falling from the trees. He caught hold of some branches, and when he did so some leaves were shaken off and fell on the ground at his feet. Muhammad ¹ said, "O Abu Dharr, verily let the believing man² offer the Prayers by which he seeks the face of GOD, then his offences will drop off him just as these leaves drop off this tree." One day³ a man came to Muhammad and acknowledged to him that he had committed a fault, asking⁴ at the same time how to atone for it. Muhammad gave no immediate answer, and the man went away. A few minutes later a verse occurred to Muhammad which would, he thought, meet the case. He therefore sent and called the man back and recited for him the verse now found in⁵ Surah xi., v.116:—"And raise thou the Prayer at both ends of the day and during a part of the night: verily good deeds drive away sins, this is a reminder to those who are mindful." On being asked whether this applied to this single man only or to all, the "Prophet" replied, "To all."

Those Muslims who have been led to take a deeper view of sin than their "Prophet" apparently did often say that something more than mere outward ceremony, something better than the

Different ways of getting rid of Sin.

perfunctory offering of the stated prayers or making a pilgrimage or giving alms, is needed to take away their guilt, or at least to deliver them from its evil consequences. But they differ among themselves as to what the remedy is. Some among them trust to the intercession of Muhammad himself, as we have already said above, believing that GOD created the whole world for his sake,¹ and that he loves the "Prophet" so deeply that He will certainly grant mercy in the last day to all² his followers at his request.

This view is a most unworthy one: for, even presuming that Muhammad had been a particularly