Note 53 — Chapter X

Amrál Kais, son of Hajr, king of the Arabs of the tribe of Kendah, according to Herbelot, of Asad, was, according to Sale, one of the greatest poets before Muhammedism, and one of the seven, whose compositions were suspended upon silken stuff in golden letters in the temple of Mecca, and therefore called moallakat, “suspended.” His poems, translated by Sir W. Jones (vol. X. of his Works), are amatory, and have nothing of religion which Muhammed could borrow. Amrálkaís was one of the adversaries of the prophet, and wrote satires and invectives against him, which were answered by Labíd, another of the seven poets, but who ranged himself on the side of Muhammed. The Arabian prophet certainly took many tenets and customs from former times and religions: thus he confirmed the holiness of the temple of Mecca and its environs, which were held in veneration long before him; thus he adopted from Judaism several laws relating to marriages, divorces, etc., etc.