began his public
exhortations he had a strong idea of bringing not only the Arabs, but
also the Jews and Christians, into his fold, and establishing one
universal faith on the basis of one God, Almighty, Eternal, Merciful,
Compassionate. It was on this account that he made Jerusalem the Kiblah,
or consecrated direction of worship, and introduced into the Suras, or
chapters, that he issued from time to time a good deal of matter
connected with our Old and New Testaments. He particularly mentioned
Abraham as the Father of the Faith, and acknowledging that there had
already existed many thousand prophets, and three hundred and fifteen
apostles, or messengers, he quoted nine of these last as special
messengers, viz., Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Job, David,
Jesus, the son of Mary, and himself. To five of these he gave special
titles. He called Noah the preacher of God; Abraham the friend of God;
Moses the converser with God; Jesus the spirit of God; and himself the
apostle, or messenger, of God. But of the nine above mentioned four
only, viz., Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad, held the highest rank as
prophet-apostles.

It would, therefore, appear that Muhammad really hoped to establish
one religion, acknowledging one God and a future life, and admitting
that the earlier prophets had emanated from God as apostles or
messengers. The world was too young and too ignorant in Muhammad's
time to accept such an idea. It may, however, be accepted some day,
when knowledge overcomes prejudice. Nations may have different habits,
manners, and customs, but the God they all worship is one and the
same.

Muhammad's life, from the age of forty to fifty, was one long struggle
with the Koraish. Had it not been for the support given him by some of
his influential relations at Mecca, he would either have been killed,
or compelled to leave the place before he did. It is true that during
these twelve years he made some excellent converts and faithful
followers; but still it must be regarded as an historical fact that
Muhammad failed at Mecca, as Jesus had failed at Jerusalem. In the one
case Jesus was sacrificed, and passed away, leaving the story of His
life, His words and His works in the heads of His disciples, who, with
the suddenly converted Paul, certain Alexandrian Jews, the Emperor
Constantine, some literary remains of Plato, along with a destruction
of adverse manuscripts and documents, finally established the
Christian rel