PARIS.—PRINTED BY Mme Ve DONDEY-DUPRÉ,
PRINTER TO THE ORIENTAL TRANSLATION FUND OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND,
46, rue Saint-Louis, au Marais.
TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL PERSIAN,
WITH NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS,
OF THE ORIENTAL DEPARTMENT IN THE HONORABLE EAST INDIA COMPANY’SCOLLEGE;
MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETIES OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, OFCALCUTTA AND PARIS, AND OF THE ETHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF PARIS;
EDITED, WITH A PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, BY THE LATTER.
PARIS:
PRINTED FOR THE ORIENTAL TRANSLATION FUND OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.
SOLD BY
BENJAMIN DUPRAT, BOOKSELLER TO THE BIBLIOTHÈQUE ROYALE,
7, RUE DU CLOITRE SAINT-BENOIT.
AND ALLEN AND CO., LEADENHALD-STREET, LONDON.
1843.
OF THE RELIGION OF THE SA DIKÍAHS.[1]
These sectaries are followers of Musaylima. Thepeople of Islam, “the true faith,” qualify Musaylima2as “the Liar.”[2]These sectaries call themselvesalso Rahmáníah; as they gave to Musaylima thetitle of Rihm, “commiserator;” they assert, that thewords: Bismilla hírrehma nirrehím, “in the name ofthe bountiful and merciful God,” relate to him,that is: a God is the merciful Musaylima. MuhammedKulí, the man so named, contracted friendshipwith the author of this work in the year of the Hejira1053 (A. D. 1643) at the holy sepulchre.[3]After3some friendly intercourse, he said: “To a true believer,it is necessary to acknowledge Musaylima asthe bringer of the true intelligence and a prophet;and if one does not so, his faith is not the true.”For a confirmation of this assertion, he adduced asevidence some verses of the Koran, and said: “Musaylimawas in the divine mission a partner of thedignity of the prophetic asylum, Muhammed, inthe same manner as Harun was with Moses.”He further maintained: “Two prophets are requiredas being witnesses, and evidence wants two persons,and if there be more, so much the better.”He then highly extolled his virtues and miracles,such as his calling the moon until she came downand before the eyes of his companions sat down onhis lap;[4]as his