Page:Thomas Patrick Hughes - Notes on Muhammadanism - 2ed. (1877).djvu/102

Rh men and genii. This exciting ceremony is said to take place as soon as the funeral party have proceeded forty paces from the grave!

Enlightened Muhammadans of the present day attempt to explain all this in a figurative sense, but in vain, for there is a very trustworthy tradition, recorded both by Bokhári and Muslim, to the effect that Muhammad related that he himself heard the infliction of torment on infidels in their graves when passing through the grave-yard, and that his camel was frightened by their groans! This is one of the many instances of Muhammad's superstitious belief which the more recent Muhammadan divines endeavour to explain in a metaphorical sense. We have, however, shown in a previous article that the traditions of Bokhári are of considerable historical weight, so that there can be little doubt that Muhammad believed "the punishments of the grave?" to be real and literal, which is opposed to the teaching of God's revealed word (vide Eccl. ix. 10; xii. 7; Psalm cxlvi. 4).