The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-12-06

uncOnscl0uSly recognize their ultimate |
destiny Is an Asiatic and not European
power in the fact that the burial place Of |
G onstantinople is at Scutari on the Asiatic |
side Of the Bosphorus. The speaker then
commented at considerable length upon
the great irruptions and conquests by |
races Of the north upon those of the |
south and the prophecies in Scripture !
thought by many to point to some retribu- |
ton impending over the followers Of the
false prophet, the hereditary foes of
Christendon. He gave his views Of the
eastern question, q review of the rise and
growth and decline Of the Ottoman power,
aud dwelt upon the religious element of the
eastern question, In this connection he
said
THE CHRISTIAN AND THE MUssULMAN.
Whatever there is Of evil in Mohamme-
danism is thousandfold intensified in the
Turkish manifestation of it. 1t is Turkish
Mohammedanism which is the peril and
curse of Chrislendom to-day. IF we
would understand rightly the nature and
the influence Of Mohammedanism we must
have a right estimate of the Koran and of
the system by which the Koran is authori.
tatively, interpreted. The Koran is an
account of the alleged visions of the pro-
phet, with many precepts of a moral
character, 1t is singularly barren in an
intellectual point of view, having scarcely
anything IN it of science, imagination or
philosophy. 1t is intensely monotheistic,
and its whole creed may be summed up 10
the single affirmation: There is one God
and Mohammed is his prophet" In order
to enable the faithful rightly to under
stand the Koran there are four commenta-
ries or systems OF explanation. These are
the systems of the four orthodox Imaums,
who Immediately succeeded Mohammed.
The first of these was Molekibu- Anas, who
was born in the year 7l3. His work was
simply that of compilation of the sayings
of the prophet, illustrating the revelation
which he had given in the Koran. The
second was AbOuHaDifo, born in 500.
His system was one of logical deduction
from the sayings of Mohammed. The
third was born in 767. His system is an
eclectic one for he made use of the sys
TENS of each of his predecessors, only
Iinclining to that of Molek, The fourth
was Anmedibo- Hanbal, who was born in
78O. He systematized the vast body OF
traditions 10 regard to Mohammed aud the
Koran, and reduced them TO logical form.
Some students of Oriental life and
character have thought that there is one
feature at least of Mohammedanism which
is worthy OF admiration, and that is its
calm, unquestioning trust in the providence
of God. But a very slight examination
will serve TO show how different the feeling
of the Mussulman is from what we under
stand BY reliance upon the providence of
81 Eksla - 20 cd RI ro
spect. The fundamental principle in
| Mohammedauism is that of the absolute
Iimpossibility of knowing anything about
God independently Of the Koran and the
traditions which accompany and interpret
it. All exercise of reason in regard to
| God is at the very outset eliminated from
the system, and the Mussulman becomes
a mere machine 10 reference to the whole
subject of religion. 1t is not strange,
therefore, that the religious observauces
even of the most devout MussulmaD are
wholly external in their character and have
scarcely anything truly moral or spiritual
In them. 1t is to be remembered that the
whole system of Mohammedanism is one
of tie most sensual imaginable, and that
the sincerity of Mohammed himself is very
gravely compromised by the excessive
sensual indulgences which he claimed by
divine revelation for himself. Besides
this, it is fundamental principle in Is
lamism that all unbelievers are to be the
slaves of the faithful or exterminated by
them. The relations which Mohammed-
anism would establish between the follow
, ers of the false prophet and otherSis clear
ly indicated in this saying of the prophet
If God valued this world as the wins
of fly, He would not allow an unbelievel
t so much as drink of water from it.
{ Whatever can be logically deduced from f;
saying of the prophet is to be received as di
vine revelation. There is then 10 the Koral
verse to this effect:-"God has created
the whole earth for you" The you" re
n fers to true believers, and the Who'll
earth is therefore designed by God 70
: their use and benefit The Honi6t
2 jurists deduce the legitimacy of slavery
J. piracy and perpetual warfare with tn
: unbelieving world" 1t is a Mussulma
Il precept that no faith is to be kept an
that no treaties or obligations are to be re
l. garded as binding when made with VI
b believers. One of their maxims is ths
e the death Of prince is not so much to b
" regretted as the loss Of province. Their
:. is another maxim which was quoted a
II conclusive when the Sultan Bsjazet kille
% his brother, "Disquiet is worse than pu
d ting to death" One of the fundament;
r. principles of Mohammedanism intensife
;, in the Ottoman form of it, is the absolul
u servile subsection of women aud the sui
'e version of the family life by the institutio
Ut of polygamy.