48 ANIMISTIC ELEMENTS IN MOSLEM PRAYER 



custom of incantation (Manashada) similar to that practiced 

 by the heathen Kahins. By certain leaders in the early days 

 of Islam — it was said "If so and so would adjure anything 

 upon God he would doubtless obtain it." 



Not only in formal prayer (Salat) but also in the Du'a 

 (petition) there are magical practices, especially in the 

 prayer for eclipse by the raising of the hands. We are told 

 in Bukhari that on one occasion the Prophet while praying 

 for rain raised his hands so high that one could see the white 

 skin of his arm-pits! In the case of Du'a therefore, the- 

 Kibla is said to be heaven itself and not Mecca. 



Another gesture used in Du'a is the stroking of the face, 

 or of the body with the hands. This custom is borrowed 

 from the Prophet and has also magical effect. At the time 

 of his death the Prophet put his hands in water and washed 

 his face with them, repeating the creed. 



Goldziher refers especially to magical elements in the 

 prayer for rain,* and against eclipses of the sun or moon. 

 These, like excessive drought, were explained and combatted 

 by the pagan Arabs in a superstitious manner. Mohammed 

 forbade them to recognize in such phenomena anything more 

 than special manifestations of the omnipotence of the 

 Creator, and ordained in this case also certain ritual prayers, 

 to be continued as long as the eclipse lasted. 



No Mohammedan questions for a moment that the 

 •omnipotence of God reveals itself in these eclipses — indeed 

 no doctrine is more popular than that of the omnipotence 

 of God and predestination — yet in the ranks of the people 

 all kinds of superstitions prevail in regard to such pheno- 

 mena. In these temporary obscurations of sun and moon 

 they discern the action of malignant spirits and do not regard 

 the performance of a simple service of prayer as a sufficient 

 protection. "In Acheh, as in other Mohammedan countries, 

 these prayers are left to the representatives of religion, the 

 teunghus and leube's while the people of the gampong keep 

 up a mighty uproar beating the great drum of the meunasah, 

 and firing off guns and sometimes even cannons in order to 

 frighten away the enemies of the sun and moon. Various 

 sorts of ratebs are also held in order to relieve the suffering 

 heavenly body."t 



*See Bukhari who gives certain chapters on magical formulas to 

 be used on this occasion. Certain of the companions of the Prophet 

 were celebrated as rain-makers. 



tHurgronje's The Achcnese, pp. 285-6. 



