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I. Muhammad
THE earliest biographers of the Arabian Prophet, whose works are extant in Arabic, are Ibn-Ishaq (A.H. 151), Ibn-Hisham (A.H. 218), Waqidi (A.H. 207), and Tabari (A.H. 310). Is mail Abulfida, Prince of Hamah, in Syria (A.H. 733), compiled a Life of Muhammad in Arabic, which was translated by John Gragnier, Pro fessor of Arabic at Oxford (A.D. 1723), and into English by the Rev. W. Murray, Episcopal clergyman at Duffus, in Scotland. * Dr. Spren- ger of Calcutta commenced a Life of Muham-
Mr. Murray's translation was published at Elgin
(without date). It is exceedingly scarce, the British Museum not possessing a copy.
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MUHAMMAD.
mad in English, and printed the first part of it
at Allahabad (A.D. 1851); but it was never
completed. The learned author afterwards
published his work in German in 1869.* The
only Life of Muhammad in English, which has
any pretension to original research, is that by
Sir William Muir of the Bengal Civil Service.†
Muhammad (lit. the praised one], son of
Abdul Muttalib, by his wife Amina, was born
at Mecca, August 29th, A.D. 570. He assumed
Uuf prophetic office at the age of forty, fled
from Mecca at the age of fifty-four, and died
at Medinah, June 9th, A.D. 632, aged sixty -two.
The Hi/rat, or Hegira (the flight from Mecca), which is the Muhammadan era, dates from July 16th, A.D. 622.
The character of Muhammad is an historic
problem, and many have been the conjectures
as to his motives and designs. Was he an
impostor, a fanatic, or an honest man " a very
prophet of God ? " And the problem might
Das Leben und die Lehre des Mohammad. A. Sprenger. 6 vols. Svo. Berlin, 1869.
†t Life of Mahomet. 4 vols. Svo. London, 1858-61. New Edition. 1 vol. Svo. London, 1877.
MUHAMMAD. 3
have for ever remained unsolved had not the
Prophet himself appealed to the Old and New
Testament in proof of his mission. This is
the crucial test, established by the Prophet
himself. He claims to be weighed in the balance
with the Divine Jesus. Having done so, we
find him wanting.
Objection has often been made to the manner
in which Christian divines have attacked the
private character of Muhammad. Why reject
the prophetic mission of Muhammad on account
of his private vices, when yon receive as inspired
the sayings of a Balaam, a David, or a Solomon ? We do not, as a rule, attack the character of Muhammad in dealing with Islam ; it rouses opposition, and is an offensive line of argument. Still, in forming an estimate of his prophetical pretensions, we contend that the character of Muhammad is an important item in our bill of indictment. We readily admit that bad men have sometimes been, like Balaam and others, the divinely appointed organs of inspiration ; but in the case of Muhammad his professed in spiration sanctioned and encouraged his own vices. That which ought to have been the foun tain of purity was, in fact, the cover of the
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4 MUHAMMAD.
Prophet s depravity.* But how different it is
in the case of the true prophet David, where, in
the words of inspiration, he lays bare to public
gaze the enormity of his own crimes. The deep
contrition of his inmost soul is manifest in every
. line " I acknowledge my transgression and my
sin is ever before me : against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight." The best defenders of the Arabian Pro- phett are obliged to admit that the matter of Zein^^^tj^j^fe^oJ^^Zeida and again, of Mary, the Coptic slave, are " an indelible stain " upon his memory ; that " he is once or twice untrue to the kind and forgiving disposition of his best nature ; that he is once or twice unrelenting in the punishment of his personal enemies; and that he is guilty even more than once of con niving at the assassination of inveterate oppo* nents ; " but they give no satisfactory explana tion or apology for all this being done under the supposed sanction of God in the Quran. In forming an estimate of Muhammad s pro-
Vide Quran, chap, xxxiii. 37, and chap. Ixvi. 1
t Vide Muhammad and Muhammadism, by Mr. R.
Bos worth Smith, M.A., an Assistant Master of Harrow
School.