THE
SPEECHES & TABLE-TALK
OF THE
PROPHET MOHAMMAD

Chosen and Translated, with Introduction and Notes,

BY

STANLEY LANE-POOLE

London
MACMILLAN AND CO.
1882

GOD! THERE IS NO GOD BUT HE, THE LIVING, THESTEADFAST! SLUMBER SEIZETH HIM NOT, NOR SLEEP.WHATSOEVER IS IN THE HEAVENS, AND WHATSOEVER ISIN THE EARTH, IS HIS. WHO IS THERE THAT SHALLPLEAD WITH HIM SAVE BY HIS LEAVE? HE KNOWETHWHAT WAS BEFORE THEM AND WHAT SHALL COMEAFTER THEM, AND THEY COMPASS NOT AUGHT OF HISKNOWLEDGE, BUT WHAT HE WILLETH. HIS THRONEOVERSPREADETH THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, ANDTHE KEEPING OF BOTH IS NO BURDEN TO HIM: AND HEIS THE HIGH, THE GREAT!

THE THRONE VERSE, ii. 256.

[Pg v]

INTRODUCTION.

The aim of this little volume is to present all thatis most enduring and memorable in the publicorations and private sayings of the prophetMohammad in such a form that the generalreader may be tempted to learn a little of what agreat man was and of what made him great. Atpresent, it must be allowed that although “AuldMahound” is a household word, he is very littlemore than a word. Things are constantly beingsaid, written, and preached about the Arab prophetand the religion he taught, of which an elementaryacquaintance with him would show the absurdity.No one would dare to treat the ordinary classicsof European literature in this fashion; or, if hedid, his exposure would immediately ensue. WhatI wish to do is to enable any one, at the cost ofthe least possible exertion, to put himself into aposition to judge of popular fallacies about[Pg vi]Mohammad and his creed as surely and certainlyas he can judge of errors in ordinary educationand scholarship. I do not wish to mention theKorān by name more than can be helped, for I haveobserved that the word has a deterrent effect uponreaders who like their literary food light and easyof digestion. It cannot, however, be disguisedthat a great deal of this book consists of theKorān, and it may therefore be as well to explainaway as far as possible the prejudice which theill-fated name is apt to excite. It is not easy tosay for how much of this prejudice the standardEnglish translator is responsible. The patientand meritorious George Sale put the Korān intotangled English and heavy quarto,—people readquartos then and did not call them éditions deluxe,—his version then appeared in a clumsyoctavo, with most undesirable type and paper;finally it has come out in a cheap edition, of whichit need only be said that utility rather than tastehas been consulted. One can hardly blame anyone for refusing to look even at the outsides ofthese volumes. And the inside,—not the mere outwardinside, if I may so say, the type and paper,—butthe heart of hearts, the matter itself, is by nomeans calculated to tempt a reluctant reader.The Korān is there arranged according to the...