145 
MAHOMETANISM. 
their mouths to fpeak, left they (hould breathe the air too 
freely ; the faft is alfo feemed void if a man kifs or touch 
a woman, or if he vomit defignedly. But after funfet they 
are allowed to refrefli themfelves, and to eat and drink, and 
enjoy tiie company of their wives till daybreak ; though 
the more rigid begin the faft again at midnight. This 
faft is extremely rigorous and mortifying when the month 
of Ramadan happens to fall in fummer, (for, the Arabian 
year being lunar, each month runs through all the differ- 
entfeafons in the courfe of thirty-three years;) the length 
and heat of the days making the obfervance of it much 
more difficult and uneafy than in winter. The reafon 
given why the month of Ramadan was pitched on for this 
purpofe is, that on that month the Koran was fent down 
from heaven. Some pretend, that Abraham, Mofes, and 
jefus, received their refpettive revelations in the fame 
month. 
4. The Pilgrimage to Mecca is fo neceflary a point of 
pra&ice, that, according to a tradition of Mahomet, he 
who dies without performing it may as well die a Jew or 
a Chriftian ; and the fame is exprefsly commanded in the 
Koran. The temple of Mecca ftands in the mid ft of the 
city, and is honoured with the title of Masjad al elharam, 
3. e. “the facred or inviolable temple.” What is princi¬ 
pally reverenced in this place and gives fanftity to the 
whole, is a fquare ftone building, called the Caaba ; (fee 
that word, vol. iii. p. 576.) 
To this temple every Mahometan, who has health and 
means fufficient, ought, once at leaft in his life, to go on 
pilgrimage; nor are women excufed from the perform¬ 
ance of this duty. The pilgrims meet at different places 
near Mecca, according to the different parts from whence 
they come, during the months of Shawal and Dlnilkaada ; 
being obliged to be there by the beginning of Dhulhajja; 
which month, as its name imports, is peculiarly fet apart 
for the celebration of this folemnity. At the place above 
mentioned the pilgrims properly commence fuch ; when 
the men put on the ibram, or facred habit, which confifts 
only of two woollen wrappers, one bound about their mid¬ 
dle to cover their privities, and the other thrown over 
their (boulders, having their heads bare, and a kind of 
flippers which cover neither the heel nor the inftep, and 
fo enter the facred territory in their way to Mecca. While 
they have this habit on, they muft neither hunt nor fowl, 
(though they are allowed to fafb ;) which precept is fo 
punctually obferved, that they will not kill even a loufe 
ora flea if they find them on their bodies: there are fome 
noxious animals, however, which they have permifllon to 
kill during the pilgrimage, as kites, ravens, fcorpions, 
mice, and dogs given to bite. During the pilgrimage 
it behoves a man to have a conftant guard over his words 
and actions; to avoid all quarreling or ill language, all 
converfe with women, and all obfcene difcourle ; and to 
apply his whole attention to the good work he is engaged 
in. The pilgrims, being arrived at Mecca, immediately 
vifit the temple ; and then enter on the performance of the 
prefcribed ceremonies, which confift chiefly in going in 
proceflion round the Caaba, in running between the mounts 
Safa and Merwa, in making the ftation on Mount Arafat, 
and flaying the victims, and (having their heads in the val¬ 
ley of Mina. In compafling the Caaba, which they do fe- 
ven times, beginning at the corner where the black ftone is 
fixed, they ufe a fhort quick pace the three firft times they 
go round it, and a grave ordinary pace the four laft ; which, 
it is faid, was ordered by Mahomet, that his followers 
might (how themfelves ftrong and aCtive to cut off the 
ho'pes of the infidels, who gave out that the immoderate 
heats of Medina had rendered them weak. But the afore- 
faid quick pace they are not obliged to ufe every time they 
perform this piece of devotion, but only at fome particu¬ 
lar times. So often as they pafs by the black ftone, they 
either kifs it, or touch it with their hand, and kifs that. 
The running between Safa and Merwa is alfo performed 
feven times, partly with a flow pace and partly running; 
for they walk gravely till they come to a place between two 
pillars; and there they run, and afterwards walk again ; 
fometimes looking back, and fometimes Hooping, like one 
who had loft fomething, to reprefent Hagar feeking water 
for her fon ; for the ceremony is faid to be as ancient as 
her time. 
On the ninth of Dhulhajja, after morning-prayer, the 
pilgrims leave the valley of Mina, whither they come the 
day before; and proceed in a tumultuous and milling 
manner to Mount Arafat, where they (lay to perform their 
devotions till funfet ; then they go to Mozdalifa, an ora¬ 
tory between Arafat and Mina; and there fpend the night 
in prayer and reading the Koran. The next morning by 
daybreak they vifit al Majher al Karam, or Sacred Monu¬ 
ment; and, departing thence before funrife, hafte by Batn 
Mohafler to the valley of Mina, where they throw feven 
((ones at three marks or pillars, in imitation of Abraham, 
who, meeting the devil in that place, and being by him 
difturbed in his devotions, or tempted to difobedience 
when he was going to facrifice his fon, was commanded 
by God to drive him away by throwing ftones at him ; 
though others pretend this rite to be as old as Adam, 
who alfo put the devil to flight in the fame place, and by 
the fame means. This ceremony being over, on the fame 
day, the tenth of Dhulhajja, the pilgrims flay their vic¬ 
tims in the faid valley of Mina; of which they and their 
friends eat part, and the reft is given to the poor. Thefe 
victims muft be either fheep, goats, kine, or camels : males, 
if of either of the two former kinds, and females if of ei¬ 
ther of the latter ; and of a fit age. The facrifices beinp- 
over, they (have their heads and cut their nails, burying 
them in the fame place; after which the pilgrimage is 
looked on as completed; though they again vifit the 
Caaba, to take their leave of that facred building. 
5. Circumci/ion, though it be not fo much as once men¬ 
tioned in the Koran, is yet held by the Mahometans to be 
an ancient divine inftitution, confirmed by the religion of 
Iflam ; and, though not fo abfolutely neceflary but that 
it may be difpenfed with in fome cafes, yet highly proper 
and expedient. The Arabs ufed this rite for many ages 
before Mahomet, having probably learned it from Iflimael, 
though not only his defendants, but the Hamyarites and 
other tribes, praftifed the fame. The Ifhmaelites, we are 1 
told, ufed tocircumcife their children, noton the eighth 
day, as is the cultom of the Jews, but when about twelve 
or thirteen years old, at which age their father underwent 
that operation; and the Mahometans imitate them fo far 
as not to circumcife children before they may be able at 
leaft diftinctly to pronounce that profeflion of their faith. 
There is no God, but God, Mahomet is the apojlle of G od • 
but pitch on what age they pleafe for the purpofe, between 
fix and fixteen, or thereabouts. 
Befides the fundamental points of faith and practice 
above recited, the Mahometans are required by the Ko¬ 
ran to abftain from wine, gaming/, ufury, divining by ar¬ 
rows, the eating of blood and fwine’s flefh, and whatever 
dies of itlelf, or is (lain in honour of any idol, or ftrangied, 
or killed by accident, or by any other bead. The Korun 
allows polygamy within certain limits; forbidding any 
man to have more than four, whether wives or concu¬ 
bines ; but Mahomet had the privilege of marrying as 
many wives, and keeping as manyconcubines, as he pleafed. 
It allows alfo of divorce ; but fevereiy pu.nilhes fornica¬ 
tion and adultery. 
Wilful murder, though forbidden by the Koran under 
the fevered: penalties to be inflicted in the next life, is 
neverthelefs by the fame book allowed to be compounded 
for, on payment of a fine to the family of the deceafed, and 
freeing a Modem from captivity ; but this commutation 
depends on the choice of the next of kin, who may either 
accept or refufe it. Manflaughter was redeemed by fine, 
and the freeing of a captive ; and, if a man were not able 
to do this, he was required to faft two months together, bv 
way of penance. The fine for a man’s blood was fet in 
the Sonna at 100 camels, to be diftributed amonp- the 
relations of the deceafed. Theft was ordered to be piuuihed 
by 
