Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-12-25
Moha,nmed and His Rellsio
AN HIsToRIcAL REVIEW.

his religion were first preached will no
be inappropriate in an article upo
Mahammed aud his religion, and ma.
be profitable, as throwing some ligh
upon the doctrines of Mohammedan
ism, and the causes of its rapid spread
Arabid, the hot-bed whence sprung
and which still is the Holy Land G
| Mohammedanisnl, is now and has al
ways been a, to some extent, terra in
cognitd. and study to the curious, il
many things.
In length it extends from northwes
to southeast distance of fifteen hun
| dred miles, while its southern coas
stretches more than a thousand mile
along the Indian Ocean. No rivers ir
rigate its dry, sandy and sterile plains
no rushing torrents break through it'
bleak mountains; few springs bubble
from its bosom of mother earth, ant
the waters of that few are soon absorb
ed by the thirsty desert sands, or evap
GRATED by the action of fierce, torriG
sun; little verdure clothes the repulsive
nakedness of vast stretches of sand hill
locks and mountains. There are nc
riches to tempt commerce. and few
known wonders to draw the explorer
while dangers from thirst. from NOV.
ing clouds of sand, and the warlike
tribes of the desert, are ever present to
deter.
All things combine to make this an
unknown land to outsiders, and to pre-
vent the march of progress within. On
the east is the Persian Gulf, to the
south the Indian Ocean, westward is
the Red Sea, while northward are Syria
and Persia
Along the coast. and extending few
miles into the einterior, is narrow strip
of land, which is all that invites or will
support permanent settlement Inside
this belt, in all directions, for hundreds
of miles stretches the barren waste of
dreary desert and mountain, only dot
ted here and there with the waving
palm tree and the verdant grass around
the occasional spring or well.
In the midst of this occasional oasis
we may see the tents of the wandering
horde, pitched with filial affection
around that of their chief, schiek, or
patriarch. AS was the practice thnus-
ands of years past, SO it is now. They
soon strike their tents, pack their cam
els, seize their arms, mount their horses,
and again sally into the desert to seek
other pastures, or to wage private or
public war.
The steriIity of the soil, the absence
of mineral wealth, the lack of induce
ments to commerce, all conduce to keep
these people at stand-still. as to man.
ners and customs, at the point where
they were before the foundation of any
now existant on the face
of the earth, save as to religion, and
their very surrounding made their
change in that possible.
In some arts and sciences at one time
teaching the world, now no man calls
them learned.
Only one change has taken place in
of years. and that consisted
in forsaking the rites of polytheism,
and proclaiming that "There is but one
God and Mohammed is his prophet"
Their habits, tastes and surroundings
made them singularly free and inde-
pendent of control. The bond linking
them together was and is mainly q
reverence for some particular ancestor
or family, and knowledge that booty
is more readily accumulated by union.
There is no cringing submission to the
will of one master, or even to the will
of majority. A wild, free, rowing.
brave and warlike people, they are
open to generous impulses.
And stranger or evena member of
hostile tribe who enters his tent or eats
his salt is protected and sent on his way
with gifts and the assurance of protec-
ton.
Originally this people were worship
pers of idols: three hundred and seven
ty of these were, with more or less
reverence, esteemed by the Arabs. The
sun, moon and stars were not the least,
though the black stone, the great
'Caaba" of Mecca, was the common
god of ALL The Tabeans, after their
in Chaldea and Persia by
the Magians, also introduced their rites
and their worship. And liberation
in matters religious, existed, to degree
worthy of our following;the Magicians,
the Jews, after the time OF Titus,
and the various sects of Christians who.
after theirs became the religion of the
State i'm the Roman Empire. and alter
nately exhibited to one another most
upcbristian spirit, all were allowed set
tlement and their own worship with
out hinderance. The circles were trac-
ell around the Baaba, the warning spir-
its of good and evil, the stern doctrine
of the pentateuch. and the gospel of
the humble Savior. were all freely
aud freely followed.
The apostle and founder of the new
religion was Mohammed, son of Abdul
lah and Amina, a maiden of Jewish
born at Mecca four years
aftar the death of Justinian. Emperor
of Rame. nephew of Justin the First,
and only two months after the repulse
of an Abysinian invasion which would
hapa II successfnl, installed the relig-