Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese Vol II. - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/269

 they show forth to mankind the power of God and the excellence of the master of their order.

It is however acknowledged that the salasilahs ("chains" of tradition i.e. spiritual genealogical trees) of those who now-a-days assume the rôle of khalifahs of the Rifāʾiyyah, are of very dubious validity, and that their exercise of the functions of leader cannot therefore be regarded as confirmed by the authority of the master of the order or of one of his rightful successors.

These ripaʾi or rapaʾi exhibitions, where not prohibited by the Dutch local authorities, generally serve as an embellishment to a feast. The 'kalipah' or leader of the company, although ever eager to keep up the pretence of performing a pious work for Allah's sake, nevertheless greedily accepts for himself and the brethren the customary recompense for the performance.

Both in players and on-lookers we may generally discern a curious mixture of belief, self-deception and roguishness. Belief in the possibility of the actual infliction of wounds without danger, through the blessed influence of Aḥmad Rifāʾī, a belief which sometimes impels those who take part in the performance to inflict on themselves serious and often fatal hurts; self-deception in respect to certain skilful performers, who are really no more than conjurers; and roguishness on the part of players who pretend to deal themselves heavy blows but who really only momentarily press the point of the awl or dagger against some hard portion of the skin.

Such is the case in Acheh as well as in other Mohammedan countries. The great mass of the people classifies the performance as an example of the eleumèë keubay or science of invulnerability. They are not aware that the name rapāʾī is a corruption of that of the saint of yore, and only connect the word with the tambourines used by the players, although the name of the master of mysticism, as well as that of his holy contemporary Abdulqādir Jīlānī and of various others is actually invoked in the ratéb.