172 THE RELIGION OF THE CRESCENT.

name for these beautiful damsels 1 too is of Persian origin, being derived from the Pahlavi hur, Avestic hvare (), "brilliant," "the sun."2 Though the Qur'anic Paradise (أَلْجَنَّة ) derives its name from the Hebrew Garden of Eden (גֵּן-עֵדֶן ), yet it is not unlike the Persian conception of ()3 Vahis'to Ahu, "the perfect world." 4

1 Penrice derives حُورٌ pl. from a singular حَوْرَاْءُ f. of أَحْوَرُ , "black-eyed," from rt. حَوِرَ , a form of حار . ("Dict. of the Koran, s. I). I prefer the derivation in the text.
2 The idea of the existence of these celestial damsels is a very ancient one among the Aryans. The Hindus of ancient times called them Apsarasas, and believed that they inhabited Swarga (Indra's heaven—the sky), and that they used to transport thither the Kshatriyas or warriors who died in battle (Monier Williams's ed. of the "Nalopakhyanam," s.v. क्षत्रियाः , [Warrior]). Manu says (" Dharmasastra," bk. vii., sl. 89) that warriors who die bravely in battle inherit Swarga immediately after death:—
आहवेषु मिथः अन्यः अन्यं जिघांसन्तः महीक्षिताः ।
युध्यमानाः परं शक्तया स्वर्गं यान्ति अपराङ्मुखाः ।।
So also in Nalop. ii., 17, 18, Indra says to Nala:— 
धर्मज्ञाः पृथिवीपालास् व्यक्त-जीवित-योधिनः ।।
शस्त्रेण निधनं काले ये गच्छन्ति अपराङ्मुखाः ।
अयं लोकः अक्षयं तेषां यथैव मम कामधुक् ।।
Compare this with the Muhammadan idea of the reward of those who die in battle fighting for their faith.
3 Fargand ii. 35, 36, &c.
4 Are not the beautiful youths of paradise (the Ghilman,
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2 The rulers (kings, soldiers or warriors) who vow to kill the enemy in the battlefield and fight with all their might and do not run away from the battlefield, go to Heaven.

So also in Nalop. ii., 17, 18, Indra, the king of Heaven, says to Nala in Nalopa Khyanam:—

The protectors of this earth and followers of religion, these fighters (warriors) never care for their lives and do not run away from the battlefield, they must die while fighting with their arms and this death is most appropriate for them. The warriors who die bravely in the battlefield, go to Swarga (Heaven) immediately after death and get honoured for ever as great souls on this earth.
THE ORIGIN OF ISLAM. 173

The Muhammadan Angel of Death (مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ also called عَزْرَائل ), though known to them directly through Jewish fables, is indirectly borrowed from Persia, where he was known in Avestic times as () or ()1 Vidatus' or Astovidhotus'. To the same religion Muhammad was indebted for his Road or Bridge2 (أَلصّرَاطُ ) over Hell, which the Ancient Persians called Chinavat (in Mod. Persian جِينوَد ). Many of the strange and absurd ideas found in more recent Muhammadan works may be traced to the same source, as for example the theory the the earth is sevenfold or built in seven 3 storeys, one above the other. These seven storeys of the earth are the seven ( or ) Karshvares 4 of the Avesta, and to a great extent correspond and are certainly of common origin with the seven (द्वीपः ) dvipas5 [islands] of the Hindus. It is remarkable as

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أَلْغِلمَان ) who wait upon the blessed there (Surah lvi. 13) identical with the Gandharvas or celestial musicians of Indra's heaven?
1 Yesht x. 93; Fargand v. 25, 31.
2 Penrice ("Dict. of Koran," s. v.) says that صِرَاطُ comes from no verbal root in the Arabic language. It is just the form the Persian word would take when introduced into Arabic.
3 'Araisu't Tijan, pp. 5-9; Qisasu'l Anbiya, pp. 4-6; &c.
4 Yasna lxiv., Yesht x., &c.
5 Dvipa (Sanskrit) is an island or continents that come successively into existence as the homes of the seven root-races. These seven dvipas are given in Sanskrit works as Jambu, Plaksha, Kusa, Krauncha, Saka, Salmala, and Pushkara.