Spain

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ...to prevail. The Christians were always in arms, and increasing in power, for Saragossa had by this time fallen into their hands, and the north of Spain was already free from Moslem domination. The cause, however, which was destined to overthrow the dynasty of the Almoravides, at the same time that it changed the whole face of Western Africa and Southern Spain, originated, like the power of Yussef ben Taxfin, in the deserts bordering on Mount Atlas. Mohammed ben Abdallah (another Mohammed!) was the son of a lamp-lighter in the Mosque of Cordova. He had great curiosity, and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. After studying for some years in the schools of his native city, he persuaded the lamp-lighter to let him journey to Bagdad, where he continued his studies under the celebrated doctors of that capital of the Moslem world. Of these doctors, none was more famous than Abu Hamid Algazali, and none more free in the expression of his sentiments, which were bold and radical, and, in the opinion of conservatives, dangerous to the faith of Islam. He had written a book on the resurrection of science and natural law, which the Cadi of Cordova had been the first to condemn. Ali himself approved the condemnation, all the copies of the book which could be found were seized and burnt in the public square. When Mohammed ben Abdallah had reached Bagdad, and taken his seat in the school of Algazali, the first question asked him, very naturally, was not exactly, " What on earth tempted you to come here? " but: ' Had you heard of my writings in your native city?" And when he said he had done so, still more naturally he was asked how they were received there, and he was obliged to confess that they had been all burned in the public square by the orders of...