The Women of the Arabs | Page 2

the archives of the mission in Beir?t, the memoir of Mrs. Sarah L. Smith, and private letters from Mrs. Whiting, Mrs. De Forest, and various missionary and native friends.
Information on the general work of the Syrian Mission may be found in Dr. Anderson's "Missions to the Oriental churches," Rev. Isaac Bird's "Bible Work in Bible Lands," and the pamphlet sketches of Rev. T. Laurie and Rev. James S. Dennis.
The specimens of poetry from ancient Arabic poetesses, have been gathered from printed and manuscript volumes, and from the lips of the people.
Some accounts of child life in Syria and specimens of Oriental stories and nursery rhymes have been gathered into a "Children's Chapter." They have a value higher than that which is given by mere entertainment as they exhibit many phases of Arab home life. The illustrations of the volume consist of drawings from photographs by Bergheim of Jerusalem and Bonfils of Beir?t.
The pages of Arabic were electrotyped in Beir?t by Mr. Samuel Hallock, the skilful superintendent of the American Press.
I send out this record of the work carried on in Syria with deep gratitude for all that the Lord has done, and with an ardent desire that it may be the means of bringing this great field more vividly before the minds of Christian people, of wakening warmer devotion to the missionary cause, and so of hastening the time when every Arab woman shall enjoy the honor, and be worthy of the elevation which come with faith in Him who was first foretold as the seed of the woman.
HENRY HARRIS JESSUP. Beir?t, Syria, Nov. 28, 1872.

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE _State of Women among the Arabs of the Jahiliyeh, or the "Times of the Ignorance."_ 1
CHAPTER II.
_State of Women in the Mohammedan World._ 7
CHAPTER III.
_The Druze Religion and Druze Women._ 20
CHAPTER IV.
_Nusair?yeh._ 35
CHAPTER V.
_Chronicle of Women's Work from 1820 to 1872._ 45
CHAPTER VI.
_Mrs. Whiting's School._ 57
CHAPTER VII.
_Dr. De Forest's Work in Beir?t._ 73
CHAPTER VIII.
_Re-opening of the School in Beir?t._ 97
CHAPTER IX.
_Luciya Shekkur._ 114
CHAPTER X.
_Raheel._ 120
CHAPTER XI.
_Hums._ 140
CHAPTER XII.
_Miriam the Aleppine._ 151
CHAPTER XIII.
_Modern Syrian Views with regard to Female Education._ 158
CHAPTER XIV.
_Bedawin Arabs._ 180
CHAPTER XV.
_Woman between Barbarism and Civilization._ 191
CHAPTER XVI.
_Opinions of Protestant Syrians with regard to the Work of American Women in Syria._ 200
CHAPTER XVII.
_Other Labors for Women and Girls in this Field._ 204
CHAPTER XVIII.
_The Amount of Biblical Instruction given in Mission Schools._ 215
CHAPTER XIX.
_The Children's Chapter._ 233

THE
WOMEN OF THE ARABS.
CHAPTER I.
STATE OF WOMEN AMONG THE ARABS OF THE JAHILIYEH, OR THE "TIMES OF THE IGNORANCE."
In that eloquent Sura of the Koran, called Ettekwir, (lxxxi.) it is said, "When the girl buried alive shall be asked for what sin she was slain." The passage no doubt refers to the cruel practice which still in Mohammed's time lingered among the tribe of Tem?m, and which was afterwards eradicated by the influence of Islam. The origin of this practice has been ascribed to the superstitious rite of sacrificing children, common in remote times to all the Semites, and observed by the Jews up to the age of the Captivity, as we learn from the denunciations of Jeremiah. But in later times daughters were buried alive as a matter of household economy, owing to the poverty of many of the tribes, and to their fear of dishonor, since women were often carried off by their enemies in forays, and made slaves and concubines to strangers.
So that at a wedding, the wish expressed in the gratulations to the newly-married pair was, "with concord and sons," or "with concord and permanence; with sons and no daughters." This same salutation is universal in Syria now. The chief wish expressed by women to a bride is, "may God give you an arees," _i.e._ a bridegroom son.
In the Koran, Sura xiv, Mohammed argues against the Arabs of Kinaneh, who said that the angels were the daughters of God. "They (blasphemously) attribute daughters to God; yet they wish them not for themselves. When a female child is announced to one of them, his face grows dark, and he is as though he would choke."
The older Arab Proverbs show that the burying alive of female children was deemed praiseworthy.
"To send women before to the other world, is a benefit."
"The best son-in-law is the grave."
The Koran also says, that certain men when hearing of the birth of a daughter hide themselves "from the people because of the ill-tidings; shall he keep it with disgrace, or bury it in the dust." (Sura xvi.)
It is said that the only occasion on which Othman ever shed a tear, was when his little daughter, whom he was burying alive, wiped the dust of the grave-earth from his beard!
Before the Seventh Century this practice seems to have been gradually abandoned, but was retained the longest in the tribe of Tem?m. Naman, king of Hira, carried off among his prisoners