Page 241 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (3)_Neat

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10 NEGLECTED ARABIA 1

Intellectual Life in Bahrain

RlCV. G. J. PlCNNINGS 1
1
A of illiteracy. It would be found, perhaps, that not more than £
CliNSUS of Bahrain would doubtless reveal an appalling amount
ten per cent, of the male population can read and write. But- !
to conclude that this indicates a like lack of intellectual life would
be a great mistake. Considerable-intellectual life is possible without the
ability to read and write.
To begin with religion gives great scope for the exercise of the in­
tellect, especially where the religion is highly developed and where, in
addition to this, the uneducated classes are intensely religious. Both of f*
these conditions obtain in Bahrain. We find that almost every one is '
familiar with the fundamental tenets of his religion, sometimes surpris­
ingly so. Some years ago one of the ladies of the Mission was not a
little amazed to hear a little unkempt donkey boy say to her, “Say, God
is one,” that is “Testify to the unity of God.” Many so-called illiterate
people know almost the whole Koran by heart and not a few traditions.
Once when I was a passenger for several days on a small sailboat, it was ^
the custom of the captain to have his small son, of not more than ten, •?,
read a portion of the Koran every morning. And though the captain r
was illiterate himself, he would correct the boy if he made but the slightest V
mistake in the words or the pronunciation. This custom of having a por-
tion of the Koran read in the early morning seems quite common. In
summer, at Bahrain, it is almost always possible to hear some one in-
tone the Koran somewhere at that time of the day. . *1
When we come to the Bahranas, the Arab Shiahs of the place, we \
find that their intellectual activity centers not only round their religious. V
bdiefn, but al.so round certain sections of their history, notably the suffer* %
nigs of the early Imams, such us Ali, llussun, lluscin and their sueecsauri. ‘£jj
In fact, in addition to their mosques, they have buildings called “matiuu,!1. ^
something corresponding to our consistory rooms, set aside for devotional * \
readings about these Imams. Attendance at these- readings forms the
chief interest of a large part of the Shiah population. Thus many be­
come thoroughly acquainted with a great portion of their history, though,
to be sure, it is highly colored by the Shiah viewpoint.
Nor are their women excluded from this intellectual exercise, for
they have private readings of their own, and are quite as much devoted
to the Imams as are the men. I make it my practice to visit in Moharreq
about once a month an incurable who once was in our hospital. On the
occasion of each of my visits I noticed a large number of women entering
a different wing of the house. Finally, when I inquired for the reason,
my friend told me that an older brother had left an endowment from the
proceeds of which women were to hold readings in that house every day
of the year except in the month of Ramathan. I would judge that at least
some twenty-five women came every day.
Among the Persian community, many of whom are from the most
illiterate classes of south Persia, you find in addition to their interest in N
religion, a genuine appreciation of their ancient poets. The fact that the
sentiments of these poets often do not harmonize with the teachings of ;