[figure description] Page 150.[end figure description]

Upon the decea&longs;e of the
prophet, his followers were almo&longs;t confounded.
They could &longs;carce credit their
&longs;en&longs;es. They fancied him only in a
&longs;woon, and waited in re&longs;pectful &longs;ilence
until he &longs;hould again ari&longs;e to lead them
to conque&longs;t and glory. His more confidential
friends gathered around the
corp&longs;e; and, being impre&longs;&longs;ed with the
policy of immediately announcing his
&longs;ucce&longs;&longs;our, they held a fierce debate upon
the &longs;ubject. In the alcoran, they found
no direction for the election, nor any successour
to the caliphate pointed out.

[figure description] Page 151.[end figure description]

They agreed to &longs;end for his wives and
confidential dome&longs;tics. The younge&longs;t
of his wives produced &longs;ome writings,
containing the precious &longs;ayings of the
prophet, which, &longs;he &longs;aid, &longs;he had collected
for her own edification. To the&longs;e
were afterwards added &longs;uch ob&longs;ervations of
the prophet, as his more intimate associates
could recollect, or the policy of tho&longs;e
in power invent. The&longs;e were annexed to
the alcoran, and e&longs;teemed of equal authority.
This compilation was called
the book of the companions of the apostle.
In the writings, produced by his favourite
wife, the prophet had directed his
great officers to elect his &longs;ucce&longs;&longs;our from
among them, and a&longs;&longs;ured them that a
portion of his own power would re&longs;t upon
him. Abubeker, a friend and relative,
and &longs;ucce&longs;sful leader of the forces of the
prophet, by the per&longs;ua&longs;ions of tho&longs;e around,
immediately entered the public
mo&longs;que; and, &longs;tanding on the &longs;teps of

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the de&longs;k, from which the prophet u&longs;ed to
deliver his oracles, he informed the multitude
that God had indeed called the
prophet to paradi&longs;e, and that his kingly
authority and apo&longs;tolic powers re&longs;ted upon
him. To him &longs;ucceeded Omar and
O&longs;man: while the troops in Syria, conceiving
that Ali, their leader, was better
entitled to &longs;ucceed than either, elevated
him al&longs;o to the caliphate, though he refused
the dignity until he was called by the
voice of the people to &longs;ucceed O&longs;man.
Hence &longs;prang that great &longs;chi&longs;m, which
has divided the Mu&longs;&longs;ulman world; but,
though divided, as to the &longs;ucce&longs;&longs;our of
the prophet, both parties were actuated
by his principles and adhered to his creed.
Omar and his &longs;ucce&longs;&longs;ours turned their
arms towards Europe; and, under the
name of Saracens or Moors, po&longs;&longs;e&longs;&longs;ed
them&longs;elves of the greater part of Spain
and the Mediterranean i&longs;les: while the
friends of Ali, e&longs;tabli&longs;hing them&longs;elves as

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&longs;overeigns, made equal ravages upon
Per&longs;ia, and even to the great penin&longs;ula of
India.

The Algerines are of the &longs;ect of Omar,
which, like many other religious &longs;chi&longs;ms,
differs more in name, than in any fundamental
point of creed or practice from
that of Ali. The propriety of the translation
of the alcoran into the Per&longs;ian language,
and the &longs;ucce&longs;&longs;ion of the caliphate
&longs;eem the great &longs;tandards of their respective
creeds.

p407-377

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