Chapter III.

HOW FAR SOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND HISTORIES IN THE QUR'AN AND TRADITION WERE TAKEN FROM JEWISH COMMENTATORS, AND SOME RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS FROM THE SABAEANS.

At the period when Muhammad was using the utmost endeavour to turn his people from idolatry to the Faith of Abraham, the Arabs had no religious writings acknowledged in common by them all, so that it was a matter of extreme difficulty to make them see the evils of their native faiths. There were three religions in the Peninsula — the Sabaean, Jewish, and Christian — each of which, as we hope to shew, helped to nurse Islam, which at the first lay like an infant in its cradle.

The SABAEANS have disappeared. No trace of them anywhere remains, and even of their history but little is known. We are told by Eastern authorities¹ that they were the first of all peoples who inhabited Syria; that they derived their faith from Seth and Idrīs; and that they possessed a book called Pages of Seth, in which were inculcated righteousness, truth, bravery, care of the poor, and avoidance of evil. They had

seven times for prayer, five of which were at the same hour as chosen by the Prophet. They prayed also for the dead, but without prostration; fasted thirty days from night to sunrise, and also if any new moon rose badly, for the remaining day of the month; observed Eed from the setting of their five stars; and venerated the Kaaba. Hence we see that the Sabaeans kept many observances still in force among the Muslims.

We turn to the JEWS. Of Course it is known to all how numerous and powerful the race was in Arabia at the time of Muhammad, and especially before the Hegira. Amongst their chief tribes were the Beni Coreitza, Cainucaa, and Nadhīr, having their three villages in the vicinity of Medina.

When it became manifest that the Jews would in no wise recognise the prophetic office of Muhammad, he fought several severe battles with them and, not without difficulty, either took them prisoners and slew them with the sword, or at last expelled them from the land. Now, although these Jews were an ignorant people, yet they possessed and carefully preserved the Torah, the Psalms, etc., and were called (as also the Christians) The People of the Book. Though the nation at large knew little or nothing of Hebrew, yet (like the Jews we see in Persia at the present day) they were familiar with the stories of the Talmud and the foolish tales which had come down from their ancestors, and which, being ignorant of their own Sacred books, they regarded as holy and divine.

The ignorant Arabs of the day looked upon their neighbours the Jews with honour and respect as being of