dering into the deserts of Arabia. The frequent reference in the Koran to Moses and Noah; the stories of Lot, Joseph, Samuel and Solomon, plainly show the influence which early Hebrew traditions had on the Arabs and on Mohammed himself, in later years.
Mohammed was born in the "Year of the Elephant";[1] the month and day have never been ascertained with, any exactness. Among the Mohammedans, however, his birth is usually celebrated (or recorded as having occurred) on April 20, 571. The interval between the death of Christ on the cross of Calvary, and the birth of the next "prophet" was 541 years. His father was Abd-allah, who died, however, before the child (the future Mohammed) was born. Abd-allah, although related to the most powerful families of Mecca, left to his family nothing except five camels and a young slave girl. Amînah, Mohammed's mother, died in 577, when Mohammed was six years old.
The orphan child seems to have been lucky in finding a home with kind relatives, where, he grew to strength and manhood. However, in order to support himself, after the death of his grandfather, he had to herd sheep and goats—a calling which was considered as suited only to a woman. His youth passed in complete obscurity; there is absolutely nothing definitely known of him up to the time he was 24 years old. At that time there came the turn in his life. A rich widow, about 40 years old, saw
- ↑ So called because the Abyssinian army attacked Mecca in that year, using elephants in the battle, and was repulsed (571).
