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The meaning and origin of the expression: If the mountain will not come to Muhammad

If the mountain will not come to Muhammad...

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What's the meaning of the phrase 'If the mountain will not come to Muhammad'?

The proverbial phrase 'If the mountain will not come to Muhammad...' means that , if one's will does not prevail, one must submit to an alternative.

What's the origin of the phrase 'If the mountain will not come to Muhammad'?

If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain.The full phrase 'If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain' arises from the story of Muhammad, as retold by Francis Bacon, in Essays, 1625:

Mahomet cald the Hill to come to him. And when the Hill stood still, he was neuer a whit abashed, but said; If the Hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet wil go to the hil.

Present uses of the phrase usually use the word 'mountain' rather than 'hill' and this version appeared soon after Bacon's Essays, in a work by John Owen, 1643:

If the mountaine will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will goe to the mountaine.

The early citations use various forms of the spelling of the name of the founder of the Islamic religion - Muhammad, Mahomet, Mohammed, Muhammed etc.

See also: the last words of Sir Francis Bacon.

Gary Martin - the author of the phrases.org.uk website.

By Gary Martin

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

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