Part 12 (1/2)

Few of the children of the Arabs receive much instruction in literature, and still fewer are taught even the rudiments of any of the higher sciences; but there are numerous schools in their towns, and one at least in almost every moderately large village. The former are mostly attached to mosques and other public buildings, and, together with those buildings, are endowed by princes or other men of rank, or wealthy tradesmen. In these the children are instructed either gratis or for a very trifling weekly payment, which all parents save those in indigent circ.u.mstances can easily afford. The schoolmaster generally teaches nothing more than to read, and to recite by heart the whole of the ?ur-an. After committing to memory the first chapter of the sacred volume, the boy learns the rest in the inverse order of their arrangement, as they generally decrease in length (the longest coming first, and the shortest at the end). Writing and arithmetic are usually taught by another master; and grammar, rhetoric, versification, logic, the interpretation of the ?ur-an, and the whole system of religion and law, with all other knowledge deemed useful, which seldom includes the mere elements of mathematics, are attained by studying at a collegiate mosque, and at no expense; for the professors receive no pay either from the students, who are mostly of the poorer cla.s.ses, or from the funds of the mosque.

The wealthy often employ for their sons a private tutor; and when he has taught them to read, and to recite the ?ur-an, engage for them a writing-master, and then send them to the college. But among this cla.s.s, polite literature is more considered than any other branch of knowledge, after religion. Such an acquaintance with the works of some of their favourite poets as enables a man to quote them occasionally in company, is regarded by the Arabs as essential to a son who is to mix in good society; and to this acquirement is often added some skill in the art of versification, which is rendered peculiarly easy by the copiousness of the Arabic language and by its system of inflexion. These characteristics of their n.o.ble tongue (which are remarkably exhibited by the custom, common among the Arabs, of preserving the same rhyme throughout a whole poem), while on the one hand they have given an admirable freedom to the compositions of men of true poetic genius, have on the other hand mainly contributed to the degradation of Arabic poetry. To an Arab of some little learning it is almost as easy to speak in verse as in prose; and hence he often intersperses his prose writings, and not unfrequently his conversation, with indifferent verses, of which the chief merit generally consists in puns or in an ingenious use of several words nearly the same in sound but differing in sense. This custom is frequently exemplified in the ”Thousand and One Nights,” where a person suddenly changes the style of his speech from prose to verse, and then reverts to the former.

One more duty of a father to a son I should here mention: it is to procure for him a wife as soon as he has arrived at a proper age. This age is decided by some to be twenty years, though many young men marry at an earlier period. It is said, ”When a son has attained the age of twenty years, his father, if able, should marry him, and then take his hand and say, 'I have disciplined thee and taught thee and married thee: I now seek refuge with G.o.d from thy mischief in the present world and the next.'” To enforce this duty, the following tradition is urged: ”When a son becomes adult and his father does not marry him and yet is able to do so, if the youth do wrong in consequence, the sin of it is between the two”--or, as in another report,--”on the father.”[232] The same is held to be the case with respect to a daughter who has attained the age of twelve years.

The female children of the Arabs are seldom taught even to read. Though they are admissible at the daily schools in which the boys are instructed, very few parents allow them the benefit of this privilege; preferring, if they give them any instruction of a literary kind, to employ a sheykhah (or learned woman) to teach them at home. She instructs them in the forms of prayer and teaches them to repeat by heart a few chapters of the ?ur-an, very rarely the whole book.

Parents are indeed recommended to withhold from their daughters some portions of the ?ur-an; to ”teach them the Soorat ed-Noor [or 24th chapter], and keep from them the Soorat Yoosuf [12th chapter]; on account of the story of Zeleekha and Yoosuf in the latter, and the prohibitions and threats and mention of punishments contained in the former.”[233]

Needle-work is not so rarely, but yet not generally, taught to Arab girls, the spindle frequently employs those of the poorer cla.s.ses, and some of them learn to weave. The daughters of persons of the middle and higher ranks are often instructed in the art of embroidery and in other ornamental work, which are taught in schools and in private houses.

Singing and playing upon the lute, which were formerly not uncommon female accomplishments among the wealthy Arabs, are now almost exclusively confined, like dancing, to professional performers and a few of the slaves in the ?areems of the great: it is very seldom now that any musical instrument is seen in the hand of an Arab lady except a kind of drum called darabukkeh and a ?ar (or tambourine), which are found in many ?areems, and are beaten with the fingers.[234] Some care, however, is bestowed by the ladies in teaching their daughters what they consider an elegant gait and carriage, as well as various alluring and voluptuous arts with which to increase the attachment of their future husbands.

I have heard Arabs confess that their nation possesses nine-tenths of the envy that exists among all mankind collectively; but I have not seen any written authority for this. Ibn-'Abbas a.s.signs nine-tenths of the intrigue or artifice that exists in the world to the Copts, nine-tenths of the perfidy to the Jews, nine-tenths of the stupidity to the Maghrabees, nine-tenths of the hardness to the Turks, and nine-tenths of the bravery to the Arabs. According to Ka?b El-A?bar, reason and sedition are most peculiar to Syria, plenty and degradation to Egypt, and misery and health to the Desert. In another account, faith and modesty are said to be most peculiar to El-Yemen, fort.i.tude and sedition to Syria, magnificence or pride and hypocrisy to El-'Irak, wealth and degradation to Egypt, and poverty and misery to the Desert. Of women, it is said by Ka?b El-A?bar, that the best in the world (excepting those of the tribe of ?ureysh mentioned by the Prophet) are those of El-Ba?rah; and the worst in the world, those of Egypt.[235]

FOOTNOTES:

[214] The call to prayer which is chanted from the madinehs (or minarets) of the mosques. It is as follows:--”G.o.d is most great!” (four times). ”I testify that there is no deity but G.o.d!” (twice). ”I testify that Mo?ammad is G.o.d's Apostle!” (twice). ”Come to prayer!” (twice).

”Come to security!” (twice). ”G.o.d is most great!” (twice). ”There is no deity but G.o.d!”

[215] Nuzhet el-Mutaammil, section 9. The i?ameh differs from the adan in adding ”The time for prayer is come” twice after ”come to security.”

[216] The dora? has a long narrow neck, the ?ulleh a short wide one.

[217] See Modern Egyptians, chap. xiv.

[218] Nuzhet el-Mutaammil, section 9.

[219] Compare Exodus xiii. 13; and xii. 46.

[220] Nuzhet el-Mutaammil, section 9; and Mishkat el-Ma?abee?, ii. 315, f.

[221] Nuzhet el-Mutaammil, section 9.

[222] Ibid.

[223] Nuzhet el-Mutaammil, 1.1.

[224] Nuzhet el-Mutaammil, section 2.

[225] Idem., section 7.

[226] ?ur-an, xxiii. 117.

[227] ”G.o.d! there is no deity but He,” etc., ?ur. ii. 256.

[228] Nuzhet el-Mutaammil, section 9.

[229] Nuzhet el-Mutaammil, section 9.