P R E L I M I N A R Y
äfwad, or Blackßone, a fmall block of marble or granite, which is reported
to have fallen to the earth with Jdam When he wäs hurled from
paradife. It is at prefent fixed in a cafe o f filver, in the: fouth-ead Corner
o f the temple, and is exceedingly refpefted, and pioufly kiffed by all
devout pilgrims. This facred done was carried away by the Carmatians,
A. H. 278, (who at the fame time fpoiled the temple of its golden ffo u t,
and other precious ornaments,) but was redored in tWenty-two years
after.— Another relic is the Higr Ibraheeme, or Hone of Abraham, which,
it is faid, was ufed as a foaffold by the patriarch when condructing the
temple in company with his fon Ifhmad.— T\ie third objedt of note h the
fountain or well Zimzim, fituated to the ead of the Kdba, and the waters
o f' which are reported to poffefs the fame virtues as are attributed to all
confecrated wells in every.country. It is faid that the water guffied out
miraculoufly on this fpot as Hagar was wandering; through the defert
with her fon, oppreffed with third.— O f the prefent date of the Kdba,
which dill bears its ancient name, Bait Oolla, (the House of G O D ,) or
Mayidal-hiram, (the Inviolable T E M P L E , ) we can only obtain a
knowledge through the medium of the Turks, or other Mohammedans, as
no infidel is ever admitted within the precindts of the holy territory. In
its original condrudion it is faid to have been a perfeft cube, the fimpled
o f all figures, and therefore the bed calculated to typify the unity of God,
—Ibn a l Hijaj, in rebuilding it, caufed a fmall alteration from the
original figure, the temple, as it now dands, being twenty-four cubits Ion01,
twenty-three broad, and twenty-foven high. Still, however, it does not fo
any other refpedt deviate from the fimplicity of its primitive form, it being
entirely deditute of piladers, cornice, or any ornament, except a veil or
outer cover of black damalk or velvet, a golden (or more probably g ilt) band
which encompades itnearthetop, and a gold Ipout projedting from the roof
to convey off the rain water.— The veil was formerly o f Egyptian linen, and
in the “ daysof ignorance” was fupplied by different chiefs o f thoSabeans,
or other idolatrous tribes. T h e piety of the Khälifs fubdituted a more
codly duff, which, fince the accediön of the (dthmcitiian dynady, has
been annually renewed by the fu r kijh emperors. Several inferior buildings
have been eredted round it, particularly four' open pavilions, which
ferve
ferve as oratories1 to the four orthodox fedts of Haneefa, Maliic,
Shafei, and HanbAl .-—The whole dands in the midd of a fpacious
area, enclofed by a magnificent portico, having twelve, gates and a range
of twelve deps all round, from the level of the portico into the area.—
The epithet harani [inviolable] is not confined to this facred fpot, but
extends for many miles round Mecca, fmall towers being placed at
proper didances in every direction, to mark the precindts of the holy
territory, within which it is not lawful to hunt, fhoot, attack an enemy,
or, in fhort, to commit arjy adt of violence, except in felf-defence, or for
the dedrudtion o f noxious creatures, luch as ferpents, or animals o f prey.
I11 the neighbourhood of the city are two hills, Safa and Marwa, the
valley o f Minna, and a fort of chapel named Moozdalifa, on the way
thence to Mount Arafat, which lies at a fomewhat greater didance.—
T h e jirabian vjnters fay that the city of Mecca, in the centre of which
the Kdba dands, is nearly as ancient; and indeed if we eonlider how long
this has been a fpot for the retort of fuperdition or devotion, it is probably
one of the olded cities in the world.— Such is the fpot to which, in
the month Zee-al-Hidjee * of every year, multitudes o f Mujfulmans repair,
to prodrate themfelves before the “ House of God,” and to perform
the various ceremonies prefcribed by their L aw, or fandtioned by. antiquity,
in mod o f which they vary little or nothing from their Pagan
ancedors. W e fhall not dwell upon the particulars of thefe ceremonies.
Suffice it to fay, that they are in general highly abfurd, and not defen-
fible, even by the Mujfulmart dodtors themfelves, except on the ground o f
ordinance or cuflom. One particular it is neverthelels proper to remark
upon, as it is frequently adverted to in the courfe of this work;
namely, the date of a Mohrim. T h e caravans o f pilgrims have each a
particular place affigned, according to the parts whence they.proceeded,
which marks to them the boundary of. the holy territory. Here they
generally arrive towards the end of Zee-al-Kdda, and on th e fil'd morning
i
* Hidj fignifies pilgrimage ;— and the month takes this name, as being peculiarly appropriated
to the performance of that fplemnity.
VOL. I. of
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