The Mystical Principles Of Islamism; Or, A Lecture On The Derviches.

"Book , " containing the commands of God as conveyed by the angel Gabriel to the last of His prophets , Mahommed . All the Orders or Paths of the Derviches have their origin in the peculiar interpretations made by their Peers , or " Pounders , " of particular ayets or verses of that very mystical work . They endeavour to form bthese whatever in their peculiar

y belief is not clearly visible in its ordinary readings , and say that they have a secret , hidden , or spiritual meaning , as well as an external signification . They mostly believe that God is not only the Creator of all things , but also that He exists in all things , and especially in His creatures ; that humanity came from Him ,

-was vivified by His breath , and will finally return to Him . This principle is purely the Pantheism of the Greek philosophers . On account of its license , many of the more rigid Mussulmans , who do not belong to any of the Orders of the Derviches , think lightly of them ; and , though they hold them to be Mussulmans , call them "Eree thinkers . " They all consider the power of Allah , or God , to be boundless ; even regard His holy name as possessing superhuman

power , and that through it mortals may , and do , actually perform , deeds of a miraculous character . To attain to this faculty , it is necessary to mention or call upon his name with a devout frequency of repetition , which is called performing the Zikir ; ancl it may be done in mental silence ( as the Mevlevee , or Turning Dervicheswho repeat the name of Allah to

, themselves as they wheel round ) , or audibly ( as the Euffaee , or Howling Derviches , aud many others ) . God has , with them , many other names than that of Allah , some ninety-nine in number : ancl these form the heads of the Mussulman chapilet or Tesbik—an Arabic name meaning " to praise . " The Zikir , or

mention of the name of Allah , is an important feature of the religious practices of all of the Dervich Orders . In connection with this usage , one frequently mentioned in the Old Testament , I may allude to a tradition among the Jews , which I have somewhere read , that any one who could pronounce the name of Jehovah correctly , could , byits invocation , perform miracles ; but it is added that the correct pronunciation of the word had been lost to mankind .

The Derviches say , and believe , that they find in the Koran that though the breath of man , or the principle of human existence , emanated from Allah ( vide Genesis ii . 7 ) , yet , from his sinful nature , it can only become efficacious for miraculous or superhuman purposes by a frequent and devout , silent , or

audible invocation of His holy name ; and thus the breath of the pious Sheiks ( Murchids ) , aud others , who are supposed to be engaged in constant practices of prayer , and calling upon God , can cure diseases , or bless objects , through the power of His name . Just as the Mussulman w orld is divided into two great parties , the Schea aud the Simnee ( orthodox and heterodox ) , so are the Derviches separated into two distinct classes of a similar nature .

Although it is generally known , I . would here add that the question of the succession to the Prophet , or as it is called , the Caliphet , or , more correctly , the Khalifeh , caused the schism still existing among Mussulmen and the Derviches . The Sclieeas of Persia hold that the Prophet designed his nephew and sonin-law , Aali , to succeed him as the head of the Islam world ; and though , he ultimately was elected as the

fourth direct Caliph , his opponents caused his death and that of his two sons , Hassan and Hussain , and several of his grandsons . His lamentable fate has endeared his cause and memory to all those who believe in its injustice . They have elevated his character almost to an equality with that of the Prophet—I might sayto a superiority ; ancl by some he is called

, Aali illdltee , or " Aali the Divine . " Aali is shown by all of his biographers to have been most faithful to the Prophet , and was the hero , par excellence , of Islamism , and a man of the noblest and most elevated qualities , as well as an erudite scholar and elegant penman . Those who believe him . to have possessed

Divine powers say that he put to death an eminent person of his times , named Nussayree , and afterwards restored him to life . Aali is said to have killed him for having told him that he was God ; and so it cannot be said that he himself couutenanced this blasphemy . He is said to have been thoroughly conversant and

familiar with the mystical belief of the Arabs , before alluded to as existing prior to the advent of the Prophet , and which forms an important feature in Islamism . Differences subsequently occurred regarding the various points of faith attributed to Aali , ancl many of the Dervich Tanks or Paths , otherwise

Orders , have their origin directly to his teachings . If his partizans were unable to perpetuate his dynasty by lineal descent , many of the Derviches have succeeded in tracing their mystical succession to him , and those to whom , lie left his cap , called the Tadji , or " Crown "; his mantle , called the Khirka ; and his belt or girdle , called the Kemer , still worn in memory of him by the modern Derviches of our own times , as symbols of their respective Orders .

To the other branch of Mussulmans , called the Sunnees , or , as they call themselves , the " orthodox , " most of the population of the Ottoman Empire belong . A few of the Tariks or Paths of Derviches are of this branch , and trace their origin to the first direct Caliph , Abu Bekr . They deny that the Prophet had

any design of establishing a lineal succession of Cali p hs , and believe that these were to be chosen by the Moslems themselves . The subject , even now , creates much animosity between the various Orders , the majority of which , I believe , are Aalyides ; and there are so many sayingscalled Hadisof the Prophet

, , , quoted in favour of Aali , all showing the great love which he bore for him , many of a very mystical nature , that they seem to have much justice on their side .

I need not extend farther my remarks on the points of difference existing between the Scheeas and the Sunnees , but proceed to what I believe to be the mystical principles of faith which form the basis of the Tariks or Orders of the Derviches . It is proper that I should state what any of 3 ou may hereafter find to be factvizthat few of the Derviches know

a , ., very any more of these principles than what they see in the external performance of the forms of worship established by the Peers or Pounders of their respective Orders ; that they are quite illiterate and ignorant , and that the better informed are rarely disposed to

discuss the nature of their principles with those who are not also Mussulmans . This aversion , or indisposition to discussion , I have not found to be based upon reasons of a secret nature , for there are really but few secret rites in any of the mauy Orders of