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ACCOUNT OF THE RELIGION
Mohammedanism he appropriated the Friday evenings to religious conversaziones, assembling all the most celebrated Mullás and Sheiklis. The discussions that occurred, and in which the king, who was undoubtedly a prince of liberal feeling and enlightened curiosity, evinced a warm interest, were often protracted till day-break. The dispntes, from being earnest and serious, became violent and angry, and the pious controversialists, when they had in vain interchanged argument, had recourse to abuse, and liberally bestowed upon each other the epithets of infidels and schismatics.
In this manner much scandal was occasioned, and the controversies between the Shỉáh and the Sunní', the Hanifiah and the Shafi'ah, the advocate of anthority and the assertor of independent reason, inflicted serious injuries on the first principles of the Mohammedan faith. Concurrent circumstances con
is one of the most stately specimens of Mohammedan architecture to be met with in Gangetie Hindustan.
1 The two first distinctions are well known, as the respective seetaries who rank Ali superior or inferior to the earliest successors of Mohammed. The Hanifi is the follower of Abú Hanifah, one of the great law authorities of the Sunui sect. The Shafei'ah is the follower of Abú Abdallah Shafi', a lawyer of the same sect; bnt opposed to Abu Hanifah in many of his doctrines. Abu Hanifah was also much disposed to admit the exercise of reason, sometimes eren in opposition to tradition; but Ikrám Daoud rejected it altogether, and other eminent authorities seldom admitted it, where a positive rule or a tradition could be applied. See Harington's account of the Authorities of Musalman Law. As. Res. X, 482.
