The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-09-29
The Faith of the Msslem.
TILE KoRAN,s TEACHINGS.


Adam, then TO Noah, Abraham,
in perfect form, to MOhammed. The
Koran is considered the literal word
of God, gwen through his prophet,
Mohammed. The formula of the
unity of God is expressed as follows:
There is no God but one, and Mo-
manned is the apostle of God"
Idolatry is forbidden. The care of
orphans is ordered. Almsgiving is
commanded Feed the hungry,
visit the sick, and free the captive if
confined unjustly." The virtue of
humility is taught by many texts, as
"look not scOrnfully upon thy fellow
menu" "those who are disdainful and
proud God will punish with griev-
Gus punishment" Prayer is con-
sidered a duty of prime impor-
lance, and the preparation for it
is particularly prescribed: go true
believers, when you prepare your
selves to pray wash your faces and
Your hands unto the elbows and rub
your heads and your feet unto the
ankles" The times of day when
PRAYERS shall be made are specified
and these through all the world of
Isiamism are devoutly observed.
Whether it be i'll the midst of the
desert, i'll the bazaar, i'll the street
of the city, on shipbOard, or Oh the
deck of a steamer, when that hour
arrives the faithful, regardless OF
their surroundings, PROSTATE them
selves with their face dOwnwards
Mecca and mutter the petitions hal
lowed by their divine origin and
the use ola thousand years. Where
there is mosque the muezzin APP
pears Oh his tower and prOclaims the
| hour Of devotion. In the solitary
| desert the devotee needs no remin-
der but his own fervid imagination.
The Christian golden rule is given
in different form as indicating the
| duties OF men to one another.
| PROMISES TO THE FAITHFUL.
The Hebrew religion had its ma
terial heaven, with streets paved
with gold, gates of precious stones,
and streets flowing with milk and
honey. The MOhammedan heaven
exceis it in its tangible images, and
is less pure Ill its references TO the
black-eyed hours, who are to be-
guile the lords of paradise through
eternity. 1t is not true that Moham'
med denies the Immortality of wo.
men, but he makes them minister
simply to the pleasures of men, and
assigns them to place apart in para
disc. Ii was but natural that ORR
entail ideas of comfort and luxury
should be suggested by the spare.
ness of the desert, aud that after the
discomforts of this life the Aral
should look forward TO another, il
which should be everything he lack
ed in this-water, trees, flowers
shadows, hues of refreshing green
milk, honey. comfortable couches
wines, silks, precious stones, and
above all, case, idleness, and thu
ministration of beautiful slaves. Tht
following is from the chapter of thu
Koran, entitled "Man."
"Wherefore, God shall deliver
them (the JUST from the evil of tina
dav, and shall cast on them bright
ness of cOuntenance and Joy an(
shall reward them for their patien
persevering with garden and sill
garments therein shall they reposC
themselves on couches. They shall
see therein neither sun nor moon
; and the shades thereof shall be nea
above them, and the fruits thereo
shall hang so low as TO be easil!
gathered; and their attendants shall
! 90 round about among them will
vessels of silver and goblets. Th'
bottles shall be bottles of silver
shining like glass. They shall de
termine the measure thereof by thei
wish: and therein shall they b,
given to drink n cup of WINE, mixe(
with the water of Zeniebil, foun
tain in paradise named Salsabil
And youths, which shall continu,
forever in their bloom, shall g,
round to attend them. When thoI
seest them thou shalt think them t.
be scattered pearls, and when thOl
lookest there shalt thou behold de
lights and great kingdom. Upol
them shall be garments of fin
! green silk and of brocades, and the,
shall be adorned with bracelets o
silver. and their Lord shall Civ
them to drink of Il most pure liquid
f and shall say unto them: Verify
this is your reward, and your ell
= deavor is gratefully accepted
THE LAST JUDGMENT AND FINAI
AWARDS.
In the succeeding extracts tn
> resurrection, the rewards of tn
. good aud the punishment of tn
bad are distinctly treated. tn
: pleasures of paradise are reiterate'
with great profusion of imagery
: The first selection is from the chap
4 ter entitled "The Troops" tn
: second from that entitled 9Th
s Inevitable:"
I "The trumpet shall be sounded
= and whoever are i'll heaven, an
$ whoever are on earth, shall expire
! except those whom God shall please
: Afterward it shall be sounded again
t and, behold, they shall arise an
, | look up, and the earth shall shin
J by the light of its Lord; and tn
book shall be left open and tn
e prophets and the martyrs shall b
e brought as witnesses, and jndgmen
: shall be given between them wit
= truth, and they shall not be treate
: unjustly. And every soul shall b
=. fully rewarded according to tina
: which it shall have wrought, 70
5 lie perfectly knoweth whateve
a they do. And the unbelievers shal
e be driven into hell by troops, unit
r when they shall arrive at the sam
. the gates thereof shall be opened
c and the keepers thereof shall sa
D unto them: "Did not the apostle
I from among you come unto YOU
Q who rehearsed with you the signs c
D.. the Lord and warned you of tn
meeting of this day ~ They shal
answer Yea p but the sentence c
. eternal punishment hath been justl
\ pronounced on the unbelievers. i
, shall be said unto them: "Ente
S we the gates. of hell, to dwell there
e in forever" and miserable shall b
\ the abode of the proudl But Ihos
$ who shall have feared the Lord sha
!. be conducted by troops toward pars
r disc until they shall arrive at tn
f same, and the gates thereof shall b
ready set open, and the guard
n thereof shall say unto them: Peac
: be on you! We have been gooC
: Wherefore enter into paradise to re
\ main therein forever" And the
! shall answer: "Pralse be unit
r God, who hath performed Hi
: promise unto us, and hath made u
= to inherit the earth, that we ma
A dwell in paradise wherever W
. please"
c The late vote of Bexar county, q