[333]. Arab. Al-Khalíl, i.e. of Allah = Abraham. Mohammed, following Jewish tradition, made Abraham rank second amongst the Prophets, inferior only to himself and superior to Hazrat Isa = Jesus. I have noted that Ishmael the elder son succeeded his father. He married Da’alah bint Muzáz bin Omar, a Jurhamite, and his progeny abandoning Hebrew began to speak Arabic (ta’arraba); hence called Muta’arribah or Arabised Arabs (Pilgrimage iii. 190). He died at Meccah and was buried with his mother in the space North of the Ka’abah called Al-Hijr which our writers continue to confuse with the city Al-Hijr (Ibid. 165–66).
[334]. This ejaculation, “In the name of Allah” is, I have noted, equivalent to “saying grace.” If neglected it is a sin and entails a curse.
[335]. The ceremonious posture is sitting upon the shin-bones, not tailor-fashion; and “bolting food” is a sign of boorishness.
[336]. Arab. “Zidd,” the word is a fair specimen of Arabic ambiguity meaning primarily opposite or contrary (as virtue to vice), secondarily an enemy or a friend (as being opposite to an enemy).
[337]. “The whole earth (shall be) but His handful on the Resurrection day and in His right hand shall the Heaven be rolled up (or folded together).”—Koran xxxix. 67.
[338]. See Night lxxxi.
[339]. Koran lxxviii. 19.
[340]. Arab. Al-Munáfik, technically meaning one who outwardly professes Al-Islam while inwardly hating it. Thus the word is by no means synonymous with our “hypocrite,” hypocrisy being the homage vice pays to virtue; a homage, I may observe, nowhere rendered more fulsomely than among the so-called Anglo-Saxon race.
[341]. Arab. “Tawakkul alá ‘llah”: in the imperative the phrase is vulgarly used = “Be off!”
[342]. i.e. ceremonial impurity which is sui generis, a very different thing from general dirtiness.