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The aversion which the Qorayshites conceived against Mohammad 

 on account of his attacks on their idols, caused him to come to a 

 compromise with their religion, and this is the most important feature 

 in his creed, for had he preached Deism and borrowed from the tenets 

 of the Jews and Christians, his sect would have merged into the Chris- 

 tian religion in measure, as his followers proceeded in knowledge, but 

 the admixture of the pagan rites of the Ka'bah made the Islam national, 

 and were an insuperable barrier against such a union. In one instance 

 Mohammad, in writing a pretended revelation appears to have acknow- 

 ledged the efficacy of prayers offered to the idols of the Ka'bah. 

 Tabary, pages 140 et seq., gives two most important traditions on this 

 head, the former is taken from Ibn Ishaq, yet I cannot find it in the 

 two copies of that author, and it seems to have been omitted from the 

 edition, which has been preserved, by the lying Bakayy or by Ibn 

 Hisham. I therefore insert it. The second tradition agrees almost 

 literally with a tradition in Waqidy, who gives the following autho- 



