The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-13

4
their history 10 Dress and That neatly. squald
firm s replaced by a scruDulous cleanliness; hos
pitaty becomes religious duty; drunkenness,
instead OF the rule, becomes a comparatively rare
exception. Though polygamy Is allowed by the
Koran, 1t Is not common in practice, and, beyond
the limits laid down by the Prophet incontinence
is rare; chastity is looked upon as one OF the
highest, and becomes, IN fact OF the com
moner virtues. IL is ideness henceorward that
cegrades, and industry that elevates instead OF
the reverse. religious system which carries
such beneficial influences lnto lands cursed with
british superstltions mas undoubtedly special
claims upon the attention of the Christian world.
III toward the middle OF the eighteetn century
Mohammed was universally regarded by Chris
tians as q rank impostor ana false prophet. In
the view OF many Protestant Biblical commenta-
tors he still divides with the Pope he credit OF
being the subject OF special prophecy IN the books
oil Daniel ana the Revelation. He IS Antichrist,
the Man of Sin the Little Horn, &C. Dante placed
him In his ninth circle, In the ''Inierno.n among
the sewers OF religious discord Luther doubted
whether ne was not worse than the Pope;
Meancthon believed him to be either Cog or
Magog, ana probably both. France and England
may divide the credit OF having been the first 10
take a different view or the character OF the great
Arabian. Gibbon, who was not an Arabic scholar
himself drew from Sale's translation OF the Koran,
auu from tue Introductory ulsCOurse Vi lnht
lator the materials for his splendid sketch OF MO-
manned, that masterpiece OF phiiosophic biogra-
ply. But most OF the Englsh-speaKng
public, who do not condemn the Arabian prophet
unneard, have hitherto derived what favorable
notions they may have or him from Carlyle's
magnificent essay on 'eThe Hero as Propnetr and
from Washington Irvng's 'Lie OF Mahomet.n
The lectures OF Mr.. Bosworth Smith render, from
a comprehensive and independent point OF view,
full justice to what was great in the prophets
character and to what has been good in his innu-
ence on the world. The author has made calm
and philosophical study OF the history the work
and the character OF Mohammed and OF the religion
which ne founded. Many OF the authors conclu-
sions win be seriously questioned especially where
he expresses the belief that Islam Will never
give way to Christianity In the East, and that the
faith promulgated by Molammel, Ii 1t can never be-
come actually one with Christianity, may vet, by
process of mutual approximation and mutual un-
Outstanding, prove It's best ally. Wo may surely
recognize the beneficial influences OF Islam, and
what was good and great in the character OF It's
founder, ithout going SO far AS this. On the
other hand, nothing could be more absurd than
Sir william Mulr's theory OF The 'satanlc' inspi-
ration OF the Koran In contrast with the Divine
inspiration OF the Bible.
The religion taught by Mohammed was, In its
essence, not original. The prophet himself called
IL a revival OF the old one, return TO the PRINT
tive creed OF Abraham; aud there is reason to
believe that both tho great religions OF the East
ern world existing In his time-Sabaanlsm and
Magiansm-had been in their origin at least,
vaguely monotheistic. They had passed through
the stages or spirituality, misunderstana-
ing, decline, and lastly, intentional cor
ruption, till the God whom Abraham,
according 20 the well known Mussulman legend,
had been the FIRST TO worship, because, while no
had made the stars and sun to rise and set ne
never rose or set himself-had Withdrawn behind
them altogether; the heavenly bodies, rom being
Symbols had become the thing symbolized; tenn.
pies were erected In their honor and idols Hlled
the temples. AS with SabGanism, so with Magan-
ism. Ormuzd and Ahriman were longer the
principles brought into existence. or existing by
the permission OF the one true God, who, as
Zoroaster had taught, would tolerate neither tenn
pies nor affairs nor symbols, aud would be wor-
shipped only on The hin topS with the eye OF faith,
qulckened though 1t might be by the glory OF the
rising or setting presented to the bodily eye.
Fire had itself become the divinity, and what oner
ing could be more acceptable to such god than
the human victim, overwhelmed by the mysterious
name, whose divine power he denied.
Combined with these two religions was the
grossest Fetlchsm, the worshIp OF actual stocks
and stones, OF the grim array Of 800 IDOLS In toe
Kaaba, among which the aerolite-once believed
10 have been OF dazzling Wilderness, but long
since Dlackeued by the Kisses OF sinful me u-was
the most ancient and the most sacred. Judaism
and Christianity were also known in Arabia,
though neither OF these religions struck deep
root in the Arabian soil. Either they were not
suited to the people the people were not
suited to them. 'Tney nved on says Mr. smith,
''in Sunerance only. till faith which 10 the Arabs
should DO the more living one should sweep them
away.n
The social conditions nndef which Mohammed
had to WORK were not less peculiar than the re
lIglons. From time immemoral sAra5Ia nau been
split up into a number OF indepe ndent tribes,
alwa, . at war with one another. The scanty sus-
tenance which an arid soil yielded they were
fam 10 exc out by trading themselves, or
by piunderlug others who conducted caravans
along the sea coast OF the Hedjaz to exchange
the spices ana precious stones OF India or OF
Hacramsut or OF Yemen with the manufactures OF
Bora and Damascus. Their hand was against
every man and every mans hand was against
them; and a prophecy is hardly needed to OK
PLAIN the fact that an impenetrable country was
never penetrated by foreign conquerors. Nor were
they as uncivillzed as has often been supposed.
They were as passionateiy fond OF poetry as they
were OF war and piunder. What the Olympic
Games did for Greece In keeping up the national
feeling rs distinct rom trioal independence. in
giving BRIEF cessation IRON hosulities and acting
as a literary centre, the annual fairs at 0katz and
Mujanna were to Arabia. Here tribes made up
their discussions, exchanged prisoners OF war,
and, most important OF all, competed with one
another in extempore poetic contests Even in
the times OF ignorance each tribe produced It's
own pOetlaureate, and the most ready ana the
best saw mis- poem transcribed in letters OF gold
or suspended on the waI OF the entrance OF the
Kaaba, where IL would be seen by every pilgrim
who might visit the most sacred place in the coun
try"
There was a wind chivalry In the people a con-
tempt OF danger aud sensibilty OF honor, which
lend charm TO all we hear or their loves ana
their wars their greed and their hospitality. their
raplne and their revenge, The Bedoun has been
the same in these respects in all ages. "Be good