Page 362 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

XX.] TRAVELS IN OMAN. 323

dent at the sea-ports, or in large trading
cities, they, from causes similar to those
which influence the professors of a purer

faith, under similar circumstances, have be­
come more lax in their religious discipline;

and Shiahs, Sunnis, and Metawalis, sects
which immigrated into Om&n at a compara­
tively recent period, abound there. These,

in the true spirit of Mohammedan prose­
lytism, are incessantly labouring to gain over
the pure Khuwarijites to their own way of

thinking, though hitherto, I believe, with little
success. At one period, also, a great number

of the Khuwarijite Bedowins dwelling around
the towns became followers of the Wahhabis;
and since the defeat of those fanatics, have

joined one or other of the heresies just
alluded to.

As regards the ceremonial portion of the
faith professed by this class, their practice
seems distinguished by a much greater sim­

plicity than belongs to most other Moham­
medan sectaries. At the birth of a child, for

instance, nothing more is at present thought
necessary than the rite of circumcision at the

usual age, common to all Moslem professors;
Y 2