The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-05

les 10 point out the importance Of soquir-
ing some correct and definite notions on
the subject, lnasgnueh as Islam Ia one Of
the three antagonistfc and militant civili-
cations Of the world. the other two being,
OF course, those OF Christendom and China
Only when these three systems shall have
been brought TO . mutual understanding
can the cause OF civilization be looked upon
as secure To promote In some degree
the comprehension Of Islam among
American and English students Is the pur-
pose OF this book. Although, for the sake
Of convenience, the jurisprudence, the
theology and the constitutional theory OF
Islam are hero separately treated, the
author reminds IN that In Islam the three
things cannot be distinguished as they
may In an exposition OF Christian civiliza-
ton. in Europe. the State may rule the
Church. or the Church may rule the State,
or they may stand side by side In some
what dubious suiity, ostensibly taking no
account each OF the other. In Moslem
countries. on the other hand. Church and
State are indissolubly one, and. until the
very essence OF, Islam IL extinguished,
that unity cannot be relaxed. Neither Is
there the sharp distinction between civil
and canon law which exists In Christian
countries. In Islam the law Of the land
Ia In theory the Law also OF the Church.
In the earlier days at least, canon and civil
law were one and the same. Thus 1t can
not be said OF Mohammedans. that one
is a great lawyer. another a great theolo-
gian. and third a great statesman. On
the contrary, one man not only may be
all there. but almost necessarily he must
be all three II he IL to be any one Of them.
The Mohammcdan statesman may not
practise theology or law, but his training
In great part will have been that OF theolo-
gian and a legist. The theologian-legist
for his part, may not be a man OF action,
but no will be a court OF ultimate appeal
on the theory of the State. He will pass
upon treaties: decide disputed SUGGESTIONS;
assign to each Moslem his due rank and
title; nay. he win tell the Commander Of
the Faithful himself what he may do and
what by law lies beyond his reach.
For those sections Of the work before
US which deal with Moslem jurisprudence
and with Moslem theology we must refer
the reader to the book itself, merely noting
that the treatment OF these subjects does
not profess to be exhaustive. Important
phases OF Moslem law and theology are
passed over. For example. Babism. which
Is again beginning to challenge attention
in Persia. is not touched at all. while very
little space 10 devoted to Shi'ite theology
and law, although the history OF the Shi'a
sect oomprehends the story Of the Fatim-
ide dynasty In Egypt and that Of the
present Government Of Persia. Only q
passing reference Is made to the Ibadite
systems, which date back to the year 90
OF the Hejira. and are dominant at
the present day in Oman and In Zanzi-
bar. There arc but cursory illusions
also to Turkish and Persian mysticism.
to the dervish fraternities and to Moslem
missionary enterprise. although this within
recent times has been remarkably active
In central Africa. Guidance to authorities
on these topics, however, will be found in
the extensive photography which is in
cluded in this volume.
We shall here confine ourselves TO what
Mr.. Mcdonald has to tell us about the
constitutional development Of Islam, and,
especially, about that latest phase OF it's
constitutional history which, 30 far as the
Sunnite or orthodox Moslems are con-
oerned. may be said to have begun when
the last Abbassid Caliph, dying In 1888. Is
alleged by the Ottoman Turks to have
made over his rights to their Sultan. 1t
Is certain that. since then, the Ottoman
Sultan OF Constantinople has claimed to
,, be the Caliph, or successor Of Mohammed.
and the spiritual head OF the Moelen
world
In the first fifty pages Of this book the
fates OF the earlier Commanders Of the
Faithful are summarily traced through
their long and devious course. full Of con-
fusions and complications. Our author
thinks that the whole story may be summed
up in few sentences. provided We overlook
the record OF the Shi' lite. or Legitimst. party.
which holds the Caliphate to be hereditary
in the family of Ali, the cousin and son-in-
! law OF the Prophet The theoretical posi-
ton OF the Sunnites has always been that
the Imam, or leader. must be elected by the
Moslem community. and that position has
never in theory been abandoned. Each
new Ottoman sovereign is solemnly elected
Caliph by the Ulema, or Canon lawyers
and divines OF Constantinople. His tenn
, poral sovereignty comes by blood. but.
in bestowing the spiritual sovereignty.
the Ulema act as representatives of the
people Of Mohammed. PROFESSIONALLY.
/, the theoretical position has been subjected
to much modification in practice. The
Moslem community was first resolved into
the people Of the capital: then into the body
guard Of the dead Caliph. and. finally. as
we see 1t to-day, into the peculiar custo-
dams of the faith. Mr.. Mcdonald points
, out that. among the Ibadites. the position
from the first seems TO have been that only
those learned In the law should act as
electors. Along with this view developed
the doctrine that IL was the duty OF the
people to recognize an accomplished fact,
and to do homage to successful usurper
until he should be overthrow. They had
learned that 1t was better to have q bad
, ruler than no ruler ut all. Such has been
the practical outcome OF the polity. origi-
nally democratic. OF Islam.
Turning to the constitutional question
,, as II exists for Mohammedans at the present
day, our author does not fail to recognize
that, from temporal point Of view, the
greatest OF the Sultans Of Islam Is the En-
peror Of India. Under his rule are many
more Moslems than under any other. Tho
theory Of the Moslem State, however, never
contemplated the possibility Of Moslems
living under the rule Of an unbeliever,
I