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CHAPTER X. 
Aims. — Fasting. — Pilgrimage. — Calendar. — Sacred Months. — Easter. — Persona 
employed in the Mosques. — Feasts. — Superstitions. 
Besides the belief of the existence of one Almigh- 
ty God, faith in the mission of the prophet, and the 
obligation of saying the canonical prayers, it is neces- 
sary to observe the precept of giving alms. This law 
is of an imperious obligation on every Mussulman 
whose circumstances allow him to fulfil it. 
This precept comprises the charitable tithes, the pas- 
chal alms, the paschal sacrifice, the donations or founda- 
tions of a pious nature, and the eventual alms of charity. 
The charitable tithes are equal to two and a half per 
cent, every year on all that a Mussulman possesses, 
except sheep and goats, for which only one per cent, is 
paid. These alms are given to the poor; but they are 
paid generously, and without a critical calculation, as 
every heart, sensible to the misfortunes of the poor, 
contributes in a proportion much beyond that fixt by 
the law. As to myself, I was always in the habit of 
feeding a certain number of distressed or maimed poor, 
besides the accidental alms which I distributed; and I 
think I never fell short of the duty imposed. 
The paschal alms are those which every Mussulman 
In good circumstances is obliged to give before sun-rise 
to the poor, the first day of the month of Schoual, which 
is Little Easter (Eid seguir). It consists of half a mea- 
sure of wheat or flour, or of a whole measure of barley 
or dates. Heads of families, or such as keep house, are 
obliged to give for every member of their family as 
much as for themselves. They are free to pay it in kind 
or in money. 
