Akbar Lies Here Interred, And Jehanguire Shah Means To
Be Here Buried When He Dies.
The molahs, or priests of the Mahometans, employ much of their time as
scribes, doing business for other men,
Having liberty to marry as well
as the laity, from whom they are no way distinguished by their dress.
Some live retiredly, spending their time in meditation, or in delivering
precepts of morality to the people. They are in roach esteem, as are
another set called Seids, who derive their pedigree from Mahomet. The
priests neither read nor preach in the mosques; yet there is a set form
of prayers in Arabic, not understood by most of the people, but which
they repeat as fluently as the molahs. They likewise repeat the name of
God, and that of Mahomet, a certain number of times every day, telling
over their beads, like the misled papists, who seem to regard the number
of prayers more than their sincerity. Before going into their mosques
they wash their feet, and, in entering, put off their shoes. On
beginning their devotions, they stop their ears, and fix their eyes,
that no extraneous circumstances may divert their thoughts, and then
utter their prayers in a soft and still voice, using many words
significantly expressive of the omnipotence, goodness, eternity, and
other attributes of God. Likewise many words full of humility,
confessing their unworthiness with many submissive gestures. While
praying, they frequently prostrate themselves on their faces,
acknowledging that they are burdens upon the earth, poisonous to the
air, and the like, and therefore dare not look up to heaven, but comfort
themselves in the mercy of God, through the intercession of their false
prophet.
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