11
“Concerning the creation of Adam, here intimated, the Mohammedans have several peculiar
traditions. They say the angels Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil were sent by God, one after
another, to fetch for that purpose seven handfuls of earth from different depths, and of different
colours (whence some account for the various complexions of mankind); but the Earth being
apprehensive of the consequence, and desiring them to represent her fear to God that the
creature He designed to form would rebel against Him, and draw down His curse upon her,
they returned without performing God’s command; whereupon He sent Azrael on the same
errand, who executed his commission without remorse, for which reason God appointed that
angel to separate the souls from the bodies, being therefore called the angel of death. The earth
he had taken was carried into Arabia, to a place between Mecca and Tayef, where, being first
kneaded by the angels, it was afterwards fashioned by God himself into a human form, and left
to dry for the space of forty days, or, as others say, as many years, the angels in the meantime
often visiting it, and Eblis (then one of the angels who are nearest to God’s presence,
afterwards the devil) among the rest; but he, not contented with looking on it, kicked it with his
foot till it rung, and knowing God designed that creature to be his superior, took a secret
resolution never to acknowledge him as such. After this God animated the figure of clay and
endued it with an intelligent soul, and when He had placed him in paradise, formed Eve out of
his left side.”—Sale’s Korân, ch. ii. (of translation), p. 4 (note). ↑
12
“The Creator determined to make man, and for that purpose He took some clay from the earth
and fashioned it into the figure of a man. Then He took the Spirit of Life to endue this body
with vitality, and placed the spirit on the head of the figure. But the spirit was strong, and the
body, being only clay, could not hold it, and was reft in pieces and scattered into the air. Those
fragments of the first great Failure are the spirits of earth and sea and air.
“The Creator then formed another clay figure, but into this one He wrought some iron, so that
when it received the vital spark it withstood the strain and became Man. That man was Adam,
and the iron that is in the constitution of his descendants has stood them in good stead. When
they lose it they become of little more account than their prototype the first failure.”—
Swettenham, Malay Sketches, p. 199. ↑
13
Newbold, op. cit. vol. ii. pp. 351, 352. In Selangor, some of the greater bones, at least, have
their own mystic nomenclature, e.g. the backbone, which is called tiang ʿarash, or the “Pillar
of the Heavens.” ↑
14
Of the superstition which forbids the imitation of the royal insignia I can speak personally, as