A CHINESE LIFE OF MOHAMMED 16B 



earth beneath, which can surpass the Prophet? Everything 

 reverts to him like the streams return to the sea. Who, 

 then, is worthy to be compared to the Prophet? 



The precious Light of Mohammed, brilliant as the sun 

 and like a rare gem, was transmitted from Adam through 

 the successive generations : it was seen in the forehead of 

 each male in the direct descent, passing to the bosom of each 

 wife before the next heir was born, and then resting in the 

 forehead of the child until the next generation was due, 

 Mohammed was born 6130 years after Adam; the line of 

 descent branched off at Ishmael, the 22nd from Adam, and 

 names unfamiliar to most of us occur, until Hashim, the 

 great-grandfather of the Prophet is reached. He is said to 

 have been a man of exceptional benevolence and virtue, 

 bestowing benefits on all people, near and distant. Among 

 other offers of marrige, this man had one from the king of 

 Rome, of his daughter, whom Hashim declined because she 

 was a Pioman Catholic. He received special command to 

 marry Salrnah, who was of humble birth yet chaste and 

 good, and from, this marriage sprang Abd ul Muttalib, the 

 grandfather of the Prophet. This man became an ac- 

 knowledged head of the Koreish tribe, and he was also the 

 keeper of the Kaaba. He is reported to have re -discovered 

 the well of Zem-Zem which is so famous to' all pilgrims to 

 Mecca, and is said to be the spring which relieved the thirst 

 of Hagar. 



Abd ul Muttalib had six wives and 10 sons, the sacred 

 Light being transmitted through his youngest son, Abdullah. 

 This account differs from others which give a list of seven 

 sons, Abdullah being the youngest but one, the youngest 

 being Hamza. On the night when Abdullah was born, it is 

 said that away in Syria people were aware of the birth by 

 reason of a sign which had been given by a former prophet. 

 The Jews and Christians were alarmed, and plotted to kill 

 Abdullah, as they knew that he would be the father of the 

 Prophet, and was therefore prejudicial to them. It may 

 here be noted that throughout the "Annals" the Jews and 

 Christians are represented as being in opposition to* Moham- 

 med and constantly plotting to injure him; the historian 

 either does not realize the division between Jews and Chris- 

 tians, or else he supposes that the hatred of them both was so 

 strong as to cause them to> forget their own divisions in the 

 intensity of their desire to put down the new religion. 



When the gentry of Mecca realized that Abdullah was to 

 be distinguished as the father of the coming Prophet, they 

 proffered their daughters in marriage. None of these was 

 accepted, but Amina, the daughter of Wahb, was selected as 



