Wadd was a god worshipped by the pagan Arabs. Derenbourg's text has rabbí, i.e., Allah, but see Nöldeke's remarks in Z.D.M.G., vol. xli (1887), p. 708.

249 Aghání, viii, 85, last line-86, l. 10.

250 Lyall, Ten Ancient Arabic Poems, p. 146 seq., vv. 25-31.

251 Ahlwardt, The Divans, p. 106, vv. 8-10.

252 Ḥamása, p. 382, l. 17.

253 Nöldeke, Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Poesie der alten Araber, p. 152.

254 Nöldeke, ibid., p. 175.

255 The original title is al-Mukhtárát(The Selected Odes) or al-Ikhtiyárát(The Selections).

256 Oxford, 1918-21. The Indexes of personal and place-names, poetical quotations, and selected words were prepared by Professor Bevan and published in 1924 in the E. J. W. Gibb Memorial Series.

257 Ibn Khallikán, ed. by Wüstenfeld, No. 350 = De Slane's translation, vol. ii, p. 51.

258 See Nöldeke, Beiträge, p. 183 sqq. There would seem to be comparatively few poems of Pre-islamic date in Buḥturí's anthology.

259 Ibn Khallikán, ed. by Wüstenfeld, No. 204 = De Slane's translation, vol. i, p. 470.

260 Many interesting details concerning the tradition of Pre-islamic poetry by the Ráwísand the Philologists will be found in Ahlwardt's Bemerkungen ueber die Aechtheit der alten Arabischen Gedichte(Greifswald, 1872), which has supplied materials for the present sketch.

261 Aghání, v, 172, l. 16 sqq.

262 This view, however, is in accordance neither with the historical facts nor with the public opinion of the Pre-islamic Arabs (see Nöldeke, Die Semitischen Sprachen, p. 47).

263 See Wellhausen, Reste Arab. Heidentums(2nd ed.), p. 88 seq.

264 Ḥamása, 506.

265 Ibid., 237.

266 Díwánof Imru’u ’l-Qays, ed. by De Slane, p. 22 of the Arabic text, l. 17 sqq. = No. 52, ll. 57-59 (p. 154) in Ahlwardt's Divans of the Six Poets. With the last line, however, cf.the words of Qays b. al-Khaṭím on accomplishing his vengeance: " When this death comes, there will not be found any need of my soul that I have not satisfied" ( Ḥamása, 87).

267 Aghání, ii, 18, l. 23 sqq.

268 Aghání, ii, 34, l. 22 sqq.

269 See Von Kremer, Ueber die Gedichte des Labydin S.B.W.A., Phil.-Hist. Klasse(Vienna, 1881), vol. 98, p. 555 sqq. Sir Charles Lyall, Ancient Arabian Poetry, pp. 92 and 119. Wellhausen, Reste Arabischen Heidentums(2nd ed.), p. 224 sqq.

270 I prefer to retain the customary spelling instead of Qur’án, as it is correctly transliterated by scholars. Arabic words naturalised in English, like Koran, Caliph, Vizier, &c., require no apology.

271 Muir's Life of Mahomet, Introduction, p. 2 seq. I may as well say at once that I entirely disagree with the view suggested in this passage that Muḥammad did not believe himself to be inspired.

272 The above details are taken from the Fihrist, ed. by G. Fluegel, p. 24, l. 14 sqq.

273 Muir, op. cit., Introduction, p. 14.

274 With the exception of the Opening Súra ( al-Fátiḥa), which is a short prayer.

275 Sprenger, Ueber das Traditionswesen bei den Arabern, Z.D.M.G., vol. x, p. 2.

276 Quoted by Sprenger, loc. cit., p. 1.

277 Quoted by Nöldeke in the Introduction to his Geschichte des Qorâns, p 22.

278 See especially pp. 28-130.

279 Muhamm. Studien, Part II, p. 48 seq.

280 The reader may consult Muir's Introduction to his Life of Mahomet, pp. 28-87.

281 Ibn Hishám, p. 105, l. 9 sqq.

282 This legend seems to have arisen out of a literal interpretation of Koran, xciv, 1, " Did we not open thy breast?"— i.e., give thee comfort or enlightenment.

283 This name, which may signify 'Baptists,' was applied by the heathen Arabs to Muḥammad and his followers, probably in consequence of the ceremonial ablutions which are incumbent upon every Moslem before the five daily prayers (see Wellhausen, Reste Arab. Heid., p. 237).

284 Sir Charles Lyall, The Words 'Ḥaníf' and 'Muslim,' J.R.A.S.for 1903, p. 772. The original meaning of ḥaniacute;fis no longer traceable, but it may be connected with the Hebrew ḥánéf, 'profane.' In the Koran it generally refers to the religion of Abraham, and sometimes appears to be nearly synonymous with Muslim. Further information concerning the Ḥanífs will be found in Sir Charles Lyall's article cited above; Sprenger, Das Leben und die Lehre des Moḥammed, vol. i, pp. 45-134; Wellhausen, Reste Arab. Heid., p. 238 sqq.; Caetani, Annali dell' Islam, vol. i, pp. 181-192.

285 Ibn Hishám, p. 143, l. 6 sqq.

286 Agháni, iii, 187, l. 17 sqq.

287 See p. 69 supra.

288 Tradition associates him especially with Waraqa, who was a cousin of his first wife, Khadíja, and is said to have hailed him as a prophet while Muḥammad himself was still hesitating (Ibn Hishám, p. 153, l. 14 sqq.).

289 This is the celebrated 'Night of Power' ( Laylatu ’l-Qadr) mentioned in the Koran, xcvii, 1.

290 The Holy Ghost ( Rúḥu’l-Quds), for whom in the Medína Súras Gabriel (Jibríl) is substituted.

291 But another version (Ibn Hishám, p. 152, l. 9 sqq.) represents Muḥammad as replying to the Angel, "What am I to read?" ( má aqra’u or má dhá aqra’u). Professor Bevan has pointed out to me that the tradition in this form bears a curious resemblance, which can hardly be accidental, to the words of Isaiah xl. 6: "The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry?" The question whether the Prophet could read and write is discussed by Nöldeke ( Geschichte des Qorâns, p. 7 sqq.), who leaves it undecided. According to Nöldeke ( loc. cit., p. 10), the epithet ummí, which is applied to Muḥammad in the Koran, and is commonly rendered by 'illiterate,' does not signify that he was ignorant of reading and writing, but only that he was unacquainted with the ancient Scriptures; cf.'Gentile.' However this may be, it appears that he wished to pass for illiterate, with the object of confirming the belief in his inspiration: " Thou" (Muḥammad) " didst not use to read any book before this" (the Koran) " nor to write it with thy right hand; else the liars would have doubted(Koran, xxix, 47).

292 The meaning of these words ( iqra’ bismi rabbika) is disputed. Others translate, "Preach in the name of thy Lord" (Nöldeke), or "Proclaim the name of thy Lord" (Hirschfeld). I see no sufficient grounds for abandoning the traditional interpretation supported by verses 4 and 5. Muḥammad dreamed that he was commanded to read the Word of God inscribed in the Heavenly Book which is the source of all Revelation.

293 Others render, "who taught (the use of) the Pen."

294 This account of Muḥammad's earliest vision (Bukhárí, ed. by Krehl, vol. iii, p. 380, l. 2 sqq.) is derived from ‘A’isha, his favourite wife, whom he married after the death of Khadíja.

295 Ibn Hishám, p. 152, l. 9 sqq.

296 See p. 72 supra.

297 This interval is known as the Fatra.

298 Literally, 'warn.'

299 'The abomination' ( al-rujz) probably refers to idolatry.

300 Literally, "The Last State shall be better for thee than the First," referring either to Muḥammad's recompense in the next world or to the ultimate triumph of his cause in this world.

301 Islámis a verbal noun formed from Aslama, which means 'to surrender' and, in a religious sense, 'to surrender one's self to the will of God.' The participle, Muslim(Moslem), denotes one who thus surrenders himself.