Mahomet Islam Author:W. Muir, William Muir Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III REBUILDING OF THK KAABA—ALY AND ZEID SPIRITUAL ASPIRATIONS THE FOUR INQUIRERS Ten years after his marriage, Mahomet was present at the rebui... more »lding of the Kaaba. The edifice, a plain square house,1 was of great antiquity. Fable ascribes its foundation to Abraham. The well hard by is called the Well of Hagar; for this is the spot, according to the fond tradition, on which the disconsolate mother cast her thirsty child, while in distress she paced rapidly to and fro between the neighbouring eminences of Safa and Merwa in search of water; when suddenly the fountain Zem-zem bubbled up at the feet of the wailing Ishmael. In front of the temple was the great image of Hobal, the tutelary god of Mecca; other idols were ranged around, and at a respectful distance stood the habitations of the Coreish. The great Pilgrimage was held annually in one of the three sacred months during which war was suspended. The devotees assembled from all quarters and in vast numbers at Mecca. They kissed the Black stone (perhaps an aerolite) built into a corner of the " House of God," and drank of the sacred well. Two or three days more were spent in visiting Mount Arafat, a little hill twelve miles up the valley. Victims were slain at Mina, half-way on the return to 1 Kaaba means a square or cube, whence probably the name. It was also called Beitullah, the "House of God." chapter{Section 4Mecca. And so ended the " Greater Pilgrimage." That part of the worship limited to the Kaaba and its immediate precincts could be performed at any period of the year, and was called the " Lesser Pilgrimage." The Kaaba, having been injured by a flood, had now fallen into disrepair. Despite the dread of vengeance "i i i i l i i i i THE KAABA, AS IT NOW STANDS, SHOWING THE CUUTAIN FESTOONED ...« less