own cunning ’, as to the example of the Jews, or perhaps that of
the P erf an Magi, almoft as fcrupulous as the Jews themfelves in
their luftrations, who both of them prefcribe the fame method in
cafes of neceffity 2; and there is a famous inftance, in ecclefiaftical
hiftory, of fand being ufed, for the fame reafon, inftead of water, in
the adminiftration of the Chriflian facrament of baptifm, many years
before Mohammed'% time 3.
Neither are the Mohammedans contented with bare wafhing, but
think themfelves obliged to feveral other neceffary points of cleanli-
linefs, which they make alfo parts of this duty; fuch as combing the
hair, cutting the beard, paring the nails, pulling out the hairs of
their arm-pits, fhaving their private parts, and circumcifion4 ; of
which laft I will add a word or two, left I fhould not find a more
proper place.
of cir- Circumcifion, tho’ it be not fo much as once mention’d in the Kocumcifion.
r^n, is yet held by the Mohammedans to be an ancient divine inftitu-
tion, confirmed by the religion of I f dm, and tho’ not fo abfolutely
neceffary but that it may be difpenfed with in fome cafes s, yet
highly proper and expedient. The Arabs ufed this rite for many
ages before Mohammed, having probably learned it from lfmael, tho’
not only his defeendants, but the Hamyarites6, and other tribes,
pradtifed the fame. The Ifmaelites, we are told ?, ufed to circumcife
their children, not on the eighth day, as is the cuftom of the Jews,
but when about twelve or thirteen years old, at which age their father
underwent that operation 8: and the Mohammedans imitate them
fo far as not to circumcife children before they be able, at leaft,
diftindly to pronounce that profeffiion of their faith, There is no
G od but G od, Mohammed is the apoflle o f G o d *; but pitch on
what age they pleafe for the purpofe between fix and fixteen, or
thereaboutsI0. Tho’ the Mofem dodtors are generally of opinion,
conformably to the feripture, that this precept was originally given
to Abraham, yet fome have imagined that Adam was taught it by
the angel Gabriel, to fatisfy an oath he had made to cut off that
flefh which, after his fall, had rebelled againft his fpirit; whence
an odd argument has been drawn for the univerfal obligation of
1 V. Smithy ubi (up. * Gemar. Bcrachoth. c. 2. i f . Poc. not. ad Port. Mofis, p. 389«
Sadder, porta 84. 3 Cedren. p. 250. 4 V. Poc. Spec. p. 303. pi V. Bobov, de circuracif.
p. 22. 6 Philoftorg. Hift. Ecd. lib. 3. 7 Jofeph. Ant. 1. 1. c. 23. 8 Genef. xvii.
25. 9 V. Bobov, ubi fup. & Poc. Spec. p. 319. 10 V. Reland, de Rel. Moh. 1. 1. p. 75.
circumcircumcifion1..
Tho’ I cannot fay the Jews led the Mohammedans
the way here, yet they feem fo unwilling to believe any o f the principal
patriarchs or prophets before Abraham were really uncircum-
cifed, that they pretend feveral of them, as well as fome holy men
who lived after his time, were born ready circumcifed, or without a
forelkin, and that Adam, in particular, was fo created 2 ; whence
the Mohammedans affirm the fame thing of their prophet3.
Prayer was by Mohammed thought fo neceffary a duty, that he ufed
to call it the pillar of religion, and the key o f paradife ; and when the
Thakiftes, who dwelt at Tâyef fending in the ninth year o f the
Hejra to make their fubmiffion to that prophet, after the keeping o f
their favourite idol had been denied them \ begged, at leaft, that
they might be difpenfed with as to their faying of the appointed
prayers, he anfwered, That there could be no good in that religion
•wherein was no prayer 5.
That fo important a duty, therefore, might not be neglected, Mohammed
obliged his followers to pray five times every twenty-four
hours, at certain ftated times; v iz. i. In the morning, before fun-
rife : 2. When noon is paft, and the fun begins to decline from the
meridian : 3. In the afternoon, before fun-fet : 4. In the evening, after
fun-fet, and before day be (hut in: and 5. After the day is Unit
in, and before the firft watch of the night6. For this inftitution he
pretended to have received the divine command from the throne of
G od himfelf, when he took his night-journey to heaven : and the
obferving of the ftated times of prayer is frequently infilled’ on in
the Koran, tho’ they be not particularly preferibed therein. Accordingly,
at the aforefaid times, of which public notice is given by
the Muedhdhins, or Cryers, from the fteeples of their Mofques, (for
they ufe no bells,) every confciencious Mofem prepares himfelf for
prayer, which he performs either in the MoJ'que or any other place,
provided it be clean, after a preferibed form, and with a certain
number of praifes or ejaculations (which the more fcrupulous count
by a firing of beads) and ufing certain poftures of worlhip ; all which
1 This is the fubdance of the following paflage of the Gofpel of Barnabas, (chap. 23 ) viz.
Enfonces dixo Jefus ; Adam el primer hombre aviendo comtdo por engano del demonio la comida probibi-
da por Dios en el parayfo, fe le rebetb fu carne afa efpiritu•; por lo qual juro diziendo, Por Dios que yo
te quiero cor tan y rompiendo un a pie dr a torn Jit carne'para cor tarla con el carte de la piedra. Por
hqualfue reprebendido del angel Gabriel, y el le dixo ; Yo he jurado por Dios que lo be de cortar, y men-
tirofo no lo fere jamas. Ala bora el angel le enfeno la fuperjluidad de fu carne, y a quella corto. De mar
nera que anfi como todo hombre toma carne de Adam, anfi ejla obligqdo a cumplir aquello que Adam
con jn^amento prometio. 1 Shalfhel. hakkabala. V. Poc. Spec. p. 320. Gagner, Not. in Abul-
fed. vit. Moh. p. 2. 3 V. Poc. Spec. p. 304. 4 Sçe before, p. 18. ' Abulfçd. vit, M«h.
p.127. 6 V. ibid. p. 38, 39. - • - ® - -
p 2, have