'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART I: A to K' [‎55r] (114/1278)

’ALl—’ALI
i9
’ALl eiJAN— Lat. Long. Elev. 4,200'.
A halting-place in Luristan between Khurramabad and Dizful, about
64 miles from the former on the Kashgan river, which is impassable here ;
water from springs ; fuel and grazing plentiful after vain.—(Rivad'Cneyrci.)
(Wilson, 1911.)
’ALl GREZAN (?)— Lat. 32° 18' N ; Long. 48° 4' 30" E. ; Elev.
A ruined zidTCii, with a few tombs round it, on the road from Zurbatieh
to Dizful, 10 miles west of the Karkheh river and about 27 miles west of
Dizful. There are no inhabitants. The country is a waterless and grassy
desert, broken in the vicinity into ravines and low hills— (Sartorius
(Butcher.)
’ALl HADl— Lat. 31° 17' 45" N.; Long. 49° 36" 15" E. ; Elev.
A zUrdt, 3| miles south-west of Ram Hormuz on the road to Ma’shur ;
here a road runs from the fords of the Jarrahi river to NasIrL—(Barton,
1903.)
’ALl-IBN-UL-HUSAIN— Lat. 30° 15' N. ; Long. 48° 22' E. ; Elev.
A village in Northern ’Arabistan, 10 miles south-west of Dizful. It is
inhabited by Sagwand Lurs and Saiyids and contains 10 mud huts, one
small fort with timber roof, a water-mill and a kadamgdh. The village is
irrigated from the Diz river, and there is a garden with trees. Cattle and
donkeys are kept here. The people have two rifles and are the heirs of
the late Agha Riza, Mustaufi. The shrine, known as the Buq’eh-i-’AK-
ibn-ul-Husain is one mile from the village.—(PemVm Gulf Gazetteer, 1908.)
’ALl ILAHI—
A religious sect of Persia who are said to regard’All as God. Their belief
would appear to be an exaggeration of Shi’ahism, of which the foundation
is an excessive devotion to ’All and his descendants. The vptaries of this
creed are very numerous, though chiefly confined to the genuine Persian
tribes of Lak descent. They are also found among the Guran Kurds, and
around the higher parts of Zagros. Rawlinson considers them to be of
Jewish origin, from their features having a decided Jewish cask It is said
that their religion enjoins that at certain periods they shall congregate at
night in a particular spot. At these times the greatest license is said to
prevail, and the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes to form part of the
ceremonies prescribed by their singular creed. It is certain that a more than
masonic secrecy is maintained among them in regard to the mystical rites
and ceremonies connected with their religion, and that they are exceedingly
jealous of curious enquiries on the subject. The ’All Ilahi, says Jones,
when journeying in Muhammadan cities, outwardly conform to the cere-
monies of the established faith. They also adopt the deportment and dress
of their Muhammadan rulers, so as not to excite the prejudices-of the fansftic
people. This probablv is not applicable to the sect in South Turkey, but in
Persia. Sheil says that, though their tenets are perfectly well-known, not
the slightest attempt is made to disturb their opinions, though they do not
openly proclaim their dissent from the prevailing religion of the country.
The ’Ali liahi in their own villages do not deny themselves the use of wine
and spirits, nor do they abstain from the prohibited food of the Quran , on