Tadhkirah — Page 479
1900 479 them, the purpose of ‘ I d is nothing but to eat, drink, and engage in sheer enjoyment from dawn till dusk; to wear elegant dress, ride swift horses, and consume fresh meat. On this day you will find that their preoccupation is nothing more than to wear fine attire, comb their hair, apply collyrium to their eyes, perfume their clothing, style their dangling forelocks and sidelocks as women do for adornment. Thereafter they repeat quick movements in their prayer in the likeness of a hen that pecks at grain—completely devoid of focus, abounding in stray thoughts and prey to a distracted heart. Thereafter, they attend to the consumption of a variety of foods and victuals, and fill their bellies with all types of blessings like the cattle. They are inclined towards sport and pastime and towards useless diversions. They leave their selves free to graze in the pastures of lust. They ride horses, carriages, camels and she-camels, mules, and the necks of men. All the while they are fully decorated. They waste the entire day in frivolous talk, giving gifts of meat to each other and displaying their pride in the meat of their cows and goats. This is accompanied by enjoyment, diverse forms of celebrations, attractions to please the self, acts of transgression, laughing with open mouths displaying both their front and back teeth, and thronging towards the dancing of loose women, kissing and embracing them, and after that [reaching for] their girdles. We say inn a lill a h 515 [surely, to Allah we belong] on account 515 A phrase from the Holy Quran which is recited by Muslims to express their deepest sorrow. [Publisher]