374 ON THE ROSHENIAH SECT 



sdlehs or treatises concerning the character of Ptr^ and not only per- 

 yerted and confounded the meaning of many sacred, texts, but forged^, 

 in the name of the prophet^ numerous interpolations of the Hadis' or 

 traditions; and as there was then, no person in Afghanistan ^ perfectly in- 

 structed in learning, and the principles of the Mo^/em faith, and able to, 

 expose his errors, these interpolations were received without contradic- 

 tion, and were even accredited by many who had the character of learned 

 men/^ Ba'yezid being of a keen, crafty and versatile genius, as became 

 the precursor (pe'shrd) of Sataji, had great skill in discovering the in- 

 chnations of men, and great facility in accomodating himself to their disr 

 positions. When he perceived that a person was strongly attached to the 

 Sheridt or law, he concealed himself under the cloak of the law, in order 

 to gain his confidence ; that by his learning, and plausible reasoning, he 

 might, with the greater facility, seduce him from the faith. When he had' 

 gained his confidence, and caught him in his toils, he imposed on him, 

 soch grievous and heavy burdens, such severe devotional exercises, accor- 

 ding to the law, as could not fail to canker his mind with disgust and 

 aversiono Having thus perverted the purpose of the law, he signified tQ ^ 

 him, that no person without renouncing the Sheridt or law, could attain^ 

 the Tcirikat or means of perfection, but that those who were perfect in the 

 law, might afterwards safely lay aside useless severities. The accursed 

 Bayezid, says Akhu'n-Derwe'zeh, in order to disgust his foliawers with: 

 the practice of the letter of the law, among other things, affected great 

 strictness in performing the regular JSTamdz, or recitation of prayers ; and, 

 instead of requiring the recitation of the Tasbih, or names of the divine at- 

 tributes, in the postures termed Rucud (with the hands on the knees) and , 

 sajud, (the act of prostration) three times, as is commonly done, he 

 required twenty, thirty or forty repetitions of the act. Yet at the same 



