Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-05-27
miscellaneous. y
The Founder of MOhammedanism,
THE FAITH OF A HUNDRED AND FIFTY
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE,

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE,
X. Bosworth Smith, VI. A., last year de-
livered before the Royal Institution Of
Great Britain series of lectures on No
hammed and Nohdmmedanism, which he
now collects and puts in book form. He
has attempted, he says, from a somewhat
comprehensive and Independent point of
view. to render justice to what was great
III Mohammeds character, and to what
has been good in his influence on the
world; an influence still prodigious, since
Mohammedanism numbers ut this day
probably one hundred and fifty millions of
believers. and has hold on three cont,
ncnts And yet Mohammcd did not put
forward his 'deluson" as an original re-
ligion. lie called il a return TO the primi-
tive religion. the faith of Abraham to which
no one can dispute its similarity
The father OF Mohammetrdied before hi,
sons birth, aud his mother six years after
50 he was brought up by poor uncle
Mohammed was poor, sicklv, and subject
to eplleptic fits. He tended hocks, like
the other prophets, he used afterward to
say. There are legends that celestial
light beamed in the sky at his birth; that
the llgris ovcrilowed its banks; that the
sacred Are of /Oroaster which had been
burning for thousand years (how plenty
salainandcrS must have been in those
days. was suddenly eXtinguished; that
mules talked, and sheep bowed to him.
But neither Mohammed nor his contem-
porares ever told these stories they orig
inttcd in another country and in a later
age.
His childhood seems to have been in no
way remarkable. When he was twenty
four years OF age, he was employed as
.sl,r al .I,t,+ I.- -,
She was named kadijah She was thirty
eight years Of age, and had been already
twice married. She married him, ana
strangely enough. the marriage wa, most
happy, despite the fourteen years dispari-
ty; he loved her as long aS She lived, with
singlencsS, constancy and reverence
which contrast strangely with his ditfusivc-
ness alter her death. when he married
macy wives. But even the youngest and
most beautiful among them never ceased
being jealous OF THAT dead. toothlesS Oh
woman" Since she died when he WAS iit(v
years old, She must have been sXtv-four at
the time; and ne lost with her not only
much ~ hi> purity out much of his >piritu-
al tcrvor. She was his first disciple. and
she upheld him through all manner ot op-
position aid persecution. "GOl comfort
ed him through her IN ron,ing him 10
again and making his burden more light To
him. assuring him OF her own faith in him
and the iutility OF mems babblc." 1t il
little wonder that after her death he
''woull not be comiorted.
The best authorities describe Moham-
mcd's personal appearance a. follows
"lle was of medium height. rather thin,
but broad Of shoulders, wide OF chest.
strong of bone and muscle. His head was
massive aud strongly developed. Dark
hair. slightly curled flowed in a dense mas.
almost to his shoulders. Even ia advanced
a.e, il was Sprinklcd by only about TWEEN.
~ gray hars-prodnccd by the ayouics OF
"Revelati0us." His face was ovaI->hapcd.
slightly tawny in coior.and fine, long, arch
ed eyebrow, were divided BY a vein which
throbbed visibly in moments OF passion.
Great black, restless eyes shoue ont from
under long heavy eye la>hcS His nose
was large. slightly aquilne. Iii, teeth,
upon which he bestowed great care. were
well set. dazzling white 4 mll beard
framed his face. His skin was clear ana
soft his complexion red aud white, his
hands were as silk and satin, even a.
those OF a woman His step was quick
aud elastic. yet firm. like that OF one de
sccuding Il hill. He was extremely sim
PIE III his habits, although he bestowed
much care on his person. lie gave away
all ">uperfluities, and even in the tulne,s
ot hi, power, he held to plain food and
furniture. He hated strong drinks, but
was pas>lonately fond OF perfumes. bein.
sensitive of smell. He was bashful and
shy fond OF animals and children and uni
formy kind aud torgiving. He was always
ready to share his food with any passing
beggtr He lived on dates aud water. or
barley bread; milk and honey were luxu-
"a Iiph b,a 10, i'm ~.
he was very fond OF both. He visited the
sick. mendcd his own clothes, swept his
floor. lighted his fire and MIXED his goats.
even when he had a dozen wives at hand.
showing marked superiority to the do
me>tlc master of the present day. Yet hi,
constitution was extremely delicate, and
he SO >hrunk from bodily pain that ''hc
woul'! sob and roar under it," lie WAS
geHllc and lndulgent to a marked degree
his >crv ant said Ten year, was | about
the prophet and he never said a. much as
''uii' to me" Even in the zenith Of his
power, Mahammed never attempted 10
deity himself, he never pretended to be
free from human weakness. He once in A
III OF anger uttered Il prophecy which turn
ed out true, but he never assumed to pre-
diet the future, although others credited
HIM with supernatural power.
lie was forty years old when he was
''cho>cn by the Lord His influence
grew slowly at first. In three years he
made only fourteen proselytes. He was
condemned and laughed at. People pointed
at him and said There goeth the son of
Abdallah, who hath his converse with the
heavens They called him star-gazer.
driveller, a poet, even. This last was
the unkindest cut of all. "Shal declare
unto you" he atlerward says, ION whom
the devils descend: They descend upon
every lying and wicked person most of
them are liars. And those who err follow
the steps Of the poets" Again The stand
ard-bearer of poets he says. lis on the
way to hell"
In the light of our advanced aye. we
smile at Mohammed's heaven; at his >bub-
bling fountains and shady gardens, his
women made of pure musk. his spices and
his perfumes. But it must be remembered
that much of the grosser and more materi-
al phases of Mohammed's paradise are due,
not to MOhammed himself. but to his over
Jealous successors. Beside. it will not do
for US, who have Solomon's Song in our
bible. to talk too loudly against oriental
imagery. Moreover, every-body's idea of
heaven is more or less patterned after his
present tastes, preferences and habits.
The Indian believes in happy hunting
grounds the NOrseman looks forward to
drinking cheerful bumpers from the skulls
of his enemies, in the hall of Odin: and
some of US nearer home fondly picture a
scene where congregations never break up
and Sabbaths never end. So it is hardly
unnatural that people, one of whose old
est institutions was polygamy. should have
glimpse of that estate in their portrave ed
heaven. especially since they found in the
old testament .wOrthies, their patterns and
eXemplars. But bad as we are pleased to
| consider Mahommed's morals, we must
not forget that still worse state of things
existed before his time. He Was eminent
ly a reformer and it is no more fair to rep
resent polygamy as an outgroth of Mo-
hammedanism, than to say that slavery is
result of christianity. Born and reared
in the midst of polygamy, he did not real
ize all its evils !; they were too rear his eyes
and if he had seen them. he could not have
| renewed them. With much more Justice it
might be said that the government of the
United States upholds polygamy. since it
not only does not eXtermiDate Mormonism.
| hut actuallV allows IL tn he ronroSonfad in