178 A CHINESE LIFE OF MOHAMMED 



these have much to do with the exalted picture drawn of the 

 Prophet and with the assurance of the Moslems that theirs 

 is the Pure and True religion. Mohammed himself never 

 claimed the power to work miracles, but the traditions have 

 fully made up for this, and for hundreds of years these 

 traditions have passed current in China. Our learned author 

 says that the wonders connected with the Prophet were very 

 many, some of which have been given in the "Annals" with 

 the years and months, by which their genuineness can be 

 examined ; many others of which the actual time is not to be 

 discovered, may yet be given in an appendix, among which 

 •are the following : — 



On one occasion a battle had gone on so long that the 

 time for evening prayer passed without notice, but when 

 Mohammed prayed, the sun rose again three rods and gave 

 lime to attend to the devotions before it went down. Some 

 scoffers challenged the Prophet to divide the moon, which, 

 by prayer, he did. The scoffers said it was done by sorcery, 

 but later when those who had been travelling came and told 

 of their observance of the wonder, the scoffers believed. 



One of Mohammed's followers was hunting a deer which 

 ran to the Prophet and told him that it had a fawn dependent 

 upon it for nourishment and pleaded to be let off and it would 

 come later and give itself up ; it took an oath to this effect, 

 and the Prophet had compassion on it and let it go; in due 

 time the deer came back, upon which the Prophet com- 

 mended its faithfulness, and again released it. 



A revengeful woman made a present of a lamb which 

 had been steeped in poison. This was prepared for eating, 

 hut when Mohammed partook the lamb spake tt Af and 

 w r arned him. One of the disciples who ate the flesh died of 

 poisoning. 



A bird flying in the air let fall a golden slip on which 

 was written that Mohammed was the Apostle of God; trees 

 also repeated the Kalima as a witness. On one occasion when 

 someone asked for a proof, Mohammed told him to tell a 

 certain tree that the Apostle of God wanted it, and the tree 

 arose with all its roots and walked towards the Prophet, and 

 afterwards returned to its place. 



It is said that stones on the hills, and the grasses and 

 trees, bore witness to the Prophet, and did obeisance to him. 

 Camels and sheep also bowed their heads to the ground before 

 him, but he would not permit any man to do so. 



Many cases of healing of diseases are given ; a man who 

 was born blind receives sight at the intercession of the 

 Prophet; others are healed by his blowing upon them, or 

 making spittle with which to anoint them. One man of 80, 



