The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-13

or wind were not put into any shape
at all MI after the PROPHETS death, hy order
or Abu Bakr. The work or the editor consisted
simply IN arranging the suras in the order 81 their
respective lengLhs-the longest first, the shortest
lasi and though the book once afLerward passed
through the EDITORS hands, this is substantially
the shape IN which the Koran has come down 10
us. Various readings, which would seem, how
ever, to have been OF very slight importance, hav-
ing crept into the different copies a revising COM
mittee was appointed by order OF the Caliph Otn-
man, ana an authorized edition having been thus
prepared "to prevent the texts Offering Ike
those OF the Jews and Christians AL previous
copies were collected and burned.
The very titles OF the earlier suras the Impre-
cations with when they abound, the Imagery they
employ, suggest the shepherd OF the oesert, the
desplsed visionary, the poet ana the prophet
"The Folding Up," "Tne Ceaving in sundern
"rhe Celestial Signs" 1.-The Unity,' "rhe over
waelming," "The strkngn "rhe Inevitable"
1.-THE Earthquake 'Tne War Horses" tell their
own story. There are passages in these, though
il must be admitted they are rare, which may be
compared In grandeur even with some OF the sub
FINEST passages OF job. of David or or Isaiah.
Take, for instance, the vision OF The last day
w,Gh which the eighty sura, "Ihe Folding
Up,o begns:--
When the sun shall be folded up
And when The mountains shall be sci in no ion.
And when the shc-camels with shall neglected
And when the wild beasts shall be huddled together,
And when the sols snail boil.
And when souls shall ue Joined again 10 their bodies,
Aud when he male child that had been buried alive
shall ask for what crime she was put TO death
ana Wncn tle leaves OF tae Book snail DC hhrolltu,
And when the Heavens shall he stripped away ike
And When Hell shah be made to blaze,
And wnen Paradise shall be brought near
Every soul shall know what II has done.
illusions to the monotony OF the DESERT the
sun In It's rising brightness; the moon in It's splen
oor are varied In the Koran by much more vivid
mental visions OF the Great Day waen men shall
be ike moths scattered abroad, and the noun
tains shall become like carded wool OF various
coors, driven by the wind.
THE PROPHETS FRANCES.
Strange and graphic accounts have been pre-
served 10 us by Ayesha of the physical phenomena
attending the Prophets fits OF inspiration. He
heard as 1t were the ringing OF bell; he lel down
as one dead; he sobbed like camel; he felt as
though he were being rent In pieces, and
when he came to himself he felt though
words had been written on his heart. And when
Abu Bakr, she who would have sacrificed father
aud matLer for Mohammed," burst into tears at
the sight Of the Prophets whitening hair, "Yes,n
said Mohammed, "Hud ana its sisters the terrific
suras, nave turned II white before It's time.u
As we have said, this Is in many respects re-
markable book. Whatever objections may be
made TO certain OF the authors views respecting
the relations OF Islam Christianity, all who de-
sire TO know the differences between the former
as 1t Is commonly painted and as tt is win ind
them set forth IN these pages with admirable
clearness and impartialty.