If the mountain does not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed goes to the mountain. What does the expression “if the mountain does not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed go to the mountain” mean?

If the mountain does not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed goes to the mountain - a saying that means: If what you need cannot be delivered, then you need to go there yourself.

In 1597, the English philosopher (Francis Bacon, 1561-1626) in his “Moral and Political Essays”, in essay 12 “On Boldness” (English) says that Mohammed promised the people to move a mountain by force, and when he did not succeeded, he said: “Well! since the mountain does not want to go to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to it” (the work was first published in 1625). Francis Bacon told this story to illustrate that a brave man can turn even his defeat into victory.

The phrase “If the mountain won't come to Muhammad then Muhammad must go to the mountain” was included in John Ray's 1670 collection of English proverbs book of English provers).

Apparently this phrase is from ancient oriental legends and fairy tales. Thus, in essays about the adventures of Khoja Nasreddin (hero folklore peoples Central Asia and the Arab East) there is a similar history. So, one day Khoja Nasreddin began to pretend to be a saint. Those around him asked him to prove it. Khoja Nasreddin said that he could command a palm tree to come to him, and it would obey. When the miracle did not happen, Khoja himself approached the tree and said: “True prophets and saints are devoid of arrogance. If the palm tree doesn’t come to me, then I go to it.”

Excerpt from Essay 12 "Of Boldness" by Francis Bacon

You can make sure that brave people The miracle of Mohammed is often demonstrated. Mohammed promised that he would call the mountain to himself and read prayers to his followers from its top. People gathered; Mohammed called the mountain to him, then again and again; and when the mountain remained in place, he was not embarrassed one bit and said: “If the mountain does not go to Mohammed, then Mohammed goes to the mountain.” These people, when they have promised great things and failed in the most disgraceful manner, will still (if they have excellent courage) find a way out of the situation, and will not worry about it.

"... you shall see a bold fellow many times do Mahomet"s miracle. Mahomet made the people believe that he would call an hill to him, and from the top of it offer up his prayers, for the observers of his law. The people assembled; Mahomet called the hill to come to him, again and again; and when the hill stood still, he was never a whit abashed, but said, If the hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the hill. So these men, when they have promised great matters, and failed most shamefully, yet (if they have the perfection of boldness) they will but slight it over, and make a turn, and no more ado."

Examples

"Adventures good soldier Shveyka" (1923, translation by P.G. Bogatyrev (1893 - 1971)), part 2, chapter 2: "... written orders themselves will not come to the head of the convoy. If the mountain does not go to Mohammed, then the commander of the convoy must go after them himself."

Usually the origin of this expression is associated with one of the stories about Khoja Nasreddin, a hero of eastern folklore, a famous inventor and wit.

One of the Arabic collections (circa 1631) talks about how Khoja Nasreddin once decided to pass himself off as a saint. When asked how he would prove this, he replied that he could command the palm tree to come to him and it would obey. When the miracle did not happen, Khoja himself approached the tree with the words: “True prophets and saints are devoid of arrogance. If the palm tree doesn’t come to me, then I go to it.”

Sometimes another version of the phrase is found: “If the palm tree does not go to Joha, then Joha will go to the palm tree.”

Another story is found in the notes of the famous traveler Marco Polo (1254-1324), the first edition of which is on Latin published without indicating the place or year; presumably: Venice or Rome, 1484.

Marco Polo says that a certain Baghdad shoemaker undertook to prove to Caliph Al-Muhtasim the advantages of the Christian faith and allegedly performed a miracle: the mountain moved in his direction at his call. Apparently, the European version of this eastern legend replaced the palm tree with a mountain due to the Christian tradition, which states that faith moves mountains (I Corinthians, 13:2).

There is a well-known Turkish proverb: “Mountain, mountain, travel; if the mountain does not wander, let the saint wander.” The circulation of this proverb can be traced back to the 17th century.

In its modern version, this expression has become part of European languages thanks to the famous English scientist and philosopher Francis Bacon. In 1597, in his “Moral and Political Essays”, in the essay “On Courage”, he says that according to legend, Mohammed promised the people to move the mountain by force, and when he failed, he said: “Well! since the mountain does not want to go to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to it.”

The meaning of this comic expression: due to circumstances, you have to obey the one from whom you yourself expected obedience.

Nicholas Roerich. Mohammed on Mount Hira.

Mohammed and the mountain

The mountain did not want to go to Mohammed,
Mohammed was in no hurry to meet her.
Although there was not much distance between them,
There was no talk of rapprochement.

So they waited, Mohammed and the mountain,
And when they finally perked up
And they mutually decided: “The time has come!”
Unfortunately, we missed each other...

Andrey Shigin

But the mountain still did not go to Mohammed.
He did not heed the prophetic advice of his ancestors,
And he didn’t go to her himself,
Ah, tragic and angry,
Walked around in the smoke of the office...

But the mountain still did not go to Mohammed.
He wrote her verse by verse,
He wrote and wrote
And threw it into the basket,
And he lit a cigarette again...

But the mountain still did not go to Mohammed.
They whispered to him a secret,
What does this mountain have?
Someone is burning fires, they say,
And, imagine, not the first summer!..

He was ready to forgive her for this too -
He himself was from such a plot,
But I waited, idiot
What will come, what will come, -
How much has been said to her, how much has been sung!..

But the mountain still did not go to Mohammed.
Why reproach it, the mountain, for this?
What will people think
If the mountains begin
Run around the world for poets?!

Well, he should at least send a carriage! -
Is it really possible for him, Mohammed,
don't understand that grief
In this eternal game
You need to be a planet for someone!..

But the mountain still did not go to Mohammed...
How many years have already sunk into oblivion...
But as the days flash by
We haven't gotten any smarter
And we don’t follow wise advice.
But as the days flash by
We haven't gotten any smarter
And the mountain does not go to Mohammed...

Igor Zhuk

Nicholas Roerich. Dorje the daring one.

The mountain came to Mohammed...

Exactly at 13.00 the mountain comes to Mohammed.
- Did you call?
- Called. Have a seat.
- Thank you. I'll wait.
- Sit down, sit down. It's more convenient for me.
The Mountain sits on the edge of his chair.
- Ugh, how big you are! - Mohammed gets out from behind the table and, smiling, goes to the mountain. Stopping at the foot, he lifts his head and says:
- Hey, how can you hear me?! Are you feeling okay?!
“Thank you, nothing,” the mountain gets embarrassed and stands up.
- Sit, sit! No complaints? Are the slopes and crevices ok? Is there enough snow in winter and enough sun in summer? Are you worried about cyclones?
“Thank you,” the mountain answers, “thank you very much!” - and gets up again.
- Sit, sit! - Mohammed laughs. - So everything is fine. No complaints... And I’m terribly glad to see you, honestly! Hey, can you hear me okay from here?
The mountain nods embarrassedly and looks down at Mohammed.
- Phew, how big it has become! And I remember you like this,” Mohammed waves his hand towards the window, towards the mountain range. - OK. Why did I call you? Don't you know?! Why did you come?! Wow, joker! - Mohammed threatens the mountain with his finger.
- I really don’t know! - the mountain is scared.
- “I don’t know, I don’t know!” - Mohammed imitates her. - So healthy, but you don’t know! This is not going well!
The mountain turns red.
- OK. It's OK. I'll remember and call. Otherwise, come in yourself. Just like that! Without these formalities. Let's sit and chat. Well, stomp, otherwise I have things to do. - Mohammed slaps the mountain on the ridge. - Yes! Try to remember why I called you! Don't make a fool of me. If I called, it means I meant something! Think in your spare time, what exactly?!
The mountain comes out sideways.
Mohammed sits down at the table and looks for a long time at the mountain range outside the window:
- How tired I am of all this! There are so many of them, and I’m alone! It’s good that the mountains are conscious - they themselves go to Mohammed! Otherwise Mohammed would have had to go to the mountain! I can imagine how ridiculous that would look!
Mohammed sighs and crosses out on the calendar: “13.00 - call the mountain.”

If the mountain does not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed will go to the mountain

There are many explanations for the origin of this expression. It is believed, for example, that it is connected with one of the old jokes about the beloved folk hero of the East, Khoja Nasreddin.

Once Khoja, posing as a saint, boasted of the power of his faith and his ability to perform a miracle. “I only have to call a stone or a tree,” Khoja assured, “and they will come to me.” He was asked to call the oak tree growing nearby. Khoja called out to the stubborn tree three times, but it did not even move. The angry Khoja himself went to the oak tree. “Where are you going?” - those around asked, not without gloating. Khoja replied: “The saints are not proud. If the tree doesn’t come to me, I go to it.”

Others believe that the expression stems from the legend of an unfulfilled prophecy contained in the Qur'an - the Koran, the "holy" book of Muslims.

Mohammed (570-632 AD) is considered the founder of the religion of Islam, the messenger of the Almighty on earth. Believers even have a formula: “there is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet.” So, according to legend, Mohammed once set out to prove his power to the faithful. The Prophet ordered the mountain to approach him. The mountain remained unruly. Then Mohammed himself went to her with the words: “ Well, if the mountain doesn't want to go to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain».

The meaning of this comic expression: due to circumstances, you have to obey the one from whom you yourself expected obedience.

To the question, if Magomed does not go to the mountain, then the mountain is coming to Magomed - what does this sight mean and who said it? given by the author Yezhaya the best answer is IF THE MOUNTAIN DOES NOT GO TO MAHOMET, THEN MAHOMET WILL GO TO THE MOUNTAIN
There are many explanations for the origin of this expression. It is believed, for example, that it is connected with one of the old jokes about the beloved folk hero of the East, Khoja Nasreddin.
Once Khoja, posing as a saint, boasted of the power of his faith and the ability to perform a miracle. “I only have to call a stone or a tree,” Khoja assured, “and they will come to me.” He was asked to call the oak tree growing nearby. Khoja called out to the stubborn tree three times, but it did not even move. The angry Khoja himself went to the oak tree. "Where are you going?" - those around asked, not without gloating. Khoja replied: “The saints are not proud. If the tree does not come to me, I go to it.”
Others believe that this expression goes back to the legend of an unfulfilled prophecy contained in the Koran, the “holy” book of Muslims.
Mohammed (570-632 AD) is considered the founder of the religion of Islam, the messenger of the Almighty on earth. Believers even have a formula: “There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet.” So, according to legend, Mohammed once set out to prove his power to the faithful. The Prophet ordered the mountain to approach him. The mountain remained unruly. Then Mohammed himself went to her with the words: “Well, if the mountain does not want to go to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain.”
The meaning of this comic expression: due to circumstances, you have to obey the one from whom you yourself expected obedience.
could have done more clear instructions write to user manual

Reply from Eurovision[guru]
Vice versa. If the mountain does not come to Magamed, then Magamed goes to the mountain.

Reply from Common people[newbie]
if Magomed does not go to the mountain, then the mountain goes to Magomed - it sounds more interesting.

Reply from 8F NIS FMN[active]
Mohammed will not go uphill. Mohammed will go around the mountain

Reply from strip[active]
There is no such expression in the east, it was invented by Russian people, I do not recommend saying it in the Muslim community, they will react sharply to you! In general, this expression makes no sense!

Reply from 78223 [newbie]
I won’t say who said it, and I’ll immediately apologize for the spelling. I can only agree, and not without a grin, about the above saying, but they do not answer what it means. although the saying that if you don’t obey, you obey logically and seems to make sense. but only an anecdote, if it was so then why was it told as a saying or a saying. when they, in turn, are quite applied and significant meaning than in a joke. namely, what I, in my humble opinion, think about the meaning of the above words, is that “don’t be stubborn, don’t wait for the command and favor of higher powers, you just have to do it, it doesn’t work out and I’ll do it so it will work out” but simply doesn’t matter conditions or events, I will achieve the goal even if I have to go to it myself, but I will achieve it!! and the saying is about unbending character and strength of spirit, when everything is wrong and what is planned does not grow together. when everything is against you, but despite all this you and only you yourself go and take and it’s not about not submitting and submitting, you, as a person of strong will and character, subdue, that’s what this saying is about, and if not so then I I lived 30 years in vain