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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26370	The life and death of Mahumed, the author of the Turkish religion being an account of his tribe, parents, birth, name, education, marriages, filthiness of life, Alcoran, first proselytes, wars, doctrines, miracles, advancement, &c. / by L. Addison ... author of The present state of the Jews.	Addison, Lancelot, 1632-1703.	1679 (1679)	Wing A523; ESTC R33059	58,749	146

Collection c. BEsides the Alcoran the Mahumedists have another Book in little less veneration than it which is known by the Name of Zuna or Sunè which signifies a Way or Law or the following of the Sayings Actions and Counsels of Mahumed This was written after his death by some of his chief Disciples But through manifold transcriptions it became so augmented by some and abridged by others and altered and mangled by most Copies that little remain'd entire of the Impostors Words and Actions Hereupon arose divers Readings and thereby no small confusion But lest in this troubled variety of Copies the true Sunè should be utterly lost to the irreparable damage of the Mahumedan Religion an Alkalife or King of the Moors called a general Council of Alfaquies or Priests Learned Men and Doctors and appointed Damascus to be the place of their meeting These by publick Proclamation he commanded to bring with them all the Books that could be found written of the Sunè and of Mahumeds Words and Works The Alfaquies and others according to command repaired to Damascus and brought with them the said Books The Caliph seeing them in full Synod communicated unto them the purpose and reason of their assembly and then commanded That six of the most Learned Alfaquies and best read in the Sunè should be chosen for a select Committee out of the two hundred Priests that were there met The six that were chosen go under these Names viz. Muzlir Bohari Buhora yra Anecery Atermindi Doud The Caliph being well pleased with the Election as being Men of reputed Learning and Integrity called them to him and commanded them that they should go alone into a House and cause all the pretended Books of the Sunè to be brought unto them And that each of them should by himself collect a Book of all the Sayings and Deeds of Mahumed which he should conceive to be true and that they should each entitle his Book with his own Name The six Priests did as they were commanded by the Caliph and having finished their task they presented their Collections to him which he no sooner had received than he delivered them to the whole Council to be viewed and examined And these six Books being thus perused and approved were preserved and all the rest were ordered to be cast into Adegele a River near Damascus And the number of Books thus cast into the water were no fewer than loaded two hundred Camels This being done an Edict went forth That no Alfaqui or Priest should dare to read or keep any Book but the six aforesaid and that none should mention any Saying or Deed of Mahumed but such as should be found written in the said Books and that all Musselmen or Believers of Mahumed should receive these Books for as true and authentick as if they were the very Alcoran it self and that they should receive equal reverence with it In this manner Mahumeds Sect was restored and the Caliph who procured this Restauration is to this day celebrated for a Saint But it seems this was not enough to prevent future Sects for by reason of some dubious and contrary passages found in the said Books there arose several interpretations thereof which occasioned several opinions and thereupon several Sects Whereof these four are the more remarkable First the Sect of Melich of which are all the Moors of Medina and those of Africk The second Sect follow the opinion of Assafihy of which are the Moors of Mecca and the adjacent Countrey The third Sect is that of Hambeli whereof are the Moors of Armenia and Persia The last Sect is made up of those who follow the opinion of Abuhamfa So that by reason of the different interpretations given by these four Doctors of the Sunè these several Sects arose among the Mahumedists And the differences of these Sects chiefly consist in matters of Judicatures Marriages and Divorces and those Ceremonies which respect their Washings when they make their Sala or Prayer Now speaking of the Sunè as it contains in six Books the Deeds and Sayings of Mahumed we find them reduced to four kinds First the Cahch or certain and true which contain all the Words and Works of Mahumed which his Wife Ayscha and his ten Disciples attest to have been spoken and done by him Secondly all those Words and Works of Mahumed which are reported by his other Wives without the attestation of Ayscha and his chief Disciples are called Dahif or Defective Thirdly those Words and Works of Mahumed which have only the testimony of the Learned and principal Men of his time and never came to the knowledge of his chief Disciples nor of Ayscha are called Maucof or Abrupt Fourthly all those Words and Works which are delivered by his chief Doctors as proceeding from Mahumed after he was sick and infirm are accounted weak and called by the Moors Zaquini All these differences are to be met with saith my Author in the Preface to the Book of Flowers which is an Epitome of the six Books of the Sunè and contains only such Words and Actions of Mahumed as are accounted True and Certain There is yet another Book which some Travellers report they have seen in the Tursique Court called Musaph which is esteemed so sacred that they will not suffer it to be Translated into any Language out of Arabique Some suppose that it is to the Alcoran as our Service-Book to the Bible others say it is an Extract of the Alcoran and others conjecture it to be a short Gloss or Paraphrase thereon This Book is had in so singular reverence that none is permitted to touch it either with unwasht or naked hands When it is read in the Church the people give it a devout attention and the Reader may not hold it lower than his girdle And having done reading therein he gives it a reverend kiss and then touching it with his eyes with great decency lays it up in its place And yet the respect given this Book is not more than the Moors ordinarily bestow upon all Books of their Religion which indeed they treat with a Veneration worthy of the subject they are pretended to contain For I have seen them taking a Book of Devotion in their hands presently to hold it up toward Heaven saying Dillah i. e. It is from God and then holding it to their Eyes Heart and kissing it either peruse or lay it aside Having given this short account of the Alcoran and Sunè I re-assume the prosecution of the progress of Mahumedism CHAP. XII Of the first Proselytes of Mahumed which he gained during the time he held a Conventicle in Mecca THe Revelation that Mahumed pretended to have received from Heaven to set all those Slaves at liberty who would embrace his Doctrine had not that effect which he expected For after some years of Conventicling at his own house we find but Nine that he perswaded to receive him for a Prophet Namely Zeydin Cadigha Ali the Son of Abitaleb

the Mighty Alcoran They swear by it and pay it all the reverence they would do unto God And no small disputes have been raised among the old Mahumedists about the nature of the Alcoran whether it was the created or increated word of God Vathecus was for the opinion of those who held the Alcoran to be created and he writ to all the Provinces of Eyypt That the Musulmin should be of the same opinion Which Injunction was very displeasing to the Mahumedans but they were by penalties forced to embrace it Though not a few suffered Martyrdom for the contrary opinion choosing rather to dye than to hold the Alcoran was not the Increate word of God These disputes continued long and opinions prevailed according to the humour of the present Caliph that Reigned The excellent Erpenius tells us in his Notes upon the Chapter of Joseph It is incredible what Vertue Majesty and Authority is granted to the Alcoran yea what Honour and Veneration is given it by the Musulmin whole Books saith he are extant in its commendation written in so swoln and fabulous a style that no discerning Reader can peruse them without laughter First they commend it above all the Creatures and place it next to God That he that handles it irreverently is unworthy of life and is as wicked as he that contemns God They permit not any who is not of their own Religion so much as to touch it If any Musulman chance to sit upon it the sin is piacular but if this irreverence be used by a Jew or Christian it is punished with death No Mahumedan is permitted to touch it with the top of his finger until he first wash and lest any should unwarily offend therein they write upon the cover of the Alcoran in great letters this Sentence Let no Man touch it who is unclean They call it the Medicine of the Heart and hold it to be of such secret Vertue and worth that the reading of one letter therein deserves a good reward I have often doubted whether there be any true Edition of the Alcoran in the European Language since I observed how difficult it is for any Christian to obtain from the Mahumedans a copy thereof For they permit not any of a Religion different from their own so much as to touch it nor of old was it suffer'd to be written in any but the Arabique Language And at this day it is capital for a Moor to sell an Alcoran to either Jew or Christian Nor indeed are any Alcorans to be met with in private hands or exposed to sale to the vulgar In above seven years of conversation among the Moors I could not obtain the sight of one which I ceased to wonder at when it was told me How the communicating of that Glorious Book as they call it might tend to its defilement and prove fatal to any one who should be so free therewith The buying of an Alcoran was once warmly attempted by Fr. Barton a Country-man of our own who had the sight of one fair written in the Persick Tongue in Octavo and of another in Quarto written in Arabique But when he essayed to buy the later of a Hogia who taught Arabique at Pera he refused to sell it at any rate At last hearing that several Alcorans in Persick were to be had among the Dervices a Religious sort of Mahumedan Monks Mr. Barton endeavoured but in vain to purchase one and coming to Gallipolis in Greece he had news that two or three Alcorans were there in a Colledge of the Dervices But trying to buy one they ask'd Why he being an Infidel should desire to have an Alcoran He told them That he had heard many things concerning their Law and that he was very desirous to be ascertained of the truth thereof and to that end was willing to buy an Alcoran and to take a Master therein to instruct him Upon the hearing of this a Turk presently reply'd That the Infidel did dissemble and that under pretence of love to the Musulmanick Faith he designed to deride it and that he ought to be had before the Visier for his prophane attempt So that our Country-man was forced to escape privily for fear of being brought in question I shall conclude this observation with what Hottinger relates of one Ahmed Ibu Ali who being in some great want of Money pawned an exemplar of an Alcoran with other small Works both in Verse and Prose to the Duke of Sylva which the said Duke profer'd to Hottinger at the price it was pawn'd for Hottinger as himself relates was glad of the occasion to procure a Book he had so long desired who receiving it into his possession freely used it in the presence of the said Ahmed Ibu Ali without molestation or reproach But Ali's occasions drawing him out of Afrique and Hottinger's into his own Country after three years Ahmet came to Leida and there made his Application to the learned Golius whom he incessantly importuned to procure for him the copy of the Alcoran in Hottingers possession and would not desist till he had obtained from Golius an earnest Letter to that purpose This Alcoran Hottinger had illustrated with Marginal Notes out of the Famous Commentaries of Beidavi and pointed it with great industry So that by the Mahumedique Laws it was wholly become useless to the Moor and unlawful for him to receive it again Which thing being urged unto Ali he no whit desisted but with a doubled importunity desired to have it restored to him for no other reason than to have it burned that being the only lustration whereby he thought it capable to be purified from the filth it had contracted by the Christians Notes and usage In short the Moors respect to the Alcoran is so egregious that they so far honour all written Paper for its sake as to take up every little script where they find it and having kissed it they stop it up in some chink of a Wall saying It is no small iniquity that any Papers should be troden under foot in which may be written some part of the Alcoran and the Name of God That the Alcoran is writ in Metre was never questioned by any but the great Scaliger who considering the nature of the Arabique Tongue concluded it very uncapable of Ryme and Verse But upon second thoughts he grants there is to be found in it a kind of Ryme but without any tunable proportion For the word that should make up the Metre is either too near or too distant from that which should make the Harmony And those who have purposely considered this matter grant that the Alcoran is a very rude Poem and the things therein contained are so loose and incoherent that Moses Amyraldus thought them rather the ragings of a Man in a Feaver or the Enthusiasms of a Drunkard than the inspirations of God or the sentiments of a sober considerare person CHAP. XI Of the Sunè its Name Contents and Circumstances of its

this sign God hath discovered all those who falsely boasted of the Spirit of Prophesie so that the truth herein might easily be found of those that sought it and errour be avoided By which rule of Maimonides if Mahumeds Prophetic Office were duely examined he would be found as indeed he was a most Pestilent Impostor being so far from renouncing his lusts that he reckoned them among the chief Priviledges of his Prophetick Function I shall close up this Chapter with remarking the groundlesness of that Tradition which makes Mahumed to be put into an Iron Chest that by the force of Loadstones hangs in the air Speaking with one Cidi Absolom upon his return from performing the Alhage to Mecca he told me it was an idle fable exploded by the Mahumedists who from this their conceit of the Hanging Tomb upbraid the Christians with ignorance in their story Mahumed being dead and the care of his Religion and Empire being devolved upon Abubecer who for his zeal was stiled the just The entrance of his Government was not a little molested with certain Men who pretended either to equal or exceed Mahumed in his pretentions of a Prophet Of these Aswad was the first who giving it out that he was a Prophet under that cloak drew many after him with whose aid he made himself Master of Zanaa Nazrana and Tayfa And as he began to grow famous he was killed in his own House by one Firus Dailamus After Abubecer had rid himself of Aswad one Taliha created him a second disturbance who likewise presenting himself to the people as a fellow-Prophet to Mahumed wanted not credulous adherents well fitted to adjust his prosecutions But he was quickly put to flight by Chalid Ben-Walid and upon the death of Abubecer came in to his Successor Omar to whom he made an Oath of Fidelity and thereupon was permitted to return to his Countrey Museilema was the third who pretended to be a companion of Mahumed in this prophetique Authority he Married one Thegjazis who made her self a Prophetess but in a very short time she forsook her Husband and returned to her own people The vanquishing of Museilema cost much blood of his party no fewer than ten thousand being slain in one Battel a wound which proved utterly uncurable to that Sect. The fourth great Pretender was one whom the Saracen History calls Almotenabbi or The Prophesier An excellent Poet and Souldier he in all things studied to be like Mahumed He wrote an Alcoran both in Verse and Prose and was the most considerable that ever rivall'd the Impostor but some years after his death all his followers were dissipated and his Sect crumbled to nothing CHAP. XVI Containing some of the more remarkable Doctrines taught by Mahumed THe things taught by Mahumed are so mixt and confused that it is no easie task to range them under distinct Heads And yet they are not more medly'd in themselves than disadvantageously represented by Writers Some hearing of Mahumedism think it to be nothing but a bundle of meer absurdities and a heap of monstrous and disingenious Fables wholly tending to the detriment and subversion of the Truth Of which mind I was my self till desire of satisfaction therein brought me into a more ingenuous acquaintance therewith And that I may give an unprejudiced account of the principles of Mahumedism I have consulted with none but such as have professedly written upon this Theme 'T is true that Mahumedism strictly considered is a hodge-podge of Judaism Gentilism and Christianism which makes it have so many excellent things contained in it and the very Alcoran it self mostly consists of express words of Scripture And so subtle was Mahumed in the composure of his Doctrine that he took it all out of the Books of the two Testaments and the Traditionals of the Jews adding little of his own besides some sorry and ridiculous stories not at all relating to the points of his Religion And yet notwithstanding all this so browless was this Heretique that he was not asham'd to tell the World That all he Preached was sent him immediately from Heaven As to the main structure of this execrable Heresie the Alcoran affords it to every Reader in our own Language But because things therein are so dispersedly laid down I shall here give a summary account of the chief points thereof collected out of the Saracen Authors And first Elmacinus hath reduced Mahumedism to Twelve Articles namely 1. To believe in one only God 2. To love and to adore him 3. To despise and renounce the worship of Idols 4. To observe Circumcision 5. Strictly to keep the Fast of the Month Ramadan of whose institution I have already spoken in my account of the Moresco-Customs 6. To pray or repeat the Zala five times in the compass of a natural day 7. To be careful to pay Tythes 8. That every one who is able once in his life-time perform the Alhage or Religious Pilgrimage to the Temple of Mecca 9. That they believe the Prophets and Apostles and all the Books that were written by them 11. That Christ the Son of Mary is the Son of God his Word and his Apostle 12. That they acknowledge the Law and the Gospel These are the Twelve things commanded by Mahumed and all who shall dare to deny the belief and observation thereof he commands to be compelled or ruin'd by the Sword and War This scheme of Doctrine was proclaim'd while Mahumed lived and the Constitution thereof was so specious that not a few of other Religions were therewith so far allured as to embrace it and become his Proselytes To which many were the more inclined because Mahumed was now in condition to secure and protect his Followers Besides those who owned him for their Prophet there were divers Jews Magicians and Pagans whom he took into his protection upon their Oath of Fidelity and promise of paying an annual Tribute Another Extract of Mahumeds Religion I find collected out of Ben-Abibecer which he received from one Moghahed who received it from Mahumeds own mouth who told his said contemporary Moghahed that whosoever desired to enjoy Paradise and would have God raise him up at the last day with the Apostles Prophets and Wisemen he was necessarily to observe and believe these Forty things 1. That there is a God 2. A last day 3. A Book 4. Prophets 5. A Resurrection after death 6. Providence about good and bad things 7. That there is one God and Mahumed his Prophet 8. To pray at appointed times having first washt and made clean their Bodies 9. Payment of Tythes 10. Fast the Month of Ramadan 11. To go in Pilgrimage if they were able 12. That in 24 hours they say 12 Recaas and three Ex abundanti to shew their love of Devotion 13. That they take no Vsury 14. That they drink no Wine 15. That they take not the Name of God in vain 16. That they judge not hastily 17. That they defraud not their brethren neither before

their face nor behind their backs 18. That they upbraid no Man for his deformity 19. That they neither divorce nor cast off a chast Woman 20. That they make no mans misery or misfortune matter of their sport or laughter 21. That they cast not off the fear of Gods punishments 22. That they be no obtrectators or given to Calumny and Back-biting 23. That they give God thanks for every benefit they receive from him 24. That they be patient in afflictions 25. That they despair not of Gods mercy 26. That they believe that all what happens to them was not appointed for another for then it would have befaln him 27. That God to please his Creatures is not angry with them 28. That they prefer not this World before that to come 29. That they do not covetously withhold from their Brother that is a Musulman what they desire of them 30. That in the things of Religion they observe him who is above them and in the things of the World those who are below them 31. That they swear not 32. That they contract no friendship with the Devil 33. That they bid farewell to all vanity 34. That they devour not the Goods of the Orphan 35. That they suppress Calumny 36. That they instruct their Family and Children in the things that may be serviceable to them with God and lead them to the great and best God 37. That they do good to their Neighbour and hide not themselves from those who stand in need of them 38. That they multiply the praises jubilations and magnifications of God 39. That they curse not the Creature 40. That in every state they read the Alcoran unless when they are unclean And forsake not the Congregation of Believers or turn not a Separatist That they do to another just as they would have it done unto themselves There is yet another Abstract of the Mahumedan Religion which Hottinger in Hist Oriental Lib. 2. Cap. 3. saith is the most absolute And he speaks of it as of an excellent Present made him by his Friend Sam. Rhorius The whole Compendium bears this Title An Account of the things which the Tongue ought to confess and the Heart to believe concerning Religion The first Article respects God his Name Attributes Works especially of his Providence of GOD. 1. That God is the only God and that there is none other beside him That he hath no like nor equal nor Son nor Companion nor Colleague Whose Original is without beginning and Eternity without end Whose Attributes are incomprehensible and whose Power exceeds all expression Whose Essence no thought can comprehend though men given deeply to meditate use to express it by Signs and Examples No Man can know more of God than he hath pleased to reveal of himself His Throne is equal to Heaven and Earth and no inconvenience doth accrew unto him from his conservation of them both God is the Excellent Great Wise Knowing Moderator Powerful Sagacious Nimble Great who sits upon his Throne honour'd with his Being who pierceth into all places with his knowledge who created Man and knows whatsoever his Soul inspir'd into him not a leaf doth fall without his privity neither doth a grave lye hid in darkness whether green or drie which is not to be found in the Books By which the Arabians understand Predestination The same God hath excellent Names of which no fewer than 99 are reckoned up by the Arabians and excellent Attributes in all which Names and Attributes there is not the least change And it is wickedness to believe that his Attributes are created or his Names produced God spoke with Moses and appeared in the Mount which was astonished at his Majesty Of Providence All things both good and evil sweet and bitter are under Gods Providence the Lord our God doth govern them all The disposal of all things are in his hand and their process and originals depend upon his decree He knows all things before they come to pass and all things flow by his ordering Nothing is done by his Worshippers which he hath not decreed and anteverted by his prescience He knows all that he has made making to erre whom he will by leaving them in his just judgment and directing whom he pleaseth and of his mercy helping them All things are brought to an easie end according to his fore-knowledge and foresight whether it be Calamitous or happy And it were no ordinary impiety to imagine that any thing can be done in his Kingdome against his will or that any emolument can happen to any one which he doth not grant or that there is any other Creator of any thing besides him who is the Lord of his Creatures the Lord of their Works and the orderer of their Motions and Counsels The Belief of the Mahumedans concerning the Alcoran They hold That it is the uncreated Word of God But this Article was not of universal belief among the Mahumedans for Almamon was of a contrary opinion and very grievously punisht all those who held otherwise Among those who held the Alcoran to be the increated word of God D. Ahmed Ben Habib of happy memory was the chief whom Almamon sent for in fetters But Almamon dyed before Ahmed came to him yet his intention was pursued by Mutasimus who severely corrected him Elmacin lib. 2. Saracen Hist pag. 138. This opinion that the Alcoran was created was greatly approved of by Vathecus and very highly commended by Ahmed the Son of Abi David and by his Counsellour Mahumed Ben Abdolmelich Vathecus upon occasion of this controversie writ to all the Provinces of Egypt that the Musulmin should be compelled to believe that the Alcoran was created and that this decree should be written in the Temples or publick Mosks But this was very displeasing to the Musulmin and vehemently detested by them But those who withstood this Decree and refused to embrace the opinion of Vathecus suffer'd most grievous punishments some being scourged some imprisoned and some slain But afterward when Giafar Mottavacelus came to the Empire he set those at liberty who were under restraint for their opinion and expressed no small dislike against Mahumed Ben Abdolmelic for advising Mutasimus to confine them And the Mahumedans are so zealous in maintaining their Alcoran that they rather chuse to suffer the extreamest miseries than doubt of its Bternity Concerning the Prophetical Office of Mahumed It is required of Musulmin to believe that God sealed up all Prophesie and Apostolate in his Prophet Mahumed making him to be the last of all he intended to send unto the World to preach his will and to warn and invite Men to turn unto him granting him a clear light that God also sent unto him the wise Book that is the Alcoran in which his true Religion is explain'd and Men are directed to the right way Concerning the last Judgment The Musulmen are unanimous in the belief of a last Judgment saying that the hour shall come when God shall raise