The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1911-04-07

chooses.
Mohammedans believe in the
resurrection OF the dead, both
soul and body. The soul await
ing the general resurrection, il it
be that OF a prophet, will enter
at once into the abode Of bliss; II
it be a martyr it will partake Of
the delights of purgatory ON the
outskirts, in the shape Of green
bird, or, in case of common be.
levers, is supposed to stay near
the grave, or be with Adam in
the lowest heaven. But the soul
OF the infidel, being first offered
to heaven and then TO earth and
rejected by both, is subjected to
unspeakable tortures until the
day of the resurrection.
The day Of resurrection or of
Judgment is pictured as a day
of CONSERVATION and terror, last
ing from one to fifty thousand
years. On this day the
dead shall be called up, soul and
body united, and shall be judged
for their deeds in the flesh. The
trial over the righteous will en-
ter paradise to the right hand,
and the wicked will pass to the
left into he'll. Both shall have to
first 90 over the bridge All Sirat
laid over the midst of hell and
finer than hair and sharper
than a sword, beset with thorns
at either side, The righteous will
pass across safely hut the wicked
will fall headlong below.
He'll is divided into seven apart
ments. the lowest being the abode
of the hypocrite. Mohammedans
and all who profess the unity of
God may serve their terms, so 10
speak. and finally be released, but
unbelievers FIVE hundred years be
fore the rich. 1t is believed that
a majority of the inhabitants Of
hell are women, and those who
are so fortunate as to get TO
heaven at all will have separate
apartments in that great king
dom from the other inhabitants.
The Moslem religion is strictly
a do religion. There are five sol
emn duties which every Moslem
In .ss perform. They are: con
fession of the creeu, prayer, fast
ing. aims giving and pilgrimage.
/ have already told you that 1t
is incumbent upon every Moslem
ON every occasion TO repeat the
creed. There is no god but Al
lah (meaning Cod and Moham-
med is His Apostle. y
Prayer is called the key of par
adise. but the Mohammedan s
prayer is very unlike the prayer
| of the Christian 1t is chiefly a
conglomeration Of parrot like
sentences taken from the Koran,
the creed. etc, and is so much a
matter of form, that if not dellv-
cred according to certain rules. II
loses all its efficacy. The Malom-
medan must pray at least hve
times per day, at dawn, Just after
high noon. two hours before sun
sci at sunset and again two hours
later. Posture is again OF prime
importance. and the subject must
| invariably pray with his face
Turned toward Mecca. a neces-
sary preliminary to every prayer
is qualification. There are strict
rules that must be Observed
whole books have been written
ON the subject describing the oc-
casions of methods and variety
of abntions. On occasion OF
special prayer a total immersion
| of the body is required. Another
consists of washing the hands
face. neck, ears and feet mp to the
ankles. accompanied at each
stage by quotations from the 40
ran. I'm absence of water dry
dust or sand may be used. Even
the ground upon which the sub.
ieet prays must he cleansed, and
often "A special prayer carpet is
carried along. The times of pray
er are announced from the NM
arets of the mosque by chants.
| During the month of Ramalin
the Moslem fasts. The fast be-
gins at dawn of each day and con
dudes az sunset During the
whole night he INDUCES in pleas
nre. feasting and dinner parties.
At one time compulsory aims
| were collected by a taX-gatherer'
| lint the rule is not much IN vogue
now The Moslem usually gives
| according to the dictates OF ms
conscience. and / believe IT IS es-
| timated that he contributes about
one fortieth of his income.