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CHAPTER TWO

THE LAST OF THE PROPHETS

Who was this prophet to whose law Mohammed Beg and millions of his fellow Moslems across Europe, Asia and Africa give such intense loyalty? Here we must turn back the pages of history for a picture of this remarkable founder of Islam, one of the world's greatest religions. He alone is the key to the understanding of the Moslem view of life. Thirteen centuries ago a new religion burst upon the world. Like the other great religions, it had its origin in one of the countries of Asia.

Sitting in his palace one day about A.D. 630, the emperor of the ancient Christian kingdom of Ethiopia was handed a letter from one Mohammed of Medina, Arabia. The writer informed His Ethiopian Majesty that God had called him, Mohammed, to be his messenger or apostle. He declared that he had a special commission from God as the last of the prophets to warn all nations of the impending doom which would overtake them, if all men everywhere did not turn to Allah for forgiveness and submit to his will. He therefore felt it his duty to invite His Majesty to accept the religion of Islam with all his people. So says Moslem fractional history.