The night on which “Ramadán” (the month of abstinence, the ninth month of the year) is expected to commence is called “Leylet er-Roo-yeh,” or the Night of the Observation [of the new moon]. In the afternoon, or earlier, during the preceding day, several persons are sent a few miles into the desert, where the air is particularly clear, in order to obtain a sight of the new moon: for the fast commences on the next day after the new moon has been seen, or, if the moon cannot be seen in consequence of a cloudy sky, at the expiration of thirty days from the commencement of the preceding month. The evidence of one Muslim, that he has seen the new moon, is sufficient for the proclaiming of the fast. In the evening of the day above mentioned, the Mohtes′ib, the sheykhs of several trades (millers, bakers, slaughter-men, sellers of meat, oil-men, and fruiterers), with several other members of each of these trades, parties of musicians, and a number of fakeers, headed and interrupted by companies of soldiers, go in procession from the Citadel to the Court of the Kádee, and there await the return of one of the persons who have been sent to make the observation, or the testimony of any other Muslim who has seen the new moon. The streets through which they pass are lined with spectators. There used to be, in this procession, several led horses, handsomely caparisoned; but of late, military display, of a poor order, has, for the most part, taken the place of civil and religious pomp. The procession of the night of the Roo-yeh is now chiefly composed of Nizám infantry. Each company of soldiers is preceded and followed by bearers of mesh’als, to light them on their return; and followed by the sheykh, and a few other members, of some trade, with several fakeers, shouting, as they pass along, “O! Blessing! Blessing! Bless ye the Prophet! On him be peace!” After every two or three companies, there is generally an interval of many minutes. The Mohtes′ib and his attendants close the procession. When information that the moon has been seen has arrived at the Kádee’s court, the soldiers and others assembled there divide themselves into several companies, one of which returns to the Citadel; the others perambulate different quarters of the town, shouting, “O followers of the best of the Creation![[555]] Fasting! Fasting!”—When the moon has not been seen on this night, the people are informed by the cry of “To-morrow is of the month of Shaabán! No fasting! No fasting!”—The people generally pass a great part of this night (when the fast has been proclaimed as commencing on the morrow) in eating and drinking and smoking; and seem as merry as they usually do when released from the misery of the day’s fast. The mosques, as on the following nights, are illuminated within; and lamps are hung at their entrances, and upon the galleries of the mád’nehs.
In Ramadán, instead of seeing, as at other times, many of the passengers in the streets with the pipe in the hand, we now see them empty-handed, until near sunset, or carrying a stick or cane, or a string of beads; but some of the Christians now are not afraid, as they used to be, of smoking in their shops in the sight of the fasting Muslims. The streets, in the morning, have a dull appearance, many of the shops being shut; but in the afternoon, they are as much crowded as usual, and all the shops are open. The Muslims during the day-time, while fasting, are, generally speaking, very morose: in the night, after breakfast, they are unusually affable and cheerful. It is the general fashion of the principal Turks in Cairo, and a custom of many others, to repair to the mosque of the Hasaneyn in the afternoon during Ramadán, to pray and lounge; and on these occasions a number of Turkish tradesmen (called Tohafgeeyeh) expose for sale, in the court of the meydaäh (or tank for ablution), a variety of articles of taste and luxury suited to the wants of their countrymen. It is common, in this month, to see tradesmen in their shops reciting the Kur-án or prayers, or distributing bread to the poor. Towards evening, and for some time after sunset, the beggars are more than usually importunate and clamorous; and at these times the coffee-shops are much frequented by persons of the lower orders; many of whom prefer to break their fast with a cup of coffee and a pipe. There are few among the poor who do not keep the fast; but many persons of the higher and middle classes break it in secret.
In general, during Ramadán, in the houses of persons of the higher and middle classes, the stool of the supper-tray is placed, in the apartment in which the master of the house receives his visitors, a few minutes before sunset. A japanned tray is put upon it; and on this are placed several dishes, or large saucers, containing different kinds of dry fruits (which are called “nukl”); such as hazel-nuts (generally toasted), raisins, shelled walnuts, dried dates, dried figs, shelled almonds, sugared nuts, etc., and kahk, or sweet cakes. With these are also placed several kullehs (or glass cups) of sherbet of sugar and water; usually one or two cups more than there are persons in the house to partake of the beverage, in case of visitors coming unexpectedly; and often a little fresh cheese and a cake of bread are added. The pipes are also made ready; and it is usual to provide, in houses where numerous visitors are likely to call, several common reed pipes. Immediately after the call to evening prayer, which is chanted four minutes after sunset, the master and such of his family or friends as happen to be with him drink each a glass of sherbet: they then usually say the evening-prayers; and, this done, eat a few nuts, etc., and smoke their pipes. After this slight refreshment, they sit down to a plentiful meal of meat and other food, which they term their breakfast (“fatoor”). Having finished this meal, they say the night-prayers, and certain additional prayers of Ramadán, called “et-taráweeh;” or smoke again before they pray. The taráweeh prayers consist of twenty rek’ahs; and are repeated between the ’eshë prayers and the witr. Very few persons say these prayers, excepting in the mosque, where they have an Imám to take the lead; and they do little more than conform with his motions. The smaller mosques are closed, in Ramadán, soon after the taráweeh prayers: the larger remain open until the period of the last meal (which is called the “sahoor”), or until the “imsák,” which is the period when the fast must be recommenced. They are illuminated within and at their entrances, as long as they remain open; and the mád’nehs are illuminated during the whole of the night. The time during which the Muslim is allowed to eat (commencing, as already stated, at sunset) varies from 11 hours 55 minutes to 7 hours 46 minutes (in the latitude of Cairo), according as the night is long or short: the imsák being always twenty minutes before the period of the prayer of daybreak. Consequently, the time during which he keeps fast every day is from 12 hours 5 minutes to 16 hours 14 minutes.
The Muslims, during Ramadán, generally take their breakfast at home; after which, they sometimes spend an hour or two in the house of a friend. Many of them, but chiefly those of the lower orders, in the evening, visit a coffee-shop, either merely for the sake of society, or to listen to one of the reciters of romances, or musicians, who entertain the company at many of the coffee-shops every night of this month. Numerous passengers are seen in the streets during the greater part of the night; and most of the shops at which sherbet and eatables are sold remain open. Night is thus turned into day; and particularly by the wealthy, most of whom sleep during a great part of the day. It is a custom of some of the ’Ulama of Cairo to have a zikr performed in their houses every night during this month; and some other persons, also, occasionally invite their friends, and entertain them with a zikr or a khatmeh.
Every night during Ramadán, criers, called “Musahhirs,” go about, first to recite a complimentary cry before the house of each Muslim who is able to reward them, and at a later hour to announce the period of the “sahoor,” or last meal.[[556]] There is one of these criers to each “khutt,” or small district, of Cairo. He begins his rounds about two hours, or a little more, after sunset (that is, shortly after the night-prayers have been said); holding, with his left hand, a small drum, called “báz,” or “tablat el-musahhir,”[[557]] and, in his right hand, a small stick or strap, with which he beats it; and is accompanied by a boy carrying two “kandeels” (or small glass lamps) in a frame made of palm-sticks. They stop before the house of every Muslim, excepting the poor; and on each occasion of their doing this, the musahhir beats his little drum to the following measure, three times:—
after which he chants—“He prospereth who saith ‘There is no deity but God’”—then he beats his drum in the same manner as before, and adds,—“‘Mohammad, the Guide is the Apostle of God.’”—Then again beating his drum he generally continues,—“The most happy of nights to thee, O such a one!” (naming the master of the house). Having previously inquired the names of the inmates of each house, he greets each person, excepting women, in the same manner; mentioning every brother, son, and young unmarried daughter of the master: saying, in the last case,—“The most happy of nights to the chief lady among brides,[[558]] such a one.” After each greeting he beats his drum; and after having greeted the man (or men), adds,—“May God accept from him [or them] his [or their] prayers and fasting and good works.”—He concludes by saying,—“God preserve you, O ye generous, every year!”—At the houses of the great (as also sometimes in other cases), after commencing as above (“He prospereth who saith ‘There is no deity but God: Mohammad, the Guide, is the Apostle of God’”), he generally repeats a long chant in unmeasured rhyme; in which he first conjures God to pardon his sins, and blesses the Prophet, and then proceeds to relate the story of the “mearág” (or the Prophet’s miraculous ascension to heaven), and other similar stories of miracles; beating his drum after every few words, or, rather, after every rhyme.—A house of mourning the musahhir passes by. He generally receives, at the house of a person of the middle orders, two, three, or four piasters on the “’eed” which follows Ramadán: some persons give him a trifle every night.
If my reader be at all impressed by what has been above related, of the office of the musahhir, as illustrating the character of the Muslims, he will be more struck by what here follows.—At many houses of the middle classes in Cairo, the women often put a small coin (of five faddahs, or from that sum to a piaster, or more) into a piece of paper, and throw it out of a window to the musahhir; having first set fire to the paper, that he may see where it falls: he then, sometimes by their desire, and sometimes of his own accord, recites the Fát’hah, and relates to them a short tale, in unmeasured rhyme, for their amusement; as, for instance, the story of two “darrahs”—the quarrels of two women who are wives of the same man. Some of the tales which he relates on these occasions are of a grossly indecent nature; and yet they are listened to by females in houses of good repute. How incongruous are such sequels! What inconsistency of character do they evince!
During this month, those calls from the mád’nehs which are termed “the Oola” and “the Ebed” are discontinued; and, in their stead, two other calls are chanted. The period of the first of these, which is termed the “Abrár” (from the first word of note occurring in it), is between an hour and a half and half an hour before midnight, according as the night is long or short. It consists of the following verses of the Kur-án.[[559]] “But the just shall drink of a cup [of wine] mixed with [the water of] Káfoor; a fountain from which the servants of God shall drink: they shall convey the same by channels [whithersoever they please]. [These] did fulfil their vow, and dread the day, the evil whereof will disperse itself far abroad; and give food unto the poor and the orphan and the bondsman for his sake, [saying,] We feed you for God’s sake only: we desire no recompense from you, nor any thanks.”—The second call is termed the “Selám” (or salutation); and is a series of invocations of blessings on the Prophet, similar to those recited before the Friday-prayers; but not always the same. This is generally chanted about half an hour after midnight. The morning adán from the mád’nehs is chanted much earlier than usual, as a warning to the Muslims to take their last meal, the “sahoor;” in winter, in the longest night, about two hours and a half, and in the short nights, about one hour and a half, before the imsák. Another adán is also made from the dikkehs in the great mosques about twenty minutes before the imsák, as a final warning to any who may have neglected to eat; and at the period of the imsák, in these mosques, the meekátee (who makes known the hours of prayer, etc.), or some other person, calls out “Irfa’oo!” that is, “Remove ye” [your food, etc.]—About an hour and a half before the imsák, the musahhir goes his rounds to rouse or remind the people to eat at those houses where he has been ordered to call; knocking and calling until he is answered; and the porter of each quarter does the same at each house in his quarter.—Some persons eat but little for their fatoor, and make the sahoor the principal meal: others do the reverse; or make both meals alike. Most persons sleep about half the night.
Some few pious persons spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadán in the mosque of the Hasaneyn or that of the Seyyideh Zeyneb. One of these nights, generally supposed to be the 27th of the month[[560]] (that is, the night preceding the 27th day), is called “Leylet el-Kadr” (the Night of Power, or of the Divine decree). On this night, the Kur-án is said to have been sent down to Mohammad. It is affirmed to be “better than a thousand months;”[[561]] and the angels are believed to descend, and to be occupied in conveying blessings to the faithful from the commencement of it until daybreak. Moreover, the gates of heaven being then opened, prayer is held to be certain of success. Salt water, it is said, suddenly becomes sweet on this night; and hence, some devout persons, not knowing which of the last ten nights of Ramadán is the Leylet el-Kadr, observe all those nights with great solemnity, and keep before them a vessel of salt water, which they occasionally taste, to try if it become sweet, so that they may be certain of the night. I find, however, that a tradition of the Prophet fixes it to be one of the odd nights; the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, or 29th.