The Origin of Freemasonry and Knights Templar ... - Lodge Prudentia

FREEMASONRY AND KNIGHTS TEMPLARsenior.This widow, Kadijah, employed him to lookafter her caravans, and his management of heraffairs was attended with uniform success. Onhis return from a journey to Damascus, where hehad met with greater success than ever, the exultantwidow offered to marry him and pleaded hercause with such fervor and eloquence that theyoung man consented. In many respects this marriagewas most important in its results. It at onceplaced Mohammed in a position of affluence andraised his rank equal to that of the influential tribeof the Koreish. Mohammed now gave up businessand devoted himself to religious meditations. Thereligion of the Arabs at this time (595) was Sabaism,a kind of idolatry or system of sun, moonand star worship, widely prevalent, not only inArabia, but in Chaldea, Syria and Ethiopia.Idolatryhad overclouded the old Monotheism (oneGod) of the Arabs, and brought the religious instinctsof the people into manifold confusion. Mohammedwas surrounded by Jews, Christians andJewish Christians; and in his journeys with thecaravans had frequent opportunities of discussingreligious questions with them. It is certain that hewas far from satisfied with Judaism, Christianityof Arabia. Theor Sabaism, the popular religionsscenes of misery and immorality, and the utter spiritualdegradation of the entire people, made a vividimpression on his sensitive mind, and suggestedthat remedies should be found.In his fortieth year he received the first revelationconcerning the new truth. He hastened to hisbeloved wife, and, confiding to her what had happened,fell into a severe paroxysm of epilepsy. He124