The Malekite school of religious thought differs widely from the Hanefite.  If the latter has been described as the high Church party of Islam, this must be described as the low.  It is puritanical, fierce in its dogma, severe in its morals, and those who profess it are undoubtedly the most fervent, the most fanatical of believers.  They represent more nearly than any other Mussulmans the ancient earnestness of the Prophet’s companions, and the sword in their hand is ever the sword of God.  Piety too, ostensible and sincere, is found everywhere among the Malekites.  Abd el Kader, the soldier saint, is their type; and holy men by hereditary profession abound among them.

The Malekites believe with earnest faith in things supernatural, dreaming prophetic dreams, and seeing miracles performed as every-day occurrences.  With the Arabs of Africa, unlike their kinsmen in Arabia itself, to pray and fast is still a severe duty, and no class of Mussulmans are more devout on pilgrimage.  In Algiers and Morocco it is as common for a young man of fortune to build a mosque as it is for him to keep a large stud of horses.  To do so poses him in the world, and a life of prayer is strictly a life of fashion.  With regard to morals he is severe where the Koran is severe, indulgent where it indulges.  Wine with him is an abomination, and asceticism with regard to meat and tobacco is often practised by him.  On the whole he is respectable and respected; but the reforms he would impose on Islam are too purely reactive to be altogether acceptable to the mass of Mohammedans or suited to the urgent necessities of the age.  It is conceivable, however, that should the revival of Islam take the form of a religious war, the races of Africa may be found taking the leading part in it.  Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco contain hardy races of fighting men who may yet trouble Europe; and fifty years of rule have not yet assimilated the French Sahara.

It is difficult to gain accurate statistics as to the proportion of pilgrims sent to Mecca by these various States, but it would seem the Algerian pilgrimage is the smallest.  This is due mainly to hindrances raised by the French Government, whose policy it is to isolate their province from the rest of the Mussulman world.  An Algerian pilgrim is called upon to produce the sum of 1000 francs before he is permitted to embark for Jeddah, and he is subjected to various other needless formalities.  Still the number sent is large and their fervour undoubted, though the upper classes, from a fear of losing credit with the French authorities, rather hold aloof.