AN ACCOUNT OF THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF MAHOMETANISM AN ACCOUNT OF THE RISK AN<> PROGRESS OF JTM Tit*}'. UI'>: <* MAHOMET And a Vindication of him and his Religion " 1 from the r --~*nies of the Christians BY Dr. HENRY STUBBE, M.A. OF CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD FROM A MANUSCRIPT COPIED BY CHARLES HORNBY OF PIPE OFFICE, IN 1705 "WITH SOME VARIATIONS AND ADDITIONS" EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND APPENDIX By HAFIZ MAHMUD KHAN SHAIRANI Published by Private Subscription lender the Auspices of the Islamic Society LONDON LUZAC & CO. 46 GREAT RUSSELL STREET (OPPOSITE THE BRITISH MUSEUM) 1911 PREFACE to the no JN offering this volume public, explanation or apology, we think, is necessary. Nevertheless, the reader's attention is drawn to the fact that, although it has existed in manuscript for a period of nearly two hundred and fifty years, it now sees the light of publication for the first time. The unusual character of the work, its high antiquarian value, and its importance as the earliest known sym- pathetic composition in English literature, were sufficient warrant for its publication. With this view in mind, a Fund was inaugurated, and appeal made to the Muslims resident in England. The generous and speedy response with which this appeal has been met is most gratifying : a pleasing feature being that, through the efforts of Halil Halid Bey (the author of The Crescent versus The Cross\ and the courtesy of the directors of the Turkish newspapers, the Sabah and the Sirat-i-Mustaqim, two separate subscriptions were raised in Constantinople, which proved to be a very handsome and substantial support to the Funds. It may be as well to explain that the work, although appearing under the auspices of the Islamic Society, is not one of its own publications, and that the opinions of the author should therefore not be construed as those advocated or advanced by the Society. The volume provides us with a unique opportunity of acquainting ourselves with the early Western notions of Islam, which, although long since exploded, still PREFACE exercise a influence on the of modern f great writings times. With a similar desire, an Appendix is added, which, it is hoped, may throw further light on the subject. If the appearance of this publication succeeds in impressing upon the minds of Muslims the sore need of activity on their part, to protnote Islamic Study in the English language, we shall consider that our labour is rewarded. It is unnecessary to remind them of the sad reproach under which they stand, in consequence of their non-activity in this direction. Certainly, we ought not to forget that, while we have to learn so many things from the West, we should endeavour to teach her the real aspirations and tenets of Islam in return. People still survive, even in the twentieth century, who most solemnly declare that the Mahometans worship an idol, called Mahomet. I take this opportunity of acknowledging my indebtedness to Halil Halid Bey for the interest shown in the progress of this publication, also to the members of the Committee, particularly Messrs. Muhammed Khairuddin Saggu and Syed Muhammed Arif, and to the other subscribers. My warmest thanks are due to those English friends who have assisted and advised me, but, owing to their natural modesty, have prevailed upon me to omit their names. The list of subscribers will be found at the end of the volume. I hope they will excuse the unforeseen delay in the progress of the publication, and I beg to assure them that all the profits accruing from this work will be devoted to the promotion of Islamic Study. H. M. K. S. January 31, 1911. VI INTRODUCTION I. AUTHORSHIP AND DATE ||F those who have written of this work and its authorship, the earliest known is Mr. Charles Hornby, of the Pipe Office, who transcribed it in 1705, and states that it was supposed to have been written by Dr. Stubbe. A few years later Thomas Magney, Rector of St. Nicholas, Guilford (sic\ in his Remarks upon Nazarenus, 1718, makes the following reference to a work in defence of Muslims. "A physician of some note a few years ago wrote, as it is said, a thorough defence of their sentiment, a manuscript copy of which I have seen, and it is surprising, that among the many un- believing books that have lately been published, this should escape." In all probability Dr. Stubbe is the physician referred to. Mr. Wanley (who died 1727) echoes the same " belief in the Harl. MSS Catalogue. I have heard," " he says, that the author was Doctor Henry Stubs the but it is not in the Physician ; particularly mentioned large account given of him and his works by Mr. Anthony Wood in the second volume of his Athenae Oxoniensis" In the library of the Rev. John Disney, D.D., (1746-1816), sold by Sotheby, in 1817, three copies of this work were included, and one of these was probably the original manuscript of Stubbe. With INTRODUCTION it were also some letters, apparently on the same subject, but neither the book nor the letters can now be traced. Internal evidence throws little fresh light on the question of the authorship or date of th? work. We find in it a reference to Sir Paul Rycaut's Present State ofthe Ottoman Empire, wrongly described (perhaps from memory) as his Relation of the Turkish Government. As this was published in 1668, and Stubbe was drowned in 1676, the latter's work was probably finished sometime between these two dates and if a from the ; quotation Western Barbary of Lancelot Addison is not a later addition, the date of authorship is narrowed down to the period 1671-1676. II. THE HISTORY OF THE MANUSCRIPT The manuscript which forms the text of this publication is not only the best and earliest dated copy known, but also the only one giving the full title. It is beautifully written, in an Italian hand, and contains in all 169 pages, divided into ten chapters. Mr. Charles Hornby copied it with some variations and additions, as he himself tells us on the title-page. On the death of Hornby, in 1739, this book in appeared the catalogue of his library, and is described as follows : " 39 An Account of the Rise and Progress of Mahometanism, with the Life of Mahomet, and a Vindication of him and his Religion from the Calumnies of the Christians, and neatly bound in blue Turkey, supposed to be wrote (sic) by Dr. Stubbs." See "Catalogue of the Collection of the Learned and Curious, Charles Hornby, Esq.," sold by Mr. Cocks on Monday the 3rd December 1739. We next find it in the library of the Rev. John Disney, D.D., of Ingatestone, Essex. Disney, in early life, was a Trinitarian, but later became a Unitarian, and took an active part in the defence and diffusion of the Unitarian movement. He seems to have taken a viii INTRODUCTION special interest in Dr. Stubbe's work, of which, as has been seen, he possessed three copies. This one bears his book-plate, with crest, consisting of a Lion with " the motto Vincit Qui Patitur," with the initials J. D. in the corner. In the auction sale catalogue this copy is described by Sotheby as follows : " (Lot) 1 562 Account of the Rise and Progress of Mahometanism, with the Life of Mahomet, and a Vindication of him and his Religion from the Calumnies of the Christians, supposed to be written by Dr. Stubbs, copied C. H. (Charles Hornby), Ano Dni 1705, with some variations and additions, folio, blue mor., gilt leaves." This was purchased by Sir Alexander Boswell (1775- 1822), the son of James Boswell, the famous Biographer a of Johnson, for eleven shillings, and thus became part of the Auchinleck Library. This library itself was sold and dispersed in 1893, and in Sotheby's Catalogue it is again described on page 13, among the Folios, as : " (Lot) 194 Account of the Rise and Progress of Mahometanism, with the Life of Mahomet, and a Vindication of him and his Religion (supposed to be written by Dr. Stubbs), clearly written manuscript, copied by C. H., A.D. 1705, with some variations and additions, blue morocco extra, g.e., from Sir J. Dalrymple's Library, 1705." Sotheby evidently misinterpreted the initials J. D., which meant John Disney, for J. Dalrymple. The Dairymple Library was sold in 1830, and the book at that period still belonged to the Auchinleck Library. Bertram Dobell, its next owner, bought it for eight shillings, and from this firm it was purchased by the present owner in 1907. III. OTHER MANUSCRIPTS There are several other manuscript copies in exist- ence. Of those mentioned below, Nos. i, 4, and 5 are to be found in the British Museum. i. Fragments of an unknown copy, scattered in Nos. ix INTRODUCTION 1709 and 1786 of the Sloane MSS, and described in the catalogue as : 1709. "The History of the Saracens and of Mahomet, chiefly taken from Pocock and Hottinger." 1786. "Fragment of a treatise respecting the rites qpd ceremonies of Mahometans, and the justice of Mahometan Wars, and that Mahomet did not propagate his religion by the sword." These two fragments, in the same late seventeenth- century hand, are evidently one and the same copy of the work, and this fact would have been apparent to the cataloguer could he have had the manuscripts before him at the same time. This copy is probably five in the earliest known, and contains chapters all, of which the first, and the first half of the third chapter, which corresponds to the first chapter and a portion of the second chapter of the Harl.