The National Register.
London, England, 1819-03-15 00:00:00

TIM NATIONAL REGISTER.

WA 1/I Li EL'S.
-.1.--

The modern sect of Wahabees was fbunded near
a century ago, by an Arab of the name of Shaikh
Nlahomed, the son of Abdool Wallah, whose name

they have taken. Shaikh klahomed connected Mm-
self, in the attempt to reform the religion of the
country, with Ebn Saoud, the Prince of Dereah,
the capital of the province of tinjudilee, • Through
the efforts of the Saint, and the aid of the temporal
power of Ebn Suomi, and his son and successor
Abdoul Azeez, the religion of the Waliabees is now
established all over the peninsula of Arabia. The
tenets of this sect are peculiar, and merit notice.—
They profess that there is one God, and Muliomed
is his prophet; but, as the Supreme Being neither
has, nor can have, any participator in his power,
they say, that to profess that either Mahomed, the
[mum*, or any Saints, can have any superintend-
ence over the atfairs of men, or render them any aid
hereafter, is blasphemy. They deem Mahomedans,
who deviate in any way from the plain literal mean-
ing of the Koran, infidels ; and maintain, that, to
make war upon all such is tke imperious duty of
every Wahabee. It is one of their tenets, that all
titles meant to show respect and honour to men are
odious to God, who alone is worthy of high name;
and they assert, that, in conformity to what is re-
vealed in the Koran, true Madam:dans should wage
continual war against unbelievers, till they are con-
verted, or agree to pay the tribute imposed on in-
fidels; and that, in the latter ease, they should be
compelled to wear the coarsest garments, not to be
allowed to ride on horses, nor to live in splendid
dwellings. They maintain, that the taxes (including
aukaat and khums) levied by Mahomed, are alone
lawful; that swearing by Wannest or Ali, or any
person, should be prohibited ; since an oath is cal-
ling a witness to our secret thoufhts, which no one
can know but God. They deem it a species of ido-
latry to erect magnificent tombs, but to kiss relics,
&c. is idolatry it-self; and, therefore, they affirm,
that it is an action acceptable to God to destroy the
tombs of MAhomedan saints in Arabia and Persia,

and to appropriate their rich ornaments to worldly
purposes, for which they were designed. They say
that it i, wicked to mourn for the dead ; for, if
they were good Iklahomedans, their souls are in
Paradise, at which their friends should rejoice.

The Wahabees reject the whole of the traditions,
limiting their belief to the Koran, which was, they
say, sent from Heaven to 41ahonaed, who was an
excellent man, and much beloved of God. They
continue to preserve the usages of circumcision,
ablution, &c. which they found establised ; but
consider them more as matters of practice and usage
than of fitith. The leading principle of this sect
is their right to destroy and plunder all who differ
from them; and those Mahomedatis who do not
adept their creed are represented as far less entitled
to mercy than either Jews or Christians. Their
progress was so great about ten years ago, as to
excite considerable alarm in the Turkish Govern.
went. Among other places, they plundered the rich
tombs of Ali and his sons, at Nujuff and Kerbelah.
'their inroads arc always dreadful, for they spare
none who du not contium to their opinions; but
they have lately met with some severe checks, and
appear to be declining.

Extract from Cobbett's American JournaL—
" There is one thing in the Americans, which, though
its proper place was farther back, I have reserved,
or rather kept hack, to the last moment. It has
presented itself several times ; but I have turned
from the thought, as men e, from thinking of any
mortal disease that is at work in their frames. It is
not covetousness ; it is not niggardliness; it is not
insincerity ; it is not enviousness ; it is not cower-
' dice : above all things—it is drinking. Aye, and
that too, amongst but too many men, who, cne would
think, would loath it. You (An go into hardly any
man's house, without being asked to drink wine or
spirits, even in the morning. To sec this beastly
vice in young men is shocking. At one of the
taverns at Harrisburgh there were several fine young
men—well dressed, nen educated, polite, and every
thing but sober. What a squalid, tinning, sickly
set they looked in the morning ! Even little boys
at, or under, twelve years of age, go into stores,
and tip off their dram However, I must not be
understood as meaning that this tipling is universal
amongst gentlemen ; and, God be thanked, the
women of any figure in life do by no means give
into this practice, but abhor it as much as well-bred
women in Englund, who, in general, no more think
of drinking strong liquors, than they do of drinking
poison."

I,aNt Friday wine villains broke i inn the premises of
Xlc3srs Bunting and Francis, in Norwich, and mole
thercout some remnants of bombazine.

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