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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    lute glory of thy Lord, the Lord of Might, exempting Him from that which they [that is, the unbelievers] ascribe to Him” (namely, the having a son, or a par- taker of his godhead)’; and adds, “ and peace be on the Apostles; and praise be to God, the Lord of all crea- tures. © God, I have transferred the merit of what I have recited from the excellent Ckoor-a’n to the person to whom this place is dedicated,” or—‘ to the soul of this wel’ee.” Without such a declaration, or an intention to the same effect, the merit of the recital belongs solely to the person who performs it. After this recital, the visitor, if it be his desire, offers up any prayer, for tem- poral or spiritual blessings; generally using some such form as this—“ O God, I conjure thee by the Prophet, and by him to whom this place is dedicated, to grant me such and such blessings:” or “ My burdens be on God and on thee, O thou to whom this place is dedicated.” In doing this, some persons face any side of the muck- soo/rah: but it is more proper to face the mucksoo/rah and the ckib’leh. During the prayer, the hands are held as in the private supplications after the ordinary prayers of every day; and afterwards they are drawn down the face.—Many of the visitors kiss the threshold of the building, and the walls, windows, mucksoo’rah, &c. The rich, and persons in easy circumstances, when they visit the tomb of a saint, distribute money or bread to the poor; and often give money to one or more water- carriers to distribute water to the poor and thirsty, for the sake of the saint. ‘There are particular days of the week on which certain tombs are more generally visited: thus, the mosque of the Hhas’aney’n is mostly visited, by men, on Tuesday, and by women, on Saturday: that of the sey’yideh Zey’neb, on Wednesday: that of the Ima’‘m Q