Assessing Mohammed

Today’s installment concludes Mohammed,
the name of our combined selection from Washington Irving and Simon Ockley. The concluding installment, by Simon Ockley from The History of the Saracens, was published in 1718. For works benefiting from the latest research see the “More information” section at the bottom of these pages.

If you have journeyed through all of the installments of this series, just one more to go and you will have completed fourteen thousand words from great works of history. Congratulations!

Previously in Mohammed.

Time: 610-632
Place: Mecca and Medina

“The ninth day of the feast he went to perform his devotions on Mount Arafa. This hill, situated about a mile from Mecca, is held in great veneration by the Muslims as a place very proper for penitence. Its fitness in this respect is accounted for by a tradition that Adam and Eve, on being banished out of paradise, in order to do penance for their transgression were parted from each other and after a separation of six-score years met again upon this mountain.”

At the conclusion of this farewell pilgrimage, as it was called, being the last he ever made, Mohammed reformed the calendar in two points: In the first place, he appointed the year to be exactly lunar, consisting of twelve lunar months; whereas before, in order to reduce the lunar to the solar year, they used to make every third year consist of thirteen months. And secondly, whereas the ancient Arabians held four months sacred, wherein it was unlawful to commit any act of hostility, he took away that prohibition, by this command, “Attack the idolaters in all the months of the year, as they attack you in all.” (Koran, ix.)

In the eleventh year of the Hegira there arrived an embassy from Arabia Felix, consisting of about one hundred who had embraced Islamism. The same year Mohammed ordered Osama to go to the place where Zaid his father was slain at the battle of Muta, to revenge his death. This was the last expedition he ever ordered, for, being taken ill two days after, he died within thirteen days. The beginning of his sickness was a slow fever, which made him delirious. In his frenzy he called for pen, ink and paper and said he “would write a book that should keep them from erring after his death.” But Omar opposed it, saying the Koran is sufficient and that the prophet, through the greatness of his malady, knew not what he said. Others, however, expressing a desire that he would write, a contention arose, which so disturbed Mohammed that he bade them all begone. During his illness he complained of the poisoned meat he had swallowed at Khaibar. Some say, when he was dying, Gabriel told him the angel of death, who never before had been, nor would ever again be, so ceremonious toward anybody, was waiting for his permission to come in. As soon as Mohammed had answered, “I give him leave,” the angel of death entered and complimented the prophet, telling him God was very desirous to have him but had commanded he should take his soul or leave it, just as he himself should please to order. Mohammed replied, “Take it, then.”

[According to the testimony of all the Eastern authors Mohammed died on Monday the 12th Reby 1st, in the year 11 of the Hegira, which answers in reality to the 8th of June, A.D. 632.]

His grave was dug under the bed whereon he lay, in the chamber of Ayesha. The Arabian writers are very particular to tell us everything about the washing and embalming his body; who dug his grave, who put him in, etc.[64]

[There are many ridiculous stories told of Mohammed, which, being notoriously fabulous, are not introduced here. Two of the most popular are: That a tame pigeon used to whisper in his ear the commands of God. [The pigeon is said to have been taught to come and peck some grains of rice out of Mohammed’s ear, to induce people to think that he then received by the ministry of an angel the several articles of the Koran.] The other is that after his death he was buried at Medina and his coffin suspended, by divine agency or magnetic power, between the ceiling and floor of the temple.]

The person of Mohammed is minutely described by Arabian writers. He was of a middle stature, had a large head, thick beard, black eyes, hooked nose, wide mouth, a thick neck, flowing hair. They also tell us that what was called the seal of his apostleship, a hairy mole between his shoulders, as large as a pigeon’s egg, disappeared at his death. Its disappearance seems to have convinced those who would not before believe it that he was really dead. His intimate companion Abu Horaira said he never saw a more beautiful man than the prophet. He was so reverenced by his bigoted disciples they would gather his spittle up and swallow it.

The same writers extol Mohammed as a man of fine parts and a strong memory, of few words, of a cheerful aspect, affable and complaisant in his behavior. They also celebrate his justice, clemency, generosity, modesty, abstinence and humility. As an instance of the last virtue, they tell us he mended his own clothes and shoes. However, to judge of him by his actions as related by these same writers, we cannot help concluding that he was a very subtle and crafty man, who put on the appearance only of those good qualities, while the governing principles of his soul were ambition and lust. For we see him, as soon as he found himself strong enough to act upon the offensive, plundering caravans and, under a pretense of fighting for the true religion, attacking, murdering, enslaving and making tributaries of his neighbors, in order to aggrandize and enrich himself and his greedy followers and without scruple making use of assassination to cut off those who opposed him. Of his lustful disposition we have a sufficient proof, in the peculiar privileges he claimed to himself of having as many wives as he pleased and of whom he chose, even though they were within forbidden degrees of affinity. The authors who give him the smallest number of wives own that he had fifteen; whereas the Koran allows no Muslim more than four. As for himself, Mohammed had no shame in avowing that his chief pleasures were perfumes and women.

This ends our selections on Mohammad’s Career by two of the most important authorities of this topic:

• Mohamet and His Successors by Washington Irving published in 1849.
• The History of the Saracens by Simon Ockley published in 1718.

Washington Irving begins here. Simon Ockley begins here.

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More information on Mohammad’s Career here and here and below.

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