Shortly after, I heard the loud sounds of the tambourines of a party of ’Eesáweeyeh darweeshes, whose performances constituted one of the chief attractions of the night, from the other end of the great portico. I immediately rose, and went thither. My friend the bookseller, quitting his zikr, came after me, and imprudently called out to me, “Efendee! take care of your purse!” In a minute, I felt my trousers pulled, several times; and afterwards I found a large hole in them, apparently cut with some sharp instrument, by a person in search of my pocket: for, when the mosque is crowded as it was on this occasion, it generally happens that some thieves enter even this most sacred building.[[543]] I had almost despaired of getting near to the ’Eesáweeyeh, when my servant, whom I had taken thither to carry my shoes, called out to the persons around me, “Do you know whom you are pushing?” and instantly I found a way made for me. It was then about three hours after sunset.
Before I describe the performances of the ’Eesáweeyeh, I should mention that they are a class of darweeshes of whom all, or almost all, are Maghrab′ees, or Arabs of Northern Africa, to the west of Egypt. They derive their appellation from the name of their first sheykh, Seedee Mohammad Ibn-’Eesa,[[544]] a Maghrab′ee. Their performances are very extraordinary; and one is particularly remarkable. I was very anxious that they should perform, this night, what I here allude to; and I was not disappointed; though I was told that they had not done it in Cairo for several years before.
I found about twenty of these darweeshes, variously dressed, sitting upon the floor, close together, in the form of a ring, next to the front-wall of the building. Each of them, excepting two, was beating a large “tár” (or tambourine), rather more than a foot in width, and differing from the common tár in being without the tinkling pieces of metal which are attached to the hoop of the latter. One of the two persons mentioned as exceptions was beating a small tár of the common kind; and the other, a “báz,” or little kettle-drum. Before this ring of darweeshes, a space rather larger than that which they occupied was left by the crowd for other darweeshes of the same order; and soon after the former had begun to beat their tambourines, the latter, who were six in number, commenced a strange kind of dance; sometimes exclaiming “Alláh!” and sometimes, “Alláh Mowlána!” (“God is our Lord!”). There was no regularity in their dancing; but each seemed to be performing the antics of a madman; now, moving his body up and down; the next moment, turning round; then, using odd gesticulations with his arms; next jumping; and sometimes, screaming: in short, if a stranger, observing them, were not told that they were performing a religious exercise, supposed to be the involuntary effect of enthusiastic excitement, he would certainly think that these dancing darweeshes were merely striving to excel one another in playing the buffoon; and the manner in which they were clad would conduce to impress him with this idea. One of them wore a kaftán without sleeves, and without a girdle; and had nothing on his head, which had not been shaved for about a week: another had a white cotton skull-cap, but was naked from the head to the waist; wearing nothing on his body but a pair of loose drawers. These two darweeshes were the principal performers. The former of them, a dark, spare, middle-aged man, after having danced in his odd manner for a few minutes, and gradually become more wild and extravagant in his actions, rushed towards the ring formed by his brethren who were beating the társ. In the middle of this ring was placed a small chafing-dish of tinned copper, full of red-hot charcoal. From this the darweesh just mentioned seized a piece of live charcoal, which he put into his mouth: then he did the same with another, another, and another, until his mouth was full; when he deliberately chewed these live coals, opening his mouth very wide every moment, to show its contents, which, after about three minutes, he swallowed; and all this he did without evincing the slightest symptom of pain; appearing, during the operation and after it, even more lively than before. The other darweesh, before alluded to as half-naked, displayed a remarkably fine and vigorous form; and seemed to be in the prime of his age. After having danced not much longer than the former, his actions became so violent that one of his brethren held him; but he released himself from his grasp, and, rushing towards the chafing-dish, took out one of the largest live coals, and put it into his mouth. He kept his mouth wide open for about two minutes; and during this period, each time that he inhaled, the large coal appeared of almost a white heat; and when he exhaled, numerous sparks were blown out of his mouth. After this, he chewed and swallowed the coal; and then resumed his dancing. When their performance had lasted about half an hour, the darweeshes paused to rest.
Before this pause, another party of the same sect had begun to perform, near the centre of the great portico. Of these I now became a spectator. They had arranged themselves in the same order as the former party. The ring composed by those who beat the tambourines consisted of about the same number as in the other company; but the dancers here were about twelve: sometimes less. One of them, a tall man, dressed in a dark woollen gown, and with a bare shaven head, took from the chafing-dish, which was handed to the dancers as though it had been a dish of cakes or sweetmeats, a large piece of brilliantly hot coal; placed it between his teeth, and kept it so for a short time; then drew it upon his tongue; and, keeping his mouth wide open for, I think, more than two minutes, violently inhaled and exhaled, showing the inside of his mouth like a furnace, and breathing out sparks, as the former darweesh had done; but with less appearance of excitement. Having chewed and swallowed the coal, he joined the ring of the tambourine-players; and sat almost close to my feet. I narrowly watched his countenance; but could not see the least indication of his suffering any pain. After I had witnessed these extraordinary performances for about an hour, both parties of darweeshes stopped to rest; and as there was nothing more to see worthy of notice, I then quitted the mosque.[[545]]
Sometimes, on this occasion, the ’Eesáweeyeh eat glass as well as fire. One of them, the hágg Mohammad Es-Seláwee, a man of gigantic stature, who was lamp-lighter in the mosque of the Hasaneyn, and who died a few years ago, was one of the most famous of the eaters of fire and glass, and celebrated for other performances. Often, when he appeared to become highly excited, he used to spring up to the long bars, or rafters, of wood, which extend across the arches above the columns of the mosque, and which are sixteen feet or more from the pavement; and would run along them, from one to another: then, with his finger, wetted in his mouth, he would strike his arm, and cause blood to flow; and by the same means stanch the blood.
The zikrs, during this festival, are continued all night. Many persons pass the night in the mosque, sleeping on the matting; and it often happens that thefts are committed there. On my return to my house after witnessing the performances of the ’Eesáweeyeh, I found no fewer than eight lice on my clothing.
On the following night there was nothing that I observed at all entertaining, unless it were this, that my officious friend the book-seller, who again presided at a zikr, wishing to pass me off for a pious Muslim (or perhaps for the sake of doing a good work), without having obtained my previous permission, openly proposed to four fikees to perform a recitation of the Kur-án (I mean, of the whole book, a “khatmeh”), on my part, for the sake of seyyidna[[546]]-l-Hoseyn. As this is commonly done, on the occasions of this festival, by persons of the higher and middle orders, it would have excited suspicion if I had objected. It was therefore performed, in the afternoon and evening next following; each fikee reciting a portion of the book; and then another relieving him: it occupied about nine hours. After it was finished, I was mentioned, by my assumed Oriental name, as the author of this pious work. The performers received a wax candle, some bread, and a piaster each.
On Monday the mats were removed, excepting a few, upon which groups of fikees, employed to recite the Kur-án, seated themselves. Vast numbers of persons resorted to the mosque this day, both men and women; chiefly those who were desirous of obtaining a blessing by the visit, and disliked the still greater crowding and confusion of the following day, or day of the Moolid. In the ensuing evening, the streets in the neighbourhood of the mosque were densely crowded; and, a little after sunset, it was very difficult in some parts to pass. Numerous lamps were hung in these streets; and many shops were open.
This was also the night of the Moolid of the famous Sultán “Es-Sáleh,” of the house of Eiyoob, who is commonly believed to have been a welee, and is said to have worn a dilk, and to have earned his subsistence by making baskets, etc., of palm-leaves (“khoos”), without drawing any money from the public treasury for his own private use. His tomb, which adjoins his mosque, is in the Nahháseen (or market of the sellers of copper wares), a part of the main street of the city, not far from the mosque of the Hasaneyn. This market was illuminated with many lamps. Most of the shops were open; and in each of these was a group of three or four or more persons sitting with the master. The mosque and tomb of Es-Sáleh are much neglected, and falling to decay, notwithstanding the high veneration which the people of Cairo entertain for this prince. On my approaching the door of the tomb, I was surrounded by hemalees and sakkas, soliciting me to pay them to distribute the contents of an ibreek or a kirbeh for the sake of Es-Sáleh. I entered the building with my shoes on (seeing that others did the same); but took them off at the threshold of the saloon of the tomb. This is a square hall, surmounted by a dome. In the centre is an oblong monument, over the grave, surrounded by a wooden railing. At the head of this railed enclosure (or maksoorah) are four large wax candles; and at the foot, three; all of which are encased in plaster, and resemble round-topped stone pillars. They are coloured with broad, horizontal, red stripes, like the alternate courses of stone in the exterior walls of most mosques in Cairo. There probably were, originally, the same number at the foot as there are at the head of the maksoorah; for there is a space which seems to have been occupied by one at the foot. These candles, it is said, were sent as a present, by a Pope, or by a Frank King, to Es-Sáleh, who, being a welee, discovered, without inspecting them, that they were filled with gunpowder, and ordered them to be thus encased in plaster: or, according to another account, they were sent as a present for the tomb, some years after the death of Es-Sáleh; and he appeared to the guardian of his tomb in a dream, and informed him of the gunpowder-plot. The saloon of the tomb I found scantily lighted; and having a very ancient and neglected appearance. The pavement was uncovered. On my entering, two servants of the mosque took me to the foot of the maksoorah, and one of them dictated to me the Fát’hah, and the form of prayer which I have mentioned in my account of the ceremonies of the day of ’A’shoora; and the other responding “A’meen!” (“Amen!”): the former then desired me to recite the Fát’hah, with them, a second time, and gave me five of the little balls of bread from the tomb of the seyyid El-Bedawee. They received, for this, half a piaster. Another servant opened the door of the maksoorah for me to enter: an honour which required that I should give him also a trifling present.
From the tomb of Es-Sáleh I proceeded to the mosque of the Hasaneyn, through streets crowded to excess (though this was not the great night), and generally well lighted. There was but little difference between the scenes which the streets and the mosque of the Hasaneyn presented: among the crowds in the mosque I saw numbers of children; and some of them were playing, running after each other, and shouting. There were numerous groups of fikees reciting the Kur-án; and one small ring of darweeshes, in the centre of the great portico, performing a zikr. I forced my way with difficulty into the kubbeh, and performed the circuit round the shrine. Here was a very numerous party reciting the Kur-án. After quitting the mosque, I spent about an hour and a half in a street, listening to a Shá’er.