SERMON ON THE MOUNT, MUHAMMADAN. A sermon delivered by Muhammad on the occasion of his last pilgrimage to the Kaaba. It was delivered on the Mount of `Arafah, the " Mount of Recognition," situated twelve miles from Mecca. Here the pilgrims stay on the ninth day of their pilgrimage. To account for the name of the Mount there 1-s a legend recounted by Burton (and quoted by T. P. Hughes). " When our first parents for feited heaven for eating wheat, which deprived them of their primeval purity, they were cast down upon earth. The serpent descended upon Ispahan, the peacock at Cabal; Satan at Bilbays (others say Semnan or 'Seistan), Eve upon 'Arafat, and Adam at Ceylon (Sarandib). The latter, determining to seek his wife, began a journey, to which the earth owes its present mottled appearance. Wherever our first father placed his foot, which was large, a town afterwards arose; and between the strides will always be country. Wandering for many years, he came to the Mountain of Mercy, where our common mother was continually calling upon his name, and their recognition of each other gave the place the name of `Arafah." The •sermon of Muhammad, which has been only partly preserved, is given by Syed Ameer Ali. " Ye people! listen to my words, for I know not whether another year will be vouchsafed to me after this year to find myself amongst you. Your lives and property are
sacred and inviolable amongst one another until ye appear before the Lord, as this day and this month is sacred for all; and remember ye shall have to appear before your Lord, who shall demand from you an account of all your actions. Ye people, ye have rights over your wives, and your wives have rights over you . . . treat yowr wives with kindness . . . verily ye have taken them on the security of God, and made them law ful unto you by the words of God. And your bondsmen and bondswomen. See that ye feed them with such food as ye eat yourselves, and clothe them with the stuff ye wear; and if they commit a fault which ye are not inclined to forgive, then part from them, for they are the servants of the Lord, and are not to be harshly treated. Ye people! listen to my words, and understand the same. Know that all Moslems are brothers unto one another. Ye are one brotherhood. Nothing which belongs to another is lawful unto his brother, unless freely given out of good will. Guard yourselves from committing injustice. Let him that is present tell It unto him that is absent. Haply he that shall be told may remember better than he who bath beard it." See T. P. Hughes; Syed Ameer Ali, Islam, 1906.