..: Mehdi Azaiez [The speeches & table-talk of the prophet Mohammad (Stanley LANE-POOLE)] :..

The speeches & table-talk of the prophet Mohammad, chosen and translated, with introduction and notes, by Stanley Lane-Poole, London : Macmillan and co. ; New York : The Macmillan company, ("Macmillan’s golden treasury series"), 1882, LXVIII+196 p.

L’auteur

Stanley Lane-Poole était un orientaliste britannique, neveu d’Edward William Lane et fut Professeur d’études d’arabes à l’Université de Dublin. Né à Londres, il travailla pour le British Museum entre 1874 et 1892. Après un voyage en Egypte où il fut archéologue, il occupa la chaire d’études arabes de l’Université de Dublin entre 1897 et 1904.

Introduction (extrait, p. 1)

The aim of this little volume is to present all that is most enduring and memorable in the public orations and private sayings 1 of the Prophet Muhammad in such a form that the general reader may be tempted to learn a little of what a great man was and of what made him great. Things are constantly being said, written, and preached about the Arabian Prophet and the religion he taught, of which an elementary acquaintance with him would show the import ance. No one would dare to treat the ordinary classics of European literature in this fashion ; or, if he did, his expo sure would immediately ensue. What I wish to do is to enable any one, at the cost of the least possible exertion, to put himself into a position to judge of popular fallacies about Muhammad and his creed as surely and certainly as he can judge of errors in ordinary education and scholar ship. I do not wish to mention the Qur an by name more than can be helped, for I have observed that the word has a deterrent effect upon readers who like their literary food light and easy of digestion. It cannot, however, be disguised that a great deal of this book consists of the Qur an, and it may therefore be as well to explain away as far as possi ble the prejudice which the name is apt to excite. It is not easy to say for how much of this prejudice the standard English translator is responsible.

Table des matières (p. VII-XVI)

INTRODUCTION

The Qur an is capable of adequate representation in small compass and approximately chronologi cal order. The original audience of Muhammad s speeches : Arabian characteristics in desert-life and town-life, poetry and religion. Muham mad s early life, person and habits, call to preach, and work at Mekka. The three periods of Mekka speeches. Change of position at Medina, and consequent change in oratory. The Medina speeches. The Traditions or Table-talk. References.

THE SPEECHES AT MEKKA

THE POETIC PERIOD. Ayat. 40-44, A.D. 609-613

THE NIGHT (xcii.) The difference between the good and the wicked in their lives and their future states ; warning of hell and promise of heaven.

THE COUNTRY (xc.) . The steep road to the life to come is by charity and faith.

THE SMITING (ci.) The terrors of the Judgment Day and the Bottom less Pit.

THE QUAKING (xcix.) . . 42 Signs of the Last Day ; when all secrets shall be revealed.

THE RENDING ASUNDER (Ixxxii.) . 43 Signs of the Last Day : man s unbelief ; angels record his actions, by which his fate shall be decided.

THE CHARGERS (c.) . 44 Man’s ingratitude towards God will be exposed on the Last Day.

SUPPORT (cvii.) . 45 Uncharitable hypocrites denounced.

THE BACKBITER (civ.) . . 46 The covetous slanderer shall be cast into Blasting Hell.

THE SPLENDOUR QF MORNING (xciii.) . 47 The goodness of God towards Muhammad must be imitated towards others.

THE MOST HIGH (Ixxxvii.) . 48 God the Creator is to be magnified. Muhammad is enjoined to admonish the people ; the oppo site fates of those who hearken and those who turn away ; the message is the same as that delivered by Abraham and Moses.

THE WRAPPING (Ixxxi.) 49 Signs of the Last Day. Authenticity of the Qur an ; Muhammad neither mad norpossessed. The Qur an a reminder, but man is powerless to follow it except by God s decree.

THE NEWS (Ixxviii.) … 51 Men dispute about the Last Day : yet it shall come as surely as God created all things. The last trump and the gathering of mankind to judgment. Description of the torments of Hell and the delights of Paradise.

THE FACT (Ivi.) . 53 Signs of the Last Day. The three kinds of men prophets, righteous, and wicked and the future state of each. The power of God shown in creation. The Qur an true and sacred. The state after death.

THE MERCIFUL (lv.) . . 57 A Benedicite reciting the works of God, and the Judgment and Paradise and Hell, with a refrain challenging genii and mankind to deny His signs.

THE UNITY (cxii.) * 61 A profession of faith in one God.

THE FATIHAH (i.) . 62 A prayer for guidance and help : the Muslim Paternoster.

II. THE RHETORICAL PERIOD. Ayat. 44-46,

A.D. 613-615 63

THE KINGDOM (Ixvii.) . … * 65 The power of God shown in creation : Hell the reward of those who disbelieve in God s mes sengers and discredit His signs. None but God knows when the Last Day will be.

THE MOON (liv.) . … 68 The Judgment approaches, but men will not heed the warning, and call it a lie and magic. Even so did former generations reject their apostles ; the people of Noah, Ad, Thamud, Lot, Pharaoh ; and there came upon all of them a grievous punishment. Neither shall the men of Mekka escape. Refrain : the certainty of punishment and the heedlessness of man.

Q- (i.) . 71 Why is the Resurrection so incredible ? Does not God continually create and re-create ? Former generations were equally incredulous, but they all found the threat of punishment was true. So shall it be again. The recording angels biiall bear witness, and hell shall be filled. Who can escape God, who created all things, and to whom all things must one day return ?

Y.S. (xxxvi.) …. . 74 Muhammad a true messenger from God to warn the people, whose ancestors would not be warn ed. God hardens their hearts so that they cannot believe. Everything is written down in the Book of God. Just so did the people of Antioch reject the apostles of Jesus, and stoned the only con vert among themselves ; and there came a shout from heaven and exterminated them. Why do not men reflect on such warnings ? Signs of the Resurrection are seen in the revival of spring and the growth of plants, and the alternations of night and day, and the changes of the sun and moon, and the ships that sail on the sea. Yet they are not convinced ! The Last Day shall come upon them suddenly. Paradise and Hell. The Qur an not a poem, but a plain warning of God s might and judgment to come. Their idols need protection instead of giving it. God who first made life can quicken it again : his "Fiat" is instantly carried out.

THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL (xvii.) . The dream of the journey to Jerusalem, two sins of the children of Israel and their punishment. The Qur an gives promise of a great reward for righteousness and an aching torment for disbelief. Each man shall be judged by his own deeds, and none shall be punished for another s sin, nor was any folk destoryed without warning. Kindness and respect to parents, and duty to kinsfolk and travellers and the poor ; hospitality, yet without waste ; faith fulness in engagements, and honesty in trading, enjoined. Idolatry, infanticide, inchastity, homi cide (except in a just cause and ia fair retalia tion), and abusing orphans trust, and pride, forbidden. The angels are not the daughters of God : He has no partner, and the whole crea tion worships Him. But God hardens people s hearts so that they turn away from the Qur an. The Resurrection is nearer than they think. The faithful must speak pleasantly and not wrangle. Muhammad has no power to compel belief. The false gods themselves dread God s torment. The power of working miracles was not given to Muhammad, because the people of yore always disbelieved in them : so Thumud with the mira culous camel. The story of the devil s original enmity to Adam ; but the devil cannot protect his followers against God, to whom belongs all power on land and sea, and whose is the Judg ment. Muhammad nearly tempted to tempo rize. Prayer at sunset and dawn and night vigils commended. Man s insincerity. The spirit sent from God. The Qur an inimitable. The demand for miracles and for angtlic messengers repu diated. The fate of those who disbelieve in the resurrection. Moses and Pharaoh : the conse quences of unbelief, The Qur an divided for convenience. The solace of the faithful. God and the Merciful the same deity.

III. THE ARGUMENTATIVE PERIOD. Aval.

46-43, A.D. 615-622 . 91

THE BELIEVER (xl.) . . 93 There velation is from God. Former generations rejected their apostles and were punished. The angles praise God. The despair of the damned. The great tryst : the judgment of God is unerr ing. The generations of yore were greater than those of today : yet nothing could save them from God. The history of Moses and Pharaoh and the Egyptian convert, and the evil fate of the infidels. The proud shall not win in the end. Praise of God in His attributes. Hell is the goal of idolaters and polytheists. Patience enjoined upon Muhammad. The signs of God s, might and the dire consequences of doubting it.

JONAH (x.) 102 Repudiation of sorcery. Signs of God s power, and the consequences of believing and dis believing them. Insincerity of man : but former generations were destoryed for unbelief. Muhammad has no power to speak the Qur an save as God reveals it. Idolatry ridiculed. Miracles disclaimed. Man believes when he is in danger, and disbelieves when he is rescu ed. The life of this world like gra>.s that will be mown to-morrow. The reward of well and evil doing and the judgment of idolaters. God s mightin creation. The Qur an no forgery, as will be plainly seen one day. Every nation has its apostle and its appointed term, which cannot be hastened or retarded. Now the people are warned, and all they do is seen of God. God s power : He has no Son. The story of Noah and the ark, and Moses and the magicians, and the passage of the Red Sea, and the establishing of the Children of Israel. The people of Jonah. God compels unbelief or belief as He pleases, and none can believe without His permission. The signs of God are in the heavens and the earth. True worship.

THE THUNDER (xiii.) 114 The mighty works of God. The punishment of unbelief, Miracles disclaimed. The omniscience and unvariableness of God, the hurler of thunder and lightning and the giver of rain. The reward of the faithful ; the torment of apostates. God misleads whom He will and, if He pleased, could guide all mankind aright. Apostles have been mocked at before : and the mockers were punished. Paradise. Muhammad s task is only to warn : it is God s business to punish.

SPEECHES OF MEDINA 121

THE PERIOD OF HARANGUE. Ayat. 53-63, A.D. 622-632.

DECEPTION (Ixiv.) God s power in creation. Former apostles were rejected. The resurrection, though disbelieved, is a fact a day when people shall find their hopes are deceptive. Paradise and Hell. All things are ordained by God. Obedience to God and^he apostle enjoined. The pleasures of this world are to be distrusted, but the fear of God and alms-giving commendable.

IRON (Ivii.) . Praise of God and exhortation to belief and alms-giving and fighting for the faith. The future state of the faithful and of the hypocrites. The charitable shall be doubly rewarded. The present life only a pastime and delusion. Every thing predestined. The sending of the apostles, of Noah, Abraham and Jesus. Asceticism repudiated. Exhortation to faith and fear.

THE VICTORY (xlviii.) . . 129- A victory was given to encourage the faithful. Commendation of those who pledged themselves to support Muhammad and rebuke to the desert Arabs who held aloof (on the occasion of the expedition to Hudeybia) ; they shall not share in the spoil (of Khaibar). Promise of booty. The truce (of Hudeybia). The opposition to Muhammad s pilgrimage to Mekka shall be withdrawn ; and a victory shall soon be won. The devotion of the faithful and their likeness.

HELP (ex.) . 134 Exhortation to praise God in the hour of triumph.

TAE LAW GIVEN AT MEDINA 135

RELIGIOUS LAW . Creed and good works. Prayer. Alms. Fast. Pilgrimage. Fighting for the faith. Sacred month. Forbidden food. Oaths. Wine. Gambl ing. Statues. Divination.

CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LAW . 14k Homicide ; the blood-wit ; murder ; retaliation. Fighting against the faith. Theft. Usury. Marriage ; adultery ; divorce ; slander. Testa ments and heirs. Maintenance for widows. Testimony. Freeing slaves ; Asylum. Small offences and great.

THE TABLE-TALK OF MUHAMMAD . . 149 Concerning prayer . Of charity Of fasting 154

TABLE-TALK OF MUHAMMAD