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A prominent argument put forth by Mr. Arnold against the Mohammedan creed is found in the contradictions (and abrogations) to be met with in the Koran. It is said that there are no less than 225 passages containing laws and dogmas which have been abrogated by subsequent Suras. If contradictions were all that made the Koran objectionable, our Book could be set aside upon the same grounds.

A prominent argument put forth by Mr. Arnold against the Mohammedan creed is found in the contradictions (and abrogations) to be met with in the Koran. It is said that there are no less than 225 passages containing laws and dogmas which have been abrogated by subsequent Suras. If contradictions were all that made the Koran objectionable, our Book could be set aside upon the same grounds.

Ali Halibi writes in his history of the Prophet (?): “Eben Ishak relates what he has heard from his masters, viz., that Mohammed was subjected to the treatment of an exorcist when in Mecca, before the Koran was revealed to him." This is important, for he may thus have been especially developed as a medium through magnetic influence, as many are said to be now by this means.

Ali Halibi writes in his history of the Prophet (?): “Eben Ishak relates what he has heard from his masters, viz., that Mohammed was subjected to the treatment of an exorcist when in Mecca, before the Koran was revealed to him." This is important, for he may thus have been especially developed as a medium through magnetic influence, as many are said to be now by this means.

In the vast amount of interesting matter that has been written about the illustrious author of the Koran, I will make only one more suggestion, which Is, that Mohammed never claimed to be a ''prophet. ''The Arabic word ''rsoul ''means strictly, I think, an envoy, a messenger. Mohammed frequently declared himself to be only a messenger of God, a preacher of God's truths as revealed to him, but did not of himself pretend to predict events. Weil, in his “Mohammedan Prophet,” gives some important facts found in the “insan Aluyun,” where Ali Halibi quotes Ujun Alather; “Mohammed said to the exorcist ‘Thou professest to deliver man from demons. Only God we may entreat for help. . . . Confess that there is one God, ''who has chosen me to be his apostle''.” The italics are mine. It is possible and probable that if many sayings in the Koran should be set down as emanating from Mohammed alone, his prophetic character would be established; but if dictated by spirits (which may have been evil, and hence misleading and tending to mischief and contradiction) then he was simply, as he claimed, (many passages in the Koran to the contrary, notwithstanding,) “an apostle,” a messenger. But as we have seen, one cannot be certain in regard to what actually emanated from Mohammed himself. His disciples, doubtless, exalted his character as much as possible, and many contradictions have probably arisen, and much fable been imputed to the “master” by them in their zeal to do him honor.

In the vast amount of interesting matter that has been written about the illustrious author of the Koran, I will make only one more suggestion, which Is, that Mohammed never claimed to be a ''prophet. ''The Arabic word ''rsoul ''means strictly, I think, an envoy, a messenger. Mohammed frequently declared himself to be only a messenger of God, a preacher of God's truths as revealed to him, but did not of himself pretend to predict events. Weil, in his “Mohammedan Prophet,” gives some important facts found in the “insan Aluyun,” where Ali Halibi quotes Ujun Alather; “Mohammed said to the exorcist ‘Thou professest to deliver man from demons. Only God we may entreat for help. . . . Confess that there is one God, ''who has chosen me to be his apostle''.” The italics are mine. It is possible and probable that if many sayings in the Koran should be set down as emanating from Mohammed alone, his prophetic character would be established; but if dictated by spirits (which may have been evil, and hence misleading and tending to mischief and contradiction) then he was simply, as he claimed, (many passages in the Koran to the contrary, notwithstanding,) “an apostle,” a messenger. But as we have seen, one cannot be certain in regard to what actually emanated from Mohammed himself. His disciples, doubtless, exalted his character as much as possible, and many contradictions have probably arisen, and much fable been imputed to the “master” by them in their zeal to do him honor.