MOSLEM BELIEFS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIX, 30 January 1936, Page 8

MOSLEM BELIEFS

It is believed in Morocco that the world is composed of seven seas, seven earths, and seven skies; that Cue first sky which is the one Ave behold, is made of solidified Avater, the second of copper . . . . the seventh of fight. Ifio Creation, described in the Koran, is much like that in Genesis. The Moslems think that the Avorkl Avas still in darkness Avhen the prophet Mahomet Avas born, and believe that an eclipse of three days Avill herald its end. The earth is flat. Mountains Avere stuck on to keep it steady. Earthquakes mean that the bull supporting the earth lias sliiited it from one horn to another. Moslems have many beliefs about stones which they think beget little stones, their children. Most stones Avitli a hole are sacred. The genii, created Avitli men, each of Avliom lias his counterpart among them, are very touchy and revengeful. They haunt baths, Avater-clo-sets, and avolls, and must be placated, for they play practical jokes on men and do them harm on tile slightest provocation, behaving rather like our own microbes. Change the word, and flic “charms” into tilings from the chemist,” and yon feel at home. Avitli these, beliefs. Cats, frogs, and dogs must never be killed—they may be genii. Housewives sit over chickens’ eggs for a moment in make them hatch Avejl. Polygamy causes violent jealousies, and rivals are opposed with sorcery. “Powders for soparnlion” arc regularly on side. The carriage cuslom.s are odd and numerous. Some of lhe beliefs about death remind us that Mohammedanism was an outcrop from ChristinnTTy.