Page:The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis II 1921 1.djvu/43

Rh the god of his father, and turned to the cult of Aton, he nevertheless resuscitated the worship of the Sun, which had been peculiar to Lower Egypt from time immemorial.

Similarly, Mohammed attempted on two notable occasions compromises with the past. The first compromise concerned itself with the worship of the ancient idols, Al-lat, Al-Uzza, and Manah, to which reference has already been made, for, although Mohammed ended by casting them all out, he was impelled originally to except them from expulsion from the new régime.

The story goes that one day at a gathering of the chief men of Mecca, Mohammed appeared and seating himself by them in a friendly manner began to recite in their hearing Chapter LIII of the Koran. The chapter opens with a description of the first visit of Gabriel to Mohammed and then unfolds a second vision of that angel, at which certain heavenly mysteries were revealed. The passage is as follows:

"When he had reached this verse, the devil suggested to Mahomet an expression of thoughts which had long possessed his soul; and put into his mouth words of reconciliation and compromise such as he had been yearning that God might send unto his people, namely:

"The Coreish were astonished and delighted with this acknowledgment of their deities; and as Mahomet wound up the Sura with these closing words,

the whole assembly prostrated themselves with one accord on the ground and worshipped, Walid alone, unable from the