MAHOMETANISM. 
144 
by cutting off the hand. As to injuries done to men 
in their perfons, the law of retaliation, which was ordained 
by the law of Mofes, is alfo approved by the Koran ( but 
it was feldom executed ; the punilhment being gene¬ 
rally turned into a mulct, or fine, paid to the party injured. 
In the punifliment of lefs crimes, not provided for by the 
Koran, the Mahometans have commonly recourfe to 
Itripes, according to the ufual practice of theeaft. Howel 
•fays that “they have one extraordinary piece of humanity, 
to be fo tender of the rational foul, as not to put Chrif- 
tian, Jew, Greek, or any other, to his oath ; in regard that, 
if for fome advantage of gain or occafion of inconveni¬ 
ence and punidiment, any (hould forfwear hinifelf, they 
hold the impofers of the oath to be as acceflary to the 
damnation of the perjured man.” Under the head of the 
civil laws of the Mahometans, we may comprehend the 
injunction of warring againlt infidels, which is repeated 
in feveral paflages of the Koran, and declared to be very 
meritorious in the fight of God; thofe who are fl.ain fight¬ 
ing in defence of the faith, being reckoned martyrs, and 
promifed immediate admiffion into paradife. 
The months which the ancient Arabs held facred were 
al Moharram, Rajeb, Dhulkaada, and Dhulkaija, the iff, 
the 7th, the nth, and the 12th, in the year. Mahomet 
by the Koran confirmed the obfervance of thefe months. 
The day of the week which Mahomet has let apart for 
public worfhip is Friday; befides which they have two 
annual feats called Beiram. 
After the death of Mahomet, a fchil'm arofe among his 
followers, which divided them into two great fadtions, 
whofe feparation not only gave rife to a variety of opinions 
and rites, but alfo excited the moft implacable hatred, 
and the mod deadly animofities. Of thefe fadtions. the 
one acknowledged Abubeker, the father-in-law of Ma¬ 
homet, as his fuccelfor, or the true caliph, and its mem¬ 
bers were diftinguiflied by the name of Sonnites ; while 
the other adhered to Ali, his fon-in-law, and were known 
by the title of Schiites. Both, however, adhered to the 
Koran as a divine law, and the rule of faith and manners ; 
to which indeed the former added, by way of interpre¬ 
tation, the Sonna, i. e. a certain law, which they looked 
upon as defcended from Mahomet by oral tradition, and 
•which the Schiites refufed to admit. Among the Sonnites 
we are to reckon the Turks, Tartars, Arabians, Africans, 
and the greatell part of the Indian Mahometans; whereas 
the Perfians, and the fubjedts of the great mogul, are ge¬ 
nerally confidered as the followers of Ali, though the 
latter indeed feem rather to obferve a ftrift neutrality in 
this conteft. Befides thefe two grand factions, there are 
other fubordinate fedts among the Mahometans, which 
difpute with w'armth concerning feveral points of reli¬ 
gion, though without violating the rules of mutual tole¬ 
ration. Of thefe fedts there are four, which far furpafs 
the rett in point of reputation and importance, viz. the 
Hanefites, the fedt of Malec, the fedt of Al Shafei, and 
that of Ebn Hanbal, which are called the orthodox Ma¬ 
hometans. i 
The rapid fuccefs which attended the propagation of 
this new religion was owing to caufes that are plain and 
evident, and mull remove, or rather prevent, our furprife, 
when they are attentively confidered. The terror of Ma¬ 
homet’s arms, and the repeated vidtories which were gained 
by him and his fucceflors, were, no doubt, the irrefiltible 
arguments that perfuaded fuch multitudes to embrace his 
religion, and fubmit to his dominion. Befides, his law 
was artfully and marveloudy adapted to the corrupt na¬ 
ture of man; and, in a more particular manner, to the 
manners and opinions of the eatlern nations, and the vices 
to which they were naturally addifted : for the articles of 
faith which it propoled were few in number, and extremely 
dimple ; and the duties it required Were neither many nor 
difficult, nor fuch as were incompatible with the empire 
of appetites and paffions. It is to be obferved farther, 
that the grofs ignorance under which the Arabians, Sy¬ 
rians, Perfians, and the greateft part of the eallern na¬ 
tions, laboured at this time, rendered many an eafy prey 
to the artifice and eloquence of this bold adventurer. To 
thefe caufes of the progrefs of Mahometanifm, we may add 
the bitter diflenfions and cruel animofities that reigned 
among the Cliriftian lefts, particularly the Greeks, Nef- 
torians, Eutychians, and Monophyfites; diflenfions that 
filled a great part of the Eaft with carnage, afiaflinations, 
and fuch detellable enormities, as rendered the very name 
of Chriflianity odious to many. We might add here, that 
the Monophyfites and Neftorians, full of refentment againfl 
the Greeks, from whom they had buffered the bitterelt and 
moft injurious treatment, affilled the Arabians in the con- 
quell of feveral provinces, into which, of confequence, the 
religion of Mahomet was afterwards introduced. Other 
caufes of the bidden progrefs of that religion will natu¬ 
rally occur to fuch as confider attentively its fpirit and 
genius, and the Hate of the world at the time it was in¬ 
troduced. 
Gibbon fpeaks of this religion and its author in the 
following animated terras : “ Could I truly delineate,” 
fays he, “ the portrait of an hero, the fleeting refemblance 
would not equally apply to the iolitary of mount Hera, 
to the preacher of Mecca, and to the conqueror of Ara¬ 
bia. The author of a mighty revolution appears to have 
been endowed with a pious and contemplative difpofition : 
fo foon as marriage had railed him above the preffure of 
want, he avoided the paths of ambition and avarice; and 
till the age of forty he lived with innocence, and would 
have died without a name. The unity of God is an idea 
moft congenial to nature and reafon; and a flight con- 
verfation with the Jews and Chriltians would teach him 
to defpife and detefl the idolatry of Mecca. It was the 
duty of a man and a citizen to refcue his country from 
fin and error. The energy of a mind inceflantly bent oil 
the fame objeft would convert a general obligation into a 
particular call; the warm fuggeftions of the underftanding 
or the fancy would be felt as the infpirations of heaven ; 
the labour of thought would expire in rapture and vifion; 
and the inward fenlation, the invifible monitor, would be 
defcribed with the form and attributes of an angel of 
God. From enthufiafm to impofture the itep is perilous 
and flippery : the daemon of Socrates affords a memorable 
inftance how a wife man may deceive himfelf, how a good 
man may deceive others, how the confcience may Hum¬ 
ber in a mixed and middle Hate between felf-illufion and 
voluntary fraud. Charity may believe that the original 
motions of Mahomet were thofe of pure and genuine be¬ 
nevolence ; but a human miffionary is incapable of che- 
rifhing the obftinate unbelievers who rejeft his claims, 
defpife his arguments, and perfecute his life; hence the 
paflions of pride and revenge were kindled in the bofom 
of Mahomet. The injuitice of Mecca, and the choice of 
Medina, transformed the citizen into a prince, the hum¬ 
ble preacher into the leader of armies. In the exercife of 
political government, he was compelled to abate of the 
item rigour of fanaticifm, to comply in fome meafure 
with the prejudices and paflions of his followers, and to 
employ even the vices of mankind as the inftruments of 
their fklvation : the ufe of fraud and perfidy, of cruelty 
and injuitice, was often fubfervient to the propagation of 
the faith ; and Mahomet commanded and approved the 
aflaflination of the Jews and idolators who had efcaped 
f rom the field of battle. By the repetition of fuch afts, the 
charafter of Mahomet mult have been gradually ftained ; 
and the influence of fuch pernicious habits would te 
poorly compenfated by the praftice of the perfonal and 
locial virtues which are neceflary to maintain the reputa¬ 
tion of a prophet among his feftaries and friends. Of his 
laft years, ambition was the ruling paflion ; and a politi¬ 
cian will fufpeft, that he fecretly fmiled (the victorious 
impoftor!) at the enthufiafm of his youth, and the credu¬ 
lity of his profelytes.” 
Mahomet, in his private and domeftic life, feems to have 
defpifed the pomp of royalty, and to have fubmitted to 
the menial offices of the family. The interdiction of wine 
3 was 
