The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-11-07
A sToRY BY n1Anoalnr.

At one stage OF his career, Mahom-
ct was losing ground with the Arabs,
and in order to gain their confidence
in his supernatural mission, he told
the following story of his visiting
heaven: He said that while he was
in the Caaba, or sacred square build
ing at Mecca, reeling on the sacred
stone, the Angel Gabriel came to him;
he opened his breast, took out his
sheart and washed it in golden basin
full Of the water Of faith, and then
restored it to its place. The angel
had seventy pair Of wings; and had
the beast Alborak with him, on which
the prophets used to ride; it was
white, and partly horse, ass and mule.
or middle between the two last, and
went as fast as the lightning, which
the name Alborak, in Arabic signifies.
When he was brought to Jerusalem
by the angel, all the prophets met
him, and Owned his superiority. He
ascended to heaven with the angel on
a ladder of divine light, and left the
beast Alborak at Jerusalem till he
descended again. He went through
seven heavens before he came to the
throne of Cod, which was i'll the last
one, and Gabriel left him at the en-
trance of it, and waited till he return
ed from conversing with God, who
gave him the offer to be next to him
SELF; but he rather chose to descend
to the earth to propagate his religion.
His heavens were all five hundred
years Journey distant from one an
other. One was silver, another Of gold.
another of emeralds, etc., and the
last of light. He met some one of the
patriarchs, or prophets, in each OF
them. He saw angels in the likeness
of all creatures in these heavens. He
saw great bull bearing the earth on
his horns, and when he shook his
head there was an earthquake. =
There was also cock, which stood
on one heaven, and his head reached
another; his voice went through
heaven and earth, and set I'LL the
cocks on earth growing. He saw
an angel Of such stature that there
was seventy thousand days journey
between his eyes,
The proportion Of mans heigh'
to the distance between his eyes is as
seventy-two to one; so that his stature
must then have been fourteen thou
sand years Journey, four times the
height of all the heavens together, il
which he was quite out of his mathe
matics. In the seventh heaven wal
an angel with seventy thousand heads
and in each head seventy THOUSAND
tongues with which he praised God
Gabriel accompanied him down from
Heaven to Jerusalem, and iron
thence conveyed him with the beas
Alborak, to Mecca; and all was don
in the tenth part OF night.
In the conclusion of this extraordi
nary fabrication he skillfully adds
that when he was enioined to repea
fifty prayers each day he entreate
! for his nation, and they were fnall
, reduced at his intercession to five. L
finish the wonder he was returne
, back to Caaba ere the crier called hir
to prayers; and "thus," conclude
Mahomot, "did I bring with me th
, prescribed number ofprayers, andle
sened the burden for my nation"
> The story seemed SO absurd an
: incredible, that several of his follow
! ers left him upon il; and it had prol
! ably ruined the whole design, ha
= not his father-in-law, Abubeke
. vouched for his veracity, and declare
1 that, if Mahomet affirmed it to !
q q true; be verify believed the who'll
q which happy incident not only r
4 trieved the Prophets credit, but i
: creased it to such degree, that ]
q was secure Of being able to make b
;, disciples swallow whatever he plea
y ed to impose on them for The futur
/,