The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1865-09-19
A PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA.

on of the general pilgrimages, the holy
places of the Mahomctan religion, and
to escape from there safe and sound.
Baron Heinrich Won Maltzan, a known
African traveller, ventured, in the year
1860, disguised as Mussulman, under
the name of Add er-Fahman, to join
the Mahomedan pilgrims, in order to
satisfy his irrepressable desire of learn
ing the mysteries and secrets of Mec-
ca. The relation of his travels, which
has been just published, gives us an
idea of the so called sacred rites, upon
the punctilious performance of which
depends the benefit of the pilgrimage
to the believer, h9iiHeG 2f2ti
AS these rites are very numerous, of
of punctuala character, and very fa-
tigning to undergo, it is doubtless in
dispensable that the European who at
tempts to pass rs Mussulman be pro-
yided with great deal Of courage and
perseverance, to insure the safety ofhis
| life. Nathan Adder Rahman under
went them with all stoicism which we
have SO of occasion to admire in the
African traveller. aej f+l .' si
Already, during the voyage, he was
obliged to put on the pilgrim garment,
that fearful Mram to expose himself
with bare and shorn head to the roast
ING sun, to suffer the meeting and en-
brasing of hundreds of loathsome tel.
low pilgrims, to receive from them
those little parasitic vermin which are
the unconscious companions of the pill
grimage. The pilgrims, who carry
them in their hair and garments to the
holy country, arc forbidden to get rid
| of them, as the true believer, during
the pilgrimage, is not allowed to harm
or annoy any 1ivingething, still less t9
kill it. He had even, until he grew
hoarse, to join in the cry of "Lab'k"
which means, 60 Lord in thee | take
my refugee" and in Mecca itselfhe was
not spared any of the exercises of the
pilgrims, from the first procession
round the Kaaba up to the last OF the
seven races between Scala and Merua.
! 1t is true he found some relief in his
punctilious performance of the cere-
monies, and even in the oral recitation
of so many prescribed prayers, by hir-
| ing one of those religious servants who
lend their aid to ignorant pilgrims, and
by specializing on the superstitions of
the faithful to carry on n very profita-
BILE trade. Beside, small infractions OF
the religious rites could be easily atom
cd for by the sacrifice of lamb--a
very cheap and commodious atonement
to which our pilgrim very often re-
sorted,
The worshiping in the holy places is
is founded chiefly upon the Old Testa-
ment. The circle Of saints, however,
is not very large. AT the circumfer-
ence, so to say, are Adam and Eve; in
the center, Abraham, Hagar and Ish-
mael. 1t is evidcnt.that many objects
have been worshipped by the idola
trous inhabitants of the country al
ready before the times of Mahomet,
who understood very well how to com
| bine monotheism with heathen ccrc-
monies-probably the only means to
render his religion palatable to the
people. A fact which makes itself cv-
erywhere felt is, that the fanaticism OF
the Mahomedan religious ceremonies
produced under the form of monothe-
istic creed, only created new. idola-
try. 80,
Certainly, part of the responsible
itv must be laid to the charge of the
Prophet himself, although his fault may
be traced to the error under which he
labored, that the idea of an only God
would, by degrees, penetrate, in gil It's
purity, the mass of The people, and in
time remove and reject all the impur-
tiles and dross of heathenism. But it
is in no manner to he wondered at
if, up to the present time, the reverse
has taken place. In order to show to
what degree the fanaticism of religious
worship may induce man to wander
astrav. it is sufficient to point to the
Hjasbor ei assuad, the wcll-known
, black stone which farms the center o.
all the holy relics at Islam.
This stone is supposed to have been,
at the beginning of the world, not
stone. but an animated bcing-an an
gel in paradise; but as a stone it LEFT
with Adam, the abode of pleasure, ano
, took its place in the house OF Kaba
, where it was worshiped till the des
truction of the temple by the universal
deluge; then it suddenly disappeared
and only when Abraham, with his sor
Ishmaei rebuilt the Kaaba, the Arch
angel Dochibrail (GabricD brought i
Q down from Heaven, where, in spite o
S the law of gravitation, it had with
) drawn, and inserted it in the temple
| | where, after various very earthly ad
K ventures, it is still found to-day, an'
f represents the "right hand of God OF
+. earth" According to the pious be
: lief of the Mpssulmans, the stone wa
a originally white as milk, but out of hor
: ror on account of the sins of mankind
+ it turned black. But, agreeable to 9th
y er explanations 'this change OF c2lo
i has far more natural reason-tha
d the kissing of so many millions of dirt
! lips of pilgrims gradually overlaid tn
: stone with n thick, black crust
n To the great benefit of his linguisti
: studies, our author in Mecca came int
n close contact with the Bedouins of tn
d tribe of Beni Feham, which enjoys tn
n reputation of speaking the purest Ara
If bian. IT is strange that the Arabia
o language has been better preserved i
@ the desert than in the towns and vi
d lagos. With the greatest satlsiactio
10 hellistened when the proud sons OF tn
l. desert conyersed in the purest forms
10 of this melodious Language, and CT
Y deavored to improve his own impel
=, | g.. l:sl,ot rrh,c In also lcarupI thn