er 1858 by Colonel Kelly.

A[Z.][=A]N (Arabic for "announcement"), the call or summons to public
prayers proclaimed by the Muezzin (crier) from the mosque twice daily in
all Mahommedan countries. In small mosques the Muezzin at A[z.][=a]n stands
at the door or at the side of the building; in large ones he takes up his
position in the minaret. The call translated runs: "God is most great!"
(four times), "I testify there is no God but God!" (twice), "I testify that
Mahomet is the apostle of God!" (twice), "Come to prayer!" (twice), "Come
to salvation!" (twice), "God is most great!" (twice), "There is no God but
God!" To the morning A[z.][=a]n are added the words, "Prayer is better than
sleep!" (twice). The devout Moslem has to make a set response to each
phrase of the Muezzin. At first these are mere repetitions of A[z.][=a]n,
but to the cry "Come to prayer!" the listener must answer, "I have no power
nor strength but from God the most High and Great." To that of "Come to
salvation!" the formal response is, "What God willeth will be: what He
willeth not will not be." The recital of the A[z.][=a]n must be listened to
with the utmost reverence. The passers in the streets must stand still, all
those at work must cease from their labours, and those in bed must sit up.

The Muezzin, who is a paid servant of the mosque, must stand with his face
towards Mecca and with the points of his forefingers in his ears while
reciting A[z.][=a]n. He is specially chosen for good character, and
A[z.][=a]n must not be recited by any one unclean, by a drunkard, by the
insane, or by a woman. The summons to prayers was at first simply "Come to
prayer!" Mahomet, anxious to invest the call with the dignity of a
ceremony, took counsel of his followers. Some suggested the Jewish trumpet,
others the Christian bell, but according to legend the matter was finally
settled by a dream:--"While the matter was under discussion, Abdallah, a
Khazrajite, dreamed that he met a man clad in green raiment, carrying a
bell. Abdallah sought to buy it, saying that it would do well for bringing
together the assembly of the faithful. 'I will show thee a better way,'
replied the stranger; 'let a crier cry aloud "God is most great, &c."' On
awaking, Abdallah went to Mahomet and told him his dream," and A[z.][=a]n
was thereupon instituted.

AZARA, DON JOSE NICHOLAS DE (1731-1804), Spanish diplomatist, was born in
1731 at Barbunales, Aragon, and was appointed in 1765 Spani