426 MOSLEM SKETCHES OF MOHAMMED. [BK. II.

27. God commissioned him in the best of ages.
28. God raised him up from the best of tribes.
29. God declared his people, or his religious community, to be the best of the religious communities.
30. The assembling together of his people is an absolute duty, but that of other people is not so.
31. His people do not agree on error or falsehood.
32. In the resurrection his people are to be witnesses to all the other peoples, or religious communities.
33. On the day of the resurrection the favourable answers to his people shall be more numerous than those to the people of any other prophet.
34. His people are to constitute the third part of the inhabitants of Paradise.
35. His people are not to perish from famine.
36. No other people is to rule over his people.1 Mohammed said, he had prayed for this and God had accepted his prayer; but that when he also prayed that there should never be war or conflict between themselves, God refused.
37. The painful duties which had been enjoined upon former peoples, were not imposed upon his.
38. God made the hosts of his people like hosts of angels.
39. It was not lawful for any person to raise his own voice above his.
40. When Mohammed called any one who was saying his prayers, it was obligatory to him to respond to the call; and in so doing he did not invalidate his prayers.
41. To accept presents implied no blame, but was perfectly lawful for that Excellency, but not for any other judges or governors.
42. Intentionally to speak a lie against that Excellency is not like intentionally lying against any one else, but is the most infamous of infamies.
43. Whoever sees that Excellency in his dream, has seen him really and truly, according to the tradition that Mohammed once said, 'Whoever sees me in a dream, has seen me really: for Satan cannot imitate me.'

1 From this it may be gathered how far the sincere loyalty of the Mohammedans can be relied upon by any non-Mussulman government through out the world.
CH. II. SEC. V. 1.] HIS EXCELLENCIES. 427

45. 1 The dignity has been conferred on that prince of acting as Intercessor on the day of the resurrection. The parties on whose behalf he will intercede are classified as follows:—

1. The great intercession will be for those about to be judged, namely for those who, despairing of all the other prophets, flee for refuge to Mohammed.
2. For those who find their way into Paradise, without an account.
3. For those deserving punishment.
4. For those of the believers who go to hell, but will by his intercession be taken out again and translated into Paradise.
5. Some who have entered Paradise will by his intercession obtain a higher place in it.
6. Some unbelievers will have their punishment made lighter through his intercession, such as, e.g., Abu Talib.
7. For all those who die in Medina; for according to a tradition Mohammed said, 'Let those who can, die in Medina; because I shall intercede for every one dying there.

46. The intercession of that Excellency will be the first to be received.
47. On the day of the resurrection the banner of praise will be in his hands.
48. In the estimation of the Most High he is the noblest and worthiest of all creatures; and will be their leader on the day of the resurrection.
49. All the prophets and apostles are to be under the shadow of that prince's glorious standard, on the day of the resurrection.
50. That prince will be the first to enter Paradise. According to tradition Mohammed said, 'When I shall knock at the gate of Paradise on the day of the resurrection, and the Treasurer of Paradise shall ask, "Who art thou?" I' shall answer, "I am Mohammed." Then the Treasurer of Paradise

1 It is the Rawzat ul Ahbab itself which passes from Nos. 43 to 45. Whether this is an omission of No. 44 in the Turkish Edition of which I made use, or merely a mistake in numbering, I cannot say; probably the former, because in the latter case, the 'excellencies' would only amount to 59, instead of the round number 60.