Note 259 — ALI THE CAIRENE AND THE HAUNTED HOUSE IN BAGHDAD.

Arab. “Sunnat,” lit. = a law, especially applied to the habit and practice of the Apostle in religious and semi-religious matters, completing the “Hadis,” or his spoken words. Anything unknown is entitled “Bida’ah” = innovation. Hence the strict Moslem is a model Conservative whose exemplar of life dates from the seventh century. This fact may be casuistically explained away; but is not less an obstacle to all progress and it will be one of the principal dangers threatening Al-Islam. Only fair to say that an “innovation” introduced by a perfect follower of the Prophet is held equal theoretically to a Sunnat; but vulgarly it is said, “The rabble will not take gold which is not coined.”