L. the fenfes and imagination of man. "I believe CHAP. " in one God, and Mahomet the apoftle of God," is the fimple and invariable profeffion of Iflam. The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any vifible idol: the honours of the prophet have never tranfgreffed the meafure of human virtue; and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his difciples within the bounds of reafon and religion. The votaries of Ali have indeed confecrated the memory of their hero, his wife, and his children, and fome of the Perfian doctors pretend that the divine effence was incarnate in the perfon of the Imams; but their fuperftition is univerfally condemned by the Sonnites; and their impiety has afforded a seasonable warning against the worship of faints and martyrs. The metaphyfical questions on the attributes of God, and the liberty of man, have been agitated in the schools of the Mahometans, as well as in thofe of the Chriftians; but among the former they have never engaged the paffions of the people or difturbed the tranquillity of the state. The caufe of this important difference may be found in the feparation or union of the regal and facerdotal characters. It was the interest of the caliphs, the fucceffors of the prophet and. commanders of the faithful, to reprefs and discourage all religious innovations: the order, the discipline, the temporal and spiritual ambition of the clergy, are unknown to the Moflems; and the fages of the law are the guides of their confcience and the oracles of their faith. From the Atlantic to the Ganges, the Koran is acknow ledged L. CHAP. ledged as the fundamental code, not only of theology but of civil and criminal jurisprudence; and the laws which regulate the actions and the property of mankind, are guarded by the infallible and immutable fanction of the will of God. This religious fervitude is attended with fome practical disadvantage; the illiterate legislator had been often misled by his own prejudices and those of his country; and the inftitutions of the Arabian defert may be ill-adapted to the wealth and numbers of Ifpahan and Conftantinople. On these occafions, the Cadhi respectfully places on his head the holy volume, and fubftitutes a dextrous interpretation more appofite to the principles of equity, and the manners and policy of the times. His merit towards his country. His beneficial or pernicious influence on the public happinefs is the laft confideration in the character of Mahomet. The most bitter or most bigotted of his Christian or Jewish foes, will furely allow that he affumed a falfe commiffion to inculcate a falutary doctrine, lefs perfect only than their own. He pioufly fuppofed, as the bafis of his religion, the truth and fanctity of their prior revelations, the virtues and miracles of their founders. The idols of Arabia were broken before the throne of God; the blood of human victims was expiated by prayer, and fafting, and alms, the laudable or innocent arts of devotion; and his rewards and punishments of a future life were painted by the images most congenial to an ignorant and carnal generation. Mahomet was perhaps incapable of dictating a moral and po litical L. litical fyftem for the ufe of his countrymen: but CHAP. he breathed among the faithful a fpirit of charity and friendship, recommended the practice of the focial virtues, and checked, by his laws and precepts, the thirst of revenge and the oppreffion of widows and orphans. The hoftile tribes were united in faith and obedience, and the valour which had been idly fpent in domeftic quarrels, was vigorously directed against a foreign enemy. Had the impulfe been lefs powerful, Arabia, free at home, and formidable abroad, might have flourifhed under a fucceffion of her native monarchs. Her fovereignty was loft by the extent and rapidity of conqueft. The colonies of the nation were scattered over the East and Weft, and their blood was mingled with the blood of their converts and captives. After the reign of three caliphs, the throne was tranfported from Medina to the valley of Damafcus and the banks of the Tigris; the holy cities were violated by impious war; Arabia was ruled by the rod of a subject, perhaps of a stranger; and the Bedoweens of the defert, awakening from their dream of dominion, refumed their old and folitary independence 17. 187 The writers of the Modern Univerfal Hiftory (vol. i. and ii.) have compiled, in 850 folio pages, the life of Mahomet and the an. nals of the caliphs. They enjoyed the advantage of reading, and fometimes correcting, the Arabic text; yet, notwithstanding their high-founding boafts, I cannot find, after the conclufion of my work, that they have afforded me much (if any) additional information. The dull mass is not. quickened by a spark of philosophy or tafte: and the compilers indulge the criticism of acrimonious bigotry against Boulainvilliers, Sale, Gagnier, and all who have treated Mahomet with favour, or even justice. ена р. LI. CHAP. LI. The Conquest of Perfia, Syria, Egypt, Africa, ana TH HE revolution of Arabia had not changed the character of the Arabs: the death of Mahomet was the fignal of independence; and A. D. 632. the hafty structure of his power and religion tot Union of the Arabs, tered to its foundations. A fmall and faithful band of his primitive difciples had listened to his eloquence, and fhared his diftrefs; had fled with the apostle from the perfecution of Mecca, or had received the fugitive in the walls of Medina. The increasing myriads, who acknowledged Mahomet as their king and prophet, had been compelled by his arms, or allured by his profperity. The polytheists were confounded by the simple idea of a folitary and invifible God: the pride of the Chriftians and Jews difdained the yoke of a mortal and contemporary legiflator. Their habits of faith and obedience were not fufficiently confirmed; and many of the new converts regretted the venerable antiquity of the law of Mofes, or the rites and myfteries of the Catholic church, or the idols, the facrifices, the joyous festivals, of their 5 LI. 355 their Pagan ancestors. The jarring interefts and CHA P. hereditary feuds of the Arabian tribes had not yet coalefced in a fyftem of union and fubordination; and the Barbarians were impatient of the mildest and most falutary laws that curbed their passions, or violated their customs. They submitted with reluctance to the religious precepts of the Koran, the abstinence from wine, the fast of the Ramadan, and the daily repetition of five prayers; and the alms and tithes, which were collected for the treasury of Medina, could be diftinguished only by a name from the payment of a perpetual and ignominious tribute. The example of Mahomet had excited a spirit of fana ticism or imposture, and several of his rivals prefumed to imitate the conduct and defy the authority of the living prophet. At the head of the fugitives and auxiliaries, the first caliph was reduced to the cities of Mecca, Medina, and Tayef; and perhaps the Koreifh would have restored the idols of the Caaba, if their levity had not been checked by a seasonable reproof. "men of Mecca, will ye be the laft to embrace "and the first to abandon the religion of Islam ?" After exhorting the Moflems to confide in the aid of God and his apostle, Abubeker refolved, by a vigorous attack, to prevent the junction of the rebels. The women and children were fafely lodged in the cavities of the mountains: the warriors, marching under eleven banners, diffufed the terror of their arms; and the appearance of a military force revived and confirmed the loyalty of the faithful. The inconftant tribes accepted, with humble A a 2 "Ye |