The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-30


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skies with the rapidly of lightning.
BY and by the gate OF the first heaven
was reached. This was of pure silver,
| with falling stars by the good angels
with q sky In which the stars We're
suspended by chains OF gold. 1t con-
| tanned mighty rooster, SO tall that
| his comb reached to the second heaven. -
| This bird crows every morning and all
mankind is awakened by him. the
cocks below beginning to, crow when
| he opens his mouth.
! Mohammed met Adam IN the first
heaven, Noah in the second and Moses
and Aaron in the fifth. Noah hailed
| him as the greatest of the prophets, 4
and Moses shed tears at the sight of
! him. In the seventh heaven Mohammed
1 was received by Abraham, and there
he met the Deity himself. At this time
many Of the doctrines of the Koran
We're given to him. and among others
a requirement that fifty prayers should
be made daily. by all true believers.
1 AS Mohammed dropped down from
the seventh heaven he met Moses. and
Moses asked him what the Lord had
required. The prophet replied that God
i wanted mankind to make fifty prayers
\ every day Moses told Mohammed that
this was Impossible. as he knew from
4 his own experience with the children
I of Israel. and that he had better rcak
+ turn and ask the Lord to reduce the d
number. The number was cut DOWN
I to forty. Noses sent him back again
and again, until it was at last made
only five Moses thought this was too
many, but Mohammed replied that he
had already asked the Lords indulge
! ence until he was ashamed. and so {
the prayers made by Mohammedans
are five every day.
Some Features of Paradise.
In the Mohammedan heaven the
ground is Of the finest wheat flour,
strewed with pearls and hyacinths ms
stead of sand and pebbles. The air.
is fragrant with perfume. and 1t Is
a cooled by sparkling fountains. Some
& OF the streams are pure water. run
ming between green banks enameled
with flowers. while others are OF milk
nnd' 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 hundred years
and not cross It.
Il The Inhabitants of heaven are cloth-5
, ed In raiment sparkling with jewels.
! !, They have sumptuous palaces and
voluptuous couches. Every believer
: will bring him the most delicious Of
: foods and drinks In dishes and goblets
of gold. and he will eat as long as
no wishes without being 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,hi
He Will have the wives that heS had
upon earth in their full beauty when
they We're brides, and he Will also be-
allotted seventy-two black-eyed houris
by whom he may have children or not
q as he wishes. Tho Mohammedans are
= fond of children, and this Is an iul-
portant 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 man
hood. Every one will be thirty, and
he will have the stature of Adam, who.
according to their belief. was over
fifty feet high and perfect in form.
The Mohammedan's hell is as hor-
rible as his heaven is beautiful. 1t is.
composed OF seven stages. one below
the ether, varying in the intensity
OF their torments. The first will be
devoted to atheists, the second to the
idoaters of the time of Mohammed,
and the third to the Brahmans. The
Jews will have their quarters in the.
fourth hell, and we Christians are
confined to the fifth. while in the
seventh and lowest of all are those
hypocrites who profess religion, but
practice 1t not. t5
The nlohummcdan Sunday.
The Mohammedan Sabbath is on Fri-
dIN at which time avary good be-,
iiever attends mosque On that day the
baHaars are nearly all closed. There
Is sermon by the imam or priest
and the people so out during the
day to the cemetery and pray at the
graves. q
The Mohammedans have their Lent.
which Is known as Ramada~ This
Js has taken place during my stay In
North Africa. 1t lasts for month and
for that time q strict fast is observed
The Mohauiine dans then cat e'nothinw
at all from daylight until II is so
a. dark that they cannot distinguish a
: white thread from black one They
VIII not drink nor smoke, and the
er most sanity of them will not even
s. swallow their spittlo. l had II dragoa
y. nan at Constantine who was keepius.
10 Ramadan, Some of our days were full
~ OF hard work and he spoke again and
~ again or how tired and hungry he
OF was, and how glad he would bs when
at the night came, a t the end of Kanadnn
SO Is Baram. or the time. or rejoicing,
b. This Is great festive occasion, cor
ne responding somewhat to our Christ-
he mas or New Year. Parents then give
of presents to their children and frienda
It, make calls upon one another. Every
.. one comes out IN now clothes. an,
ed !! .hc whole Mohammedan world gives
q. itself UP to holiday teastina
- (Ccpyrlght, 1901. 10y Frank G Car.
penter.) SSf