MOHAMMEDAN SECTS
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MOHL
may have laid the foundation of the later Karmathian creed. See Kakmatiiiaxs. It is extremely difficult to come to any clear notion of Mosaylima's real doc- trines, as all the accounts that have survived of tliem come from victorious adversaries — adversaries who have not hesitated to invent the most scandalous stories about him. Thus a love-adventure between Mosaylima and the prophetess Sajah, the wife of a soothsayer of yam;'ima, who is supposed to have stayed three days in his tent, is told with great minuteness, even to the ob- scene conversation that is supposed to have taken place between them during that time; the fact being that this story, which is still told with much relish by the natives, is without the slightest foundation. From the same source we learn that Mosaylima tried to deceive his followers by conjuring tricks. It seems, on the con- trary, that he was of much higher moral standing than jNIohammed himself. For it is said that Mosay- lima enjoined the highest chastity even among married people: unless there were hope of begetting children, there should be restriction of conjugal duty. 1-3 ven the nickname " Little Moslem" given to him seems to in- dicate that he, too, preached the unity of God, or Islam, as the fundamental doctrine of faith. How far his re- ligion had a socialistic tendency, and offered less show of dignity and outward morality to its followers, or whether it rejected fatalism, contained an idea of incarnation, and invested its preachers and teachers with a semi-media- torial character, as the latest explorer of the Nejed, Mr. Palgrave tells us, we have no means of judging. But we must receive these conclusions, probably drawn from the information of the natives, with all the greater cau- tion, as that story of the prophetess Sajiih, whom he re- ports, after his informants, not only to have been prop- erly married to Mosaylima, but to have become, after bis death, a devout partisan of Islam, and to have entered an "orthodox alliance," does not, as we have said be- fore, according to the best European authorities on Mo- hammedanism, deserve the slightest credence.
Next to Mosaylima figures prominently Al-Aswad, originally called Aihala, of the tribe of Ans, of which, as well as of that of a number of other tribes, he was gov- ernor. He pretended to receive certain revelations from two angels, Sohaik and Shoraik. Certain feats of leger- demain and a natural eloquence procured him a numl)er of followers, by whose aid he made himself master of several provinces. A counter-revolution, however, broke out the night before Mohammed's death, and Al-As- wad's head was cut off; whereby an end was put to a rebellion of exactly four months' duration, but already assuming large proportions.
In the same year (11 of the Hegira),but after Mo- hammed's death, a man named Toleiha set up as a prophet, but with very little success. He, his tribe, and followers were met in open battle by Khalid, at the head of the troops of the Faithful, and, being beaten, had all liually to submit to Islam.
A few words ought also to be said regarding the " Veiled Prophet," .1 l-Mokanna, or Borkai, whose real name was Hakera Ibn Hashem, at the time of Al-Mohdi the third Abbasside caliph. He used to hide the deform- ity of his face (he had also but one eye) by a gilded mask, a circumstance which his followers explained by the s|ilendor of his countenance being too brilliant (like that of ."\Ioses) to be borne by ordinary mortals. Being •a proficient in jugglery besides, which went for the power of working miracles, he soon drew many disciples and followers around him. At last he arrogated the of- fice of the Deity itself, which, by continual transmigra- tions from Adam downwards, had at last resided in the body of Abu Jloslem, the governor of Kliorassan, whose secretary this new jirophet had been. Tiie caliph, find- ing him growing more and more furmidaiilc every day, sent a force against lum, which finally drove him back into one of his strongest fortresses, where he first poi- soned and then burned all his family; after wliich he threw liirasclf into the flames, which consumed him
completely, except his hair. He had left a message, however, to the effect that he would reappear in the shape of a gray man riding on a gray beast, and many of his followers for many years after expected his re- appearance. They wore as a distinguishing mark noth- 1 ing but wliite garments. He died about the middle of ] the 2d centurj' of the Hegira. See Mokaxna. I Of tlie Karmeithiurts and the Ismaelians we have i spoken under their respective headings. We can scarce- { ly enumerate among the prophets Abul Teyeb Ahmed al-Motanebbi, one of the most celebrated Arabic poets, who mistook, or pretended to mistake, his poetical in- spiration for the divine afflatus, and caused several tribes to style him prophet, as his surname indicates, and to acknowledge his mission. The governor of his province, Lxilfi, took prompt steps to stifle any such pretensions in the bud by imprisoning him, and mak- ing him formally renounce all absurd pretensions to a prophetical office. The poet did so with all speed. He was richly rewarded by the court and many princes for his minstrelsy, to which thenceforth he clung exclu- sively ; but the riches he thus accumulated became the cause of his death. Robbers attacked him while he was returning to his home in Kufa, there to live ujion the treasure bestowed upon him by Adado'ddawla, sultan of Persia.