The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-30

, experience with the children of Israel, and that he had better return and ask the Lord to reduce the number. The number was cut down to forty. Moses sent him back again and again, until it was at last made only five. Moses thought this was too maay; but Moham- medmed replied that he had already asked the Lords indulgence until he was ashamed, and so the prayers made by Mo- hammedans are five every day.
 Some Features of Paradise.
 Tn the Mohammedan heaven the ground is of the finest wheat four, strewed with pearls and mayacirr hs instead of sand and pebbles. The air is fragrant with perfume. and 1t is cooled by spark ling fountains Some of the streams are pure water, running between green banks enameled with flowers; while others are of milk and honey flowing over beds of musk Among the trees is one whose boughs are laden with every variety of fruit, and whose shade is so great that a horse might run for a hundred years and not cross it.
 The inhabitants of heaven are clothed in raiment sparkling with jewels. They have sumptuous palaces and voluptuous couches. Every believer will have hun dreds of servants, who will bring him the most delicious of foods and drinks in clsnes and goblets of gold and he will eat as lOnB aS ne W1SneS without DelHB full and drink without growing drunk.
 As to his society. he will have the learned of mankind to talk with him and the great of all time to amuse htm '. He will have the wives that he had upon earth in their full beauty wllef they were brides, and he will also be al otted seventy-two black-eyed houris by whom he may have children or not he wishes. The Mohammedans are fond of children, and this is an important part of their heavenly dreams.
 Another curious idea is as to the age , of men when they reach heaven. As they rise from the graves they will regain the prime of their manhood Every ono will be thirty, and he will have the statue of Adam. who, according to their be- lief, was over fifty feet high and per feet in form.
 The Mohammedan's hell is as horrible as his heaven is beautiful. It is com posed of seven stages, one below the other, varying in the intensity of their torments. The first will be devoted to atheists, the second to the idolators of the time of Mohammed, and the third to the Brahmans The Jews will have their quarters in the fourth hell and we Chris tians are confined to the fifth. while in the seventh and lowest of all are those hypocrites who profess religion but prac- tice it not.
 Mohammedan Sunday.
 The Mohammedan Sabbath is on Fri day, at which time every good believer attends mosque. On that day the bazaaTs are nearly all closed. There is a ser mon by the iman or priest. and the people go out during the day to the cemetery and pray at the graves.
 The Mohammedans have their Lent. which is known as Rama<an This has taken place during my stay in North Africa. It lasts for a month. and for that time strict fast is observed. The Moham- medans then eat nothing at all from day. light until it is so dark that they cannot distinguish a white thread from a black one They will not drink nor smoke, and the most santly of them will not even swallod their spittle. I had a dragoman | at Constantine who was keeping Ram adm. Some of our days were full of hard work and he spoke again and again of how tired and hungry he was and how glad he would be when the night came. At che end of Ramadan is Bairam, or the time of rejoicing. This Is a great festive occasion, corresponding somewhat to our i Christmas or New Year. Parents then give presents to their children and friends make calls upon one another. Every one comes out in new clothes, and the whole Mohammedan world gives itself up up to holiday feasting.