Page 54 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 1,2

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2(5 SOCIAL SURVEY

which arose in Wadi Hanlfah (Nejd) about the middle of the
eighteenth century, is not, however, a heresy, but air ascctio’ic\ 1-
valist movement among Moslems who sympathize with the strict
but orthodox Haubali school of Sunnism. Its foundci '•preached
reversion to the practice of the primitive Church of the Prophet s
days; suppression of pagan practices; freedom*from all contanYina-
tion with infidels or with men (like the Ottoman Turks) already
contaminated by infidel intercourse ; and a regimen which would
keep man ever mindful of things spiritual. It h^rs much, there­
fore, in common with Senussism, whose founder, indeed,* learned
something from it through his study in the school of Scyyid
Ahmed el-Idrlsi at Mecca in the twenties of the nineteenth century
(see later, p. 33), wjieti Wahabism, though lately defeated, was still
an influence in Hejaz. It. early developed militancy, and assumed
a nationalist character. After great successes at the opening of.the
nineteenth century, when the Wahabites were holding the Holy
Cities and nearly all Arabia (not Yemen) and threatening Mesopo­
tamia and Syria, it was reduced by Egyptian forces, acting for the
Ottoman Sultan ; and though it revived in the middle of the century
and still retains’ its hold on Central Arabia, it has lo,st spme of its
rigour and its militancy. But experience has showfi that such
revivalist doctrines may be expected to blaze up from time to time
in the Moslem world ; and therefore the fact that Wahabism, anti-
Ottoman and nationalist by tradition, has still numerous adherents
and dominates two independent states in the heart of Arabia, should
never be lost to sight. Lastly, the Ibadhi (Ibadhi) sectaries of Oman,
though, like the Wahabites. Sunni, are in effect schismatic.
The great annual Pilgrimage (Hajj) from all parts of the Moslem
world to Mecca and Medina has important bearing on politics,
economy, and popular character in the peninsula. The two great
divisions of Moslems, the Sunnis and Shiahs, follow three main land
routes : *
• *.
1. From Damascus due south to Medina. The Hejaz Railway
,
...
takes most of this traffic now ; but many pilgrims still march
all the way under the Emir el-Hajj. Thence to Mecca
2. Cairo by Sinai and Midian to Yambo* and Medina or Mecca
3. Baghdad, Xejef, or Samawah, by Hail to Medina or Mecca
This Pilgrimage has sometimes been diverted throuedr Ivoweit
to Qaslm by the action of the Nejd Emirs; and if has been
entirely intermitted during the past two y ears.
A majority, however, of the total number of foreign
arrives by sea at the port of Jiddah ancl proceeds to Mecca° now
A com-

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