The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-11-02
MOsIem Form, 1 , and Ceremonies. III


The life Of q good Moslem seems all J
interviewer with forms and ceremonies,
and the law OF the Koran or some such |
sacred words seems forever ON his lips,
mixing most freely with all secular
matters No action, however trivial. |
may be commenced without commend |
ing 1T TO Allah. "A Mohammedan will
not oven light Q lamp, without blessing
the name of the prophet, Even the
cries OF the street hawkers bring in fre-
quent illusions to a spiritual market, as
when the poor water-carrier offers cup
OF cool, refreshing drink to all passers-
by, crying aloud, "Oh! may God re-
ward mer Whatever be the matter in
hand, one OF the company will certainly
utter some such reminder as "Semmoo,"
and his friends will reply Bismillah."
meaning in the name Of God. In truth,
the fatalism Of which we hear so much
seems little else than q strong faith; q
power or living calmly as in the pres
ence of God Gust as tho strongest prac
hcal characteristic of q poor Hindu 8
taith seems to be o simple submission to
the will of the Almighty. under what
ever name he may recognize Him So
faith or fatalism seems well-nigh to
merge, and our own Scotch expression
OF 1t was been to be" seems tolcra-
bly, akin to the "Kismet'' of the
being sorely perturbed at having
knocked over and smashed valuable
china vase; but a few minutes later she
recovered her equanimity and eX-
claimed: "Weel, weel! it had been lang
/ the family, and it was been to be
broke" 80 laying this flattcring JUNCTION
TO her soul, she went calmly on with hor
busting. Lane, speaking of this con-
tlnual allusion 10 the providence of
God, mentions that no Moslom will
speak of any future event or action
without adding: eff it bo the will of
God" He eXpla ms the cries of the
night watchmen, whose deop-toncd
voices resound through the dark hours.
One man cries: go Lord! O Everlast-
ing! Another says: II oXtol the per-
lection OF the living King, who sleepeth
not. nor dieth." He tells, too. of q
mode of entertaining q party of guests
in Cairo by the recital of a hhatmch,
which means the whole of the Koran
chanted by men hired for the OCCASION
just imagine inviting party in London
to hear the whole Bible chantcd as q
pastime, with an accompaniment Of
pipes and coffee. Mr.. Lano also speaks
OF the reverence with which the Holy
Book is treated always placed on
some high, clean place, wLrrc no other
book or anything else may be laid above
it. He attributes the Mohammedans'
dislike to printing their sacred books to
the dread lest impurity should attach to
the ink, the paper, or, above all, lest
the ink should be applied to the holy
name with brush mado of hogs
bristles. Worse than all, the book. be-
coming thus common, is in double dan
ger of being touched by infidefs This
dread Of dishonoring sacred names ex-
tends even to the nnoty-nine titles of
the Prophet and the names of those
near Of kin to him. Thus one man will
refuse TO stamp his name upon his pipe.
bowls because it bears ono of the names
of the Prophet, which will thus be
made to pass through the fro. Another
man. less scrupulous, is blamed because
he has branded his namo, which is also
sacred name, on certain camels and
horses. The sin thus committed is
threefold: First, the iron brand is put
in the fire, which is horrible sacrilcpc;
secondly, it is applied to the neck of the
camel, causing blood to flow and pollute
the sacred name; thirdly. the camel is
certain some ,ay, in lying down, to rest
his neck on .omething uncican. This
dread of casting holy things into the
fire does not, however, seem to apply
to such as can he consumed. A Mo.
hammedan, finding fragment of paper
covered with WI ting, will burn it, so
that if holy words should be thereon in
scribed the flames may bear them up
and the angels carry them to Heaven. -
GenttcnlGn's MaQdzine.