The life and death of Mahumed, the author of the Turkish religion being an account of his tribe, parents, birth, name, education, marriages, filthiness of life, Alcoran, first proselytes, wars, doctrines, miracles, advancement, &c. / by L. Addison ... author of The present state of the Jews.

CHAP. I. (Book 1)

Of the Name of Mahumed, and the pretended Prophecies declaring his coming.

SOme men (saith Rabbi Jose) have brave Names, but mean Actions; some brave Actions, and mean Names; and some both brave Names and Acti∣ons. In the first number Ma∣humed may not unfitly be reckoned, who in excellency of Name, was second to none, and yet in depravity of Manners had few equals. For we are assured by the Learned in the Arabian Language, that Mahumed comes of a word signifying Praise and Honor; and that this Notation of his Name, was but a presage of his future Actions, whereby he merited and purchased both. Others say, Mahumed imports Thanksgiving; which is to be understood, with respect to their duty of Gratitude, who believe he procured great benefits for them. And that there might want nothing of lucky Abodement in the Name of this Great Impostor, some of his

flattering Doctors Paraphrase it by A Man of Desires, which in Latin we may call Deside∣rius. And this notice of the Name they confirm, by a Sacrilegious application of the 7 verse of Hag. 2. to filthy Mahumed, which was solely intended of the most Holy Jesus.

As to the Writing and Pronunciation of this Name, there wants not variety, both among the Greeks and Latins: some spelling it Machumet, and Machumeth; and others Mohummed, and Muhammud: but as to the Moors (whom we are chiefly to follow in this matter) those of Barbary both Write and Pronounce it, Ahmet, a Name familiarly given to their Sons, as votive of their Vir∣tues, and commemorative of their Prophet. But though the Name of Mahumed, or Ahmet, be now of very ordinary and common usage among the Musulmin: yet it was of old a very great secret, and not lawful for any to bear, whom they did not conjecture might prove to be that Prophet, whom (they now say) was ever expected by them. And here∣in the Muhumedans produce a Tradition, which Age hath made Authentique among them, How that there were but three Men who were ever known by the Name of Mahumed, before their Prophet; to whom their Parents gave this Name, in hopes they might prove that Apostle of God, whom they expected. Now that the Arabians had a Tradition, that they

should have an Apostle sent unto them by the Name of Mahumed, seems not obscurely intimated by that severe Warning the false Prophet gave his followers, in the sixth Chapter of the Alcoran (styled the Chapter of Arrah) where Mahumed having com∣mended those who fought in rank and file for his Law, he bids them, Remember, that Moses said to his people, Ye shall do me (that is, Mahumed) no harm: ye shall know in the end, that I am the Messenger of God. But God seduced them from the right way, when they departed from obedience to his Com∣mandments, he judgeth the wicked. These are the express words of the Alcoran. But lest the single testimony of Moses should not be sufficient to procure belief to what he had said, he produceth Christ, speaking to the same purpose, Remember, that Jesus the Son of Mary said, O ye Children of Israel, I am to you the Apostle of God, who hath sent me to verifie and confirm the old Testament, and to declare unto you, that there shall come a Prophet after me, whose Name shall be Mahu∣med, (saith Dy Ryers French Translation) whose Name is Achmed (saith another Transla∣tion of the Alcoran) that is, Mahumed. Now if the old Arabians had not by some blind Tradition been taught to expect a Prophet under the Name we now speak of, it would have been infinitely below the cunning and

sagacity of this great Cheat, to have cited sayings of Moses, and Jesus, to a purpose of which they before had never had the least footstep or intimation. And I am induced to believe, that all this was occasion'd by some Jewish corrupt Gloss concerning the Messias, and a mistake about the promise of sending the Holy Ghost: for to this day, the Mahu∣medans apply the promised Mission of the Paraclete, to relate unto Mahumeds coming, and that in him it was certainly fulfilled. And that this may not be looked upon as a singu∣larity of mine own, we find those Learned and Ingenious persons, who have given us an account of the Mahumedan Doctors in this particular, do always bring them in confirm∣ing the truth of Mahumeds Prophetick Office, by applying to him, what our Saviour spoke of the Holy Ghost, St. John 14. 16, 17. Though it is manifest to every attentive and sober Discerner, that there is not in that Sa∣cred Text the least ground whereon to build such an extravagant conjecture. But yet we cannot deny the great subtilty of Mahu∣med, in making such pretended promises to have their accomplishment in his own message; as also in making use of a dark Tradition, re∣ceived of the Arabians, concerning their promise of an Apostle. And I take the craf∣ty management of the said Tradition, to have been the first Engine of raising Mahumed

to the reputation of a Divine Messenger. Though it cannot be denyed, but he was a Man of so great assurance, that if he had not been assisted with any such Tradition, his Ambition and Hypocrisie would sufficiently have tempted him to aspire both to a Prince and a Prophet, as we may show in due place.

But yet for all this, I find not Mahumed very forward in justifying his pretences upon the score of Predictions concerning his coming, though his Doctors are very zealous in asserting his Apostleship, upon the ac∣count of Prophecies, among which they rec∣kon the words of Moses, Deut. 33. 2. The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from Mount Paran. The Mahumedan Doctors from hence con∣clude of a triple manifestation of God to Man: First, by Moses at Mount Sinai; Se∣condly, by Christ at Mount Seir in Pale∣stine; and lastly, at Paran by Mahumed, which (they say) is a great Hill near Mecca. By the first, he sent the Law; by the second, the Gospel; by the third, the Alcoran. The same Mahumedan Writers most Blasphemously abuse the second verse of the 50 Psalm, to the coming of their Apostle; because in the Syriack there is found the word Mahmud, which they absurdly, and against all sense of the words, interpret Mahumed. Though

either in the Hebrew Text, or in the signi∣fication of the Syriack word, there is not the least bottom to support so wild a fancie; as Men excellently versed in both Languages have made it plain. But not to pursue this re∣mark any farther, I shall dismiss it with ob∣serving, that the great Parasites of Mahumed, according to his threefold state, assign him a triple Name; and that during his abode upon Earth, he was called Mahumed; and in Pa∣radise, Alvatrasim; but ascending thence into Heaven, he was there saluted by the Name of Achmed. For an account of which varia∣tion, I leave the Reader to Mahumeds wise Interpreters.