Observations on the Mussulmauns of India: Descriptive of Their Manners, Customs, Habits and Religious Opinions Made During a Twelve Years' Residence in Their Immediate SocietyMeer Hasan Ali, Mrs.
Islamic
Observations on the Mussulmauns of India: Descriptive of Their Manners, Customs, Habits and Religious Opinions Made During a Twelve Years' Residence in Their Immediate Society
Meer Hasan Ali, Mrs.
India -- Social life and customs; Muslims -- India
Those persons who are devout in the exercise of their religious duties day
by day, in the concluding part of the morning Namaaz strictly observe the
practice of Mahumud and the Emaums, in the prayers of intercession; and
the 'Salaam-oon-ali Khoom',[14] (peace or rest be with thee) O Adam Suffee
Ali! and to thee, O Noah, the Prophet of God! and to thee, O Abraham! &c.
&c. going through the line in the manner and rotation above-described,
concluding with the several Emaums, twelve in number (as in their Creed).
It will be seen by this, that they have reverence for all who came from
God, to teach mankind His will. They believe also, that the Holy Prophets
are sensible of the respect paid to them by existing mortals, as also when
on earth they knew what was in the hearts of those men they conversed with.
I have the honour to be acquainted with a lady of the Mussulmaun Religion,
who lives in accordance with the Faith she professes. There was a period
in her life, within my recollection, when she had very severe trials of a
domestic nature. She trusted in God for relief, and followed in the way
she had been instructed, keeping fasts and holy days; testifying her
respect for the prophets, by observing those days for extra prayer and
giving alms, which the Khoraun and commentaries represent as worthy to be
done, by the devout Mussulmauns.
Amongst the number of days strictly observed by this pious lady during her
troubles, was the Nativity of Jesus Christ, for whose sake she fed the
hungry, clothed the naked, and gave alms to the necessitous. I was the
more delighted when first hearing of this circumstance, because I had
judged of the Mussulmaun faith by common report, and fancied they rejected,
with the Jews, our Redeemer having come. They, on the contrary, believe,
according to their Prophet's words, 'that He was born of the Virgin Mary;
that He worked miracles; that He ascended after His earthly commission had
ceased, to the seventh heaven; that He will again visit the earth (when
their Emaum Mhidhie will also appear), to cleanse the world of its corrupt
wickedness, when all men shall live in peace, and but one faith shall
prevail, in the worship of the true God'.
The Mussulmaun work, 'Hyaatool Kaloob' (which I have so often referred to),
contains, with the lives of all the prophets, the Life of Jesus Christ,
His acts, and the Ungeel[15] (Gospel). The Gospel they have is in many
things different from ours; it is not formed into books by the apostles,
neither are the miracles united with the Gospel, but are detailed as the
acts of Christ Jesus. What they understand by the Ungeel, is, 'the Word of
God by the mouth of Jesus';--for instance, the Sermon on the Mount, or, in
other words, the precepts of Jesus. I am indebted to the Meer for this
information.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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