St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-12-08
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 even
held to be record of what NIohammed
said or did; for that is recorded in the
traditions. The Koran was wholly
objective, not subjective revelation. 1t
was revealed to one man only. 1t did
not pass through many mems minds
during successive generations for nearly
1000 years like the Christian revelation.
The continuous subiectiyity of our sacred
scriptures, protracted through so long
period, and the fact of our acknowledg-
ing human element in them, causes
the Musselman to place them in the
same category with his Sunnah or tra-
dition. According to his view even our
Gospels are not a direct revelation, but
only record of Christ's words and ac-
tions 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. It is an imparting Of ideas, not
of words. The very words OF the Koran,
on the other hand, and indeed the whole
complete book, not mere portion of it,
descended from God in fixed and un-
alterable form on one particular night,
called "the night of power" 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 awayin
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 a low tone to Mo-
hammed, 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--nequal merit, utter want of
system, and the adulteration of its SUBJ
lime ideas by a frequent admixture of
puerile and false teaching, is still revered
as a direct emanation from God by
about 15O, 200, 900 of human beings, was
without doubt this disjointed and frag-
mentary delivery. It 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 a 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 the
Mecca period; and of these the earlier
portions, delivered at time when Mo-
manned really believed himself to be
stirred by divine 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-
sciousness of the truth of his prophetic
message, and often rise to great sublim-
ity.-Nineteeasth Century.