Mohammedan saints and sanctuaries in Palestine

CANA..A.N : Mohammedan Saints and Sanctuaries in Palestine 163
only be cured if he eats ·the zawilyid. 1 The lung~2 'have to be
prepared without salt. In killing such an animal, biem allilh 1.£ ism
il-hidbild, "in the name of God and the name of el-hidbild," must be
pronounced, else the cure will have no effect."
Not only in slaying a niqr qb1,l,tah is the name of God invocated,
but whenever the Mohammedans kill an animal for food-they always
say bism allah. If this is neglected they 'think it unlawful to eat of
such an animal. 'This is done because it is ordered in the Holy
Book, Surah V, verse 4: 4 "Ye are forbidden to eat that which dieth
of itself, and blood and swine's flesh and that on which the name
of any besides God has been invoked." S This was ordered because
the idolatrous Arabs were accustomed in killing any animal for
food to consecrate it to their idols by saying: "In the name of
'AllM or al-'Uzza."
Doutte's 6 observation in the Maghrib that a special knife is used
in killing li sacrifice, is unknown in Palestine. The Tarabin 'i
Bedouin will not kill an animal with a knife whose sheath has three
nails. With the words bism allilh allilh akbar the one who kills the
animal says itqabbal yil . .. niqr ..., "Accept, 0 ..., the vow of ..."
Those who have fulfilled the vow feel freed from their obligation.
This is well expressed in what is said while' the animal is being
slain: wafenil slliatak ya sel] Y usif, "We have paid your sheep, 0
sel} Y ...i" haiy niq1'ak ya . nabi R ftbin, "H ere is your vow, 0 '
Prophet R." .
In some places we find the following custom which shows the
relation of the person (in this case a child) for whom' the qbil,tah
was slain and the sacrifice offered. If the child is very young he' is
carried three times (rarely four times) around 'the animal. The
circling is called twaf : bitauwfu l-uialad Ml el-l]arfiJ, "the child is
carried around the sheep." When the child is somewhat older he
I
See below.
2 I n the Arabic text the word mu' liiq is used. This has the literary meaning
of "vital organs (Ha va 48): spleen, liver, heart and lungs." In the dialect it
, stands for th e lun gs (and many include also the liver).
3 This custom I have found described in the wri tten note s of my ' fath er.
4 See also Sfirah Il, 168; VI, 146: XVI, 115.
~ The tran slations are taken from Sale.
6 Page 463.
7 Sinai P eninsula.
11*