682 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



journing there some time, he re- 

 turned home. About the year of 

 the HejiialiTl (A. D. 1757-8), 

 he began to pubhsh his new doc- 

 trines. At first the fundamental 

 principles of his rehgion were the 

 same as those of tlie celebrated 

 Imam Abu Hanifa, but in his ex- 

 position of the text he differed 

 considerabi}'. After a short time 

 he drew his neck from the collar 

 of subserviency, and promulgated 

 doctrines entirely new. He ac- 

 cused the whole Mahommedan 

 cliurch of being associators (giv- 

 ing partners to God), infidels, and 

 idolaters. He even accused them 

 of being worse than idolaters. 

 " For these," said he, "in the time 

 of any calamity, forsake their idols, 

 and address their prayers directly 

 to God; but the Mussulmans, in 

 their greatest distress, never go 

 beyond Mahommed, or Aly, or 

 some of the saints. The common 

 people, who worship at the tombs 

 of the Prophet and his descend- 

 ants, and who solicit these persons 

 to be their mediators with God, 

 are, in fact, guilty of idolatry 

 daily : for no nation was ever so 

 stupid as to address an image as 

 their God, but merely as the re- 

 presentation of one of his attri- 

 butes, or of one of their interces- 

 sors with the Deity. Thus the 

 Jews and Christians, who have 

 pictures and images of Moses, and 

 of Jesus Christ, never associate 

 them with God, but occasionally 

 address their prayers to them, as 

 mediators." 



By these arguments he, by de- 

 grees, collected a number of 

 followers, and proceeded to plun- 

 der and destroy the tombs and 

 shrines of the Prophet, and of all 

 the saints. By these means he 



acquired much wealth and fame, 

 and, previous to his death, was 

 possessed of great power and au- 

 thority. 



He was succeeded by his son 

 Mohammed, who, being blind, 

 remains always at home, and has 

 assumed the title of Imam, and 

 Supreme Pontiff of their religion. 

 He employs, as his deputy, a per- 

 son named Abd al Aziz, who was 

 an adopted brother of his father's, 

 and who is of an immense stature, 

 with a most powerful voice. This 

 man is eighty years of age, but re- 

 tains all the vigour of youth, and 

 predicts that he shall not die till 

 the Vahaby religion is perfectly 

 established all over Arabia. This 

 person waits on Mohammed twice 

 every week, and consults with 

 him on all points of religion, and 

 receives his orders for detaching 

 armies to different quarters. Their 

 power and influence is so much in- 

 creased, that all Arabia may be 

 said to be in subjection to thera ; 

 and their followers have such re- 

 verence for them, that, when go- 

 ing into battle, they solicit pass- 

 ports to the porters at the gates of 

 Paradise, which they suspend 

 round their necks, and then ad- 

 vance against the enemy with 

 the greatest confidence. 



Although the Vahabies have 

 collected immense wealth, they 

 still retain the greatest simplicity 

 of manners, and moderation in 

 their desires. They sit down on 

 the ground without ceremony, 

 content themselves with a few 

 dates for their food, and a coarse 

 large cloak serves them for cloth- 

 ing and bed for two or three years. 

 Their horses are of the genuine 

 Nejid breed, of well known pedi- 

 grees; none of which will they 



