J. F. Campbell Collection > Koran: or, Alcoran of Mohammed

SBCT. IV. PEELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 51
phets ; 5. lu the resurrection and day of judgment ; and, 6. in God'a
absolute decree and 2:)redetennination both of good and e^'i\.
The four points relating to practice are, 1. Prayer, under which are
comprehended those washings or purifications which are necessary pre-
parations required before prayer ; 2. Alms ; 3. Fasting ; and, 4. The
pilgrimage to Mecca. Of each of these I shall s]ieak in their order.
That both IMohammed and those among his followera who are reckoned
orthodox had, and continue to have, just and trae notions of God and his
attributes (always excepting their obstinate and impious rejecting of tho
Trinity), appears so jilain from the Koran itself, and all the Mohammedan
divines, that it would be loss of time to refute those who suppose the Gk)d
of Mohammed to be different from the true God, and only a fictitious deity
or idol of his ovai creation. '^ Nor shall I here enter into any of the Mo-
hammedan controversies concerning the divine nature and attributes, be^
ca\ise I shall have a more proper opportunity of doing it elsewhere.*
The existence of angels and theii* purity are aljsolutely required to be
believed in the Koran ; and he is reckoned an infidel who denies there
are such beings, or hates any of them,^ or asserts any distinction of sexes
among them. They believe them to have pure and subtle bodies, created
of fire ; ' that they neither eat nor cU-ink, nur propagate their species ; that
they have various forms and ofiices ; some adoring God in different pos-
tures, others singmg praises to him, or interceding for mankind. They
hold that some of them are employed in wi-iting down the actions of
men ; others in canying the throne of God and other services.
The four augels whom they look on as more eminently in God's favour,
and often mention on account of the ofiices assigned them, are Gabriel, to
whom they give several titles, particularly those of the hol^ spirit,^ and the
angel of revelations,^ supposing him to be honoured by God with a gi'eater
confidence than any other, and to be employed in writing down the divine
decrees;'* Michael, the friend and protector of the Jews;* Azi-ael, the
angel of death, who separates men's souls from theii' bodies;® and Israfil,
whose ofiice it -will be to sound the trumpet at the resurrection.^ The
Mohammedans also believe that two guardian angels attend on every man,
to observe and %vTite dowm his actions,* being changed every day, and there-
fore called al Moakkibat, or the angels who continually succeed one another.
This whole doctrine concerning angels Mohammed and his disciples have
bon-owed from the Jews, who learned the names and ofiices of those beings
from the Persians, as themselves confess.^ The ancient Pei-sians firmly
believed the ministiy of angels, and their superintendence over the affairs of
this world (as the Magians still do), and therefore assigned them distinct
charges and provinces, gi'ving theii' names to their months and the days of
their months. Gabriel they called Sorush and Ptevan bakhsh, or the giver
of souls, in opposition to the contrary ofiice of the angel of death, to whom,
among other names, they gave that of Mordad, or, the giver of death ;
Michael they called Beshter, who, according to them, provides sustenance
7 Marracc. in Ak. p. 102. » Sect. viii. » Koran, c. 2, p. 1.3. ^ Ibid, c 7, and 38,
3 Ibid. c. 2. p. 12. s j^ee the notes, Ibid. p. 13. * Vide H>de, Hist. Eel. Vet. Pers.
p. 262.. « Vide Ibid p. 271, and note in Kor. p. 15. « Vide note y, Ibid. p. 4. i Kor.
chap. 6, 13, and 86. The offices of these four angels are described almost in the
same manner in the apocryphal gospel of Barnabas ; where it is said that Gabriel re-
veals the secrets of God, Michael combats against his enemies, Raphael receives tho
souls of tliose who die, and Uriel is to call every one to judgment on the last day.
See the Menagiana, torn. iv. p. 333. « Kor. c. 10. » Tahnud Hieros. in Rosh hashan.