The present state of the Ottoman Empire containing the maxims of the Turkish politie, the most material points of the Mahometan religion, their sects and heresies, their convents and religious votaries, their military discipline ... : illustrated with divers pieces of sculpture, representing the variety of habits amongst the Turks, in three books / by Paul Rycaut Esq. ...

CHAP. XVI. Of the Kadri

THis is another of those six Religions which are derived from 〈◊〉〈◊〉, which had one Abdul Kadri Ghilani for its first Founder, a man greatly admired for his wisdom and abstinence, whose Sepulchre is found without Babylon, to which place many of those who en∣ter into the Regular Orders of these Convents make their Pilgri∣mages.

Those who enter into this Religion, must perform their Novitiate with degrees of abstinence and fasting; wherefore when first they take the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 upon them, there is bestowed upon them a small Cudgel made of the Wood of a Willow, weighing when fresh and green four hundred drams, which they are alwayes to carry about them hung at their Girdle; by the weight of this they take their daily allowance of bread, untill such time as the Wood becoming exceeding dry, is also much the lighter, and so according as the weight thereof lightens, their proportion of Bread diminishes.

Besides their prayers of five times a day, to which all Mahometans are bound, they are obliged to spend the whole or best part of the night with turning round at the sound of a little Pipe, and to utter this word, Hai, Hai, which signifies Alive, being one of the Attributes of God: and this they do in imitation of the Custom used by their Founder, who is said to have pronounced this word Hai, so often, and with that ve∣hemency, that the vein of his breast bursting, the blood gushed out up∣on the Wall, and made the word Hai. Wherefore all his Disciples to follow the example of their Master, taking hands together in a ring, repeat this word, Hai, Hai, with so much violence, and so often, untill they fall on the ground without breath or life; those who last out long∣est 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the dead from the Chamber, and lay them to recover their spirits after their strained exercise; and this they do every Friday night. Every one of these are obliged once in the year to a retirement of forty dayes, in a little Cell free from all company or conversation, during

which time they are wholy to give themselves to meditations, and to observe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dreams, and so recount them to their Superiour, who studies the interpretation of them, and from them Divines of fu∣ture things.

They have many times license from their Superiour, to be drunk or intoxicate themselves with Aqua vitae, Opium, or any stupisying Drugs, to be better able to perform with more spirit and vehemency their mad Dance.

These fellows are of a refined wit, notable Sophisters and Hypo∣crites; their secrets they reveal to none but those of their own professi∣on, by which means they are subtle to cheat those of other Re∣ligions.

They are not debarred from the liberty of Marriage, but if they do marry they are excluded from the Convent, and may wear any sort of habit, yet for distinction sake they wear Black Buttons; those that live in the Convent, carry a certain white Plad of a course Cloth, their Heads with hair unshaven, without Caps or other covering, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 feet bare. These are called Kadri, and have a convent at 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in Constantinople.

The Founder of this Order, called, as we have said before, Abdul Ka∣dir Ghilan, was born in the Hegira or year of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 five hundred sixty one, and dyed in the year six hundred fifty seven; he was esteem∣ed both a Lawyer and a Philosopher; his Master or Instructor was Abdul Mumin 〈◊〉〈◊〉, who composed two Books, one called Mugrib or the Arabian Grammer, and another called Andalus. At that time that Helakin Son of Genghiz Han came to Babylon, he caused him to kill one Alkami then Vice-King of that City, for being of the Persian Sect, cal∣led by the Turks Rafizi or Hereticks, because they reject Abubecher, Omar and Osman, as Apochryphal Writers, and attribute not to them that honour of Holy men, which is given by the Turks.

The Prior or chief of the Convent of this Order, teach their Di∣sciples a certain prayer, which they whisper in their ears that it may not be overheard or known by others; this they are obliged to repeat eve∣ry moment with little intermission, unless at times set apart for the of∣fices of nature; and boast that it hath so much of efficacy in it, that by the vertue thereof, they obtain the enjoyment of divine visions and revelations.

Their posture is, like other religious Mahometans, to sit with their heads hanging down, and their Noses in their Breasts, which they call 〈◊〉〈◊〉; the better to keep them from distraction or wandring thoughts, during their contemplations of heaven, and the vanity of sa∣tisfying the carnal appetite.

Amongst the many Miracles that the followers of this Order recount of their Master, one is this, That coming once to Babylon to inhabit amongst the other superstitious persons and Santones of that City, they hearing of his approach went forth to meet him, one of them carry∣ing in his hand a dish filled with water; from whence they would in∣fer, that as that dish was full to the brim so as to be capable of con∣taining no more, so their City was so replenished with Learned and Re∣ligious persons, that there was no place to receive him: Whereupon this subtle Sophister studying to confute this Hieroglyphick, whereby

they would excuse the courtesie of due Hospitality, stretching his arms first towards Heaven, and then bowed down and gathered a Rose leafe which he laid on the water, which before had filled the dish: by which piece of ingenuity, he not only confuted the parable of the Churlish Babylonians, but also so took with them, that they registred it as a Mi∣racle of wisdom, and bringing him into their City with triumph, made him the Superiour of all their Orders.