492 Notice of the Tenets held by [Nov. 



" Abdul Nabi," a Banda AH," &c. — the allowing particular locks, 

 or patches of the hair of children to grow untouched for certain periods, 

 or the boring their noses or ears, as a mark of devotion to, or 

 reliance for protection on, a Saint — generally the shewing the same signs 

 of respect to Saints, as by standing up in repeating their names or 

 invoking them, as to God himself — the making Sijda, or entire pro- 

 stration to any one but God — and the making the " Tawwaf," i. e. a 

 circuit or number of circuits, round the tombs of Saints, a ceremony 

 to be performed round the holy Kaaba only. 



The doctrine laid down in the Taqwiatul Iman, the authority or in- 

 fluence of Saints, as respecting intercessors is, that they may undoubt- 

 edly be privileged to intercede, but only when God has first granted 

 them permission ; and that the proper course is not to depend at all on 

 their assistance, or to make any special prayer for their intercession, 

 but to leave that, with all the other desires or necessities of man, to 

 God alone, who, should such be requisite, will be careful both to provide 

 an intercessor, and to give a sanction to his requests. 



Of the second class of prevalent abuses, or those which have sprung 

 from association with Shias, the first is an alleged departure from the 

 established and orthodox belief respecting the relative superiority and 

 precedence of the four first Caliphs, Ali being by many considered as 

 possessing a higher degree of dignity and honour than his predeces- 

 sors. This error is said to have in part arisen from the circumstance 

 that most of the families or schools of religious devotees trace their 

 origin up to Ali. The second abuse of this class consists in the cere- 

 monies of the Moharram, which are observed as solemnly by very 

 many of the common Sunis of the country, as by Shias. " A true 

 believer," it is declared, " should regard the breaking a Tazia, by force, 

 to be as virtuous an action as destroying idols. If he cannot break 

 them himself, let him order others to do so. If this even be out of 

 his power, let him at least detest and abhor them with his whole heart 

 and soul." 



Of the abuses which have sprung from bad and corrupt customs gene- 

 rally, those first marked for reprobation are the showy or expensive 

 ceremonies on occasions of festivity and mourning — at marriages, and 

 after the death of relatives. It is thought better, our author indig- 

 nantly exclaims, that children should starve at home, than that these 

 extravagancies should be abandoned. From such customs, a true 

 Mahommedan should as far as possible keep free. He should labour 

 indeed zealously to put a stop to them, reverting in such things to 

 the orders of the Prophet, and the practice of his companions. " Fol- 





