Evening star., 1928-02-19
BY WILL DURANT, Ph. d.,
Author of
''The Story of Philosophy"
The Story of Civilization =

visitation. but this inconvenience vas
rcmedied by the rule. divincly revealed,
that every utterance abrogated any
contradictory utterancc made before.
AS Mohammed could neither read nor
write. he required an amanuenSiS 10
take down his inspirations. The ANA
nuensis lost his faith when he observed
that he was permitted to write down
whatever he chose. concluding that 1t
was he not Mohammed, that was in
spired The prophet. however. confirm
I'd the supernatural quality of his an
nouncements by emitting them mostly
from the midst of scmi-cpileptic fits
He fell to the ground" runs one de-
scriptiOn. like an inebriatc. or one
overcome by sleep. and in the coolest
day his forehead would be bedewed
with large drops Of pcrspiration. Even
his she-camel. If he chanced to be in
spired while mounted on her. would be
affected BY a wild excitement, sitting
down and rising up. now planting her
legs rigidly then throwing them apart
as If they would bc parted from her"
Sometimes the prophet would interrupt
meal to fall into trance and an
lounce new Sura. then he would fin
iGh his dinner.
The substance of his revelation was
/ the unity faS against the trinity Of
God. and the trinity fas against the
unity) of Gods prophets. The thou
sand gods and spirits worshiped by the
Arabs. said Mohammed, had no real
cXistence-there was but one god, Allah.
! This great god had been revealed to
| mankind through three holy men
first Moses and then Christ and then,
slightly superior to these two. Moham-
med, in whom the promise of the
Paraclete. or Holy Ghost was at last
. fulfilled and the Divine wisdom was
embodied on the earth.
Some believed him and others laugh
ed The aged visionary Waraka hailed
him as the anointed. but his uncle
Abu Taleb. who had brought him up.
rejected him as an imposter or fool
! The great family or clan OF the Koreish
whose pietv was nour;shed by the
profits which they derived from nil
grimages to the Kaaba resolved upon
Mohammed's death as the due Of the
ancient gods; they swore that each
group in the clan should sink a dagger
into his heart, to divide the guilt Of
! his blood and battle the vengeance OF
. his followers.
| * X *
! Mohammed, hearing of the plot. es
! capped In the night. passing disguised
through the enemies that watched hi,
door. For three days he lived in
! cave near the city. fed with food secret
/ ~ brought by the loyal members of hi
/ family. The koreish hunted him with
the eagerneSs Of theological animals
! they came 10 the very entrance of hi.
1 cave. but left 1t unsearched because o
! a spiders web just formed over III,
! opening. deceiving them into believin.
1t empty. When they had gone Mo,
hammed emerged. and fed to the nortf
! until he came to Medina From th..
/ hegira, or flight 1927. the good No.
hammedan dates the years and tn,
! centuries
/ At Medina he stirred up his friend.
/ to Join him in holy band that shoule
protect him and spread the new revela
tion. But II We are killed in YOU,
+ service" they asked. what will be OF,
j reward?" Paradise" replied Mo.
hammed. Very soon his cohorts grew
and when the Koreist sent out from
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