source of strength for all who have to interchange thought with Mahometans,
and adds prestige and influence; while ignorance of its contents must weaken
the power of carrying conviction to the Moslem heart. Before all things,
then, he that would deal with the Mahometan world, or even understand the
principles which underlie its action, must make himself conversant with the
Corân.
But the Corân, taken by itself, is perhaps of all books the least
intelligible. Of the Bible, although the circumstances under which various
parts were composed, and even the names and eras of the writers are
sometimes obscure, yet the substance is so arranged as seldom to leave the
meaning, whether of the narrative or didactic portions, doubtful. With the
Corân, on the contrary, although the main outlines of the author's life are
well known, the whole is confused, and the drift often hard of
comprehension. The books or chapters follow one another without any
chronological sequence, and the books themselves are frequently composed of
fragments put together with no regard either to time or subject. To attain,
therefore, a clear idea of the design of this disjointed composition, and of
the bearing of its several parts, is only possible in connection with the
study of the author's life. With this object in view, I propose to sketch
very briefly the outlines of the career of Mahomet, confining myself to the
passages needful to illustrate the Corân.
Mahomet was born at Mecca in the year 570 A.D. That city, situate on the
great caravan route from Yemen to Syria, was from time immemorial famous