[Illustration: MUHAMMAD (THE PROPHET) WITNESSES ALI (HIS SON-IN-LAW AND SUCCESSOR) DEFEAT AMR BEN ABDWAD] One of the eight illustrations for a XIIIth Century Persian Manuscript entitled, "HISTORY OF TABARI", compiled A.H. 310 (A.D. 922). The present copy is a subsequent one of the Persian version, translated by AL B'ALA'MI, A.H. 352. It is interesting to note that TABARI records in the book here referred to, that three messages were sent by MUHAMMAD to KHUSRAW PARNIZ, imparting the divine warnings. One of the messages, as recorded in an old Manuscript entitled NIHAYAT UL-IRAB, reads: "In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate. From MUHAMMAD the Apostle of God to KHUSRAW son of HURMAZD. But to proceed. Verily I extol unto thee God, beside whom there is no other God. He it is who guarded me when I was an orphan, and made me rich when I was destitute, and guided me when I was straying in error. Only he who is bereft of understanding, and over whom calamity triumphs, rejects the message which I am sent to announce. O KHUSRAW, submit and thou shalt be safe, or else prepare to wage with God and with his Apostle a war which shall not find them helpless. Farewell." * * * * * [Illustration] The rise of ISLAM and its rapid advent to power, is perhaps the most surprising chapter of the history of mankind. The great empires, Persian and Byzantine, which were subjected to the urgent onslaught of this rising power may have been in an enfeebled condition as a result of excess of despotism and internal dissensions, as historians affirm; but that the element of the power must have been in the rationality of the principles contained in the teaching, there can be no doubt. "It was undoubtedly to ISLAM, that simple yet majestic creed of which no unprejudiced student can ignore the grandeur, that Arabs owed the splendid part which they were destined to play in the history of civilization. In judging of the Arabian Prophet, western critics are too often inclined to ignore the condition from which he raised his country, and to forget that many institutions which they condemn were not introduced but only tolerated by ISLAM. The early Muslims were very sensible of the immense amelioration in their life effected by MUHAMMAD'S teachings. What this same amelioration was is well shown in the following passage from the oldest extant biography of the Prophet," says Professor G. Browne in his memorable work on Persia,[1] and quotes IBN HISHAM (A.H. 213: A.D. 828) in support. [Footnote 1: "Literary History of Persia," by Edward G. Browne, M.A., M.B., Vol. I, page 186.] "During the first half of the seventh century," says DOZY in [CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE] * * * * * [Illustration: ACCESSION AT KUFA, A.D. 749, OF ABU'L-ABBAS ABDULLAH AS-SAFFAH FIRST CALIPH OF THE HOUSE OF ABBAS]