The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-06-06
CHE 141an from Tflecca.

ME aeronaut, who looks down
from his balloon at the sur
rounding landscape, observes
only those things that stand
out prominently. The historian, who
writes modern and ancient history,
sees, so to speak, only those men who
have accomplished stupendous things.
AS he glances down the long vista of
centuries he cannot help noting the
achievements of Mohammed, the man
who founded the Mohammedian re-
iigion.
In studying the career of this re-
markable man from the time he herd
ed sheep on the hillside overlooking
Mecca to the day of his death, one gets
a comprehensive idea of the incongru-
GUS life he led. Altho Mohammed
was a protagonist of great ability, he
cannot be ranked as the greatest mon
Otheistic teacher that had existed pre-
-vious to his time. Jesus the Christ
teached mOnotheism over Eve hundred
years previous to the time of Moham-
med, and it is certain that the man of
Mecca had some knowledge of the
teachings of the former.
Notwithstanding the fact that Mo-
hammed's mission was intended as a
peaceful one, he led turbulent life
thruout his whole career. Whenever
he failed to win converts by moral
suasion, he resorted to the sword and
compelled them to shout for Allah. In
this way he put to death more people
than the legions of Rome did In con-
QueriDg Jerusalem. His remarkable
success as general offered to his SOL
diers many opportunities to plunder,
and this, more than his teachings, was
q potential factor In. contributing to
che greatness Of Mohammed. a
During his early life Mohammed was
noted for the exenplar life which he
led, and his admFing neighbors be-
slowed upon him the nickname of
"The Faithful" At forty he became
extremely pious, had innunerable vi
stons, and announced that he had es-
tablished communication with the
Angel Gabriel. At first his pretensions
were ridiculed and he was threatened
with bodily injury. He aud his de-
voted followers were compelled to fee
from the city. From this time on Mo-
hammed became changed man. From
q reformer of benevolent mien, he de-
veloped into leader of band of ruff
dans who eventually became the
terror of the whole Of Asia. He COM
manded over a hundred thousand IA
natics whose battle cry was: "There is
no God but Allah, and Mohammed is
His Apostle"
The followers of Mohammed had a
child-like faith in their leader and in
the wonderful revelations which he
from time to time impaired to them.
When his crafty eye noted the opu-
tence of many of his warriors, consist
ing principally of booty obtained on
bis marauding expeditions, he informed
his followers that he had had a vision
from his patron saint, Gabriel, in which
1t was foretold that the poor would
enter paradise seventy years before
the rich. Those who have read the
Koran have some idea how seriously
this revelation impressed his cohorts.
No doubt Mohammed resped rich
harvest by Importing this information
for 1t demonstrated that he was a re-
-sourceful stratagist, man of superior
mentality, and that he was able to
cope with difficult propositions with the
tact Of Talleyrand.
Many historians have pronounced
Mohammed as being insane from the
time of the Hegira, when he was per-
secuted by the Koreishites in Mecca,
until his death. Still, when we ana
tyze his achievements as an organizer
and as general, this belief is not con.
'sistent with his life. If he was insane,
then it would be reasonable to pre-
sumo that Napoleon, Hannibal, and
Alexander the Great were also insane
The analogy between their careers and
that of Mohammed, is almost perfect;
for they all entertained dreams of con.
-quering the world, and in doing SO,
they used the Inhabitants thereof as q