Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-04-22

at the railway stations and even the
beggars have a guild.
Damascus, next to Constantinople, is
the most important city of Islam, and is
said to be the best place to study that
religion which is the dominant faith OF
nearly one-eighh OF the human race.
There are 2iS mosques and colleges for
the education of priests in Damascus. OF
these Seventy-one are large mosques, in
which service is practically continuous,
and sermons are preached on Fridays,
and III are chapels for prayers. Prob
ably one hundred of the latter originally
had schools connected with them, but
they have long since been closed Edu-
cation once flourished in Damascus The
city was a great resort for scholars; its
schools of theology, philosophy, juris--
were attended by students from all parts
of the Moslem world. Some of the
mosques yet contain fine libraries, relics
OF the scholastic epoch, but most of the
endowments have been dissipated, and
there are no scholars in Damascus now,
except a few learned priests, while the
schools are limited TO the theologians.
Education is at a very low ebb. Seventy
five or SO per cent of the people are ilit-
crate: Recently there has been a spasm
Of reform, and 173 primary schools have
been organized upon the French plan for
can be learned they are poorly attended
and poorly taught.
Mohammed himself never visited Da
mascus, but saw it from a distance and
turned away. Two of his wives and his
daughter Fatima are said to be buried III
the Makbaret, or public burying ground
of Damascus, under very ancient tom!
with an Imposing dome, and there seems
to be no doubt about the truth of the
tradition. Mohammed was buried at Me
dina in 632, and over his grave rises
great green dome. He was born at Mecca
in 5l His parents were of an influential
and even illustriouS family but died when
he a n lpf
care of an uncle, who trained MN 10 d
business career, and at p years OF age ne
undertook the manage ment or the prop
erty of Il rich widow, whom ne aiterWaru
married. During a visit To Syria in he
interests he was brought in contact win
several learned men OF the creek chuIci;
of that day. from whom ne hrst learned
Of Christ and His gospel.
Mohammed is called the lllltcrate
prophet because he could neither read
nor write but appears somehow 10 nave
obtained Il thorough knowledge OF the
scriptures. and when ne was about ~
years Of age began TO assert his own pro-
phctic mission. which his fellow towns
men would not recognize, and drove him
from Mecca. He fled TO Medina, and his
flight. known as the EicSira, is considered
the most important event Of his life, and
from ii the MOhammcdanS calculate time
as We do from the Christian era.
The angel Gabriel he claimed, revealed
to him the contents of the Koran which
were written at his dictation upon palm
leaves, stones, pieces of leather and IL"
er his death these literary fragments
We're compiled into what is called the
Koran, and the entire Moslem world ac-
cepts it as inspired and regards 1t with q
degree OF reverence accorded to no other
book. Its teachings are believed to be a6-
solutcly divine and eternal, and upon
them they base their religious faith
guide their daily life. and control their
cntire intellectual. moral and spiritual
| = a well
ligion, and is used in the MOhammedan
courts as the common law is used i'll
England and the United States. Mo-
hammed accepted most of the Bible, in
cluding the gospels. of Jesus, and regard
ed Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David
Jesus, John the Baptist and others as in
.spired messengers and apostles. The
fteaclfngs of Jesus are commended in the
Koran, but He is considered simply d
teacher of truth and is not acknoWlo dged
as the Son of God.
The Mohammedans believe In the essen
tial doctrines of Christianity;that God Is
the Creator of the Universe, Infinite un-
changeable and eternal, and that all
events, both good and evil are foreor
dained by Him; they believe insthe resur-
rection of the body, in the lastsjudement,
in the immortality of the soul and pun
shment after death, and their own fu-
ture life will be governed by our faith
and work in this. Mohammedanism is a
system of rewards. The Koran does moi
forbid. but makes promises of reward for
good works Obedience to the Koran and
loyalty to the prophet is the duty. OF true
believers.
Every Moslem is required to pray at
least five times a day, to give aims, 20
fast and to make pilgrimages. They are
forbidden to eat certain meat, and the
strictly prohibited. The Mohammedans
are undoubtedly the most temperate peo
pie in the world, and no man can enter
the house of prayer without bathing.
Friday, is the Moslem Sabbath, because
Adam was created on that day and be-
cause the resurrection will take place on
Friday. Formerly true believers alb
stained from their usual vocations on
Friday, but few of them do so any long
er. The only difference with them be-
tween Friday and any other day is that
the services at the mosque are prolonged
There are many saints in the Moham-
mcdan calendar with shrincs which are
regarded with great reverence. Pilgrim
ages are made to them, prayers and sac
riiiccs are offered and various rites and
ceremonies observed which are a part of
their worship. The pilgrimage to Mecca
Is obligatory, or at least those who per
form it are certain of salvation. 1t is
not 50 much a journey of hardship and
privdtion as formerly, and can now be
made in fortyfour days from Damascus
upon mules, horses. camClS and donkeyS
Rich people go by railroad to Beirut and
from there by steamer to Jcdda, a port
on the Red Sea, 10 miles from Mecca, but
as the hardships and privations are less,
so the merit Of the pilgrimage is dim
iniShcd in the same degree.
For centuries Damascus has been the
starting place for ting annual pilgrimage
which begins each spring on a certain
date, and is led by the governor of Syria
who escorts the sacred "Mahmel," or
Canopy of green silk supported on silver
posts and surmountcd by a gildcd bail
and crescent a new one is sent every
year tor the protection of the Holy Stone
at Mecca, and is the gift Of the Pasha
Of Damascus. The procession, as it
passes out of ''the Gate of Cod is alto
Eciher unique. and the spectacle is i'm
posing. All the prominent officials of the
city and a military escort accompany
the procession for certain distance, and
see them well on their way.
Upon reaching Mecca they kiss the
holy stone, hear a sermon on Mount Ara
rat pelt satan with stones in the Valley
oi Nina. and conclude the ceremony with
great saCriiicial fcaSts, at which hundreds
| of sheep are slaughtered and fed to the
m fhir1xrp YimpS- Herald