[FN#277] Arab. "Wird"=the twenty-five last chapters of the Koran which are repeated, one or more at a time, after the end of the "Farz," or obligatory prayers and ad libitum with the Sunnat or customary, and the Nαfilah or supererogatory.
[FN#278] The sensible creed of Al-Islam freely allows anthropophagy when it saves life; a contrast to the sentimentalism of the West which brings a "charge of cannibalism" against unfortunate expeditionists. I particularly allude to the scandalous pulings of the English Press over the gallant and unfortunate Greely voyage. (The Academy, Sept. 25, 1884.)
[FN#279] The story is mere Ζsopic: the "Two dogs" contains it all. One of Mohammed's sensible sayings is recorded and deserves repetition:—"Empire endureth with infidelity (idolatry, etc.), but not with tyranny."
[FN#280] This couplet occurs in Night xxi. (vol. i. 207); so I give Torrens (p.207) by way of variety.
[FN#281] Lane (ii. 636) omits this tale, "as it would not only require a volume of commentary but be extremely tiresome to most readers." Quite true; but it is valuable to Oriental Students who are beginning their studies, as an excellent compendium of doctrine and practice according to the Shafi'ν School.
[FN#282] Pronounced Aboo 'l-Husn = Father of Beauty, a fancy name.
[FN#283] As in most hot climates so in Egypt the dead are buried at once despite the risk of vivisepulture. This seems an instinct with the Semitic (Arabian) race teste Abraham, as with the Gypsy. Hence the Moslems have invoked religious aid. The Mishkαt al-Masαbih (i. 387) makes Mohammed say, "When any one of you dieth you may not keep him in the house but bear him quickly to his grave"; and again, "Be quick in raising up the bier: for if the dead have been a good man, it is good to bear him gravewards without delay; and if bad, it is frowardness ye put from your necks."
[FN#284] This biting of the hand in Al-Harνri expresses bitterness of repentance and he uses more than once the Koranic phrase (chapter vii., 148) "Sukita fν aydνhim," lit. where it (the biting) was fallen upon their hands; i.e. when it repented them; "sukita" being here not a passive verb as it appears, but an impersonal form uncommon in Arabic. The action is instinctive, a survival of the days when man was a snarling and snapping animal (physically) armed only with claws and teeth.
[FN#285] Arab. "'Alam," applied to many things, an "old man" of stones (Kαkϊr), a signpost with a rag on the top, etc.
[FN#286] The moon of Ramazan was noticed in Night ix. That of Sha'aban (eighth month) begins the fighting month after the conclusion of the Treuga Dei in Rajab. See Night ccclxxviii.