As this dodtrine of abfolute election and reprobation has been thought
hy many of the Mohammedan divines to be derogatory to the good-
.nefs andjuftice of G od, and to make G od the author of evil ; fe-
„veral fubtle diftindtions have been invented, and difputes raifed, to explicate
or foften it; and different feds have been formed, according
to their.feveral opinions, or methods of explaining this point: fome
of them going fo far as even to hold the diredt contrary pofition, of
abfolute free will in man, as we fhall fee hereafter
Ofprayer, Of the four fundamental points of religious practice required by
and the t^e Xoran, the firft is prayer, under which, as has been faid, are alfo
purlfica- comprehended thofe legal wafhings or purifications which are neceffa-
tions. ry preparations thereto.
Of thefe purifications there are two degrees, o.ne called Ghojl, being
;a total immerfion or bathing of the body in water; and the other
called Wodu, (by the Perjians, Abdeji) which is the wafhing o f their faces,
hands, and feet, after a certain manner. The firft is required in
.fome extraordinary cafes only, as after having lain with a woman, or
' been polluted by emiffion of feed, or by approaching a dead body;
women alfo being obliged to it after their courfes or childbirth. The
Tatter is the ordinary ablution in common cafes, and before prayer,
and muft neceffarily be ufed by every perfon before he-can enter upon
that duty \ It is performed with certain formal ceremonies, which
.have been defcribed by fome writers, but are much eafier apprehended
by feeing them done, than by the beft defcription.
Thefe purifications were perhaps borrowed by Mohammed of the
•'Jews, at leaft they agree in a great meafure with thofe ufed by that
nation 3, who in procefs of time burthened the precepts of Mofes in
. this point, with fo many traditionary ceremonies, that whole books
"have been written about them, and who were fo exadt and fuperfti-
tious therein even in our Saviour’s time, that they are often reproved
by him for i t 4. But as it is certain that the pagan Arabs ufed luftra-
tions of this kind*, 'long'before the time of Mohammed, as moft nations
did, and ftill do in the eaft, where the warmth o f the climate
requires a greater nicety and degree o f cleanlinefs than thefe colder
parts; perhaps Mohammed only recalled bis countrymen to a more
ftridt obfervance of thofe purifying rites, which had 'been probably
negledled by them, or at leaft performed in a carelefs and perfunfto-
ry manner. The Mohammedans however will have it that they are as
1 Se&. VIII. *■ Kor. c. 4. p. 66, and c. 3. p. 83. V. Reland, de rel. Moh. 1. 1. c. 8. 3 JPoc.
- fcuot. in Port. Mofis, -p. '5$6y&c. 4 Mark YH..3*. &c. * V. Herodot. 1. 3. c. <198.
: ancient
ancient as Abraham ', who, they fay, was enjoined by G o d to ob-
ferve them, and was fhewed the manner of making the ablution by
the angel Gabriel, in the form of a beautiful youth 2. Nay fome
deduce the matter higher, and imagine that thefe ceremonies were
taught our firft parents by the angels 3.
That his followers might be the more punctual in this duty, Mohammed
is faid to have declared, that the praSHce o f religion is founded
on cleanlinefs, which is the one half of the faith, and the key of prayer,
without which it will not be heard by G o d 4, That thefe expref-
fions may be the better underftood, al Ghdzâli reckons four degrees
of purification ; of which the firft is, the cleanfing of the body from
all pollution, filth, and excrements; the fécond, the cleanfing of the
members of the body from all wickednefs and unjuft actions ; the
third, the cleanfing of the heart from all blameable inclinations, and
odious vices ; and the fourth, the purging a man’s fecret thoughts
from all affections which may divert their attendance on G o d : adding,
that the body is but as the outward Ihell in refpeCt to the heart,
which is as the kernel. And for this reafon he highly complains of
thofe who are fuperftitiouily folicitous in exterior purifications, avoiding
thofe perfons as unclean who are not fo fcrupuloufly nice as them-
felves, and at the fame time have their minds lying wafte, and overrun
with pride, ignorance, and hypocrify *. Whence it plainly appears
with how little foundation the Mohammedans have been charged,
by fome writers 6, with teaching or imagining that thefe formal
wafhings alone cleanfe them from their fins ?.
Left fo neceffary a preparation to their devotions (hould be omitted,
either where water cannot be had, or when it may be of prejudice
to, a perfon’s health, they are allowed in fuch cafes to make
ufe of fine fand or duft in lieu of it 8 ; and then they perform this
duty by clapping their open hands on the fand, and pafling them
over the parts, in the fame manner as if they were dipped in water.
But for this expedient Mohammed was not fo much indebted to his
1 A1 Jannabi in vita Abrah. V. Poc. Spec- p. 303. * Herewith agrees‘the fpurious Gofpçl of
S. Barnabas, the Spanijb tranflation of which {chap; 29.) has thefe words. - Dixo Abraham, $>ae
hare yo para fervir al Dios de lo_s fajiftos y prophetas f Refpondio el angel, Ve a aquella fuente y lav ate,,
porqueJDios quiere hablar contigo. Dixo Abraham, Como tengo de lavarme ? Luego el angel Je le ap-
parect} como uno^ bello^pnancebo, y f la m en la fuenfe, y Je dixo, Abraham, haz comp yo.. ^Abraham
à lavo, &c. 3 Al Kefiaï. V. ReMtad. de Rel. Moliamm. p. 81. 4 Al Ghazâli, Ebn al Athîr.
rr^' Spec. p. 3Q2, &c. 6 Barthol. Edeflen. .ConfuteHagaren. p. 360. • G. Sionita & J.
Hefronita, in Tra£t. de urb. & morib. Orient, .ad calcem Geogr. Nubienf. c. 15. Du Ryer, dans
e Sommaire de la Rel. des Turcs, mis a la tête de la verfion de l’Alcor. St. Olon, Defer, du Royaume
de Maroc, c. 2. Hyde, *in Not. ad Bobov, de Prec. Moh. p^rrr Smith, de morib. & initie. Tur-
c -r\f'l?‘ \l P- 32* 7 V- Reland. de Rel. Moh, 1. 2. c. 11. ® Korân, c. 3. p. 66, & 5. p. 83.
p . own