G o D than that of musk; and al Ghazali reckorts failing one fourth
fa r t o f the faith. According to the Mohammedan divines, there are
three degrees o f failing: i. The reftraining the belly and other parts
of the body from fatisfying their lulls; 2. The reftraining the ears,
eyes, tongue, hands, feet, and other members from fin; and 3. The
failing of the heart from worldly cares, and refraining the thoughts
from every thing befides G o d 1.
The Mohammedans are obliged, by the exprefs command of the
Koran, to fail the whole month of Ramadan, from the time the
new moon firft appears, till the appearance o f the next new moon;
during which time they mull abilain from eating, drinking, and
■ women, from day-break till night % or fun-fet. And this injunction
they obferve fo ftridtly, that while they fail they fuffer nothing to
enter their mouths, or other parts of their body, efteeming the fail
broken and null if they fmell perfumes, take a clyfter or injection,
bathe, or even purpofely fwallow their fpittle; fome being fo cautious
that they will not open their mouths to fpeak, left they ihould
breath the air too freely 3: the fail is alfo deemed void if a man kifs
or touch a woman, or if he vomit defignedly. But after fun-fet
they are allowed to refreih themfelyes, and to eat and drink, and enjoy
the company of their wives till day-break 4; tho’ the more rigid begin
the fail again at midnight f - This fall is extreamly rigorous and
mortifying when the month of Ramadan happens to fall in fummer,
(for the Arabian year being lunar 6, each month runs through all
the different feafons in the courfe of thirty three years) the length
and heat of the days making the obfervance of it much more difficult
and uneafy then than in winter.
1 Al Ghazali, Al Moftatraf. 2 Koran, chap. 2. p. 21, 22. 3 Hence we read that the
Virgin Mary, to avoid anfwering the reflections call on her for bringing home a child, was advifed
by the angel Gahriel to feign fhe had vowed a faft, and therefore ought not to fpeak. - See Koran,
chap. 19. p. 251. 4 The words of the Koran (chap. 2. p. 22.) are, .Untilye can diftiugur/b a
white thread, from a black thread by the day-break ; a form of (peaking borrowed by Mohammad from.
the JewsK who determine the time when they are to begin their mbrningleffon, to be fo fo'ori as a
man can difcern blue from white, i. e. the blue threads from the white threads in the fringes of their
garments. -But this explication the commentators do not approve; pretending that by the white
thread and the black thread are to be underftood the light and dark freaks of the day-break: and they
fay the paflage was at firft revealed without the words of the day-break; but Mohammed's followers
taking the expreffion in the firft fenfe, regulated their practice accordingly; and continued eating
and drinking till they could diftinguilh a white thread from a black thread, as (they lay before.them ; •
to prevent which for the future, the words of the day-break were added as explanatory of the former.
Al Beidawi. V. Pocock. Not. in Carmen Tograi, p. 89, See. Chardin, Voy. de Perfe, t. JI. p.^23..
* V. Chardin, ib. p. 421, See. Reland, de Rejig: Moh. p. 109, See. 6 See hereafter, VI.
The
The reafon given why the month of Ramadan was pitched on
for this purpofe is, that on that month the Koran was fent down
from heaven Some pretend that Abraham, Mofes, and Jefus received
their refpedlive revelations in the fame month 2.
From the fall of Ramadan none are excufed, except only travellers
and fick perfons, (under which laft denomination the dodors
comprehend all whofe health would manifellly be injured by their
keeping the fa l l ; as women with child, and giving fuck, ancient
people, and young children;) but then they are obliged, fo foon as
the impediment is removed, to fall an equal number of other days:
and the breaking the fall is ordered to be expiated by giving alms
to the poor 3. ’
Mohammed kems to have followed the guidance of the Jews in
his ordinances concerning fafting, no lefs than in the former particulars.
That nation, when they faft, abftain not only from eating
and drinking, but from women, and from anointing themfelves *,
from day-break until fun-fet, and the liars begin to appear 5; fpend-
ing the night in taking what refrelhments they pleafe 6. And they
allow women with child and giving fuck, old perfons, and young
children to be exempted from keeping moft of the public falls 7. ’
Tho’ my defign here be briefly to treat of thofe points only which
are of indifpenfable obligation on a Mofem, and exprefsly required
by the Koran, without entring into their pradice as to voluntary
and fupererogatory works; yet to Ihew how clofely Mohammed s in-
ftitutions follow the' JewiJh, I lhall add a word or two of the voluntary'
falls- of the Mohammedans. Thefe are fuch as have been recommended
either by the example or approbation of their prophet;
and efpecially certain days of thofe months which they efteem fa-
cred : there being a tradition that he ufed to fay, That a faft of
one day in a facred month, was better than a faft of thiity days in
another month ; and that the faft of one day in Ramadan, was more
meritorious than a faft of thirty days in a facred month 8. Among
the more commendable days is that of Afhura, the tenth of Mohar-
ram; which, tho’ fome writers tell us it was obferved by the Arabs,
and particularly the tribe of Koreijh, before Mohammed s time 9, yet,
as others allure us, that prophet borrowed both the name and the
1 Koran, chap. z. p. 21. See alfo chap. 97. 2 Al Beidawi, ex trad. Mohammedis, 3 See
Koran, chap. z. p. z i. 4 Siphra, fol. 252. z. / Tofephoth ad Gemar. Yoma, f.34.
6 V. Gemar. Yoma, f. 40, & Maimon. in Halachoth Tanioth, c. 5. 5-a # 7 y* Gemar. Tanith,
f. 12, & Yoma, fol. 83, & Es Hayim, Tanith, c. 1. 8 Al Ghazali, - Al Barezi, in
Comment, ad Orat. Ebn Nobatae. - - _
fait