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52 OWEN BERKELEY-HILL

of the creator to his creation. What then may we take to be ^

Mohammed's conception as to his relation to the Allah of lus creation? From the very precise nature of his utterances against the divine origin of Jesus Christ, i. e. that he was literally the son of God, it may be presumed that Mohammed never enter- tained any conscious idea of a possible kinship with Allah. Never- theless this does not exclude the possibility of his jjaving entertained the idea that he was miraculously bom, especially because of the very meagre r61e played by his parents in his life. The most notable feature of Mohammed's character during the Mcccan period was the increasing strength of his conviction that he was tlic Messenger of God, with the result that any strong conviction, even any strong wish, that he entertained, appeared to him to be borne in |

upon him by a force external to himself. I^ter on, after the flight ^

to Medina, the character of Mohammed changed still more. Accor- ^

ding to Muir, ^ "the acquisition of temporal power, aggrandisement, |;

and self-glorification mingled rapidly with the grand object of the Prophet's life; and they were sought after and attained by precisely the same instrumentality. Messages from heaven were frequently and freely brought down to justify political conduct, in precisely the same manner as to inculcate religious precept. Battles were fought, executions inflicted, and territories annexed, under pretext of the Almighty's sanction. Even grosser actions were not only excused but encouraged by the divine approval or command. A special licence was produced, allowing Mohammed a double number of wives; the discreditable affair with Mary the Coptic slave was justified in a separate Sura; and the passion for the f

wife of his own adopted son and bosom friend was the subject of an inspired message in which the Prophet's scrujiles were re- buked by God, a divorce permitted, and marriage with the object of his unhallowed desires enjoined." Hence we find little to wonder at when Omar, the Simon Peter of Islam, in an agony of grief at the death of Mohammed, draws his sword and swears to strike off the head of anyone who dares to say that the Prophet is dead. "Is it then Mohammed", cries the venerable Abu Bakr, in his attempt to pacify Omar, "or the God of Mohammed that we have learned to worship?"

"Slay the UnbeUevers wheresoever ye find them", was hence- fortll the watchword of Islam; "Fight in the way of Ciod until

• of. cit., p. 633.

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