Tlic articles Kokan and Mohammedanism contain some further details on his doctrine and its history.
Mohammed Abd-el -Wahab, the founder of the^Iohainincdan sect nanie<l after him \V(ihahit(s,wtia born in TS'cjed or Nejd, Central Arabia, about the close of the 17th century, in the tribe of Temim, and claimed descent from Mohammed the prophet. Like his proto- type, the great Mohammed, he spent the early ])art of his life in trading expeditions to Bassora, Bagdad, and Damascus. Tradition even claims for him extensive journeys, reaching to India on the east and to Constan- tinople on the west. He was a prudent and sagacious young man, and greatly devoted to his studies in the law and tlio Koran, and, like a faithful ISIoslem, he made a ])ilgriniage to Mecca and ^Icdina, Tlicre he became fired with such an ascetic fanaticism that on his return he was compelled to (piit his native village for Deraijeh, in the central higldands of Arabia, soon to become the capital of the new theocracy. Like the projthet of the crescent, when he looked abroatl over the degenerate state of his countrymen. Abd-il-Wahal) saw that his co-religionists h.ad fallen away from the inirity of life and l)elief which made Islam master of all the civilized world save a corner of Kurope. and he resolved to bring them liack to the truth. He scouted the tradi- tions which had buried the pure Koran under I heir mass, he condemned the idolatry which regarded Mohammed
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as more than a mere man inspired by the one God, and he enforced with a fanatical earnestness fasting, alms- giving, prayer, and the pilgrimage to Mecca, while he forbade the gratification of all vice and luxury, whether drinking, gambling, smoking, debauchery, usury, false witnesses, tine dresses, or grand tombs. Being a man of talent and eloquence, he soon gained followers. At first his progress was slow, but gradually his doctrines be- came popular, and he ultimately succeeded in spreading them widelj', and in establishing his power likewise. He died near the close of the 18th century; but the WahaUtes have continued to grow in strength and numbers all over Asia, particularly India, until there is now scarcely a city of any size in Northern India in %vhich followers of his are not to be found. For the last ten years the Wahabites have been subject to rigor- ous searching on the part of the British government, and it woidd now appear that they have joined to their religious a political creed which is dangerous to the welfare of Western society in the East. See Moham- WEDAN Sects; Wahabites. (J. II. W.)
Mohammed Aben-Kerram, founder of a Mo- hammedan sect, was born at Serenj about A.D. 820. After teaching in his native city, he came to Khorassan, where he met a celebrated hermit, Ahmed ben-Harb, who induced him to visit the Kaaba. On his return to Kho- rassan, after a five years' sojourn in jMecca, he taught his new doctrines in Nichapur. He was imprisoned by Mohammed ben-Thaher, but finally escaped and found refuge in Jerusalem. He is the founder of the Anthropomorphites, or Mochehihes. He died in Jerusa- lem in 8G8.
Mohammed al-Darazi, one of the founders of the sect of the Druses, was born near Bokhara about A.D. 960. In 1010 he came to Egypt, where he was convert- ed to the doctrines of Hakim al-Mokanna. This doc- trine admitted incarnation consecutive with divinity in dillVrent persons. He was the first to regard Hakim al-]\I()kanna, then ruling in Egypt, as the last of these incarnates. He published a book in which he set forth the successions of incarnation since Adam. The caliph Hakim was so influenced by him as to intrust to him virtually the management of all government affairs. Darazi, having published his work, read it in a mosque at Cairo, whereupon the people, greatlj' displeased with his innovations, attempted to slay him. Hakim ap- peared to disapprove of the conduct of Darazi, but se- cretly furnished him with money to quietly advance his cause, and advised him to preach his doctrines in the mountains of Syria, where he successfully taught his dogmas, permitting liis followers the use of wine, forni- cation, and incest. Mohammed afterwards returned to Egypt, where he set himself up as the true imam, brought about a revolt against authority, and in the conflict lost his life in 1019. See works referred to in the article Druses ; Isjiaei.ites.
Mohammed Hakim Ispahan! (Hfji), a Parsee doctor, was born at Ispahan about 1790. He was the mollah of a religious sect known as the Basmian.^ or old orthodox Parsees. His writings reveal interest- ing facts concerning what is left at Bombay of the Par- sees, or fire-worshippers. For the good of his sect, Mo- hammed wrote, in Persian and in English, Kathib fi hilan Ashat al-Kahiseh, or "Selections of Mohammed from History, forming a perfect Illustration of the pres- ent Theological Discussions of the Parsees" (Bombay, fol. 1827), in which he aims to prove that the old Per- sian intercalary asra is of the remotest antiquity, and, in fact, originated in the days of Zoroaster. The be- lievers of other Parsee sects, however, such as the Chahinchahmians, Kodmians, and Churigarians, would have it date onlj' from Yezdegerd HI, the last of the Sassanide kings. In answer to certain books written by his opponents on religious matters, Mohammed wrote Dafakh al-IIazl, being a refutation of mollah Firuz's ■work, entitled Ressana Moussumal badallah, etc. (Bom-