George Sale, The Koran, commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed, translated into English immediately from the original Arabic; with Explanatory Notes, taken from the most approved Commentators. To which is prefixed A Preliminary Discource (1734)
fast from the Jews; it being, with them, the tenth of the seventh month, or Tsri, and the great day of expiation commanded to be kept by the law of Moses 1. Al Kazwini relates, that when Mohammed came to Medina and found the Jews there fasted on the day of Ashûra, he asked them the reason of it; and they told him, it was because on that day Pharaoh and his people were drowned, Moses, and those who were with him, escaping: whereupon he said, that he bore a nearer relation to Moses than they; and ordered his followers to fast on that day. However, it seems, afterwards he was not so well pleased in having imitated the Jews herein; and therefore declared, that if he lived another year, he would alter the day, and fast on the ninth, abhorring fo near an agreement with them 2.
Of the pilgrimage to Mecca.
The pilgrimage to Mecca is so necessary a point of practice, that, according to a tradition of Mohammed, he who dies without performing it, may as well die a Jew or a Christian 3; and the same is expressly commanded in the Korân 4. Before I speak of the time and manner of performing this pilgrimage, it may be proper to give a short account of the temple of Mecca, the chief scene of the Mohammedan worship; in doing which I need be the less prolix, because that edifice has been already described by several writers 5, though they following different relations have been led into some mistakes, and agree not with one another in several particulars: nor, indeed, do the Arab authors agree in all things, one great reason whereof is their speaking of different times.
The temple briefly described.
The temple of Mecca stands in the midst of the city, and is honoured with the title of Masjad al alharâm, i.e. the sacred or inviolable temple. What is principally reverenced in this place, and gives sanctity to the whole, is a square stone building, called the Caaba, as some fancy, from it’s height, which surpasses that of the other buildings in Mecca 6, but more probably from its quadrangular form, and Beit Allah, i.e. the house of God, being peculiarly hallowed and set apart for his worship. The length of this edifice, from north to south, is twenty four cubits, its breadth from east to west twenty three cubits, and its height twenty seven cubits: the door, which is on the east side, stands about four cubics from the ground; the floor being level with the bottom of the door 7. In the corner
1 Levit. xvi. 29. & xxiii. 27.
2 Ebn al Athîr. V. Pocock. Spec. p. 309.
3 Al Ghazâli.
4 Chap. 3. p. 47, 48. See also chap. 22. p. 276, & chap. 2. p. 16, &c.
5 Chardin, Voy. de Perse, T. II. p. 428, &c. Bremond, Descrittioni dell’Egitto, &c. l. 1. c. 29. Pitt’s Account of the Rel. &c. of the Mohametans, p. 98, &c. & Boulainvilliers, Vie de Mahomed, p. 54, &c. which last author is the most particular.
6 Ahmed Ebn Yusef.
7 Sharif al Edrisi, & Kitab Mafalec, apud Poc. Spec. p. 125, &c.
