On One Occasion, While Mr Coryat Was Residing In Agra, He
Got Up Into A Turret Over Against The Priest,
And on hearing these
words, he contradicted him, calling out, in a loud voice, - La Alla illa
Alla, Hazaret Esa
Ebn-Alla; there is no God but God, and Christ, the
Son of God, is his prophet. He farther added, that Mahomet was an
impostor, in any other country of Asia, in which Mahomet is zealously
followed, this bold attempt had surely forfeited his life, with all the
tortures which cruelty could invent, or tyranny inflict; but in this
country every one is permitted to follow his own religion, and may even
dispute against theirs with impunity.
In regard to their burials, every Mahometan of quality provides a fair
sepulchre for himself and his family, in his life-time, surrounding a
considerable space of ground with a high wall, and generally in the
neighbourhood of some tank, or else near springs of water, that they may
make pleasant fountains. Within the enclosure, he erects a round or
square tomb, either on pillars or of closed walls, with a door for
entrance. The rest of the enclosure is planted with trees and flowers,
as if they would make the elysian fields of the poets, in which their
souls may repose in delight. They have many such goodly monuments built
in memory of those they esteem as saints, of whom they have an ample
calendar, in these there are lamps continually burning, and thither many
resort in blind devotion, to contemplate the happiness enjoyed by these
peires, as they call the holy men. Among many sumptuous piles
dedicated to this use, the most splendid of them all is to be seen at
Secuadra, a village three miles from Agra. This was begun by Akbar
Shah, the father of the present king, and finished by his son, the
reigning Mogul. Akbar lies here interred, and Jehanguire Shah means to
be here buried when he dies.
The molahs, or priests of the Mahometans, employ much of their time as
scribes, doing business for other men, having liberty to marry as well
as the laity, from whom they are no way distinguished by their dress.
Some live retiredly, spending their time in meditation, or in delivering
precepts of morality to the people. They are in roach esteem, as are
another set called Seids, who derive their pedigree from Mahomet. The
priests neither read nor preach in the mosques; yet there is a set form
of prayers in Arabic, not understood by most of the people, but which
they repeat as fluently as the molahs. They likewise repeat the name of
God, and that of Mahomet, a certain number of times every day, telling
over their beads, like the misled papists, who seem to regard the number
of prayers more than their sincerity. Before going into their mosques
they wash their feet, and, in entering, put off their shoes. On
beginning their devotions, they stop their ears, and fix their eyes,
that no extraneous circumstances may divert their thoughts, and then
utter their prayers in a soft and still voice, using many words
significantly expressive of the omnipotence, goodness, eternity, and
other attributes of God. Likewise many words full of humility,
confessing their unworthiness with many submissive gestures. While
praying, they frequently prostrate themselves on their faces,
acknowledging that they are burdens upon the earth, poisonous to the
air, and the like, and therefore dare not look up to heaven, but comfort
themselves in the mercy of God, through the intercession of their false
prophet. Many among them, to the shame of us Christians, pray five tunes
a-day, whatever may happen to be their interruptions of pleasure or
profit. Their set times are at the hours of six, nine, twelve, three,
and six, respectively.
The manner in which they divide the day is quite different from us; as
they divide the day and the night each into four equal parts, which they
denominate pores, and these again are each subdivided into eight
smaller parts, called grees. [Hence each pore contains three of our
hours, and each gree is equal to 22-1/2 of our minutes.] These are
measured, according to an ancient custom, by means of water, dropping
from one small vessel into another, beside which there always stand
servants appointed for the purpose, who strike with a hammer upon a
concave plate of metal, like the inner portion of a plate, hung by a
wire, thus denoting the pores and grees successively as they
pass.[238] Like the mother and her seven sons, mentioned in the
Maccabees, such is the temperance of many, both among the Mahometans and
Gentiles, that they will rather die than eat or drink of any thing
forbidden by their law. Such meats and drinks as their law allows, they
use only in moderation, to satisfy nature, not to please their
appetites, hating gluttony, and esteeming drunkenness a sin, as it
really is, or a second madness; and indeed their language has only one
word, mest, for a drunkard and a madman.
[Footnote 238: This device for measuring time is the same with the
clepsydra, or water-clocks, of the ancients. - Purch.]
They keep yearly a solemn feast, or Lent, which they call Ram jan,
[Ramadan] about the month of August, which continues a whole moon;
during which time, those who are strict in their religious observances,
avoid the embraces of their women, and abstain from meat or drink so
long as the sun is above the horizon, but eat after it sets, at their
pleasure. Towards the close of this Lent, or ramadan, they consecrate
one day of mourning, in memory of their departed friends; on which
occasions, I have seen many of the meaner people making bitter
lamentations. Besides this ordinary and stated time of sadness, many
foolish women are in use, oft times in the year, so long as they
survive, to water the graves of their husbands or children with the
tears of affectionate regret.
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