。　　While　others　walk　in　formulas　and　hearsays；　contented　enough　to　dwell　there；　this　man　could　not　screen　himself　in　formulas；　he　was　alone　with　his　own　soul　and　the　reality　of　things。　　The　great　Mystery　of　Existence；　as　I　said；　glared　in　upon　him；　with　its　terrors；　with　its　splendors；　no　hearsays　could　hide　that　unspeakable　fact；　〃Here　am　I！〃　　Such　_sincerity_；　as　we　named　it；　has　in　very　truth　something　of　divine。　　The　word　of　such　a　man　is　a　Voice　direct　from　Nature's　own　Heart。　　Men　do　and　must　listen　to　that　as　to　nothing　else；all　else　is　wind　in　comparison。　　From　of　old；　a　thousand　thoughts；　in　his　pilgrimings　and　wanderings；　had　been　in　this　man：　　What　am　I？　　What　_is_　this　unfathomable　Thing　I　live　in；　which　men　name　Universe？　　What　is　Life；　what　is　Death？　　What　am　I　to　believe？　　What　am　I　to　do？　　The　grim　rocks　of　Mount　Hara；　of　Mount　Sinai；　the　stern　sandy　solitudes　answered　not。　　The　great　Heaven　rolling　silent　overhead；　with　its　blue…glancing　stars；　answered　not。　　There　was　no　answer。　　The　man's　own　soul；　and　what　of　God's　inspiration　dwelt　there；　had　to　answer！
  It　is　the　thing　which　all　men　have　to　ask　themselves；　which　we　too　have　to　ask；　and　answer。　　This　wild　man　felt　it　to　be　of　_infinite_　moment；　all　other　things　of　no　moment　whatever　in　comparison。　　The　jargon　of　argumentative　Greek　Sects；　vague　traditions　of　Jews；　the　stupid　routine　of　Arab　Idolatry：　　there　was　no　answer　in　these。　　A　Hero；　as　I　repeat；　has　this　first　distinction；　which　indeed　we　may　call　first　and　last；　the　Alpha　and　Omega　of　his　whole　Heroism；　That　he　looks　through　the　shows　of　things　into　_things_。　　Use　and　wont；　respectable　hearsay；　respectable　formula：　all　these　are　good；　or　are　not　good。　　There　is　something　behind　and　beyond　all　these；　which　all　these　must　correspond　with；　be　the　image　of；　or　they　are_Idolatries_；　〃bits　of　black　wood　pretending　to　be　God；〃　to　the　earnest　soul　a　mockery　and　abomination。　　Idolatries　never　so　gilded；　waited　on　by　heads　of　the　Koreish；　will　do　nothing　for　this　man。　　Though　all　men　walk　by　them；　what　good　is　it？　　The　great　Reality　stands　glaring　there　upon　_him_。　　He　there　has　to　answer　it；　or　perish　miserably。　　Now；　even　now；　or　else　through　all　Eternity　never！　　Answer　it；　_thou_　must　find　an　answer。Ambition？　　What　could　all　Arabia　do　for　this　man；　with　the　crown　of　Greek　Heraclius；　of　Persian　Chosroes；　and　all　crowns　in　the　Earth；what　could　they　all　do　for　him？　　It　was　not　of　the　Earth　he　wanted　to　hear　tell；　it　was　of　the　Heaven　above　and　of　the　Hell　beneath。　　All　crowns　and　sovereignties　whatsoever；　where　would　_they_　in　a　few　brief　years　be？　　To　be　Sheik　of　Mecca　or　Arabia；　and　have　a　bit　of　gilt　wood　put　into　your　hand；will　that　be　one's　salvation？　　I　decidedly　think；　not。　　We　will　leave　it　altogether；　this　impostor　hypothesis；　as　not　credible；　not　very　tolerable　even；　worthy　chiefly　of　dismissal　by　us。
  Mahomet　had　been　wont　to　retire　yearly；　during　the　month　Ramadhan；　into　solitude　and　silence；　as　indeed　was　the　Arab　custom；　a　praiseworthy　custom；　which　such　a　man；　above　all；　would　find　natural　and　useful。　　Communing　with　his　own　heart；　in　the　silence　of　the　mountains；　himself　silent；　open　to　the　〃small　still　voices：〃　　it　was　a　right　natural　custom！　　Mahomet　was　in　his　fortieth　year；　when　having　withdrawn　to　a　cavern　in　Mount　Hara；　near　Mecca；　during　this　Ramadhan；　to　pass　the　month　in　prayer；　and　meditation　on　those　great　questions；　he　one　day　told　his　wife　Kadijah；　who　with　his　household　was　with　him　or　near　him　this　year；　That　by　the　unspeakable　special　favor　of　Heaven　he　had　now　found　it　all　out；　was　in　doubt　and　darkness　no　longer；　but　saw　it　all。　　That　all　these　Idols　and　Formulas　were　nothing；　miserable　bits　of　wood；　that　there　was　One　God　in　and　over　all；　and　we　must　leave　all　Idols；　and　look　to　Him。　　That　God　is　great；　and　that　there　is　nothing　else　great！　　He　is　the　Reality。　　Wooden　Idols　are　not　real；　He　is　real。　　He　made　us　at　first；　sustains　us　yet；　we　and　all　things　are　but　the　shadow　of　Him；　a　transitory　garment　veiling　the　Eternal　Splendor。　　〃_Allah　akbar_；　God　is　great；〃and　then　also　〃_Islam_；〃　That　we　must　submit　to　God。　　That　our　whole　strength　lies　in　resigned　submission　to　Him；　whatsoever　He　do　to　us。　For　this　world；　and　for　the　other！　　The　thing　He　sends　to　us；　were　it　death　and　worse　than　death；　shall　be　good；　shall　be　best；　we　resign　ourselves　to　God。〃If　this　be　_Islam_；〃　says　Goethe；　〃do　we　not　all　live　in　_Islam_？〃　Yes；　all　of　us　that　have　any　moral　life；　we　all　live　so。　　It　has　ever　been　held　the　highest　wisdom　for　a　man　not　merely　to　submit　to　Necessity；Necessity　will　make　him　submit；but　to　know　and　believe　well　that　the　stern　thing　which　Necessity　had　ordered　was　the　wisest；　the　best；　the　thing　wanted　there。　　To　cease　his　frantic　pretension　of　scanning　this　great　God's…World　in　his　small　fraction　of　a　brain；　to　know　that　it　_had_　verily；　though　deep　beyond　his　soundings；　a　Just　Law；　that　the　soul　of　it　was　Good；that　his　part　in　it　was　to　conform　to　the　Law　of　the　Whole；　and　in　devout　silence　follow　that；　not　questioning　it；　obeying　it　as　unquestionable。
  I　say；　this　is　yet　the　only　true　morality　known。　　A　man　is　right　and　invincible；　virtuous　and　on　the　road　towards　sure　conquest；　precisely　while　he　joins　himself　to　the　great　deep　Law　of　the　World；　in　spite　of　all　superficial　laws；　temporary　appearances；　profit…and…loss　calculations；　he　is　victorious　while　he　co…operates　with　that　great　central　Law；　not　victorious　otherwise：and　surely　his　first　chance　of　co…operating　with　it；　or　getting　into　the　course　of　it；　is　to　know　with　his　whole　soul　that　it　is；　that　it　is　good；　and　alone　good！　　This　is　the　soul　of　Islam；　it　is　properly　the　soul　of　Christianity；for　Islam　is　definable　as　a　confused　form　of　Christianity；　had　Christianity　not　been；　neither　had　it　been。　Christianity　also　commands　us；　before　all；　to　be　resigned　to　God。　　We　are　to　take　no　counsel　with　flesh　and　blood；　give　ear　to　no　vain　cavils；　vain　sorrows　and　wishes：　　to　know　that　we　know　nothing；　that　the　worst　and　cruelest　to　our　eyes　is　not　what　it　seems；　that　we　have　to　receive　whatsoever　befalls　us　as　sent　from　God　above；　and　say；　It　is　good　and　wise；　God　is　great！　　〃Though　He　slay　me；　yet　will　I　trust　in　Him。〃　　Islam　means　in　its　way　Denial　of　Self；　Annihilation　of　Self。　　This　is　yet　the　highest　Wisdom　that　Heaven　has　revealed　to　our　Earth。
  Such　light　had　come；　as　it　could；　to　illuminate　the　darkness　of　this　wild　Arab　soul。　　A　confused　dazzling　splendor　as　of　life　and　Heaven；　in　the　great　darkness　which　threatened　to　be　death：　　he　called　it　revelation　and　the　angel　Gabriel；who　of　us　yet　can　know　what　to　call　it？　　It　is　the　〃inspiration　of　the　Almighty〃　that　giveth　us　understanding。　　To　_know_；　to　get　into　the　truth　of　anything；　is　ever　a　mystic　act；of　which　the　best　Logics　can　but　babble　on　the　surface。　　〃Is　not　Belief　the　true　god…announcing　Miracle？〃　says　Novalis。That　Mahomet's　whole　soul；　set　in　flame　with　this　grand　Truth　vouchsafed　him；　should　feel　as　if　it　were　important　and　the　only　important　thing；　was　very　natural。　　That　Providence　had　unspeakably　honored　him　by　revealing　it；　saving　him　from　death　and　darkness；　that　he　therefore　was　bound　to　make　known　the　same　to　all　creatures：　　this　is　what　was　meant　by　〃Mahomet　is　the　Prophet　of　God；〃　this　too　is　not　without　its　true　meaning。
  The　good　Kadijah；　we　can　fancy；　listened　to　him　with　wonder；　with　doubt：　at　length　she　answered：　　Yes；　it　was　true　this　that　he　said。　　One　can　fancy　too　the　boundless　gratitude　of　Mahomet；　and　how　of　all　the　kindnesses　she　had　done　him；　this　of　believing　the　earnest　struggling　word　he　now　spoke　was　the　greatest。　　〃It　is　certain；〃　says　Novalis；　〃my　Conviction　gains　infinitely；　the　moment　another　soul　will　believe　in　it。〃　　It　is　a　boundless　favor。He　never　forgot　this　good　Kadijah。　　Long　afterwards；　Ayesha　his　young　favorite　wife；　a　woman　who　indeed　distinguished　herself　among　the　Moslem；　by　all　manner　of　qualities；　through　her　whole　long　life；　this　young　brilliant　Ayesha　was；　one　day；　questioning　him：　　〃Now　am　not　I　better　than　Kadijah？　　She　was　a　widow；　old；　and　had　lost　her　looks：　　you　love　me　better　than　you　did　her？〃〃　No；　by　Allah！〃　answered　Mahomet：　　〃No；　by　Allah！　　She　believed　in　me　when　none　else　would　believe。　　In　the　whole　world　I　had　but　one　friend；　and　she　was　that！〃Seid；　his　Slave；　also　believed　in　him；　these　with　his　young　Cousin　Ali；　Abu　Thaleb's　son；　were　his　first　converts。
  He　spoke　of　his　Doctrine　to　this　man　and　that；　but　the　most　treated　it　with　ridicule；　with　indifference；　in　three　years；　I　think；　he　had　gained　but　thirteen　followers。　　His　progress　was　slow　enough。　　His　encouragement　to　go　on；　was　altogether　the　usual　encouragement　that　such　a　man　in　such　a　case　meets。　　After　some　three　years　of　small　success；　he　invited　forty　of　his　chief　kindred　to　an　entertainment；　and　there　stood　up　and　told　them　what　his　pretension　was：　　that　he　had　this　thing　to　promulgate　abroad　to　all　men；　that　it　was　the　highest　thing；　the　one　thing：　　which　of　them　would　second　him　in　that？　　Amid　the　doubt　and　silence　of　all；　young　Ali；　as　yet　a　lad　of　sixteen；　impatient　of　the　silence；　started　up；　and　exclaimed　in　passionate　fierce　language；　That　he　would！　　The　assembly；　among　whom　was　Abu　Thaleb；　Ali's　Father；　could　not　be　unfri