[FN#63] Others derive the surname from this decision. [FN#64] As will afterwards be mentioned, almost every Meccan knows the prophecy of Mohammed, that the birthplace of his faith will be destroyed by an army from Abyssinia. Such things bring their own fulfilment. [FN#65] Abu Hanifah made it a temporal sanctuary, and would not allow even a murderer to be dragged from the walls. [FN#66] Makkah (our Meccah) is the common word; Bakkah is a synonym never used but in books. The former means “a concourse of people.” But why derive it from the Hebrew, and translate it “a slaughter”? Is this a likely name for a holy place? Dr. Colenso actually turns the Makaraba of Ptolemy into “Makkah-rabbah,” plentiful slaughter. But if Makaraba be Meccah, it is evidently a corruption of “Makkah” and “Arabah,” the Arab race. Again, supposing the Meccan temple to be originally dedicated to the sun, why should the pure Arab word “Ba’al” become the Hebræized Hobal, and the deity be only one in the three hundred and sixty that formed the Pantheon? [FN#67] This is an audacious falsehood; the Ka’abah is scarcely ever opened without some accident happening. [p.327] APPENDIX III.[FN#1] SPECIMEN OF A MURSHID'S DIPLOMA, IN THE KADIRI ORDER OF THE MYSTIC CRAFT AL-TASAWWUF. [ TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: Footnote 1 gives a description of the original manuscript. In Burton’s book, the text is presented as follows: - Firstly, the section of text beginning “This is the tree ” and ending with the lines “Amen.”, “A.”, presented as a triangle, with each line centred on the page. - Below this, the section of text “There is no god but Allah a thing to Allah.”, centred, and enclosed in a circle. - Below that, the section of text “Sayyid A of C.”, centred, and enclosed in a horizontal oval. - The line “And of him we beg aid.”, in smaller type. - All the following lines are enclosed in a box filling most of each page, with a horizontal rule separating the lines of text. Each line fills the width of the box neatly, except for the last four lines (beginning “It is finished.”), which are centred. - Footnotes are presented, in smaller type than usual, at the outside edge of the page in which the reference occurs, and (as much as possible) level with the reference. - The placement of line breaks in the main body of this Appendix has been preserved from the original (book) text. ] THIS is the tree whose root is firm, and whose branches are spreading, and whose shade is perpetual: and the bearer is a good man— we beg of Allah to grant him purity of intention by the power of him upon whom Revelation descended and In- spiration! I have passed it on, and I, the poorest of men, and the ser- vant of the poor, am Sayyid A,[FN#2] son of Sayyid B the Kadiri, the servant of the prayer-rug of his grand- sire, of the Shaykh Abd al-Kadir Jilani, Allah sanctify his honoured tomb! Amen. A. There is no god but Allah—Shaykh Abd al-Kadir —a thing to Allah.[FN#3] Sayyid A Son of Sayyid B of C.[FN#4]