Chapter II: Part I

THE LEGEND OF THE NOCTURNAL JOURNEY AND ASCENSION OF MAHOMET
COMPARED WITH THE DIVINE COMEDY

I. THE ORIGIN OF THE LEGEND:

1. The germ of the legend in the Koran 3
2. Its development in the form of various versions grouped into
three cycles 3

II. FIRST CYCLE—VERSIONS OF THE “ISRA,” OR NOCTURNAL JOURNEY:

1. Common character of the two main versions of this cycle 4
2. Summary of Version A of Cycle I 4
3. Its comparison with the Divine Comedy. Agreement in general
outline 5
4. Similarity of descriptive features 6
5. Summary of Version B of Cycle I 6
6. Its comparison with the Divine Comedy. General features of
resemblance 8
7. Analogies in descriptive detail 8

III. SECOND CYCLE—VERSIONS OF THE “MIRAJ,” OR ASCENSION:

1. Features common to the three versions of this cycle 9
2. Date and author of each version 9
3. Summary of Version A of Cycle II 10
4. Its comparison with the Divine Comedy. Coincidence with
outlines of Dante’s ascension 11
5. Version B. First attempt to link the journey to hell with
the ascension to heaven 12
6. Summary of Version B of Cycle II 12
7. Its comparison with the Divine Comedy 14
8. The architecture of hell the prototype of that of the Inferno 14
9. In both stories the guardians of hell bar the pilgrim’s way 15
10. The City of Dis and the first stage of the Moslem hell 16
11. Resemblance of some of the tortures of hell 17
12. Version C. The Ascension the main theme of this version 17
13. Summary of Version C of Cycle II 18
14. Its comparison with the Divine Comedy. Preliminary remarks 24
15. The description of heaven in terms of light and sound is as
spiritual as the Paradiso 25
16. Similarity in use of expedient: the comparison of the speed
of flight, the inability to describe the sights witnessed,
and the brilliance of the light dazzling the pilgrims 26
17. Identical services rendered by the guides, Gabriel and
Beatrice 28
18. Dante’s picture of the eagle inspired by the vision of the
heavenly cock. Other angelic visions 29
19. The littleness of the created world as seen by both pilgrims
from on high 30
20. Striking likeness of the apotheoses of both ascensions.
God a focus of light, surrounded by nine concentric
circles of angels radiating light and chanting as they
revolve. The Beatific Vision and ecstasy 31

IV. THIRD CYCLE—FUSION OF THE VERSIONS OF THE “ISRA” AND THE “MIRAJ”:

1. Nature and date of the one version of this cycle 32
2. Summary of Sole Version of Cycle III 33
3. Its comparison with the Divine Comedy. A preliminary remark 35
4. The element of moral allegory in this version and in Dante 35
5. The vision, in the Moslem legend and the Purgatorio, of
the old seductress, symbolic of worldly pleasure 36
6. Threefold cleansing of the soul, in the Garden of Abraham
and the Purgatorio 37

V. THEOLOGICAL COMMENTARIES ON THE LEGEND:

1. The Version of Cycle III expanded by theological commentaries.
Their origin and nature 38
2. New episodes in the commentaries, and their comparison with
the Divine Comedy 40
3. The afrite pursuing Mahomet and the demon pursuing Dante 40
4. The heavenly ladder in the Islamic tale and in the Paradiso 41
5. Analogy in wealth of incident and profusion of secondary
characters 41

VI. ADAPTATIONS FROM THE LEGEND, MAINLY MYSTICAL ALLEGORIES:

1. Origin and nature of such works 42
2. General idea of some adaptations 43
3. The ascension of the soul upon leaving the body 43
4. The ascension of the guardian angel with the good deeds of
his ward 44
5. The real or symbolical ascension of the mystic 44
6. Ibn Arabi’s “Book of the Nocturnal Journey” and its analogy
with the Divine Comedy regarded as a work of allegory 45
7. Ibn Arabi’s allegorical ascension of the philosopher and
the theologian. Summary of the ascension 47
8. Its comparison with the Divine Comedy. Agreement in
allegorical meaning 51
9. Resemblance in episode, such as the distribution of the
Blessed on an astrological and moral principle; in
the didactic tendency of both authors; and in their
enigmatical style 52

VII. LITERARY IMITATIONS OF THE LEGEND:

1. General nature of such works 54
2. The “Treatise on Pardon” of Abu-l-Ala al Maarri. Its purpose
both theological and literary 55
3. Summary of the work 56
4. Its comparison with the Divine Comedy. Agreement in realism 61
5. General artifices common to both stories 61
6. Similarity of actual incidents, such as the encounter with
the two heavenly beauties 65
7. The lion and the wolf barring the road to hell 65
8. The discussion with Adam 66
9. The meeting with the beloved of the poet Imru-l-Qays 66
10. Coincidence in intrinsic literary value 67

VIII. SUMMARY OF COMPARISONS:

1. Systematic grouping of the analogies found to exist between
the Divine Comedy and the different versions, adaptations
and imitations of the Moslem legend 67
2. Resemblance of the descriptions of hell 68
3. Resemblance of the descriptions of purgatory 69
4. Resemblance of the descriptions of heaven 70
5. Similarity in allegorical meaning 73
6. Other, secondary, features of resemblance 74
7. Provisional conclusions 75
8. Influence upon the Islamic legend of tales from other faiths 75