The first day runs,—
(1)Shams(2)Zuhrah (3)ʿUtarid (4)Kamar
Sun Venus Mercury Moon
(5)Zuhal (6)Mushtari and (7)Mirrikh
Saturn Jupiter Marsand the times are—early morning (pagi-pagi), morning (tĕngah naik), just before
noon (hampir tĕngah hari), noon (tĕngah hari), afternoon (dlohr), late afternoon
(ʿasr), and sunset (maghrib).
For the second day the series begins with the Moon, and goes on in the above
order to Mercury; and for the third day it begins with Mars; so that each day of
the week begins with its appropriate planet in the usual order, which is best seen
in the French names Mardi, Mercredi, Jeudi, Vendredi, and the English
Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Each of the seven divisions has its lucky or unlucky characteristics, much as in
the systems already described.
Besides these, each day of the week has its own appropriate occupations,
according to another system, at times ascertained by measuring the length of
one’s shadow. Further, it would appear that some days are unlucky altogether:
one account gives seven unlucky days in every month; another asserts that
Thursday is unlucky in the months Dhu-’l-hijjah, Muharram, and Safar; Tuesday
in Rabiʿ-al-awal, Rabiʿ-al-akhir, and Jumada-’l-awal; Saturday in Jumada-’l-
akhir, Rĕjab and Shaʿban; Sunday in Ramadhan, Shawal, and Dhu-’l-kaʿidah; a
third specifies twelve other most inauspicious days in every year, viz. the 28th of
Muharram, the 10th of Safar, the 14th of Rabiʿ-al-awal, and so on, while for
greater convenience a calendar has been drawn up, which is far too long to be
reproduced here, but which closely resembles the weather chart illustrated on
another page, and gives the whole list of days of the Muhammadan year
classified under the heads lucky (baik), somewhat unlucky, very unlucky, and
neutral.
Besides this, whole years are lucky or unlucky according as the first of
Muharram falls on a Sunday, Monday, etc.; and, moreover, years vary in luck