ent tribes made
their yearly pilgrimages to Mecca, and faithfully kissed the stone that
had fallen from heaven in the days of Adam, the inspiration of their
ancient prophets had long since died, and a new prophet was expected and
looked for.

The yearly pilgrimage to Mecca, which was at once the center of trade and
the goal of the religious enthusiast, was observed by all the tribes of
Arabia, but it is a question whether the pilgrimage was not more often made
in a holiday spirit than in that of the devotee to the _Kaabeh,_ the most
sacred temple in all Arabia.

Indeed, it is agreed by all commentators, that the ancient Arab, "In the
Time of Ignorance," before the coming of Mohammed, knew little and cared
less about those spiritual qualities that look beyond the physical; not
questioning, as did Mohammed, what lies beyond this vale of strife, whose
only exit is the dark and inscrutable face of death.

Besides the tribal gods, individual households had their special Penates,
to whom was due the first and the last salam of the returning or out-going
host. But in spite of all this superstitious apparatus, the Arabs were
never a religious people. In the old days, as now, they were reckless,
skeptical, materialistic. They had their gods and their divining arrows,
but they were ready to demolish both if the responses proved contrary to
their wishes. A great majority believed in no future life, nor in a
reckoning day of good and evil.

Such, then, was the condition of thought among the various tribes when
Mohammed was born.

It was not, however, until he was past forty years of age, that the
revelations came to him, and although it was some time later that these
were set down, together with his admonitions and counsel to his followers,
it is believed that they are for the most part well authenticated, as the
Koran was compiled during Mohammed's lifetime, and thus, in the original,
doubtless represents an authentic account of Mohammed's experiences.

It is related that Mohammed's father died before his son's birth and his
mother six years later. Thus Mohammed was left to the care of his
grandfather, the virtual chief of Mecca. The venerable chief lived but two
years and Mohammed, who was a great favorite with his grandfather, became
the special charge of his uncle, Aboo-Talib, whose devotion never wavered,
even during the trying later years, when Mohammed's persecutions caused the
uncle untold hardships and trials.

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