the form of objective realities. In both cases the affected individual has the sensation of seeing and hearing, although he does not actually see and hear in the ordinary sense of the word. There is plainly a close affinity between the soul's activity which, in an abnormal state of health, produces these hallucinations of the senses and that which is at the bottom of our ordinary dreams. But however much Mohammed's hallucinations of this indefinite sort were a step in advance of his vivid dreams, they were not yet sufficient to constitute a prophet. The voices coming he knew not whence and the lights flickering at random had to take a more definite shape: the lights had to become a supernatural person to his eyes and the voices intelligible words of revelation to his ears.

Ibn Ishak's next paragraph is headed: 'How Gabriel first descended,' and thus sets before us the third stage of the process by which Mohammed unexpectedly developed into the Prophet of his people. The account given by him is derived from Obeid Ibn Omair, who, under the early Califs, used publicly to recite their Prophet's personal history in Medina, and he narrated the supposed apparition in the following way: 'The Prophet used annually to spend a month on Mount Hira, as it was a custom with the Koreishites, in their heathen state, to regard this as tahannuth (i.e. penance). He fed the poor who came to him; and when the month was over, he first circumambulated the Kaaba seven times, or as many times as it pleased God; and not till then returned he to his own house. Now when the year of his mission came, he went to Hira as usual, together with his family, in the month of Ramazan. In the night when God, from mercy towards his servant, honoured him with His message, Gabriel brought to him God's behest. I was asleep, Mohammed himself narrated, when he brought to me a silk cloth, written all over, and said to me, "Read!" I replied, "I cannot read." Then he pressed me upon the cloth, so that I thought I must die; and, on releasing me, he said to me again, "Read!" On my answering him as at first, "I cannot read," he again covered me with the cloth, so that I nearly gave up the ghost. Having released me and repeating his previous

command, I, from fear of being treated as before, asked, "What shall I read?" He answered, "Read in the name of thy Lord who has created man from a clot of blood. Read, thy Lord is the Most Merciful who has taught man by the pen what he did not know." I now read and Gabriel departed from me. Then I awoke, and it was as if these words stood inscribed upon my heart. I came forth from the cave and stood in the midst of the mount, when I heard a voice from heaven calling unto me, "Mohammed, thou art the Apostle of God, and I am Gabriel." I raised my head towards heaven to look for him who was speaking, and I saw Gabriel in the form of a man with wings, and his feet on the horizon. He called out, "Mohammed, thou art the Apostle of God, and I am Gabriel." I remained standing and gazing, going neither forward nor backward. Then I turned away from him: but to whichever side I directed my looks I still saw him before me. So I remained standing, without going forward or backward, till Khadija sent people to look after me. They having gone as far as the height of Mecca, returned to her; but I remained standing till the angel went away and then returned to my family. When I came to Khadija, I sat down on her lap and pressed myself against her. She asked me where I had been, and told me that she had sent people to look after me who had gone as far as the height of Mecca and returned to her. On recounting to her what I had seen, she said: "Rejoice, my cousin, and be of good courage: by Him in whose power my soul is, I hope thou wilt become the Prophet of thy people!" Then she arose, dressed herself and went to her cousin, Waraka Ibn Nawfal, who was a Christian, had read the Scriptures and acquired much knowledge from the Jews and Christians, and told him what I had seen and heard. Waraka exclaimed, "Holy! Holy! by Him in Whose hand Waraka's soul is, if thou hast told me the truth, then the greatest Namus (=νόμος, Law) has come to him which also appeared to Moses, and he is the Prophet of this nation. Tell him to be constant." Thereupon Khadija returned to Mohammed and communicated to him what Waraka had said.'¹