Observations on the Mussulmauns of India: Description of Their Manners, Customs, Habits, and Religious Opinions : Made During a Twelve Years' Residence in Their Immediate Society, Volume 1Parbury, Allen, and Company, 1832 - India |
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Common terms and phrases
amongst amusements Arab Arabia Bedouin believe benefit Brecknockshire bride bridegroom Buckrah Eade ceremony colour command commences conveyed custom daughter devout Dhull dress Durgah duty Emaum Emaum-baarah Eunuch faith fast Fatima favour females festival friends gold habits hands Hasan and Hosein heart Hindoo Hindoostaun Holy House honour hookha husband India indulgence Ishmael Kaabah Kauzy khillaut Khoraun Kiblaah King King's Kraabaallah labour ladies lives Lucknow Mahumud Mahurrum male manner marriage Maulvee mauns Mayndhie meal Mecca Meer Hadjee Shaah ment mercy Mhidhie moollah moon muslin Mussul Mussulmaun Mussulmaun population naarah Namaaz Native never night Nudghiff Nuwaub nuzza observed occasion offering Omir ornaments Oude palkie party Persian language person pilgrims poor prayer present Prophet purdah received religious respect rich Rumzaun seated sect servants Shawm Sheahs sherbet silver riband slaves Soonies sulmaun Syaad Harshim Tazia third watch tion trays unclean animal Usheruff veneration whilst wife young zeenahnah
Popular passages
Page 289 - And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
Page 111 - Nevertheless, there is a fashion and taste about the ladies' shoes, which is productive of much emulation in zeenahnah life ; they are splendidly worked in many patterns, with gold and silver spangles, variouslycoloured small seed beads, and embroidery — the whole one mass of glittering metal; they are made with sharp points, curling upwards, some nearly reaching half-way to the knees, and always worn down at the heel, as dressing slippers; the least costly for their every-day wear are of gold...
Page 213 - Musjud (mosque), to which the faithful resort on Fridays (their Sabbath) to prayer. Within the confines of the Holy House, life is held so sacred that not the meanest living thing is allowed to be destroyed; and if even by accident the smallest insect is killed, the person who has caused the...
Page 316 - A lady whose friendship I have enjoyed from my first arrival in India, heard me very often speak of the different places I had visited, and she fancied her happiness very much depended on seeing a river and a bridge. I undertook to gain permission from her husband and father, that the treat might be permitted ; they, however, did not approve of the lady being gratified, and I was vexed to be obliged to convey the disappointment to my friend. She very mildly answered me, "I was much to blame to request...
Page 176 - Woodcutter and his wife — their eyes met and the sympathy was mutual ; they were more willing to depart for heaven without the promised benefit of one earthly enjoyment, than suffer the hungry creature to die from want of that meal they had before them. The dish was promptly tendered to the bewailing subject, and the Woodcutter and his wife consoled each other by thinking that, as their time of departure was now so near at hand, the temporary enjoyment of a meal was not worth one moment's consideration....
Page 85 - ... a sweet-scented resin from the cedar of Lebanon, I imagine, though some suppose it to be the frankincense noticed in Scripture. Next, in the cavalcade is a chanter or reader of the Musseeah, who selects passages from that well-arranged work suited to the time when Hosein's person was the mark for Yuzeed's arrows, and which describe his conduct on the trying occasion ; one or two couplets being chanted, the procession advances in slow time, halting every five minutes on the way from the beginning...
Page 305 - Mussulmaun zeenahnah to your notice, I propose giving you a description of their apartments. Imagine to yourself a tolerably sized quadrangle, three sides of which is occupied by habitable buildings, and the fourth by kitchens, offices, lumber rooms, &c.; leaving in the centre an open court-yard. The habitable buildings are raised a few steps from the court; a line of pillars forms the front of the building, which has no upper rooms; the roof is flat, and the sides and back without windows, or any...
Page 81 - I heard the noble animal was to make the circuit round the Tazia. Dhull Dhull, being led in, went up the steps with little difficulty; and to my astonishment, the gentle creature paced the tesselated floor, in very slow time, without once slipping, or seeming concerned at the novelty of his situation; indeed, this docile animal seemed to me the only living thing present that felt no interest in the scene — rendered more attractive and conspicuous by the gentle manners of the pretty Dhull Dhull...
Page 297 - A bride elect sends sutkah * to her intended husband, accompanied by a goat or kid, which must be tied to the leg of his bedstead during the continuance of an eclipse : these offerings are afterwards distributed in charity. Women expecting to become mothers are carefully kept awake during an eclipse, as they declare the infant's security depends on the mother being kept from sleep ; they are not allowed to use a needle, scissors, knife, or any other instrument during an eclipse, for fear of drawing...
Page 51 - Tazia they have set up in their purdahed privacy — female friends, slaves, and servants, surrounding the mistress of the house, in solemn gravity. The few females who have been educated are in great request at this season ; they read the Dhie Mudgelluss, and chant the Musseeah with good effect. These women, being hired for the purpose, are detained during the ten days ; when the Mahurrum ceases, they are dismissed to their own homes, loaded with the best gifts the good lady their employer can conveniently...