THE KORAN. 301 



employed to carry the judge's sentence into execu- 

 tion, and V. Inch has been found of such admirable 

 efficacy in keeping the naughty in good order, they 

 pretend to have descended from heaven. 



As their religious and juridical code is the same, 

 the clergy are expounders of the law. Three gene- 

 ral classes of judicial officers are recognised, — muf- 

 tis, cadis, and mushtahids ; but their powers vary in 

 diflerent nations. In India the cadi is the supreme 

 civil judge. In Turkey he is the ordinary judge. 

 The mufti is the nominal chief magistrate ; but he 

 has no tribunal, and never decides causes except 

 those of great moment. The cadi is the officer who 

 gives the law operation and effect ; and in all ques- 

 tions of importance he is assisted by several mool- 

 lahs, or learned men. The Koran, or its most es- 

 teemed commentators, regulate his decisions ; and 

 in novel cases he exercises his own judgment. The 

 mosque is the place where he must sit for the exe- 

 cution of his office ; or he ma}' use his own house, 

 so tliat there be free access to the people. 



Besides the Koran, various traditions of the ac- 

 tions and sayings of the Arabian Prophet have been 

 preserved ; and these constitute the second authority 

 of Mussulman law. The Koran was suited only for 

 a rude people ; and when the power of the caliphs in- 

 creased, it became impossible to govern their nume- 

 rous .subjects by the com.paratively few rules and 

 maxims which it contained, most of which were 

 local, and quite inapplicable to many of the nations 

 who had submitted to the Saracen arms. This defi- 

 ciency admitted only of one remed}^ — that of ren- 

 dering the original law more copious by authentic 

 supplements. As the founder of their economy 

 was beUeved never to have spoken but by inspira- 

 tion, an account of these traditionary sayings was 

 carefully noted down from his wives and companions. 

 This immense collection was called somia, a word 



Vol. I.— C c 



