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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    tenets of the Wah’ha’bees, as being those of the primitive Moos'lims, shows how much the generality of the modern professors of the faith of the Ckoor-a’n have deviated from the precepts originally delivered to its disciples. Influenced by their belief in predestination, the men display, in times of distressing uncertainty, an exemplary patience, and after any afflicting event, a remarkable degree of resignation and fortitude, approaching nearly to apathy *; generally exhibiting their sorrow only by a sigh, and the exclamation of Allah keree’m! (God is bountiful !): but the women, on the contrary, give vent to their grief by the most extravagant cries and shrieks. While the Christian blames himself for every untoward event which he thinks he has brought upon himself, or might have avoided, the Moos'lim enjoys a remarkable serenity of mind in all the vicissitudes of life. When he sees his end approaching, his resignation is still con- spicuous: he exclaims, “ Verily to God we belong ; and verily to Him we return!” and to those who inquire respecting his state, in general his reply is, “ Praise be to God! Our Lord is bountiful!’—His belief in pre- destination does not, however, prevent his taking any step. to attain an object that he may have in view; not being perfectly absolute, or unconditional: nor does it in general make him careless of avoiding danger; for he thinks himself forbidden to do so by these words of the Ckoor-a’n t+, “Throw not [yourselves] with your * They are not, however, so apathetic as some travellers have supposed; for it is not uncommon to see them weep; and sucha demonstration of feeling is not considered by them as unmanly: even heroes are frequently represented, in their romances and histories, as weeping under heavy affliction. + Chap. ii., ver. 191.