room, or to take a bath according to the custom of the people.[45] Whosoever does contrary to this is an infidel. Now the other sects, Jews, Christians, Moslems, and others, know not these things, because they dislike Melek Ṭâ´ûs. He, therefore, does not teach them, nor does he visit them. But he dwelt among us; he delivered to us the doctrines, the rules, and the traditions, all of which have become an inheritance, handed down from father to son. After this, Melek Ṭâ´ûs returned to heaven. One of the seven gods made the _sanjaḳs_[46] (standards) and gave them to Solomon the wise. After his death our kings received them. And when our god, the barbarian Yezîd, was born, he received these _sanjaḳs_ with great reverence, and bestowed them upon our sect. Moreover, he composed two songs in the Kurdish language to be sung before the _sanjaḳas_ in this language, which is the most ancient and acceptable one. The meaning of the song is this: Hallelujah to the jealous God. As they sing it, they march before the _sanjaḳs_ with timbrels and pipes. These _sanjaḳs_ remain with our emir, who sits on the throne of Yezîd. When these are sent away, the _ḳawwâls_ assemble with the emir, and the great general, the šeiḫ, who is the representative of Šeiḫ Nasir-ad-Dîn, i. e., Nisroch, god of the ancient Assyrians.[47] They visit the _sanjaḳs_. Then they send each _sanjaḳ_ in care of a _ḳawwâl_ to its own place; one to Ḫalataneye, one to Aleppo, one to Russia, and one to Sinjar. These _sanjaḳs_ are given to four _ḳawwâls_ by contract. Before they are sent, they are brought to Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s tomb, where they are baptized amid great singing and dancing. After this each of the contractors takes a load of dust from Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s tomb. He fashions it into small balls, each about the size of a gall nut, and carries them along with the _sanjaḳs_ to give them away as blessings. When he approaches a town, he sends a crier before him to prepare the people to accept the _ḳawwâl_ and his _sanjaḳ_ with respect and honor. All turn out in fine clothes, carrying incense. The women shout, and all together sing joyful songs. The _ḳawwâl_ is entertained by the people with whom he stops. The rest give him silver presents, everyone according to his means. Besides these four _sanjaḳs_, there are three others, seven in all. These three are kept in a sacred place for purposes of healing. Two of them, however, remain with Šeiḫ ‘Adî, and the third remains in the village of Baḥazanie, which is distant from Mosul about four hours. Every four months these _ḳawwâls_ travel about. One of them must travel in the province of the emir. They travel in a fixed order, differing each year. Every time he goes out, the traveler must cleanse himself with water made sour with _summaḳ_ (sumac) and anoint himself with an oil. He must also light a lamp at each idol that has a chamber. This is the law that pertains to the _sanjaḳs_.