Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-06-29
EaYPT's MIGHTY UNIVERSITY.
Ed. Little Writes of El Ahzor, the
Seat of Moslem Learning.

Jne TehueIb OF journal OF Lne
REELECToR's literary proclivities wish
something on literature and scholar
ship. This morning walked up the
Mooski, turned to the right through a
lane lined with tiny book shops and
stood before III Ahzor, the greatest
university on earth. 1t is 80 immedi-
ately surrounded by other buildings
that one cannot get any view Of II from
without. The entrance is through IAN
alley less stylish than the one between
Case's and Wyandts stores. Holm
gers barn has better doors. Yet for
many centuries this has been the
greatest school Of the Moslem world.
From this blind alley men have gone
forth for generations to give laws,
poetry and religion to one third Of the
world.
A manager informed me this morn
ing that there are now 1000 regularly
enrolled students and 1000 attached in
some way | did not quite understand.
| don't think they belong to the ,uni-
versity extension. Religion, the
Koran, is the principal study. They
read it. They commit 1t to memory.
They expound 1t. Then they talk II
over little and begin again next day
Poetry is great theme. There are
more poets among the Arabs than
anywhere else on earth except In abb
lene. There always have been.
Grammar and law are taught. They
are usually exceptionally neat PEN
men. They waste little time over
history and arithmetic, but not much.
could not discover any professors ex-
actly. There are shieks who read the
lessons over with them and expOund.
At 8 a. m. they begin to come, sit
around on the floor and study. At
nine the shieks begin to come and they
recite, IL the expression is permissible.
At noon they pray and go home for
the day.
Well, they put pair of slippers on
over my shoes "El Ahzor is after all
only mosque and no in6del Christian
goes in shod" and entered, An un.
covered hall leads into the large un
covered square, First turned to the
left up few steps and entered room
ofsqnare shape. In the east was a
little niche In the wall towards Mecca,
The central portion was supported by
marble columns and light comes in
from the roof, In the centre of the
room great shiek sat upon q cross
between a box and table. lie had
few pages of the Koran close to his
eyes, swayed back and forth aud read.
Occasionally he expounded a little.
Even then no did little more than
repeat. Around him on the floor sat
about twenty men Of middle ages, bits
OF the Koran IN their hands. All sat
ON the stone floor or on the mats that
covered il. Many of them swayed as
they sat. Some lay down. Occasion
ally they said quite right, ""very true"
"ah yes" good eye old man" or some
thing of that encouraging tenor. As
they spoke Arabic l wasn't very sure
of their exact language.
In the hrst ten minutes | acquired
something Of value. There had been
an oriental delay at the door and | had
expressed myself in language very
similar to that Lew Lips used the
day we ran about mile pretty near to |
lIunton's, laid all the pipe we had and
found the nozzle was about 100 yards
from the ire. The shiek read from the
Koran that Allah did not love an
angry man. that patience was a
cardinal virtue. lie said a bald head |
was a crown OF glory but If man made
a fool of himself he ought to be kicked |
from Dan to Beersheba. 1t is true | |
had gone clear round the corner to
crate but IL sounded little personal and
| told Sulieman Iguessed we would
tackle the next ward. For had learned
again the lesson of the traveller
honor is limited by no one cline,
virtue is cribbed by no particular
religion, manhood is cofllned by no age
and gentlemen are confined to no
peculiar race.
la the next room some forty young
men sat on the floor in groups of six or
eight with little Arab books in hand
and chartered like sewing circle.
Many Of them pausehcheerfully to con.
verse they claimed to be studying
but have my doubts, They
smoked or took snuff, they laughed and
'yed me with polite curiosity man
rom Kansas seldom broke in there.
some of them stay ten or twenty years.
ioing to school is profession,
We entered the big uncovered rec.
angle and found great ohatteiing
lost on the shady side. Passing
hrough we entered large handsome
Dom In which stood over 800 marble
columns. Here fully 2OOO men and boys
at on the floor. The noise was like
hat Of 1000 chattering birds, incessant,
nonotonous. They, too, we're in little
'roups. Near me two boys had fight.
Ny conductor stopped IL, much to my
egret. While am neither fighter
III.