New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-01-20


motley and busy world around him he retires unoo-
served into the sobre gro,toes of Mount Hsrah near
Neeea, there the germ Of great idea develops itsef
Al once flashes upon his mind he has caught and
be excsims with rapture-"Yes, there is no God but
God Allah Ia, Alsh.l-As.hP Such IL the birth Of
Islam
he has the conviction be desccnds with fall heart
and bright eye; he boldly eaters the sacred encos
ure he stands before the Csaba and surrounded by
curious. and later by afarious multitude be loudly pro-
claims that s $50 monstrous images the vain idols
Of miserable superstition.
Mohammed believes in his mission, though we do
net He never pre.ends to possess any gift Of super
natural powers. q" do not possess them" he says in
the Koran But you want miraclesf Well, here Is
my only miracle; here IL the Koran the word ofyour
Prophet" Itwas not until after his DEATH in A. D. 90
that the ambitious and deceitfu Caphs and Generals
who wanted to reap the rich harvest which Mohammed
had sown il was the fanatic WARRIORS who stood for
ward with the 300O absurd miracles Of their leader
which they consign into the absurd book the Soonah
and by norcing is belief with their scietars give rise
to the great schsm which bad torn the Islam into
shreds and spntsrs Even the visions of Mohammed
and his relations to the spiritual world are clothed in so
poetcal language with such brilliant imagery, that
tons of the mind, and may be taken only the men
tai emanstions of dreamer. Such spiritual explain
alton has been adopted by many of the most learned in
teTpreters of the Koran and though they may not be
considered orthodox by the body of Uemas priests
OF Constsntnople and Mecca yet there hardly be
the slightest doubt that the great Mutt himself may
harbor such opinion personally in his own heart
In his solitary cavern, Mohammed does not prognos
~ bo hof hv fhaip
and treachery of the outward world place himself
the head OF band Of armed outlaws, exile himself
and carry through his reform with the edge Of his IA
Der This, naturally enough is the second great and
awful act of his life and there ind a, las, the
bon and politics of the world up with the earlier.
pure and Intellectual belief of the visionary Mohammcd
now stands suddenly before in another character,
but always like a generous, humane leader who never
has sued his hand by any cruel act with any
severe revenge against his most bitter and insdOus en-.
emies.
The lecturer then drew the attention of his audience
70 the large pictorial view Of Mecca with the Caaba
at the time of the great pilgrimage. 1t is taken from
the batemenis of the elevated castle southeast Of the
city thus presening the lively busy below the
sacred inclosure with its columns mnarets the sacred
we'll Of ZemZem the Csabs, with its black hangings
and the picturesque city around.
The total effect of the whole Haram sacred incos
ure on bright balmy Arabian night, during the great
pilgrimage, when the entire square the Casba, the col
onnades blazing with Thousands of lamps and the
interior Is filed with knecling Hadjies, or pilgrims
from every part of the Mohammedan world all dressed
in their snowwhite hiram with their transparent Ian
before them all turning their faces toward the
mysterious Csabs repeating their prayers asking par
a. ;f,ll ai,,a nd had aofrO
,rtiton or delights OF grandeur and beauty impos
sible to describe.
Christian traveller, who once, dressed IKE believ
ing pilgrim witnessed this magnificent scene, says that
a Mohammedan Hadji, from Darur in distant Africa,
who ARR, at Mecca the very last night Of the Ra
madam OF fasting, and after long journey across bar
rem and solitary deserts at entered the splen
didy illuminated temple, felt entirely overswed at
the sight of the sombre Ca aba arising dimly from out
the dazzling blaze around that he fell PROSTATE down
on the marble door and remained long in that posture
of silent alteration At length he and burs, forth
into hood of tears and in the hight of his emotion,
instead OF recng the usual prayers OF the Hail he
only exclaimed 20, God, take my soul for this is
Paradise
The lecturer then gave the history of tho youth tray
eis, marriage and first appearance Of Aohammed as
the reformer of his degraded and dolatrous people.
Our space will not permit to dwell upon the interest
ing portrait Of the hero he, like many other great
minds who shine in the pages of history united head
heart and hand,he wise law givcr the daring warrior
the prudent general the cunning statesman the pious
enthusiast and the sublime poet The leading doctrines
Of that curious composition, the Reading (AlKoran)
were then explained and beautiful passages from
the ID 3D. 4th and 5h surShs chapters read though
that book whole, contains tedious medley of
tencee ordinations precepts, all thrown together
without any connection whatever, with continusl repe
titions perverted traditions many absurdities inter.
mixed with flashes Of poetic ire and interesting
alusons to the manners and customs of the jewellers
/ in the desert
Their follows the hostility between the Korsish party
and Mohanmed the gh. or Hesira Of the latter, the
18th Of July 622 Medina al Ncbbi, Che City OF the
Prophet where he gathers some bands OF Ansars or
helpers and begins the mission of the sword The bril-
liant victory Of Beden the enthusiasm OF the Bedouna
of the Eastern Desert who by thousands ocked to biz
yellow banner with the significant crescent his attack
on Ksyfsr his poisoning by Zsynsb, the Jewess; hi
victorious entry into Mecca in 629; his civil and
military organization the complete conquest ofArsba
the preparation for the great 5yrisc campaigns and biz
death in the OF his Ayesha co. were of course
given in ell their details together with the origin
the great schism which broke out among the Arabs Oh
Saracens of the succession fAbubekr Oms
and Osman instead of his son in.law and vzier IN,
nobe.minded and virtuous Ali The Arabs at last ap
pear in Syria; Tsbuk, Bostrs snd Damascus fall al
immense army Of Greeks defeated on the Yarmouk
near the lake Of Tiberus jerusalem opens her gates Il
the old Omar in his woolsn cloak delsbe) and greer
turban riding his red camel but followed by bril-
iast and fanatic army Of 5000 Arabs. Their csyarJ
Is nimitable their infantry rode cames during the
march and the incredible velocity Of their movements
less than their regou frenzy, open them the patf
TO continual victory and conquest The sarscens were
admirably armed with those flexible cuirasses, mi
coats and couca helmets, which the Crusaders after
ward considered far superior 70 their own heavier
srmor Of Italian or French workmanship. Their scim
etsrs bucklers and lances were Is well tempered a
they were beautifully ornamented, and nowhere durn.
IL. middle ages ceuld sword blades be brought 20 sucl
perfection Of temper among the Saracens Of Danas
Gus and Of Spain.
The discourse terminated with the Saracen conques