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PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF A PILGRIMAGE TO AL-MADINAH & MECCAH
K.C.M.G., F.R.G.S., &c., &c., &c.
Our notions of Mecca must be drawn from the Arabians; as no unbelieveris permitted to enter the city, our travellers are silent.Gibbon, chap.50.
[p.xii]
[Arabic]
Dark and the Desert and Destriers me ken,
And the Glaive and the Joust, and Paper and Pen.
Al-Mutanabbi
AL-MADINAH.
(Continued.)
[p.1]A PILGRIMAGE
AL-MADINAH contains but few families descended from the ProphetsAuxiliaries. I heard only of four whose genealogy is undoubted. Thesewere,
1. The Bayt al-Ansari, or descendants of Abu Ayyub, a most noble racewhose tree ramifies through a space of fifteen hundred years. They keepthe keys of the Kuba Mosque, and are Imams in the Harim, but the familyis no longer wealthy or powerful.
2. The Bayt Abu Jud: they supply the Harim with Imams andMuezzins.[FN#l] I was told that there are now but two surviving membersof this family, a boy and a girl.
3. The Bayt al-Shaab, a numerous race. Some of the members travelprofessionally, others trade, and others are employed in the Harim.
4. The Bayt al-Karrani, who are mostly engaged in commerce.
There is also a race called Al-Nakhawilah,[FN#2] who,
[p.2]according to some, are descendants of the Ansar, whilst othersderive them from Yazid, the son of Muawiyah: the latter opinion isimprobable, as the Caliph in question was a mortal foe to Alis family,which is inordinately venerated by these people. As far as I couldascertain, they abuse the Shaykhayn (Abu Bakr and Omar): all myinformants agreed upon this point, but none could tell me why theyneglected to bedevil Osman, the third object of hatred to the Shiahpersuasion. They are numerous and warlike, yet they are despised by thetownspeople, because they openly profess heresy, and are moreover ofhumble degree. They have their own priests and instructors, althoughsubject to the orthodox Kazi; marry in their own sect, are confined tolow offices, such as slaughtering animals, sweeping, and gardening, andare not allowed to enter the Harim during life, or to be carried to itafter death. Their corpses are taken down an outer street called theDarb al-JanazahRoad of Biersto their own cemetery near Al-Bakia. Theydress and speak Arabic, like the townspeople; but the Arabs pretend todistinguish them by a peculiar look denoting their degradation: it isdoubtless the mistake of effect for cause, about all such
Tribes of the wandering foot and weary breast. number of reports are current about the horrid
[p.3]customs of these people, and their community of women[FN#3] withthe Persian pilgrims who pass through the town. It need scarcely besaid that such tales coming from the mouths of fanatic foes are not tobe credited. I regret not having had an opportunity to become intimatewith any of the Nakhawilah, from whom curious information might beelicited. Orthodox Moslems do not like to be ques