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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Mohammed promised Abu Sufiy4n that all those inhabitants of Mecca who should take refuge in his house or in the Kaabah or even in private houses, provided the doors were closed, should be xlii THE QuR’AN. unmolested, and dismissed him to carry this news to his fellow-citizens, not however before he and ‘Abbas had persuaded the Meccan chief to become a Muslim, which he somewhat unwillingly consented to do. There is good reason to suppose that the whole affair was arranged between Mohammed, “Abbds, and Abu Sufiy4n, and that the meeting by night at the camp with the somewhat theatrical details with which the historians relate it, and the sudden conversion of the two hitherto irreconcilable chiefs, were part of a plan designed to save Mecca from unnecessary bloodshed now that Mohammed’s increased power and the overwhelming numbers he brought with him made a capture of the city inevitable. At any rate it had this effect, the Muslim army entered Mecca almost without resistance, only a few Bedawin under the command of ‘HAlid being assailed with arrows by some of Mohammed’s bitterest opponents, whom he quickly dispersed. Mohammed, seeing him in pursuit of his assailants, was excessively angry until it was explained to him that ‘H4lid’s action was unavoidable and only in self-defence. Mohammed was at length master of the capital of Arabia ; his first act was to repair to the Kaabah, and after making the circuit seven times and respectfully saluting the black stone with his staff, he entered the building and caused the idols to be destroyed. Actuated both by sound policy and by the strong feeling of attachment to his own tribe, which is inherent in every Arab’s breast, he proclaimed a general amnesty, and the Meccans readily embraced Islim and marched under its banner, hoping for the reward of Paradise, and sure of rich booty here on earth. The Bedawin tribes in the neighbourhood gave him more trouble, but these too were brought into at least nominal subjection; the tribe of the THaqif at 7@if still held out, and Mohammed attacked them in the valley of “Honein, where they were surprised by the enemy in a narrow defile, and were in imminent danger of a defeat, had not Mohammed rallied them by appealing to them as ‘Ye men of the “Sarah of the Heifer!” Ye men of the “Tree of Fealty!”’ INTRODUCTION. xliii
2xliii reminding them of the first portion of the Qur’an revealed at Medinah, and of the oath of fealty which they had sworn as he sat beneath a tree at ‘Hudaibtyeh. On this occasion he took a rich booty, and in order to conciliate the Meccan chiefs he gave them more than their fair share at the division of the spoils. This was particularly displeasing to his Medinah followers, who were only appeased by his declaring his regard for them, and promising never to desert their city or again take up his residence at Mecca. These events are alluded to in the Qur’4n, Chap. IX. After the battle of ‘Honein, Mohammed laid siege to Ta#if, and though he was unable to reduce the place, he so devastated the country around that ambassadors were sent to propose terms of capitulation; they offered to embrace Islam, provided that their territory should be considered sacred, that they should be excused the more onerous duties of the creed, and should be allowed to retain their favourite idol Allat for at least a year. To these conditions Mohammed was at first inclined to accede, but after a night’s reflection, and indignant remonstrance addressed by the fiery Omar to the THaqdjfite messengers, they were definitely refused, and the tribe surrendered unconditionally. The ninth year after the flight is known as the ‘ Year of Deputations,’ the Bedawin tribes one after another sending in their adhesion to his cause and acknowledging his spiritual and temporal supremacy. In the same year Mohammed conducted the expedition against Tabak, which was undertaken with a view to reduce the Syrian tribes to submission, they having been induced by Byzantine influence to rise in insurrection upon the frontier. Sdrah IX contains a violent denunciation of those who on various false pretences held back on the occasion. This was the last military enterprise conducted by Mohammed in person. The Arabs, with their well-known fickleness, did not continue for long in their allegiance to Islam and its prophet ; even in Mohammed’s lifetime, tribe after tribe raised the xliv THE QUR’AN, standard of revolt, and the repression of these insurrections occupied much of his time and attention during the last years of his life. With true political sagacity he saw that the only way to prevent the newly established kingdom from becoming hopelessly disintegrated was to give its members some common interest and ambition. For this reason he never relinquished his designs upon Syria, where the turbulent tribes might find scope for their warlike propensities, and where a rich booty might be gained. It was to this common bond of unity, the desire for plunder and the love of making border raids, as much as to the religious idea, that the triumph of El Islam was due.
3It was to this common bond of unity, the desire for plunder and the love of making border raids, as much as to the religious idea, that the triumph of El Islam was due. In March, 632 A.D., he made his last pilgrimage to Mecca, the ‘ Farewell Pilgrimage,’ as Muslims call it, and standing upon Mount Arafat he addressed the assembled multitude, —more than forty thousand of pilgrims,—bade them stand firm by the faith that he had taught them, and called God to witness that he had delivered his message and fulfilled his mission. In June he fell sick, and himself perceived that his end was drawing nigh. On Monday, June 8, feeling better, he went to the Mosque of Medinah, where Abu Bekr was conducting the prayers before a crowded congregation who had flocked there to hear news of the prophet. Mohammed’s entry was quite unexpected, but in spite of the weakness evident from his faltering gait, his countenance was bright, and his voicé as clear and commanding as ever. Mounting the lower steps of the pulpit he said a few last words to the people, and having given some parting injunctions to Osama, whom he had entrusted with the command of an army to Syria, Mohammed returned to his house and lay down to rest in ‘Ayesha’s chamber. Here, resting his head upon her bosom, the prophet of Arabia fell asleep. The question naturally arises, how could a comparatively obscure citizen of a small Arabian town bring about results of such magnitude as Mohammed undoubtedly did? The secret of his success was, primarily, enthusiasm com- INTRODUCTION. xlv bined with patriotism. Whether he believed to the full in his divine mission and revelations or not, matters but little ; but it is certain that he did believe in himself as working for the good of his fellow-countrymen. He took the political and religious institutions of his country as he found them, and he strove to eradicate what was bad and to develop what was good. He knew that so long as the various tribes wasted their strength in internecine war there was no hope of their ever becoming a power; but he knew their character and temperament well enough to perceive that any scheme for bringing about national unity must fail if it involved the necessity of their submitting to any master whatever. He therefore sought to bind them together by what we may call their common religious feeling, but which really meant, as it too often does, common interests, common customs, and common superstitions. At Mecca all was ready to his hand: the Kaabah contained all the gods of the different tribes; the annual fairs and eisteddfodau (to borrow a Welsh name that exactly expresses the character of these gatherings) were held in the territory, and it was here that the historical and religious traditions of the race were circulated and kept alive. All the elements of centralisation were there, and it only wanted such a master-spirit as Mohammed's to turn their thoughts towards the common idea which should induce them to unite.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Mohammed promised Abu Sufiy4n that all those inhabitants of Mecca who should take refuge in his house or in the Kaabah or even in private houses, provided the doors were closed, should be xlii THE QuR’AN. unmolested, and dismissed him to carry this news to his fellow-citizens, not however before he and ‘Abbas had persuaded the Meccan chief to become a Muslim, which he somewhat unwillingly consented to do. There is good reason to suppose that the whole affair was arranged between Mohammed, “Abbds, and Abu Sufiy4n, and that the meeting by night at the camp with the somewhat theatrical details with which the historians relate it, and the sudden conversion of the two hitherto irreconcilable chiefs, were part of a plan designed to save Mecca from unnecessary bloodshed now that Mohammed’s increased power and the overwhelming numbers he brought with him made a capture of the city inevitable. At any rate it had this effect, the Muslim army entered Mecca almost without resistance, only a few Bedawin under the command of ‘HAlid being assailed with arrows by some of Mohammed’s bitterest opponents, whom he quickly dispersed. Mohammed, seeing him in pursuit of his assailants, was excessively angry until it was explained to him that ‘H4lid’s action was unavoidable and only in self-defence. Mohammed was at length master of the capital of Arabia ; his first act was to repair to the Kaabah, and after making the circuit seven times and respectfully saluting the black stone with his staff, he entered the building and caused the idols to be destroyed. Actuated both by sound policy and by the strong feeling of attachment to his own tribe, which is inherent in every Arab’s breast, he proclaimed a general amnesty, and the Meccans readily embraced Islim and marched under its banner, hoping for the reward of Paradise, and sure of rich booty here on earth. The Bedawin tribes in the neighbourhood gave him more trouble, but these too were brought into at least nominal subjection; the tribe of the THaqif at 7@if still held out, and Mohammed attacked them in the valley of “Honein, where they were surprised by the enemy in a narrow defile, and were in imminent danger of a defeat, had not Mohammed rallied them by appealing to them as ‘Ye men of the “Sarah of the Heifer!” Ye men of the “Tree of Fealty!”’ INTRODUCTION. xliii
2xliii reminding them of the first portion of the Qur’an revealed at Medinah, and of the oath of fealty which they had sworn as he sat beneath a tree at ‘Hudaibtyeh. On this occasion he took a rich booty, and in order to conciliate the Meccan chiefs he gave them more than their fair share at the division of the spoils. This was particularly displeasing to his Medinah followers, who were only appeased by his declaring his regard for them, and promising never to desert their city or again take up his residence at Mecca. These events are alluded to in the Qur’4n, Chap. IX. After the battle of ‘Honein, Mohammed laid siege to Ta#if, and though he was unable to reduce the place, he so devastated the country around that ambassadors were sent to propose terms of capitulation; they offered to embrace Islam, provided that their territory should be considered sacred, that they should be excused the more onerous duties of the creed, and should be allowed to retain their favourite idol Allat for at least a year. To these conditions Mohammed was at first inclined to accede, but after a night’s reflection, and indignant remonstrance addressed by the fiery Omar to the THaqdjfite messengers, they were definitely refused, and the tribe surrendered unconditionally. The ninth year after the flight is known as the ‘ Year of Deputations,’ the Bedawin tribes one after another sending in their adhesion to his cause and acknowledging his spiritual and temporal supremacy. In the same year Mohammed conducted the expedition against Tabak, which was undertaken with a view to reduce the Syrian tribes to submission, they having been induced by Byzantine influence to rise in insurrection upon the frontier. Sdrah IX contains a violent denunciation of those who on various false pretences held back on the occasion. This was the last military enterprise conducted by Mohammed in person. The Arabs, with their well-known fickleness, did not continue for long in their allegiance to Islam and its prophet ; even in Mohammed’s lifetime, tribe after tribe raised the xliv THE QUR’AN, standard of revolt, and the repression of these insurrections occupied much of his time and attention during the last years of his life. With true political sagacity he saw that the only way to prevent the newly established kingdom from becoming hopelessly disintegrated was to give its members some common interest and ambition. For this reason he never relinquished his designs upon Syria, where the turbulent tribes might find scope for their warlike propensities, and where a rich booty might be gained. It was to this common bond of unity, the desire for plunder and the love of making border raids, as much as to the religious idea, that the triumph of El Islam was due.
3It was to this common bond of unity, the desire for plunder and the love of making border raids, as much as to the religious idea, that the triumph of El Islam was due. In March, 632 A.D., he made his last pilgrimage to Mecca, the ‘ Farewell Pilgrimage,’ as Muslims call it, and standing upon Mount Arafat he addressed the assembled multitude, —more than forty thousand of pilgrims,—bade them stand firm by the faith that he had taught them, and called God to witness that he had delivered his message and fulfilled his mission. In June he fell sick, and himself perceived that his end was drawing nigh. On Monday, June 8, feeling better, he went to the Mosque of Medinah, where Abu Bekr was conducting the prayers before a crowded congregation who had flocked there to hear news of the prophet. Mohammed’s entry was quite unexpected, but in spite of the weakness evident from his faltering gait, his countenance was bright, and his voicé as clear and commanding as ever. Mounting the lower steps of the pulpit he said a few last words to the people, and having given some parting injunctions to Osama, whom he had entrusted with the command of an army to Syria, Mohammed returned to his house and lay down to rest in ‘Ayesha’s chamber. Here, resting his head upon her bosom, the prophet of Arabia fell asleep. The question naturally arises, how could a comparatively obscure citizen of a small Arabian town bring about results of such magnitude as Mohammed undoubtedly did? The secret of his success was, primarily, enthusiasm com- INTRODUCTION. xlv bined with patriotism. Whether he believed to the full in his divine mission and revelations or not, matters but little ; but it is certain that he did believe in himself as working for the good of his fellow-countrymen. He took the political and religious institutions of his country as he found them, and he strove to eradicate what was bad and to develop what was good. He knew that so long as the various tribes wasted their strength in internecine war there was no hope of their ever becoming a power; but he knew their character and temperament well enough to perceive that any scheme for bringing about national unity must fail if it involved the necessity of their submitting to any master whatever. He therefore sought to bind them together by what we may call their common religious feeling, but which really meant, as it too often does, common interests, common customs, and common superstitions. At Mecca all was ready to his hand: the Kaabah contained all the gods of the different tribes; the annual fairs and eisteddfodau (to borrow a Welsh name that exactly expresses the character of these gatherings) were held in the territory, and it was here that the historical and religious traditions of the race were circulated and kept alive. All the elements of centralisation were there, and it only wanted such a master-spirit as Mohammed's to turn their thoughts towards the common idea which should induce them to unite.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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