Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-02-29

the last Mohammed (may God give him sal
vation). Between these two many others
have lived; their number is known only te
God. The greatest of all is Mohammed
After him come Jesus, Moses, Abraham
Noah and Adam (may God grant them saliva
tom.
All the prophets have threatened theil
followers with the day of the last judg.
ment. So it is necessary to believe that the
dead will rise again, that they will appear
before the tribunal of God to render their
accounts, and that the elect will bs sent to
paradise. and those condemned to hell.
All the actions of every one in this world
will be examined n that day one by one;
and although all the acts of soldiers in holy
war, even their sleep, are considered az q
prayer, they also will be obliged at the
judgment day to render an account. The
only exception is for those who die as martyrs,
who will go to paradise without examina-
ton.
Also it is necessary, as an article of faith,
to attribute all good and all evil to the prov
idsnce of God. To say that the creator of
good is an angel, and the creator of evil the
demon, is one of those errors which it is
necessary to avoid, Consequently the be-
lever ought to have faith in God, in his
angels, in his books, in his prophets, in the
last judgment, and in his will as the source
of all good and evil. He who accepts these
feet believer it is Necessary to perform GER
tain duties, to pray to God and to avoid fall
ling into such sins as murder, robbery, adul-
terry, etc.
Besides the profession of faith of which
we have spoken above, a good Mussulman
ought to pray five times day, distribute
to the poor fortieth part of his goods ev
cry year, fast during the month of Rama
zan, and make once in his life pilgrimage to
Mecca.
If believer does not conform to the laws
of God and does not avoid what he forbids,
he does not become an lnfdel, but he is con-
sidered as sinner; that is, as wandering
believer, and he will merit temporary pun
ishment in the other world. He is in the
hands of God. God pardons him or con-
demns him to pass certain time in hell,
proportioHed to his guilt Faith annuls ell
sin. He who is converted to Islamism be-
comes as innocent if just born, and he is
responsible only for the sins committed after
his conversion.
A sinner who repents and in person asks
Gods forgiveness obtains pardon. Only the
rights of his neighbor are an exception to
this rule; for the servant of God who cannot
obtain justice in this world reclaims his
rights at the day of judgment, and God, who
is Just, will then compel the oppressor to
make restitution to the oppressed. Even the
martyrs are no exception to. this rule. To
avoid this responsibility the only means is to
get a quittaEce from your neighber whom you
have wronged. In all cases, however, there
is no need of the intercsssion of spiritual
director.
All this no doubt seems strange to people
accustomed to sacerdotal regime. When q
Christian child is born, to make part of So
ciety he must be baptized by priest; when
he grows up he needs priest to marry him.
if he would pray he must go to a church and
find priest to obtain forgiveness of his sins
he must confess them to priest; and he
must have priest to bury him.
In the Mussulman religion, where there is
NO clergy, such obligations have no place
The infant is born a Mussulman, and his
father, or the chief of the family, gives him a
name. When they wish to contract a mar
riage, the man and the woman or their agents
make the contract in presence of two witness
es; the contracting parties are the only ones
interested and others cannot intervene or take
part.
A Mussulman prays all alone in any place
which suits his convenience, and to merit the
remission of his sins he goesdirectly to God.
He does not confess them to others, nor ought
he to do SO. At his death the Mussulman in
habitants of the town are obliged to put him
in coffin and bury him. Any Mussulmar
can do this; the presence of religious chief il
not necessary.
In word, in all religious acts there is nc
| intermediary between God and his servants
1t is necessary to learn the will of God, re
vealed by the Prophet, and to act in confor
nity with it.
Only the accomplishment of certain reli'
gious ceremonies, such as the prayers or
Friday and at Bairam, is subordinated te
the will of the caliph of the prophet and the
sultan of Mussulmans. since the arrangement
of ceremonies for Islamism is one of the sa-
cred attributes. Obedience to his ordsr is one
of the most important religious duties. AS tc
our mission, it consists in administering, il
his name, the religious affairs which he designs
to confde to US.
One of the things to which every Mussul-
man ought to be very attentive is righteous
ness in character; vices, such as pride, pre-
sumption, egotism and obstinaey, do not be-
come Mussulmau. To revere the great and to
compassionate the insignificant are precepts
of Islamisnl.
Nay God give success and salvation TO him
who is touched by divine grace.
The Sheik>ul-Islam.
AHMED ESAAD.