the Tomb of Ali at Najaf, that of Hosayn at Kerbela, and others.  These pretensions of course the Moslems deny with insistance, which does not prevent certain symptoms of old and decayed faith peeping out in localities where their presence, if duly understood, would be considered an abomination.  This curious fact is abundantly evident in Sind, and I have already alluded to it (History of Sind). [FN#5] Such is its formation in Al-Hijaz. [FN#6] Within the sanctuary all Muharramat, or sins, are forbidden; but the several schools advocate different degrees of strictness.  The Imam Malik, for instance, allows no latrinae} nearer to Al-Madinah than Jabal Ayr, a distance of about three miles.  He also forbids slaying wild animals, but at the same time he specifies no punishment for the offence.  Some do not allow the felling of trees, alleging that the Prophet enjoined their preservation as an ornament to the city, and a pleasure to visitors.  Al-Khattabi, on the contrary, permits people to cut wood, and this is certainly the general practice.  All authors strenuously forbid within the boundaries slaying man (except invaders, infidels, and the sacrilegious), drinking spirits, and leading an immoral life.  As regards the dignity of the sanctuary, there is but one opinion; a number of Hadis testify to its honour, praise its people, and threaten dreadful things to those who injure it or them.  It is certain that on the last day, the Prophet will intercede for, and aid, all those who die, and are buried, at Al-Madinah.  Therefore, the Imam Malik made but one pilgrimage to Meccah, fearing to leave his bones in any other cemetery but Al-Bakia.  There is, however, much debate concerning the comparative sanctity of Al-Madinah and Meccah.  Some say Mohammed preferred the former, blessing it as Abraham did Meccah.  Moreover, as a tradition declares that every man’s body is drawn from the dust of the ground in which he is buried, Al-Madinah, it is evident, had the honour of supplying materials for the Prophet’s person.  Others, like Omar, were uncertain in favour of which city to decide.  Others openly assert the pre-eminence of Meccah; the general consensus of Al-Islam preferring Al-Madinah to Meccah, save only the Bayt Allah in the latter city.  This last is a juste-milieu view, by no means in favour with the inhabitants of either place.  In the meanwhile the Meccans claim unlimited superiority over the Madani; the Madani over the Meccans. [FN#7] These seven wells will be noticed in Chapter xix., post. [FN#8] I translate Al-Zarka “azure,” although Sir G. Wilkinson remarks, apropos of the Bahr al-Azrak, generally translated by us the “Blue Nile,” that, “when the Arabs wish to say dark or jet black, they use the word ‘Azrak.’” It is true that Azrak is often applied to indeterminate dark hues, but “Aswad,” not Azrak, is the opposite to Abyaz, “white.”  Moreover, Al-Zarka in the feminine is applied to women with light blue eyes; this would be no distinctive appellation