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D 3 (NOTES)

I On the back of this fragment is written in a crude scrawl, in no way

resembUng the body of the text, " This is the Tabakat walad Dayfulla. In the name of God . . . (invocation) ... I He at the door of Sheikh KhogaU . . .

(praises of the Prophet) . . . ."

KhogaU ibn 'Abd el RaJpnan (No. 154), who died in 1155 a.h. (1742 A.D.), Uved and was buried at el Halfaya, the birthplace of the author's family (see No. 88).

The words "my fatJier" must be taken to mean "my grandfather." The author's father was Dayfulla walad Muhammad walad Dayfulla (see No. 89). In No. 120 (q.v.) Muhammad Dayfulla is actually called "my grandfather."

It must be noted that the word '^Sheikh" is, with ver)' few exceptions (e.g. "Sheikh 'Agib "), used throughout in the technical sense as denoting not temporal power but the spiritual authority of a superior of a religious order. For the exact meaning of the term see Hughes, pp. 556 and 571, and Sell, pp. 104, no, in.

The word "feki" (or "fekih") means properly one learned in juris-

prudence or dogmatic theology (see Hughes, pp. 106 and 128), but is used commonly to mean merely a learned man, or a cleric. It must not be

confused with "fakir,'' a term used properly of one who is poor in the sight of God, i.e. a "dervish."

II It is impossible to say whether any pages are missing between this and the page on either side of it.

III This page also contains a reference to the tradition (see Hughes, p. 475) from the Mishkdt (Bk. xxiv. Chap, i. Part 3) that there were in all

124,000 prophets, "but those mentioned in the Kuran are enough." IV For the Arabic of the following passage and textual emendations see Appendix i . The date, and the name of the founder of the Fung dynasty of Sennar, are given correctly. For the chronology of the Fung kings see D 7.

Arbagi was, until late in the eighteenth century, one of the chief towns

of the Sudan, but it was then destroyed by the Shukria and 'Abdullah and has now disappeared (cp. D 7, xc). It is said to have been largely peopled by Hudur. For the foundation of Arbagi about 1474 a.d. by Hegazi ibn

Ma'in, cp. Jackson, p. 18. It w^as visited by Poncet in 1699: he calls it (p. 17) "the Town of Harbagy." The earliest mention of it (" Arbatg") is in Ludolfus (Bk. iv. Chap. vi). He also mentions "Gerri" (Kerri) and

"Helfage" (Halfaya). The Gelilab of Wad Rawa claim that their ancestor was 'Abd el Gelil the nephew of Hegazi ibn Ma'in (cp. sub No. 67).

V The " 'idda'' of Muhammadan law is "the term by the completion of which a new marriage is rendered lawful." (See Hamilton's Hedaya, Vol. I, Chap. XII, p. 128, sub "Edit.")