cated in their
behalf. "Their death is eternal, why pray for them?" is the language
of the Mohammedan creed: do not {278} "defile your feet by passing over
the graves of men who are enemies of God and of his Prophet."

Of the Mohammedan hierarchy, some idea may be obtained from the form it
assumes in Turkey. The Koran is considered the treasure of all laws,
divine and human, and the caliphs as the depositaries of this treasure;
so that they are at once the pontiffs, legislators, and judges of the
people, and their office combines all authority, whether sacerdotal,
regal, or judicial. To the grand sultan titles are given, styling him
the vicar, or the shadow of God. The several powers which pertain to
him in this august capacity are delegated to a body of learned men,
called the Oulema. In this body three descriptions of officers are
included: the ministers of religion, called the Imams; the expounders
of the law, called the Muftis; and the ministers of justice, called the
Cadis. The ministers of religion are divided into chief and inferior,
the former of whom only belong to the Oulema. Both classes are made up
of Sheiks, or ordinary preachers; the Khatibs, readers or deacons; the
Imams, a title comprising those who perform the service of the mosque
on ordinary days, and those to whom pertain the ceremonies of
circumcision, marriage, and burial; the Maazeens, or criers, who
announce the hours of prayer; and the Cayuns, or common attendants of
the mosque. The {279} idea of this classification was, perhaps, taken
from the Mosaic priesthood; the Khatib being the Aaron, and the next
four the several orders of the Levites, with their servants or helpers.
The imperial temples have one Sheik, one Khatib, from two to four
Imams, twelve Maazeens, and twenty Cayuns, among whom, except in a few
of the chief mosques of Constantinople, the Khatibs have the
pre-eminence. All these ministers are subject to the civil magistrate,
who is looked upon as a sort of diocesan, and who may perform at any
time all the sacerdotal functions. The ministers of religion are not
distinguishable from other people; they mix in the same society, engage
in similar pursuits, and affect no greater austerity than marks the
behaviour of Mussulmans generally. Their influence depends entirely on
their reputation for learning and talents, for gravity and correct
moral conduct; their employment is, for the most part, very simple, as
chanting aloud the