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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    in all the orders. He was admitted by the sheykh of the Dimurda’shee'yeh. Having first performed the ablution preparatory to prayer (the woodoo’), he seated himself upon the ground before the sheykh, who was seated in like manner. The sheykh and he (the mooree'd, or candidate) then clasped their right hands together in the manner which I have described as prac- tised in making the marriage-contract: in this attitude, and with their hands covered by the sleeve of the sheykh, the candidate took the covenant; repeating, after the sheykh, the following words, commencing with the form of acommon oath of repentance. ‘“ I beg for- giveness of God, the Great” (three times) ; “ than whom there is no other deity; the Living, the Everlasting: I turn to Him with repentance, and beg his grace, and forgiveness, and exemption from the fire.’”’” The sheykh then said to him, “ Dost thou turn to God with repen- tance?” Hereplied, “I do turn to God with repentance ; and I return unto God; and I am grieved for what I haye done [amiss], and I determine not to relapse’ — and then repeated, after the sheykh, “I beg for the favour of God, the Great, and the noble Prophet; and I take as my sheykh and my guide unto God (whose name be exalted), my master ’Abd Er-Rahhee’m Ed- Dimurda’shee El-Khal’wet'ee Er-Rifa’’ee En-Neb’awee ; not to change, nor to separate; and God is our witness: by God, the Great!” (this oath was repeated three times): “there is no deity but God” (this also was repeated three times). The sheykh and the mooree/d then recited the Fa't’hhah together; and the latter con- cluded the ceremony by kissing the sheykh’s hand. The religious exercises of the durwee’shes chiefly con- sist in the repetition of zikrs, Sometimes standing in Q 5