1 850.] of the original text of Tahary. 117 



who had it from 'Obayd b. 'Omayr b. Qatadah, but it can not be called 

 a tradition in the same sense as the sayings collected by Bokhary or 

 Tirmidzy, for it is evident from the wording that Ibn Ishaq does not 

 give the text, but only the sense of the story whereas in genuine 

 traditions, it is supposed that the words used by the prophet, or his 

 companions have been faithfully preserved. 



This account is somewhat abridged in Abiilfida, edition Adler, I. p. 

 26, and in every biography of Mohammad ; it would therefore be super- 

 fluous to insert here the text or a literal translation. I will merely 

 mention the heads. Mohammad used annually to spend one month 

 in mount Hira, to perform certain religious ceremonies, which it was 

 usual with the pious men of his tribe, to go through in the same sacred 

 locality. When he had attained his fortieth year of age, and was 

 engaged in these devotional exercises, he had a dream (according to 

 others the angel appeared to him whilst he was walking), in which 

 the angel Gabriel ordered him to read. Here follows a passage in 

 Tabary's text, which is wanting in both copies of Ibn Ishaq which I 

 have. The reason of this discrepancy is that the text of Ibn Ishaq 

 in general use is that of Ibn Hisham, who had it from Bakayy who 

 it is said by Sam' any, was a great liar, and Tabary had his from Ibn 

 Homayd, who had it from Salamah, a pupil of Ibn Ishaq. The pas- 

 sage in question runs : 



ybJxA &.m*s6 ^*i J*jS! ^1 \j^Sj Jli U*jJ) J&.i) J[ ^xh] 5 \j^\S 



"Nothing was more odious to me than poets or madmen (in one 

 version of this saying of Mohammad which is recorded by Waqidy, it 

 is said 'soothsayers' e> A ^)> I cou ^ not l°°k at them. I therefore said 

 to Khadyjah, He who was the last person of whom such a thing would 

 have been expected, [by this expression he meant himself] is certainly 

 a poet or a madman. But the Qorayshites shall never say such a thing 



