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THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
ism. The worship of saints and images, in particular, was then arrived at such a scandalous pitch that it even surpassed whatever is now practised among the Romans.'*
As regards the Arabs themselves,
“ Arabia was of old famous for heresies ; which might be in some measure attributed to the liberty and independency of the tribes, Some of the Christians of that nation believed that the soul died with the body, and was to be raised again with it at the last day : these Origen is said to have convinced. Among the Arabs it was that the heresies of Ebion, Beryllus, and the Nazaræans and also that of the Collyridians, were broached, or at least propagated; the latter introduced the virgin Mary for God, or worshipped her as such, offering her a sort of twisted cake called Collyris, whence the sect had its name."|
It was in such surroundings that Mahomed was born at Mecca some five hundred years after the compilation of the last of the canonical gospels. His early life has nothing out of the common in it. His father Abd'allah left little or nothing to him by way of inheritance, and he was practically a dependent on his grandfather and uncle, who seem to have taken great interest in him. Through the latter's influence, Mahomed became the factor of Khadijah, a noble and rich widow, who soon perceived the excellent qualities of his disposition and accepted him for her lord and husband.
Mahomed had little or no education beyond what was customary in his day. He was, however, not deficient in the three accomplishments which the Arabs esteemed most, namely, eloquence, horsemanship-including the use of arms-and hospitality. The first two of these stood him in good stead in the propagation and protec
* See . The Koran' by Sale. f Ibid.
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