enlist so
 few soldiers from the  southern        

provinces1 and scarce a single man from 
the towns you mention40    ,the ,turk   
looked surprised4 8,do you mean to say  
that ,isfahn and ,kshn  do not          
contribute to the strength of the       
,persian ,nizam80 he asked4  8,how1     
then1 can ,persia defend herself against
 aggression80    8,you do not know1 my  
good friend10 replied the ,mirza1 8what 
the  ,persians can do4 ,we have no cause
 to fear any foreign invasion40         
8,certainly not10 said the ,afghan1 with
 the tongue in his cheek1  dreaming no  
doubt of the sacking of ,isfahn by his  
countrymen4    ,illustration3 ,,an      
,,egyptian ,,coffee-,,house ,,frequented
 ,,by ,,the ,,poor4    8,if you will    
have patience10 said the guide1 8,i will
 tell you the  circumstances that led   
the authorities1 whereon the sun of the 
,faith  shines1 to abandon the practice 
of enrolling recruits from ,kshn  and   
,isfahn40    ,we had now finished our   
meal and were drinking coffee and       
smoking  hukkahs1 and so we lent a      

willing ear to the sceptical rogue1 who 
proceeded thus3    8,early in the reign 
of the late martyred ,shah-in-,shah--may
 peace be  on his soul--the late        
,amin-ud-dowleh of ,kshn assumed the    
reins of  government1 and when that came
 to pass his fellow-citizens implored   
him  to free them from the obligation of
 serving in the ,army4 ,the ,minister   
laid before them a plan whereby they    
might achieve the end they had in  view4
 ,now you must know that ,tehern is a   
mighty capital1 and if any  one of you  
doubt the fact let him go there at      
midday and listen to the  booming of the
 great gun1 which shatters the buildings
 round about1  laying whole streets in  
ruins4 ,well1 one day1 when the         
,shah-in-,shah was  driving through the 
parade square1 he saw a squad of ,kshni 
soldiers  weeping over a dead comrade4  
,his ,majesty1 having made inquiries1   
was  informed that the brave ,kshni had 
died from the fright caused by  the     
sound of the midday gun4 ,then the      

,shah1 bursting out laughing1  disbanded
 the whole regiment1 giving strict      
orders to discontinue the  enlistment of
 soldiers from ,kshn40    8,why don't   
you finish the story1 my friend80 asked 
the ,mirza4 8,the  sting lies in the    
tail thereof4 ,for when the regiment was
 disbanded the  soldiers asked for a    
,cavalry escort to conduct them safely  
home40 ,a  roar of laughter followed4   
8,as for the non-enlistment of soldiers 
from ,isfahn10 resumed the  ,mirza1     
8take this story from me as its true    
cause4 ,the soldiers of the  ,isfahn    
regiment had not received any pay for a 
long time1 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 relief4 ,the     
,secretary for ,war1  fearing           
revelations and the consequences1       
approached his ,majesty and  told him   
that the soldiers had rebelled in       
connection with the cursed  ,bb         
,rebellion4 ,the late ,shah returned to 

the ,palace at once1 and had  fourteen  
of the soldiers executed1 and then      
started on a trip to the  hills4 ,when  
he came back it was to discover the     
mistake he had made1  and1 as an act of 
repentance1 he absolved the town from   
the yoke of  soldiery40    ,the ,turk1  
,mahmud ,bey1 rose and made to leave the
 eating-house4 ,looking  the ,persian   
,mirza in the eyes1 he said3 8,my       
friend1 it is better to  be seated in a 
corner1 deaf and dumb1 than to have a   
tongue that is  not under one's control4
 ,i have the honour to bid you          
good-bye40 ,my  guide and ,i followed   
him1 leaving the others to digest his   
admonition  at their leisure1 and bent  
our steps once more in the direction of 
the  ,harem for the purpose of visiting 
the interior of the ,house of ,god4     
,the gate of the ,house1 except on      
certain occasions1 is kept shut4  ,it is
 opened for men on the tenth day of the 
month of ,muharram1  and for women on   
the following day4 ,during each of the  

months of  ,rabu-'l-avval1 ,rajab1 and  
,ramazn 7the ,muhammadan ,lent7         
admittance is  granted on two occasions 
to the devout1 who are again free to    
cross  the sacred threshold once in the 
month of ,sha'ban4 ,on the twelfth day  
of ,rabu-'l-avval prayers are offered by
 the high priest of ,mecca1  within the 
,ka'bah1 for the health of his ,majesty 
the ,sultan4 ,this  ceremony is a       
private one4 ,the open sesame to the    
house1 in the days of  pilgrimage1 is   
the seductive jingle of gold4 ,an       
influential ,hj1 by  means of bakhshsh1 
can effect an entrance whenever he      
likes1 but his  poverty-stricken        
fellow-pilgrims are not granted the same
 privilege4  ,twice every year the house
 is ceremoniously cleaned and washed4   
,when  that happens it is incumbent on  
the ,sherf1 the ,governor-,general of   
,hejaz1 the head priest1 the keepers1   
and the priestly officials to  be       
present1 after they have performed the  
prescribed purifications  and ablutions 

of the body4 ,the first annual cleaning 
takes place on  the twentieth day of    
,rabu-'l-avval4 ,first the floor of the 
house is  scrubbed with the water from  
the ,zem-,zem well1 then the walls are  
besprinkled with ottar of roses and     
other fragrant scents4 ,aloe-wood  is   
kindled in braziers1 and spreads its    
delicious perfume through the  air4 ,the
 officials prostrate themselves twice in
 prayer1 after which  they withdraw4    
,the second cleaning of the year is     
effected in the same  fashion on the    
twentieth day of ,zi-ka'd1 preparatory  
to the ceremony  of draping the outer   
walls of the house with ihrm4 ,for1     
thirteen days  before the ,hjj-day1 the 
,ka'bah itself is clothed in the        
winding-sheet  of humility1 as though it
 were regarded unworthy to be called the
 ,house  of ,god4    ,this ihrm of the  
shrine consists of a soft white material
 manufactured  in ,yemen1 and is hung on
 the outer walls to the height of seven 
feet  from the ground4 ,one of the most 

interesting sights is the selling  of   
this stuff to the richer pilgrims by the
 keepers of the ,ka'bah4  ,a square inch
 of it will often fetch as much as #c4  
,the purchaser  considers it his most   
cherished possession4 ,the mere touch of
 it is  held to cure every sickness4    
,the sight of it is enough to protect   
its  owner from the evil eye4 ,so long  
as he has it about him ,satan will      
practise his snares on him in vain4     
,thousands of miracles are believed  to 
be wrought by its use4 8,so-and-,so is a
 lucky man10 one devout will  say to    
another1 8he has obtained through ,god's
 grace a strip of the  ihrm of the      
,blessed ,ka'bah40 ,the chief           
door-keeper of the present  day goes by 
the name of ,sheykh ,shaban4 ,the post  
is a coveted one1 and  has become       
hereditary of recent years4 ,on the     
,hjj-day the ihrm is  taken down1 and is
 replaced by the kesveh1 which is       
composed of eight  pieces of black silk1
 embroidered round the margins with     

,kurn texts  in letters of gold1 and of 
a curtain of the same design and colour4
 ,two  of these pieces of silk go to    
cover each one of the outer walls4 ,they
  are hung from the corners on long     
silver loops4 ,the curtain is used to   
drape the silver-plated door1 and falls 
to the ground from a rod of  solid      
silver beautifully chased4    ,the      
8,square ,house10 or ,ka'bah1 stands    
almost in the centre of the  ,harem1    
rather nearer to the west than to the   
east4 ,the ground whereon  it lies is   
accounted holy1 since it was here that  
,adam1 after his  expulsion from the    
,garden of ,eden1 first worshipped his  
,creator1 a tent  being sent down from  
heaven for the purpose4 ,this act of    
grace on the  part of the heavenly hosts
 was the compassionate result of a      
conference  over which the ,archangel   
,gabriel had presided4 ,there was       
substituted  for the tent by ,adam's son
 ,seth a structure of clay and stone    
which  was rebuilt at a later period1   

under the superintendence of ,abraham   
and ,ishmael his son4 ,so much for the  
legendary history of the house4  ,the   
task of restoring the sacred edifice1 in
 the time of ,ignorance1  fell to the   
lot of the four chief tribes of ,arabia4
 ,it was rebuilt by  the ,kuraish1 a few
 years after ,muhammad's birth1 and was 
destroyed by  the torrents thirty-five  
years after its completion4 ,then ensued
 an  intertribal war1 each of the clans 
claiming for itself a complete side  of 
the house which should face its tents1  
till the cause of strife  was settled by
 an agreement among the contending      
tribes to accept the  arbitration of    
,ab-,amid1 the chief of the ,kuraish4   
,the decision of  ,ab-,amid was that the
 tribes should abide by the             
determination of the  man who1 on the   
following ,friday afternoon1 should be  
the first to  leave the temple4 ,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 chance4 ,the warriors    
sheathed their swords1 and when the     
fateful day arrived not a single  murmur
 was raised against the man who1 being  
the first to reach the  open air1 set   
about planning the building as it now   
appears4 ,this man1  it is said1 was    
,muhammad4 ,the ,ka'bah1 which was      
certainly reconstructed  in the year    
#afbg--the successive ,sherfs and       
,sultans adding to its  interior        
decoration--is said to have been        
destroyed and restored twelve  times    
since the death of the ,prophet4    ,in 
shape the ,ka'bah is an almost solid    
square1 having from outside a  length of
 fourteen yards1 and being eleven yards 
broad and sixteen  yards high4 ,from    
afar it has the look of an immense block
 of  dark-coloured granite4 ,the double 
roof is supported from within by        
pillars of aloe-wood1 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   
recently1 the present misbehaviour on   
the part of the  birds being taken as a 
sign of the approaching end of the      
world4 ,the  gateway1 which fills a     
considerable portion of the eastern     
wall1 is  raised about six feet from the
 ground1 and measures in height some    
four  yards1 as far as ,i could gauge4  
,the door itself is made of aloe-wood1  
and is covered over with plates of solid
 silver1 and studded with heavy  silver 
nails4 ,the precious metal was presented
 to the house1 in #iei  of the ,hegira1 
by the generous ,sultan ,suleymn4       
,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 aspirations1  and the pivot of 
their circumambulations round the sacred
 precincts4  ,another stone1 marking the
 ,sepulchre of ,ishmael1 lies at the    
base of  the northern wall1 and from the
 roof above there projects a horizontal 

semicircular rainspout1 which1 including
 the end fixed in the wall1 is  five    
yards long1 measures twenty-four inches 
in width1 and is made of  massive gold4 
,the water flows from the lip of the    
split pipe to the  floor of the ,harem  
below4 ,the tomb of ,abraham1 the       
legendary builder of  the temple1 is    
situated close by1 to the east1 not far 
from the ,gate of  ,beni ,shaibeh4      
,the ,prophet's faithful followers1 when
 they say their prayers1 must  turn     
their faces in the direction of the     
,ka'bah1 no matter where they  may be4  
,this ascertaining of the exact position
 of the ,house of ,god1  which is the   
centre of the ,holy ,city1 is called    
8taking the ,kiblah or  ,outlook40 ,thus
 the ,muhammadans of ,syria1 and those  
beyond it to the  north1 having fixed   
the ,kiblah1 are face to face with the  
northern  wall1 sacred to the ,stone of 
,ishmael and the gold rainspout3 their  
prayers are therefore sure to be heard4 
,those of ,persia1 ,turkistan1          

,northern ,india1 ,sind1 and a part of  
,china1 look in the direction of  the   
north-eastern angle1 called the         
,rokn-,araghi1 which is an equally      
blessed outlook1 since the door of the  
house is on the eastern side  and rather
 more to the north than the south       
thereof4 ,the faces of the  ,muslims of 
,aden1 of ,southern ,india1 of          
,madagascar1 and of ,australia1  are    
turned to the eastern wall or the       
south-eastern corner of it1  while those
 of the faithful of ,constantinople1 as 
well as those of the  ,muhammadans of   
some parts of ,russia1 are opposite to  
the western wall  of the sacred         
building4 ,the ,boers believed          
themselves to be the 8chosen  people40  
,it is a pity they are not ,muhammadans4
 ,for1 if they were1  they would be     
considered now the chosen people of     
,islm for the simple  reason that they  
would face the southern wall of the     
,ka'bah1 wherein is  laid the ,black    
,stone of immemorial sanctity4 ,but the 

prayers the most  acceptable to ,god1   
when all is said and done1 are the      
prayers raised  from any quarter within 
the ,harem of the ,house of ,allah on   
earth4    ,the interior of the ,ka'bah  
is far more impressive than the         
exterior4  ,the silver threshold is     
reached by means of a staircase running 
on  wheels4 ,there the pilgrim must     
prostrate himself1 asking ,god to grant 
him his heart's desire4 ,he must be     
careful to maintain the correct         
demeanour1 closing his eyes and lifting 
up his hands1 inasmuch as the  angels1  
who are believed to keep watch over the 
entrance1 are quick to  resent the      
slightest breach in the prescribed      
ceremony4 ,the guide who  accompanied me
 assured me of the fact4 ,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 prayer1 nor yet the lump
 of  clay 7called mohre7 whereon are    
stamped the selfsame names1 together    

with those of the twelve ,imms and the  
,prophet4 ,it was on the clay  that ,i  
bowed my head in contrition when ,i fell
 on my knees4 ,my guide1  who had also  
prostrated himself1 expressed the       
conviction1 on rising1  that the angels 
were on his side4 ,i was also about to  
declare myself  to be on the side of the
 angels when a couple of sturdy         
pilgrims1 in  their impatience to behold
 the ,light of their eyes1 wedged me    
tight  between their bulky forms and    
then hustled me to the ground1 adding   
insult to injury by being obviously     
unconscious of the presence of my       
humble body4 ,they were 8absent-minded  
beggars0 with a vengeance4 ,i can  only 
say that1 on regaining my feet1 ,i hoped
 the silent prayer ,i said1  on the spur
 of my annoyance1 would be answered ere 
long2 but when ,i  crossed the doorsill 
,i was overcome by a sense of my own    
unworthiness1  so that ,i pardoned the  
men who had offended me4 ,i raised my   
eyes4 ,the  ceiling was flat1 and       

supported on three columns of aloe-wood1
 and from  it hung vases of great beauty
 on delicate gold chains4 ,the walls    
were  covered with red velvet1 save     
where1 in white squares1 were written1  
in  ,arabic characters1 the words       
8,allah-,jal-,jelalah6 7,praise to ,god 
the  ,almighty670 ,the velvet is said to
 have been a gift from ,sultan ,abdul   
,aziz4 ,in the corner formed by the     
northern and eastern walls there is  a  
door leading to the roof4 ,this door1   
which is called the ,door of            
,repentance1 is closed to the public2   
but a prayer said on the hither  side of
 the threshold meets with a gracious    
response1 and the pilgrim  is           
clean-washed of his sins if he but touch
 the wood with his hand4 ,the  floor is 
now flagged with marble--the work of    
some twenty years ago4    ,while ,i was 
admiring the unpretentious grace of the 
holy shrine1  and meditating from its   
threshold on the golden age of ,islm1 my
  guide broke in on my thoughts1 saying3

 8,you are allowed to make two          
prostrations at the base of any one of  
the pillars4 ,let me advise you1  in the
 welfare of your immortal soul1 to      
choose the one facing the  ,black ,stone
 outside1 which is the most sacred spot 
under the canopy  of heaven40 ,the      
difficulty was to force my way thither4 
,the whole  house was packed with       
pilgrims4 ,some were praying1 some were 
weeping1  others were groaning or       
beating their chests1 and all--except   
the  ,bedouins--were clad in their      
sacred habits4 ,a great awe fell on me4 
,it was as though the graves had yielded
 up their dead at the blast of          
,israfil's trumpet4 ,all eyes were      
blind1 all ears deaf4 ,the thought  of  
home1 of country1 of wife and child     
seemed drowned as in a sea of           
passionate devotion to the ,creator of  
those human blessings4 ,and from        
outside1 in the ,harem1 there arose the 
chant of the ,talbih1 which every       
pilgrim must sing on sighting ,mecca1 on

 donning the ,ihrm1 on entering  the    
,harem1 on starting for the ,valley of  
,desire and the ,mountain of            
,compassion1 and on performing the      
little pilgrimage of ,omreh4 ,i paused  
in the effort to reach the southern     
pillar1 and listened to the singing     
from without4        ,labbaik1          
,allahomma1 ,labbaik6      ,labbaik1 la 
,sherika lak ,labbaik6      ,labbaik1   
enal-hamda1 ,vanahmeta lak ,labbaik6    
,labbaik1 la ,sherika lak ,labbaik6     
7,verily1 here am ,i6 ,o ,allah1 here ,i
 am6      ,verily1 here am ,i6 ,o       
,allah1 thou hast no mate6      ,verily1
 here am ,i1 ,o ,allah6 ,all praise and 
glory to thee6      ,verily1 here am ,i6
 ,o ,allah1 thou hast no mate67    ,on  
my soul1 it was fine6 ,all my senses    
must have deserted me4 ,i  must have    
lost all consciousness of self suddenly4
 ,the burden of  existence seemed to be 
lifted4 ,if ,i did not actually slip off
 the  slough of the flesh ,i came to    
realise in a flash that the soul is     

immortal4 ,these introspective thoughts 
were not mine at the moment of  the     
transformation4 ,they were              
retrospective1 forced on me1 when1 on   
coming back to a sense of my            
surroundings1 ,i found myself kneeling  
at the ,door of ,repentance1 and heard  
myself crying 8,labbaik1 la  ,sherika   
lak ,labbaik40 ,yes2 there was ,i--8an  
,agnostic who would like to             
know0--rubbing my brow on the marble    
floor of the ,ka'bah1 without the       
dimmest notion in my mind as to how ,i  
came to be there4 ,only a month  before 
,i had been sipping lemon squash in a   
,london restaurant4 ,strange4  ,the     
first thing ,i did was to look round in 
search of my guide1 as  sceptical a     
rascal as ever breathed4 ,he was on his 
knees1 at my side1  his eyes starting   
out of the sockets4 ,i put my hand on   
his shoulder4  8,come10 ,i said1 8let us
 go out4 ,i'm suffocating40 ,he rose to 
his feet1  looking scared and abashed2  
but his face assumed its usual          

expression  of sunny mirth on reaching  
the ,harem4 ,he put his tongue in his   
cheek  as of yore2 then1 repenting him  
of his unregenerate mood1 he told the   
truth4 8,y-,moulai 7,oh1 sir710 said he1
 8within the house so great  reverence  
fell on me that ,i did hardly think of  
the blessed hours  and pers promised to 
me in ,paradise4 ,the same emotion      
overmasters  me every year on entering  
into the ,ka'bah of ,allah1 and yet what
 does  it all mean8 ,what is the value  
of this dream which we call life1 and   
which is my true self8 ,is it the self  
that inquires1 scoffs1 doubts1  but     
wants to find truth8 ,or is it the self 
that you discovered a moment  ago bereft
 of every sense save one1 namely1 that  
which would seem to  have drawn me      
irresistibly to a power whose will none 
would seem able  to dispute8 ,has that  
power an existence outside my emotions1 
or is it  merely the fabric of my       
senses8 ,you are silent1 ,y-,moulai4    
,well1 there  are more ways of getting  

drunk than by drinking of the juice of  
the  forbidden fruit4 ,i escaped from   
myself just then on a spiritual rather  
than a spirituous fluid4 ,let us return 
to our camp40          ,,chapter ,,vii  
,,on ,,the ,,road ,,to ,,arafat         
,the most important days of the         
,pilgrimage are the #hth1 #ith1 and     
#ajth of  the moon of ,z-'l-hijjah4     
,now1 the #hth of ,z-'l-hijjah is the   
day of  the ,repose of the ,soul4 ,in   
,arabic it is called ,youm-ul-,tarvih1  
and it  sees the exodus of the pilgrims 
from ,mecca on their way to the ,hill of
  ,arafat4 ,the most noteworthy 8column0
 of the ,hjj is the sermon which is     
preached on the mount on the following  
day4 ,no pilgrim is qualified to  call  
himself ,hj unless he is present on that
 occasion4 ,the preacher  sits on a     
camel1 and the pilgrims gather round    
him1 those who can find  no room on the 
slopes taking up their positions on the 
plain4 ,not ten  pilgrims in a hundred  
can hear a word1 and so the majority    

while away  the time in praying1 in     
weeping1 in chatting1 in telling        
stories1 and  even in making love4 ,if  
they fall asleep or lose consciousness  
they  are counted as absent4 ,they must 
arrive before noon and must remain      
until after sunset4 ,if they leave      
before the appointed time they must  pay
 forfeit either by sacrificing a camel  
or else by keeping fast for  eighteen   
days running4 ,this day is named        
,youm-ul-,arafat in ,arabic4    ,the    
pilgrims1 before reaching the plain of  
,arafat1 must perform their  religious  
purifications1 and1 on arriving on the  
,hill itself1 they must  recite the     
following ,niyyat3 8,o ,god1 ,i purpose1
 in obedience to ,thy  commands1 to     
abide here until the setting of the     
sun40 ,with this they  must say aloud a 
prayer which runs3 8,i praise ,thee1 ,i 
glorify ,thee1  ,o ,lord2 there is no   
,god but ,thee4 ,i have burdened my     
conscience with  wrongdoing1 and now    
acknowledge my sins4 ,o1 forgive me my  

trespasses1  ,o ,lord1 for1 verily1     
,thou art the best forgiver40 ,nor is   
this all2 for  the pilgrims1 having     
declared their intention and confessed  
their sins1  must pray for their        
parents1 their relatives1 their         
co-religionists1  their servants1 and   
their slaves4 ,the number of persons    
thus honoured  in the remembrance should
 not be less than forty2 and for this   
act  of grace the pilgrims will be      
rewarded one hundred thousandfold4      
,furthermore1 in the course of the day  
what we have called the ,song  of the   
,winding-sheet or ,talbih must be       
repeatedly intoned1 as must  also the   
,tamjid or hymn of praise1 and the      
glorification of ,god's  omnipotence1   
which is styled ,takbir4 ,then1 when the
 sun is setting1 the  pilgrims turn     
their faces in the direction of the     
,ka'bah and recite  this prayer3 8,i    
take refuge in ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 from    
poverty1 and from  the evil that may    
come out of the day or the night2 ,i    

repent of all  my wicked deeds1 trusting
 in ,thy gracious pardon2 and ,i seek   
shelter  from fear in ,thy protection3  
,o ,lord1 ,i repent1 ,i repent1 ,i      
repent40  ,the second 8column0 of the   
,hjj takes place immediately after      
sunset1  when the pilgrims rush forward 
impetuously from ,arafat to ,muzdalifah1
  in order to remember ,god near the    
holy monument 7in ,arabic1 al ,masher   
al harm71 where1 on a mountain on the   
thither side of ,muzdalifah1 the        
,prophet is said to have stood praying  
until his face shone as one who  had    
seen his ,lord4 ,there the pilgrims pass
 the night1 and at the hour  of morning 
prayer they say3 8,o ,lord1 in obedience
 to ,thy commands1 ,i  break my morning 
at ,thy ,masher al harm40 ,thence they  
proceed to ,mina1  through which valley 
they passed on their road to ,arafat1   
and there the  stoning of the devil and 
the slaying of the sacrifices1 two      
notable  8columns0 of the pilgrimage1   
are performed4 ,this is the             

,youm-ul-,nahre  or ,day of ,sacrifice4 
,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
 ,harem4 ,we will call his name         
,ardashir ,morad ,khan4 ,his was in     
many respects an exceptional character4 
,he had acquired a knowledge  of the    
,french tongue without learning to      
detest the ,french nation1  and had     
studied the ,darwinian theory of the    
origin of species without  aping the    
,european4 ,his conversation was grave  
and impersonal4 ,he was  communicative  
without being confidential4 ,he never   
betrayed a trust1  nor blabbed his      
personal secrets4 ,from him ,i learned  
all ,i know of the  political situation 
in ,persia2 and the ,youm-ul-,tarvih was
 six hours  gone--remember1 in the      
,east1 the day begins and ends with the 
setting  of the sun--ere we closed the  
debate and flung ourselves down to rest4
  ,morning broke4 ,ardashir ,morad      

,khan1 having performed his ablutions1  
was  saying his prayers1 and ,i was     
drinking a cup of tea when there came a 
knock at the door1 and a ,persian friend
 of ours rushed into the room4  ,his    
excitement knew no bounds4 ,he stood    
bereft of speech from sheer  lack of    
breath2 but his face spoke volumes4     
8,well1 ,sheykh ,eissa10 said ,i1 8what 
is the news80    ,ardashir ,morad ,khan 
dropped his rosary and looked up1       
listening4 ,sheykh  ,eissa coughed as if
 to clear his gorge1 and cried--    8,my
 manuscript on the ,bedouins is lost2   
the precious volume has been  stolen6   
,for the last seventeen years1 as ,i    
told you yesterday1 ,i have  wandered   
from tribe to tribe as a talisman-monger
 in order that ,i might  study the      
customs and the character of the        
,bedouins1 and give to the  world a     
faithful history of my experiences4 ,i  
had promised to show you  the result of 
my labour1 and now ,i am constrained by 
fate to re-shape  my impressions4       

,youm-ul-,tarvih8 ,wh6 ,how can my soul 
repose80    ,i handed the rebellious    
little man a cup of tea4 ,having taken a
 sip1  he reached out for the sugar4    
8,your tea is as bitter as mortality10  
he said1 and straightway converted it   
into syrup4 ,i recalled a pretty        
,persian story4 8,perhaps10 ,i replied1 
8the clay from which the cup was  made  
was once man40 ,the fancy1 though       
borrowed1 restored the ,sheykh's  good  
humour4 8,it is the burned clay of my   
thief's grandfather10 he  declared1 with
 a quaint uplifting of his shaggy       
eyebrows1 8or ,i am an  infidel4 ,my    
precious manuscript--how can to-day be  
,youm-ul-,tarvih8  ,assuredly it is the 
,day of ,sacrifice40 ,seyyid ',al now   
entered the  room4 ,he said3 8,i have   
engaged a moghavem1 what we ,persians   
call a  hamlehdar2 he will be here with 
his mules and camels at midday2 and  our
 tents are even now on their way to the 
,hill of ,arafat1 where an  aristocratic
 position has been reserved for them40  

8,surely you mean the ,valley of ,mina80
 ,i asked4 8,no1 no10 broke in our      
host1 ,ardashir ,morad ,khan2 8the      
custom of sleeping at ,mina on the      
outward journey was abolished long ago  
on account of the delay its  observance 
occasioned1 and that for no purpose that
 would warrant----0    ,sheykh ,eissa   
leaped to his feet4 8,i ask pardon of   
,god10 he cried4 8,why1  the ,prophet   
himself was accustomed to halt at ,mina 
from six hours after  sunrise on        
,youm-ul-,tarvih until sunrise next     
morning1 and there he  used to say the  
five prescribed prayers4 ,surely that   
fact alone would  warrant our observance
 of the law80    8,well10 ,i replied1   
8,i must confess that ,i am delighted to
 know that we  shall have more roomy    
quarters for the night4 ,the ,valley of 
,mina is a  mere gully4 ,according to my
 calculation there must be scarcely less
  than three hundred thousand pilgrims  
in this city40    8,say four hundred    
thousand and you will not exaggerate the

 number10  interrupted our host4 8,what 
is your opinion1 ,sheykh ,eissa80       
8,the pilgrims are innumerable this     
year1 your ,excellency4 ,it is not      
possible to count them4 ,the angels in  
heaven are not more numerous4  ,nine    
years ago the pilgrims outnumbered the  
present calculation of our              
distinguished friend4 ,this year        
,youm-ul-,nahre falls on a ,friday1 and 
,i  am sure there never was before a    
concourse so great in the ,city of      
,god40    8,i admire the beauty of your 
flight1 ,sheykh ,eissa10 ,i said1 dryly4
  8,but let us deal with facts4 ,i came 
here by the last pilgrim boat4  ,some   
two hundred thousand passports had then 
been handed in at ,jiddah  by the       
seafaring pilgrims4 ,do you mean to say 
that the number of ,hjs  who have       
crossed the desert are equal to the     
number of those who have  crossed the   
seas from every corner of the ,muslim   
world8 ,i will never  believe it4 ,the  
advantages are all in favour of the     

oversea route4 ,it  is cheaper1 it is   
quicker1 it is safer1 and it is perhaps 
less tedious4  ,for a fare of a few     
dollars any starveling can go by steamer
 from ,suez  to ,jiddah4 ,the result is 
that the old caravan routes with the one
  exception of the ,syrian are1         
comparatively speaking1 deserted4 ,for  
instance1 the ,muslims of ,morocco and  
,north ,africa are now conveyed to      
,mecca by sea4 ,the contingent sent by  
,persia down the ,gulf outnumbers  that 
which journeys across ,arabia4 ,true1   
the ,syrian caravan still  maintains not
 a little of its ancient glory4 ,this   
year it is unusually  gigantic1         
containing as it does1 in my opinion1   
not less than seventeen  thousand       
camels4 ,the ,bedouins are also1 ,i     
admit1 in force2 so let us  say there   
are two hundred and fifty thousand      
pilgrims in ,mecca all  told4 ,we shall 
have a better opportunity of testing the
 accuracy of  the figures when we are   
encamped on the ,plain of ,arafat4 ,but 

be the  number what it may1 it is1 at   
the lowest estimate1 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  
with40    ,sheykh ,eissa smiled4 8,it   
would be impossible to extol its charms 
as  a camping-ground4 ,but ,i1 for one1 
remember that1 though the halt on  the  
outward journey has been abolished1     
there we must stay for three  or at the 
least for two days after slaying the    
sacrifices4 ,for the  rest1 ,i am far   
from sharing your love of the oversea   
route from the  outlying dominions of   
the ,prophet4 ,in my youth ,i travelled 
by caravan  from ,morocco to ,medina and
 thence to this holy city4 ,along the   
northern  coast of ,africa1 through     
,algeria1 ,tunis1 and ,tripoli1 to the  
,land of  ,pyramids1 we wandered1       
halting for one day in every six days in
 order  that our camels might gather    
strength to sustain the hardships of the
  road2 and in ,cairo we joined the     

,egyptian caravan1 whence we proceeded  
together on our way--an endless string  
of pilgrims1 glorying in our  liberty1  
praising ,god for ,his gifts of heaven  
and earth1 burying our  dead where they 
fell--now in the ,sinaitic ,peninsula1  
and now in the  desert to the south1    
until we reached at last the sepulchre  
of the  ,prophet and the place of his   
birth4 ,i deny not that ,god created the
 sea  as well as the desert4 ,nay1 nay1 
spare your eloquence4 ,my stomach at    
sea is as inconstant as the waters4 ,i  
am a ,bedouin at heart4 ,however1  you  
must stay at ,mina for three or for two 
days after the ,day of  ,sacrifice40    
8,if the cholera fiend should not drive 
us hence in search of refuge10 ,i       
interpolated4 8,the epidemic is on the  
increase4 ,the sacrifices slain1  we    
shall be only too glad to make good our 
escape to the sea40    8,true10 said    
,seyyid ',al1 grimly1 8if the cholera   
fiend should not  choose for us an      
underground route to a city of eternal  

rest6 ,if it  please ,god1 ,i shall     
conduct your ,excellency to ,jiddah so  
soon as the  sun shall set on           
,youm-ul-,nahre4 ,for ,i have no wish to
 fall a victim to  the fell disease1    
,sheykh ,eissa40    ,with the foregoing 
words my guide bade us good-bye and went
 about his  business in my service4 ,he 
came back1 however1 almost immediately4 
8,may  it please your ,excellency10 he  
said1 addressing ,ardashir ,morad ,khan1
  8,khalil is fallen sick of the cholera
 and is even now at the point of        
death40 ,now1 ,khalil was our host's    
steward and had set out for the  ,hill  
of ,arafat in charge of the tents and   
baggage4 ,ardashir ,morad ,khan  looked 
extremely grave4 8,god have mercy on his
 soul60 he cried4 ,then1  8,where is he 
now80 he asked2 8and who has taken his  
place80 ,seyyid ',al  replied that the  
man had been brought back on a bier to  
,mecca1 and was  then lying in a cellar 
attached to the kitchen of the house in 
which we  were4 ,a panic would have     

followed this statement had not our host
 cried  out in a voice of sternest      
command3 8,i must request you all to be 
calm4  ,we must set the servants an     
example of courage4 ,are we not the     
slaves  of ,god8444 ,well1 ,seyyid ',al1
 who has taken over the control of our  
caravan80 8,the cook of your            
,excellency's household10 replied my    
guide1  8assumed the direction of       
affairs4 ,i have done my best to restore
 the  confidence of your ,excellency's  
household4 ,the servants need a firm    
hand to keep them from running away40   
,so ,ardashir ,morad ,khan left the     
room1 and when he came back ,i requested
  permission to see the sick man4 ,the  
other guests1 who were sitting  round   
the room with their backs to the walls1 
jumped up at once and  made a low bow to
 me as ,i passed by to the servant's    
quarters4 ,the  ,meccan houses are      
generally lower than the surface of the 
street  without1 and when this is the   
case a flight of stone steps leads from 

the first floor into the court round    
which the apartments range4 ,i  found   
,khalil in the cellar4 ,he was sinking  
fast4 ,nobody had dared to  stay with   
him4 ,his eyes were dried up in the     
sockets and blackened  all round the    
rims4 ,not an ounce of flesh remained on
 his body4 ,the  stench was unendurable4
 ,the bearers1 having stretched his legs
 in the  direction of the ,ka'bah and   
given him a cup of sour milk wherewith  
to quench his thirst1 had gone away1    
leaving him a prey to the fell  disease4
 ,compassion rent my heart1 but ,i could
 do nothing3 remedy ,i  had none4 ,i    
saw1 moreover1 that he was too far gone 
to recover1 and1  indeed1 scarcely was  
he aware of my presence than his        
new-born hope was  strangled by death4  
8,y--,allah60 he muttered1 and that was 
the last  time he drew breath4 ,having  
rejoined my host1 ,i went with him into 
the  city4    ,the streets were packed  
with camels1 brought in thousands by the
  ,bedouins and by the ,syrian and the  

,egyptian drivers4 ,round about the     
,harem the moghavems tried our endurance
 to the utmost4 ,these are the  men who 
conduct the pilgrims by camel caravan to
 the ,hill of ,arafat  and back1        
supplying all their needs on the        
journey4 ,there is no fixed  price for  
the hiring of a camel1 but by dint of   
persistent bargaining  it is possible to
 get one for five shillings1 and each   
moghavem may  have as many as fifty     
pilgrims under him4 ,we were tormented  
by these  contractors more than ,i had  
ever been tormented by the ,indian      
jugglers  outside the gates of any hotel
 in ,bombay4 ,they were as plentiful as 
flies in ,egypt and not less irritating4
 ,perhaps that is the fault of  the     
pilgrims themselves4 ,they begin by     
feigning indifference1 and when  they   
have reduced the moghavems to a haughty 
silence they assume  an air of eager    
business4 ,thus the moghavems have      
learned from  experience never to take  
no for an answer4    ,out of the madding

 crowd the talk was all of the cholera  
epidemic4  ,on my way to a coffee-house 
,i happened to meet a ,turkish official1
  an acquaintance of mine1 and he gave  
it as his conviction that the           
death-rate had risen to over five       
hundred victims a day4 ,he advised  me  
to leave the ,valley of ,mina at sunset 
on the tenth of the moon4  ,in the      
coffee-house a ,syrian pilgrim entered  
into conversation with  me4 ,he told    
many stories of his pilgrimage across   
the desert3 of  the discomforts and the 
perils of the road1 of the cruelties of 
the drivers1 and the almost             
inconceivable presumption of his own    
moghavem4 ,with the immense caravan had 
come the ,syrian ,mahmil1 in  the charge
 of a ,pasha1 and the ,surreh1 in the   
care of another ,turkish  dignitary4    
,this ,surreh is the pension sent from  
,constantinople to  the officials of the
 ,harem4 ,it was formerly the           
accumulated hoard of  centuries of      
legacies4 ,it is now managed by the     

,imperial ,treasury4 ,a  strong force of
 cavalry accompanied the caravan1 which1
 according to  the pilgrim in question1 
counted some eighteen thousand camels4  
,the number stated was1 perhaps1 an     
exaggeration1 though a pardonable  one1 
for the string which ,i saw on reaching 
the ,plain of ,sheykh ,mahmud1  where   
the caravan had been encamped1 and which
 was now on the move1  extended for     
miles and miles4 ,i determined then and 
there to avoid the  crush on the road by
 remaining in ,mecca until the day was  
far spent4  ,it was four hours before   
sunset ere ,i could tear myself away    
from the  ,plain of ,sheykh ,mahmud4    
,the endless string of camels and of    
pilgrim  wayfarers was an unforgettable 
sight1 and on my return to my host's    
house ,i met crowds of ,syrian and      
,egyptian stragglers1 mounted and on    
foot1 proceeding up the ,moalla to      
rejoin the immense caravan which was    
already threading its way to the        
mountains4    ,seyyid ',al gave me a    

hearty welcome when ,i entered the      
house4 ,he had  scoured the city1 he    
said1 in search of me1 and had given me 
up for  dead4 ,i found everything in    
readiness for our journey1 and when we  
had smoked a kalyn or two and quenched  
our thirst we got astride our  ambling  
mules and made for the ,hill of ,arafat4
    ,now1 when my friends and ,i left   
,mecca for the ,hill of ,arafat it was  
about four o'clock in the afternoon of  
,youm-ul-,tarvih4 ,late as it was1  the 
streets were still packed with men and  
beasts4 ,in the indescribable  confusion
 steady progress was impossible1 and to 
the universal disorder  was added the   
danger of a general stampede on the part
 of our mules4  ,the uncertain tempers  
of those animals of ours taxed our      
patience to  the utmost4 ,we had hired  
them in the belief that they were       
tractable  creatures trained to amble4  
,we rode them in terror of our lives1   
conscious of our impotence to control   
their paces4 ,now they would  charge    

through a crowd in a panic blind and    
headlong1 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 road4 ,our moghavem1    
having a lively  inkling of our rising  
indignation1 assured us with haughty    
unconcern  that we had been wiser to    
have followed his advice and ridden     
camels4  ,with one thing and another it 
took us quite an hour to reach the      
outskirts of the city4 ,all the people  
we had met wore hram except the  drivers
 and the servants1 who were in their    
ordinary clothes4    ,illustration3 ,,an
 ,,egyptian ,,donkey ,,and ,,its        
,,driver4    ,outside ,mecca the road   
widens1 taking an abrupt turn from a    
northerly  to a north-easterly          
direction4 ,we passed innumerable huts  
and ,bedouin  tents1 we skirted the     
,jebel-,nur or ,mountain of ,light on   
our left1 and  then1 swerving back to   
the north1 we kept a sharp look-out for 
the  pitfalls which beset our every     

step4 ,in no case were the mountains    
many miles away4 ,the colour of them    
changed gradually from a gloomy  drab to
 a deep brown4 ,many camels had knocked 
up and lay festering  in the sun4 ,along
 the route dead pilgrims had been buried
 so close  to the surface that the odour
 of putrefaction polluted the air4 ,the 
stench of decaying flesh was positively 
sickening4 ,again and again ,i  had to  
hold my nose and cry aloud1             
8,astaghferallah ,menash-,shaitan3 ,i   
seek shelter in ,god from ,satan40 ,this
 phrase was used more often than  any   
other1 and in varying moods and with    
many meanings4 ,every time an  animal   
fell down its driver would mutter the   
expression4 ,if the animal  remained    
obstinate1 refusing to rise1 the driver 
would rub his hands  and repeat the     
words4 ,an ,arab ,sheykh who rode behind
 me took refuge in  ,god against the    
devil whenever he failed in his attempt 
to get past  me4 ,this was merely a sign
 of impatience4 ,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 me4    
,for the ,prophet has said3 8,utter not 
a word in wroth until  you have repeated
 seventy ,astaghferallahs40 ,believe me1
 it is a word  to conjure with4 ,as a   
mark of ironic negation it is more      
convincing  than the strongest          
affirmative4 ,in a rocky pass ,i asked  
,seyyid ',al1  whose face had turned    
copper-red1 and whose lips were         
scorched1 if he  was thirsty4           
8,astaghferallah1 y-,moulai60 he cried1 
smiling ironically4  ,later on1 in the  
neck of the pass1 where two men could   
not ride  abreast1 ,i had proof of the  
expression being used by way of a       
courteous  refusal4 ,riding far ahead of
 us two mulls in hram1 with shaven heads
  and unkempt beards1 drew rein         
simultaneously1 each requesting the     

other  to pass on4 ,this exchange of    
punctilio was most unseasonable4 ,so    
long  did the two priests bandy         
courtesy1 crying 8,astaghferallah0 one  
after  the other1 that the word was soon
 used in a contrary sense by the        
pilgrims in the rear4    ,we waited     
about five minutes for the intervening  
pilgrims to ride on  in single file1 and
 when we reached the spot it was to find
 that the  road lay between two rocks   
some four feet apart4 ,one of my        
friends1  quoting a well-worn proverb1  
bent towards me and remarked3 8,why do  
they  not remove those stones out of the
 path of the ,faithful80 ,seyyid ',al   
observed a priest in front of him1 and  
replied significantly1 8,i behold  a    
bigger stone in my path60 ,the priest1  
who was reading the ,kurn atop  of his  
camel1 overheard the words1 and tugged  
his camel round that  he might face the 
sceptical rascal4 ,the camel made a     
vicious snap at  ,seyyid ',al's mule4   
,the mule1 finding itself between two   

fires--the  rock on the one side and the
 camel on the other--sat down on its    
haunches2 and my guide1 crying out the  
word1 8,astaghferallah10 came a         
cropper1 striking his head against a    
stone4 ,the upper portion of his  hram  
fell off4 8,was it you1 ,seyyid ',al who
 fell80 cried ,sheykh ,eissa4  ,seyyid  
',al1 all bruised and bleeding1 crept   
from under the mule's  legs1 and picked 
up his sacred habit4 8,astaghferallah60 
he replied2 8it  was not ,i who fell4   
,it was my hram4 ,unfortunately ,i      
happened to be in  it40 ,a burst of     
laughter followed and then a shrill     
scream4 8,i verily  believe10 said      
,sheykh ,eissa1 addressing me1 8that    
your guide would make  a kitten #8eat a 
dozen sticks' if it mispronounced the   
,arabic letter  #8ain' in the feline    
word #8maou6 maou6'0    ,but ,i had     
turned whence the scream had come and   
made him no reply4 ,my  guide's mishap1 
as ,i saw on looking ahead1 had excited 
the compassion  of a lady in a          

palanquin4 ,she was a ,meccan4 ,no      
sooner did she see the  blood than she  
uttered a shriek of deepest             
commiseration4 ,then she  recovered     
herself1 and cooed out a couple of      
orders4 ,her warmth of  heart was now as
 evident as had been her emotional      
susceptibility4 ,in  one breath she     
summoned her husband and sent him to    
,seyyid ',al with  an offer of a certain
 famous prescription for wounds and     
bruises4 ,in  the next she implored her 
moghavem to ransack on one of the camels
 a  chest that contained1 among other   
things1 a small bottle of scorpion  oil4
 ,it was the remedy in question4 ,this  
is the way it is prepared3  the stings  
having been extracted1 a couple of black
 scorpions are  dried in the sun1 are   
then put in a bottle holding about half 
a pint  of castor-oil1 and in this they 
are kept corked up for the space of  a  
year4 ,the unwilling ,arab made demur1  
pleading that the delay would           
inconvenience the pilgrims behind her   

own caravan2 but she reduced  him to    
obedience with a look4 8,be sharp60 she 
crooned1 as he swung  reluctantly on his
 heel2 so sweet was her voice that      
without another  sign of hesitation he  
leaped forward to carry out her wishes4 
,the camel  was made to kneel down by   
the wayside2 then the chest was         
overhauled4  ,by the time her husband   
had returned the precious oil was found 
and  given to him4 8,take it10 she said1
 still gazing in ',al's countenance     
over her husband's shoulder1 8and tell  
him to use it unsparingly lest  the     
beauty of his face should be ruined40   
,meccan gentlewomen allow  themselves a 
certain freedom of speech and action1   
otherwise a less  presentable man than  
this woman's husband might have been    
jealous  enough to resent the frank     
admiration in her voice4 ,seyyid ',al1  
having  laid on the oil by means of a   
wooden bodkin used for the purpose1     
handed the bottle back to the husband1  
who pressed him to accept the  rest of  

its contents1 which would be useful1 he 
said1 in case of  further accident4 ,my 
guide1 however1 refused with many       
thanks1 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 meet4 ,and with this our
 respective caravans moved on4          
,before reaching the ,valley of ,mina a 
serious accident happened1 this  time to
 a ,malay pilgrim--an accident that     
proved fatal to him1 for he  was crushed
 to death in a stampede of mules4 ,i am 
happy to say that  our own caravan was  
not concerned in the disaster4 ,two     
women swooned  at the sight1 and all the
 other women round about raised their   
voices  in bitterest lamentation1 as    
though they had lost a near relative4   
,a quarter of an hour after1 when the   
unfortunate man had been laid  to rest  
in his shallow grave1 the two women who 
had fainted fell  to prattling merrily  
as if nothing untoward had occurred4 ,in

 fact1  the chief characteristics of the
 ,oriental woman are her absolute       
helplessness outside the restricted     
limits of her special sphere of         
influence1 and the swiftness with which 
she passes from one emotion  to another4
 ,there is no transition in her moods4  
,she passes from the  tearful or the    
terrible to the mirthful or the         
ridiculous at a single  bound of her    
mercurial temperament4 ,she is at once  
more womanish and  more womanly than her
 ,european sisters4 ,not less marked1 on
 this  journey of ours to the holiest   
mountain of ,islm1 were the vanity of   
the wealthier classes as it preened     
itself among the men1 and the  unfailing
 good humour of the mob4 ,a ,persian    
nobleman1 to whom my host  had attached 
himself1 had a special chamberlain whose
 sole duty it was  to hand his lord and 
master a cigarette whenever he felt     
disposed to  smoke4 ,another grandee of 
the same nationality1 if he had occasion
 to  drop his reins in order to adjust  

his beard1 would cry out at the top  of 
his voice to his moghavem1 saying3      
8,boy1 come here6 ,hand me the  reins60 
preserving the while an expression of   
sphinx-like aloofness  from all human   
kind4    ,as for the good temper of the 
crowd1 it was due1 ,i avow1 to the      
soberness of each and every individual  
in it4 ,of drunkenness there  was       
nothing on the road so far as my        
experience went1 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 which1 as a  safeguard
 against prying eyes1 had been labelled 
8cholera mixture40  ,when ,i say the mob
 was sober ,i only mean that it was not 
drunk4 ,its  humour1 of course1 was     
individualised4 ,it varied with the     
character  of the unit4 ,some of the    
pilgrims were lively1 frivolous1 even   
rowdy  in a playful sort of way1 meaning
 no mischief4 ,these chatted and        
chaffed and flirted1 killing monotony in

 many a breach of etiquette4  ,they     
being theoretically resigned to the will
 of ,allah1 were resolved  in practice  
to reflect ,omnipotence in a merry mood4
 ,others1 rapt  and devotional1 intoned 
the holy and instructive ,kurn1 as they 
sat  on their camels or limped          
barefooted over the stony ground4       
,prayers  were muttered1 religious hymns
 were sung1 tears were shed1 tales were 
told1 amid the deafening shouts of the  
drivers and the lofty orders  of the    
moghavems4 ,conspicuous in their pastime
 on the road were the  ,bedouins4       
,either they beguiled the tedium of the 
march by singing  love-songs that acted 
like magic on the listeners1 or else    
they showed  that their weariness under 
restraint was invincible by frequent    
salivation4 ,for yawning is almost      
exclusively a ,european habit4          
,oriental folk rarely yawn in public4   
,if they are bored they give odd  little
 sham coughs instead1 while the         
,bedouins get rid of their moral  phlegm

 or call attention to its existence by  
expectorating4 ,nor is the  habit       
regarded even by the most courteous     
among them as offensive3 it  is hallowed
 by custom4 ,the virtue of politeness is
 relative4 ,in ,great  ,britain1 for    
example1 the very sound of the word     
8belch0 could only  be described as     
unspeakable2 whereas the act itself in  
many ,eastern  countries breathes grace 
and gratitude after meat on the part of 
the  guests4 ,the more often it is      
repeated by them the better pleased is  
their host4 ,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 squeamishness4    ,now1 
the road1 before entering the narrow    
,wadi of ,mina1 in which a  village     
stands1 narrows into a gap and climbs a 
flight of stone steps4  ,there the      
pilgrims thought it necessary1 as1      
indeed1 ,i suppose it was1  to call a   
halt1 while they performed a            

two-prostration prayer1 and in  the     
chaos of confusion which arose ,i was   
separated from my companions1  or shoved
 forward by the pressure of the crowd   
behind me4 ,i was about  to force my way
 back to them when ,i caught sight of a 
young ,syrian  girl sitting astride an  
ass4 ,in the excitement of the moment   
she had  forgotten to cover her face1   
and our eyes met4 ,on the instant all   
thought of returning left me1 for the   
girl was good to behold4 ,the  caravan  
she was with numbered about fifty       
people1 and with it ,i rode  along      
through the village into the dreary     
gully beyond4 ,every now and  then we   
would glance at each other1 the maiden  
and ,i4 ,she was shy1 and  ,i was       
anything but bold1 breathing1 in her    
neighbourhood1 a spell so  pure4 ,so on 
we journeyed1 side by side1 ,i covertly 
watching her every  movement1 and she   
playing hide-and-seek with my eyes1     
until at last ,i  summoned the courage  
to smile on her4 ,by chance1 or ,i know 

not by what  blessing1 the smile was    
returned1 and so heartening was its     
effect on  me that my whole being seemed
 to throb1 8not from one heart1 but from
 a  hundred60 ,never was ,i so near to a
 complete surrender to love at first    
sight4 ,in the meantime the sun was     
going down behind the mountains in  the 
west2 shopkeepers were busy erecting    
their booths in readiness for  the      
return of the ,hjj on the ,day of       
,sacrifice2 torches were lighted1       
casting a lurid glare around2 cannons   
were fired and rockets flung  aloft to  
announce to the weary pilgrims the hour 
of evening prayer4  ,there1 in the ruddy
 light about us and the gathering       
darkness beyond1  my maiden and ,i knelt
 down1 obeying the call of the faith1   
within arm's  reach of each other4 ,in  
my heart of hearts ,i prayed that ,god  
would give  me one day a helpmate as    
sweet as my companion4    ,not a word   
had passed between us1 nor did we       
exchange more than a  glance1 when the  

caravan got under way again4 ,to my     
dismay there came  along1 with furtive  
tread1 an ugly-looking ,syrian1 barefoot
 and old1  and entered into conversation
 with me1 placing himself1 with an air  
of  suspicion that nettled1 and a look  
of proprietorship that alarmed me1      
between the maiden and myself4 ,i       
thought that he might be her father1    
but he said he was her husband4         
,instinctively ,i drew rein1 and soon   
she  was lost to me in the blackness of 
the night4 ,caravan after caravan  went 
by1 but there ,i remained1 meditating   
first on the ways of the  veil-worn sex1
 and then on my hapless lot1 cut off as 
,i was from my  companions1 with only a 
few mejidis in silver in a small bag    
round my  neck4 ,by and by the moon     
rose1 and ,i pulled myself together4 ,in
 truth1  the pangs of a healthy appetite
 began to clamour for satisfaction1  and
 so ,i pressed forward until ,i reached 
the top of the valley1 which  was simply
 blocked with pilgrims1 all hurrying as 

fast as they could  go to the ,mosque of
 ,khaif4 ,there ,i alighted1 and1       
leading my mule  by the bridle1 made to 
cross the open space in front1 where    
several  coffee booths offered          
refreshment2 but my obstinate beast     
would not  budge1 pull as ,i might4 ,not
 for nothing do the ,easterns call them 
8the children of donkeys40 ,they are    
certainly more stubborn and more        
uncertain than their mothers4 ,many     
paupers were hanging about1 and any  one
 of them would have been only too glad  
to take the mule in tow1 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 stall4  ,once rid of my stupid     
burden1 ,i pushed my way into the booth 
which was  crowded with pilgrims of the 
poorer classes4 ,my sudden appearance   

among  them raised not a little         
astonishment4 ,i fraternised at once    
with a  needy ,bedouin1 and together we 
smoked a pipe of peace4 ,suddenly a gun 
went off outside the booth1 the report  
echoing and re-echoing among the        
mountains4 8,a blood-feud60 cried my    
companion1 leaping to his feet1  then   
ran out of doors4          ,,chapter    
,,viii    ,,on ,,the ,,road ,,to        
,,arafat    7,concluded7      ,more     
shots followed in quick succession3     
everybody in the booth made  a rush for 
the door1 except the booth-keeper and   
myself3 and we stood  staring at each   
other for some moments without uttering 
a single word4  ,but my companion did   
not long remain silent under the        
questioning look  ,i turned upon him4   
8,the sons of dogs60 he cried3 8they    
have not paid  me60 and1 before ,i could
 even smile at the humour of the        
situation1 he  was gone4                
,accordingly1 ,i made haste to overtake 
him1 laughing quietly to myself  as ,i  

observed1 on reaching the open air1 that
 the artful rogues had  made good their 
escape under cover of the general panic1
 thus gaining  for themselves1 in the   
estimation of their indignant dupe1 a   
reputation  of cunning aforethought1    
which nothing ,i could say succeeded in 
shaking4 ,when ,i assured him that they 
had merely turned the blood-feud  to    
their own advantage1 seizing the        
occasion as a source of profit to       
themselves1 he informed me that there   
are a thousand and one ways of  levying 
bakhshsh by night1 every one of which is
 practised during  the ,hjj season1 by  
the freebooters of ,hejaz4 8,by ,allah60
 he cried1  8,i say1 the shots were     
fired by the ,bedouins as a signal to   
those  customers of mine4 ,they are in  
league with one another1 and the money  
that should be in my possession will    
soon be divided among those  lawless    
tribesmen40    ,whilst ,i was arguing   
with him1 however1 about fifty clansmen 
rode  swiftly by on dromedaries1 and    

disappeared in the direction of ,arafat4
  ,hardly had they passed out of sight  
than we heard the reports of their      
rifles1 and after a little while the    
more distant battle-cries of their      
opponents4 8,you only heard the         
pursued10 said ,i1 8but the pursuers you
  have seen4 ,you would not believe your
 ears2 do you believe your eyes80       
8,perhaps you are right10 he admitted1  
with surly reluctance4 8,but is  my loss
 any the less8 ,take care lest you      
yourself become the argument  of your   
present attitude towards me in my       
trouble4 ,those men belonged  to the    
tribe of ,hozail1 and they are famous   
marksmen4 ,to travel  alone to-night    
might mean death4 ,the wisest thing that
 you could do1  therefore1 would be to  
await the arrival of the next           
caravan4--,tell me1  are you rich80     
,i untied the little bag ,i wore around 
my neck 7the sacred habit having  no    
pockets71 and emptied its contents into 
the palm of my hand4 8,that  is all the 

money ,i have about me10 ,i replied2    
8but my present poverty  should be my   
best protector on the road40    8,no1   
no60 he cried3 8the people believe you  
to be rich1 and therein  lies the danger
 of your riding by yourself4444 ,ah1    
here comes a band of  pilgrims2 thank   
,god10 he added1 as he pocketed the     
bakhshsh ,i gave  him3 8,allah be with  
you60    ,the caravan to which ,i now   
attached myself was composed of eighteen
  lean camels laden with the effects of 
some eighty ,malay wayfarers1 and  of   
three half-starved asses belonging to   
the moghavem1 on one of  which was      
strapped the corpse of an old man4 ,a   
torch-bearer led the  way on foot4 ,he  
was a man with such an infamous past    
that even his  fellow-pilgrims1         
disreputable as they appeared1 held     
aloof from him1 in  terror of their     
lives4 ,still1 when ,i came to          
scrutinise his appearance  at close     
quarters1 ,i could not find it in my    
heart to withhold the  compassion that  

his feeble condition aroused in me4 ,as 
his weakness  grew more evident at every
 step1 so the strength of will1 which   
alone  kept him from sinking1 seemed to 
point to some concentrated purpose  that
 he was determined to accomplish4       
,whilst ,i was wondering what this      
fixed idea of his might be1 his         
companions whispered among themselves1  
and then came to me and said that he had
 run amuck in ,penang1 doing  to death  
his wife and family2 and they entreated 
me earnestly not  to enter into         
conversation with him1 lest he should be
 seized with  another fit of homicidal  
madness and do me some serious hurt4    
,but  this story1 terrible as it was1   
merely increased the interest ,i took   
in the man4 ,i pitied him the more1     
because1 whatever insane impulses  might
 have ruled his past life1 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 misdeeds4 ,that goal was the    

,mountain of  ,mercy1 as the ,muslims   
love to call the ,hill of ,arafat1 and  
thus the  pilgrimage was to him an act  
of penance1 a penitential journey3 every
  breath he drew was a token of his     
remorse and his every step1 a proof  of 
his yearning to gain salvation4 ,the    
,malays1 if ,i may judge from my        
observations of these specimens of the  
race1 are lacking in the gift  of       
self-restraint on the spur of their     
emotions4 ,they never attempt to  assume
 the virtues which they do not possess4 
,if they are afraid1 they  lay bare     
their souls1 and are not ashamed of     
their cowardice4 ,their  natures are in 
keeping with the jungles of their native
 country--crude1  chaotic1 rank as the  
undergrowth1 and as responsive to their 
tameless  instincts as are the tiger1   
the bison1 and the crocodile4 ,the more 
closely ,i studied the torch-bearer's   
demeanour1 the more convinced  ,i became
 of its sincerity4 ,he bore his         
sufferings with a stoical  endurance1 to

 which his companions were blind1 or at 
least indifferent1  leaving him to      
gather what encouragement he might from 
a word of  sympathy that ,i gave him4   
,raising his cadaverous eyes to mine1 he
  thanked me with a smile more eloquent 
than words1 more moving than  tears4 ,it
 seemed to say3 8,brother1 thy          
loving-kindness has revealed me  to     
myself1 and1 behold1 ,i am afraid40 ,a  
lump rose in my throat so that  ,i could
 scarcely speak4 8,be of good courage10 
,i whispered3 8take refuge  in ,god from
 thyself1 and all will be forgiven      
thee40 ,the words renewed  his purpose1 
and1 knitting his brow in a frown of    
lithe resolution1 he  staggered on over 
the rugged pathway4    ,the road1       
winding through several declivities of  
the valley1 dips at  length into the    
basin-plain of the surrounding          
mountains4 ,there it  takes a sharp turn
 to the east1 which direction it keeps  
until on the  limits of ,arafat a place 
called ,alemeyn is reached4 ,when we    

were midway  between the mosque of      
,khaif and the ,hill of ,arafat four of 
the camels  died from exhaustion1 and   
the loads they bore had to be divided   
among  the freshest of the animals that 
were left4 ,whilst this was being done  
by the moghavem1 our torch-bearer1 in a 
state of wild excitement  at the        
interruption1 flung down the guiding    
light1 and then fell to  pacing         
restlessly to and fro1 reeling in his   
gait like a drunken man1  and muttering 
incoherently to himself2 nor would he   
consent to pick up  the torch1 despite  
the moghavem's repeated orders1 until   
the caravan  resumed its march4         
,shortly after1 another delay was       
occasioned by the death of a pilgrim    
who had walked all the way from ,mecca  
supported on his brother's arm4  ,the   
moghavem refused to set the corpse on   
one of his asses 7that  it might be     
buried1 as the brother wished1 on the   
holier ground of  ,arafat71 declaring   
that an additional burden would break   

the back of  his stoutest donkey4 ,on   
this the brother burst into a storm of  
grief1  and my heart so ached for him in
 his disappointment that ,i volunteered 
to bear the body beside me on my mule4  
,a straggler1 overhearing  this offer1  
cried out in broken ,arabic3 8,if you do
 not lend me your  assistance1 ,i too   
shall assuredly fall down and die40     
,seeing that the  poor wretch was indeed
 worn out with sickness and fatigue1 ,i 
made a  virtue of necessity and         
dismounted1 telling him that the price  
of  his taking my place was that he     
should take care of the corpse4 ,his    
readiness to comply with this condition1
 which would carry with it the          
necessity of religious purification1    
proved him to be no malingerer1  and a  
second glance at him was enough to      
assure me that he had not many  more    
hours to live4    ,all being ready1 ,i  
laid hold of the mule by the bridle1 and
 led the  dying and the dead to the     
front of the caravan4 ,to my surprise1  

,i saw  that the torch-bearer1 in his   
anxiety to make the best use of his     
remaining strength1 was some distance   
away1 and so determined was ,i to  keep 
in touch with him1 and1 if necessary1   
force him to accept my help1  that ,i   
broke into a run1 as fast as ,i could   
lay my tender bare feet to  the ground4 
,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 us2 and1   
not long after1 there came1 from the    
rear1 the  ever-nearing tramp of a troop
 of horsemen riding at full speed4      
,the terror of the ,malays1 wholly      
undisguised1 drove them into one        
another's arms4 ,not knowing which way  
to turn1 they all huddled  together like
 a flock of sheep1 while the            
torch-bearer1 whose one  idea was proof 
against any danger that might beset him1
 broke silence  for the first time1 and 
derided them unmercifully because of    
their  cowardice4    ,then out stepped  

the ,arab moghavem1 as shepherd of the  
cowering rabble1 and cried3 8,be not    
afraid1 but keep close  to me60 ,and on 
this1 he rushed quickly to the fore1    
shouting  out at the top of his voice1  
in the ,bedouin dialect of ,hejaz3      
8,y-,aghadin-ul-ghoum-,nahn-,meskinna-al
-,zowarin60    ,this sentence1 8,o      
tribal chieftains1 we are only the poor 
of the  pilgrims10 he kept on repeating 
as he strode boldly forward3 every now  
and then he turned round in order to    
hearten the cowering wretches that  came
 trembling after him2 but1 before he had
 advanced a hundred paces1  the         
galloping in the rear grew so loud that 
he ordered the caravan to  halt and take
 whatever cover it could devise4        
,with a swiftness of decision1 born of a
 common fear that the horsemen  were    
,bedouins on the warpath1 the terrified 
pilgrims made the camels  kneel down at 
the sides of the road1 and entrenched   
themselves behind  them1 scarcely daring
 to breathe1 lest their whereabouts     

should be  revealed4 ,and no sooner had 
they flung themselves on the ground than
  the troop came rushing past1 proving  
itself to be a squadron of  ,sherfian   
cavalry in pursuit of the freebooters4  
,much to the joy of  the pilgrims1 the  
firing ceased almost immediately after1 
and the  skirmishers in front of us were
 heard to beat a rapid retreat on       
,arafat4    ,on the silence that ensued1
 came the tinkle of an approaching      
caravan1  to which1 on the principle    
that there is safety in numbers1 we     
resolved  to attach ourselves4 ,the     
new-comers1 forty in number1 were       
,indian  settlers of ,mecca1            
passive-eyed and wheedling of tongue1   
and with us  they were only too willing 
to make common cause1 bearing themselves
  towards us with that spirit of        
brotherhood which is perhaps the  most  
humanising characteristic of the        
,islamic faith4 ,within half an  hour's 
march of ,alemeyn1 our united party was 
overtaken by a band of  professional men

 and women--musicians1 singers1 and     
dancers--who1  mounted on               
gaily-caparisoned camels1 presented a   
vivid contrast to our  poverty-stricken 
pilgrims on foot4 ,as each one went by1 
he or she was  greeted by our greybeards
 with loud derisive cries of            
8,astaghferallah6  ,astaghferallah60    
,this demonstration on the part of our  
old men was  meant to imply that theirs 
was the garb of virtue1 however naked   
might be their wretchedness4 ,in the    
same belief1 ,i utter seventy           
,astaghferallahs before ,i venture to   
describe this entertaining  company4    
,altogether they numbered thirteen      
persons1 the musicians being men1  and  
the singers and dancers being the       
,flowers of ,delight of ,mecca4  ,first 
came a drummer1 beating intermittently1 
but at regular intervals1  on a         
curiously shaped double drum1 not unlike
 a huge orange cut in  two1 and so      
joined that each part came under each   
hand4 ,it is called  nagghareh by the   

,persians1 and gave forth a shrill1     
discordant noise1  that not even the big
 egg-shaped drum 7,tabl71 which was     
beaten  energetically with two long     
drum-sticks by the man that followed1   
could drown or materially modify4       
,behind these drummers rode two  women  
singers1 whose voices were as the       
tinkling of the heavy bangles  with     
which their arms and ankles were laden4 
,next in the line of  march was a young 
man with a withered face1 blowing       
incessantly on an  instrument called    
surn1 that bears a resemblance1 in form 
and also  in tone1 to a ,scotch bagpipe4
 ,after him1 a couple of dancing girls1 
with streaming ringlets1 and clad in    
silk dresses of many colours1  burst    
into rippling laughter at every second1 
partly because it was  their business to
 be merry-hearted1 and partly because   
they found  food for mirth in the       
members of our caravan4 ,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 stilled1 and  one  
of them said to me1 on passing by3      
8,were ,i in your place1 ,o ,haji1  ,i  
should bury the corpse1 and offer the   
seat it occupies to yonder              
torch-bearer1 who seems to stand in sore
 need of succour40 8,the wishes  of the 
dead must be respected1 ,o              
,compassionate ,heart10 ,i replied2 8and
  as for the torch-bearer1 nothing would
 persuade him to renounce his  task of  
self-sacrifice4 ,he has taken a vow to  
perform the pilgrimage  on foot1 and he 
comes from a far distant country40 ,the 
answer she  returned was lost in the    
ear-piercing squeak of a kern--a woeful 
wind instrument at least four feet in   
length--and in the scarcely  less       
strident din of a third tom-tom4 ,the   
rear was brought up by two  men--the one
 thumbed a stringed rubb1 a ,bedouin    
instrument admirably  adapted to the    
music of the wastes2 while the other1   
the jester of  the band1 had powdered   

his face with barley flour1 and wore a  
tall  head-gear of white lambskin1 and a
 long cloak of vari-coloured silk4      
,casting a quizzical eye on our effects1
 and one look in particular on  my mule 
with its dual burden of the dead and the
 dying1 he remarked1  in an audible     
tone1 imitating the ,indian accent3     
8,wah1 wah1 wah6  ,ahlul-,jehannum6     
,bah1 what a hell party60--an expression
 that1 in face  of the open             
self-sufficiency of the majority among  
us1 made me roar  with laughter4 ,my    
companions1 refraining from retaliation 
in kind1  contented themselves with     
repeating the word ,astaghferallah until
  their tormentor had passed out of     
hearing4    ,illustration3 ,,the        
,,musician ,,camel ,,cavalcade4    ,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 mount4 ,their aim was to collect as 
much money as they  could wring from the

 pilgrims1 and then be the first to lead
 the  procession back to ,mina4 ,for    
there1 after the ,lenten hardships of   
the ,hjj are ended1 several days are    
spent in holding revels and in          
merry-making4    ,an uninterrupted march
 of half-an-hour1 under a stormy sky1   
brought us  to where two walls define   
the boundary of ,arafat4 ,there the     
moghavem  halted1 and cried out1 in a   
joyful voice1 8,o blessed pilgrims1 here
 we  are on the exalted soil of         
,alemeyn6 ,may peace be with ,muhammad  
and with  his family60    ,forthwith    
there arose on all sides such an        
outburst of religious  enthusiasm as ,i 
had not witnessed even in the ,harem of 
the ,ka'bah4  ,cries of 8,labbaik       
allahhom labbaik60 passed from lip to   
lip4 ,the  torch-bearer fell on his face
 to the earth1 and shed tears of        
delirious  joy4 ,the dying man on my    
mule sank to the ground1 dragging the   
corpse  with him1 and sang praises to   
,allah with his last breath4 ,a native  

dervish1 beside himself with            
hashshish-bibbing1 danced furiously     
round  and round1 beating on his bare   
breast1 and tearing his unkempt locks1  
and shrieking excitedly1 8,y-,h6 ,h-y60 
,then1 with one accord1 we  all         
prostrated ourselves five times in      
prayer1 rending the air with a  chorus  
of 8,here ,i am1 ,o ,allah1 here am ,i60
    ,after the excitement had subsided1 
the ,sahebin-ul-,maiet1 or owners  of   
the dead1 met in conference together1   
and decided that it would  be best to   
bury the corpses of their friends before
 we entered the  encampment on the plain
 of ,arafat4 ,to that end the help of   
the ,bedouin  drivers was solicited4 ,a 
grave was dug1 measuring about ten feet 
by  twelve1 and having a depth of some  
two-and-a-half feet and into this  the  
bodies were lowered and placed side by  
side1 some wrapt in their  white kefans1
 and the rest wearing the habits they   
died in4 ,the pit  was then filled up1  
and large stones were piled a-top1      

serving the  double purpose of          
preventing the corpses from being       
snatched by beasts  of prey1 and of     
marking the place where they lay buried4
 ,this done1 an  ,indian mull1 putting  
his thumbs behind the lobes of his ears1
 the  fingers extended1 exclaimed with  
indescribable fervour1 8,one only is    
great--one ,allah60 while the pilgrims1 
taking their stand behind him1  bowed   
themselves to the ground in prayer4     
,the funeral rites over1 the mull       
declared the dead to be 8martyrs in  the
 ,faith10 on which the moghavems of our 
respective caravans1 having  made all   
necessary preparations1 ordered us to   
press forward in the  direction of the  
city of tents4    ,i looked round in    
search of the torch-bearer1 but he was  
nowhere to be  seen1 nor could anyone   
whom ,i questioned tell me what was     
become of  him4 ,i never saw him again4 
,on resuming our journey1 the           
threatening storm-clouds overhead       
dissolved in a shower of rain which     

drenched us to the skin4 ,more          
impatient than ever to find ,seyyid ',al
 and my ,persian friends1 ,i bade  the  
,malay and ,indian wayfarers a hasty    
farewell1 then1 urging my mule  into a  
quick ambling pace1 was soon far in     
advance of their caravan4    ,the road  
is very narrow at ,alemeyn1 but it      
widens considerably1  as1 taking a      
sudden bend from the east to the        
north-north-east1 it  approaches the    
central broadway of the encampment4     
,this thoroughfare  was turned into a   
bustling open-air bazaar4 ,coffee-booths
 were erected  at intervals of every    
twenty or thirty yards1 and at these    
places the  crowd was thickest1 and     
blazing torches impregnated the air with
 smoke  and the stench of noisome oil4  
,it is customary to keep awake          
throughout  the hours of this night1    
praying and reading the ,kurn2 and maybe
 the  practice was honoured in the      
observance by many a pious pilgrim      
within  the seclusion of his tent2 but1 

in this gadabout centre of uproar and   
confusion1 the vigil was passed in no   
such devotional mood4 ,eating  and      
drinking took the place of religious    
exercises4 ,stories were told  to the   
bubbling of the water-pipe2 love songs  
were intoned under the  journeying moon2
 and pilgrims1 whose minds were         
sharpened with long  brooding over      
metaphysical conundrums1 could yet find 
the keenest zest  in bartering noisily  
over the purchase of a melon4    ,it    
passed through my mind that here1 if    
anywhere1 ,i should be likely  to happen
 upon ,seyyid ',al1 for his             
pleasure-loving disposition1 as ,i      
shrewdly guessed1 would be irresistibly 
attracted to where it could  be best    
satisfied and displayed4 ,and in this   
expectation ,i gave my  mule in charge  
of a beggar1 and1 having ordered a cup  
of coffee at a  refreshment stall1 sat  
down on a stool to keep watch4    ,i had
 not been waiting more than a quarter of
 an hour when ,i saw ,sheykh  ,eissa    

come riding towards me4 ,the 8rose of my
 heart bloomed10 and ,i  leaped to my   
feet with joy1 calling him by his name4 
,at last his eyes  met mine1 and in     
another moment he was at my side4       
8,sir10 he said1 with a deep salaam2    
8,seyyid ',al is looking for you        
dar-beh-dar--from door to door4 ,he has 
just gone down the road with  our       
moghavem1 and one of our servants1 and a
 ,bedouin driver1 to see  if he can find
 you4 ,if you had bought one of my      
talismans1 you would  not have lost     
yourself in the crowd40    8,my friend10
 ,i replied1 8you will remember the     
story of the ,slave in  ,sa'adi's book  
of the ,rose ,garden4 ,when he was on   
board ship he cried  night and day from 
fear of the sea4 ,then ,fate threw him  
overboard that  he might appreciate the 
safety of the ship1 and be thankful to  
be  rescued and set on board again4 ,i  
have learned the same lesson on the     
journey from ,mina to ,arafat4 ,there is
 no condition in life so miserable  but 

it may be rendered almost pleasant1 in  
retrospect1 by a more  wretched one     
still40    ,meanwhile1 ,seyyid ',al     
hastening up with his companions1 had   
overheard  my remarks1 and now          
interrupted me1 saying with some heat3  
8,y-,moulai1  ,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 presence6 ,verily1 ,i
  have good reason to rejoice that you  
fell among thieves and rogues60    8,you
 misinterpret his ,excellency's words10 
cried ,sheykh ,eissa4 8,your  vanity    
lies so close to the skin that----0     
8,why should you make it bleed1 then80  
,i broke in4 8,a truce to your          
quarrelling4 ,show me the way to our    
camp4 ,my eyes are heavy with sleep4    
,it is as much as ,i can do to keep them
 open4 ,come1 ,seyyid ',al1 unknit  your
 sullen brow4 ,i have missed you        
grievously4 ,let that assurance  suffice

 to heal your wounds40    ,as ,i spoke a
 bugle sounded the hour of midnight4    
,seyyid ',al1 still  somewhat glum1     
started off at once1 carrying a thick   
,bedouin club4  ,after him came the     
servant1 bearing a lighted fns in his   
hand1  while ,sheykh ,eissa and myself  
followed close at his heels1 leaving the
  moghavem in the rear to look after our
 mules4    ,our way lay to the east of  
the central broadway4 ,before entering  
our own quarters1 in the north-eastern  
corner of the plain1 where  all the     
dignitaries of the ,hjj had pitched     
their tents1 the ,sheykh  pointed out to
 me the high-pinnacled pavilions of the 
,sherf of  ,mecca1 of the               
,amin-us-,surreh1 of the ,pashavat of   
,turkey1 of the  ,persian               
,consul-,general1 of the ,high ,priest  
of ,teheran1 of the military  commanders
 of ,hejaz1 and of the                  
,amir-ul-,hjj-ul-,shami and the         
,amir-ul-,hjj-ul-,mesri4                
,illustration3 ,,water-,,carriers ,,of  

,,mecca4    ,illustration3 ,,the ,,pasha
 ,,of ,,hejaz ,,and ,,the               
,,aminus-,,surreh4    8,his ,holiness   
the ,sherf10 said he1 8has more tents   
than one could  count at one's ease4 ,do
 you see that high pavilion where the   
green  flag is flying8 ,that is the     
audience-chamber of his ,holiness4 ,some
 of  the tents serve as dining-rooms1   
some as withdrawing-rooms1 some  as     
bath-rooms4 ,others1 again1 as sentinel 
houses1 as stables1 as  cooking-houses1 
as servants' apartments1 and so forth40 
,well1 the tents of all the grandees1   
including those of my ,persian  hosts1  
were surrounded by tejirs or canvas     
walls measuring about  seven feet in    
height4 ,the extent of the confined     
space varied of course  with the number 
of one's retinue2 our enclosure being   
comparatively  small covered a stretch  
of ground about fifty paces square4 ,a  
sentinel  was on guard at the entrance1 
above which hung a ,persian lantern1    
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  beyond4    ,these     
tents of ours1 five in number1 must not 
be confounded with the  ones we had used
 at ,mecca4 ,they belonged to a ,persian
 moghavem  attached to the ,syrian      
caravan1 and were made of white canvas  
lined on  the inside with a particular  
kind of red cloth that goes by the name 
of  shelleh4 ,supported on nine poles   
covered with the same material1 they    
were so constructed that any one of the 
sides could be converted at  will into  
the front entrance1 and that doors could
 be opened wherever  and whenever       
needed4 ,by this means it was possible  
to keep the interior  relatively cool4  
,the floor of our withdrawing-tent was  
spread with ,persian rugs1 and  at the  
further end facing the doorway was a    
downy mokhata or pillow  divan4 ,to this
 snug abode ,i returned1 after ,i had   
washed my hands and  feet in a tent     
close by1 to find that the servants1    

following the  hospitable custom of the 
,bedouins1 had already laid the cloth   
for  supper4 ,my hosts were not present2
 having dined1 they were fast asleep  in
 their own tents4    ,it is not         
considered seemly in the ,east for      
inferiors to sit down  in the presence  
of their superiors1 nor do the latter   
ever so far  forget their superiority as
 to stand up in welcoming a guest of    
lower  rank4 ,the act of rising is a    
recognition of equality1 and not a mere 
greeting4 ,thus1 when 8,i fell down to  
supper0 7as the late ,shah was  fond of 
saying in the diary of his ,european    
tour7 ,i was in etiquette  bound to     
accept the homage of ,sheykh ,eissa and 
,seyyid ',al'1 who were  standing up4   
,but their attitude of docile humility  
so tickled my sense  of the ridiculous  
that ,i raised my head after a few      
minutes1 and said3  8,ah1 are you there8
 ,bismillah1 sit down 444 ,y-,allah60   
,the invitation was certainly a breach  
of social custom on my part1  inasmuch  

as ,i was the master--a breach1 however1
 for which the  exclamation of y-,allah1
 which is an acknowledged substitute for
  rising1 made ample amends in my humble
 opinion4 ,with an equal contempt  for  
formality1 or finding the silence       
oppressive beyond endurance1 ,i  then   
gave them permission to talk4 ,if ,i    
refrained from inviting them to  partake
 of the savoury dishes of camel's flesh 
prepared for me1 it was  simply because 
,i knew that they had already broken    
their fast4    ,the conversation fell on
 the subject of the ,bedouins4 ,the     
,sheykh1  having told me a story of a   
blood-feud between two clans1 untied a  
little parcel which he was in the habit 
of carrying about with him1  and took   
out three steel dice loosely threaded on
 wire and inscribed  with talismanic    
characters1 together with a brass disk  
divided into  squares and covered all   
over with hieroglyphics4 8,by means of  
these two  things10 said he 7while      
,seyyid ',al tipped me a wink of        

incredulity71  8,i can foretell the     
future40    ,with those words1 he shook 
the dice in both his hands1 and threw   
them  on the magic disk1 and then1 after
 making pretence to read the signs  on  
the face of the dice1 as well as those  
within the squares they  occupied1 he   
sat meditating for several minutes in   
gloomy silence4  8,blood10 he muttered  
at length1 biting the thumb of his right
 hand1  8blood1 ,i say1 will be shed on 
this plain before the rising of  the    
sun4 ,a peaceful caravan will be        
annihilated by a warrior band4          
,terrible6 ,i see some pilgrims3 they   
belong to my native land2 ,i hear  them 
crying for mercy3 but the clansmen--ah1 
what is this ,i read8--yes1  the        
clansmen of ,hozail1 having plundered   
them1 refuse to give quarter4  ,surely  
this is a warning to me to keep a sharp 
look-out that ,i may use  my influence  
should woe betide my fellow-countrymen6 
,may ,god protect  them through my      
timely aid60    ,by this time ,i had    

finished my meal1 and1 having drunk a   
cup of coffee  and smoked a kalyn1 ,i   
dismissed the fortune-telling ,sheykh1  
who  promised1 before he went away1 to  
return at daybreak and accompany me  to 
a sort of gymkhana1 where the ,bedouins 
were to show their skill in             
horsemanship4 ,and then1 being dead     
tired1 ,i said good-night to ,seyyid    
',al and flung myself down to rest4     
,seyyid ',al1 on leaving the room1  sang
 a ,persian lullaby softly to himself4  
,it ran something like this3--          
,hence1 begone1 thou desert ogre1       
,sleep would fain my baby lull3         
,baby1 hush1 thine eyes are drowsy1     
,and the night is growing dull4         
,hush1 the night is full of shadows1    
,full of phantoms dark and dread2       
,soundly sleep1 my precious baby1       
,morning comes with joyous tread4       
,hushaby1 ,beloved of ,allah1           
,sleep1 and thou shalt go to school1    
,pen in hand1 shalt learn thy lessons1  
,sagely con each word and rule4         

,thou shalt read the wondrous sayings1  
,that in holy ,koran stand2      ,famous
 shalt thou be1 my baby1                
,wealthy1 mighty1 handsome1 grand4      
,hushaby1 thou breathest smoothly1      
,and thine eyes like daisies close2     
,sleep hath caught thee to her bosom    
,rest1 my baby1 sweet repose4           
,,chapter ,,ix    ,,arafat ,,day3       
,,night#b    #b ,in the ,east the night 
precedes the day1 thus our ,sunday night
 is  their ,monday night4      ,it has  
always been difficult1 if not           
impossible1 to satisfy the  cravings of 
an inquisitive nature2 and when ,seyyid 
',al left the tent1  singing the        
,persian lullaby1 my curiosity was not  
long in overcoming  my desire to sleep4 
,it was not the prayerful hum of the    
canvas city  that kept me awake2 it was 
the undevotional uproar1 with the appeal
  it made to my love of adventure4 ,i   
lay there for some time thinking1  as   
men active and alert in body and mind   
will1 of the chances ,i might  miss of  

witnessing some deed of heroism or of   
violence1 were ,i to allow  myself to   
count the possible cost of the risk1    
rather than the certain  opportunities  
of distinction which its dangers would  
present to a man  of an enterprising    
spirit4    ,with these thoughts in my   
mind1 ,i leaped to my feet and at once  
wandered out in the camp4 ,to me it     
seemed one vast place of sepulture2     
for1 go where ,i might1 there ,i        
happened upon the victims of the cholera
  fiend or its terrible ally1 fear4 ,i  
saw them writhing on the ground1  with  
limbs hideously contorted and faces     
blackened like charcoal2 ,i  heard the  
sick groaning from within the tents as  
,i hurried by to the  more convivial    
surroundings of the market-place2 and ,i
 stumbled over  the graves in which the 
dead had been shovelled with unseemly   
haste by  their terror-stricken friends4
 ,the custom was to bury the dead       
outside  their tents 7or wherever they  
might happen to fall1 if away from the  

camp71 but to this custom the neighbours
 sometimes objected in a craven  regard 
for their own safety2 for my part1 the  
longing to recreate my  mind amid more  
companionable scenes1 caused me to run  
all the way to  the meidn4 ,and there1  
carousing with the ragtag and bobtail of
 the  loiterers and stragglers of the   
encampment1 ,i counted private soldiers1
  our guardians of the peace1 by the    
score4 ,they filled the front benches   
of almost every coffee-booth1 making the
 night merry with their hearty          
laughter1 while their companions1 not   
behindhand in conviviality1 burst  out  
singing love-songs to the accompaniment 
of the clapping of hands4    ,the       
,bedouin ,sheykhs1 virile1 dignified1   
and exclusive1 did not deign  to take   
part in these revels1 but spent the     
vigil of the night on the  ,mountain of 
,mercy or in the cafs that they kept for
 their private use4  ,they were not     
dressed in the pilgrim's garb2 they were
 arrayed in all  the warlike trappings  

of their tribal splendour2 and being    
impressed  by this silent declaration of
 their independence1 ,i came at length  
to  the conclusion that they1 regarding 
themselves as the chosen people of  the 
,faith and the holy places as their     
inheritance1 deemed it right  that the  
winding-sheet of humility should be worn
 not by themselves1  but by those who   
visited the ,holy ,land of ,islm from   
beyond the seas4  ,another              
characteristic of theirs1 a             
characteristic that runs on  parallel   
lines with the first1 is the attitude of
 the ,sheykhs to their  clansmen1 and   
vice vers1 as it reveals itself in the  
expression of  their faces4 ,as every   
one knows who has studied the laws of   
this free  and irresistible people1     
despotism1 as it exists in the          
,muhammadan  monarchies1 is a thing     
impossible amongst them2 and the        
consciousness  of this inalienable      
grace1 why1 upon my word1 their faces   
positively  shone with it6 ,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 7in a less degree7  
the ,turkish dependent in the company   
of his master4 ,a ,sheykh1 on the other 
hand1 being first amongst equals1  bears
 himself towards his followers with a   
dignity and charm commingled  out of    
paternal pride and childlike modesty1   
nor does such an one  consider his      
position to be threatened because his   
tribesmen never  cringe4 ,they1 too1 are
 freeborn men and carry their heads high
 even  in the presence of the ,sherf of 
,mecca1 who holds his race too dear  to 
exact an obsequious homage4 ,indeed1 his
 face never wears a frown2  his voice is
 never raised in anger2 and yet for all 
who come near him  the consciousness of 
his power lies not in themselves1 but in
 the man  himself3 in a word1 it lies in
 his complete self-forgetfulness and his
  freedom from all arrogance and        
pretence4    ,illustration3 ,,the       

,,sher,f ,,of ,,mecca ,,in ,,his        
,,uniform4    ,well1 as ,i walked along 
in the direction of the ,holy ,mountain1
 ,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  ,arafat4   
,the ,prophet recommended his followers 
to perform this act of  remembrance1 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 angels4 ,imagine1     
then1 with what zeal and devotion my    
fellow-pilgrims lifted up their  voices6
 ,after each name1 loud cries of 8,here 
,i am1 ,o ,allah6 here am  ,i60 were    
raised by one and all1 the ,maghrebis   
singling themselves out1  to my         
amusement1 by the number of women's     
names that came tripping  off their     
tongues2 it seemed for all the world as 
though they were  resolved to win the   
praise of none save female angels6      

,tickled not a little by this delicious 
trait of character1 ,i wandered  on1    
falling the while into a vein of        
pleasant memories on the friends ,i  had
 left behind me1 until ,i was suddenly  
recalled to myself by a mighty  hue and 
cry4 ,and this is what had happened4 ,a 
,bedouin thief1 breaking  through the   
tent of a pilgrim whom he knew to be    
engaged in calling out  names on the    
plain1 saw in a corner a round bundle in
 a white cloth4  ,with greedy hands he  
made to possess himself of its contents 
when1 to  his intense amazement1 a woman
 burst from its folds1 shrieking6 ,she  
had  wrapped herself up in the cloth ere
 she went to sleep1 as the custom  is   
among ,orientals of the lower class1 so 
that not even her head was  visible to  
the nefarious ,bedouin1 who1 on now     
perceiving his mistake1  threw himself  
on the floor1 with the intention of     
slipping headforemost  under the tent4  
,he had certainly got away at once1 had 
not the husband  returned1 and1 in the  

belief that the thief had it in the mind
 to take  advantage of his dearest      
treasure1 laid hold of the intruder by  
the  leg1 giving the alarm that had     
startled me from my day-dream4 ,the     
woman  swooned away1 while the ,bedouin 
tugged himself free and made good his   
escape4 ,a few minutes later1 a sergeant
 and his men shouldered their  way      
through the crowd that had collected    
round the entrance--too late  for once4 
,i hesitated a moment before ,i ventured
 to put my fate to the test of  further 
experience4 ,i knew well that ,i risked 
robbery1 if not death1  in continuing my
 ramble2 for1 as ,i had noticed from the
 moment of my  setting out1 the camp was
 haunted by paupers with the most evil  
and  desperate faces ,i ever beheld4    
,they lay in wait for the unwary pilgrim
  wherever the gloom was densest1 and at
 best the lanterns and torches  about   
each tent shed but a dismal glimmer on  
its purlieus2 but the  desire to scale  
the ,hill of ,arafat and to say my      

prayers on its summit1  at last overcame
 the whispers of alarm4 ,my only weapon 
was a stout  cudgel1 which ,i had picked
 up as a protection against the pariah  
dogs  that barked at every passer-by2   
however1 as only a couple of dollars    
were left in the little bag round my    
neck1 ,i felt that ,i could plod  along 
in the teeth of danger with no load of  
uneasy wealth on my mind4  ,and so1 with
 a fresh glow of courage1 ,i sallied    
forth4    ,it was by this time about    
half-past three in the morning1 and a   
lull  seemed to fall on the camp1 or    
perhaps this was merely a fancy of mine1
  a testimony to my jangled nerves4 ,be 
this as it may1 ,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 nervousness4 ,for1 on       
reaching a secluded  and storm-rent     
tent1 ,i was suddenly surrounded by a   
gang of paupers1  who sprang out upon   

me1 clamouring for alms in a tone so    
threatening1  that my pride rebelled and
 would not allow me to purchase my      
safety  at its expense4 ,enough1 ,i     
thought1 if ,i seek refuge in yonder    
tent4 ,a  hail of stones about my head  
increased my determination to gain the  
place of shelter1 about fifty yards     
away1 and thither ,i cudgelled me a     
path with a desperate expenditure of    
strength4 ,the surly rascals trod  close
 upon my heels1 stoning 8the devil of a 
,jew0 with surly illwill2  but inside   
the tent they dared not follow me4 ,for 
all that1 if they  had committed the    
blunder of counting the booty before the
 battle was  won1 ,i had soon the       
discomfiture to discover that innocence 
in distress  may be less fortunate in   
its destiny than villainy in disguise4  
,to the  injuries ,i had received at the
 hands of the robbers were now added the
  insults of the inmates of the tent4   
,they stood on the defensive1 taking  me
 to be a thief2 ,i called heaven to     

witness that ,i had come near to  being 
his victim2 whereupon they assumed the  
offensive1 and1 catching  me by the nape
 of the neck1 dragged me outside and    
gave me in charge  of a sentinel who1 as
 ill-luck would have it1 happened to be 
on his  beat4 ,without saying a word1 ,i
 disbursed myself of half the money ,i  
had about me1 which was a proof of the  
innocence of my intentions so           
convincing to the sentinel1 that he let 
me loose and fell to upbraiding  my     
unwilling hosts for their unjustifiable 
suspicions4 ,his eloquence  took the    
sting out of the reception they had     
given me1 and ,i went on my  way        
blithely enough4    ,when ,i at last    
reached the ,hill of ,arafat1 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 afternoon2 for it was there1  
about  half-way up the ,hill1 that      

,muhammud was wont to address his       
followers1  sitting on a dromedary4     
,this place1 as well as the summit      
beyond1  is reached by means of a broad 
flight of steps1 which1 winding up  the 
southern slope of the ,mount1 gets      
gradually more precipitate and  narrow4 
,no attempt to keep order was made by   
anybody in authority1 with  the result  
that the pilgrims going up would meet   
the pilgrims coming  down1 and be locked
 tight in one another's arms1 each party
 fighting  its hardest to force a       
passage through4 ,on the crest the      
pressure of  the crowd was even greater3
 ,i mean more especially in the         
neighbourhood  of the ,makam1 or        
prayer-niche of ,adam1 with its         
white-washed platform  and central      
obelisk1 where pious wayfarers from     
every quarter of ,islam  were pouring   
out their thanks to ,god from the       
innermost tabernacle of  the heart4     
,having said a two-prostration prayer--a
 duty that ,i had not neglected  on     

passing the sermon enclosure below--,i  
turned to the north where1  in the      
valley separating the ,hill from the    
surrounding mountains1 a  band of       
,bedouin shepherds had lighted huge     
roaring bonfires1 by the  light of which
 ,i could see their flocks 7so soon to  
be slaughtered as  a sacrifice to the   
,omnipotent7 peacefully nibbling the    
sparse green  herbage of the lowlands4  
,from the north ,i went to the south1   
and gazed down on the plain below1  to  
where1 under the ruddy glare of the     
torches and the yellow light of  the    
lanterns1 the tents of the faithful     
stood out against the darkness  beyond4 
,the only regularly pitched camps were  
those of the soldiery1  the ,sherf1 and 
the other dignitaries of the ,hjj2 all  
of these  occupied the space on the     
left-hand side of the observer2 while in
 the  fore-ground1 to the right1 as well
 as to the left1 the tents of the       
,syrian and the ,egyptian caravans were 
conspicuous3 and most of these  were    

either circular or elliptical in shape  
and of considerable size1  sometimes as 
many as twenty pilgrims1 and never less 
than ten1 sleeping  in a single tent4   
,for the arrangement between a ,syrian  
pilgrim and his  moghavem is this3 ,the 
pilgrim pays the moghavem a certain sum 
of  money in return for which the latter
 guarantees 7#a7 to find him a seat  in 
a kejaveh when the caravan is on the    
move1 7#b7 to give him the use  of a    
camel on which to set his provisions and
 belongings1 and 7#c7 to  reserve for   
him a sleeping-compartment within one of
 the tents that are  thus turned into   
portable caravanserais4    ,now1 the    
,syrian caravan1 whose commander        
considers himself the chief  of all the 
foreign pilgrims and brings with him a  
strong detachment of  cavalry1 claims   
superiority over that of ,egypt2 but    
both caravans glory  in the possession  
of a ,mahmil or ,holy ,carpet1 a        
treasure1 by the bye1  that is not a    
carpet at all1 but a square wooden frame

 with a top in  the shape of a pyramid4 
,a becrescented ball of gilt silver is  
set on  the four corners of the square  
and on the crest of the pyramid1 and    
the little shrine is covered all over   
with rich brocade embroidered in  gold  
and edged with silk tassels4 ,this      
covering varies in colour and  in       
material1 but1 generally speaking1 the  
,syrian ,mahmil is draped with  green   
velvet and the ,egyptian with red4 ,the 
origin of the ,mahmil is  said by some  
to date back to the year #fde of the    
,hegira1 when a ,queen  of ,egypt1      
called the ,tree of ,pearls1 made use of
 a similar kind of  thing as a litter1  
on the occasion of her pilgrimage to    
,mecca2 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 ,syria1 a journey made before
 he had revealed to the ,arabians  his  
new doctrine4 ,nowadays the ,mahmil is  
empty4 ,but a copy of the  ,kurn is     

fastened outside below the topmost      
crescent4 ,in the course of  time the   
,egyptian ,mahmil came to be known by   
the name of ,aishah1 the  ,prophet's    
second wife1 who one day questioned him1
 saying3 8,now am ,i  not better than   
,kadijah8 ,she was a widow1 old1 and had
 lost her looks2  you love me better    
than you did her80 ,and ,muhammad       
answered3 8,no1 by  ,allah6 ,she        
believed in me when none else would     
believe4 ,in the whole  world ,i had but
 one friend1 and she was that40 ,and it 
is after this  peerless woman ,kadijah  
that the ,syrians have called their     
,mahmil4 ,along  with that of ,egypt    
goes what is called the ,kesveh1 which  
consists of  eight pieces of black silk 
and a green curtain4 ,the first is used 
for  covering the walls of the ,ka'bah1 
and the second for veiling the tomb  of 
,abraham4 ,this ceremony1 which takes   
place during the pilgrimage1 was  first 
instituted by ,kurb1 ,king of ,yemen1   
and in the year of the ,hegira  #gej1 a 

man named ,suleyman bought seven        
villages in ,egypt1 the produce  of     
which has since gone to defray the      
yearly expenses of the ,kesveh4  ,these 
villages now yield an income of about   
#g1jjj sterling1 and all  this money is 
spent in purchasing the ,kesveh and in  
despatching it with  great pomp to      
,mecca4    ,after meditating for about  
half an hour on the inexhaustible       
subject  of my sins1 ,i forced my way   
through the press to the foot of the    
,hill1  and after several adventures in 
a place called the 8,kitchen of ,adam0  
7where the ,indian and ,meccan pilgrims 
of the poorest classes pitched  their   
tents and where even the dervishes and  
beggars had found a                     
shelter7--adventures too trivial to be  
related here1 ,i returned at last  to my
 own pavilion1 and 8laid me down with a 
will0 to sleep4 ,the whole  encampment  
was now wrapped in a solemn hush4       
,,chapter ,x    ,,arafat ,,day3         
,,daybreak      ,pop1 pop1 pop6 ,i lay  

between sleeping and waking1 and        
wondered what the  noise could be4      
,bang1 bang1 bang6 ,and again1 bang1    
bang6 ,i awoke with  a start--surprised 
to find myself wide awake2 but an hour's
 sleep is  not long enough to stupify a 
man4 ,the reports grew louder1 and the  
dogs  began to bark from every corner of
 the encampment4    8,come hither to    
prayers10 sang out the muezzins2        
8devotion is better  than sleep40 ,by   
that time every pilgrim was up and      
stirring4 ,wheuf6  the air of the false 
dawn1 how chill it was6 ,i summoned a   
servant1  telling him to light a fire   
outside the tent2 other pilgrims        
followed  my example2 and soon the      
hissing samovar gave promise of a cup of
 tea4    ,the eastern horizon1 in the   
meantime1 was growing redder and still  
more red2 and the pilgrims1 having      
performed their ablutions and said      
their prayers1 began to intone the      
,talbiyah and the ,tahlil1 pouring out  
their supplications to ,god and their   

belief in ,his unity1 in a wailing  lilt
 of entreaty and contrition4 ,others    
stood in circles1 beating  their breasts
 and singing the ,labbaik4 ,it was a    
scene of enthusiasm  impossible to      
describe4    ,rap-tap-tap1 tap-rap-rap1 
floated on the air3 it was the sentinels
  beating their drums to salute the     
break of day4 ,guns fired incessantly   
on the hills and in the valley and on   
the plain4 ,and now the hawkers  and the
 worshippers1 the water-carriers and the
 paupers1 the hungry  and the ascetic1  
all began to shout together4 8,sweet    
water refreshes  the soul10 cried the   
water-carriers2 8drink of the sacred    
water of  ,ain-,zobeideh40 8,give in the
 name of ,allah10 whined the beggars2   
8my  living is in the gift of ,allah4   
,are ye not the creatures of ,allah8    
,y-,allah1 y-,allah60 8,light the fire  
and fill the cup10 said a ,persian      
officer1 in his eagerness to break his  
fast4 8,and don't forget to  #8fatten'  
the water-pipe10 added his companion4   

8,and you shall #8dig up  its           
grandfather' that is1 be the last to    
smoke it as it passes from  mouth to    
mouth1 my friend10 said the officer1    
smiling4    ,when the sun came up on us1
 ,i saw ,sheykh ,eissa for the first    
time  that morning2 he was standing at a
 distance of some yards1 talking to     
,seyyid ',al1 whose handsome face shone 
with its usual expression of            
light-hearted amusement4 ,the two men   
bowed to me reverentially1 their  hands 
folded on their breasts4    8,look1     
y-,moulai10 said ,seyyid ',al1 8the top 
of the ,mountain of ,mercy  is so full  
of tents and animals and men1 that the  
poor jinns1 to say  nothing of the      
angels1----0    8,now1 don't talk       
blasphemy1 my friend10 interrupted a    
priest called  ,mull ,ahmad4 8,do you   
think there is no room left for the     
angels80    8,god forbid60 cried ,seyyid
 ',al1 raising his eyes aloft4 8,they   
can  perch on the tent-poles1 or on the 
camel-saddles40    8,kofre-negued 7don't

 blaspheme760 yelled the ,mull4 8,don't 
you  know that the angels are           
transparent8 ,but for that the sun would
 be  eclipsed1 so dense is the choir of 
angels in the circumambient air40       
8,is that so80 replied ,seyyid ',al1    
with a smile that incensed his          
questioner beyond all measure4 8,does   
not the ,holy ,tradition say that  there
 must be six hundred thousand souls on  
this ,blessed ,plain1 and  that the     
deficiency1 if any1 will be made up with
 the necessary number  of heavenly      
choristers8 ,i had not thought that the 
deficiency was so  great as to cause so 
vast a reinvasion of light from above40 
8,the ,tradition10 shouted the ,mull1   
8says that there must be fully  six     
hundred thousand souls3 there may be    
more1 but there cannot be  less----0    
8,how many pilgrims are there1 do you   
think80 ,i asked1 interrupting the      
,mull4    8,it is human to err10 he     
replied1 sententiously2 8but1 however   
many  there may be1 and ,i believe there

 are #fjj1jjj and more1 ,allah may      
increase them4 ,and as for the angels1  
,seyyid ',al1 they will confine         
themselves to the regions of the air1   
immediately above us1 and will  say     
#8,amen' to our prayers and             
supplications40    8,multiply your      
estimate by #c and divide it by #f1 and 
you will not be  so far out of your     
reckoning1 ,i think10 and so saying1 ,i 
appealed to  ,sheykh ,eissa for his     
opinion4    ,the ,sheykh scanned the    
encampment with critical eyes4 8,let us 
say10 he  murmured at last1 8that this  
city of tents on the plain and the hills
  contains innumerable souls and moving 
beasts4 ,am ,i not right1 ,mull         
,ahmad80    8,well said1 my friend60    
cried the ,mull4 8,nobody save          
,allah--may ,i be  ,his                 
sacrifice6--could count the number one  
by one4 ,and who are we that  we should 
set a limit to ,god's omnipotence and   
clemency80    ,the ,turkish authorities 
were almost as ignorant in the matter as

 the  rest of the pilgrims4 ,some of the
 former said #bhj1jjj1 others #chj1jjj2 
a more daring calculation was twice the 
first number 7#efj1jjj72  and the most  
timid of all was that of a ,turkish     
official of my  acquaintance1 who       
estimated the concourse of pilgrims at  
#bej1jjj4 ,now1  in #ahjg1 there were   
#hc1jjj pilgrims in ,mecca1 according to
 ,ali ,bey2  in #ahad1 ,burkhardt1 the  
,swiss traveller1 who visited the ,holy 
,city in  disguise1 under the name of   
,sheykh ,ibrahim1 calculated that there 
were  #gj1jjj pilgrims2 while ,richard  
,burton 7,sheykh ,abdullah71 in #ahej1  
found  the number reduced to            
#ej1jjj2--;a number which1 in #aijb1 was
 increased  fivefold1 in my humble      
opinion2 indeed1 ,i maintain with the   
utmost  confidence that this calculation
 of mine1 if somewhat too high1 cannot  
possibly be reduced below #bbj1jjj2 for 
the opinion among the ,meccans  was     
unanimous that the ,bedouin and foreign 
elements1 on the occasion of  my        

pilgrimage1 were more than four times as
 numerous than they had been  within the
 memory of the oldest inhabitants4      
,now1 as regards the plan of the        
encampment1 it has always been the      
endeavour of the well-to-do to keep as  
close to the ,mountain of ,mercy  7the  
,hill of ,arafat7 as possible1 and the  
consequence of this is that  the whole  
expanse of the northern face of the     
plain is more or less  aristocratic1    
with an effort to regularity in the     
arrangement of the  tents1 the most     
distinguished camping-places being in   
the north-eastern  angle1 where the     
,sherf's pavilions are pitched1 and all 
along the  north and north-western      
ridges1 where the tents of the ,turkish 
soldiery  and the foreign grandees      
spread themselves in unbroken lines to  
the  point of attraction in the         
north-east4 ,for to sun themselves in   
the  light of the ,sherf's beneficent   
eye1 is the ambition of all pilgrims    
who have any claim to regard themselves 

as gentlefolk4 ,the more the  plain     
slopes to the south1 the more it is     
covered with the tents of the  vulgar   
and with the pilgrims that have no tents
 at all2 while midway  between the two  
extremes are the booths and stalls of   
the open-air  bazaars3 these are also   
scattered here and there in every       
encampment4  ,the ,syrian and the       
,egyptian caravans1 with their          
respective ,mahmils1  take up their     
appointed places1 nowadays1 without any 
serious dispute  arising between them2  
but in olden times the rivalry was so   
keen and  so bitter1 that blood was     
often shed4 ,the ,meccan religious      
officials1  the ,turkish civil and      
military authorities1 and the privileged
 grandees  of all nations1 including1 of
 course1 the ,persian ,consul-,general1 
follow the precedent of immemorial      
custom2 but for the rest the rule of    
8first come1 first served0 holds good in
 every quarter of the plain1  ,i mean   
within the limits of the broadly defined

 distinctions of class  which make it   
expedient1 if not compulsory1 for the   
paupers and less  reputable pilgrims to 
keep to the south1 leaving the northern 
regions  to their brethren of higher    
castes4 ,in theory1 the ,mussulmans are 
all  equal1 each to each2 but1 socially1
 they are at least as exclusive  as the 
,christians1 and infinitely more        
exacting where etiquette and  ceremony  
are concerned2 while at ,mecca1 the     
,kiblah of the ,faith1  there is1 with  
the yearly influx of pilgrims of        
heterogeneous races1  a growing tendency
 to assimilate the two most striking    
effects of  western centralisation as   
seen in the capitals of ,europe--namely1
 an  inclination to become more and more
 tolerant in matters of religion1  and a
 determination to regard wealth as the  
determinative factor in  separating     
class from class4 ,to every student of  
,islm the first of  these is of         
tremendous importance4 ,he must bear    
constantly in mind  that the            

embroilments between the seventy-two    
sects1 so far from being                
irreconcilable1 show a steady           
inclination to become less marked in the
  holy city of ,mecca at the present    
day1 notwithstanding the hostility  of  
the priests towards a complete reunion4 
,time was when the ,shiahs1  to which   
sect the ,persians and the ,nakhowalis  
of ,medina belong1 were  precluded from 
exercising their religious rites in     
their own way1 and  when they were even 
shut out from the regular encampment on 
the plain  of ,arafat4 ,but to-day they 
are not only allowed to gain salvation  
as the spirit moves them through the    
performance of their special            
ceremonies2 they are also accorded the  
privilege of following the time  laid   
down in their own almanacks for the due 
solemnisation of their  sacred rites1   
and that altogether apart from the      
,orthodox sects who  follow invariably  
the instructions of the ,kazi of ,mecca4
    ,this is an immense gain2 let us    

consider what it means3 ,does it not    
mean that the ,prophet's aim in making  
,pilgrimage an inseparable part  of the 
,faith1 is getting1 year by year1 a step
 nearer to completion8  ,and if so1 can 
the enthusiast's belief in the          
possibility of an united  ,islm--an     
,islm rooted in 8one life1 one law1 one 
element1 the one  far-off divine event10
 be dismissed as a dream too spiritual  
to be  substantiated8 ,i say no2 for a  
dream that is already a spiritual truth1
  as it most certainly is among the     
enlightened at the present time1  may   
one day become a political fact in the  
eyes of the whole world4  ,however1 come
 with me to the ,persian encampment1 and
 ,i will tell you  on the way something 
more about the city of tents1 as well as
 something  more of the ,mussulmans of  
the ,shiah persuasion4    ,illustration3
 ,a ,,learned ,,mussulman ,,of ,,india4 
,the first thing that struck me1 by the 
light of day1 was the contrast          
presented by the personal cleanliness of

 such of the pilgrims as had  performed 
their ablutions1 and the inconceivable  
filthiness of the  surroundings in which
 they lived4 ,to attempt to describe the
 causes  that resulted in this          
insanitary condition of the encampment  
7a  condition that1 in the absence of   
any medical help worth mentioning1      
added considerably to the violence of   
the cholera and the number of  its      
victims7 would be to enumerate the      
disgusting habits of every  individual  
camp-follower in the train of the       
grandees1 not to allude  to those of the
 poor and destitute1 who either lived   
under tattered  rags over rude          
crossbars1 like the dervishes1 or slept 
with the vermin  on the naked ground4   
,the scene was pleasing to the eye1 no  
doubt2 but  the contagion spread by its 
most picturesque features was none the  
less  overpowering to the nose4 ,at a   
distance it was artistic3 a glimpse of  
gipsy life twinkling with colour2 walk  
into it1 and it was only fetid  stench  

and festering pollution4 ,the tents of  
the less poverty-stricken  caravans were
 pitched in rings called dowars2 the    
beasts of burden  being hobbled in the  
centre1 or tethered to the tent-pegs    
outside2 and  the shape and colour of   
the tents1 if less various than the     
facial  types of those who dwelt in     
them1 were sufficiently diversified1 in 
certain quarters1 to relieve the        
monotony of the general picture4  ,red  
within and white without1 the tents of  
the middle classes were  dome-shaped1   
while those of the privileged           
dignitaries were as  sumptuous and      
varied in colour and form as those of   
the poorest classes  were ingenious in  
contrivance4 ,the ,sherfian colours were
 green and  gold and red1 and the most  
beautiful pavilions of all were         
certainly  his4 ,after these1 perhaps1  
came those belonging to the ,persian    
,consul-,general1 who made a not        
unsuccessful attempt to compete with    
the highest in the splendour and        

completeness of his camp equipment4     
,moreover1 the thoroughfares of the     
select corner of the plain were1  upon  
the whole1 well-ordered and creditably  
policed1 more especially  was this the  
case with those in closest proximity to 
the ,turkish  authorities4    ,and now  
with these preliminary remarks on the   
appearance of the city  of tents by day1
 ,i will ask the readers to follow me   
into the ,persian  encampment situated  
midway between the ,syrian and ,egyptian
 caravans2  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    
,nakhowalis4 ,i had a long talk with    
about  a dozen of these men 7they had   
accompanied the ,persian pilgrims from  
,medina to ,mecca as guides7 and it is  
on the information that ,i gleaned  from
 them that this short paragraph is      
based4    ,well1 when the ,prophet fled 
from ,mecca1 with a few devoted         

followers1  he was received by a great  
number of the people of ,medina with    
every  mark of confidence4 ,those who   
fled with him were afterwards called    
,mohajer or ,immigrants1 while those who
 went out to help him from the  city of 
refuge came to be known by the name of  
,anssar or ,auxiliaries4  ,it is from   
the latter party that the ,nakhowalis   
claim descent4 ,they  now number about  
two thousand families1 and live1 in open
 feud with  the ,orthodox inhabitants1  
outside the city gates4 ,they have their
 own  mosques and cemetery1 as they are 
not allowed to worship within the       
,harem of the ,prophet's ,tomb1 nor were
 they permitted1 until quite  recently1 
to cross its threshold4 ,the cause of   
all their disabilities1  however1 is of 
a political rather than religious       
nature2 for all of  them hold the first 
two ,caliphs in execration1 the greater 
number  forswearing allegiance to       
,othman as well4 ,the bond of sympathy  
between  the two groups thus formed is  

the veneration and love they bear       
,muhammad's cousin and son-in-law1 ',al1
 whom they believe to have been  the    
lawful successor of the ,prophet4       
,however much or little they may  differ
 in doctrine from the ,shiahs of        
,persia1 they are acknowledged by  the  
latter as belonging to the same         
communion2 indeed1 the ,persians        
contribute1 year by year1 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 pilgrims4 ,moreover1 a    
,nakhowali1 if he  chance to visit the  
country of the ,lion and the ,sun1 will 
be sure to  return with bags full of    
money2 nor is this charity of a sort    
that  loses both itself and friend1 the 
recipient being quick in responding  to 
every act of friendship1 as many a      
,persian pilgrim had good reason  to    
remember if1 as it usually happened1 he 
took up his abode at  the friendly      
hearth of a ,nakhowali4 ,hospitable and 

chivalrous1 the  ,nakhowalis adhere     
strictly to this unwritten law of the   
desert-born1  that a guest must be      
protected even if he be an infidel2 none
 the less  they count both ,jew and     
,christian as unclean1 being as         
scrupulous  in this particular as the   
,persians1 whose rules they follow in   
the  discharge of their religious       
purifications4    ,my informants1 who   
were armed to the teeth1 were handsome1 
swarthy1  and fearless-looking4 ,they   
bitterly resented the fact that1 on     
certain  points of religious observance1
 they were constrained to obey the      
instructions of the ,kazi of ,medina1   
rather than those of their own  clergy4 
,they declared that this obedience had  
been wrung from them as  a condition of 
their freedom to have priests of their  
own2 but since  ,i had not an           
opportunity of going to ,medina to see  
for myself1 it  would be unwise to give 
further publicity to reports which      
reached me  either through the ,orthodox

 ,madani1 who were naturally            
antagonistic1  or through the ,shiah    
,nakhowalis1 who were not less certainly
 biassed  in their own favour4 ,their   
womenfolk 7to make an end of this short 
discourse7 are reputed to be the most   
beautiful of all at ,medina2 they  were 
so closely veiled1 however1 that they   
might just as well have been  the       
ugliest--none save their husbands could 
tell4    ,the scene now changes4        
,,chapter ,,xi    ,,arafat ,,day3       
,,forenoon ,,and ,,afternoon      ,early
 in the morning1 shortly after my visit 
to the ,persian encampment1  the        
,turkish cavalry paraded and manuvred4  
,the troops were composed of  ,turks1   
,kurds1 ,arabs1 and ,albanians4 ,to see 
these men in the pride of  a soldier's  
bearing1 you must watch them as they    
rush into life and  motion2 for with    
their ragged uniforms and               
unlikely-looking mounts1  they are at a 
disadvantage when standing at attention4
 ,but once let  them get in full swing1 

and they soon prove that they are       
trained  for use and not for show4 ,to  
me this sudden change from unsoldierly  
slovenliness to skill and daring        
activity1 was a revelation4 ,and  the   
horses--lean ,arabs from ,southern      
,arabia or wiry nags from               
,egypt--responded spiritedly to every   
twist and turn of the bridle  wrist3    
they too were transformed4 ,the feats of
 horsemanship performed  by the         
,albanians were the wonder and delight  
of every pilgrim4 ,these  manuvres of   
theirs1 so different from those of      
,european cavalry1 are  doubtless       
aboriginal4 ,they leave their cantonment
 in fighting array1  riding to the      
tattoo of a small kettle-drum called    
nakus4 ,on a  sudden1 at a beat of the  
drum1 the regiment opens out1 scattering
 in  all directions3 each man pricks it 
in pursuit of the enemy1 firing         
incessantly into the air4 ,the sound of 
the drum now changes1 and the  men come 
galloping back1 meeting in a dense      

column3 then all is  ordered confusion  
and breathless expectation4 ,the signal 
is given1  and then with impetuous fury 
the whole squadron hurls itself on the  
spot chosen to represent the enemy's    
position4 ,the men1 alternately         
dispersing and reforming1 advancing and 
retreating1 obey every beat of  the     
drum1 their horses being as             
intelligently alert as well-trained     
polo ponies4 ,so reckless were the      
,albanians on this occasion1 that it    
was a miracle that only a rider here and
 there came to grief4 ,and all  the time
 this sham fight was raging1 horsemen   
from every corner of  chivalrous ,arabia
 galloped aimlessly about the           
encampment1 waving their  tufted spears4
 ,in the hearts of the pilgrim bands    
watching their every  movement they     
struck an awe not unmixed with terror3  
for1 as ,seyyid  ',al put it1 the horses
 seemed shod with lightning as they     
flashed to  and fro2 and lightning1 may 
it not spare the guilty and strike the  

righteous8444    ,you must not think    
that the pilgrims were idle all this    
while--not  even ,seyyid ',al and       
myself4 ,a party of us met about nine   
o'clock to  visit the holy places on the
 plain1 ,seyyid ',al acting as guide4   
,my  companions were ,sheykh ,eissa1    
,mull ,ahmad1 ,mirza ,yusf1 and ,seyyid 
,muhsin4 ,the demeanour of these men is 
worth describing as a touch of          
character4 ,the tour being a religious  
duty1 their mien was designed to  give  
expression to the earnestness of their  
devotion4 ,the talkative  charm-monger1 
,sheykh ,eissa1 strode forward as in a  
trance2 though he  rarely said a word1  
his lips moved constantly1 as if he were
 whispering  in the ear of a jinn3 he   
was spellbound4 ,his companion1 ,mull   
,ahmad1  looking neither to the right   
nor the left1 tripped along with mincing
  steps1 reciting prayer after prayer in
 ,arabic 7classical style74 ,the  man   
who walked at my side was ,mirza ,yusf1 
than whom a deaf-mute of  ordinary      

intelligence had made himself better    
understood2 for the  ,mirza1 having     
taken a vow to remain silent till he had
 repeated  the ,verse of the ,throne    
seven thousand times1 replied to all my 
questions by signs and nods and awkward 
contortions of the body4 ,as  for the   
two ,seyyids--,muhsin1 a friend of mine 
from ,central ,persia1  and ',al1 a man 
you already know--even they1 though     
drawn together  by the law of affinity1 
yet felt constrained to conceal their   
innate  lightheartedness from each      
other1 wearing in its place an          
expression of  sanctimoniousness more   
comical than insincere4    ,well1 the   
usual course is to proceed at once to a 
place called  ,jamm-,sakhra1 where the  
,prophet used to stand and say his      
,talbiyah2  but my friends1 allowing    
themselves to be persuaded by me1 had   
set  out instead in the direction of the
 ,mountain of ,mercy4 ,there1 with  even
 greater difficulty than on the previous
 night1 ,i shoved my way  up the first  

flight of steps1 using ,seyyid ',al     
sometimes as a buffer  and sometimes as 
a wedge4 ,the others had remained below1
 being afraid  to risk the dangers of   
the ascent2 for even on the lowest      
skirts of  the ,mountain the swarms of  
pilgrims were subjected to pretty rough 
handling2 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 afternoon4  ,we had   
skirted the angry disputants and reached
 the steps not much  the worse for wear2
 but despite all our efforts we found it
 quite  impossible to mount higher than 
the first enclosure whence the sermon   
is preached4 ,there we might have stayed
 till sunset1 a prey to the  rapacity of
 paupers1 had not the pilgrims on the   
plain learned wisdom  from our plight1  
and stayed where they were4 ,this       
lessened the pressure  round the        
platform3 and the number of pilgrims    

coming up being now  less than the      
number going down1 we took advantage of 
this opportunity  without a moment's    
hesitation1 and allowed ourselves to be 
carried  away by the downgoing stream to
 the foot of the ,hill4    ,on reaching 
the bottom1 we turned to the right and  
made for the  ,ain-,zobeideh--,zobeideh1
 wife of ,caliph ,harun-ur-,rashid4 ,to 
this spring  has been given the power of
 working miracles3 merely dip a black   
cloth  in it1 and it will be washed as  
white as milk4 ,no dye can resist its   
cleansing property1 no stone withstand  
its charm4 ,i might believe this  or not
 as ,i liked1 said ,seyyid ',al2 for his
 part1 he would demand  no greater      
wonder than that it should quench his   
thirst--a thirst  that was insatiable1  
he begged ,zobeideh ,khanum 7,lady      
,zobeideh7 to  believe4 ,throwing       
himself on his stomach1 he wriggled     
through the  crowd to the water's brink2
 ,i did likewise2 and then1 having      
washed  our hands and feet and quenched 

our thirst1 we crawled back and said a  
two-prostration prayer out of the       
gratitude of our hearts4    8,god bless 
,zobeideh6 ,may her fountain never run  
dry60 cried ,seyyid  ',al2 then off we  
went at last to where the ,prophet used 
to recite  his ,supplication before     
preaching his sermon on the ,mount4     
,this  place1 as already mentioned1 is  
called ,jamm ,sakhra3 it is a small     
enclosure standing within whitewashed   
walls1 and is divided into two          
compartments--one for men and one for   
women--both of which contain            
prayer-niches4 ,here our friends were   
awaiting our arrival1 having said  their
 prayers--a duty which they discharged a
 second time 7,god will  increase ,his  
kindness67 by way of returning thanks   
for our safety4    ,by this time the sun
 shone in the zenith1 and the whole     
plain was  covered with worshippers1    
saying their mid-day prayers3 the       
angels1  as they believed most          
fervently1 lending ear to their         

entreaties and  responding to such as   
were sincere with an approving ,amen4   
,now1 a ,mussulman believes in earnest2 
watch him as he bows himself  in praise 
or supplication1 and you will not doubt 
his sincerity4 ,his  faith is           
unquestioning1 for is it not to him as  
an elemental force1 as  necessary as the
 air he breathes8 ,why1 it warms him    
like fire1 this  faith of his1 and      
refreshes him like water1 nor is the    
earth than it  more solid and           
indestructible4 ,the ,east has many     
things still to learn  from the ,west1  
but faith is not one of them4           
,surrounded by the dying  and the dead1 
these terror-struck pilgrims1 at the    
first cry of the  muezzin1 regained     
their presence of mind4 ,they had been  
stricken with  fear as with an ague1    
they had fled from death as from a      
scourge1 but  at the first sound of that
 devotional summons1 they stood at      
attention  before their ,creator1 like  
soldiers awaiting the word of command4  

,and  then1 as though ,god had spoken1  
they bowed their bare heads--then  they 
sank on their bare knees--and then they 
prostrated themselves on  the ground4   
,do you doubt their sincerity still8    
,and if their faith is  unimpeachable1  
can you deny that the ,prophet was less 
magnificently  sincere8    ,with these  
thoughts in my mind1 ,i hurried to our  
tents to read a few  chapters of the    
,kurn and to say the prescribed prayers1
 before setting  out again to witness   
the ,sherf's procession and attend the  
,kazi's  sermon4 ,this day1 the #ith of 
the moon1 was a day of fasting2 but a   
good  many pilgrims found pretexts for  
breaking their fasts1 and ,i1 being     
worn out after the long journey of the  
preceding day and the exciting  vigil of
 the night1 was among the number4       
,having eaten my fill1 ,i  dropped fast 
asleep1 to be awakened about three      
o'clock by the firing  of guns4 ,our    
party at once left the tents1 giving    
full instructions to  the servants to   

have everything in readiness for the    
rush from ,arafat  at sundown4          
,illustration3 ,,persian ,,pilgrims     
,,from ,,tabriz1 ,,having ,,tea ,,on    
,,board ,,the  ,,steamer4    ,then out  
once more into the plain1 weltering in  
the sunshine1 to  stand1 bare-headed and
 with naked feet1 until the sun should  
sink  behind the horizon4444    ,the    
,egyptian ,mahmil had already passed on 
to its appointed place on the           
mountainside2 but1 fortunately1 we were 
not too late to see the passing  of its 
,syrian rival which1 draped in its      
covering of gold and green1  now        
threaded its way across the plain4 ,the 
,mahmil headed by a dozen  led horses of
 the purest ,arabian strain1 all richly 
caparisoned with  embroidered cashmere  
shawls1 was surrounded by a squadron of 
horsemen  and camel-riders2 while       
immediately in front of the prancing    
,arabs1  came heralds in white headgear 
and red coats1 bearing silver batons in 
their hands4 ,and thus the green badge  

of ,syria moved on to its allotted      
place on the skirts of the ,mountain of 
,mercy4    ,hardly had it reached its   
destination1 than the band of the       
,sherfian  procession crashed out a     
march3 and soon afterwards the cavalcade
  drew near4 ,a score or two of men on  
foot cleared the course1 making         
vigorous use of the long staves they    
carried in their hands4 ,a number  of   
mace-bearers1 who came next1 were       
followed in turn by a regiment  of      
,sherfian cavalry1 barbarously dressed  
and gallantly mounted1 each  man        
prepossessing the spectator in his      
favour4 ,even more popular was  the     
appearance of the magnificent body of   
men which next excited our  admiration4 
,it was a staff of ,arab chieftains1 the
 pick of the country1  riding on        
mettlesome thoroughbreds1 and combining 
in their persons  all the chivalry and  
the dash of their indomitable race4     
,then a blaze  of crimson-red--the      
,sherfian state colour3 this struck my  

eye on the  flowing saddle-cloths of the
 led horses of ,his ,holiness1 the      
,sherf of  ,mecca1 who1 meekly riding on
 a white mule1 quite alone in the line1 
was  clad1 like the poorest of the poor 
among the pilgrims1 in ,ihrm4 ,behind   
him walked his courtiers and the members
 of his ,household1 while a  crowd of   
,bedouin ,sheykhs on horseback or on    
camels brought up the rear4    ,when the
 cavalcade was stationed near the       
,mahmils1 guns were fired  again and    
again to announce that the sermon was   
about to begin4 ,then1  amid the sighs  
and sobs and tears of that vast         
congregation1 the ,kazi  of ,mecca1     
sitting on a dromedary1 began to preach1
 or 7perhaps more  correctly7 to pray4  
,speaking in ,arabic verse1 each line   
being repeated  about a dozen times by  
the pilgrims1 he intoned the rhythmic   
psalm in a  deep but ringing voice4 ,the
 opening passages ran as follows3--     
,thou1 ,o ,lord1 no mate possessest3    
,thou1 in truth1 the ,king of kings6    

,i am here for ,thee--for ,thee3      ,i
 am here with praise for ,thee4         
,thou no compeer hast1 ,o ,allah6       
,nights are darkened at ,thy command3   
,stars are shining in obedience3        
,angels praise ,thee round ,thy ,throne4
      ,prophets come at ,thy beck and   
call3      ,the sun goes round to sing  
,thy praises3      ,thou art holy and   
,thy name is holy3      ,thou art       
merciful1 magnanimous1 and              
compassionate6             99       99  
99       99       99        ,may the end
 of our life come with heavenly         
blessing6      ,may the angels of       
punishment pass by from our doors6      
,we glorify and praise ,thee1 ,lord6    
,may the angels of mercy show their     
grace to us6      ,may our humble       
supplications be acceptable to ,thee6   
,we glorify and praise ,thee1 ,lord6    
,at first the pilgrims held their       
breath1 afraid of missing a word2 but   
as the prayers and psalms and           
exhortations proceeded1 their enthusiasm

  grew more and more unrestrained4 ,no  
longer content with repeating the       
,kazi's words1 line by line1 they burst 
into tears1 and from tears  into        
shrieks4 ,they beat their breasts1      
sobbing from sheer excess of  joy2 they 
could be seen1 on the plain1 whirling   
round and round1 as  they sang the      
,labbaik4 ,some swooned1 partly from    
delirium of religious  emotion1 and     
partly from the effect of the sun's     
excessive heat4 ,one  moment--and your  
blood seemed to boil and your brain to  
swim in liquid  fire2 then came relief3 
you were drenched in sweat1 reduced to  
liquid  that alternately evaporated and 
gushed out of every pore4 ,i was wedged 
so tight in a compact mass of pilgrims1 
within a stone's throw of the  preacher1
 that there was no chance of my reaching
 the haven of my one  desire--the       
cooling spring where ,i had slaked my   
thirst at noonday4 ,and  so one hour    
wore on4    ,what had happened among the
 pilgrims out there in the dancing glare

 of  the sunlit plain1 ,i cannot say2   
but the least said about the reports  of
 the behaviour of some of them1 the     
better4 ,no good purpose can be  served 
by emphasising the exceptional and      
parading the obscene4 ,where  ,i stood1 
longing for the sound of running water1 
there1 at least1 the  solemnity and the 
fervour of the congregation were of a   
sort to take  one's reason captive1     
overcoming1 by sheer repetition of      
appeal1 even  the craving ,i had to     
swill my gullet with a draught of water4
    ,another hour went by3 the sun was  
sinking in the west3 the eastern        
horizon turned colour1 passing from a   
purple shade to a tone of deepest       
crimson4 ,the green flag on the         
mountain-top still floated high in  air2
 still the preacher gave out his        
message1 to the ever-increasing         
excitement of his people2 and then at   
last1 just as the sun dipped in a  pool 
of red1 the signal of ,essraf was given4
 ,the sermon was over1 and  the night of

 another day begun4 ,we were now        
entitled to call ourselves  ,hjs4       
8,aydkum ,ghebl 7,may your festival be  
accepted710 cried ,seyyid ',al1  kissing
 me three times on the cheeks1 in       
accordance with the practice4    ,and ,i
 returned the kisses1 saying--          
8,tebarik-,allah6 7,may ,god be         
glorified740    ,i now pass on to the   
,day of ,sacrifice and the ,days of     
,drying ,flesh4          ,,chapter ,,xii
    ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,victims3 ,,from  
,,sundown ,,to ,,sunset4 ,,the ,,days   
,,of ,,drying ,,flesh4      ,long before
 the signal of ,essraf was given1 the   
canvas-city had been  in a state of     
confusion3 so that by the time the      
sermon was over most  of the tents had  
been folded and stowed away4 ,thus      
everything was now  ready for the       
impetuous rush from ,arafat4    ,the    
pilgrims' jubilation was then at its    
height4 ,the uproar was  deafening3     
drums were beaten1 bugles called us to  
make haste1 and  rocket after rocket    

exploded as it whirred through the      
air4444 ,we  waited half an hour or so1 
exchanging kisses and congratulations1  
and  then a path was prepared for the   
cavalcades4 ,the ,egyptian ,mahmil took 
the right-hand side of the road and the 
,syrian the left3 after them  charged   
the mounted pilgrims1 followed by those 
on foot1 all and each  showing the same 
reckless determination to press forward 
over every  obstacle1 no matter how     
narrow the road might be4    ,this      
headlong stampede after the sermon on   
the ,mount is historic4 ,it  never grows
 stale with the years4 ,the havoc it    
wrought in #acai of the  ,flight it     
would be quite impossible to exaggerate2
 for the confusion  which has become    
traditional was increased fivefold by   
the number  of pilgrims1 a number that  
was vastly greater than any within the  
recollection of the authorities4 ,women 
and men swooned in the crush  and were  
trampled to death--litters were         
overthrown and smashed in               

pieces--camels were trodden under foot3 
but neither disaster nor death  could1  
in the slightest degree1 glut the wild  
desire by which the crowd  was          
moved--the desire1 namely1 of being more
 completely possessed by  the feeling of
 a religion-wrought delirium4 ,it was   
not a triumphant  procession of peaceful
 pilgrims1 therefore1 though that is    
undoubtedly  what it should be2 it was a
 charge of religious madmen running     
amok4  ,how many were killed or maimed1 
,i can hazard no guess2 but of this ,i  
am  quite certain1--the casualties had  
not been so terrible on any previous    
occasion within the memory of man4      
,thus the dense mass moved on1 and about
 the hour of midnight we reached        
,muzdalifah4 ,there we halted for the   
night1 the pious passing the time  in   
praying and reading the ,kurn4 ,very few
 pilgrims took the trouble  to pitch    
tents here1 the vast majority of them   
sleeping on the ground4  ,before lying  
down to rest1 ,seyyid ',al and ,i       

collected forty-nine  stones apiece for 
the ,lapidation of the ,devil in the    
valley of ,mina4    ,now1 this ceremony 
takes place three times3 first1 between 
sunrise and  sunset on the #ajth of the 
moon when every pilgrim must fling seven
  stones at a buttress1 situated at the 
,meccan entrance to the valley1  and    
called the ,great ,devil4 ,these seven  
stones must be gathered at  ,muzdalifah1
 and have to be washed seven times and  
each time in fresh  water4 ,on the      
following day1 the #aath1 twenty-one    
stones must be  thrown3 seven at the    
,great ,devil as before1 seven at the   
,wusta or  ,central ,point in the middle
 of the valley1 and1 last of all1 seven 
more at the ,ula or ,first ,place lying 
at that entrance to ,mina which  faces  
,arafat4 ,all these twenty-one stones   
may be gathered either in  the valley   
itself or at ,muzdalifah on the return  
journey2 but they1  too1 must be washed 
seven times and each time in fresh      
water4 ,the  same rules apply to the    

third ,lapidation1 which is held on the 
#abth of  ,z-'l-hijjh3 and the three    
ceremonies aforementioned are performed 
in  commemoration of the tradition that 
,abraham was tempted three times of  the
 ,devil1 at those very places in the    
valley1 what time he was about  to      
sacrifice his son ,ishmael4 ,now the    
first day1 which is the #ajth of        
,z-'l-hijjah1 is called the ,day of     
,victims1 while the two following  days 
are called the ,days of ,drying ,flesh  
in the ,sun4    ,awaking early1 my party
 set out1 at peep of day1 to the sacred 
monument  hard by1 where1 amid scenes of
 indescribable solemnity1 the ,festival 
,prayers were celebrated by the ,kazi of
 ,mecca1 who also preached a short      
sermon4 ,departing thence at sunrise1 we
 arrived at ,mina about nine  o'clock1  
one of our servants dying of cholera on 
the road4 ,we buried  him where he fell1
 each one of us wondering if his own    
life would be  the next to come to an   
end4 ,what would happen after the       

slaying of the  victims we dared not    
think4 ,the prospect looked gloomy in   
the extreme4    ,having eaten a good    
meal1 we traversed the valley in the    
direction of  ,mecca1 in order to be    
rid1 as soon as possible1 of the        
tiresome duty of  stoning the ,great    
,devil4 ,when we reached the entrance to
 the valley1  it was to find our access 
to his ,satanic ,majesty blocked by a   
vast  concourse of excited pilgrims4    
,the road1 about thirteen yards wide1   
was packed with horsemen1 camel-riders1 
litters1 pilgrims on foot1 and  women in
 kejavehs1 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--say1 three yards high by two  
yards broad4  ,of the ,orthodox sects   
the ,shafeis are the most privileged1   
for they are  allowed to stand at a     
distance of five cubits from the ,devil1
 whereas  the ,hanefis are supposed to  
make their attack the more formidable by

  fighting at close quarters--within    
arm's reach of the ,arch ,foe4    ,and  
all the while the great mountains       
frowned down upon us2 very              
awe-inspiring ,i found them3 the seven  
stones ,i had brought along with  me    
fell at my feet only to be picked up by 
,seyyid ',al4    8,come1 y-,moulai10    
said he3 8the devil is not so big after 
all4 ,see1 ,i  will fling your stones as
 well as my own at little devils like   
myself40    ,after this 8ceremony0 was  
over1 we returned to our camp where a   
barber  was waiting 8to bring me out of 
,ihrm40 ,when he had trimmed my hair1   
shaving it round the nape of the neck1  
and had cut my nails1 ,i made to  take  
off the pilgrim's garb1 saying--8,in the
 name of ,god the ,merciful  and        
,compassionate1 ,i intend to doff my    
,ihrm of pilgrimage1 according  to the  
usage of it by the ,prophet1 on whom be 
blessings and glory6 ,o  ,allah1 reward 
me to the number of the hairs of my head
 with ,light1  ,purity1 and ,grace4 ,in 

the name of ,god--,god is great60 ,upon 
this the  barber helped me to undress   
and 7after ,i had had a bath7 to put on 
my  gala attire which was ,egyptian in  
make and in material4    ,illustration3 
,,disembarking ,,at ,,jiddah4           
,illustration3 ,,pilgrims ,,at ,,jiddah4
    ,by this time the servants had      
purchased the victims1 and they now came
  to tell me that all preparations had  
been made for the sacrifice4 ,i  deputed
 ,seyyid ',al to slay my harmless sheep1
 from a sudden invasion  of             
squeamishness4 ,and before the day was  
over the valley of ,desire was  turned  
into a reeking slaughter-house1 and1 it 
may be added1 into a  cemetery for the  
dead pilgrims4 ,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 epidemic4 ,the less  
said  of it here the better4 ,i have no 
wish to make the reader sick4 ,it  will 
be enough to add1 to what has been said 

in a previous chapter1  that the camels 
were sacrificed by none but grandees1   
who dispatched  their victims with the  
words3 8,in the ,name of ,god6 ,god is  
great60 the  same words being used by   
the other pilgrims in sacrificing the   
sheep6    ,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    
,flesh2  for1 had not the victims been  
brought down from heaven by angels1 and 
driven by them under the guidance of    
,bedouin shepherds1 to the place  of    
slaughter8 ,but the truth is that the   
,takruri negroes were more              
blood-thirsty than any of the           
carnivorous animals or birds of prey3   
they laid in wait until the sheep were  
killed1 feasting their eyes on  the     
creatures' dying agonies1 and then      
pounced on the carcases like  hungry    
vultures4    ,now1 a great many         
pilgrims1 after casting off the ,ihrm   
and putting  on their festival attire1  

went at once to ,mecca1 visited the     
,ka'bah1  repeating the ceremonies      
already described1 and then returned to 
,mina  to slay their victims4 ,one of   
our party who had taken this course fell
  sick of the cholera on the road1 and  
the news of his grave condition  reached
 us at mid-day4 ,we therefore determined
 to take up our quarters  in ,mecca1 for
 our comrade's sake1 and to return to   
,mina1 day by day1  in order to complete
 our stoning of the ,devil4 ,sheykh     
,eissa1 however1  remained behind to    
take charge of our camp2 and when we got
 back again  next morning1 it was to    
hear from him a flamboyant account of   
the  fireworks and jollifications of the
 ,great ,festival that we had missed4   
,we listened to his stories of the      
too-unfettered revelry by night with    
heavy hearts1 for our friend was dead4  
,outside1 the whole valley stank  like a
 shambles1 hundreds of pilgrims having  
succumbed overnight to the  cholera     
epidemic2 and so1 when we had stoned the

 ,devil for the second  time1 we bent   
our steps again to the ,holy ,city1     
taking care to remember  our comrade in 
our prayers as we passed by the mosque  
of ,khaif4 ,there  we saw some poor     
pilgrims drying the flesh of a dead     
sheep--a revolting  spectacle4 ,next    
day1 the #abth of ,z-'l-hijjah1 we cast 
the remaining  twenty-one stones at the 
three buttresses in the ,valley of      
,desire1 and  were ready on the #acth 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-,zem1 and put on the ihrm once     
more1  and made our declaration of      
intention opposite the ,black ,stone4   
,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 ablution4 ,then we rode back
 to ,mecca and again went  through all  
those ceremonies within the ,harem and  

between ,mount ,saf  and ,mount ,marveh 
which have been described in the earlier
 pages of this  narrative4 ,this brought
 the little pilgrimage of ,omreh to an  
end1 and  the ihrm was finally removed4 
,thenceforward the streets of ,mecca    
were  crowded with pilgrims dressed in  
every costume of the ,east4    ,i       
remained a week in the ,holy ,city after
 the ,day of ,victims--indeed1  no      
pilgrim could bring himself to leave the
 ,kiblah of the ,faith before  the #ahth
 of ,z-'l-hijjah--and whiled away the   
time by frequent visits  to the ,harem  
and the bazaars4 ,by these means ,i     
added considerably to my  knowledge of  
the pilgrims and their ways4 ,the result
 of my observations  will be found      
overleaf4    ,on the #ahth ,i attached  
myself to a strong caravan bound for    
,jiddah1 and  there ,i said good-bye to 
,seyyid ',al4 ,the reader will meet him 
again1  however1 in the brief pages of  
,part ,,iii4          ,,part ,,iii      
,,part ,,iii    ,,meccan ,,scenes ,,and 

,,sketches          ,,chapter ,i        
,,the ,,meccan ,,bazaars      ,the      
,european1 who prides himself on his    
practicality1 is inclined to  look down 
on the merchant's calling1 though it is 
surely one of the  most practical of    
all4 ,the ,oriental1 on the other hand1 
who is supposed  to be the most romantic
 of mortals1 generally holds it in high 
esteem4  ,therefore the ,oriental1 if he
 is less practical in that he is slow   
to adopt the time-saving methods of his 
,western brother1 is far more  logical  
in paying every respect to a calling    
which is one of the chief  factors in   
the welfare of nations4 ,moreover1 the  
,oriental's attitude  towards travelling
 proves him to be far more practical    
than he is  generally believed to be4   
,as a general rule he takes to roving1  
either  to lay up for himself treasures 
in heaven by visiting holy places1 or   
to better his condition in life by      
trading in foreign parts4 ,if he is a   
pilgrim he combines the spiritual and   

the worldly aims above-mentioned1       
strong in the ,prophet's assurance that 
it shall be no crime in him  if he seek 
an increase from his ,lord during his   
pilgrimage4 ,the  consequence is that   
,mecca is turned every year into a      
bustling fair1  an exchange and mart    
where ,eastern commodities of every     
description  can be purchased in cash or
 in kind4 ,this being understood1 ,i    
will ask  the reader to accompany my    
guide and myself on our shopping tour of
  the ,meccan bazaars1 for ,i must not  
forget1 as a true pilgrim1 to buy a     
sought or present for each of the       
friends ,i left behind me4              
8,y-,moulai10 said my guide1 8let me    
advise you to grease your tongue  with  
honey before we go1 that the shopkeepers
 may respond to the  compliments you    
must pay them by lowering their prices4 
,i notice that  you have a smile on your
 lips4 ,y-,allah6 do you wish to return 
with  an empty purse8 ,press your lips  
together1 affect a poverty-stricken     

demeanour1 otherwise you will be fleeced
 not only by the traders1 but  also by  
every beggar in ,mecca1 more            
particularly by those who lie in  wait  
for the generous-hearted round about the
 ,harem4 ,on entering each  shop you    
must cough as hard as you can1 though   
you tear your chest in  pieces3 then the
 shopkeeper will be compassionate in the
 matter of  charges4 ,another counsel ,i
 would offer you is this4 ,let us       
suppose you  want to buy a knife4 ,the  
first thing you must do is to ask the   
cutler  for a sword1 then for a dagger1 
then for a pair of scissors1 and1  after
 refusing all of these things with a    
sneer1 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 part1 a    
magnanimous  recompense to him for his  
trouble4 ,for our merchants1 though they
 are  often crafty and betray a         
suspicious conscience1 are1 if you treat
 them  as they expect to be treated1 of 

a childlike simplicity4 ,so cast off    
your sandals that you may acquire the   
reputation of a saint and thus  be      
treated fairly in the bazaars4 ,believe 
me1 ,y-,moulai1 if you follow  these    
instructions1 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 
wiles40 ,and so chattering he  led me   
through the crowded streets1 and would  
have asked for alms1 that  ,i might pass
 as a beggar1 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 me2      
whereon he glanced at me furtively      
muttering in his  beard3 8,he is as     
proud as a ,shahzadeh40    ,the city of 
,mecca is divided into two parts4 ,of   
these the upper  quarters are called    
,mal1 as opposed to the lower ones1     
which are known  by the name of ,misfl4 
,the shops are very similar to those at 

,jiddah2  but in the street that bears  
the name of ,mussah1 which is the       
broadest  and most picturesque          
thoroughfare1 they occupy1 ,i may say1  
the ground  floor of the houses on both 
sides1 presenting to the passers-by such
 a  wealth of ,oriental goods as ,i for 
one had not seen before4 ,the familiar  
word 8bazaar0 is ,persian1 its ,arabic  
equivalent being ,sgh1 and a  whole     
quarter is sometimes called after its   
neighbouring market1 as is  the case1   
for instance1 with the quarter called   
,sgh-,seghir4 ,to the  ,north of        
,mussah-street is situated the ,soueygha
 ,bazaar1 where goods  7especially the  
belongings of dead pilgrims7 are sold by
 auction twice  a day1 in the morning   
and in the evening1 and there also      
slaves are  exhibited and knocked down  
to the highest bidder4 ,the ,syrian     
,bazaar1  or ,sugh-,sham1 is to be found
 to the east of this slave market2  the 
armourers display their weapons in the  
,sgh-,geshatshi near the  ,platform of  

,purity1 whence the ,sugh-,lail1 or     
,night bazaar1 is within  easy reach2   
while further to the east1 below the    
skirts of ,mount ,ab  ,ghobais1 in a    
market named ,moamil1 pottery of any    
description can  be bought by the       
pilgrims as receptacles for the curative
 water of  ,zem-,zem4 ,in a square to   
the east of this bazaar camels and sheep
 are  sold1 and fruit stalls are kept by
 ,bedouins3 and from thence one passes  
to the blacksmiths' shops or            
,sugh-,haddadin4    ,the pilgrim who    
would purchase shoes or sandals must    
seek the upper  quarters of the town1   
and there1 in the north of ,mal1 he will
 find  what he wants in abundance1 as   
well as many provision stores which     
serve to replenish the supplies of the  
yearly caravans2 for most of  these     
dealers have agencies at ,jiddah1       
,bombay1 and ,cairo4 ,in the same       
quarter1 still to the north1 is the meat
 market1 most of the butchers  being    
,bedouin ,arabs who keep special flocks 

of sheep and camels  for slaughter and  
for sale4 ,from this bazaar the way lies
 through  some extremely narrow and     
dirty lanes to the ,zokk-,seni or       
,chinese  ,market1 where gold and silver
 vessels and jewellery are sold by a few
  ,muhammadans of the ,celestial        
,empire4 ,thence to the north-east are  
situated the dyers' shops1 which go by  
the name of ,sugh-,sabbaghin4  ,the     
manufacture of indigo dye1 which is much
 used in ,arabia1 is very  interesting4 
,first the small leaves are dried in the
 sun1 then they  are powdered and put   
into earthenware jars filled with water1
 where  they remain overnight4 ,next    
morning the leaves are stirred          
thoroughly  until a dark blue froth is  
produced in the water1 after which they 
are  left to settle4 ,when the indigo is
 taken from the bottom it is spread  on 
cloths to drain1 and is then mixed with 
dates and saltpetre4 ,the  method of    
calendering the garments dyed with      
indigo consists in beating  them on     

stones with wooden hammers1 which is    
generally done to the  accompaniment of 
a song4                                 
8,bismi'llhi'r-,rahmni'r-,rahim60 ,with 
those words on our lips we  entered the 
bazaar to the north of the ,harem4 ,what
 first struck my  attention was a man   
sitting on a rug with a small wooden    
frame in front  of him1 a round blue    
tile by his side1 a reed pen in his     
right hand1  and a few sheets of paper  
in his left4 ,he was an ,arab scribe1   
and  around him were gathered a crowd of
 illiterate pilgrims1 all waiting  for  
him to write their letters4 ,the first  
to go forward was an ,afghan  pilgrim4  
,he had muscular limbs and a fierce1    
scowling face4 ,said he3  8,write me a  
letter to my brother3 he is ill and     
lives at ,sakhir40 ,the  scribe1 who was
 sitting on his hips1 cocked up his     
right leg ever so  slightly so as to    
form a sort of table1 and asked the     
,afghan what he  was to say4 8,by ,god60
 exclaimed the native of ,sakhir1 8,i   

expect you  to provide something more   
than the paper and the penmanship4 ,you 
must  supply the words as well4 ,what6  
you know not what to write8 ,have ,i not
  said that my brother is sick and like 
to die8 ,tell him that ,i will  bring   
him a bottle of ,zem-,zem water--that   
will cure him1 if it please  ,allah--and
 a winding-sheet that has been dipped   
therein1 which will  be useful if he    
die--,god forbid60 ,here my guide       
stepped to the front1  saying1 8,from   
the ,percussion of the ,grave and from  
the ,interrogation  of the ,grave may   
,god the ,merciful and ,clement deliver 
him60 ,a bright  smile flashed over the 
,afghan's face4 8,may your kindness     
increase60  said he4 ,meanwhile1 the    
scribe dipped his pen in the silk       
threads on  the blue tile which served  
the purpose of an inkstand4 ,these      
threads  were soaked in soot and water1 
and it took about three dips to write a 
single word4 ,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  eye4 ,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    
word1 for the  ink left no permanent    
trace on the paper but came off in      
layers when  rubbed with the wet finger4
 ,the lines of the letter were wide     
apart1  and an ample margin was left on 
both sides4 ,when the bottom of the page
  was reached the scribe filled the     
margins lengthwise1 and then fell  to   
writing between the lines4 ,i could not 
help thinking that the sick  ,sakhiri   
would find it easier to answer the      
interrogations of ,nakr and  ,munkar1   
those dread ,inquisitors of the ,grave1 
than to read the letter  from ,mecca1   
which struck me as being almost as      
difficult to decipher as  a ,chinese    
poem4 ,when the last word was written   
the ,afghan took out his  purse1 to the 
strings of which was tied a round seal  
of brass whereon  his name was engraved4

 ,having unfastened the seal he handed  
it to the  scribe4 ,it amused me to see 
that the purse was withheld by the canny
  ,afghan1 who obviously had no         
intention of losing over the transaction
  more than he had bargained for4       
,all ,orientals1 particularly the       
,persians1 lay great store by their     
seals4 ,those of the lower classes are  
generally round and made of  brass1 and 
are either fastened to their purse      
strings or left dangling  by their      
waistbands4 ,the mulls have a preference
 for square seals  of cornelian set in  
base silver1 as approved by the         
,prophet2 while  the high officials     
8gratify the pride of irresponsibility10
 or the  instincts of taste in the      
matter1 some choosing gold seals        
ornamented  with diamonds1 and others   
turquoise seals decorated with pearls or
  with rubies4 ,sometimes a line of     
poetry is engraved on the seal as  well 
as the owner's name4 ,i knew a pious    
,shi'ah whose seal bore this            

inscription3 8,the slave of the ,king of
 the country1 ,imm ',al10 only  the last
 word1 of course1 being his own name4   
,later1 on our journey  through the     
bazaars1 we chanced to see a ,persian   
hakkk1 or seal-maker1  at work4 ,the    
cornelian he was carving was fixed in   
tar on the small  board in front of him4
 ,the deft way in which he wielded his  
small  hammer was the result of a steady
 hand and an unerring eye1 gifts  for   
which the ,persians are justly famous4  
,the motto was intended  to commemorate 
his pilgrimage to the ,mother of        
,cities1 and ran as  follows3 8,sadik1  
the least of ,hjs and the slave of ,god1
 in the city  of ,god60    ,i entered   
into conversation with this man ,sadik1 
and was lucky to find  in him a very    
lantern of traditions4 ,the works of    
,baidw1 of ,ab  ,sa'd al-,khadr1 of     
al-,farr of ,bagh1 of ,nu'man ,ibu      
,bashr1 of ,ab  ,hurairah1 of ',abd     
,allah ,ibu ,mas'ud1 to say nothing of  
the ,persian and  ,arabian poets1 he    

seemed to know by heart4 ,when ,i       
complimented him on  his learning1 he   
replied1 saying3 8,if ,i am blessed by  
,god with a good  memory1 it is because 
,i have never eaten a quince1 or a sour 
apple1  or fresh coriander1 or garlic1  
or the remainder of a mouse's meal2  nor
 have ,i1 to the best of my belief1 ever
 read a book written by the  blind1 nor 
drawn blood from the nape of my neck4   
,for these things  weaken the memory and
 produce folly4 ,from the unseemly      
demeanour of  your guide0--the rascal   
had been more exasperating than         
usual--8,i would  hazard the conjecture 
that he has tasted of many a mouse's    
meal40    ,the guide grew exceeding     
wrath1 and would have struck the speaker
 had ,i  not prevented him2 then he     
cried1 8,you lie6 the humiliation you   
would  thrust on me1 see1 ,i cast it    
back in your face60 ,the seal-maker     
smiled  good-humouredly4 8,friend10 said
 he1 8the humiliation was mine1 and not 
yours1 for have ,i not spoken to a      

careless listener8 ,know1 however1  for 
your future guidance1 that a man1 if he 
meet with humiliation1  has sometimes   
nobody but himself to blame4 ,this will 
certainly be  his sorry case if he sit  
down uninvited to another's table1 or if
  he respect not his host1 or if he hope
 for kindness from a foe or  for        
learning from the low-born2 so much the 
more will he suffer the  inevitable     
consequence if he honour not his        
,prophet1 his country1 and  his ,king4  
,and0--here he turned to the crowd--8to 
listen inquisitively  to another's      
conversation has the same effect as     
addressing an  inattentive audience4 ,i 
would not have ye be guilty of the      
former1  which is the extreme of        
discourtesy1 any more than ,i would have
 the  latter1 which is the acme of      
humiliation1 thrust on me a second time 
by  the friend to whom ,i spoke40    ,i 
watched the guide1 who could not contain
 his spleen4 8,thou  sententious ass60  
he shrieked1 making as if to take off   

his sandal  wherewith to belabour the   
seal-maker4 ,once more he was met by a  
meek  and smiling countenance4          
8,verily10 quoth ,sadik1 8if one show   
leniency  to the mean1 the low1 or the  
servant1 one must expect to be imposed  
on4 ,i do but light a lamp in broad     
daylight1 or sow seed in the desert     
sand1 which is as wasteful as eating    
when one's stomach is laden1 or as      
showing consideration to one who is not 
deserving of it4 ,three things  tend    
towards madness3 the first is to walk   
with the blind1 the second  is to talk  
to the deaf1 and the third is to sleep  
alone40    ,by this time the sun had    
risen high in the heavens1 and the mat  
awnings  suspended on poles were already
 drawn down in order to keep out the    
fierce rays of sunlight1 so on we went  
till we came to the tin-makers'  bazaar4
 ,there we heard a cry of 8,y ,allah6 y 
,allah60 and1 on looking  round1 beheld 
a funeral procession4 ,the corpses1 four
 victims of the  epidemic1 were being   

borne from the ,harem to the graveyard  
on rough  serirs1 or wooden biers       
peculiar to ,mecca4 ,when the procession
 had  passed by1 ,i entered one of the  
shops and bought a couple of tin        
bottles1 each of which would hold about 
two pints of ,zem-,zem water4 ,it  is   
not customary to bargain over the       
purchasing of these articles since  they
 are meant to contain the water of the  
sacred spring4    ,across the way1 in a 
shop full of musty manuscripts of       
questionable  antiquity1 ,i chanced on a
 veritable treasure4 ,this was an       
exquisite  copy of the ,kurn in the old 
,kufi writing4 ,it was plain that the   
bookseller had no conception of its     
value1 for when ,i asked him the  price 
of it he said1 8,give whatever you like1
 and ,i will be content to  part with   
it4 ,we must not attempt to make a      
profit out of the ,word of  ,god1 though
 it were well that we should seek to    
profit by its lessons40    ,the         
,muhammadans are not supposed 8to sell0 

the ,kurn like any other  book3 a       
8hedieh10 or 8present0 goes to defray   
the cost of production4 ,i  offered a   
8hedieh0 of a ,turkish pound1 not so    
much as dreaming that the  bid would be 
accepted2 but to my intense delight the 
shopkeeper1 having  raised the ,book to 
his lips1 and from the lips to his eyes1
 and from  the eyes to his forehead1    
handed it to me1 saying1 8,this is the  
,word of  ,allah2 ,i give it to you1    
earnestly begging you to pray for me    
when you  read it60    ,i certainly     
prayed for him five times that day out  
of a grateful heart1  and ,i made a     
point of doing so until1 just before ,i 
embarked on my  homeward voyage1 ,i     
looked for the precious ,book only to   
find it gone1  along with several other 
valuable purchases4    ,soon after      
leaving the bookseller's1 being in need 
of rest and  refreshment1 we entered a  
coffee-house which was literally filled 
with  a crowd of pilgrims of every      
nationality in the ,east4 ,conspicuous  

in flowing abs with white and yellow    
stripes were two ,sheykhs1 who  were    
sitting on stools at a low table1 and   
with them ,i entered into  conversation1
 offering them a cup of coffee each4    
,the elder1 a man  of about forty-five1 
belonged to the tribe of ,beni ,sbh1    
while his  companion1 who was many years
 younger1 owed allegiance to the tribe  
of  ,owf2 consequently1 both of them    
were members of the fighting clan of    
,harb ,bedouins1 who either live in     
tents about two stages from ,mecca1  on 
the road to ,medina1 or reside1 if they 
are settled ,arabs1 in the  towns of    
,rabegh1 ,safr1 and ,far4 ,of all the   
tribes of ,harb none is  more dreaded by
 the pilgrims than that of ,owf1 more   
particularly are  they feared by the    
caravans that travel between the two    
holy cities4  ,their power and bravery  
are undeniable1 as was clearly proved   
during  the ,wahhb invasion of ,hejaz4  
,closely allied to them are the tribes  
of  ,beni ,amere and ,zobeid4    ,the   

young ,sheykh1 with whom ,i now struck  
up an acquaintance1 declared  that the  
,owf1 with all their shortcomings1 could
 teach moral lessons to  the rest of the
 clan1 and he attributed their predatory
 habits to the  8overboiling spirit that
 was in them40 ,he contradicted the     
report that  his tribe had robbed forty 
,persian pilgrims of their belongings   
between  ,heddah and ,mecca1 and had    
murdered three ,syrians between ,medina 
and  the ,prophet's birthplace4 ,he     
professed strong attachment to the      
person  of the ,sherf1 and expressed the
 hope that we would live to see the     
union of every tribe of ,arabia under   
his sway2 in fact1 he was a true        
patriot1 frank of speech1 of engaging   
manners1 and showing no signs of        
lawless violence4    ,not less courteous
 was his companion4 ,on hearing that he 
was a ,sheykh  of ,beni ,sobh ,i asked  
him if he would tell me something about 
the famous  balsam of ,mecca1 for ,i had
 read that the amyris-tree1 which exudes

 this  fragrant juice1 grows on the     
mountain of ,jbl-,sobh1 between the     
towns  of ,rabegh and ,bedre4 ,he was   
good enough to comply with my request1  
being a connoisseur on the subject4 ,the
 trees1 ,bishon1 as he called  them1    
have a straight stem1 and grow to the   
height of about twelve  feet4 ,in the   
middle of summer incisions are made by  
the women in the  soft bark with a      
special kind of knife1 whereon a white  
juice oozes  out1 and this the women    
collect with the thumb-nails of their   
right  hands1 and put into a sheepskin  
or into a vessel of burnished copper4   
,the balsam1 if the incisions are made  
later in the season1 takes on a         
yellowish colour1 and loses a good deal 
of its virtue as a tonic4    ,the       
,persian pilgrims1 ,i was told1 are     
unwearied in their efforts to  obtain   
the honey-like balm in its unadulterated
 form1 but they rarely  succeed unless  
they go to the headquarters of ,beni    
,sobh1 for the stuff  sold as balsam in 

the ,meccan bazaars is hardly ever pure4
 ,the ,arabs  themselves can detect by  
the smell whether it is adulterated or  
not4  ,fortunately for the pilgrims     
there are certain other tests which are 
said to be infallible4 ,the best balsam 
sinks in water1 has a bright  blue flame
 when alight1 and1 if you put a drop on 
your finger and set  fire to it1 it will
 burn without injuring the skin4 ,the   
,persian traders  mix turpentine with   
it1 probably because the yellow balsam1 
even when  it has not been 8doctored10  
smells of that resinous substance1 but  
the  ,arabs adulterate the white balsam 
with inoffensive oils of several  kinds4
 ,every morning the pilgrims who could  
afford to buy the precious  tonic would 
take a drop in their tea or their       
coffee1 and ,i know from  experience    
that it has the most invigorating effect
 on the nervous  system4    ,the senna  
of ,mecca1 which is exported to ,persia1
 to ,central ,asia1 and  to ,syria1 is  
also a product of the country of the    

tribesmen of ,beni  ,sobh1 who may be   
regarded as the richest and most        
peaceful of the  tribes of ,harb1       
reaping as they do the produce of their 
rich valleys  without molesting the     
caravans in the hope of spoil4 ,the     
date-tree is  cultivated by them1 my    
friend the ,sheykh being the fortunate  
possessor  of over a thousand trees4 ,it
 surprised me to hear that these palms  
are  sold not by the grove but by the   
tree1 and1 as it sometimes happens1  the
 dates of a single tree may belong to   
two or more owners4 ,when a  tree has to
 be fructified1 the gardener1 having    
laid bare the female  spathe and shaken 
over it the male pollen1 sings in a low 
voice1  saying3 8,please ,god1 you will 
thrive and be fruitful40                
,,chapter ,,ii    ,,the                 
,,talisman-,,monger      ,on leaving the
 coffee-house 7,kahv-,khn7 we heard the 
voice of a  muezzin calling to prayers4 
,it was noon4 8,listen10 said ,seyyid   
',al1  8,i know the ,mull well2 he has  

the soul of a saint and the voice of an 
angel40 ,emotional1 the tears ran down  
',al's cheeks in streams2 then1  drying 
his eyes1 his whole face shone as from  
some sudden light within  him4 ,the     
scoffer was mute--silenced by the       
majestic melody of that  far-flung      
summons2 but it must not be supposed    
that any translation  in ,english could 
reflect the dignity of the original     
,arabic1 the most  devotional tongue    
ever spoken by the lips of man3         
,mighty is the ,lord6 ,mighty is the    
,lord6      ,mighty is the ,lord6       
,mighty is the ,lord6      ,i bear      
witness1 there is no god but ,god6      
,i bear witness1 there is no god but    
,god6      ,i bear witness1 ,muhammad is
 the messenger of ,god6      ,i bear    
witness1 ,muhammad is the messenger of  
,god6      ,come hither to prayers6     
,come hither to prayers6      ,come     
hither to salvation6 ,come hither to    
salvation6      ,god is ,great6 ,there  
is no other god than ,god6              

,illustration3 ,,an ,,egyptian ,,grocer4
    ,the words swept over the city like 
a storm cloud1 fraught with  darkness1  
thunder1 and lightning--symbols these of
 the mysteries1  the threats1 and the   
promises of the ,faith4 ,the mere sound 
of the  full-throated syllables1 even to
 one who had no ,arabic1 would1 however 
obscure it might be1 suggest something  
alike threatening and revealing4  ,it   
was as though some moonless desert had  
found a tongue to proclaim  to-morrow's 
sunrise4    8,by my life60 cried ,seyyid
 ',al1 8why1 this human voice1          
acknowledging  the might of the most    
,mighty1 finds its way to the core of   
being4 ,i  do repent in that ,i did make
 mock of the engraver of seals4 ,he was 
a  righteous man1 and of excellent      
courtesy and address4 ,i have committed 
a fault4 ,i have eaten dirt4 ,i am the  
humblest of his servants4 ,come1        
y-,moulai1 let us hasten to say the     
,ftihah within the holy precincts  of   
the ,harem40 ,this prayer runs3         

8,praise be to ,god1 the ,lord of the   
,worlds1 the ,compassionate1 the        
,merciful1 the ,king of the ,day of     
,judgment4 ,thee do we worship1 and of  
,thee do we seek help4 ,lead us in the  
right way1 the way of those to  whom    
,thou hast been gracious1 not of those  
with whom thou art angry1  nor of those 
who go astray40    ,this1 the opening   
chapter of the ,kurn1 is held in special
 veneration  by the ,muhammadans1 by    
whom it is sometimes called the chapter 
of  prayer1 of thanksgiving1 of         
treasure1 and is repeated by them as    
often  as the ,christians repeat the    
,lord's ,prayer4 ,not less precious is  
the  sublime passage in the second ,sra1
 descriptive of the ,divine ,majesty1   
and entitled ,ayatu'l-,krs--that is1    
being translated1 the ,verse of the     
,throne4 ,it runs something like this3  
8,god1 save whom there is no ,god1 is   
the living1 the self-subsisting  one4   
,slumber overpowereth ,him not1 nor     
sleep4 ,unto ,him belongeth  whatsoever 

is in the heavens1 and whatsoever is in 
the earth4 ,who is  he that shall       
intercede with ,him1 save through ,his  
good pleasure8 ,he  knoweth that which  
is past1 and that which is to come unto 
them2 and  they understand not a single 
iota of ,his knowledge1 except so far as
  ,he hath willed4 ,his firmament spans 
the heavens and the earth1 the          
preservation whereof doth not distress  
,him4 ,and ,he is the most ,high1  the  
most ,supreme40    ,having said our     
prayers1 my guide and ,i1 we left the   
,harem and returned  to the bazaars4    
,the smell of burning aloe-wood drew our
 eyes to a shop  where combs seemed to  
be the only purchasable articles4 ,these
 combs1  made of ebony1 were of two     
kinds4 ,the first1 used by the men1 are 
called male combs4 ,they are provided   
with a single row of teeth4 ,the        
others1 known as female combs1 have     
teeth on both sides4 ,we passed on4  ,a 
man bearing a sheepskin was hawking     
honey1 like the water of the eye  for   

purity4 ,it is brought down to the      
,meccan markets by the ,arabs of  the   
clan of ,beni ,salem1 another branch of 
the tribe of ,harb1 who also  dwell not 
far from ,rabegh1 and are more numerous 
than the two tribes  aforementioned1    
whose ,sheykhs we had the pleasure of   
meeting in the  coffee-house4 ,among the
 countless hawkers thronging the        
thoroughfares  not a single ,arab       
milkman did we see4 ,we met only one    
milkman1 and he  was an ,indian4 ,for   
milk-selling is not a popular pursuit in
 ,arabia4  ,indeed1 it carries with it  
the stigma of an ineffaceable disgrace1 
the term 8milk-seller0 having come to   
bear the meaning of 8bastard40  ,in like
 manner the ,persians make use of the   
expression 8mst-kash10  sour milk       
carrier1 on the rare occasions when they
 are driven to  reprove a mean          
flatterer4 ,the first shop we entered   
was that of a  draper who drove a       
remunerative trade in winding-sheets4   
,there we  noticed the poorer side of   

the ,east4 ,crowds of beggars--not      
necessarily  poverty-stricken--were     
practising their lucrative business4    
,some were  weeping1 many were          
malingering1 and one was really dead4   
,there was no  bargaining over the      
prices of the grave-clothes4 ,every     
purchaser chose  the one he could afford
 to buy4 ,while ,i was selecting mine   
,seyyid ',al  intervened1 saying1 in an 
undertone3    8,y-,moulai1 allow me to  
persuade you to buy the oldest you can  
find1  to the end that ,nakr and        
,munkar1 when you come to die 7,god     
forbid71  may pass you by as having     
already answered their cross-examination
  as to your spiritual preparedness4    
,for my own part1 being in sound        
health--praise be to ,god on high6--,i  
have no faith whatever in the  existence
 of those ,inquisitors4 ,i am of the    
opinion of the ,persian  grandee who1   
having stuffed the mouth of his dead    
groom with grain1  and having opened the
 grave in due course1 found the grain   

still in  the groom's mouth1 and cried3 
#8,this is proof positive that he never 
answered ,munkar and ,nakr1 and strong  
presumptive evidence that no such       
,inquisitors exist6' ,nay1 grow not     
impatient with me4 ,am ,i not the least 
of thy slaves80    ,the sceptical rogue 
chuckled1 emitting a sound like that of 
a camel  drinking water4 ,the           
winding-sheet ,i bought cost about      
fifteen  shillings4 ,later on ,i had it 
washed in the water of ,zem-,zem4 ,it   
measures about #h;ft4 by #d;ft4 ,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 grave2 and other    
verses from the same  chapter of        
,al-,beghar surround the hem thereof4   
,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 laughter4  8,since you are still a
 good enough ,muslim to be              

superstitious10 said  he1 8,i would     
suggest that we should next visit a     
talisman-monger's1 for  there you would 
find charms to protect you against the  
,evil ,eye and the  contagion of every  
disease40 ,thither1 therefore1 we bent  
our steps4    ,the talisman-monger1 as  
,i discerned from his features1 stern   
and  passive1 and from the determination
 of mind underlying them1 was           
half-,turk1 half-,syrian4 ,the ,syrians 
are of a resolute character1 and  seldom
 take a step that does not bring them   
nearer to the end they  keep ever in    
view4 ,in this regard they are the      
antithesis of the  ,egyptians1 who seem 
utterly aimless if left to their own    
devices4 ,in  their attitude towards    
work the ,syrians are more persevering  
than the  ,persians1 and less conceited 
in character4 ,they are at their best   
as men of action4 ,as men of thought    
they are inferior both to the           
,persians1 who are the ,hamlets of the  
,east1 and to the ,bedouins1 whose      

wild1 imaginative spirits equip them for
 pillage and for poetry alike4  ,they   
are extremely fond of music1 these      
cheery sons of a flowery soil1  though  
here1 again1 they must yield the palm to
 the fiery clansmen of  the ,arabian    
deserts4 ,the charm-seller1 a           
characteristic specimen of  his race1 an
 excellent business man1 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 ,kurn text4 8,may ,god 
protect me from ,satan10  he muttered in
 pious horror4 8,here is a ,muhammadan  
who knows not a  ,bbghli60 ,then1       
recovering slowly from his astonishment1
 he went  on to explain that it is worn 
by a ,muslim child in commemoration of  
the ,aghigheh sacrifice1 and ,i may     
repeat here that it forms the chief     
feature of the cover design to this     
volume4    ,after much bargaining ,i    
bought a ,bbghli for a couple of        
,turkish  pounds1 and found in it1      

beyond its usual interest1 a magnificent
  example of ,perso-,syrian work4 ,the  
cornelian1 which is circular in shape   
and slightly raised in the middle1 is of
 a rosy shade1 and measures  about an   
inch in circumference4 ,on it is        
engraved1 in the finest ,naskh  writing1
 a short chapter of the ,kurn1 which    
must have cost the artist  half-a-year's
 labour4 ,the stone is set in silver of 
a floral design1  with two loops or     
links1 through which are threaded       
strings of gold  ending with tassels and
 a running noose for fastening round the
 arm4  ,round the centre stone are      
inlaid twenty-two rubies and emeralds1  
in  alternate order1 eleven of each4    
,these stones alone1 though they are    
not cut properly1 are worth three times 
as much as ,i gave for the  whole thing4
 ,i made haste to tie the ,bbghli round 
my biceps1 more  from fear of theft than
 any superstitious motive1 and promised 
not to  part with it in any             
circumstances2 whereat my guide1        

sneering1 said1  8,may the devil give   
you a wide berth1 y-,moulai60 the       
talisman-monger  endorsing the wish by  
adding1 8,may it be auspicious40    ,the
 wearing of a tgh1 or silver chain1 to  
which is attached a silver  bowl called 
kashkl1 is confined to the ,shiahs4 ,it 
is worn round the  neck by many ,persian
 boys1 and is changed every year until  
the boy is  nine years old4 ,by the end 
of that time he has nine chains laid by4
  ,these are sent1 as propitiatory      
offerings1 to the shrine of some saint1 
that of ,abbas in ,kerbela being the    
most sacred4 ,thus it comes about  that 
a boy1 so long as he wears the tgh1 is  
called 8the dog of ,abbas10  and is said
 to be under the special protection of  
that saintly man4 ,i  turned to my      
guide4 8,how is it10 said ,i1 8that he  
is called ,abbas's  dog1 and not        
#8,allah's dog1' or1 more becomingly    
still1 #8,allah's child'80    8,i will  
answer you in a parable10 replied       
,seyyid ',al4 8,there was  once a       

certain man who owned a flock of sheep4 
,every morning1 when he  drove his flock
 out of the fold to the pasture-land1 he
 would say1 #8,o  ,abbas1 keep watch    
over my sheep1 which ,i leave in your   
protection2'  and then he would go about
 his work until it was time to drive the
  sheep home again4 ,one day he was too 
busy to act as shepherd1 and so  he sent
 his son in his stead4 ,the boy1 having 
brought the sheep to the  grazing       
ground1 said within himself3 #8,i wonder
 why my father leaves  the sheep in the 
care of ,abbas4 ,did not ,allah create  
them as well as  him8 ,assuredly my     
father has committed a fault4' ,and1 so 
thinking1 he  left the sheep in charge  
of their ,creator4 ,now it happened     
that1 ,abbas  having resigned his       
office1 a pack of wolves passed by1 and1
 being  famished1 spared not even a     
lamb3 so that when the father went in   
search of the sheep1 he could not find a
 single one4 ,having questioned  his    
son1 he learned the truth4 #8,silly     

boy1' said he1 #8knowest thou not  that 
,allah takes care of all his creatures1 
of the wolves as well as of  the sheep1 
whereas ,abbas1 listening to our        
entreaties1 would keep the  beasts of   
prey from attacking our flocks and      
herds8 ,be wiser to-morrow  than you    
were this morning4' ,so you see1        
y-,moulai1 that there is no  use in     
trying to be anything to ,allah beyond  
what one really is40    ,at the end of  
nine years these chains are valued1 and 
the price of  them is distributed among 
the poor1 after which they are sent to  
the shrine of ,abbas4 ,to the chain a   
pair of hands made of silver is         
sometimes hung1 in memory of ,abbas1    
whose hands were cut off on the  plain  
of ,kerbela4 ,the talisman-monger had   
hundreds of these chains and  bowls and 
hands in his shop1 and also1 among other
 things1 heaps of  mzs1 or oak-apples4  
,these oak-apples are used as charms by 
nearly  all ,muhammadans4 ,those in the 
shop were of two kinds4 ,some were      

nearly  black and perfectly circular2   
others were of a light brown colour and 
spheroid in shape4 ,among those of a    
spheroidal shape was a mz of            
exceptional beauty1 evidently intended  
for a woman4 ,the two ends of the       
hollow spheroid were set in silver with 
numerous figures exquisitely  chased1   
one group of which was that of a female 
slave handing over the  heart of her    
young mistress to the expectant lover4  
,this particular  kind of mz1 ,i was    
told1 is suspended on a chain and worn  
on their  breasts by the women4 ,other  
oak-apples are seen hanging from the tip
 of  children's caps on a silk band1    
along with prayer-bags made of green    
velvet and containing texts from the    
,holy ,scriptures4    ,meanwhile my     
guide1 having struck up acquaintance    
with a countryman  of his from ,hamadan1
 was engaged in conversation with him4  
,this new  friend1 ,murshid ,khan by    
name1 was a tall swarthy fellow4 ,he had
 come to  buy a chip of the sacred tree 

talh'1 an acacia which has small round  
golden blossoms1 whereof he related the 
following legend3    8,many centuries   
ago a certain peasant went to cut wood  
in a forest  near the city of ,hamadan4 
,this he had been wont to do every      
winter in  order to eke out his         
livelihood1 during the cold weather1 as 
is still  the custom among the peasantry
 in our parts4 ,now1 it chanced that his
  axe struck against a branch of a talh'
 which1 as it happened1 was in  the way 
of the tree he was felling4 ,to his     
consternation a stream of  blood oozed  
out1 followed by cries the most pitiable
 he had ever heard4  ,they seemed1 in   
their distressful anguish1 to come from 
the heart of  a mother that had lost her
 child4 ,the axe fell from the peasant's
  hand1 and he himself sank to the      
ground in a faint4 ,when he recovered   
consciousness it was to look for the    
talh' 444 only to find it gone6 ,he     
returned to the city as fast as his legs
 would carry him and there he  told his 

story1 which was spread abroad among the
 people4 ,and from that  day to this the
 wood of the talh' has been regarded as 
sacred4 ,children  use it in the place  
of mzs1 and barren women1 if they hang a
 chip of  it above their beds for the   
space of forty consecutive ,fridays1    
will  bear children in due course4 ,this
 is so40    ,here the guide1 ,seyyid    
',al1 interrupted the speaker1 saying3  
8,light  of my heart1 thou speakest the 
truth4 ,in my country1 in the town of   
,behbehan1 near ,shrz1 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  
child4 ,first we  draw four lines round 
the walls of the house2 then at each of 
the four  corners we plant a branch of  
the talh' tree2 and a dagger1 with an   
onion atop1 is stuck in the ground      
facing the door4 ,this is the only      
possible way of keeping ,aal out--may   
she be accursed60    8,sarkr10 said     

,murshid ,khan1 turning to me1 8,i have1
 with these two  eyes of mine1 seen     
things beyond belief1 though ,i believe 
in them  myself1 and many a true        
believer shares the belief with me40    
,here he  turned his face in the        
direction of the ,harem1 raised his     
eyes1 and  cried3 8,by the owner of this
 ,harem1 the truth of my story is this3 
,i  had a sister1 by name ,javher1 who  
became ,jinni1 ,jinnstruck1 when she    
was ten years old4 ,she had been of an  
equal mind until one day she went  into 
a field in ,hamadan1 where a servant was
 milking the goats4 ,it  appears that   
she spilt the milk by accidentally      
kicking over the bowl  containing it1   
and thenceforward her mind was troubled3
 she was ,jinni4  ,now we people of     
,hamadan accounted ourselves lucky in   
that there lived  among us a pious ,mull
 ',al1 whose extraordinary capabilities 
were a  matter of wonder and adoration4 
,as a ,jinn-gir1 or ,jinn-trapper1 he   
was  unrivalled4 ,him1 therefore1 we    

called in that he might cast out the    
,jinn that had disturbed the peace of my
 sister's mind4 ,when he came  he       
brought with him his famous ts--a bowl  
used for ablutions--and a  long white   
sheet4 ,having filled the ts1 he ordered
 my sister to sit  down beside it and to
 gaze into the water4 ,then he threw the
 sheet  over the child and the bowl1 and
 made certain passes with a wand he     
held in his right hand4 ,whereupon1 as  
we noticed to our terror1 there  arose a
 mighty stir beneath the sheet1 as      
though a host were fighting  there4 ,on 
a signal from ,mull ',al the tumult     
ceased and all was in  a hush4          
,suddenly1 the good priest1 calling my  
sister by her name1  said3 #8,what do   
you see there8' ,and my sister replied1 
in a dreamy1  awestruck whisper3 #8,o1  
,mull ',al1 ,i see him seated gloriously
 on a  throne studded with precious     
gems1 and hundreds of attendants1 both  
men and women1 are kneeling before him4 
,it is the ,king of the ,jinns4'  #8,and

 what do you hear8 be attentive6' said  
the priest4 #8,one little  ,jinn1'      
replied my sister1 in a terror-stricken 
voice1 #8is prostrating  herself before 
his ,majesty1 and this is what she says3
 8,javher--may  she be punished--spilled
 a bowl of milk a month ago1 and hurt my
 toes1  and ,i have been lame ever      
since4 ,though my friends have cast a   
spell  over her1 ,i must request your   
,majesty to increase her punishment1    
that  she may learn to fear the         
displeasure of our ,king40 ,oh1 oh1 oh6 
,how  she cries and weeps before the    
throne of his ,majesty2 ,i am fainting4'
  #8,beg her humbly to forgive you1 and 
promise to be more careful in the       
future1 and all will be well1' cried    
,mull ',al4 ,it was impossible to  doubt
 the sincerity of my sister's           
repentance1 and when the priest  removed
 the sheet1 which he did so soon as my  
sister had made her  appeal before the  
throne1 behold my sister was in her     
right mind  once more4 ,i forgot to say 

that before the removal of the covering 
a neighbour came in1 saying that he had 
lost a gold diamond ring1  probably by  
theft4 ,so the priest commanded my      
sister to ask the ,jinn  she had injured
 to tell her where the ring was4 ,the   
,jinn in question  was good enough to   
mention the thief by name1 much to the  
delight of  our neighbour1 who          
subsequently recovered his property4 ,i 
can assure  you1 ,sarkr1 that this last 
proof of the ,mull's power made ,hamadan
  the safest city in ,persia4 ,theft was
 unknown there4 ,may ,mull ',al have  a 
long life60    ,the talisman-monger was 
the next to speak4 ,he said3 8,you must 
know that  ,i am not always in ,mecca4  
,i come here for the three journeying   
months1  then ,i return to ,smyrna1     
where ,i have two shops of this nature  
in the  bazaars4 ,next to one of my     
shops there is a small coffee-house1    
whither  ,i go for refreshment in my    
leisure hours4 ,about three years ago   
there  came to ,smyrna a man named      

,dervish ,ibrahim1 from ,turkistan4     
,everybody  except myself believed in   
the supernatural power of this dervish1 
who  wore a white beard on a shining    
face4 ,one evening1 when ,i had closed  
my  shop and was proceeding home1 ,i    
found the dervish seated on the front   
bench of the coffee-house1 surrounded by
 his followers4 ,he called me by  my    
name--,abdullah-ben-,jafar--though it   
had never been mentioned before  him1   
and when ,i went to him he said3 #8,i   
can see from your face that you  scoff  
at the power of talismans1 though you   
sell them to those who are  wiser than  
yourself1 and therein show yourself     
possessed of some share  of wisdom4 ,it 
is my humour to-night to reveal to you a
 single drop  of the ocean of           
omnipotence4 ,come1 take this scrap of  
paper1 whereon  ,i have written a few   
words to the dead1 carry it to the      
neighbouring  cemetery1 bury it in the  
sand near the entrance1 and bring back  
to me  a handful of the sand4 ,be       

careful1 on returning1 not to look      
behind  you1 for1 if you do so1 you will
 be torn in a million pieces that will  
be distributed among those that lie     
there4 ,look ahead1 and your life  will 
be safe4' ,well1 curiosity possessed me1
 and off ,i went4 ,when ,i  had buried  
the scrap of paper1 and taken up a      
handful of sand1 ,i heard  thunder and  
the voices of the dead crying1 #8,oh1   
,abdullah-ben-,jafar1  take not the sand
 away1 else you will be cut in bits4    
,stop6 ,stop6  ,stop6' ,i shuddered all 
over my body1 and lost consciousness    
suddenly4  ,when ,i awoke it was to see 
the sun rising4 ,i hurried to the       
dervish1  and kissed his feet1 and      
implored him to forgive me for having   
doubted  his power to work miracles40   
,this story-telling had attracted a     
number of pilgrims1 who1 to the         
exaltation of the talisman-monger1 fell 
to examining his curiosities  with a    
view to business4 ,after every purchase1
 ,abdullah-ben-,jafar  raised his hands 

to heaven1 and cried3 8,praise be to    
,god on high6 ,may  ,his kindness be    
increased60          ,,chapter ,,iii    
,,seyyid ',,al',s ,,story ,,of ,,his    
,,redemption      ,on leaving the       
talisman-monger's we went about our     
shopping in the  ,meccan bazaars1 my    
guide pointing out to me the places of  
interest on  the way4 ,he grew excited  
when we passed a certain coffee-house1  
from  within whose doors1 as he assured 
me1 he had escaped from himself  into   
the bosom of the ,beloved more times    
than he could count4 8,there  are better
 ways of ascending into heaven1         
y-,moulai10 he exclaimed1  ecstatically1
 8than by being buried underground60 ,he
 paused as if to  give me the           
opportunity of begging him to explain   
the connection2 but  all ,i said in     
reply was that a ,tower of ,silence     
would scarcely suit one  whose tongue   
was for ever on the wag4    8',tis      
true10 he affirmed1 in no way           
disconcerted1 8the birds of prey  are   

not to my liking4 ,i would discourse of 
the parrot of mysteries1  that hath     
opened to me the gates of ,paradise more
 than once4 ,if your  ,excellency would 
acquaint himself with----0 ,i           
interrupted him1 saying3  8,are you     
speaking of hashsh1 my friend8 ,if you  
are1 let me tell you  that ,i have no   
wish to renew my experience of the      
drug40 ,and when ,i  hurried on1 he drew
 a deep breath1 but whether of          
disappointment or of  relief ,i couldn't
 make out4 8,in that coffee-house1      
y-,moulai10 he said  at last1 8you might
 have tasted of every narcotic of the   
drowsy ,east3  of hashsh1 the master    
,seyyid1 or the ,parrot of ,mysteries1  
an acquired  taste2 of bang1 a most     
potent liberator of thought2 and1       
lastly1 of  opium1 which is1 as we      
,persians have it1 the ,antidote1 the   
healer of  every ill except the one it  
engenders4 ,i was once a well-seasoned  
vafur 7opium-smoker71 and could         
discourse of mysteries more eloquently  

than any dervish4 ,my nose would grow   
wet every time ,i smoked a pipe  of     
hashsh and my imagination bear me on its
 wings to the seventh  heaven1 or plunge
 me into the lowest hell4 ,those were   
days of spiritual                       
intoxication--y-,allah4 ,what cured me  
of drug-bibbing was the dread of        
remaining in the abode of the damned40  
,he sauntered on1 telling over the beads
 of his rosary4 8,never10 he  cried     
suddenly1 8shall ,i forget the last pipe
 of hashsh ,i smoked40 ,i  followed him 
up on the scent of a story4 8,come10    
said ,i1 8tell me your  tale1 and have  
done with it40    8,well1 it was at     
,shrz2 ,i was in the society of some    
twenty matured  dervishes1 and the year 
was at the spring and the sun was set4  
,i never  hear a nightingale1 nor smell 
a rose1 but ,i can taste that kalyan  of
 hashsh and tobacco4 ,not that ,i was   
conscious at the time of any  stomachic 
qualm4 ,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    
conceive4 ,supper was brought in4 ,among
 the dishes  laid before me was a plate 
of pilw1 dome-shaped1 having on top a   
multitude of round pieces of meat1 and  
these1 to my exceeding terror1  came    
tumbling down the pyramid of white rice1
 owing to the carelessness  of the      
servant in handling the dish4 ,but what 
did ,i1 in my excited  fancy1 behold1   
y-,moulai8 ,i thought ,i was at the foot
 of a snow-clad  mountain1 whose crest  
dwarfed that of ,demavend1 and from the 
summit  thereof there came hurtling down
 on me huge boulders of massy rock4 ,i  
cried aloud in terror1 and tried to hide
 myself in the corner of the  room4 ,my 
friends1 the dervishes1 laid hold of me1
 and carried me into  the compound1 and 
flung me into the tank1 and in so doing 
they cheated  me to believe that a host 
of angels had rescued me from the       

avalanche1  and1 bearing me into        
,paradise1 had cast me into the living  
waters of  ,salsabl4 ,for1 on opening my
 eyes1 ,i saw a heavenly houri1 whose   
face  shone as the face of the sun4 ,her
 feet were on the earth1 but her head   
reached as high as the fourth heaven4   
,how could ,i--a man of ordinary        
stature--make love to a houri whose     
height1 even among the ladies of        
,paradise1 must have been a swallow's   
flight above the average8 ,true1  ,i    
might sit in adoration at her feet1 but 
that a taller man than ,i  would have   
the pleasure of kissing her lips seemed 
only too likely4  ,this thought was     
blasphemy in itself2 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 hell4 ,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 bed1 and  
applying a hot remedy to  what they     

believed to be a cold disease4          
,y-,allah1 how ,i burned1 but  without  
consuming1 in that fire of the          
unredeemed4 ,i cried for help1  but     
,allah--may ,i be ,his sacrifice--cast  
me still deeper into the hell  of ,his  
displeasure1 saying1 #8,he who would    
worship me must worship me  in soberness
 and sincerity6 ,eschew all narcotics1  
,o ,seyyid ',al1 lest  ,i leave thee    
here to perish in the flames4' ,then    
repentance wrung my  heart so that the  
tears started to my eyes and overflowed4
 ,and when  that happened a wind from   
heaven blew1 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 despair4 ,i clutched them in
 these two hands4 ,the  exhilaration of 
a swift ascent filled my soul with      
thanksgiving1 and a  shriek--like a     
throb of pain--darted through me from   
without1 striking  on the drum of       

consciousness within me4 ,in other      
words1 ,i awoke to  find myself lying at
 home1 with a handful of my wife's hair 
pressed  to my lips in rapture4 ,how ,i 
came to be there ,i never discovered1   
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 head4 ,and this1          
y-,moulai1 is the true story of my      
redemption40    ,meanwhile1 we had      
reached the northern extremity of       
,mussah-street1  where in a shop ,i     
noticed a number of small bags of yellow
 leather  containing1 as ,seyyid ',al   
informed me1 the celebrated henna of    
,wady  ,fatima4 ,this valley1 called    
after the ,prophet's daughter1 the wife 
of ',al1 his cousin1 is situated about  
eight hours' journey to the  north-west 
of ,mecca1 on the road to ,medina4 ,the 
whole neighbourhood  abounds in the     
shrub from whose pounded leaves the     
henna paste is  produced4 ,the act of   

dyeing the hair with henna is known by  
the name  of khezab1 and is so popular  
among the ,muhammadans of both sexes    
that  it has come to be almost a        
religious rite4 ,many a devout dyes his 
hands and feet and hair once a week1 the
 paste giving to the skin an            
orange-reddish colour1 and deepening the
 original shade of dark hair to  a ruddy
 black4 ,on the hammm day the henna is  
taken to the bath2 the  attendant forms 
it into a paste in small dishes used for
 the purpose  and called jam-henna2 the 
decoction should be allowed to stand for
  half an hour before it is applied to  
the skin and the hair4 ,there  are      
special women artists who draw1 on the  
soles of the feet and the  palms of the 
hands1 all manner of pictures with this 
dye4 ,not less  than eight hours are    
devoted to the practice1 the            
victims--women1  of course--lying with  
outstretched limbs1 for the henna 8to   
take its  colour40    ,if one neglects  
to make use of the dye one runs the risk

 of bringing  misfortune and leprosy on 
one's whole family4 ,the henna of ,wady 
,fatima1  which has a perfume peculiar  
to itself1 is considered particularly   
blessed4 ,i was told by the             
shopkeeper--a prejudiced person1 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 ,kurn1
 always provided he were not clad in    
ihrm4 ,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 customers4    ,next   
day ,i had an opportunity of witnessing 
the funeral of one of  the chief priests
 of ,mecca1 who had died of cholera4    
,the procession1  despite the panic     
created by the epidemic1 was of         
considerable length4  ,half a dozen     
mulls1 intoning passages of the         
perspicuous ,book1 led  the way4 ,these 
were followed by twelve unkempt         

dervishes in quaint  uniforms1 reciting 
in unison the praises of the dead       
priest4 ,then came  the rough bier      
peculiar to ,mecca on the shoulders of  
ten pilgrims of  as many nationalities4 
,the son1 supported by two stalwart     
priests1 and  the chief mourners came   
next1 and after them the women1 about   
twenty  in number1 and a crowd of       
beggars1 who had heard that the flesh of
  two camels was to be distributed among
 them4 ,every now and then1 as  we      
noticed on watching the procession pass 
by1 the bearers would be  relieved of   
their burden by the most eager among the
 bystanders1 for  it is a tradition that
 seventy thousand angels will praise the
 man who  lends a helping hand in       
carrying the dead to the cemetery4 ,a   
frequent  cry went up of 8,o ,lord1 may 
his sins be forgiven him4 ,praise be    
with  ,muhammad and with his people40   
8,y-,moulai10 said ,seyyid ',al1 8you   
saw how the people lent their           
assistance in order to win the approval 

of the angels8 ,well1 ,i will  tell you 
of a clever trick performed in ,mecca   
last year by four ,sunnis  who had      
murdered a ,shiah in a lodging-house4   
,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 lay4 ,that being done1   
the  mutilated corpse was laid inside by
 the four men1 who1 so to speak1  bore  
the burden of their misdeed into the    
street4 ,the passers-by1  seeing a      
funeral1 hastened to offer their help in
 carrying the  corpse to its            
resting-place4 ,no sooner was each one  
of the assassins  relieved than he made 
good his escape1 so that by the time the
  washing-house was reached the culprits
 had all disappeared4 ,the crime  was   
detected when the body was taken out to 
be washed4 ,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  murder4 ,they only       

escaped death by paying a heavy sum in  
blood money40    ,we pursued our course 
eastward to the temporary ,syrian bazaar
 called  ,sugh-,shami4 ,goods from all  
parts of ,syria--from the town of       
,smyrna to  the remotest fastness of    
,lebanon--were to be found there4 ,the  
,syrians  drove a lively trade in silk  
stuffs from ,damascus and ,aleppo1 as   
well  as in ,european cotton prints and 
in steel ware4 ,the steel ware was  sold
 as 8,inglisi10 though it was generally 
of ,german manufacture1  imported into  
,asia ,minor either direct from the     
,fatherland or from  ,constantinople4 ,i
 saw 8,inglisi0 silk umbrellas1 with    
what appeared to  be silver handles1    
priced at half a mejidi1 or about two   
shillings4  ,german watches1 guaranteed 
to be 8,inglisi10 could be bought at a  
cost  varying from four to ten          
shillings4 ,on the other hand1 ,persian 
carpets  were far more expensive there  
than they are in ,london1 and so also   
were ,turkish ones4 ,silk headgear      

called chepi and silk kerchiefs  called 
kefi were in great request among the    
,bedouins1 who purchased1  besides1 the 
dried fruits of ,syria4 ,there were many
 coffee-houses   la turque1 where       
story-tellers recited in flowery        
language1 either  ,arabic or ,turkish1  
the tales of the ,arabian ,nights4 ,some
 pilgrims might  sit listening from     
sunrise to sunset1 but my guide and ,i1 
having drunk  a cup of coffee1 proceeded
 on our way1 past the ,prophet's        
birthplace1  to the ,moamil or pottery  
bazaar4 ,there1 as ,i watched the       
potters at  work1 ,i couldn't help      
quoting the immortal lines of ,omar     
,khayym1 as  translated by ,fitzgerald3 
8,for ,i remember stopping by the way   
,to watch a potter thumping his wet     
clay2       ,and with its               
all-obliterated ,tongue       ,it       
murmur'd--#8,gently1 ,brother1 gently1  
pray4'0    ,thence1 in the ,sugh-,lail1 
the carpenters have their niches4 ,my   
guide  told me a story of a ,meccan     

carpenter who went once to measure a    
doorway of one of the houses in the     
neighbourhood4 ,having forgotten  his   
yard measure he calculated the width by 
opening his arms4 ,then1  still keeping 
his arms in the same position1 he       
hastened back to his  shop4 ,on the way 
he fell down a well2 the people gathered
 round2 and  one among them threw him a 
rope1 but the carpenter refused to catch
  hold of it1 lest he might change the  
measurement of the doorway4 8,ah1  my   
friend10 said ,i1 8there ,i waited for  
you4 ,that story is taken from  #8,mull 
,nasiru'-,din1' a book satirising the   
mock piety and the folly of  the        
priests4 ,you must be more careful in   
choosing the tales you would  foist on  
my credulity40 ,and so wrangling we     
reach the cattle market4    ,now1       
kindness to animals is specially        
recommended by ,muhammad1 but  his      
followers have still much to learn in   
practice4 ,the sheep and  cattle are    
driven to the market in the early       

morning1 before sunrise1  and1 unless   
they are sold1 must remain all day long 
without anything  to eat or to drink4   
,the condition of some of the sheep was 
pitiful4  ,the camels1 that are not     
accustomed to be for ever nibbling like 
the  sheep1 appeared to suffer less from
 the deprivation of food4 ,in that      
quarter of the town nearly all the      
tradesmen1 whether cattle-sellers1      
butchers1 fruiterers1 or grocers1 were  
,bedouins1 dwelling in their            
encampments inside the town1 and holding
 themselves aloof from the  ,arab       
townsmen and the foreigners4 ,in        
manners1 customs1 and morality  they    
have suffered but little change from the
 time of the ,prophet1  for1 unlike the 
,meccans themselves1 they have borrowed 
none of the  characteristics of their   
co-religionists from alien countries4   
,they  forbid their women to be on      
intimate terms with the townswomen2 and 
when you meet them buying and selling in
 the market place they are  always      

extremely reserved1 and sometimes not   
less haughty in their  demeanour towards
 you4 ,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 pilgrimage4 ,the women1 both 
rich and poor1 work hard1 in most cases 
even harder than the men1 and  that is  
why they wear1 in contrast to the       
townswomen1 who are corpulent  and      
comely1 an appearance of being as       
muscular as they are lean and           
sun-baked4 ,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  supplies1 and 
there1 too1 the out-going caravans are  
wont to take  in their eatables for the 
homeward journey4 ,rice and wheat are   
the  commodities which are most needed  
by the ,bedouins of ,hejaz1 and in      
these the southern ,indians carry on a  

brisk trade with the interior of  that  
barren province4          ,,chapter ,,iv
    ,,healing ,,by ,,faith      ,two    
things play an important part in the    
family life of ,persia4 ,the  first of  
these1 the yearly almanac or taghvm is  
studied with a  pathetic trust by all4  
,in a day that has been marked unlucky  
they see  the frustration of their hopes
 and prayers1 however perseveringly     
they may strive1 by earnest effort1 to  
elude the working of the  fateful stars 
and to bring about the consummation of  
their wishes4  8,the most blessed hour  
for prayer10 ,i was told by one of them1
 8is  when the planet ,jupiter is in    
conjunction with the culminating point  
of the firmament40 ,and when ,i began to
 argue with him1 he said in             
astonishment3 8,have you no faith in    
estakhhareh either80 ,i replied3  8,if  
you can prove to me by any passage in   
the ,kurn that ,god will lend  his      
advice to the ,muslim who shall consult 
,him through the beads of  a rosary1 ,i 

will believe in the taghvm1 the         
estakhhareh1 or any  fll or omen you    
care to mention4 ,but1 first1 let me be 
sure that  ,i understand the method of  
making an estakhhareh4 ,having read a   
verse of the ,holy ,scriptures1 you     
place the finger on a bead1 then1       
counting the beads from that point to   
the nearer end of the thread1  you      
believe that ,god will grant you your   
heart's desire provided the  number be  
odd1 but that ,he will refuse your      
request if it be even4 ,am ,i  right80  
8,certainly10 he replied2 8for if my    
prayer be reasonable and  ,i deserving  
in the sight of ,god1 ,he will assuredly
 guide my hand40 8,it  is obvious10 ,i  
retorted1 8that ,god can and does guide 
,his slaves2 but  ,i deny that ,he      
shares your belief in the luck of odd   
numbers4 ,let the  ,prophet be my       
intercessor4 ,this is what he says3     
8#8,do ye acquire knowledge1 for he who 
acquireth knowledge in ,god's  service  
performeth an act of piety2 he who      

giveth utterance to it  praiseth the    
,lord2 he who is diligent in search of  
it worshipeth ,god2  and he who         
imparteth it offereth sacrifice to      
,him4' ,now1 your faith  is rooted not  
in knowledge1 but in superstition4 ,look
 around you1 and  you will see the      
wonders of ,god in the working of laws  
immutably just1  eternally the same4 ,i 
tell you that action and reaction are   
equal  and opposite1 that the ordered   
weal and woe are the results of our  own
 actions good and evil1 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  
one4 #8,the ink of the scholar1' the    
,prophet tells us1  #8is more holy than 
the blood of the martyr4'0    ,my       
opponent1 however1 remained unconvinced4
 ,he assured me that his  spiritual     
director would not dream of wearing a   
new 'ab without first  consulting the   
taghvm1 nor would he take it on himself 
to administer  a dose of medicine to a  

sick child without asking ,god1 through 
the  beads of his rosary or the pages of
 the ,kurn1 whether the remedy would  be
 efficacious or not4 ,of the progress of
 medical science the ,shi'ah  pilgrims  
knew nothing4    ,illustration3 ,a      
,,persian ,,professor ,,of ,,theology4  
,galen and ,avicenna are still regarded 
as the leading masters of the           
profession1 and their treatises are the 
only ones that are studied4  ,diseases  
are divided into hot and cold4 ,a cold  
remedy is applied to a  hot disease1 and
 a hot remedy to a cold one4 ,the       
doctors bleed patients  suffering from  
malarial fever4 ,they keep small-pox    
endemic by their  curious remedies4     
,silver armlets containing texts out of 
the ,kurn  are worn as preservatives of 
health4 ,the saints and estakhharehs are
  sometimes the only doctors4 8,the ,one
 who sends fever takes it away  444     
,khod rahm ast 7,god is merciful74444   
,if ,he wants me to remain  here ,he    
will cure me4444 ,he is the best        

doctor40 ,offerings in money  or in     
sweet-meats are given to the poor for   
the patient's recovery4  ,the money is  
placed under the pillow every night1 and
 is distributed  every morning among the
 needy4 ,the patient1 despite the       
stifling  atmosphere1 is persuaded to   
believe in a speedy recovery1 everybody 
telling him that he will soon be quite  
kushdell or cheerful4 ,but when  the end
 draws near a priest is summoned in     
haste1 and the dying man1  if he has no 
just cause of complaint against a child 
or against his  wife1 says not a word as
 to the distribution of his property1   
having  full confidence that the divine 
law will be religiously followed4 ,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 soul4 ,he may command his  sons to  
obey their mother and to respect their  
sisters4 ,if he has no  issue he may    
settle his property on a school1 a      
mosque1 a saint1 or a  water cistern4   

,the corpse must not remain more than   
twenty-four hours in the house4  ,the   
hammm1 or bath-keeper1 now enters the   
house in the capacity of  an undertaker4
 ,he places the body on a korsi1 that   
is1 on a raised  wooden platform in the 
middle of the room2 a copy of the ,kurn 
and  a decanter of rose-water are set   
down near the head2 and a cashmere      
shawl is laid over the remains4 ,for a  
month or forty days after burial  a     
ghari or hired priest keeps watch over  
the grave1 praying for the  soul's peace
 of the newly-departed1 and reading the 
,kurn aloud4 ,on the  night of the      
interment the percussion of the grave1  
the feshar-ghabre1  is supposed to take 
place4 ,the priest must keep on reciting
 a certain  passage of the ,kurn1 called
 ,ayatu'l-,krs or the ,verse of the     
,throne1  in order to extend the space  
and prevent the pressure4 ,then come    
,monker  and ,nakr--those livid-faced   
angels of death--and question the       
deceased  concerning his faith4 ,if his 

answers be satisfactory1 ',al will cause
  him to be refreshed by the air of     
,paradise2 if not1 he will be beaten  on
 the temples with iron maces4    ,the   
evening before ,i left ,mecca for       
,jiddah ,i was suffering from a  racking
 headache1 and my friends advised me to 
consult a certain ,arab  physician4 ,the
 curiosity to have an interview with    
this leech overcame  my scepticism      
concerning his health-giving touch1 so  
off ,i went to the  east of the town    
where he dwelt1 taking my guide with me2
 and there1  in a winding lane some     
three feet wide1 we found his house4 ,my
 guide  summoned the servant by banging 
at the outer door with his club4 ,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 
wanted4 ,having assured  himself that we
 were not ,bedouin ,arabs bent on       
pillaging the sacred  house1 he drew    
back the bars1 bidding us enter in the  
name of ,god the  ,merciful and         

,clement4    ,the courtyard through     
which we passed was unpaved and not more
 than  five yards square4 ,the          
apartments--six fetid cells--ranged     
round  three sides of it4 ,the hakm's   
room faced the door4 ,we walked in with 
the greeting 8,salm 'aleykum6 ,peace be 
unto you60 ,the faith-healer  was seated
 cross-legged on a mat in a corner of   
the cell4 ,he rose  to receive us1      
saying 8,bismillah6 in the name of      
,god60 the ,eastern  equivalent of      
8,please come in40 ,he was of middle    
height1 lean1 of a  pleasing            
countenance2 his eyes were deep-set1    
brilliant1 smiling2 his  beard measured 
the span of a man's hand2 and his teeth 
flashed between  lips framed for        
laughter4 ,he wore a white handkerchief 
round his head1  and a long blue gown   
reached to his ankles4 ,nothing could   
exceed the  courtesy of our host4 ,as a 
mark of respect1 he insisted on my      
taking  his place2 my guide1 heaving a  
8,y-,allah60 and a sigh of relief1 sank 

to my side on the left2 while the       
sunny-faced saint1 squatting at  my     
right hand1 turned a beaming eye on his 
trusty henchboy1 who was  standing in   
the doorway1 waiting for the orders of  
his lord and master4    ,in the ,east   
they never break the ice of silence with
 a remark on the  weather4 ,the         
customary opening is to inquire if you  
are in health4 ,i  told the doctor1 in  
answer to his question1 that ,i had a   
bad headache1  and had come to him to be
 cured4 ,when he had raised his hands   
and  cried out 8,y-,muhammad60 thereby  
invoking the ,prophet to lend him  the  
assistance he required1 it was to ask me
 on which side the head  ached4 ,i      
touched the spot1 whereon he fell to    
rubbing it vigorously  with the palm of 
his right hand1 calling out the while to
 the urchin  to fetch the necessary     
apparatus for the forthcoming operation4
 ,the  boy disappeared4 ,in a few       
minutes he came back1 bearing in both   
his  hands a round hollow plate of clay 

in which were a few lumps of burning    
charcoal4    ,the next things he brought
 in were a couple of round iron rods    
about  twice the length of an ordinary  
pencil1 together with a cup filled with 
a black fluid used as ink and composed1 
if ,i mistake not1 of a mixture  of     
starch and the soot of an oil lamp4 ,the
 doctor thrust the rods in  the glowing 
charcoal4 ,the fear of being branded    
bathed my brow in  sweat4 ,the doctor1  
assuring me that ,i had no cause to be  
afraid1 cried  out3 8,if we lose heart  
at the sight of these little rods1 how  
much the  more shall we suffer when we  
feel the weight of the maces of the     
angels  of punishment4 ,may ,god protect
 you from the fire of hell60    ,the    
tips of the rods by this time were      
red-hot4 ,having dipped them  in the cup
 of ink1 he closed his eyes1 and then   
raised his voice in  an incantation that
 lasted several minutes4 ,not a single  
word could ,i  understand4 ,when it was 
over he opened his eyes1 and1 saying the

 word  8,bismillah10 proceeded to draw  
with one of the rods on my right temple 
five perpendicular lines crossed by five
 horizontal ones1 thus forming  sixteen 
tiny squares4 ,the same pattern was     
traced on the left temple  with the     
second rod4 ,several magic hieroglyphics
 besides were inscribed  in the same    
manner behind my ears and on the nape of
 my neck4    ,after every operation the 
good doctor would pause to ask me3 8,is 
the  pain gone now80 ,four times did ,i 
tell him the truth2 then1 fearing that  
he would begin to tattoo my body1 ,i    
assured the persevering little  man that
 ,i never felt better in my life4 ,his  
joy knew no bounds4  ,raising his hands 
to heaven1 he cried1 8,praise be to ,god
 ,almighty1 who  hath sent to this poor 
family a power so miraculous4 ,the      
secret was  bequeathed to my father by  
the ,lord ,god1 and when my father died 
he  left it to me as an inheritance4 ,on
 no account must you wash off the  signs
 until to-morrow morning2 for if you do 

the pain will return to  punish you4    
,the blight of the ,evil ,eye was the   
cause of your headache4  ,go in peace4  
,you are welcome40    ,the following day
 ,i set out on my homeward journey1     
taking ,seyyid ',al  with me as far as  
,jiddah2 and when ,i said good-bye to   
him ,i felt that  ,i was losing an      
entertaining companion4 ,that the reader
 may experience  the same feeling of    
loss in parting from me is my dearest   
hope on  bidding him farewell4          
,illustration3 ,,an ,,arab ,,sheykh ,,of
 ,,the ,,town4          ,,appendix      
,by ,,wilfrid ,,sparroy    ,,some       
,,reflections ,,on ,,the ,,existence    
,,of ,a ,,slave ,,market ,,in ,,mecca   
,i brought the notes of 8,hj ,rz0 to a  
conclusion in the last chapter2  and he 
himself has bidden the reader farewell4 
,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 ,mullahs2   
and in so doing ,i  wish it to be       

understood1 particularly by my ,eastern 
readers1 that  ,i am solely responsible 
for the opinions ,i am about to express 
on  the subject of the ,mussulman's     
attitude to slavery1 the existence of   
which1 in the fourteenth century of the 
,hegira1 must be a source of  some      
misgiving on the part of those who      
sympathise with so much in the  ,muslim 
creed4 ,and ,i appeal throughout to the 
enlightened laymen of our  ,indian      
,empire1 on whose interpretations of the
 ,prophet's message the  welfare of     
,islm will1 in the future1 depend in an 
ever-increasing  degree4    ,now1 the   
,british are the champions of freedom3  
under their flag every  man is born     
free4 ,nothing is more hateful1 to their
 way of thinking1  than that one human  
being should be the slave of another4   
,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 rule1     
within the limits of humanity1 his own  
destiny2 and the  master1 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 god4 ,if this1 in brief1 be
  a fair statement of the ,british      
attitude towards slavery1 it will be    
interesting and1 in a measure1          
enlightening to the reader to follow1 by
  way of contrast1 the argument         
supported by the ordinary ,mussulman4   
,to be frank1 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 paragraph1  than had        
,muhammad himself4 ,humanly speaking1   
the ,british crusade  against slavery is
 not only beyond their comprehension--it
 is also  above it4 ,their outlook on   
life1 with its rights1 its limitations1 

and  its responsibilities1 differs      
fundamentally from that of the followers
  of the ,founder of ,christianity4 ,the
 ,christian1 who speaks of himself as   
8a child of ,god and an inheritor of the
 ,kingdom of ,heaven10 believes1  if we 
misinterpret him not1 that the first    
step is with him1 and the  road with    
,god4 ,in other words1 he holds the     
inspiriting belief1 which  is1 indeed1  
the source of all his worldly progress  
and his prosperity1  that ,god has given
 him the right to act of his own        
initiative1 but  not the power--or only 
a circumscribed power--to foresee       
whither his  actions will lead him4     
,therefore1 in calling himself 8a child 
of ,god10  he has chosen the title that 
would best express his independence and 
his limitations4 ,the ,muhammadan1 on   
the other hand1 cannot admit  that he   
has the power to move of his own free   
will1 much less the  right to do so4 ,he
 holds that every true ,muslim is1 and  
must be1 8the  slave of ,god10 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 lawlessness4 ,hence his      
aversion from ,europe and all its  ways4
 8,how10 he asks1 8can morality and law 
flourish in a continent1  in which      
thought is free1 in which women are     
free1 in which ,god's  will is          
superseded by the will of man8 ,freedom8
 ,i say we are all the  slaves of ,god1 
even when we are the slaves of other    
men4 ,there is not  one creature who is 
free to act4 ,only the ,creator is free4
 ,it is our  predestined lot to be      
submissive to ,his will40    ,i hope the
 reader is following the thread of my   
argument4 ,it is the  feeling of the    
,east which ,i would attempt to lay     
bare4 ,the existence  of slavery in     
these days is the natural outcome of    
that feeling4 ,many  a child is kept    
illiterate for no other reason than     
because its father  is illiterate4 ,if  
the father is a pea-parcher or a        

bean-roaster1 the  son must be a        
pea-parcher or a bean-roaster2 for a son
 is nothing more  than a child of its   
father4 ,this thraldom1 to a lad of     
originality  and spirit1 is unbearable1 
but he must either endure it1 or else   
run the risk of being an outcast4 ,thus 
the son is the slave of his  father4 ,in
 his turn the father is under the       
bondage of his spiritual  director1 who 
too often serves no other ,god than     
,mammon4 ,the tendency  of the ,muslim1 
however1 is to accept the guidance of   
his 8master0 with  unquestioning        
humility4 ,all might go well with him if
 his 8master0--we  mean his priest--were
 always a man to be trusted1 and the    
right man  to lead4 ,unfortunately the  
,muslim priest more often than not is   
more  unenlightened1 more selfish1 more 
avaricious1 more unscrupulous than  most
 of his flock1 and thus there is a      
danger of his enslaving the  whole fold4
 ,poor sheep1 they1 believing him to be 
the shepherd of  ,god1 are accustomed to

 follow him whithersoever he may ensnare
 them4  ,they are doomed to perish      
together on the rock of ,predestination1
  unless these 8masters0 can be brought 
to revise the interpretation  they have 
put on their ,prophet's teaching4       
,muhammad1 as a matter of  fact1 was    
careful not to draw a too narrow line   
between the scope and  the limitations  
of the human will4 ,there is nothing in 
his message  which need deter a         
progressive ,muslim from accepting the  
belief that  the first step is with him 
always1 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 politic4 ,for it 
would give to the  imagination an       
ever-widening vision of human           
responsibility1 of human  knowledge1 and
 of human destiny4 ,it would emancipate 
every race that is  proud to pay        
allegiance to the ,prophet1 and would   
make slavery1 in its  widest as well as 
in its literal sense1 a curse of the    

unredeemed past4    8,we know10 says    
,mr4 ,j4 ,h4 ,shorthouse1 speaking in   
the words of an  oracular voice1        
addressing the ,king of ,diamonds in a  
pack of cards1  8that we possess a power
 by which the fall of the cards is      
systematised  and controlled4 ,to a     
higher intelligence than ours1          
doubtless1  combinations which seem to  
us inscrutable are as easily analysed   
and controlled4 ,in proportion as       
intellect advances we know this to  be  
the case1 and these two would seem to   
run side by side into the               
infinite--law1 and intellect1 which     
perceives law1 until we arrive  at the  
insoluble problem whether law is the    
result of intellect or  intellect of    
law40    ,now1 the ,mussulman1 in trying
 to solve this problem1 seems to me to  
have chosen the solution which is more  
likely than not to paralyse  the        
intellect and clog the wheels of        
progress4 ,for if he is oppressed  or   
poor or ignorant or unhappy1 he may say 

it is ,god's will that he  should be so2
 and thus he may remain stationary1     
making no effort to  keep abreast with  
the march of civilisation4 ,in other    
words1 he may  come to be a slave to his
 god4 ,and so1 to make an end of this   
preamble1  it is not surprising that in 
countries where most men are to some    
extent slaves1 socially and politically 
speaking1 there should be men  and women
 who belong1 as purchasable and saleable
 chattels1 to such  families as can     
afford to buy them4 ,but--and this is an
 all-important  point--the ,prophet     
wrought his manly utmost to mitigate the
 ill-effects  of slavery3 it flourished 
exceedingly1 as every schoolboy knows1  
long  before his time1 and in other     
countries besides his own2 but1 thanks  
to ,muhammad's laws1 the lot of the     
slaves of ,islm was1 and is still1      
immensely happier than was ever that of 
the slaves of pagan ,rome or  of        
,christian ,north ,america4 ,it is      
related that ,abdullah ,ansari went  one

 day to visit the ,prophet1 and received
 from him the following  instructions2  
8,on this the last ,friday of ,ramazn1  
you must devote  yourself #8to taking   
leave' of the month1 and to redeeming as
 many  slaves as you can3 and these     
things you must do in order that ,god   
may be gracious unto you40 ,the         
8leave-taking10 be it known to the      
reader1 is practised every year1 but the
 old custom of setting one's  slaves    
free on the last day of the congregation
 of the ,muslim ,lent has  completely   
died out4 ,however1 though it was not   
possible for ,muhammad  to abolish      
slavery in a lifetime1 the system being 
far too deeply  rooted in the customs of
 the country1 he fully realised the     
oppression  to which the slaves had been
 subjected1 and left nothing undone     
which  would ameliorate their fate4     
,thus1 in ,sra xxiv4 of the ,kurn1      
entitled 8,light10 it is written3  8,and
 unto such of your slaves as desire a   
written instrument allowing  them to    

redeem themselves on the payment of a   
certain sum1 write one1  if ye know good
 in them3 that is1 if ye have found them
 faithful1 and  have reason to believe  
they will fulfil their engagement2 and  
give  them likewise of the riches of    
,god which ,he hath given you1 either by
  bestowing on them of your own         
substance or by abating them a part of  
their ransom40 ,some commentators       
believe the last admonition to be       
addressed not only to the masters but to
 ,muslims in general1 making  it an     
obligation on them all to assist those  
who have obtained their  liberty and    
paid their ransom1 either by giving the 
ransomed slaves of  their own stock1 or 
by admitting them to have a share in the
 public  alms4 ,one of the ,imms1 as we 
read in a ,shi'ah book of traditions1   
put a very generous interpretation on   
the ,prophet's words2 for on  the       
approach of the ,hjj ,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     
vain4 ,but1 alas6 in these modern days a
 slave is rarely  allowed to buy his    
freedom--unless1 indeed1 he be utterly  
worthless  as a servant--until such time
 as his master is dead4 ,a good ,muslim 
either releases his slaves on his       
death-bed1 having no further use of     
their services1 or makes provision for  
their redemption in his will4  ,the     
money and the belongings which they may 
have amassed1 as well as  they          
themselves1 are during his lifetime his 
inalienable property1 and1  therefore1  
on the first day of the moon of ,shavvl 
he must1 on paying  his ,zikkt 7that is1
 one-tenth of his gross estate71 include
 therein  the purchase-price of his     
slaves and the value of their hoards4   
,another instance of the ,prophet's     
solicitude for the best welfare  of the 
slaves must not be omitted here4 ,in his
 reverence for virtue  he took such     
steps as would1 to a certain extent1    
guard the female  slaves from the       

indelicacy of their masters4 ,if the    
masters have  deteriorated morally1 less
 than one might expect from the burden  
of  their responsibility and the force  
of their temptation1 dealing as far  as 
in them lies with kindness by their     
slaves1 what can be said in  respect of 
morality of the unfortunate slaves      
themselves8 ,in a play  modelled on the 
,european drama1 an ,oriental writer has
 chosen for  his hero a ,negro slave by 
name ,pistachio1 to whom he attributes  
the  lowest traits of ignorance and     
cunning4 ,pistachio is the evil genius  
of the family4 ,he turns the house into 
a secret gambling hell4 ,he  brings     
about a liaison between his master's    
daughter and a suitor  rejected by her  
parents2 and1 by winning his mistress's 
favour1 excites  the apprehension and   
jealousy of her husband4 ,every act of  
treachery  is committed under the cloak 
of folly4 ,his perversity has no limit1 
and his ingratitude no end4 ,making     
every allowance for reasonable          

exaggeration1 we have in ,pistachio a   
type of what an ,oriental slave  too    
often is4 ,for there is no manner of    
doubt that a man1 born and  bred in     
slavery1 knowing next to nothing of the 
refining influence of  education1 is    
more apt to represent rather the worse1 
than the better1  side of human         
character4 ,some slaves there are1      
doubtless1 who1 like  ,arab horses1 are 
surpassingly faithful to their masters1 
but there  are others--perhaps more     
numerous--who1 in the effrontery of     
deceit  and moral degradation could     
hardly be matched by the most thankless 
rascal in the sink of hypocrisy4 ,of the
 majority connecting the extreme  types 
whose portraits ,i have sketched1 two   
things may be said with  almost         
unquestionable certainty4 ,they are     
self-willed and effeminate  when young1 
and indolent and self-willed when old4  
,in their youth1  provided they be      
good-looking1 they are regarded with    
suspicion by  their masters1 if they are

 male1 and with jealousy by their       
mistresses  if they are female4 ,they   
live1 whether they be men or women1 in  
the  strength-sapping seclusion of the  
harems1 and hence1 for one reason1      
their lack of such qualities as go to   
the making of healthy manhood4  ,for    
intellect they must be placed not much  
above the level of the  dog--in fact1 if
 the dog could speak1 he would put in   
his claim to the  higher rank4    ,i    
have hardly heard of a single slave in  
an ,oriental house who deserves  to be  
noted for his intellectual power4 ,since
 he is so cunning and can  set the whole
 family by the ears1 how comes it that  
he is so dull of  understanding8 ,does  
the cause lie solely in the neglect of  
education8  ,surely not1 for if it did  
his master's case would often be no     
better  than his own4 ,is the reason1   
then1 to be sought beneath the surface  
of  his skin8 ,scarcely1 ,i think1      
since1 under the ,british flag in ,south
  ,africa1 his brother blacks are       

gaining fast in intellectual strength4  
,no2 set your slave free2 let him have a
 body he can call his own4  ,educate him
 that he may develop a mind to rule     
himself4 ,give him light1  and room1 and
 liberty4 ,do this1 you master of       
,islm's slave1 and your  jesters shall  
have no cause in the future to satirise 
the wretched  victim who1 bought in     
chains and reared in sloth1 is nothing  
less than  a living stigma cast on your 
manhood4 ,if anything could emancipate  
your  sense of justice1 it would be a   
visit to the ,slave ,market of ,mecca4  
,go there1 see for yourself the         
condition of the human chattels you     
purchase4 ,you will find them1 thanks to
 the vigilance of the ,british          
cruisers1 less numerous1 and            
consequently more expensive1 than they  
were in former years2 but there they    
are1 flung pell-mell in the open        
square--in crowds that clamour for a    
recrudescence of ,muhammad's  attitude  
towards slavery4    ,one group1 that of 

a mother and daughter1 excited the      
sympathy of  many pilgrims4 ,the girl1  
unthinking1 giddy1 broke every now and  
then  into shrill laughter4 ,in her     
mirth1 more terrible to witness than    
grief1 it seemed as though she would    
while away the hours of exciting        
expectation4 ,for the girl was bent on  
winning a master2 slavery had  for her  
no terror1 a mother no reclaiming tie4  
,every time the daughter  laughed her   
mother's face twitched all over1 and    
then grew rigid4 ,it  was plain1 to the 
sympathetic eye1 that she had forced    
herself to  rejoice in her own          
anguish--her daughter's unconcern1      
telling herself1  it may be1 that1      
though her own pain would soon be the   
greater1 her  daughter's would be so    
much the less4 ,the one1 dreading the   
parting1  disguised her secret anguish1 
or found her consolation in her child's 
heartlessness2 the other1 who could not 
conceal her anxiety lest she  should be 
overlooked1 was innocent of a qualm4    

,the dealer1 standing by1  cried out3   
8,come and buy1 the first fruits of the 
season1 delicate1  fresh1 and green2    
come and buy1 strong and useful1        
faithful and honest4  ,come and buy40   
,the day of sacrifice was past1 and the 
richer pilgrims  in their brightest     
robes gathered round4 ,one among them   
singled out the  girl4 ,they entered a  
booth together4 ,the mother was left    
behind4 ,one  word she uttered1 or was  
it a moan of inarticulate grief8 ,soon  
after1  the girl came back4 ,and the    
dealer1 when the bargaining was over1   
said  to the purchaser3 8,i sell to you 
this property of mine1 the female  slave
 ,narcissus1 for the sum of #dj40 8,and 
,i10 replied the pilgrim1  8agree to pay
 you #dj for your property1 ,narcissus40
 ,thus the bargain  was clinched4 ,this 
time the mother's despair was voiceless2
 for it  meant to stay with her always4 
,most of the slaves1 male and female1   
came from ,nubia and from  ,abyssinia1  
and these are said to be the most       

faithful4 8,hj ,rz0  tried his best to  
determine the extent of the traffic at  
,mecca1 but  in a country where the     
census is unknown1 where every nobleman 
is an  independent ruler1 and where the 
revenue cannot be calculated with  any  
degree of accuracy1 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 ,god4 ,that the trade by sea is on  
the decrease is certain2 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 ashore4     
,moreover1 the overland route is always 
open4 ,thus he  was told that the       
generality of the richer pilgrims       
commemorated the  sacramental journey by
 buying at least one slave1 and often   
two4 ,the  price varied4 ,a woman-slave1
 if she were good to behold1 fetched by 
far the higher price--from #bj to #hj4  
,men slaves could be bought for  sums   

varying from #ae to #dj4 ,the           
children-in-arms were sold with their   
mothers1 an act of mercy2 but those that
 could feed themselves had to  take     
their chance4 ,more often than not they 
were separated from their  mothers1     
which gave rise to scenes which many a  
sympathetic pilgrim  would willingly    
forget if he could4    ,it is the custom
 among the ,muhammadans to change the   
names of their  newly-acquired property4
 ,thus the slaves that go to ,persia and
 to  ,central ,asia are called by the   
names of the flowers if they are  women1
 and by those of the precious stones if 
they are men4 ,of the  precious stones  
,turquoise and ,cornelian are the most  
common4 ,flowers  and precious stones6  
,are they not men and women1 ,o children
 of ,islm1  and if they are1 why do you 
not restore to them1 in accordance with 
the express commands of ,muhammad1 the  
,prophet1 the breath that would         
reanimate and the light that would      
redeem them8444 8,but zeal outruns      

discretion4 ,here ,i end40              
,,index        ,aal1 #bgf      ,aaron1  
#fa      ,abbas1 #bgd      ,abdallah    
,ebn ,omm ,mactm1 #bc      ,abdullah    
,ansari1 #cjc      ,abdur ,rahman ,khan1
 #afj      ,abraham1 #ee1 #aae1 #adj1   
#aff1 #bdg      ',abd ,allah ,ibu       
,mas'ud1 #bfa      ,ab ,amid1 #aff      
,ab ,bekr1 #fi1 #aac      ,ab ,ghobais1 
,mount1 #beg      ,ab ,hanifa1 #aae     
,ab-,hurairah1 #bfa      ,ab ,sa'd      
al-,khadr1 #bfa      ,ab ,sophian1 #gj  
,ab ,ysf1 #aae      ,abyssinia1 #cjg    
,adam1 #aca1 #aff      ,afghan pilgrim1 
#bei      ,aghigheh sacrifice1 #dg1     
#bgb1 #bgc      ,ahia1 #ec      ,ahmad  
,ebn ,hanbal1 #aag      ,ahmad ,ebn     
,ysf1 #ic      ,ahmad                   
,muizz-u'd-,dawlat1 #fi                 
,ain-,zobeideh1 #bbd1 #bcg              
,albanians1 #bcd1 #bce      ,al ,beyyid1
 #ic      ,alemeyn1 #aif1 #bjc1 #bjd1   
#beb      ,al-,farra of ,bagh1 #bfa     
,algeria1 #agh      ,al ,hadi1 #aae     
',al1 ,imm1 his knighthood1 #bd1 #be    

----1 his injunctions to traders1 #de   
----1 traditions concerning him1 #fa    
----1 his wife1 ,fatima1 ,muhammad's    
daughter1 #fi      ----1 his character  
as ,caliph1 #fi1 #gj      ----1 as the  
8,lion of ,god10 #gj1 #ga      ----1 his
 murder1 #ga      ----1 his name        
inscribed on the gates of the ,harem1   
#aac      ,al-,kwthar1 #ei              
,al-,khall1 #ee      ,al ,mutasem1      
,caliph1 #aag      ,al ,moakkibat1 #abi 
,al ,omreh1 #beb      ,al ,rad1 ,caliph1
 #aag      ,amin-ud-dowleh1 #afc        
,amin-us-,surreh1 #bjf                  
,amir-ul-,hjj-ul-,mesri1 #bjf           
,amir-ul-,hjj-ul-,shami1 #bjf      ,arab
 club1 #aji      ,arab priest1 blind1   
#hh1 #hi      ,arabs1 #bb1 #bd1 #ie1    
#if1 #ig1 #ih1 #aja1 #ajd1 #aje1 #ajh2  
see also 8,bedouins0      ,arafat1 #bg1 
#ef1 #ajb1 also ,chapters ,,ix41 ,x41   
,,xi41 ,part ,,ii4      ,arch of ,beni  
,sheybeh1 #acj      ,ardebil1 #aeh      
,aryan1 #fb1 #ge      ,assyria1 #ga     
,avicenna1 #bij      ,a'yde-,ghadir1    

#fj1 #fa1 #fb      ,ayatu'l-,krs1       
translated1 #bfi1 #bgj      ,ayeshah1   
#ee1 #fi1 #gj1 #bba      ,azrail1 #aca  
,bbghl1 #dg1 #bgb1 #bgc      ,bb        
rebellion1 #afd      ,babylon1 #ajb     
,bagdad1 #aag      ,baidw1 #bfa         
,balm1 #fj      ,balsam of ,mecca1 #bfd1
 #bfe      ,barbary1 #aaf      ,bashtar1
 #if      ,baths1 ,muslim1 #da1 #ej     
,bedouins1 #id-if1 #ajc1 #ajd1 #ahi1    
#aib-aid1 #baj1 #baa1 #bac1 #bad1 #bai1 
#bcd1 #bce1 #bcf1 #bfc1 #bfd1 #bfe1     
#bgj1 #bgb      ,bedre1 #bfd            
,benares1 #ajb      ,behbehan1 #bgf     
,beni ,amere1 ,bedouin tribe1 #bfd      
,beni ,salem1 ,bedouin tribe1 #bgj      
,beni ,shaibeh1 gate1 #afh      ,beni   
,subh1 ,bedouin tribe1 #bfc1 #bfd1 #bfe 
,black ,stone1 #aca-ace1 #adj1 #afg     
,bombay1 #ahj      ,burkhardt1 #bbf     
,burton1 ,richard1 #bbf        ,cairo1  
#ed1 #aaa1 #agh      ,calvinism1 ,welsh1
 #cj      ,caucasus1 #ij      ,cholera1 
see ,preface1 also #hc1 #agh1 #agi1     
#ahj1 #aha1 #ahg1 #bjc1 #bjd1           

#bab1 #bac1 #bhd      ,christ1 #gf      
,compassing of the ,ka'bah1 #acj-aci    
,constantinople1 #ed      ,cover-design 
to the present volume1 see 8,bbghl0     
,critic1 his aim1 #ba      ----1 his    
attitude to the ,kurn1 #bb        ,day  
of ,arafat1 see ,chapters ,,ix41 ,x1    
,,xi41 ,part ,,ii4      ,day of the     
,repose of the ,soul1 see ,chapter      
,,vii41 ,part ,,ii4      ,day of        
,victims1 see ,chapter ,,xii41 ,part    
,,ii4      ,date-trees1 #bfe            
,delhi1 #bd      ,demavend1 #bha        
,devil1 see 8,lapidation0 and 8,edris0  
,edris1 #aca      ,egyptian ,mahmil1    
#bbj1 #bba1 #bda1 #bdb1 #bde            
,eshagh-ben-,amar1 #dd      ,essraf1    
#bde      ,estakhareh1 #ch1 #df1 #bhe1  
#bhi1 #bij      ,esteghfar1 #acd        
,euphrates1 #dg1 #ga      ,eve1 #aje1   
#ajf1 #aca        ,family of the ,tent1 
#gb1 #gc1 #ge      ,far1 #bfc           
,fatihah1 translated1 #bfi      ,fatima1
 #fa1 #fi1 #gb      8,fothl ,haremeyn10 
#ach        ,gabriel1 angel of          

,revelations1 #eb-ee1 #fj1 #fb1 #gf1    
#aca1 #aff      ,gaem1 #ajf      ,gala1 
#bij      ,gate of ,peace1 see 8,salm   
,gate0      ,gate of ,purity1 see 8,saf 
,gate0      ,ghadir1 #fh                
,ghadre-,day1 #eb1 #ec1 #ed             
,ghl-h-,allah1 #acd      ,gibbon1 #gb1  
#gc      ,gold ,spout1 #abg1 #acb1 #acf 
,granada1 #bd        ,hamadan1 #bge1    
#bgf1 #bgh      ,hamde1 #acd            
,hanbalites1 #aaf1 #aag1 #aah           
,hanefites1 #aae1 #bdh      ,harb1      
,bedouin tribe1 #ajd1 #bfc1 #bfd1 #bfe1 
#bgj      ,harem of ,mecca1 #aab-abj1   
#abc-abi1 #acd-ada      ,harem pigeons1 
#aai1 #afg      ,harun-ur-,rashid1      
,caliph1 #aae      ,hasan1 eldest son of
 ,imm ',al1 #ga      ,hashem1 #ge       
,hashemites1 #fi1 #ge      ,hashsh1     
#bhj1 #bha      ,heddah1 #ajc1 #ajh     
,hegira1 #dh      ,hejaz1 #ia-aja1 #afd1
 etc4      ,henna1 #bhc1 #bhd           
,hodi1 #ajf      ,hozail1 ,bedouin      
tribe1 #aid1 #baa      ,hugo1 ,victor1  
#hb      ,huseyn1 ,imm1 younger son of  

',al1 his knighthood1 #be      ----1 his
 rules of etiquette1 #cd      ----1 his 
character1 #ga      ----1 his last      
stand1 #gc      ----1 his death1 #gc    
----1 mourned by the ,persians1 #gd1 #ge
      ----1 hero of the ,persian        
,passion ,drama1 #gf      ----1 receives
 the key of intercession from ,muhammad1
 #gg        ,ihrm1 pilgrims' habit1 #ij1
 #ic1 #id1 #afe1 #aff      ,indian      
,pilgrims1 #aih1 #bjj1 #bbb             
,isfahn1 #afj      ,ishmael1 #ee1 #ef1  
#afg      ,islm1 social1 #cg1 #ch1      
#da-dg1 see ,chap4 ,,vi41 ,part ,,ii41  
and also the          chapters of ,part 
,,iii4      ,ismailia1 #gc              
,israfil1 #aca        ,jafar1 ,imm1 #ch1
 #db1 #dd1 #df      ,jamm ,sakhra1 #bcg 
,jebel-,nur1 #ahb      ,jesus1 #ee1 #fa 
,jiddah1 #hi1 #ij1 #ic-aja      ,jinns1 
#bgf1 #bgg      ,jumdu-'l-khir1 #dh     
,jumdu-'l-sn1 #dh      ,jumdu-'l-l1 #dh 
,ka'bah1 #bh1 #ef1 #fj1 #aaa1 #aab1     
#aad1 #aae1 #aca1 #acd-ada1 #afd-agb1   
#bea      ,kadijah1 #bba      ,karmata1 

#acb      ,karmatians1 #acb      ,kashn1
 #afj      ,kazi of ,mecca1 #bch1 #bdb1 
#bdg      ,kerbela1 #gb1 #gf1 #bgd      
,kesveh1 #bba1 #bbb      ,khadasieh1 #bd
      ,khaif1 #aia1 #aif1 #beb          
,khayym1 ,omar1 #cc1 #aei1 #bhf         
,khedevieh1 #hi      ,kiblah1 see       
8,mecca0      ,kirmn1 #hh      ,kitchen 
of ,adam1 #bbb      ,kufa1 #de1 #ga1    
#gc1 #gf      ,kuraish1 #bc1 #bd1 #ec1  
#aae1 #aah1 #aff      ,kurn1 ,geo4      
,robinson's opinion of it1 #ba          
----1 refers to the ,pilgrimage1 #bf-bi 
----1 used as a talisman1 #dc      ----1
 the third ,sra1 #ed1 #ee      ----1    
,chapter entitled 8,man10 #fb      ----1
 its use in battle1 #gj      ----1 see  
8,fatihah10 and 8,ayatu'l-,kurs0        
----1 ,chapter entitled 8,light10 #cjc  
,kurb1 ,king of ,yemen1 #bba            
,kurds1 #bcd        ,laili1 #fc         
,lapidation of the ,devil1 #bdf1 #bdg1  
#beb      ,lascars1 #hi      ,lesseps1  
de1 #hc      ,lote-tree1 #da            
,magrebis 7,moroccans71 #bad1 #bag      

,mahmil1 #bbj1 #bba1 #bda1 #bdb1 #bde2  
see also 8,syrian ,mahmil0      ,majnun1
 #fc      ,malay pilgrims1 #aid1 #aie1  
#aif1 #aig      ,malek ,ebn ,ans1 #aae1 
#aaf      ,malekites1 #aae1 #aaf        
,malik1 ,guardian of ,hell1 #eb         
,marseilles1 #hb      ,marshmallow1 #da 
,marveh1 #adb1 #adh-aeb1 #beb           
,maseh 7ablution71 #cd      ,masher al  
haram1 #agd      ,mecca1 #bi1 #dh1 #fh1 
#ha1 #ajc2      see also chapters of    
,part ,,iii4      ,medina1 #bc1 #dh1    
#eb1 #fh1 #gj1 #gb1 #agh1 #bbg1 #bcb1   
#bcc1 #bfc      ,meshireh1 #eb          
,messiah1 #ajf      ,messina1 #hb       
,michael1 archangel1 #aca      ,mina1   
#bh1 #ee1 #ef1 #adh1 #agf2      see also
 ,chap4 ,,xii41 ,part ,,ii4      ,mizab1
 see 8,gold ,spout0      ,moalla1 #aha  
,moawiyah1 #gj1 #ga      ,moghavems1    
#ajc1 #agf1 #ahj1 #ahb1 #ahh1 #aid1     
#aih1 #bji1 #bbj      ,morocco1 #agh2   
see also 8,maghrebis0 ,moses1 #fa       
,mount ,shn1 #aaj      ,muezzin1 #dc1   
#dh1 #ea1 #bcg1 #bch1 #bff              

,muhammad1 the ,prophet1      ----1 his 
sincerity1 #bb      ----1 8,he          
,frowned10 #bc      ----1 as a soldier1 
#bd      ----1 his aims as reformer1 #be
      ----1 his declaration of ,god's   
unity1 #be      ----1 his view of       
,christianity1 #be1 #bf      ----1 the  
sense he had of his mission1 #bf        
----1 his charity1 #bf      ----1       
approves of the ,pilgrimage1 #bg1 #bh1  
#bi      ----1 his cornelian ring1 #ch  
----1 his reverence for chastity1 #df   
----1 his ideal woman1 #df      ----1   
the festivals which he encouraged1 #df1 
#dg      ----1 on the moon of ,rajab1   
#di      ----1 his victory over the     
,kuraish1 #ec      ----1 his pond in    
,paradise1 #ei      ----1 his secretary1
 ,othmn1 #fi      ----1 his love for his
 grandson1 ,imm ,huseyn1 #gc      ----1 
hands over to ,huseyn the key of        
intercession1 #gg      ----1 his        
political aims1 #abj      ----1 his     
highest conception of the ,hereafter1   
#abj      ----1 catechises ,muaz1       

,governor of ,yeman1 #abc      ----1 his
 patience1 #abd      ----1 his respect  
for knowledge1 #abd1 #bij      ----1 on 
the sevenfold compassing of the ,ka'bah1
 #acg      ----1 his loyalty to his     
first wife1 ,kadijah1 #bba      ----1   
his flight from ,mecca1 #bcb      ----1 
his kindness to animals1 #bhg      ----1
 his attitude to slavery1 see ,chap4    
,v41 ,part ,,iii4      ,muhammadan1     
months or moons1 #dg-fb      ----1      
,paradise1 #eh1 #ei1 #abj      ----1    
,orthodox ,sects1 #aae-abj1 #abc1 etc4  
----1 ,mulls1 #abj1 #abc1 #abd1 #abe1   
etc4      ----1 ,prayers1 #abf-aeb1     
#agc1 #agd1 #bch      ----1             
self-sacrifice1 #acg1 #ach1 etc4        
----1 fortitude1 #aec1 #aed      ----1  
beggars1 #aeg      ----1 women1 #df1    
#hh1 #id1 #ie1 #adh1 #ahg1 #ahh1 #aii1  
#bjj1 #bag1 #cjf1 #cjg1          #cjh   
----1 musicians1 #aih1 #aii1 #bjj       
----1 centralisation1 #bbg              
,muharram1 #dh1 #fb1 #fh1 #fi1 #gc      
,munkar1 #ade1 #adf1 #bfj1 #bga         

,mussah-street1 ,mecca1 #aec1 #beg      
,nahavend1 #bd      ,nakhowales1 #bbg1  
#bcb1 #bcc      ,nakir1 #ade1 #adf1 #bga
      ,napoleon1 #bc      ,negro slaves1
 see ,chap4 ,v1 ,part ,,iii             
,nessouh1 #ej1 #ea      ,niyyat1 #cd1   
#acc1 #acd1 etc4      ,noah1 #dd1 #ea   
,nodbeh1 #eh      ,nu'man ,ibu ,bashr1  
#bfa      ,nn1 #fj      ,nureh1 #da     
,obeidullah1 ,governor of ,kufa1 #ga    
,omar1 second ,caliph1 #bd1 #fi1 #gj1   
#gd1 #aac      ,ommiyah1 #gj            
,othman1 third ,caliph1 #fi1 #aac       
,owf1 ,bedouin tribe1 #bfc              
,paris1 #hb      ,persian ,passion-play1
 #ge1 #gf1 #gg      ---- character1 at  
its best1 #gd1 #ge      ---- character1 
according to ,nassir1 #ajh      ----    
character1 according to ,seyyid ',al1   
#ajh      ---- witticisms1 #aji1 #aaj   
---- mysticism1 #fb-fh1 #aji1 #aaj      
---- poem1 #ada1 #adb      ---- story1  
#agf2 also ,chap4 ,,iii1 ,part ,,iii    
---- humour1 #ahf2 also ,chap4 ,,iii1   
,part ,,iii      ---- noblemen1 #ahh1   

#ahi      ---- fable1 #bje      ----    
,consul-,general of ,hejaz1 #bjf1 #bbg1 
#bca      ---- ,high-,priest of ,tehern1
 #bjf      ---- tents1 #bji      ----   
lullaby1 #baa      ---- water-pipes1    
#bbd      ---- seal-maker1 #bfj1 #bfa1  
#bfb      ---- character1 #bgb      ----
 parable1 #bgc1 #bgd      ----          
superstition1 #bge1 #bgf1 #bgg      ----
 satire1 #bhf      ,pilgrimage1         
conditions1 #ca1 #cb      ----1 the     
whole of the book ,pilgrims1 their      
number1 #bbe1 #bbf      ----1 the whole 
of the book      ,port ,said1 #hb1 #hc1 
#hd      ,purifications1 #cc1 #cd1 #ce  
,queen of ,egypt1 a1 #bba               
,robegh1 #bfc1 #bfd1 #bgj               
,rabu-'l-avval1 #dh1 #afd1 #afe         
,rabu-'l-sn1 #dh      ,rajab1 #dh1 #di1 
#ej1 #afd      ,ramazn1 #dh1 #eb1 #ec1  
#afd      8,rewa10 #hb      ,rewards1 of
 ,pilgrimage1 #ea      ,rezvan1         
,guardian of ,paradise1 #eb             
,robinson1 ,george1 #ba      ,rome1 #cjc
      ,ruk1 #cf      ,russian warships1 

#hc      ---- ,muslim subjects1 see     
,preface1 #ij        ,sd ,vaghas1 #bd   
,saf ,gate1 #aac1 #adf1 #adg1 #adh1 #beb
      ,safar1 #dh      ,safav kings1 #fh
      ,safr1 #bfc      ,salm ,gate1     
#aac1 #abf1 #abi      ,salim1 #di       
,salsabil1 #aej      ,sandals1 #ic      
,scorpio1 #df      ,sermon1 the ,kazi's1
 #bdb-bdd      ,seyyid ',al1 plays an   
important part throughout ,parts ,,ii4  
and ,,iii4      ,seyyid ,rs ,khns1 #gd1 
#gg      ,sha'bn1 #dh1 #ea1 #eb1 #afd   
,shfeis1 #aaf1 #aag1 #bdg      ,shamer1 
#gc      ,shavvl1 #bf1 #bg1 #dh1 #ed    
,sherf of ,mecca1 #aai1 #afd1 #bjf1     
#bji1 #bad1 #bbj1 #bbf1 #bca1 #bda1 #bdb
      ,sheykh ,mahmud1 his tomb1 #aaj   
----1 plain of1 #aha      ,shi'ahs1     
,keep ,ahia1 #ec      ----1 their       
marriages1 #ee      ----1 their         
,messiah1 #ee      ----1 their          
sacrifices1 #eg1 #eh      ----1 their   
superstitions1 #fj1 #fa1 #fb      ----1 
their faith and early history1 #fh-gg   
----1 their sacred river1 #ga      ----1

 their emancipation in ,mecca1 #bbg1    
#bbh      ----1 their medical science1  
#bij1 #bic      ----1 their funerals1   
#bic1 #bid      ,shirz1 #abe1 #bha      
8,siege of ,metz10 #ba      ,sijdah1 #cf
      ,simon ,peter1 #fa      ,sinai1   
,mount1 #eb      ,sinaitic ,peninsula1  
#agh      ,shorthouse1 ,j4 ,h41 #cjb    
,slave ,market1 at ,mecca1 see ,chap4   
,v1 ,part ,,iii      ,smyrna1 #bgh      
8,sorrow10 a ,sf song1 #aji      ,suez1 
#hd1 #he1 #hf      ,sfism1 #cc1 #fb-fh  
,sultn1 ,suleymn1 #aah1 #afg            
,sultan 7,turkey71 #aai      ,sunnis1   
see 8,muhammadan ,orthodox ,sects10 also
 under the separate    headings of those
 ,sects      ,sureh sjdeh1 #dd1 #ahb    
,syrian caravan1 #agg1 #bbj      ----   
,mahmil1 #aha1 #bbj1 #bba1 #bda1 #bdb   
---- pilgrims1 #aha1 #aia1 #bbj         
---- bazaar1 in ,mecca1 #beg2 see also  
,chap4 ,,ii41 ,part ,,iii4      ----    
character1 #bgb        ,taghvm1 #ch1    
#bhi      ,tahlil1 #bbc      ,tai1      
tribe1 #gb      ,takbir1 #acd           

,talbih1 #abh1 #aga1 #agd1 #bbc         
,talh'-tree1 #bie      ,tamjid1 #agd    
,tasnim1 #aej      ,tayef1 #aca         
,teamol1 #acg      ,tehern1 #ed         
,telha1 #gj      ,tennyson1 ,lionel1 #gd
      ,tewaff1 see 8,compassing of      
,ka'bah0      ,tripoli1 #agh            
,tunis1 #agh      ,turks1 see 8,orthodox
 ,sects10 and also under 8,muhammadan10 
and #bbf1          #bbg1 etc4           
,turkistn1 #bgh        ,ula1 #bdf       
,unitarians1 #be1 #bf      ,usury1 #de  
,vaghas1 ,sd1 #bd      ,valley of ,mina1
 see 8,mina0      ,viands1 forbidden1   
#cb1 #cc      ,victims1 #ef1 #eg1 #eh   
,vitr1 #cf        ,wady ,fatima1 #bhc1  
#bhd      ,wagner1 #ajg      ,wahabis1  
#bcf      ,wusta1 #bdf      ,wuz'h1 #cc1
 #ce        ,yazid1 #ga      ,yemen1    
#ga1 #abc1 #afe      ,youm-ul-,arafat1  
,chapters ,,ix41 ,x41 ,,xi41 ,part ,,ii4
      ,youm-ul-,nahre1 ,chapter ,,xii41 
,part ,,ii4      ,youm-ul-,tarvih1      
,chapter ,,vii41 ,part ,,ii4            
,zaideh ,gate1 #aad      ,zakani1 #hh   

,zanzibar1 #ade      ,zem-,zem well1    
#aaf1 #adb1 #ade1 #afe1 #beg1 #bei      
,zikat1 #ed1 #cjd      ,zobeir1 #gj     
,z-'l-hijjah1 #bf1 #bg1 #bh1 #dh1 #ee1  
#ef1 #fj1 #fb1 #agc1 #agd1 #age         
,z-'l-ka'dah1 #bf1 #bg1 #dh1 #ee        
,transcriber's ,note      ,clear        
printer's errors have been corrected by 
the transcriber2 as far  as possible1   
however1 original spelling1 punctuation1
 and accented  characters have been     
retained4 ,all changes listed in the    
errata have  also been made4    ,in the 
printed book1 images occupied whole     
pages4 ,in this file1 some  images have 
been moved from their original positions
 to avoid breaking  paragraphs2 the page
 numbers in the table of illustrations  
have not  been changed4    ,in this     
file1 text in italics is indicated by   
underscores4