A History of the Mahrattas v1.c18.129

v1.c18.129

¹ A common exclamation of the Mahomedans, signifying, ‘Praise be to God.’ [*Alhamd-ul-illah* (*Ulhumdulillah*), ‘All praise belong to Allah,’ is the first word of the second line of the *Surat-ul-Fatihah* of the Koran, which is variously termed ‘the opening of the Book,’ ‘the sufficing Sura,’ ‘the Sura of praise, thanks and prayer,’ ‘the healer,’ ‘the treasure.’ This Sura is recited several times in each of the five daily prayers and on other occasions. Muhammadans always conclude this prayer with *Amin* (Amen). I have heard a Muhammadan woman in Bombay exclaim, ‘*Shukr Alhamd-ul-illah*’ after a sudden and involuntary sneeze, which may be compared with the exclamation, ‘God bless you,’ occasionally heard on similar occasions in England. The words are a spirit-scaring charm. In a footnote to the tale of *Ibrahim and Jamilah*, Burton (*Thousand Nights and a Night*) states that the pagan Arabs held sneezing a bad omen which often stopped their journeys, and that the Prophet himself counselled the use of the phrase at the time of sneezing, as it had power to ward off seventy diseases—‘If one of you sneeze, let him exclaim, “Alham-dolillah,” and let those around salute him in return with “Allah have mercy upon thee,” and lastly let him say, “Allah direct you and strengthen your condition.”’]