MAḤMŪDĪYAH (محمودية). A Shīʿah sect founded by Mīr Sharīf, who in the reign of Akbar held a military appointment in Bengal. He was a disciple of Maḥmūd of Busak͟hwān, the founder of the Nuqtawīyah sect. Maḥmūd lived in the reign of Timur, and professed to be al-Mahdī. He also called himself the Shak͟hs-i-Waḥīd—the Individual one. He used to quote the verse, “It may be that thy Lord will raise thee up to a glorious (maḥmūd) station” ([Sūrah xvii. 81]). From this he argued that the body of man had been advancing in purity since the creation, and that on its reaching to a certain degree, one Maḥmūd (glorious) would arise, and that then the dispensation of Muḥammad would come to an end. He claimed to be the Maḥmūd. He also taught the doctrine of transmigration, and that the beginning of everything was the earth atom (nuqt̤ah). It is on this account that they are called in Persian the Nuqtawīyah sect. They are also known by the names Maḥmūdīyah and Waḥīdīyah. Shah ʿAbbās, King of Persia, expelled them from his dominions, but Akbar received the fugitives kindly, and promoted some amongst them to high offices of State.
MAHR (مهر). Heb. מֹהַר. The dower or settlement of money or property on the wife, without which a marriage is not legal, for an explanation of which see the article on [DOWER].
The Hebrew word occurs three times in the old Testament, viz. [Gen. xxxiv. 12]; [Ex. xxii. 17]; [1 Sam. xviii. 25]. [[DOWER] and [MARRIAGE].]
MAḤRAM (محرم). Lit. “Unlawful.” A near relative with whom it is unlawful to marry. Muḥammad enjoined that every woman performing pilgrimage should have a maḥram with her night and day, to prevent scandal. (Mishkāt, book xi. ch. i.)
AL-MĀʾIDAH (المائدة). Lit. “The table.” The title of the Vth Sūrah of the Qurʾān, in the 114th verse of which the word occurs: “O Jesus, son of Mary! is thy Lord able to send down to us a table?”
“This miracle is thus related by the commentators. Jesus having at the request of his followers asked it of God, a red table immediately descended, in their sight, between two clouds, and was set before them; whereupon he rose up, and, having made the ablution, prayed, and then took off the cloth which covered the table, saying, ‘In the name of God, the best provider of food!’ What the provisions were with which this table was furnished, is a matter wherein the expositors are not agreed. One will have them to be nine cakes of bread and nine fishes; another, bread and flesh; another, all sorts of food except flesh; another, all sorts of food except bread and flesh; another, all except bread and fish; another, one fish which had the taste of all manner of food; and another, fruits of paradise; but the most received tradition is that when the table was uncovered, there appeared a fish ready dressed, without scales or prickly fins, dropping with fat, having salt placed at its head and vinegar at its tail, and round it all sorts of herbs except leeks, and fine loaves of bread, on one of which there were olives, on the second honey, on the third butter, on the fourth cheese, and on the fifth dried flesh. They add that Jesus, at the request of the Apostles, showed them another miracle, by restoring the fish to life, and causing its scales and fins to return to it, at which the standers-by being affrighted, he caused it to become as it was before; that one thousand three hundred men and women, all afflicted with bodily infirmities or poverty, ate of these provisions, and were satisfied, the fish remaining whole as it was at first; that then the table flew up to heaven in the sight of all; and every one who had partaken of this food were delivered from their infirmities and misfortunes; and that it continued to descend for forty days together, at dinner-time, and stood on the ground till the sun declined, and was then taken up into the clouds. Some of the Muḥammadan writers are of opinion that this table did not really descend, but that it was only a parable; but most think the words of the Qurʾān are plain to the contrary. A further tradition is that several men were changed into swine for disbelieving this miracle, and attributing it to magic art; or, as others pretend, for stealing some of the victuals from off it. Several other fabulous circumstances are also told, which are scarce worth transcribing. Some say the table descended on a Sunday, which was the reason of the Christians observing that day as sacred. Others pretend that this day is still kept among them as a very great festival, and it seems as if the story had its rise from an imperfect notion of Christ’s last supper and the institution of the Eucharist.” (Sale’s Qurʾān.)
MAIMŪNAH (ميمونة). The last of Muḥammad’s wives. A sister to Ummu ʾl-Faẓl, the wife of al-ʿAbbās, and consequently related to the Prophet. She was a widow, 51 years of age, when Muḥammad married her. She survived him, and died at the age of 81, being buried on the very spot on which she had celebrated her marriage. (Muir’s Life of Mahomet, new ed. p. 403.)
MAINTENANCE. Arabic nafaqah (نفقة), which, in the language of the law, signifies all those things which are necessary to the support of life, such as food, clothes, and lodging, although many confine it solely to food. (Durru ʾl-Muk͟htār, p. 283.)
There are three causes of maintenance established by law. (1) Marriage; (2) Relationship; (3) Property (i.e. in case of a slave).
A husband is bound to give proper maintenance to his wife or wives, provided she or they have not become refractory or rebellious, but have surrendered herself or themselves to the custody of their husband.