Mr. Lecky believes (European Morals, vol. ii. p. 70) that it was the spirit of Christianity which brought about the abolition of slavery in Europe. He says, “The services of Christianity were of three kinds. It supplied a new order of relations, in which the distinction of classes was unknown. It imparted a moral dignity to the servile classes. It gave an unexampled impetus to the movement of enfranchisement.”
SLEEPING. Arabic naum (نوم). Heb. נוּם nūm. It is usual for Muslims to sleep with the head in the direction of Makkah.
Abū Ẕarr relates that on one occasion he was sleeping on his belly, and the Prophet saw him, and, kicking him, said, “O Jundub! this way of sleeping is the way the devils sleep!”
Abbab says he saw the Prophet sleeping on his back, with one leg lying over the other, but Jābir says the Prophet forbade that way of sleeping. (Mishkāt, book xxii. ch. v. pt. 1.)
SNEEZING. Arabic ʿut̤ās (عطاس). According to the Muḥammadan religion, it is a sacred duty to reply to a sneeze. For example, if a person sneeze and say immediately afterwards, “God be praised” (al-ḥamdu li-ʾllāh, الحمد لله), it is incumbent upon at least one of the party to exclaim, “God have mercy on you” (Yarḥamu-ka ʾllāh, يرحمك الله). This custom of replying to a sneeze existed amongst the Jews, whose sneezing formula was “Tobim khayim!” i.e. “Good life.”
There are interesting chapters on saluting after sneezing in Tylor’s Primitive Culture, and Isaac D’Israeli’s Curiosities of Literature.
Replying to a sneeze is amongst the duties called Farẓ Kafāʾi. (Mishkāt, book v. ch. i. pt. 1.)
Abū Hurairah relates that Muḥammad said, “Verily God loves sneezing and hates yawning.” (Mishkāt, book xxii. ch. vi.)
SODOM. Arabic Sadūm (سدوم). Heb. סְדוֹם Sedōm. “The City of Lot.” The Qāmūs says it is more correctly Ẕaẕūm. The city is not mentioned by name in the Qurʾān, but it is admitted to be one of the “overturned cities” referred to in [Sūrahs ix. 71]; [lxix. 9]. Amongst Muḥammadans, this city is associated with sodomy, or unnatural crime, called in Arabic liwāt̤ah. Pæderastia, is held to be forbidden by Muslim law, and the reader will find a discussion on the subject in Hamilton’s Hidāyah, vol. ii. p. 26. The prevalence of this vice amongst Muḥammadans is but too well known. (See Vambéry’s Sketches of Central Asia, p. 192.)
SOLOMON. Arabic Sulaimān (سليمان). Heb. שְׁלֹמֹה Shelōmōh. Both according to the Qurʾān and the Muḥammadan commentators, Solomon was celebrated for his skill and wisdom. The following is the account given of him in the Qurʾān, with the commentators’ remarks in italics, as given in Mr. Lane’s Selections from the Ḳurʾán (2nd ed. by Mr. Stanley Lane-Poole):—