An account of the empire of Marocco, and the districts of Suse and Tafilelt; compiled from miscellaneous observations made during a long residence in, and various journies through, these countries. To which is added an account of shipwrecks on the western coast of Africa, and an interesting account of Timbuctoo, the great emporium of Central Africa

by James Grey Jackson

It must, however, be observed, that the principles here laid down are not always the rule of action, any more than the sublime truths inculcated by the Christian religion are altogether acted upon by its professors.

Both religions acknowledge the greatness of God, and yet bigotry is so prevalent at Old Fas, that if a Christian were there to exclaim Allah k’beer, God is great, he would be invited immediately to add to it, and Mohammed is his prophet, which, if he were inadvertently to utter before witnesses, he would be compelled to become a Mohammedan, and would be circumcised accordingly: so that Europeans should be extremely cautious, when unprotected, or not in the suite of an ambassador, what words they ever repeat after a Mohammedan, even if ignorant of the meaning thereof. I do not apprehend, however, that it is necessary to observe this caution in any part of the empire except at Old Fas, where bigotry, as before observed, predominates.

Martin Martinius, the jesuit, and Abraham Ecchellensis, professor of Oriental languages at Rome in the 17th century, tax the Koran with asserting, that God himself prays for Mohammed; this absurdity has probably originated in an incorrect translation of the Koran, published about 270 years since, which translates, “may the blessing of God be upon thee, may the prayers of God be upon thee:” the same Arabic word (Sollah) which signifies peace or blessing, when applied to a man, signifies prayer. Sollah Allah ala Seedna Mohammed, signifies, “pray to God through our master Mohammed,” not, “the prayers of God are upon Mohammed.”

It has been said by Maccarius, in his Theolog. Polemic. p. 119, that Mohammed does not acknowledge any hell. Why then does he explain the seven gates of hell, mentioned in the Koran, chap. xv.? which are an emblem of the seven deadly sins, and of their various punishments; for, according to the Arabian prophet, hell has seven gates, allegorically, and heaven has seven heavens, or degrees of happiness; the highest and chiefest of which, according to the Mohammedans, is to see God. The (Gehennume) hell of Mohammed is not an eternal punishment.

Monsieur de St. Olon, ambassador from the King of France at Marocco, says, in his description of the kingdom of Marocco, chap. ii.—“The Mohammedans maintain, that by washing their head, hands, and feet, they are purified from all sin:” but this is an error, and I may presume, from the nature of the assertion, that the Ambassador, like many others, who are sent to Mohammedan countries, knew nothing of the Arabic language, and that he was obliged to negotiate through some Jewish interpreter. The washing is merely a necessary ceremony, and is similar to our custom of going washed and clean to church; it is a purifying of the shell, or the outward man, prayers are a purifying of the kernel or inward man; as by purifying the kernel, the amendment of the heart is implied.

With regard to spirits or devils (called Jin, Sing. and Jinune (pl.); Sale translates Genii, which is the word Jin, with the vowel point thus, جنِ jinee), Philip Guadagnolo,[164] in his apology for the Christian religion, p. 291, asserts, that the Koran is full of contradictions, from what it says about devils in the chapter called the chapter of Devils; but this is really the chapter of spirits (Genii, spirits), for of these Mohammedans admit three kinds, besides the departed souls of men, called Rôh Benadam, viz.

1. Lucifer, the chief of the devils, is called Shetan.

2. All rebellious or deformed spirits belonging to Shetan are called Iblis.

The 3d kind are called Genii, in Arabic Jinune; they are both good and bad, offensive and inoffensive, and assume various forms. The good are called Melik.

Of sins, the Mooselmin affirm envy to have been the first committed in heaven and on earth; they say Iblis envied Adam; when God ordered all Angels to honour him, he tacitly condemned God; and expostulated with him on ordering him, who was made of fire, to adore or honour the first man, who was made from earth. ‘Now,’ said the wretch Iblis, ‘it is not just that the superior being should honour the inferior;’ and he was cast down from heaven for his disobedience: thus envy was the first sin in heaven.