The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-15
eat. The readiness with which these

| Arabs and Soudanese so into battle
and their apparent indifference to
death may be attributed in great
measure to their religion, which teaches
that those who die fighting for the faith OF
Mohammed shall go straight to Paradise.
| Thus believing, the fanatical Moslem has
| no fear OF death, but may rather be inclined
| to seek it, as the loss of his life on the bat
| tle-feld saves him the necessity of the trial
before the examiners. M0nker and Nakir,
| which those who die in the ordinary way
must undergo. Ii man is conscious OF
having offended any of the precepts laid
down in the Koran he will naturally dread
the examination and its possible conse-
quences, and hence he will be
more than willing to perish in bat
tie. 1t is quite possible that Mohammed
inserted this provision in the Koran IN
order to induce men to fight and die for the
faith; his idea has been copied in modern
times, when convicted men sometimes have
the option of serving their sentences i'll
prison or enlsting in the army. Toward
the end of the American Civil War many a
man saved himself from prison by enlisting;
a goodly number of these recruits took the
first opportunity to desert, aud did the State
no service in any capacity, while others
performed their duty, AMI II not killed be-
fore the end of the war were able TO retire
honorably and become respectable citizens.
Principles of EIohammed's Religion.
There is a general impression that the
Moslems consider Christ an imDostOr and
Christianity fraudulent religion. Such IS
not the case The Moslems, or at least the
intelligent ones among them, revere the
name OF Christ as the predecessor Of Mo
manned, but they deny that he was the
son of God. Their claim is that many
prophets and apostles have been sent on
earth since the creation; OF these prophets
and apostles six were Specially commits
stoned to proclaim new laws and dispensa-
tions which set aside the preceding ones.
These apostles were Adam, Noah, Abraham,
Moses, Christ and Mohammed, the last
being greater than all the rest and the gtyer
of the final diSpenSation to mankind. They
put Christ on exactly the same plane as Mo
manned as the apostle OF God, and not MS
son, and they deny, as already stated, that
Christ held that relation to the Divine Head
of the universe. Some of the books OF the
Old Testament are accepted by the MoSlems,
though in a mutilated condition; many OF
MOhammed's religious ideas were borrowed
from the Jewish legends, Others from Hindoo
mythology and others again from the Per-
SLAMS and other Oriental people. Some OF the
prohibitions that he made in the Koran are
to be commended in the highest degree. The
MOslemS have always been noted for their
temperance in comparison With other people;
this comes from the decree of the Koran,
which fOrbidS the drinking of wine or any
other intoxcant, though many Moslems in
dulge iii secret, and some openly, in cOnse-
quence of the example which Is shown them
by their European acquaintanceS. The
Koran forbds games of chance, such as
cards, dice and wagerS upon uncertainties,
and to such an extent that gamblers trsti-
mOny is rejected in a court OF law. Chess
and games of skill that do not interfere
with religious obSeryances, and on which
no WagerS have been made. are permitted. In
short. a man is forbidden to make any
profit by chance or dishonest practices, eX-
cept in buying and selling, in which, rather
singuiaFly, any sort OF deception IS Justih-
able.
Experience with Moslem Shop-Keeper.
can best illustrate this last point by a
bit Of my personal experience. One day l
went to the baZaars of Cairo with friend,
who wanted to buy an oke about two
pouuds) Of cigarette tobacco. We found q
shop where the keeper spoke little French,
and stated our wants. First it was necessary
to beat down the price, which required Cur
siderable talk and several movements on our
part to 90 elsewhere. On the counter was
pair of balance scales, similar to those we
see in American drug-St0reS, where weights
on one side balance the merchandise on the
other. While we were talking the fellow
managed to hide his one-oke weight, ami
when we came to weigh ont the tobacco he
put the 1a-olle weight in the scale and tw0
a full oke, which was not trne We check
mated him in this by balancing the 1a-oke
nails with small weights, and then putting
the whole together on one side; then he
placed a sheet of cardboard on the side
where the tobacco was TO go, so that it
wouldn't injure the BRASS" MS he said. We
checkmated this by tearing the cardboard in
two pieces and putting one on each side Of
the scale, and then told him to pile on
the tobacco. His final attempt TO cheat
was by taking the tobacco from jar
other than the one we had selected.
Ii was dripping wet, fairly and thoroughly
saturated, and quite unit for making
cigarette. OF course We corrected this trick,
in spite Of his declarations that 1t was the
tobacco we had chosen the negotiation tOOH
half an hour ut least, but we had so much
fun in the transaction that we did not be-
grudge the time. The dealer did not seem
in the least Disconnected by his many fail
ures to cheat customer, and when we LETT
he asked US to call again. He was simply
doing what his religion permitted; 1t Is per-
fectly proper for the MoSlem to cheat the in
idel, or deceive him in any way in his
power. and it is for the infide to look out
for his own interest and prevent cheating
and deception.
More Survivors of Waterloo.
Three or four weeks ago l had para
graph in these talks" relative to the death
of survivor of the battle of Waterloo.
Since then another death of Waterloo
veteran, George Thomas Keppcl, Earl OF
Albemarle, is announced. He was born
IN 1892 and was, therefore, well along in
years" when he died. Another survivor
General Whicheote, is mentioned as being
in his nlnety-seventh year, and his death
may be looked for at any moment. There
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