St. Landry democrat., 1882-10-28
MOslem Forms and Ceremonies,

The life of good Moslem seems all
interviewer with forms and ceremonies,
and the law Of the Koran or some such
sacred words seems fore, er on his lips,
mixing most freely with all secular
matters. No action, however trivial.
may be commenced without commend
ing it to Allah. A Mohammedan will
not even light lamp without blessing
the name of the prophet. Even the
cries of the street hawkers bring in fire.
quent illusions to 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 me.'' Whatever be the matter in
hand, one of the company will certainly
utter some such reminder as s'Semmoo, :"
and his friends will reply Bismillah. y
meaning in the name of God. In truth,
the fatalism of which we hear so much
seems little else than a strong faith; a
power of living calmly as in the pres
ence of God Gust as the strongest prac-
teal characteristic Of poor Hindu S
faith seems to be a simple submission to
the will of the Almighty, under what
ever name he may recognize Him So
faith or fatalism seems Wellnigh to
merge, and our own Scotch expression
of at was been to be- seems tolcra-
bly, akin to the "kismet' OF the
East. | remember an old housemaid
being sorely perturbed at having
knocked over and smashed a valuable
china vase; but few minutes later she
recovered her d. equanimity and ex-
claimed: "Weel weel! it had been lang
i the family, and it was been to be
broke!" SO laying this tlattering JUNCTION
to her soul, she went calmly on with her
busting. Lane, speaking Of this con-
tinual allusion to the providence Of
God mentions that no Moslem will
speak of any future event or action
without adding: eff it be the will of
God" He explains the cries of the
night watchmen, whose deep-toned
One man cries: go Lord O Everlast-
ingr' Another says: 81 extol the per-
lection of the living King, who sleepeth
not, nor dieth.'' He tells. too, Of
mode Of entertaining party of guests
in Cairo by the recital of a khotnaeh,
which means the whole of the Koran
chanted by men hired for the occasion.
Just imagine inviting a party in London
to hear the whole bible chanted as a
pastime, with an accompaniment of
pipes and coffee. Mr.. Lane also speaks
of the reverence with which the Holy
Book is treated i always placed on
some high, clean place, where 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 a brush made of hogs
'bristles. Worse than all, the book, be-
coming thus common, is in double dam
ger of being touched by infdels This
dread of dishonoring sacred names ex-
tends even to the ninety 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 one of the names
of the Prophet, which will thus be
made to pass through the fire. Another
man. less scrupulous, is blamed because
he has branded his name, which is also
a stCiSu udiIt, Oh C6TLdu CdIlelS. duu
horses. The sin thus committed is
threefold: First, the iron brand is put
in the fire, which is horrible sacrilege;
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 day, in lying down, to rest
his neck on something unclean. This
dread of casting holy things into the
fire does not, however. sseems to apply
to such AS can beo consumed A Mo-
hammedan, finding afragment of paper
covered with writing, will burn it, so
that il holy words should be thereon in
scribed the flames. may bear. them up
and the angels carry them to Heaven
Ge'sttesa ma MagaiSine. 81. ! ~ m
tsnTEtgt-7rf fTa fEr ! ar sa ,.au.+e.