Well born, of insinuating manners and graceful address, noble and majestic in appearance, Mohammed became the object of affection to the wealthy widow Khatijeh, who married him, and thus riches were added to his facilities.
The great crowd of pilgrims who assembled in Mecca, afforded the Prophet constant occasions for the discussion of various systems of religious faith, until Mohammed resolved to announce himself as the completion of the revelation of God to the Jews and Christians--the predicted by Moses and Christ, who coming after them, should be the greatest of all the prophets.
To the idolatrous Arabs he proclaimed one God, omnipotent and imperishable; to the Christians he revived the unity of their Maker, and recalled to the Jews the Jehovah, whose worship they had so corrupted.
The confusion of the Asiatic states, rent with wars, tumults and heresies, wonderfully favored the spread of Mohammedanism, even beyond the warmest anticipations of the Prophet.
Arming himself with the sword, and promising the joys of paradise to every soldier of the Crescent who should die on the battle-field, he led on this wonderful prodigy of a religious faith, conquering and to conquer.
At this day there are no less than 200,550,000 Mahommedans! The Koran, or the written, is the compendium of the faith, practice and civil laws of Mussulmans, ingeniously compiled by their great Arabian Prophet, and is styled by the Faithful, The Light of God, Sole Guide to Paradise, Divine Director to Heavenly Glories, and in common parlance, The Eternal Word--Kelamu-Kadim. They acknowledge the divine origin of the Pentateuch, the Psalms of David, and the four Gospels, and upon these books, with the Koran, their oaths are taken.
The Koran declares, "Verily the true religion in the sight of God is Islam," which is the proper name of the Mohammedan faith, and it signifies resignation or submission to the service and commands of God. It consists of two principles, Iman, or Faith, and Din, Religion or Practice.
The great article of Faith is called Salavat, and is expressed in these words:
"La-Illah, Ill-Allah, Mohammed Ressoul-Ullah." There is no God, but God, and Mohammed is the Apostle of God.
They deny the doctrine of the Trinity, although they acknowledge the attributes of God, his greatness, goodness, justice, omnipresence, omniscience, and incomprehensibility. Christ is acknowledged to have been a prophet greater than Moses, but inferior to Mohammed. He is styled the Word of God, Kelam-Ullah, in their writings, supposed to have been miraculously conceived by the Virgin Mary, but not of divine origin. The crucifixion they regard as inconsistent with the justice of God; to yield up so mighty a prophet, endowed with power to work miracles, and raise the dead, a victim to the unbelieving Jews, they deem incompatible with divine supremacy, and even say, that when Christ was led out to die, he was, invisibly to his persecutors, transported into heaven, Judas the betrayer being substituted in his stead. No terrors of eternal punishment in a future state distract the unfaithful Moslems, all of whom will, in due time, expiate their offences and be admitted to happiness. Two angels are supposed to attend them through life and in death. One white, glorious and commiserate; the other black, severe, and cruel.