The Flight

Dear Folks,

Today, June 20th, is the anniversary of "al Hajira," the flight. It is the start of the Moslem era. Happened 622 CE. So happy birthday, Moslem calendar! It is also our Prince John Lackland's birthday (1189). Quite a combination.

We have already kind of mused on Johnny, the throne, his child bride, his brothers, and mother. So we will just wish John well wherever he is.

I am no Moslem scholar so forgive me if I muddle things up. Mohammed was born on August 20, 570 CE. I know, the date was not exact and I have not done his chart to rectify it. I do like that it puts him still in Leo and right on the Virgo cusp. His dad, Abdallah, died right after Mohammed was born. Then his mom passed away when Mohammed was only six. Poor kid. He was farmed out to his uncle Abu-Talib who set the boy to watching the sheep and goats. Lots of shepherds in that region. Guess he grew strong and bored out on the hillsides. Probably threw rocks at birds, made up his own songs, whatever.

When Mohammed was 25 he married a rich widow, Khadeejah, who was 15 years his senior. She bore him six children all of whom, save Fatimah his beloved daughter, died very young. Let's face it, Khadeejah was forty when she married Mohammed. Her biological clock was alarming pretty strongly.

Things turned around pretty heavily in 612 CE. Mohammed got a call, he said, from the Angel Gabriel. It was not an easy message; these sorts seldom are. He had to go kick butt and put all the heathen tribes on the path of monotheism. It is oft cited as proof of the Divinity of the Message that Mohammed was able to convince his wife of its reality. Think of that: he has a vision and his wealthy, older wife believed him.

Mohammed's tribe had controlled Mecca with its magickal and holy spot the Kaaba. Some say that the Kaaba is a meteorite, a very large one. I like that, myself. The desert tribes had been leaving bits of offerings at this shrine for centuries. Mohammed decided, with the aid of his holy visitor, that these pagans had to get right with Allah (God of Abraham and Moses.) Mohammed converted a whole bunch of folks: his father-in-law, his slave, other tribe members. They grew in number and irritation until in 622 CE, June 20th, the folks of Mecca kicked them out, "The Flight." Mohammed went to Medina to gather strength and to preach his message.

Eight years later, in 630 CE, Mohammed and his band returned to Mecca, smashed the pagan idols around the Kaaba, and essentially won the religious war. Okay, I skipped some bloody spots. Go back and read them yourself. Mohammed went to his heaven in 633 CE. He was taken off with a fever for those of you who always want to know about such things. And yes, I did read that he also suffered with epilepsy throughout his life.

What lessons do we have here? Marry a rich widow and convince her of your message? He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day? I think my lesson is iconoclasts (idol breakers) are usually revered only after they are dead. And what of the Kaaba which those heathens idolized? Oh, the Moslems now circle around it as a holy activity during their pilgrimage to Mecca. Hey, idol makers can always outstrip idol breakers.

A Billy Idol fan myself,
Ells