The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-05
ISLAM
By Augustus F. Knudsen.

ready 10 accomplish some good re
suits. Prejudice is merely a lie. II
hold to a prejudice is TO hold to false
hood. and the man who does that, i
rendered unfit TO do or say or writ
ANYTHING of benefit to his fellow man
Should religion be guided by the mar
row and prejudiced men? Judgmen
based on inaccurate, hasty Observation
or incomplete data is much greater
sin. for it is stronger. 1t can feae
astray, can lead to hopelessly false
| conclusions. Lured by the false ligh1
of martial truth, the student follow
ing after has his judgment warped a
little at time, and, unconscious that
he is SO doing, he, too, draws the same
false conclusions as the original OBJ
server. Thus a train Of dangerous
because false. teaching gets started;
ordinary readers follow blindly on.
And it takes a long time TO get the
currents of misunderstanding checked
and turned into right channels.
us see to it in the present days of
scientific accuracy that we really ex-
pIore the whole ground. In the fields
of philosophy and religion this is es-
pecially necessary, for the darkness of
the middle ages still hangs about the
inner light in the ordinary mans mind,
and to get the first evidence into the
court of public opinion is still the most
difficult of tasks.
But already the love of truth and
fact is ousting the love for authority,
and the bold responsibility of intelli-
gence driving intellectual slavery out
of the national mind.
A man can boldly utter the truth
regarding natures laws, which are
Gods laws, without being put to death
by authority, clothed in the garb OF
spiritual wisdom.
Slowly spiritual wisdom is being
clothed in the garb of authority. 1t
will not be long before the popular de-
mand for fact and truth will drive
ecclesiastical conventionality into the
night of time as a dream of Human
ity's childhood. The origin of re-
ligion may well enough be based on
supernaturalism. The very theory de-
mands it. But reason, cold and con-
must have its place in analyz-
ing and studying the original revela-
ton. No man can see God and live.
True enough. The Prophet is en-
tranced, he is dead to the world, he is
as to his physical senses.
The phenomena have yet to be closely
studied; it would. seem that he does
not even breathe. He returns to con-
never having been uncon-
scious except as to the physical. He
prophesies, and it is the place of in
tellect to compare his experiences on
planes and compare
with the experiences and teachings of
other prophets in other lands.
Christianity, Hinduism and Islam
Ill claim supernatural origin. an ORR
gin based on transcending the physical
and experiencing the
heaven world up to the throne of God, |
he Logos himself.
Before turning to study Islam, we
must recall the fact that the Christian |
books are all Oriental. The parallels |
md symbols are all taken from the
people of Asia Minor and exist there
oday. Mohammedan!sm uses the
same symbolism and metaphor as
Christianity
Arabia, at the time of Mohammed's
birth, was in a very low state of CIV
lization. Though the best of the nu-
nerous clans were of Aryan descent,
he people were STEPPED in idolatry and
made human sacrifice and practised
Feud and hatred divided
nan and man. Into this paganism was
,orn Mohammed His own father
would have been sacrificed on the altar
1ut for the interference of priest.
Orphaned at an early age, he is raised
W relatives, He becomes a trader.
lie earns distinction as being faith
III, frugal, pure, trustworthy-a most
unusual reputation for the times.
He married Khadija and enjoyed
wenty-six years of ideal and beauti-
vi married life.
During his early life he did much to
ivilize his fellow clansmen. Later he
etires often to the desert and medi-
ates on religion. He doubts his call
o preach, but his faithful wife en-
ourages him and he breaches God and
pure life
Followers grow up around him. His
trength excites enmity. He must fly
or his life to Medina. His followers
re prosecuted, murdered, tortured.
He builds a state; polity, laws. iu-
iciary, science and religion are built
p, or, rather, given out. He makes
lear the distinction between his work
s ruler and as prophet.
To his death he lived frugal1y and ,
imply, and never had man such faith
I'll followers. He died at 81, ruler over
ute an empire. His conception of
eligion was broad. He defines the IN
del as the evii-doer. Does not iden-
ify Islam with his followers. Made
rule that no Mohammedan should |
ght unless attacked.
The heart of his message was mono
heism, God the Supreme Logos. and ;
aught a belief in all prophets, as all
ONE from God, accepted Abraham.
loses, Jesus, ETC., no matter in what
ountry the prophet had appeared, as !
qual. The prophets own definition of
slam is: Surrender TO the will of
iod''
He taught men of the heavenly
osts. The servants of God and their {
uIers, the four great areangIes- /
Ifkail (MichaeD protecting: Gabriel
Messenger (teacher) to man: Azrael.
he angle of change-death. TSro fl +bo ,