ts there are ten or more priests of this
degree. Sometimes they are called Eulama meaning divines.

THE METHOD OF THEIR LIVING.

They are executors of civil and religious law; no man can be a judge or
lawyer unless he is a Muj-ta-hid. These priests judge such cases as the
division of property for which he charges a fee. Where the interested
parties are rich they are frequently required to appear before the
priest several times before a decision is given that he may charge them
a larger fee. As a general rule the man who pays these priest--magistrates
the most money will win the case, even if it is necessary to pervert
the law. Many a well-to-do man has been brought to poverty by the
extortions of these Muj-ta-hid. Government cannot resist them. When
lords or counts or rich people marry they charge large sums of money
for performing the ceremony. Large fees are also made for writing legal
documents in the transference of land or other valuable property. The
common people consider it a privilege to make presents to the
Muj-ta-hid. These men are usually very rich, and own one or more
beautiful palaces and have from two to four wives. Every young widow
who has beauty and riches is sought in marriage by some of the priests.

The fourth degree is called Mollah, and their office is the same as the
Protestant elder. The Mohammedans have no preaching services such as we
have except on holidays, when certain ceremonies are carried out. The
Mol-lah visit the sick, call on families, teach them prayers and
traditions and conduct funerals. Some of them teach children who come
to them each day for instruction. Their meals are provided by the
students who bring them some food, usually very choice each morning.
One dime a month is generally the tuition fee. In the fall his
parishioners who are able give him a collection of provisions for the
winter such as grapes, apples, wheat, fuel, etc. He is highly respected
in the community and is always invited out to a feast in some private
home on holidays. He writes documents for the people for which he gets
from two to ten cents, but the fee is often two or three eggs or a
basket of fruit. This is the poor Mollah's only income. Some of them
have no parish and do secular work for a living, others recite Koran on
the tomb of a lord for which they are paid by the relatives of the
deceased. I have seen one Mollah reciting Koran for fifteen years at
the tomb of a noted army officer.

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