A traditional old Scribe of the Desert.
Calligraphy: One's pen should be ennobled; that is, by treating of
worthy matters.
THE BOOK WAS FINISHED IN THE YEAR 1335 OF THE HEGIRA
Fearing to enlarge this work too much, we prefer to publish the notes, which we deem necessary for its justification, under the title: "L'Orient vu de l'Occident," (The East Seen from the West), forming a pamphlet to be issued later on.
Nevertheless, we give as follows a list of those works which we have specially consulted.
"Al-Qur'an wa huwa'l-Huda wa'l-Furqan."—"Tafsir Anwaru't Tanzil wa Asraru't Tawil," by Al-Baydawi, (Commonly referred to as "The Commentary of Al-Baydawi.")—"Tafsiru'l Qur'ani'l Karim," by the Shaykh Mohammad Abduh. ("The Commentary of the Shaykh Mohammad Abduh.")—"Siratu'n-Rasul," by Ibn Hisham. (Ibn Hisham's "Life of the Prophet.")—"Kitabu't Tabaqat," by Ibn Sad. (The "Tabaqat" of Ibn Sad.)—"Insanu'l-'Uyun fi sirati'l-Amiri'l-Mamun," by Ali ibn Burhanu'd-Dini'l-Halabi.—"Nuru'l yaqin fi sirati Sayyidi'l-Marsulin," by Mohammad Al-Khudri.—"Kitabu's-Sahih," by Al-Bukhari. (The "Sahih" of Al-Bukhari.)—"Rihlat," by Abi'l Husayn ibn Jubayr. (The "Travels of Ibn Jubayr.")—"Ar-Rihlatu'l Hijaziyya," by Mohammad Al-Batanuni.—"Al-Bourdate," by the Shaykh Al-Busiri. (The "Burda," or "Mantle Poem of Al-Busiri.")—"Ummu'l Qura," by Al-Kawakibi.
"The spirit of Islam", by Ameer Ali Syied.—"Islamic Review," edited by Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din, B.A., L.L.B.
Le Coran, traduction de Savary.—Le Coran, traduction de Kasimirski.—Le Coran, analysé par J. La Baume.—Le Coran, sa poésie, ses lois, par Stanley Lane Pole.—L'Esprit libéral du Coran, par Benâttar, El Hadi Sebâï et Abdelâziz Ettsalbi.—Encyclopédie de l'Islam, dirigée par le Professeur Houtsma.—Les Traditions islamiques d'El Bokhari, traduction de Houdas.—L'Islam, par le Comte Henry de Castries.—L'Islamisme, par Houdas.—"Oumm el Quora", (la mère des Cités) de El Kaouakibi, compte-rendu littéral, d'après la version d'Omar Bouderba, par Christian Cherfils (en préparation).—L'Islamisme au point de vue social, textes d'Auguste Comte, publiés par Christian Cherfils.—Bonaparte et l'Islam, par Christian Cherfils.—Vie de Mahomet, par J. Gagnier.—Essai sur l'histoire des Arabes, par Caussin de Perceval.—Histoire des Arabes, de Sédillot.—Histoire des Arabes, de Huart.—"La Civilisation des Arabes", par le Dr. Gustave Le Bon.—Essai sur l'histoire de l'Islamisme, par Dozy.—Histoire des Musulmans d'Espagne, par Dozy.—Le présent de l'homme lettre, pour réfuter les partisans de la Croix, par Abd Allah Le Drogman.—De l'état présent et de l'avenir de l'Islam, par E. Montet.—Les Héros (Mahomet, le héros comme Prophète), par Carlyle.—Averrhoës et l'Averrhoïsme, par E. Renan.—Les Musulmans français de l'Afrique du Nord, par Ismaïl Hamet.—Les vieux Arabes, par P. Radiot.—Voyage en Arabie, par Hubert.—Mon voyage à la Mecque, par G. Courtellement.—"Mohammed et la fin du Monde", par P. Casanova.—L'enseignement de l'Arabe au Collège de France, par P. Casanova.—Revue du Monde Musulman, dirigée par A. Le Chatelier.—"L'Orient vu de l'Occident", par E. Dinet et Sliman ben Ibrahim.
| TITLE PAGE | opening: There is no God but Allah, and Mohammad is the Prophet of Allah. |
| CHAPTER THE FIRST | opening: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. |
| closing: Then when ye have ended the prayer, make mention of Allah, standing, and sitting, and reclining. (The Qur'an, iv, 104.) | |
| CHAPTER THE SECOND | opening: Have We not opened thy breast for thee? * And taken off from thee thy burden? (The Qur'an, xciv, 1-2.) |
| closing: And provide for your journey; but the best provision is the fear of Allah. (The Qur'an, ii, 193.) | |
| CHAPTER THE THIRD | opening: Verily, we have caused It (the Qur'an) to descend on the night of Power. (The Qur'an, xcvii, 1.) |
| closing: O thou enwrapped in thy mantle! * Arise and warn! * And thy Lord—magnify Him! (The Qur'an, lxxiv, 1-3.) | |
| CHAPTER THE FOURTH | opening: Ye shall assuredly be tried in your possessions and in yourselves. (The Qur'an, iii, 183.) |
| closing: And before them have We set a barrier and behind them a barrier, and We have shrouded them in a veil, so that they shall not see. (The Qur'an, xxxvi, 8.) | |
| CHAPTER THE FIFTH | opening: And fight for the cause of Allah against those who fight against you. (The Qur'an, ii, 186.) |
| closing: Believers! when ye confront a troop, stand firm and make frequent mention of the name of Allah; haply it shall fare well with you. (The Qur'an, viii, 47.) | |
| CHAPTER THE SIXTH | opening: And be not faint-hearted, and be not sorrowful; For ye shall gain the upper hand if ye be believers. (The Qur'an, iii, 133.) |
| closing: Nay rather Allah is your liege lord, and He is the best of helpers. (The Qur'an, iii, 143.) | |
| CHAPTER THE SEVENTH | opening: Verily, We have won for thee an undoubted victory. (The Qur'an, xlviii, 1.) |
| closing: Now hath Allah helped you in many battle-fields, and, on the day of Hunain, when ye prided yourselves on your numbers; but it availed you nothing. (The Qur'an, ix, 25.) | |
| CHAPTER THE EIGHTH | opening: Accomplish the Pilgrimage and the Visitation of the Holy Places in honour of Allah. (The Qur'an, ii, 192.) |
| closing: Say: Go through the earth, and see how He hath brought forth created beings. (The Qur'an, xxix, 19.) | |
| CHAPTER THE NINTH | opening: Thou truly art mortal, O Mohammad, and they truly are mortals. (The Qur'an, xxxix, 31.) |
| closing: Mohammad is no more than an apostle; other apostles have already passed away before him; if then he die, or be slain, will ye turn upon your heels? (The Qur'an, iii, 138.) | |
| THE PROPHET'S PORTRAIT | opening: O my supreme Master, lavish thy Blessings and thy Favours for ever and ever on Thy Friend (Mohammad), the best of all created beings. (Al-Bourdate. Poem by the Shaykh Al-Busiri, in honour of the Prophet.) |
| closing: There is no God but Allah, and Mohammad is the Prophet of Allah. | |
| CHAPTER THE TENTH | opening: Say: O my people! Act as ye best can: I verily will act my part, and hereafter shall ye know! (The Qur'an, vi, 135.) |
| closing: Allah will perhaps establish goodwill between yourselves and those of them with whom ye are at enmity, and Allah is Powerful: and Allah is Gracious, Merciful. (The Qur'an, lx, 7.) | |
| FINAL ENGRAVING | One's pen should be ennobled; that is, by treating of worthy matters. |
| COVER | Upon him, Mohammad, Salvation |
| BACK PAGE | Mohammad's Seal. [Transcriber's note: seal not found.] |
FRONTISPIECE.—Ornamental page
CHAPTER THE FIRST.—Ornamental page
Praying round the Sacred Temple of the Ka'bah of Makkah
CHAPTER THE SECOND.—Ornamental page
The Night of the "Maulid," the Prophet's Birthday. Moslems
leaving a village Mosque.
SCENES OF THE BADYA, OR NOMADIC LIFE.
Watching over camels grazing
The Flocks 1 2
CHAPTER THE THIRD.—Ornamental page
"At Takbir," or the Glorification
SCENES OF THE BADYA, OR NOMADIC LIFE.
The Encampment 1 2
Moslem woman praying on the terrace-roof of her dwelling
CHAPTER THE FOURTH.—Ornamental page
"Ar Ruku," or the Inclination
The Friday Visit of Moslems to the Cemetery
SCENES OF THE BADYA, OR NOMADIC LIFE.
The Departure 1 2
CHAPTER THE FIFTH.—Ornamental page
Interior of a Mosque.—"Al Mihrab," the niche marking the
direction of Makkah
The Mu'azzin's Call
Believers perceiving the New Moon of the Month of Ramadhan
CHAPTER THE SIXTH.—Ornamental page
"As Sidjah," or Prostration
Setting out for the "Jihad," or Holy War 1 2
"Al Fitr," the Prayer on the breaking of the Ramadhan fast 1 2
CHAPTER THE SEVENTH.—Ornamental page
An Arab horseman of the Desert
"Among all trees, one is blessed like the Mussulman; 'tis
the Palm," said the Prophet 1 2
Bird's-eye view of Makkah, the Most Sacred City, as seen
from the Jabal Abi-Qubais 1 2
CHAPTER THE EIGHTH.—Ornamental page
"Ad Dawah," or the Invocation
The Pilgrims of Mount Arafa, on the Ninth day of
the Month of Zu'l Hijjah 1 2
CHAPTER THE NINTH.—Ornamental page
Al-Madinah, the city of the Prophet.
The Dome of Mohammad's Tomb
PORTRAIT OF THE PROPHET.—Imam leading the Prayer
CHAPTER THE TENTH.—Ornamental page
A writing lesson at a village school devoted to the teaching
of the Qur'an
Theological Students in the courtyard of Al-Azhar, the great
Cairo Moslem University
Tombs of the Kaliphs. Under their rule, Moslem civilisation
enlightened the world
A traditional old scribe of the Desert
Final ornamental page
CHAPTER THE FIRST.—The Moslem Prayer.—Description of Makkah. —The Temple of the Ka'bah and the Black Stone.—The Marriage of Abdullah, Father of the Prophet.
CHAPTER THE SECOND.—The Birth of Mohammad.—Mohammad's Childhood with the Banu Sad Tribe in their Badya-Land.—Mohammad and the two Angels.—Aminah's Death.—Mohammad's first Journey to Syria.—How Mohammad met the Monk Bahira.—The second Syrian voyage.—The Marriage of Mohammad and Khadijah.—How the Temple of the Ka'bah was rebuilt.
CHAPTER THE THIRD.—Desert Retirement.—The Revelation.—The First Moslems.—The Announcement of the Hour.—The First Hostilities.—The Incident of the Blind Man.—How Hamzah was converted.—Utbah's proposals.—The Miracle of the Qur'an.—How it was forbidden to listen to the Qur'an.
CHAPTER THE FOURTH.—Persecution.—The Emigration to Abyssinia.—The Conversion of Umar, son of Al Khattab.—The Exile of the Banu Hasham.—The Decree of Expulsion destroyed by a Worm.—The Death of Abu Talib and Khadijah.—The Journey to Taif.—The Nocturnal Journey and Ascension.—How six Inhabitants of Yasrib were converted.—The two Oaths of the Aqabah.—The Plot against the Prophet.
CHAPTER THE FIFTH.—The Hegira, or the Migration of the Prophet to Al-Madinah.—Suraqa's Mishap.—The Prophet's Arrival at Quba. —The Era of the Hegira.—Arrival of the Prophet at Yasrib. —How the Mosque of Al-Madinah was built.—The Qiblah of Makkah. —Institution of the Azan, or Call of the Mu'azzin.—The Fast of Ramadhan.—Property bestowed in Alms, and the prohibition of fermented liquors.—Ayishah in the House of the Prophet. —Hostility of the Jews and the Munafiqun.—Al-Jihad (the Holy War), and how it was instituted.—The Gazwah of Badr.—The Sojourn at Badr and the Return to Al-Madinah.
CHAPTER THE SIXTH.—Ali's Marriage.—The Prophet's Marriage with Hafsah and Ummu'l Masakin.—The Battle of Uhud.—The Marriage of Mohammad and Zainab.—The Ghazwah, or Expedition of Zat-ir-Riqua.—The Ghazwah, or Expedition of the Banu Mustaliq.—The Tayammum, or the Ceremony of Ablution performed with Sand.—The Battle of the Ditch.—The Treaty of Al-Hudaibiyah.
CHAPTER THE SEVENTH.—Expedition against the Qaynuqa Jews. —Expedition against the Jews of the Banu Nadir.—Expedition against the Jews of the Banu Quraizah.—Expedition against the Jews of Khaibar.—Importance of Horse-breeding according to the Prophet.—The Poisoned Lamb.—Amratu'l-Qada, or the Pious Visitation.—The Prophet sends Ambassadors to the Principal Monarchs of the World.—The Expedition of Mutah.—The Taking of Makkah.—Entry of the Prophet into Makkah.—The Prophet at Safa.—Ghazwah, or Expedition of Hunain.
CHAPTER THE EIGHTH.—Ayishah slandered.—The Birth and Death of Ibrahim.—Ghazwah, or expedition of Tabuk.—The Thamud Country. —Arrival and Sojourn of the Prophet at Tabuk. The Prophet goes back to Al-Madinah.—The Valedictory Pilgrimage.
CHAPTER THE NINTH.—Illness and Death of the Prophet.—Abu-Bakr elected.—The Prophet's Burial.
CHAPTER THE TENTH.—The March of Islam.—Influence of Moslem Civilisation in Europe during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. —The Future of Islam.—Conclusion.
MAP OF THE HIJAZ AND THE ROAD TO SYRIA.
INDEX OF THE ARABIC CALLIGRAPHY.
The original text does not include in-line translations of the calligraphy that opens and closes each chapter. Here, translations have been added to calligraphy as captions and also appear in the original Translation of Arabic Callgraphy index.
There appear to be some discrepancies in the Year of the Hegira, particularly in the sidenotes. Year of the Hegira=622, Year I=623, Year II=624, etc.
Inconsistencies in spelling of Arabic names: Variations in use of vowels, word endings, transliteration and internal punctuation have been left as printed. Examples: Husain v. Husayn, Habiba v. Habibah, Al Bagi v. Al Baqi, Muazzin v. Mu'azzin. Variations that could be validated as typographical errors have been corrected. Examples: Zeinah to Zeinab, Zamzan to Zamzam, Al-Rahmah to Al-Rahman.
Obvious typographical errors in English and French have been repaired.
