Muhammad once said, On the day of judgment all men shall be found to be polluted with some guilt, except John the son of Zachariah. Then, taking up a very small stone, he said, His whole quantity of crime, in comparison to that of other men, is no more than this pebble. Therefore he is named the Lord and Master (of his passions)—the Chaste. John is said to have baptized Jesus in the river Jordan; and Jesus is said to have sent John with the twelve Apostles to give knowledge to men. It is said that a certain king of the sons of Israël asked John's advice about the marriage of a wife; which John declared to be a wicked act. Upon this, the wife laid snares for him until the king killed him, and his blood remained putrifying. This was before the Ascension of Jesus; and after the Ascension of Jesus, a certain king of Babylon, being enraged at John's murder, marched against them, and, when he saw John's blood corrupting, killed a great number upon it, and demolished the Holy Abode. It is said that, in the matter of the wife, John defined and decreed that a son may not marry his father's wife. For this the king struck off his head. After his head was cut off, it said, It is not lawful unto him; it is not lawful unto thee. But many think that the story of Nebuchadnezzar being enraged with the Jews on account of John's murder, and of the devastation

of their city in consequence, cannot be true; for the overthrow by Nebuchadnezzar took place. about 400 years before the birth of John. A certain holy man observed, The heavens never wept on account of any one except John the son of Zachariah, and Hussain son of Alí (peace be with them both!); and the tears were red. Also, the following revelation came to Muhammad from God:-"For John son of Zachariah I killed seventy thousand; for thy prophet I will kill sixty thousand."

A holy man says, John son of Zachariah, when he was eight years old, came on pilgrimage unto the Holy City to behold the people of the Holy House; and, observing their manner of transacting their affairs, and their persons and appearance, he saw them dressed in vests of hair and cloaks of wool. So he returned unto his parents, and begged them to put on him a vest of hair; which they did. Then he returned unto the Holy City, where he remained shut up all day, but prayed and praised every night, until he was twenty-five years old. Then he began to think of fasting, and remaining engaged in devotion in the desert of Jordan. It happened that once, being very thirsty, he felt great delight in bathing his feet in the water, and found much refreshment. Then he said, O God! I will never taste fresh

water until I know whether I am on the road to Paradise or to Hell. Then his father began to weep, and to beseech him to eat some handfuls of barley which he had, and to drink of this water. Then his father brought him back to the Holy City, where he remained weeping and praying, which made Zachariah also weep until he fainted; and all the servants of the mansion wept; nor did John cease weeping until his tears had burnt through and worn out his hanging (sleeves), or other part of his robe. Upon this his mother procured two pieces of cloth, and fixed them upon his hanging (sleeves), so that his tears might therein collect. Then she came and squeezed the cloth until all the tears flowed from it; which when John saw, he said, O God! these are my tears; this is my mother; I am thy servant; and thou art the supremely Merciful.

Now, with regard to Jesus (peace be with him!), a most authoritative tradition asserts, Muhammad prayed upon the spot where Jesus was born; and also that Abdallah-Ibn-Omar-Ibn-Al-'As sent olive-oil to supply the lamps burning over the spot where Jesus was born (peace be with him!). A tradition also says, Jesus son of Maria entered the Baitu-l-Mukaddas whilst the children of Israël were buying and selling therein. Hereupon he cut his garment into strips, and began to beat

them, and reprove them, and say, O ye sons of parent serpents and vipers! make you the Mosque of God a market-place? Again, When Jesus was eight days old, he was circumcised according to the Law of Moses, and was named Joshua. Then they fled with him unto Egypt, where they remained twelve years, and then returned unto Syria, when he was thirty years old. Then Revelation came unto him. Again, God put out the life of Jesus for the space of three days; after which he raised him up to Heaven. At the time of his Ascension, the Holy City belonged to Rome; and when the king of Rome received tidings of all the glorious things he had done, then he took down the Crucified, and represented him carved into wooden crucifixes, which he honoured greatly, and slew a great number of the Jews, putting an end to their predominance in Palestine. Thus did the Christian faith commence in Rome. The name of this king was Constantine. It is he who built Constantinople..

Again, it is said that the Jews conspired to kill Jesus. Then God sent unto him Gabriel, with this writing beneath his wings :-"O God! I beseech thee, by the name of the One Great, the One Lord of all, the Mighty, the Essential Unity of Essence, the High and Lofty, the Ruler of all existence, relieve me from the danger at evening,

from danger in the morning." Then God revealed this unto Gabriel:-"I will carry up my servant to Heaven, unto myself." Again, Muhammad, by revelation, asserted that Jesus said unto his com

panions, This shall be your prayer. Never think its accomplishment delayed or tardily executed; for with God is all good, which he fulfilleth as a reward in the end to all who confide in him. Also a holy man observes that Jesus said, Let not a learned man of my people repulse and drive away a youth; for truth shall be revealed unto no others; for they will become fools, and conceal the truth which has been laid down; (for it is said, they know that Jesus has been taken up to Heaven). Also he said, Whoso shall conceal and whisper secretly a secret of harmonious verity, let him not lay by for the morrow; for if he lay by any thing in hope, truly the season of accomplishment shall fail beneath him, and all the redundant profit upon which he counted shall come to nought: and he shall eat his corn without good digestion or effect. Again he said, Not many words shall be said besides this-" Harden not your hearts; let them be soft; for truly the hard heart is last accounted of by God. They who are like lords will not know, nor look into their sins. But look into your sins-you who are in the form of servants. If there be any who have been tried with grief and