The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-10-11
The Koran.

Perhaps the chief distinctive mark
TO be noted in comparing the Moslem's
Koran with the Christians Holy Bible
is that the Koran is believed to have nc
human element at all. Nor is it ever
held to be a record of what Mohammed
said or did; for that is recorded in the
traditions The Koran was 8 wholly
objective, not subjective revelation. 1t
was revealed to one. man only. 1t did
not paas through mary mems minds
during successive generations for nearly
1900 years like the Christian revelation.
The continuous subjectivity of our sacred
scriptures, protracted through SO long a
period, and the fact of our acknowledge
ing human element in them, causes
the Musselman to place them in the
same category with his Sunnah or ira
dition. According to his view even our
Gospels are not direct revelation. but
only record of Christ's words and ae-
tons compiled by his followers and
handed down to others. Though admit
ted to be inspired, the inspiration is OF
a very different kind from that of the
Koran. 1t is an imparting of ideas, not
of words. The very wc-ds of the Koran,
on the other hand, and indeed the whole
complete book, not a mere portion of it,
descended from God in a fixed and un-
alterable form on one particular night,
called ssthe night of power,n though
happily for Mohammed's purposes its
descent was arrested at the lowest of the
seven heavens. There it remained treas
ured up, or, so to speak, stored away in
reserve, portion after portion being de-
livered as successive declarations of doc
trine, law, or state policy became
needed. Then an audible voice commu-
nicated each word in low tone to Mo-
hamraed, or, as some say, whispered
every sentence into his ear. This ac-
counts for the constant repetition of the
word sssay'' before each revelation. A
very important factor in the success of
this wonderful book. which, notwith-
standing its unequal merit, utter want OF
system. and the adulteration of its sub
lime ideas by frequent admixture OF
puerile and false teaching, is still revered
as a direct emanation from God by
about 150, 900, 900 of human beings, was
without doubt this disiointed and frag-
mentary delivery. 1t was never in fact
either written or composed like any
other book. 1t grew like patchwork, <,
little by little, piece after piece, patch
added to patch. Even the koran's
warmest admirers must admit that IT
has often the appearance of being clum.
| silly botched. The Koran's own account
| of itself is that it descended in a success
| sion of parcels. Some of these parcels
| were delivered at Mecca, some at Me
dina, during period of twenty-three
| years, the angel Gabriel being the sup
| posed medium of delivery. About ninety
/ of the ia chapters, or more than two
| thirds of the whole, are thought to have
been the proportion assignable to thu
Mecca period; and of thesf the earlier
portions, delivered at time when Mo
manned really believed himself to b!
stirred bysdivine impulses, though spok
en- in plain prose, are full of poetic
fire. They are the utterances OF an en-
thusiast wrought up by an intense con
sciouspess of the truth of his prophets
message, and often rise to great sublim
ity..-Nineteenth Century.