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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Some of these Arabs had embraced the Jewish religion, and many of the former masters of the city still dwelt there in the position of clients of one or other of the conquéring tribes, so that it contained in Mohammed’s time a considerable Jewish population. Between the inhabitants of YaTHrib and those of Mecca there existed a strong feeling of animosity ; but Mohammed, though sharing the prejudices of his compatriots, was not in a position to refuse help from whatever quarter it presented itself. The Arab inhabitants of YaTHrib had on their part a good reason for looking with a more favourable eye upon the new prophet. Imbued with the superstition of the Jews amongst whom they lived, they looked for the coming of a Messiah with no small apprehension of his restoring the Jewish supremacy and of their own consequent downfall. Mohammed, after all, might be the expected Messiah ; ~ he was of their own race and it was at any rate prudent to treat with him before he should cast in his lot, as he possibly might, with their disaffected Jewish subjects. Lastly, YaTHrib was a prey to incessant agitations and internal discords, and anything that was likely to bind the INTRODUCTION. XXX1 conflicting parties together by a tie of common interest could not but prove a boon to the city. The inhabitants of YaTHrib then were, for many reasons, inclined to acknowledge the mission of Mohammed; and after sundry negotiations between the prophet and the chiefs of the city, he agreed to meet them at a part of the road between Mecca and YaTHrib, where the valley suddenly makes an abrupt descent, from which the spot was known as Akabeh. A deputation, consisting of twelve men of the Aus and ‘Hazrag tribes, accordingly met him at the appointed spot and pledged him their word to obey his teaching. The twelve men returned to their native city and preached the doctrine of Islam, which was eagerly accepted by the majority of the pagan inhabitants. The Jews of YaTurib, struck by this sudden renunciation of idolatry by their fellow-citizens, sent to beg Mohammed to send them a teacher who should instruct them in the new creed that had worked so wonderful a change. At Mecca things were stationary, and Mohammed could do little more than wait until the time for pilgrimage should again come round and he should get fresh news from YaTHrib. It was during this year of waiting that the celebrated night journey occurred, which has been the occasion of so much dispute to Mohammedan theologians, and has afforded such a handle to the hostile criticism of European historians. It was, as Mohammed himself persistently asserted, a vision in which he saw himself transported to heaven and brought face to face with that God who had always filled his thoughts. The story is so overlaid with spurious traditional details as to have lost, to a great extent, its real significance. It is referred to obscurely in the Qur'an in the following passages :
2The story is so overlaid with spurious traditional details as to have lost, to a great extent, its real significance. It is referred to obscurely in the Qur'an in the following passages : ‘Celebrated be the praises of Him who took His servant a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Remote Mosque, the precinct of which we have blessed, to show him of our signs!’ (XVII, ver. 1.) Py XXxil THE Qur’AN. ‘And we made the vision which we showed thee only a cause of sedition unto men.’ (XVII, ver. 62.) ‘ By the star when it falls, your comrade errs not, nor is he deluded! nor speaks he out of lust! It is but an inspiration inspired! One mighty in power taught him, endowed with sound understanding, and appeared, he being in the loftiest tract. ‘Then drew he near and hovered o’er! until he was two bows’ length off or nigher still! Then he inspired his servant what he inspired him; the heart belies not what it saw! What, will ye dispute with him on what he saw? ‘And he saw him another time, by the lote tree none may pass; near which is the garden of the Abode! When there covered the lote tree what did cover it! The sight swerved not nor wandered. He saw then the greatest of the signs of his Lord.’ (LIII, vers. 1-18.) At length the wished-for time arrived and Mohammed, who had been told by his envoy Muz’hab of the success of his mission, repaired once more to the Akabeh. Here he was met at night by seventy men from YaTurib, who had come to the rendezvous clandestinely by twos and threes, so as not to attract attention and incur the hostility of the Qurais. His uncle ‘Abbas, though an unbeliever accompanied him, explained to them his nephew’s position, and asked them seriously to consider the proposition which it was understood they were about to make. They declared that they were quite earnest in their desire to have Mohammed amongst them, and swore that they would defend him and his cause with their very lives. Mohammed then addressed them, recited to them some portions of the Qur’4n in which the most essential points of his doctrine were set forth, and asked them for a pledge of their good faith. This they gave in simple Bedawi fashion, one after another placing his palm in that of the prophet and taking the oath of fealty. So enthusiastic were their protestations that “‘Abbds himself was obliged to bid them be silent and urge upon them the danger and imprudence of their noisy demon- INTRODUCTION. XXXIil stration. . The treaty being thus ratified, Mohammed chose twelve naqibs or leaders, after the number of the disciples of Jesus, and the voice of some stranger being heard close by the assembly hastily but quietly dispersed. The Meccans, who had got a hint of the affair, taxed the YaTuHrib pilgrims with having conspired with Mohammed against them, but being unable to prove the accusation, the new band of Muslims was enabled to return home in safety.
3The Meccans, who had got a hint of the affair, taxed the YaTuHrib pilgrims with having conspired with Mohammed against them, but being unable to prove the accusation, the new band of Muslims was enabled to return home in safety. So hostile was now the attitude of the Qurais that the believers of Mecca prepared for flight, and at last there were only left in Mecca three members of the community, Mohammed himself, Abu Bekr, and Ali. The Qurdais now held.a solemn council of war, at which, on the suggestion of Abu Gahl, it was determined that eleven men, each a prominent member of one of the noble families of the town, should simultaneously attack and murder Mohammed, and by thus dividing the responsibility should avoid the consequences of the blood feud; for, as they rightly judged, the Hasimis, not being sufficiently powerful to take the blood revenge on so many families, would be obliged to accept the blood money instead. Mohammed had timely warning of this design, and giving Ali his mantle bade him pretend to sleep on the couch . usually occupied by himself, and so divert the attention of the would-be murderers who were watching around his house. In the meantime Mohammed and Abu Bekr escaped by a back window in the house of the latter, and the two hid themselves in a cavern on Mount THaur, an hour and a half distant from Mecca, before the Qurais had discovered the ruse and heard of their flight. A hot pursuit was immediately organized. For three days they lay concealed, their enemies once coming so near that Abu Bekr, trembling, said, ‘We are but two.’ ‘Nay,’ said Mohammed, ‘we are three; for God is with us.’ The legend tells us that a spider had woven its web across the mouth of the cave, so that the Qurais, thinking that no one had entered in, passed it over in their search. {6] Cc XXXIV THE QUR'AN. At length they ventured once more to set out, and, mounted on fleet camels, reached YaTHrib in safety. Three days after they were joined by Ali, who had been allowed to leave after a few hours’ imprisonment. This was the celebrated Higrah or ‘ flight,’ from which the Mohammedan era dates. It took place on June 16, in the year of our Lord 622. The city of YaTHrib was henceforth known as Madinat en Nebi, ‘the city of the prophet,’ or simply El Medinah. Once established at El Medinah, Mohammed proceeded to regulate the rites and ceremonies of his religion, built a mosque to serve as a place of prayer and hall of general assembly, and appointed Bilal, the Abyssinian. slave who had been so faithful throughout the former persecutions, as crier to call the believers to the five daily prayers.
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.
1Some of these Arabs had embraced the Jewish religion, and many of the former masters of the city still dwelt there in the position of clients of one or other of the conquéring tribes, so that it contained in Mohammed’s time a considerable Jewish population. Between the inhabitants of YaTHrib and those of Mecca there existed a strong feeling of animosity ; but Mohammed, though sharing the prejudices of his compatriots, was not in a position to refuse help from whatever quarter it presented itself. The Arab inhabitants of YaTHrib had on their part a good reason for looking with a more favourable eye upon the new prophet. Imbued with the superstition of the Jews amongst whom they lived, they looked for the coming of a Messiah with no small apprehension of his restoring the Jewish supremacy and of their own consequent downfall. Mohammed, after all, might be the expected Messiah ; ~ he was of their own race and it was at any rate prudent to treat with him before he should cast in his lot, as he possibly might, with their disaffected Jewish subjects. Lastly, YaTHrib was a prey to incessant agitations and internal discords, and anything that was likely to bind the INTRODUCTION. XXX1 conflicting parties together by a tie of common interest could not but prove a boon to the city. The inhabitants of YaTHrib then were, for many reasons, inclined to acknowledge the mission of Mohammed; and after sundry negotiations between the prophet and the chiefs of the city, he agreed to meet them at a part of the road between Mecca and YaTHrib, where the valley suddenly makes an abrupt descent, from which the spot was known as Akabeh. A deputation, consisting of twelve men of the Aus and ‘Hazrag tribes, accordingly met him at the appointed spot and pledged him their word to obey his teaching. The twelve men returned to their native city and preached the doctrine of Islam, which was eagerly accepted by the majority of the pagan inhabitants. The Jews of YaTurib, struck by this sudden renunciation of idolatry by their fellow-citizens, sent to beg Mohammed to send them a teacher who should instruct them in the new creed that had worked so wonderful a change. At Mecca things were stationary, and Mohammed could do little more than wait until the time for pilgrimage should again come round and he should get fresh news from YaTHrib. It was during this year of waiting that the celebrated night journey occurred, which has been the occasion of so much dispute to Mohammedan theologians, and has afforded such a handle to the hostile criticism of European historians. It was, as Mohammed himself persistently asserted, a vision in which he saw himself transported to heaven and brought face to face with that God who had always filled his thoughts. The story is so overlaid with spurious traditional details as to have lost, to a great extent, its real significance. It is referred to obscurely in the Qur'an in the following passages :
2The story is so overlaid with spurious traditional details as to have lost, to a great extent, its real significance. It is referred to obscurely in the Qur'an in the following passages : ‘Celebrated be the praises of Him who took His servant a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Remote Mosque, the precinct of which we have blessed, to show him of our signs!’ (XVII, ver. 1.) Py XXxil THE Qur’AN. ‘And we made the vision which we showed thee only a cause of sedition unto men.’ (XVII, ver. 62.) ‘ By the star when it falls, your comrade errs not, nor is he deluded! nor speaks he out of lust! It is but an inspiration inspired! One mighty in power taught him, endowed with sound understanding, and appeared, he being in the loftiest tract. ‘Then drew he near and hovered o’er! until he was two bows’ length off or nigher still! Then he inspired his servant what he inspired him; the heart belies not what it saw! What, will ye dispute with him on what he saw? ‘And he saw him another time, by the lote tree none may pass; near which is the garden of the Abode! When there covered the lote tree what did cover it! The sight swerved not nor wandered. He saw then the greatest of the signs of his Lord.’ (LIII, vers. 1-18.) At length the wished-for time arrived and Mohammed, who had been told by his envoy Muz’hab of the success of his mission, repaired once more to the Akabeh. Here he was met at night by seventy men from YaTurib, who had come to the rendezvous clandestinely by twos and threes, so as not to attract attention and incur the hostility of the Qurais. His uncle ‘Abbas, though an unbeliever accompanied him, explained to them his nephew’s position, and asked them seriously to consider the proposition which it was understood they were about to make. They declared that they were quite earnest in their desire to have Mohammed amongst them, and swore that they would defend him and his cause with their very lives. Mohammed then addressed them, recited to them some portions of the Qur’4n in which the most essential points of his doctrine were set forth, and asked them for a pledge of their good faith. This they gave in simple Bedawi fashion, one after another placing his palm in that of the prophet and taking the oath of fealty. So enthusiastic were their protestations that “‘Abbds himself was obliged to bid them be silent and urge upon them the danger and imprudence of their noisy demon- INTRODUCTION. XXXIil stration. . The treaty being thus ratified, Mohammed chose twelve naqibs or leaders, after the number of the disciples of Jesus, and the voice of some stranger being heard close by the assembly hastily but quietly dispersed. The Meccans, who had got a hint of the affair, taxed the YaTuHrib pilgrims with having conspired with Mohammed against them, but being unable to prove the accusation, the new band of Muslims was enabled to return home in safety.
3The Meccans, who had got a hint of the affair, taxed the YaTuHrib pilgrims with having conspired with Mohammed against them, but being unable to prove the accusation, the new band of Muslims was enabled to return home in safety. So hostile was now the attitude of the Qurais that the believers of Mecca prepared for flight, and at last there were only left in Mecca three members of the community, Mohammed himself, Abu Bekr, and Ali. The Qurdais now held.a solemn council of war, at which, on the suggestion of Abu Gahl, it was determined that eleven men, each a prominent member of one of the noble families of the town, should simultaneously attack and murder Mohammed, and by thus dividing the responsibility should avoid the consequences of the blood feud; for, as they rightly judged, the Hasimis, not being sufficiently powerful to take the blood revenge on so many families, would be obliged to accept the blood money instead. Mohammed had timely warning of this design, and giving Ali his mantle bade him pretend to sleep on the couch . usually occupied by himself, and so divert the attention of the would-be murderers who were watching around his house. In the meantime Mohammed and Abu Bekr escaped by a back window in the house of the latter, and the two hid themselves in a cavern on Mount THaur, an hour and a half distant from Mecca, before the Qurais had discovered the ruse and heard of their flight. A hot pursuit was immediately organized. For three days they lay concealed, their enemies once coming so near that Abu Bekr, trembling, said, ‘We are but two.’ ‘Nay,’ said Mohammed, ‘we are three; for God is with us.’ The legend tells us that a spider had woven its web across the mouth of the cave, so that the Qurais, thinking that no one had entered in, passed it over in their search. {6] Cc XXXIV THE QUR'AN. At length they ventured once more to set out, and, mounted on fleet camels, reached YaTHrib in safety. Three days after they were joined by Ali, who had been allowed to leave after a few hours’ imprisonment. This was the celebrated Higrah or ‘ flight,’ from which the Mohammedan era dates. It took place on June 16, in the year of our Lord 622. The city of YaTHrib was henceforth known as Madinat en Nebi, ‘the city of the prophet,’ or simply El Medinah. Once established at El Medinah, Mohammed proceeded to regulate the rites and ceremonies of his religion, built a mosque to serve as a place of prayer and hall of general assembly, and appointed Bilal, the Abyssinian. slave who had been so faithful throughout the former persecutions, as crier to call the believers to the five daily prayers.
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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