In Medina, Mohammed, who was a stranger, found it easier to proclaim himself a prophet than in his home city, where every one had known him as a simple camel-driver. Soon he was surrounded by an increasing number of followers, or Moslems, who accepted the Islam, "the submission to the will of God," which Mohammed praised as the highest of all virtues. For seven years he preached to the people of Medina. Then he believed himself strong enough to begin a campaign against his former neighbours who had dared to sneer at him and his Holy Mission in his old camel-driving days. At the head of an army of Medinese he marched across the desert. His followers took Mecca without great difficulty, and having slaughtered a number of the inhabitants, they found it quite easy to convince the others that Mohammed was really a great prophet.
在故鄉(xiāng)麥加城,人人都知道穆罕默德是一個(gè)趕駱駝?wù)摺6邴湹啬牵耆且粋€(gè)陌生人,因此他作為先知的傳道事業(yè)順利了許多。不久之后,他身邊便聚集起越來越多的追隨者,即穆斯林,意為"順從神旨"的信徒。而"順從神旨"正是穆罕默德贊美的最高品德。隨著事業(yè)的發(fā)展,穆罕默德積聚了足夠的力量,強(qiáng)大到足以對那些敢于嘲笑的他本人和他的神圣使命的鄰居開戰(zhàn)了。他率領(lǐng)一支麥地那人組成的軍隊(duì),自己走在前頭,浩浩蕩蕩地穿越沙漠。他的追隨者沒費(fèi)多大力氣就拿下麥加,并殺死了許多當(dāng)?shù)鼐用瘛_@樣一來,要讓其他人相信穆罕默德真的是一位偉大先知,就變得相當(dāng)容易了。
From that time on until the year of his death, Mohammed was fortunate in everything he undertook.
從那以后,一直到穆罕默德逝世,他所進(jìn)行的一切事業(yè)都非常順利。
There are two reasons for the success of Islam. In the first place, the creed which Mohammed taught to his followers was very simple. The disciples were told that they must love Allah, the Ruler of the World, the Merciful and Compassionate. They must honour and obey their parents. They were warned against dishonesty in dealing with their neighbours and were admonished to be humble and charitable, to the poor and to the sick. Finally they were ordered to abstain from strong drink and to be very frugal in what they ate. That was all. There were no priests, who acted as shepherds of their flocks and asked that they be supported at the common expense.
伊斯蘭教的成功有兩個(gè)主要原因。首先,穆罕默德教導(dǎo)追隨者們的教義非常簡單明了。信徒們被告知,他們必須熱愛宇宙的主宰,仁慈而憐憫的神安拉。他們必須敬奉父母,順從父母的命令。他們在交往時(shí)不得欺詐鄰居,要溫 順謙卑,對窮人和病人樂善好施。最后,禁止飲用烈酒,在吃用方面不得奢侈浪費(fèi)。就是這些。伊斯蘭教里沒有像基督教的"看護(hù)羊群的牧人",即那些需要眾人掏腰包供養(yǎng)的教士和主教們。