Part 10 (1/2)

For the protection of the good, for the destruction of evil-doers, for the sake of firmly establis.h.i.+ng righteousness, _I am born_ from age to age.”

The words _italicised_ suggest the Hindu doctrine of Incarnation and Metempsychosis. Orthodox Muslims do not believe in any such doctrine ([Arabic: hulool wa it-ti-had]) but would subst.i.tute for the italics the words: _I send a messenger or reformer._ See, _e.g._, Quran, xvi. 36.

[36] To students of Islam and its history I cannot recommend better and more useful books than the Rt. Hon.

Dr. Syed Ameer Ali's _Spirit of Islam_ and _History of the Saracens_. New and revised editions have been recently published. They present the various aspects of Islam in their proper perspective. They are cla.s.sics for English readers.

[37] ”Grant the existence of G.o.d and it is impossible to deny that Muhammad was His Messenger. A man does not change the belief of half the world by chance.” So wrote a Christian friend of mine.

[38] Muslim = resigned or submissive, therefore, peaceful.

[39] I mean ”goodness and greatness” as a _human being_, for Muhammad never said or did anything to show that he was not a human being. The Qur'an commanded him, ”Say I am a man like yourself.” [Arabic: qul ?ana baarun mi?luk.u.m] He therefore insisted that men should attach greater importance to the nature of the message than to the character of the messenger himself. ”I am,” said he ”no more than a man: when I order you anything with respect to religion, receive it, and when I order you about the affairs of the world then I am nothing more than a man.”

[40] ”Ahmad” is another name of Muhammad. I have nothing to say to those mystics, who, by a reasoning peculiar to their doctrines, identify the Messenger (Prophet) with the Master (G.o.d).

[41] Nor indeed is Jesus answerable for the Inquisition and _autos-da-fe_.

[42] ”These are parables which we have set forth for men--Q. xxix. 43.

[43] [Arabic: yow-mud-din] = the day of the Faith = the time of Dissolution predicted by Islam as well as by Science. Sir Syed Ahmad fully explains the meaning of [Arabic: qiya mat-e-kubra] = Universal Destruction and of [Arabic: qiya mat-e-sughra] = individual destruction, (_i.e._, death) from the viewpoint of modern Science.

[44] As regards miracles, the beliefs that are held do not matter so much as the spirit in which they are held. If the spirit is right and leads to virtuous conduct in life, any reasonable belief will quite do. Here comes in the Pragmatism of Islam. It does not object to anything which has a _practical value_ unless it is unreasonable, immoral, or inconsistent with the Islamic ideas of the unity of G.o.d and the brotherhood of man.

[45] ”We will soon show them our sign in all horizons (= regions) and in their own souls, until it shall become quite clear to them that it is the Truth--Qur'an xli 53.

[Arabic: sa-nurihim ?ayatina fi l-?afaqi wa-fi ?anfusihim ?atta yatabayyana lahum ?annahu l-?aqqu]

[46] G.o.d's is the East and the West, therefore whichever side you turn, you will see the face (= presence) of G.o.d--Qur'an i. 115.

[Arabic: wa-li-llahi l-mariqu wa-l-magribu fa-?aynama tuwallu fa-?amma waghu llahi]

[47] And He is within you (= in your mind), why don't you see Him?--Qur'an li. 21. [Arabic: wa-fi ?anfusik.u.m ?a-fa-la tub?iruna]

[48] Islam must not be confounded with what is called ”Muhammadanism” which is but an ossified form of Islam, clothed in Mediaeval beliefs and disfigured by pagan practices. See Mr. J.C. Molony's admirable report of the Census of the Madras Presidency for 1911, where, quoting from the poet Hali's famous _Musaddas_, he describes how far Muhammadanism in Southern India has been influenced by Hinduism. Read also Hali's excellent pamphlet called [Arabic: al-dinu sarih] ”the Simplest Religion” which describes how Islam has been ”ossified,” _i.e._, rendered rigid and unprogressive.

[49] I know of no religion which does not say, ”Do good and avoid evil” and I consider it no religion which does not say, ”Live well and happily.”

[50] Ghalib:

[Urdu: * Hum ko ma'loom hai jannat ki haqiqat laikin * dil kay khoosh rakhnay ko ghalib ye khiyal achcha.]

[51] See p. 24 above.

[52] It supplies the best motive for overcoming the perversity of human nature to which St. Paul directs our attention in these beautiful words: ”The good that I would, I do not: and the evil which I would not, I do.”--Rom. vii. 19.

[53] Read Draper's ”Conflict between Science and Religion”

which is a historical account of how some scientific ideas had to contend with religious prejudices--a book which, by the way, disproves the charge that Caliph Omar destroyed the great Library at Alexandria.

[54] G.o.d reveals Himself to everybody at every instant of his life. It depends entirely on the spirituality or spiritual capacity of each individual to what extent he knows G.o.d and G.o.d's ways. The ”spiritual capacity” is partly inherited from one's ancestors and partly acquired by faith and devotion, as well as by right conduct and good works.

[55] [Persian: Neest bar lohe delam joz alefe ghamat yar * che konam harf degar yaad nadad ostadam] The _Alif_ of the Loved One's form is engraven on my heart, No other letter did my Shaikh ever to me impart--_Hafiz_.