310 MOHAMMED A PARODY OF CHRIST. [BK. II.

to me! and that each time that prince was raised higher, until he reached the place of 'Nearness,' and then that of 'Intimacy,' whence he entered the innermost Sanctuary, at a distance of two bow-ranges; and then approached still more closely.1

'Some cautious Ulemas thought it best not to define and publish what God revealed to His apostle in that night, but a number of others hold that we may well mention what information, on this subject, is derived from the Prophet himself or from his companions, and what conclusions have been arrived at by those learned in the Faith. According to an accredited tradition, the following three were amongst those things which God revealed in the night of the ascension: 1. The obligatoriness of the five daily prayers; and the fact of their being instituted in the night of the ascension, without the intermediatory action of Gabriel, shows that they are the most meritorious occupation. 2. The injunctions contained in the latter part of the second Sura. 3. The declaration that all Mohammedans shall obtain forgiveness of all their sins, with the only exception of Polytheism.

'According to another tradition, Mohammed also said, "I saw my Lord in the most beautiful form, and He said unto me: O Mohammed, on what subject do the angels of the higher world contend? I replied, O my God, thou knowest it. Upon this I was favoured with an especial manifestation for the supreme Lord put His hand on me, between my shoulders, so that I felt its soothing and pleasurable effect between my breasts, and became cognisant of and knowing, the things in heaven and on earth. Then I was addressed thus, O Mohammed, knowest thou on what subject the highest angels contend? I answered, Yes, O my Lord, on the subject of atonement, that is to say, on the services and degrees which are the cause of the atonement of sins. Thereupon the word was addressed to me, What is atonement? I answered, Atonement is the remaining in the

1 It is hardly possible not to be struck with the intention, concealed in these expressions, to transfer to Mohammed, in effect, though not exactly in the very same words, what is said in Holy Scripture respecting Jesus Christ, e.g. 'Sit thou at my right hand' (Ps. cx. I), and 'Then the Lord was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God' (Mark xvi. 19).
CH. I. 26.] HE RECEIVES THE HIGHEST DISTINCTION. 311

house of prayer after the service has been performed; the going to the meetings on foot; and the taking an ablution when trials and troubles befall: whoever does these things will live and die well, and be as pure from sin as if he had just been born of his mother.1 Then the question was addressed to me, O Mohammed, what are the degrees? I replied, To give or deliver a salutation, to provide others with food, and to rise up and perform prayers whilst people are asleep."

'According to another account, that prince, when in the Divine presence, was thus addressed, "O Mohammed, I and thou, and whatever exists besides, I have created for thy sake." His Excellency replied, "Thou and I, and whatever exists besides, I have left for Thy sake." Some also affirm that on the same occasion this word was said to him, "O Mohammed, until thou shalt have entered Paradise, all the other prophets are forbidden to enter."

It is likewise recorded that that prince said, "When I reached the foot of the throne and saw its grandeur, fear and trembling seized on my mind, but at that moment a drop was dropping down, and I opened my mouth so that it fell on my tongue. That drop was so delicious that, by Allah! no one can ever have tasted anything sweeter; and by its blessing I became possessed of the knowledge of the first and of the last, and was delivered from an impediment of speech 2 which had been the result of my seeing the dreadness and majesty of the Most High." God also said to me, "I have forgiven thee and thy people; and thou mayest ask of me whatever thou likest and I will give it thee." I replied, "O our Lord, rebuke us not if we forget and sin." Thereupon this answer came, "I have taken away sin and forgetfulness from thy

1 The reader will understand that the things here mentioned are not legal duties, binding on every Moslem, but supererogatory works, and as such are here represented to be efficacious in atoning for sin. But what a degree of spiritual blindness is presupposed by the assumption that man can do more than his duty (see Matt. xxii. 37-40), and that such paltry works of supererogation can supersede the 'eternal atonement by the blood of Him, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God' (Heb. ix. 1-15)!
2 Perhaps an intended parallel to Moses' slowness of tongue and the Lord's promise, 'I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say' (Exod. iv. 10-12).