s his name. The natives
revere his memory as that of a saint. He himself informs us that the
publication of his work entitled "Al bahr al Maurud" gave rise to
serious disturbances at Cairo.

In this work Sharani expounds the duties of the true Sufi, the perfect
theosophist, and at the same time in very energetic language he exposes
the defects and weakness of the Muhammadan society of his day. His most
virulent attacks are naturally directed against the Ulema, as in the
following extract:

"We Sufis have entered into an engagement never to allow one of our body
to have recourse to intrigues to obtain employment such as those
practised by self-styled doctors of the law. The endeavour to obtain
such a post is all the more contemptible when it has belonged to a
person recently deceased who has left sons or brothers or when it is
already occupied by a poor man who has no protector or support in the
world. Such acts of injustice, however, are often committed by the
so-called Ulema. The plot to supplant men of merit, with the aim of
obtaining for themselves lucrative posts, which they straightway
dispose of for money to incompetent individuals.

"Often one man occupies more than one office, _e.g._, that of preacher
in mosques so far apart that it is impossible for him to attend to both
properly; in which case he puts in a deputy-preacher (sometimes he does
not even do that) and pays him part of the emolument of the post,
pocketing the rest.

"We have also entered into an engagement to rise before our superiors
when they appear, and to kiss their hands even when they are unjust. We
do this with the Ulema, although they do not act in a manner conformable
to the science which they profess."

In speaking of the Christians and the Jews, he praises their demeanour,
in order to censure all the more sharply the pretensions of the Ulema.
"See," he says, "how modestly they conduct themselves towards the
meanest subordinates, and you will see that their manners and demeanour
are more noble and worthy of imitation than those of the Ulema. They are
not angry if people do not make room for them when they enter a public
assembly; and if they are offered to drink water which has been sullied
by the hands of children, slaves or beggars, they do not change
countenance, but on the contrary consider themselves as the last of men.
When they are allowed to sit down in an assembly they look upon it as a
favour. They take their places with hea