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in order that, if perchance in a true vision they should see the blessed
Prophet himself, they may know the vision to be a real one, and give thanks to
the Lord for it. Because, according to his own words, "whoso hath
seen me, hath seen the truth"; that is. "whoever hath seen me in a
vision, hath really and truly seen me, the blessed Mohammed," and such an
one shall escape the deceptions of Satan: for Satan is unable to assume the
glorious appearance described above, but ofttimes shows himself in other
forms, and claiming to be a prophet beguiles ignorant worshippers, in their
visions and reveries
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The legend of Mohammed's chest being opened, follows in great detail. But the
rest of his early history,—the death of Amina and Abdal Muttalib; Abu
Tâlib's guardianship; Mohammed's marriage; his throes of inspiration;
conversion of his first disciples, etc., are all disposed of in a couple of
pages! On the subject of miracles our author finds a more congenial theme.
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To give one hundredth, or even a thousandth part of the famous miracles
performed by the holy Prophet—even if the waves of the ocean were turned
into pens, its waters into ink, and the expanse of heaven into one vast scroll—would be utterly impossible. The least of them are as follows;
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The absence of shadow (which is followed by a most blasphemous application1):
the splitting of the moon: that birds would not fly over, nor flies alight, on
him: evidence given by a corpse interred 100 years before, by the stones, by a
porpoise, and by a golden peacock which issued from the rocks;—all this is
stated to be too notorious to require further description. The Mirâj, or
heavenly ascent, occupies eleven pages of the strangest absurdities and
extravagancies.
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Passing over the rest of his
career, both at Mecca and Medina the author hastens to the last scenes of
the. Prophet's life, which we deems it necessary to introduce in an
apologetic strain, as if it here a matter of astonishment that he, for whom
Adam, nay, for whom 18,000 worlds, were created, should be required to die.
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