Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/739

* MOHAMMEDANISM. 661 MOHAMMEDANISM. ters of Paradise (sec HoiRi), created of pure musk, are held out as a reward to tlie eonmioiiest iiiliabitanl of Paradise, wlio will always remain ill the full vi^or of youth and manhood. For those deserving a higher degree of reeoiinieiise, rewards will be prepared of a purely spiritual kind — i.e. the 'beholding of God's face' (,She- chinah) by night and by day. The last of the precepts of pure faith taught by Mohaiiiniedan- isin is the full and unconditional suhiHisaiun to God's decree, and the ijrcdcutiHiition of good and evil, which is found from the beginning inscribed on a 'preserved table.' Not only a man's fortunes, but his deeds, and consequently his future re- ward or punishment, are irrevocably, and thus unavoidably, pre-ordained; a doctrine which is not, however, taken literally by all Moslems. The first of the four chief duties of din or the practical part of Islam is prayer, "the key of Faradi.se." Certain religious purifications are in- cluded as necessary preparations. They are of two kinds: the ghusi, or total immersion of the body, required on certain special occasions ; and the tcudfi', a partial ablution, to be performed imme- diately before the prayer. This is of primary- importance, and consists in washing the hands, face, ears, and feet up to the ankles — a proceed- ing generally accompanied at each stage by cor- responding pious sentences, and concluded by the recital of the ninety-seventh sura of the Ko- ran. If water is not to be had, sand may supply its place. Even the ground or the carpet upon which one prays must be as clean as possible, and the use of a special prayer-carpet (sajjfidah) is therefore recommended. Every Jlohamniedan is required to piay five times in the space of twenty- four hours. The prayer {salat) itself consists partly of extracts from the Koran {fard), partly of sentences ordained upon the precept or practice of the Prophet (sunna). The times of prayer are: Daybreak ifajr); noon (zuhr); afternoon, midway between the second and fourth (Visr) ; evening {maghrib) ; after night has closed in ('i.?7i4). These several times of prayer are an- nounced by the muezzins (q.v. ) from the mina- rets of the mosques. The believer passes through a series of thirteen postures during his prayers; and a certain number of such inclinations of head and knees, prostrations, etc., is called rak'uh. It is necessary that the face of the worshiper should be turned toward the kiblah. i.e. in the direction of Mecca (see KlBl,.4.ii). Women, although not forbidden to enter the mosque, yet are not sup- posed to pray there, lest their presence should he hurtful to true devotion. Besides these prayers, there are others ordained for special occasions, as on a pilgrimage, before a battle, at funerals, during an eclipse, etc. The Moslems do not pray to Mohammed, but simply inijilore his intercession, as they do that of the iminerous saints, the relatives of the Prophet, and the first Jiropagators of Islam. Petitions, moreover, play a subsidiary part in the prayers, which are chiefly made up of thanksgivings and praise formulas. Mohammedanism has no clergy in the Western sense of the word, but there is always a leader ('imam), who takes his stand at the head of the congregation and 'leads' the latter in prayer. (See Im.m; Mollah: Mufti.) Next to prayer stands the duty of giving o/m.s. These are two- fold, legal (jrtin/) and voluntary (mdnknh). but the former, originally collected by the sov- ereign and applied to pious uses, has now been practically abrogated. The sadakah, according to the law, is to be given once every year, of cattle, money, corn, fruits, and wares sold, at about the rate of from two and a half up to twenty per cent. Besides these, it is usual to be- stow a measure of provisions upon the poor at the end of the sacred month of Kamadan. The duty of fasting follows. During the whole month of Ramadan, the Moslem is commanded to refrain from eating, drinking, and every indulgence in worldly pleasure, from daylireak until sunset. During the night he is allowed to eat, drink, and enjoy himself. Certain classes are exempt, as it was Mohammed's special and express desire that no one should fast who is not equal to it. lest ' he injure his health and disqualify himself for necessary labor. Of other commendable fast- days, the most important is the shura, on the tenth of iluharram. corresponding in a measure to the -Jewish Day of Atonement. The fast of Ramadan is universally kept, in letter if not in spirit, fasting being considered "one-fourth part of the faith." (See Raiiau.. : Fasts.) The last duty is the pilgrimage to Mecca, which every Moslem must make once in his life, if he be free, sound in body, and able to meet the expense. Women also perform the pilgrimage. To pay the way of one who cannot himself afford it is con- sidered a pious act, and the Shiites allow the pil- grimage to be made by proxy. See Hajj; Ha.j.ti. To the 'positive' ordinances of Islam may be added the sagh'ir or /c.v.scr and kabir or greater festivals. The first (ul-fitr, or breaking the fast) follows immediately upon Ramadan, beginning on the first day of the month of Shawwal, and lasts three days. The second ('Id al-kurhan, or sacri- fice festival) begins on the tenth of Dhu l-Hijjah. The latter was intended to be the more important of the two. but the people have in most places changed the order, and make the lesser festival, which follows Ramadan, the more joyful and the longer. The day set aside for the weekly as- sembly is Fridatj. which, however, is not a day of rest. After prayers the people return to their ordinary afTairs. Islam also enjoins a number of prohihitorg Inns based upon utterances of the Prophet. The drinking of icine, which includes all strong and inebriating liquors, is vigorously forbidden. ChieHy through Euro])ean influence some Jloslems have lost their scruples on this score, but the great majority of the faithful refuse even to make use of the proceeds of the sale of wine or grapes. Some scrupulous believers even include opium, coffee, and tobacco in the prohibition ; but gen- eral practice has decided (lifferently. The pro- hibitory laws respecting food resemble closely those of Rabbinical .Judaism; blood, the flesh of swine, animals which have died from disease or age, or on which the name of some idol has been invoked, or which have been sacrificed unto an idol, or which have been strangled, or killed by a blow, a fall, or by some other beast, are strictly forbidden. 'Pure' animals must be slaughtered according to certain fixed rules, and fish, l)iid, game are generally allowed for food. All games subject to chance — such as dice, cards? tables, bets. etc. — are considered so wicked that a gam- bler's testimony is invalid in a court of law. Chess and other games depending on skill — pro- vided they do not interfere with the reguhir per- formance of religious duties, and that they are played without any stakes — are allowed by the