The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-11-25
4DERVISH 0PREACH
Mohammcdan shiek J oins the Sal.
DESCRIBES VARIOUS ORDERS
or the I,lnm Prie-thood-pecniIar cus-
toms OF thn Religious Enthusinsts OF tho
orient-Howiins and whiriinE Der
yishss-The Ceremony OF Ardest-A
Quaint Initiation Ceremony.
walton Army.

deryish. or Mohnrmedan priest. Is the
latest accession to the Army Of volun-
teers OF America In this city.
a few nights ago he wandered Into
The meeting OF the Volunteers at &c. 33l
State street, and was SO impressed by
the service that he Joined the orsaniza-
tlon and has since taken an active part
in II. He Is a man about twenty-sevcn
years old, Is OF pleasing and
IL cultured and refined in manner He
told the story OF his life. as follows.
70 a reporter. yesterday:
7 was born twerty-seven years ago,
near the site OF the ancient city OF An
,tioch. In Syria. My parents We're Ar
menlans, and had been converted to
Christianity by American missionaries
Of the CONGREGATIONAL Church. I was
baptized with the name OF Isaiah Ia
{ minosian. During my boyhood | re!aps-
cd into Mohammedan!sm. After reach
ing the priesthood OF the Mohammedan
church, I was called Sheik Sacshi.
"In 1893 I forsook Islamlsm and. by
the aid OF American missionaries In
Smyrna, came to this country, landing
81 Philadelphia, June S. 1888. a week
later I took out my first naturalization
papers. Falling to obtain other work
10 support me, I accepted an offer OF
$40 a week to travel with Barnum &
Bailey's show and enact h rites OF 4
yyhIrling decvish. With the money l
earned this way I enabled my brother
10 study medicine at Jefferson College,
PHILADELPHIA, and he Is now L practis-
ing physician In Boston.
Seven weeks ago I came to Chicago.
I failed 10 get work, and was believing
I was to die OF starvation in this Chris
tian land when l happened to drop Into
a meeting OF the Volunteers. They well
coined me TO their ranks, 7 now / am
working for Christ
"Will you tell your experience as q
Mohammedan priest?"
eat the age OF sixteen. having OBJ.
tained the freedom prescribed by the
law OF the country as to my religious
belief. / j~ourneyed TO Egypt. where l
declared my faith in the prophet OF
Mekke and thus became a Moslem de-
voice"
.'Why did you desert Chrigtanlty?"
THE main object OF my perversion 10
Islamism was to acquire a thorough
knowledge OF the various dervlsh orders
OF the Mohammedan religion. for the
execution OF various sels-fntlictions
during the performance OF their relig-
ious ceremonies and duties appeared TO
me as the deeds OF a wonderful
science"
Customs or she Drrri,hes.
What nre the teachings, customs.
and duties of the dervishes?"
"In the Mohammedan religion there
are four distinct sects, known as the
~ -...EG ~. ch,p ~ fJ,a FNfatttt np1 rho
Hambei. Although these four sects diff
fer somewhat In their doctrines, yet
they treat ore another with due re-
spect, and they do n argue over or
crj,ic:se each others UNCONVENTIONAL
views. In Islamism there are twelve
distinct dervish orders. Independent OF
sectar!an differences every Mohamme-
dan can join any one OF these orders.
Dervishdom consists of different relg-
ious sentiments and feelings which
support and strengthen the MOhamme-
dan faith. The religion OF all the or
dcrs. based upon the unity Of God. IS
the same; but various orders differ on
~ in the Interpretation OF their holy
writ"
what are the twelve dervish or
ders?"
The. are named the RufaI. Cadrl.
Bedevi, Sadi. Nacshi. Shazell. Idrissi.
DuSSuCkf, NtE ItNI, bilhiSA!' SAAiiodAi'
and the Salnani orders"
What are the characteristics OF the
different orders2"
THE Rufa! order might be described
as follows: Its members let their hair
grow quite long. They wear black tur-
bans and come together once a week
In a place assigned for their use and
hold religious services. which CONSIST OF
reciting repeatedly h many pames Of
the deity. 1t Is this performance which
has gained them the name Of the
.howling dervishcs.' Every night. prior
to retiring. they knecl down and take
up the rosary and recite one OF the
many names OF God. Some dervishes
repeat the name OF the Lord 1000 times.
while others repeat 1t 10000 times. and
then retire for the night. The dervishes
are sometimes hired by the public to
recite from the chapters OF the Koran
over the sick. and also to suck the pol
son out OF the systems of persons BIT
ten by vcnomous snakes, saving those
persons from death.
How the Cadri Were Founded.
The CadrI order was founded by the
Sheik Abdul Cadri Gaylanl. He was
once travelling from Gaylan to Bagdad
when a band of robbers attacked the
caravan. After robb!ng the merchants
and the muletcers. the h~lghwfSmen
fell upon the Sheik Cadrl and made 4
search OF his pockets, but failed to find
anything in them. Cadri was then ask
ed whether he had any money. He
told them he had. The robbers then
commanded him to inform them of the
place where the money was concealed.
He told them 1t was hidden In his arm
pits. They looked there and found the
money. Maryelirg at his truthfulEcss,
4 they asked him why he told them where
his money was hidden. lie replied SIM
MY that his mottrer had taught him
meyer TO tell an untruth. The robbers
were so much affected by his honesty
that they rcnounccd their evil deeds and
became his followers.
1.-THE members OF the Cadrl order are
also .howljHe G~crv!shcs,, and they ira
vel from city 10 city, subslstlnS on the
voluntary aims OF the public. They
eat fire and thrust sharp iron implc-
ments Into their checks. but the gcncr-
al ritual or this order differs little from
that OF the Rufal.
THE next order Is the Bcdevi fratcr-
nifty. The founder Of this order was
Ahmed cl Dcdevi. which means Ahmed
the Wild or uncducatcd. He IL highly
rcvered by the derylslSSS Of the order
which bears his name an achieving NIL
%raculous deeds without number. The
members Of the order wear red ttir-
bans. They thrust sharp irons Into their
creeks and strike their heads against
the wall while they are in the per-
fOrmance of bowling. Sometimes the
wall gives way from the force Of the
blows, and ut other times their skulls
yield and the dcrvlshrs die diScikarginG
their RELIGIOUS rltcy. TlsnYc who submit