The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1851-01-17
Thing, though things were spoiled by


revelations deliberate falsehoods, and
was his whole system tissue Of deceit?
In considering this question, we must
bear in mind that he is not chargeable
with many extrayagences which exist in
his name. Many of the revisions end re-
velations handed down as having been
given by him are spurious. The mira
cles ascribed 10 him are all fabrications
Of Moslcn zealois. lie expressly and re-
peatedly disclaimed all miracles except
ing the Koran; which, considering its
incompatible merit, and the way in
which il had come down to him from
Heaven, he pronounced the greatest of
miracles. And here we must indulge q
few observations on this famous docu-
ment. While jealous Moslems and somo
of the most learned doctors Of the faith
draw proofs of IFS divine origin from the
immitable excellence Of lis style and
composition, and the avowed illilerucy Of
Mahomet; less devout critics have pro-
nounced il a chaos of beauties and de-
fects; without method or arrangement;
full Of obscuriics, incolerencies, repeti-
tons, false versions, Scripiural stories,
and direct contradictions. The truth is,
that the Koran, as il now exists, is not
the same Koran delivered by Mahomet
10 his disciples, but has undergone many
corupiions and interpolatiops. The re-
velations contained in it were given at
various times, in various places, and be-
fore various persons; somstifnes they
were taken down by lis secretari,s or
disciples on parchment, on palm -leaves,
or the shoulder-blades Of sheep, and
thrown together in chest, Of which one
of his wives had charge; sometimes they
were merely treasured up in the memo.
ries of those who heard them. No care
appears 10 have been taken 10 sysiema-
,ize and arrange them during his life;
and a, his death they remained in sca,t-
cred fragments, many Of them at the
mercy OF fallacious memories. 1t was
not until several years after his death,
that Abu Beker undertook 10 Lave them
gathered together and transcribed. Reid
Ibn Ahabet, who had been one Of tho
secretaries Of Mahomet, was employed
for the purpose. He professed 10 know
many paris OF the Koran By heart, having
written them down under the direction Of
the prophet; other parts he collected
pece-meal from various hands, written
down in the rude way we have mention
ed; and many parts he took down as re-
paated to him by various disciples who
professcd to have heard them uttered hy.
the prophet himself. The heterogeneous
fragments thus collected were thrown
together without selection, without chro.
nological order, and without systems Of
any kind. The volume thus formed du.
ring tho Caliphat of Abu Beker, was
transcribed by different hands, and many
professed copies put in circulation and
dispersed throughout the Moslem cities.
So many errors, interpretations, and con-
Trajectory readings, soon crep. into these
copies, that Oleman, the third Calipb,
called in the various manuscripts, aud
forming what he pronounced the genuine
Koran, caused all the olheys to be des.
iroyed.
If we are far from considering Maho-
met the gross and imposter that some
have represented him, so also are we in
disposed 10 give him credit for that vast
forecast, and for that deeply concerted
sch-me of universal conquest which have
been ascribed te him. He was undoubt.
edly, man OF great genius and sug-
gestive Imagination, but it appears to US
that he wae, in a great degree, the crea.
ture Of impulse and excitement, and very
much at the mercy Of circumstances. -
His schemes grew out Of his fortunes,
and not his fortunes out of his schemes.
He was forty years Of age before he first
broached his doctrine. He suffered year
after year to steal away before he pro-
mulgated them out of his own family
When he fed from Mecca thirteen years
had elapsed from the announcement Of
his mission, and from being a wealthy
merchant he had sunk to be ruined fu-
gitive. When he reached Medina he had
no idea of the power that awaited him;
his ouly thought was to build humble
mosque where he might preach, and his
only hope that he might be suffered to
preach with impunity. When power
suddenly broke upon him, he used il for
a time in petty forays and local feuds.
His military plans expanded with his re-
sources, but by no means masterly, and
we're sometimes unsu ccessful.. They
were not struck out with boldness, nor
executed with decision; but were often
changed in Difference to the opinions Of
warlike men about him, and sometimes az
the suggestion of inferior minds, who oc-.
casiona!ly led him wrong. Had he in
deed conceived from the outset the idea
Of binding up the shattered and conflict
inp tribes Of Arabia into one nation, BY !
a brotherhood Of faith, for The purpose
of carrying cut scheme Of fextefnal con-.
quest, he would have been one Of the
firs, Of military projectors; but the idea
ofextsndsd conquest seems to have been