Chapter 3

ABOUT MUHAMMAD.

A complete summary of the details of his life, from his birth to his death.--Remarks upon him as a reformer, preacher, and apostle.--The Hanyfs.--Muhammad's early idea of establishing one religion for the Jews, Christians, and Arabs.--His long struggle with the Koraish.--His failure at Mecca.--His success at Madinah.--Adapts his views to the manners and customs of the Arabs only.--The reason of his many marriages.--His love of women.--About the Koran.--Not collected and arranged until after his death.--Comparison of the Koran with the Old and New Testaments.--Superiority of our Bible.--Description of it by 'Il Secolo.'--Rev. Mr. Badger's description of the Koran.--Written in the purest Arabic, and defies competition.--Muhammad and Moses, Jesus and Buddha.--Remarks about Buddhism and Christianity.--Moses and Muhammad the founders of two nationalities.--Abraham the father of the Jewish, Christian, and Muhammadan religions.--Rénan's description of the gods of the Jews.--Joseph.--The Twelve Tribes.--Appearance of Moses as a liberator and organizer.--The reasons of his wanderings in the desert.--What the Jews owed to Moses, and the Arabs to Muhammad.--The latter as a military leader.--Resemblance of the warlike expeditions of the Jews and of the Arabs.--Similar proceedings in the Soudan at the present time.--Account of the dogmas and precepts of Islam as embodied in the Koran.--Other points connected with the institutions of Islam.--Faith and prayer always insisted upon.--Democratic character of the Muhammadan religion, excellent in theory, but doubtful in practice.--Muhammad's last address at Mina, telling the Muslims that they were one brotherhood.--His final remarks.