The American Jewish world. [volume] (Minneapolis ;) 1915-current, 1920-04-09

art aSSiduously cultivated by the
Arabs of that day., Even Jewess by
the name of Sarah is known as writ
err of Arabic verse in those early. pre-
Mohammedan days. A Jew of that
time, warrior as well as singer, has
become celebrated in Arabic verse
and proverb "As faithful as Al
Samu'al', has been a proverbial say
ing among the children of Arabia.
The story that gave rise to the prov
erb is as follows: Imrul Kais, the
most renowned fighter and poet OF
pre-Islamic Arabia, being beset by
enemies on all sides, and leaving his
native heath in quest of help, left his
belongings, among them five costly
coats of mail and other arms, in the
Jewish poet, Samuel's, castle for safe
keeping. One of Imrul Kais' enemies
demanded of Samuel the surrender
of those arms, and when refused, laid
siege to his castle. He captured one
of Samuel's sons, and with the threat
of executing him before the very eyes
Of the father, again demanded the
surrender of the arms, and was again
refused. He brutally carried out his
threat, for Samuel's sense of honor
and duty to his friend conquered his
affection for his child. Hence the
proverb "as faithful as Al-Samu'al".
The influence of those early Jewish
settlers in Arabia went so far that
a powerful prince with many of his
subjects in southern Arabia became
converts to Judaism. so that the
chroniclers speak of an Arabian Jew
ish empire. Large and numerous
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around Medinah, the real birthplace
of Islam, where it's prophet met with
his first successes. And it was there
also that the Arab Jews met with
their first reverses and disasters when
Muhammed entered upon his triumR
plant career. Muhammed's indebted
ness to the Jews for what is best in
his religion cannot be exaggerated.
He repeatedly admits that he is only
restoring to the children of Ishmael
the faith of their ancestor, Abraham.
To win the sympathy of the Jews for
his new faith he was willingfto make
all possible concessions to them, and
to incorporate into his new religion
even many of the traditional rabbinic
laws and Institutions. He would have
his followers turn in prayer toward
Jerusalem, and observe the Day OF
Atonement. and many of the dietary
laws. and the historic Jewish Sabbath
But the Jews would have none of him
as a prophet. and he in turn reveneed
himself by adopting the same method
of complete separation from Judaism
as the church had adopted somewhat
earlier He gave the Jewish idea
different direction. different time,
different place. The Sabbath was to
be observed on Friday, and the faith.
full were to turn in prayer toward
Meccah. Not one day, but whole
month was to be observed in rigor.
GUS fasting, etc.
But his revenge took a sterner.
more punitive form. He resolved up
on the expulsion or destruction of the
Jewish tribes of Arabia, and he trans
mitted legacy of prosecuting hate
to his followers, which, however, ex-
tended to all unbelievers, Christians
as we'll as Jews. And it was his Sec
ond successor, the Khalif Omar, who
entered upon vigorous prosecution
Of his policy; for pushing the con- Z
quests of the Faithful to remote res =
gions, Egypt, Syria, and Persia, he
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