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the Arameans； the Chaldeans； all of them Semites； had been
the rulers of western Asia for thirty or forty centuries。 They
had been conquered by the Indo…European Persians who had
come from the east and by the Indo…European Greeks who
had come from the west。 A hundred years after the death of
Alexander the Great； Carthage； a colony of Semitic Phoenicians；
had fought the Indo…European Romans for the mastery
of the Mediterranean。 Carthage had been defeated and destroyed
and for eight hundred years the Romans had been masters
of the world。 In the seventh century； however； another
Semitic tribe appeared upon the scene and challenged the
power of the west。 They were the Arabs； peaceful shepherds
who had roamed through the desert since the beginning of time
without showing any signs of imperial ambitions。
Then they listened to Mohammed； mounted their horses and
in less than a century they had pushed to the heart of Europe
and proclaimed the glories of Allah； ‘‘the only God；'' and
Mohammed； ‘‘the prophet of the only God；'' to the frightened
peasants of France。
The story of Ahmed； the son of Abdallah and Aminah
（usually known as Mohammed； or ‘‘he who will be praised；''；
reads like a chapter in the ‘‘Thousand and One Nights。'' He
was a camel…driver； born in Mecca。 He seems to have been an
epileptic and he suffered from spells of unconsciousness when
he dreamed strange dreams and heard the voice of the angel
Gabriel； whose words were afterwards written down in a book
called the Koran。 His work as a caravan leader carried him
all over Arabia and he was constantly falling in with Jewish
merchants and with Christian traders； and he came to see that
the worship of a single God was a very excellent thing。 His
own people； the Arabs； still revered queer stones and trunks
of trees as their ancestors had done； tens of thousands of
years before。 In Mecca； their holy city； stood a little square
building； the Kaaba； full of idols and strange odds and ends
of Hoo…doo worship。
Mohammed decided to be the Moses of the Arab people。 He
could not well be a prophet and a camel…driver at the same time。
So he made himself independent by marrying his employer； the
rich widow Chadija。 Then he told his neighbours in Mecca
that he was the long…expected prophet sent by Allah to save the
world。 The neighbours laughed most heartily and when Mohammed
continued to annoy them with his speeches they decided to kill him。
They regarded him as a lunatic and a public bore who deserved no mercy。
Mohammed heard of the plot and in the dark of night he fled to Medina
together with Abu Bekr； his trusted pupil。 This happened
in the year 622。 It is the most important date in Mohammedan
history and is known as the Hegirathe year of the Great Flight。
In Medina； Mohammed； who was a stranger； found it easier
to proclaim himself a prophet than in his home city； where
every one had known him as a simple camel…driver。 Soon he
was surrounded by an increasing number of followers； or
Moslems； who accepted the Islam； ‘‘the submission to the will
of God；'' which Mohammed praised as the highest of all virtues。
For seven years he preached to the people of Medina。 Then
he believed himself strong enough to begin a campaign against
his former neighbours who had dared to sneer at him and his
Holy Mission in his old camel…driving days。 At the head of
an army of Medinese he marched across the desert。 His followers
took Mecca without great difficulty； and having slaughtered
a number of the inhabitants； they found it quite easy to
convince the others that Mohammed was really a great prophet。
From that time on until the year of his death； Mohammed
was fortunate in everything he undertook。
There are two reasons for the success of Islam。 In the
first place； the creed which Mohammed taught to his followers
was very simple。 The disciples were told that they must love
Allah； the Ruler of the World； the Merciful and Compassionate。
They must honour and obey their parents。 They
were warned against dishonesty in dealing with their neighbours
and were admonished to be humble and charitable； to the
poor and to the sick。 Finally they were ordered to abstain
from strong drink and to be very frugal in what they ate。 That
was all。 There were no priests； who acted as shepherds of
their flocks and asked that they be supported at the common
expense。 The Mohammedan churches or mosques were merely
large stone halls without benches or pictures； where the faithful
could gather （if they felt so inclined） to read and discuss
chapters from the Koran； the Holy Book。 But the average
Mohammedan carried his religion with him and never felt
himself hemmed in by the restrictions and regulations of an
established church。 Five times a day he turned his face towards
Mecca； the Holy City； and said a simple prayer。 For the
rest of the time he let Allah rule the world as he saw fit and
accepted whatever fate brought him with patient resignation。
Of course such an attitude towards life did not encourage
the Faithful to go forth and invent electrical machinery or
bother about railroads and steamship lines。 But it gave every
Mohammedan a certain amount of contentment。 It bade
him be at peace with himself and with the world in which he
lived and that was a very good thing。
The second reason which explains the success of the Moslems
in their warfare upon the Christians； had to do with the
conduct of those Mohammedan soldiers who went forth to do
battle for the true faith。 The Prophet promised that those
who fell； facing the enemy； would go directly to Heaven。
This made sudden death in the field preferable to a long but
dreary existence upon this earth。 It gave the Mohammedans
an enormous advantage over the Crusaders who were in constant
dread of a dark hereafter； and who stuck to the good
things of this world as long as they possibly could。 Incidentally
it explains why even to…day Moslem soldiers will charge
into the fire of European machine guns quite indifferent to
the fate that awaits them and why they are such dangerous
and persistent enemies。
Having put his religious house in order； Mohammed now
began to enjoy his power as the undisputed ruler of a large
number of Arab tribes。 But success has been the undoing of
a large number of men who were great in the days of adversity。
He tried to gain the good will of the rich people by a number
of regulations which could appeal to those of wealth。
He allowed the Faithful to have four wives。 As one wife
was a costly investment in those olden days when brides were
bought directly from the parents； four wives became a positive
luxury except to those who possessed camels and dromedaries
and date orchards beyond the dreams of avarice。 A religion
which at first had been meant for the hardy hunters of the
high skied desert was gradually transformed to suit the needs
of the smug merchants who lived in the bazaars of the cities。