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In
addition to the usual hours of devotion, especially on Friday, the Charim is
visited on three different occasions, to wit:
1.
At a marriage, which, however, only takes place in the evening; the young people
about to be married are placed under a species of tent made of linen, which
resembles an inverted chest, and you can only see the feet of those who are
under it. This canopy is carried by slaves, and those who are thus protected
have to measure their steps by those of the bearers, and are thus in a measure
dragged along. Alongside of these slaves walk others with lighted torches made
of pitch; then follows a man playing on a large kettle-drum, accompanied by
several who play on a species of bagpipe, the shrill and braying tones of which
are extremely offensive to the ear. Next follow the friends and relatives of the
bride and groom, and after them a tumultuous mass of men and boys, young and
old, all mixed up together, the shouting of whom is heard nearly all over the
city. In this manner the procession moves on to Al Charim, where several
religious ceremonies are performed, and some prayers recited, and after about
half an hour, they return home as they came.
2.
At a funeral, which is for us a most mournful and afflictive ceremony. Says the
prophet Jeremiah, 7:30 "They have placed their abominations in the house on
which my name is called, to contaminate it;" and (ibid. 16:13), "With
the carcass of their abominations and detestable things they have filled my
inheritance." The corpse is placed in a coffin, and is accompanied by the
friends and relatives, Dervishes, pious Sheichs, several of whom carry long
palm-branches, and many other persons, and is thus carried forward amidst
continual humming, and prayers half chaunted in a deep and low voice. Oftentimes
I could hear only "Hu Alla," He is God; and the whole prayer consists
of nothing but these two words, which are repeated innumerable times. In this
way the funeral proceeds to Al Charim, where the coffin is placed on a stone
destined for this purpose, and after some prayers are recited, it is carried for
interment without the city.
3.
At a circumcision. This ceremony has no fixed time as to the age of the boy,
only that it must take place before he is thirteen years old, which was the age
of Ishmael at the time of his circumcision (Gen. 17:25). The boy, and often
several at once, are gaily dressed up with all possible ornaments, and seated
upon a horse likewise caparisoned, and led through the city accompanied by a
large concourse of people, on which occasion the magnificent kettledrum and
the sweet bagpipes must not be wanting. At length Al Charim is reached, when,
after the recital of some prayers, the procession returns home, where the
operation is performed, generally by a barber. Nearly the whole following week,
till the wound is healed, they have merry-making and feasting in the house of
the circumcised both day and night. The circumcision is, however, but
imperfectly performed, and by no means after the Jewish fashion; wherefore the
Mahomedans can well be called "the uncircumcised circumcised," and I
would apply to them the prophecy of Jeremiah 9:24 ופקדתי
על כל מול
בערלה, properly rendered, "And I will
visit on all the uncircumcised circumcised."
Jews and Muslims in Palestine |
