he could not keep his secret to himself. My Derwish did not know whether he ought to have told me so much. He took away his papers, when I wanted to see them, and would never again talk about Derwishes. He said he would ask a Khalify whether it was lawful to show his papers, but ever afterwards avoided talking on the subject. He had a drum on which he used to perform alone, repeating chapters of the Koran and prayers, and accompanying them by interrupted knocks on the drum. Finally he quitted my service. Several others have told me such things as the above, but referred me to the Khalify for more. Some have their secret (سر) direct from God, and these do not belong to any of the orders, but belong to God's order. On Ramadan nights they may be heard calling the faithful to their prayers, going from house to house and chanting, accompanying the chants with the drum (other derwishes also do this):—
Oh, Moslems! oh, God's people! I'm a Derwish of God's way—
يا مسليمن يا اهل لله. انا درويش على باب الله
Ana Derwish alla Bab Allah. Ya muslimni ya ahel Allah.
Get up to your morning meal, the prophet visits you—
قومو ال سحوركم. والنبى يزركم
Wu el Nabi yazourkum. Kumu la Shurkum.
The prophet redeems you! and your Creator will not forget you—
النبى فداك. والى خلقك ما ينساك
Wuli Khalaka ma yensek! Il Nabi fadak.
They then get food or not, according as the people have to spare.
A Derwish may become a وليه, walieh (female), and then sits among women, as he is for the moment changed into a woman; the term "walieh" is the feminine of wely, and the woman is considered in many instances holy, as being the mother of mankind, carrying no arms, and often suffering beating, baking the bread, entering the oven. The oven (طبون) is considered a wely; but the woman is only theoretically a walieh; she turns to be a woman, حرمة, in ordinary cases, and even an outcast of society. بعيد منك مره. Ba'id minak mara. "Be it far from you—a woman"—is an expression used when talking of a woman generally, and which does not at all indicate the theoretical esteem and respect of the walieh. Although the Derwishes may have a good deal of freedom in their behaviour towards women, very few cases of the abuse of such liberty are told, and it can never have been tolerated, unless amongst the most simple-minded. The natural jealousy of the fellahîn would prevent it.
