وهو لا يولد ولا مولد
He (God) neither begets nor is begotten: and
وما عند الله شركاً
God has no associate":—
both referring to the unity of God. Speaking of the duration of the world, I said:—"The world must now begin, for, up to this time, men have been generally very ignorant; and until lately the whole of the earth has not been discovered." Very angry at this, he replied:—"Now the world will finish; God is coming to destroy all you Christians, and all the black kafers (infidels), as well as the white." He then gave me an account of the creation. "The world," he said, "was created seven times," &c., &c., adding many curious things.
I.—"What is to become of the world; are nearly all its inhabitants, from its beginning until now, to be d——d?"
He.—"Yes."
I.—"Is this the decree of God?"
He.—"Yes, all is maktoub."