[596] All those who believe that the Imamate passed legitimately from Jâfer to his son Ismáil, and to Ismâil’s posterity, are called _Ismâilahs_: but their opinions are not uniform. Some maintain that to Muhammed, above-mentioned, surnamed _Mectúm_, “the concealed,” succeeded his son, Jâfer Mosuddek, whose successor was Muhammed Habib. This last is expected to return in order to found a new dynasty. The Ismâilahs carry to excess the prerogatives which they attribute to their Imáms.――(_Makrisi in Chrest. arabe_, vol. II. p. 92.) [597] The number _seven_ acts a great part in the system of the Ismâilahs. All things, after having attained the septenary number, are at their end, must undergo a change, and be succeeded by other things. To the septenaries above mentioned, I shall add seven palms, of which the height of a man is said to consist, seven climates, and seven seas, according to the Koran (Sura XXXI. v. 26): “If all the trees on the earth were pens, and God should after that swell the sea into seven seas of ink, the words of God would not be exhausted.” We know how generally in the world such a belief with respect to seven existed and still exists. [598] “The Batenian, ‘interior,’” says Silvestre de Sacy, “are so called, because they establish an interior sense of the Scripture besides the exterior; they say, whoever attaches himself to the exterior, fatigues himself with vain practices, whilst he, who follows tho interior, may dispense with all actions; they give to faith a preference over Islamism, undoubtedly,” founded upon the authority of the Koran, where it “is to be found” (Sura XLIX. v. 14): “The Arabs of the desert say: ‘We believe;’ answer: ‘Ye do by no means believe; but say: ‘We have embraced Islam;’ for the faith hath not yet entered into your hearts.’”