The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-01-01
MOhammodanlsIn.

MOhammedanism.
Mohammed was born at Mecca about $40
A. u. He was the son of Abdallah, of the
family of Hashim and of Amina. of the
family Of Zuhra. both of the powerful
tribe of the KOreish. but of side branch
only, and therefore of little influence. His
father was poor merchant and died about
the time of MOhammed's birth. After the
death OF his mother. which happened when
he was about six years old. he was adopted
and kept by his grandfather for about two
years, after which his uncle took him. and
remained his best friend and protector
through life.
During his youth he gained his livelihood
by tending his fOckS as the Meccans. In
his twenty fifth year, having been highly
recommended for his briliancy and integ-
rity, he entered the service of rich widow
and managed her affairs with a great de-
gree of satisfaction. In short time the
widow offered him her hand, and. although
she was about fifteen years older than he. he
accepted the offer and they were married.
and their married life proved a very happy
one. MOhammed, now realizing that he no
longer had to work for livelihood. spent
most of his time in solitary meditation, and
in his fOrteth year he received his first rev.
elatiOn. or in other words became first
aware that he had a mission.
About the year 600 A. D. Christianity
had penetrated into the heart of Arabia,
through Syria on the one, and Abyssinia
on the other hand. Judaism also had many
adherentS in the northern parts of the
peninsula which were dotted over with
Jewish colonies. founded by emigrants
after the destruction of Jerusalem.
Previous to this the worship had been
wOrShipped the sun and stars. ETC., and
neld great festive ceremonies. But this
heathenish form of worship had come to be
disapprOved of by great mass of people.
They sought form of religion which would
embOdy both the traditions of their FORE
fathers, and pure doctrine of the Divinity,
and hence turned either to Judaism or
Christianity. 1t was under these circum-
stances that Mohammed felt moved to teach
new faith, and his idea was to strike a
neutral ground and thus do away with
Judaism on the one hand and Christianity
on the other. Two great fundamental
principles underlying MOhammedism are
''There is no God but GOd." and '.MO-
hammed is Gods Apostle" They claim
that the Koran supersedes the Gospel. and
so MOhammed supersedes Christ. They
claim also that the crucifxiOn was executed
upon another person than Christ, and that
He (Christ) had been taken up unto God
before the decree was carried out and that
He will come again upon the earth and es-
tablish MOhammedanism everywhere. The
CHIEF duties of MOhammedans are four. as
follows: prayer, almsgivng. fasting and
pilgrimage. Every MOhammedan is obliged
to pray five times during the space of
,twentyfOur hours. The times for these
prayers are as follows: about sunset, at
nightfall at daybreak. about noon. and
afternoon. taking care not to begin exactly
at sunrise. at noon. or at sunset. lest they
might be cOnfOunded with the infdel Sun.
wOrshippers.
Drinking Intoxicating liquors is positively
forbidden. All games of chance are con.
sidered so wicked that a gamblers testimony
is invalid in court of law. Usury is
strictly prohibited.
Murder is either punished with death, or
by the payment of a fine to the family of
the deceased according to their own pleas
ure. The resurrection, according to Mo-
hammedansm, will be announced by three
terrible blasts. That of CONSERVATION which
will be so terrible that Heaven and earth
will melt. That of examination which will
annihilate all things except Paradise and
hell and their inhabitants; and forty years
later that of resurrection, when all men,
MOhammed first. shall have their souls
breathed into their restored bodies and will
sleep in their sepulchres until the final
doom has been passed upon them.
The Day of Judgment will last from one
to fifty thousand years. When the trial is
over the righteous will enter Heaven on the
right hand. and the wicked will pass to the
left into hell.
MOhammedans claim that their religion
is the only orthodox creed existing from the
beginning of the world and preached -by all
the prophets ever since Adam. About one
hundred and eighty millions of people ad-
here to the faith founded by Mohammed. -
PhilOsophian Review.
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