The Dabistan

Avatar chahndl,l that is, the "incarnation of the lewd,
" and devoted to women." And thus the celebrated
prophets were distinguished. The intelligent know
well that the most high Creator does not articulate
words, but the sacred dictates which the vulgar re-
ceive are to be thus considered—that, if those books
which they call " heavenly," such as the Koran,
were really the words of God, which were delivered
in time past to our ancestors, such as to Adam and
Noah, it would be right that they should be also com-
municated in time to come to future generations,
expressing, viz.: that in such a time and year, and
month and week, on such a day, at such an hour, a
person shall appear, in such a town and such a
street, tribe sprung from such a one, with such a
name, and such an aspect. But such an account is
not to be found in the Koran; it is only by the inter-
pretation of his followers that many traditions about
Muhammed are current. The same may be said of

Is not every thing, except God vain?

Aisha, his favorite consort, declares in the traditions, that he hated
verses, and never recited one correctly. One day he attempted to quote
the known verse of an Arabian poet:

The days bring to thee news that thou dost not know;
And some man brings news the spirit of which he doth not understand.

But he altered somewhat the order of the last words. " Prophet of God!"
said Abu bekr, l< the verse runs not so." Muhammed answered: " I
«' am no ipQeL"—(Gemaldesaal Mosl. Herrscher, /««• Band, Seite 230.)
chhalana, " tricking, deceiving/'