Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/372

 692–705] of grieving, that would rejoice my heart!" So strong was the clannish jealousy and party spirit of the Arab race.

ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, brother of the Caliph, who had long been Governor of Egypt, held the next title to the throne, having been nominated by his father Merwān. ʿAbd al-Melik now sought to set his claim aside in favour of his own son Al-Welīd, and was supported in his desire by Al-Ḥajjāj. But ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz would not surrender his right; nor would he agree to the nomination of Al-Welīd even as his own successor;—"For," said he, "do not I see in mine own son what thou seest in thine? Besides, we know not which of us may die the first; leave it therefore thus alone." The event anticipated did occur, for next year ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz died; and Al-Welīd was then done homage to as next the throne, throughout the Empire. The only opposition was at Medīna, where a recusant, affirming the old doctrine of popular election, demurred even under threat of the sword, to the declaration of an Heir-apparent. The Caliph, however, contented himself with inflicting stripes upon the malcontent.

Jerusalem is to Jews and Christians the holiest place on earth. It was only by an accident that it was not so to Muslims as well, and one constant aim of the earlier Umeiyads was to shift the religious centre of Islām from the Ḥijāz to Syria. Muʿāwiya had already attempted to remove Moḥammad's pulpit to Damascus, and, when prevented, explained that he merely wished to see if it were worm-eaten. He was proclaimed Caliph at Jerusalem and on that occasion performed prayers at Golgotha, Gethsemane, and the grave of Mary. ʿAbd al-Melik is said to have forbidden the pilgrimage to Mecca on the pretext of danger, and ordered that it should be to Jerusalem. In the year 72 (691–692 ) he built the Dome of the Rock which still stands, round which runs the inscription, "This dome was built by the servant of God ʿAbd[allah the Imām Al-Maʾmūn, A]mīr of the Faithful, in the year 72. May God be pleased with him." The letters in brackets are a later insertion crowded into a space too narrow for them. Originally there stood "al-Melik A" as the spacing and date show. Even