Volume 1

An account of the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians, written in Egypt during the years 1833, -34, and -35, partly from notes made during a former visit to that country in the years 1825, -26, -27, and -28 / By Edward William Lane.

  • Edward William Lane
Date:
1836
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An account of the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians, written in Egypt during the years 1833, -34, and -35, partly from notes made during a former visit to that country in the years 1825, -26, -27, and -28 / By Edward William Lane. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Ima’m ’Alee, and grand-daughter of the Prophet), the sey'yideh Sekee/neh (daughter of the Ima’m El]-Hho- . sey’n), the sey’yideh Nefee’seh (great-grand-daughter of the Ima’m El-Hhas’an), and the Ima’m Esh-Sha’fe’ee, already mentioned as the author of one of the four great Moos'/lim sects, that to which most of the people of Cairo belong. The buildings above mentioned, with the exception of the last two, are within the metropolis : the last but one is in a southern suburb of Cairo; and the last, in the great southern cemetery. The Egyptians occasionally visit these and other sanc- tuaries of their saints, either merely with the view of pay- ing honour to the deceased, and performing meritorious acts for the sake of these venerated persons, which they believe will call down a blessing on themselves, or for the purpose of urging some special petition, as for the restoration of health, or for the gift of offspring, &c.; in the persuasion that the merits of the deceased will insure a favourable reception of the prayers which they offer up in such consecrated places. The generality of the Moos'lims regard their deceased saints as intercessors with the Deity; and make votive offerings to them. The visitor walks round the mucksoo’rah or the monument from left to right; and recites the Fa’t?hhah, inaudibly, or in a very low voice, before its door, or before each of its four sides. Sometimes a longer chapter of the Ckoor-a’n than the first (or Fa’t’hhah) is recited after- wards; and sometimes a khut'meh (or recitation of the whole of the Ckoor-a’n) is performed on such an occa- sion. These acts of devotion are generally performed for the sake of the saint; though merit is likewise be- - lieved to reflect upon the visitor who makes a recitation. He usually says at the close of this, “ [Assert] the abso-