Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-11-29
From Bush'S Mohammnt.

his own account, with his celebrated nisb,. ens
pey from Mecca to Jerusalem. and from theno.
10 the seventh heaven. under the conduct of, Lo
angel Gabriel. In allusion 10 this the sever
tenth chapter Of the Koran commences fine
Praise be unto hun who transported lis serv,,4
by night from the sacred temple # Mecca 70 ,ba
father temple Of Jerusalem. the circnit of vbio,
we have blessed, that we nigh show some Of nm
sims: for God is he who hcarcth and sce;h -"
This idle and cxtravacant tale, which is ma, 70.
lated in the Koran. but handed down by tr,G
ton. was probably devised by the ;.upostor in Or
der to raise his reputation rs a saint, aud to pps
himself more nearly upon level with Moses
with whom God converscd, face to face. in the
HOLY mount. The story, how ever, is deyoulv
believed BY the Mussulmans. and one of then
writer's has given the following hghIy-wrouoL.
description OF the memorable night in which !,
occurred. 81. In the darkest, most obscure. and
mos, silent night tlat the sun ever caused BY his
absence. since that g!oricus planet of LIGHT was
created " had It's being q night in which
! there WIS ia Growing oi cocks to be heard
! throughout The whole universe, no barllnps of
dogs. 10 huw!lngs, roarings, or ceilings Of wild
beasts. nor Na;Chings OF nocturnal birds: nav
and not only the feaihered and four-footcd crc,.
lures suspended their customary vociferatons
and motions. bat likewise the waters ceased
from their mutmurings. thci winds from the whist.
iings. the air from its brcaihings. the serpent,
from their hissings, the mountains, valleys. and
| cavcrns from their res0unding echoes. the earth
from ITS productions. the tender plants from their
sproutings, the grass Of the field from its yer,Iancy
the waves OF the sea from agtations. and their
inhabitants, the fishes from rlying their fins
| And indeed uion a night 50 wonderful it Wa,
Every requisite. that all the creatu is OF the Lords
| handy-wOrk should cease from their usual move
mcnts. and become dumb and motionless. and
lend an attentive ear that they might conceive
by means Of their ears what their tongues were
not capable of expressing. Nor is any tongue 4
bic to express the wonders and mysteries Of this
night. and should any undertake SO UNEQUAL
task, there could nothing be represented but the
bare shadow; since what happened in this MI
raculous night WAS infinitely the greatest and
most stupendous event that ever befcll any of the
posteriiy Of Adam. either expressed in any of the
sacred writings which came down from above.
or by signs and figures. From the sublime alt
tudcs Of heaven the most glorious, scraph of all
those which God ever created Or produced, tthe
Incompatible Gabriel. upon the latter part Of The
evening of that stupend0ns night. took a hastv
and precpitatc flight. and descended to this low
or world with an uEhcard.Cf and wonderful mes
sage. the which caused an universal rejoicing on
earth, and filled the seven heavens with a more
| than ordinary gladness: and. as the nature of the
message both required and inspired JOY he visit
ed the world under the most glorious and beautl-
ful appearance that even Imagination itself is ca
pable of figuring. His Wilderness 0bscured rlat
of tic driven snow, and his splendor daIkened
the RAYS Of The n0ontide sun. His garments we're
all covered with the richest flowers in embroide-
ry of celestial fabric, and his many wings were
most acknowledgements, and all interspersed
with inestimable precious stones.-Hls stature
was exceeding tall, and his presence exquisIrely
awful. Upon his beauteous capaciOus forehead
he bore two lines written in characters Of daz-
Lling light: the uppermOst consisted OF these
words, La Wuh az aLah-THERE IS no COP
BUT ALLAH: and in the lowermost line was con-
tanned, Mohamlmed Rasom Hlah-MoHAMMED
Is COPS MESSENGER.
In passing from tins poctcal prelude concen.
ed in the true gorgeous style oforienral descrip.
ton, to the meagre and pueriIe story of the jour.
ney ITSELF we feel a, once that the prophets fan
cy- suffers by comparison with that of his dscl.
pc, who could certainly, from the above speci-
men, have given vastly more interesting fiction
VI tlldu ursHt VI
surdity which appears in the fabrication of the
prophet. Without detailing all the particulars Of
this nocturnal expedition, in which the marcl'
thiokened upon him I'll! he had reached the ut.
most height of the empyrean. the following out.
Iiue will afford the reader an idea Of its general
| CharaCter:--
While the prophet was reposng in his bed,
with his beloved Ayesha by his side, he was sud.
denly awakened BY the angel Gabriel who stood
before him with seventy pair OF expanded wings,
whittier than snow and clearer than crystal. The
| angel informed him that he had come to conduct
him to heaven, and directed him to mount an an
imal that stood ready at the door. and which vas
between the nature of an ass and mule. The
name of this beast was Aiborak, si9nifying IN the
Arabic tongue, - The Lightning" from his IN
conceivable swiitness. His color was milky
white. As he had. however, remained inactive
from the time Of Christ to that of Mohammed-
there having been no prophet in the interval {"
employ hln--he now proved so restless and re-
fractory, that Mohammcd could not succeed IN
seating himself on his back till he had promised
him place in Paradise. Pacifcd by this pro
mise. he suffered the prophet quietly TO mount.
and Gabriel, taking the bride in his hand, con
viewed him lrnm Nncr, IN Inru.aIpn IA Ine Nv NH