The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-11-25
lSLAM'S NEW PROPHET.

Chicago, Nov 14.-The dispatches
from Constantinople, say thst tie Sultan
| hello r levee to celebrate the 1300th year
of the Mohsmmedsn calendar. AS the
heglra OF flight of Mohammet from Mecca
to Medina took place July 10, 622, how
can THIS b the 1300th year Of the era
beginning with the begira? What is
meant by the Modhi. or new Prophet
Of Islam? r. W. II.
The Mohammedan era began with
the hegira on the night of July
1882, but the years of the Moham-
medan calendar are purely lunar,
consisting of II lunar months or 354
days s hours and 4S minutes. The
year begins with the first day
OF the month Muharran, and thus
fell this year on Sunday, November
u, making the first day of the year
1900 of the Mohammedan calendar
the twelfth day of the eleventh
month OF the year 1882 of our calen-
dar. By the same rule the first day
of the year 400, Mchammedan
calendar, will fall on Wednesday,
November 81, 1879. the hundred
years of the Mohammedqn calen-
dar being equal to about ninety
seven of ours.
According to MOhammedan ira
dition the first ten days of the
month Muharran were given up to
the writing of the Koran, and the
centennial anniversary of this event
is a great occasion among NOLAN
medans, the festival extending over
several days.
The celebration is the more signi-
ficant this year because Of the be-
lief among Mohammedans that the
Mohdi DIRECTORY whose coming was
prophesied by Mohammed, is to APP
pear this year. Concerning this
person or prophet, Mohammed pro-
phesied that the world should not
have an end till one of his own fam
lily should govern the Arabians,
whose name should be like his own
name and whose fathers name
should also be like that of his own
father, The Mohdi is to fill the
earth with righteousness, and his
coming is to be one of the signs of
the general resurrection. Among the
other signs of this resurrection are
the decay of faith among men, the adj
vancing of meanest persons to high
est dignitieS, wars, seditions, and tu-
mults wars with the Jews, a great
smoke an eclipse. the Mohammedans
will return to idolatry, great treas
ure will be found in the Euphrates,
the Kaaba will be destroyed by the
Philippians, and Constantinople will
be taken by the descendants of
Isaac. The time of the resurrection
even Mohammed could not learn
from Gabriel, but the Shiite sect
of MohammedanS have long believed
that the Modhi is on the earth in
the person of some one to be iden-
titled and announced when the
proper time comes. They suppose
the Modhi to be no other than the
last OF the twelve mans, named
MOhammed AbulkaSem. This is a
Persian view, but the coming of
the Modhi this year is looked for
by the Seminite Mohammedons as
well.
1t was said at one time that Arab
Pasha was the new prophet and
that the persecution of the English
would make him, in accordance
with Mohammed's prophecy, ruler
over the Arabians. Another aspir-
ant for the dignity is the false pro-
phet, operating against the Egyp-
tian troops in the Soudan.
The Turks seem inclined to head
off these movements by securing a
new revelation assuring the Sultan.
Abdul Hamid H., son of Abdul
Medjid, is the Modhi or new pro-
phet of Islam. The name does not
come up to the requirements of Mo-
hammed's prophecy, but neither
does that of any other candidate for
the place.-Chicago inter Ocean.