CHAPTER X. Mohammed alters the Kebla-Many of his Followers greatly offended thereby-Mohammedan Institution of Prayer-Appoints the Fast of Ramadan-Account of this Ordinance 119 CHAPTER XI. The Koreish undertake a new Expedition against the Prophet-The Battle of Ohod-Mohammed and his Army entirely defeated-His Followers murmur-The Prophet's poor Devices to retrieve the Disgrace incurred in this Action-Resolves it mainly into the Doctrine of Predestination-Wine and Games of Chance forbidden--Sophyan, son of Caled, slain-War of the Ditch ........ CHAPTER XII. 126 The Jews the special Objects of Mohammed's Enmity-Several Tribes of them reduced to Subjection-Undertakes a Pilgrimage to MeccaThe Meccans conclude a Truce with him of ten Years-His Power and Authority greatly increased-Has a Pulpit constructed for his Mosque-Goes against Chaibar, a City of the Arab Jews-Besieges and takes the City, but is poisoned at an Entertainment by a young Woman-Is still able to prosecute his Victories 135 CHAPTER XIII. Mohammed alleges a Breach of Faith on the Part of the Meccans, and marches an Army against them-The City surrendered to the Conqueror-Abu Sophyan and Al Abbas, the Prophet's Uncle, declare themselves Converts-Mecca declared to be Holy Ground-The neighbouring Tribes collect an Army of four thousand Men to arrest the growing Power of the Prophet-The Confederates entirely overthrown -A rival Prophet arises in the Person of Moseilama-Is crushed by Caled... 142 CHAPTER XIV. The Religion of the Prophet firmly established-The principal Countries subjected by him-The effects of the Poison make alarming Inroads upon his Constitution-Perceives his End approaching-Preaches for the last Time in Public-His last Illness and Death-The Moslems scarcely persuaded that their Prophet was dead-Tumult appeased by Abubeker-The Prophet buried at Medina-The Story of the hanging Coffin false ........ 150 Syria and the countries bordering upon Arabia, as well as in some parts of Arabia itself, these evils were aggravated by the numerous sects and heresies that prevailed, and by the incessant controversial wars which they waged with each other. The church was torn to pieces by the furious disputes of the Arians, Sabellians, Nestorians, Eutychians, and Collyridians, by whom the great doctrines of Christianity were so confounded with metaphysical subtleties and the jargon of schools, that they ceased, in great measure, to be regarded as a rule of life, or as pointing out the only way of salvation. The religion of the Gospel, the blessed source of peace, love, and unity among men, became, by the perverseness of sectaries, a firebrand of burning contention. Council after council was called-canon after canon was enacted prelates were traversing the country in every direction in the prosecution of party purposes, resorting to every base art, to obtain the authoritative establishment of their own peculiar tenets, and the condemnation and suppression of those of their adversaries. The contests also for the episcopal office ran so high, particularly in the West, that the opposing parties repeatedly had recourse to violence, and, in one memorable instance, the interior of a Christian church was stained by the blood of a number of the adherents of the rival bishops, who fell victims to their fierce contentions. Yet it is little to be wondered at that these places of preferment should have been so greedily sought after by men of corrupt minds, when we learn, that they opened the direct road to wealth, luxury, and priestly power. Ancient historians represent the bishops of that day, as enriched by the presents of the opulent, as riding abroad in pompous state in chariots and sedans, and surpassing, in the extravagance of their feasts, the sumptuousness of princes; while, at the same time, the most barbarous ignorance was fast overspreading the nations of Christendom, the ecclesiastical orders themselves not excepted. Among the bishops, the legitimate instructers and defenders of the church, numbers were to be found incapable of composing the poor discourses which their office required them to deliver to the people, or of subscribing the decrees which they passed in their councils. The little learning in vogue was chiefly confined to the monks. But they, instead of cultivating science, or diffusing any kind of useful knowledge, squandered their time in the study of the fabulous legends of pretended saints and martyrs, or in composing histories equally fabulous. This woful corruption of doctrine and morals in the clergy was followed, as might be expected, by a very general depravity of the common people; and though we cannot suppose that God left himself altogether without witnesses in this dark period, yet the number of the truly faithful had dwindled down to a mere remnant, and the wide-spreading defection seemed to call aloud for the judgments of heaven. In view of this deplorable state of Christianity, anterior to the appearance of Mohammed, we are prepared to admit at once the justness of the following remarks upon the moral ends designed to be accomplished by Providence in permitting this desolating scourge to arise at this particular crisis of the world. "At length," says Prideaux, "having wearied the patience and long-suffering of God, he raised up the Saracens to be the instruments of his wrath to punish them for it; who, taking advantage of the weakness of their power, and the distraction of counsels which their divisions had caused among them, overran, with a terrible devastation, all the eastern provinces of the Roman empire. And having fixed that tyranny over them which hath ever since afflicted those parts of the world, turned every where their churches into mosques, and their worship into a horrid superstition; and instead of that holy religion which they had abused, forced on them the abominable imposture of Mahomet.— Thus those once glorious and most flourishing churches, for a punishment of their wickedness, being given up to the insult, ravage, and scorn of the worst of enemies, were .on a sudden overwhelmed with so terrible a destruction as hath reduced them to that low and miserable condition under which they have ever since groaned; the all-wise providence of God seeming to continue them thus unto this day under the pride and persecution of Mahometan tyranny, for no other end but to be an example and warning unto others against the wickedness of separation and division." LIFE OF MOHAMMED. CHAPTER I. National Descent of the Arabs-Proved to be from Ishmael, son of Abraham IN tracing the genealogy of nations to their primitive founders, the book of Genesis is a document of inestimable value. With those who do not hesitate to receive this and the other inspired books of the Scriptures as authentic vouchers for historical facts, the national descent of the Arabs from Ishmael, the son of Abraham, is a point which will not admit of dispute. The fact of this derivation, however, has been seriously brought into question by several skeptical writers, particularly by the celebrated historian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. With his usual dexterity of insinuation, he assails the united authority of Scripture history and Arabian tradition, respecting the pedigree of this remarkable people. Yet in no case does he undertake, in a formal manner, to disprove the fact to which he I still labours to give the air of a fiction.* A succinct view, therefore, of the testimonies which go to establish the Ishmaelitish origin of the Arabs, *Decline and Fall, ch. 1. |