conform to the religion of the governing power, it is a purely
Mohammedan ordinance.

"Praise to God, the original Creator of all things; the Gracious in all
His gifts and prohibitions; who has decreed and fixed the ordinance of
marriage; may Allah pray for (bless) our Prophet Mohammed, and his four
successors! Now after this, we say that marriage is one of the laws
given by the prophets, and one of the statutes of the pious to guard
against vice; a gift from the Lord of the earth and the heaven. Praise
to Him who by it has brought the far ones near, and made the foreigner a
relative and friend! We are assembled here to attend to a matter
decreed and fated of Allah, and whose beginning, middle and end he has
connected with the most happy and auspicious circumstances. This matter
is the blessed covenant of marriage. Inshullah, may it be completed and
perfected, and praise to Allah, the Great Completer! Amen!

"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. He is my portion
and sufficiency. May Allah pray for his pure prophet!"

This is the marriage contract between the person named A. son of ---- of
the village of ---- in the district of ---- in Lebanon, and his
betrothed named B. the daughter of ---- of the village of ---- she being
a maiden of full and marriageable age, with no legal obstacles to her
marriage. (May Allah protect her veil, and have mercy on her relatives
and friends!)

In view of the mercies of Allah and his prophet Mohammed, they pay fifty
piastres ($2.00) of full and lawful number, weight and measure, of the
Imperial mint of our Moulah the Sultan, (may the exalted and merciful
One give him the victory!) and of new white silver. The agent of the
husband is ---- and of the wife is ----.

It is the absolute and bounden duty of the husband to provide clothing
for the body of his wife and a crown for her head, and of the wife to
give him his due honor and rights and do his work, and Allah will be
with those who fear Him, and not suffer those who do well to lose their
reward.

Signed Sheikh ---- (seal)
-- seal
Witnesses -- seal
-- seal

A whole week is given up to festivity before her arrival, and the
retinue of the bride mounted on fine horses escort her amid the firing
of musketry, the _zilagheet_ shrieks of the women, and ge