extent be modified, however, when he is confined to his bed through¹ sickness. But even in this case he must continue day after day to repeat the same string of jejune phrases, and that too in the Arabic language, which the great mass of Muslims do not understand. This exaltation of the outer ceremonial over the inner kernel of worship must tend to deaden all aspirations after a more spiritual service. Thus, in reference to prayer as well as to almost everything else, Islam gives Man a stone when his heart hungers for the bread of life, and too often chokes the aspiration after GOD which has been implanted in the heart of every man in order to lead him to feel after His Creator till he find Him, and in Him attain to life and peace.

I proceed to quote a few of the directions regarding Prayer in order to show how puerile and

Directions regarding Prayer.

formal they are. "'When² any one of you says his prayers, he must have something in front of him; but if he cannot find anything for that purpose, he must put his walking-stick into the ground. But if the ground be hard, then let him place it lengthways before him. But if he has no staff, he must draw a line on the ground, after which there will be no detriment in his prayers from any one passing in front of it.' This passing in front of a man is a terrible crime, and exceedingly

detrimental to prayer, though it does not altogether nullify it. The 'Prophet' empowered a Believer annoyed in this way to 'draw his sword' upon the intruder and 'cut him down,' and further declared that, if 'a passenger did but know the sin of passing before a person employed in prayer, he would find it better for him to sink into the earth.' Equally important is the manner of performing the ablutions previous to prayer. When the 'Prophet' performed these, 'he took a handful of water and raised it to the under part of his chin, and combed his beard with his hand, and said, In this way has my Lord ordered me.' And on a certain occasion when a party of his followers, performing their ablutions in a hurry, had omitted to wet the soles of their feet, the 'Prophet' said, 'Alas for the soles of their feet, for they will be in hell-fire!"' Equal importance is attached to the posture adopted while offering prayer. "'Resting¹ on the arms while at prayer is pleasing to the people of hell,' so also is 'hurry in prostration like a cock pecking grain,' and 'spreading the arms like dogs and tigers.' The safest plan in this as in all other things was exactly to imitate the 'Prophet.' And this was accordingly done. The 'Prophet's' gestures and attitudes² during prayer