[216] استفاضت and افاضت.
[217] The weekly holiday of the Muhammedans.
[218] جلال jelál, “glory, majesty.” I suppose “terrific majesty” may be understood. We find, in Richardson’s Dictionary, that a sect called Jelálíyat, followers of Said Jelál Bokhari, worship the more terrible attributes of the deity.
[219] This is an obscure passage. Silvestre de Sacy (Journal des Savants, janvier, 1822, p. 13) says: “I see by the Dabistán that, by means of allegory, the Súfís destroy the dogma of eternal punishment, as they destroy what concerns Paradise; but this subject is touched upon but in a superficial manner in the Dabistán, p. 486. * * * * I confess, as to the rest, that I have not yet formed to myself a very clear idea of this theory.” He subjoins the following note: “Paradise, according to the Dabistán is, with the Súfís, ‘the beauty of God,’ جمال jemal, and hell, ‘the glory,’ جلال jelal; men who, by their conduct, belong to the last attribute of the divinity, which is designated under the name of hell; that is the جلاليان jelalian, find pleasure in it, and when it is said that hell is a place of torment, this means that those who belong to the attribute of beauty, the جماليان jemalían, would be unfortunate, if they should be placed in the situation of those who belong to the attribute of glory, the جلاليان; the same would be the case with those who belong to the attribute of glory, or to hell, if they should experience the destiny of those who belong to the attribute of beauty, or of Paradise.”
[220] Arafat is a mountain not far from Mecca. Muhammedans believe that Adam and Eve, having been separated to perform penance, searched for each other during a hundred and twenty or two hundred years, until at last they met again upon the mountain Arafah, the name of which is derived from the Arabian verb “to know.” This is one of the etymologies of this name; I omit others relating to Abraham (see D’Ohsson, t. II. pp. 85-86). This mountain, in the pilgrimage to Mecca, is one of the principal sacred stations, which the pilgrims cannot enter without having taken the Ihhram, or “penitential veil,” on the first day of the moon Zílhajah (the last of the Arabian year); on the 9th day of the same month, called also yum-Arafah, “the day of knowledge,” they arrive at Arafah, where they perform their devotions until after sunset, and then proceed to Mecca to execute the sacred rites mentioned pp. 408-409, note 2.
[221] See D’Ohsson’s Tableau général de l’Empire Othoman, tom. II. p. 16.
[222] The Takbir consists of these words: Allah ’u akbar, Allah ’u akbar, la ilahi ill’ Allah, Allah ’u akbar, Allah ’u akbar, va l’illah ’il hama, “God, most high! God, most high! there is no God but God! God most high! God most high! praises belong to God.”—(D’Ohsson, vol. II. p. 77).
[223] The prostration is made with the face to the earth, that is, the knees, toes, hands, nose, and forehead touching the ground. During the prostration the takbir is recited.
[224] Several prescribed attitudes and practices constitute the namaz, or “prayer:”—1. The Muselman stands upright, his hands raised to the head, the fingers separated, and the thumbs applied to the inferior part of the ears; 2. he places his hands joined upon the navel; 3. bows the upper part of his body, and, the hands upon his knees, keeps it horizontally inclined; 4. places himself in the second attitude; 5. prostrates himself as described in the preceding note; 6. raises the upper part of his body, and, kneeling, sits upon his legs, the hands placed upon his thighs; 7. makes a second prostration; 8. rises, and stands as in the second attitude. These eight attitudes, during which he recites several times the before-quoted takbir, form a rikât.—(See D’Ohsson, vol. II. pp. 77 et seq.
[225] The apparition of the new moon is to the Muhammedans an important phenomenon, as it marks the beginning of their fasts, feasts, and other religious practices, which, to be valid, must be observed exactly at the prescribed time. On that account, the magistrates in the Musulman empire are attentive to announce the right epoch; the Muezins, or “cryers,” of the highest mosques, at the approach of the new moon pass the whole night on the top of the minarets to observe the precise moment. Thus, the fast of the Ramazan, which lasts thirty days, begins at the apparition of the new moon; the commencement of the moons Shewel and Zilhijah are important for the celebration of the two only feasts in the Muhammedan year: the first is the âid-fitr, “the feast of breaking “fast,” which occupies one or three days, and seventy days after this is the âid-kurban, “the feast of sacrifice,” which lasts four days: thus the grave Muselmans allow but seven days of their whole year to festivity. As their years are lunar, these two feasts run in the space of thirty-three years through all the seasons of the year.—(D’Ohsson, tome II. p. 227; tome III. pp. 4-5, and elsewhere.)