Mohammed did not long enjoy his position as uncrowned king
of Arabia. He died in 632 A.D., at Medina, where he was buried and where his
tomb is still visited by pious Moslems. His followers could scarcely believe
that their great prophet had gone away from them forever. They were ready to
worship him as a god, until old Abu Bekr, Mohammed's father-in-law, rebuked
them with the memorable words: "Whoso worshipeth Mohammed, let him know
that Mohammed is dead; but whoso worshipeth God, let him know that God liveth
and dieth not."
MOHAMMED'S CHARACTER
The character of Mohammed has been variously estimated.
Moslem writers make him a saint; Christian writers, until Mohammed's recent
times, have called him an "impostor." We know that he was a man of
simple habits, who, even in the days of his prosperity, lived on dates, barley
bread, and water, mended his woolen garments, and attended to his own wants. He
was mild and gentle, a lover of children, devoted to his friends, and forgiving
toward his foes. He seems to have won the admiration of all with whom he came
in contact. We know, too, that Mohammed was so deeply impressed with the
consciousness of his religious mission that he was ready to give up wealth and
an honorable position and face for years the ridicule and hatred of the people
of Mecca. His faults—deceitfulness, superstitiousness, sensuality—were those of
the Arabs of his time. Their existence in Mohammed's character should not
prevent our recognition of his real greatness as a prophet and as a statesman.
