448 FAKIRS. 



who has chosen poverty for himself to come closer to 

 God" thus many pious Moslems end their letters, 

 the humble, or poor one, before God. * 



The "Sheikh El Islam," for instance, in his official 

 proclamations, interpreting disputed points of Mahome- 

 dan theology, signs himself " The Humble so and 

 so Sheikh El Islam." 



It would be foreign to the purpose of this work to 

 enter at any length into questions of Moslem Theology, 

 yet it may be well just to mention that the followers 

 of Islam are composed of an infinite number of religious 

 sects, or orders, and it is probable that Sidi Aomar, 

 judging from the title of " Sidi " or " Sir " prefixed to 

 his name, would represent the Sheikh f of one of these 

 fraternities, for it is stated in the narrative that people 

 flocked from great distances to make what is known 

 as a " Ziara " or " pious visit " to the place of his abode. 

 Of these pilgrimages that of the " Hadj" to the tomb 

 of The Prophet, at Mecca, is of course the first and 

 greatest but other and minor pilgrimages, or Ziaras 

 to the tombs of saints, etc., are also esteemed highly 

 meritorious, in a religious sense: and those who have 

 travelled in Mohammedan countries, will doubtless have 

 noticed the numbers of these sort of tombs, erected 

 over the places of sepulture of Sheikhs of religious 

 orders. Many of these shrines are held in great venera- 

 tion, and the spiritual influence of their tenants is by 

 no means regarded as extinguished by death, but rather 

 the reverse; prayers offered up by the devout at such 



* Marabouts et Chouans, etude sur L'Islam en Algerie, par Louis 

 Rinn, Chef du Service des affaires Indigenes au gouvernement, 

 p. 66. 



f Sheikh, literally "an Elder," from the Arabic "Shakka" to be old 

 in other words "a chief" or any man of eminence. 



