Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-25
Applied to Daily Life.

II is amusing to watch the application
OF the rules of life as laid down in the
Koran and the laws OF the Shariat, the
Mussulman code of practice, which is
based upon them. The original legisla-
ton OF Mohammed was made for the
Arabs of the desert. Hence, there is quite
as much difficulty In applying IL to civil
lied communities as there would be in the
application of the mosaic code to the ad-
ministration Of the United States govern
ment at Washington or the transaction
OF mercantile business in Chicago or New
York.
The provisions OF the Koran and the
Shariat concerning trade are too limited
TO suit modern methods of doing bust
ness. For example, il is prohibited to
purchase or sell articles which are not in
existence: speculation of all kinds are
forbidden; IL is not lawful. under the let
ter, as well as the spirit of the Koran. to
accept a profit on the barter or exchange
OF articles of value or to collect interest
on loans.
These restrictions are successfully
evaded by the business men Of Box
hara and other Mohammedan cities,
just as the business men of the United
states work around the outside OF the
moral law.
Were the precepts of the Holy Scrip
lures applied to the everyday habits
and transactions of life of Christian
communities, as We expect the COM
Moslems, civilization would be impos-
sible. and. SO far as the practice OF
what we preach Is concerned, the ad
herents OF all religions are in the same
boat.
Evasion of Rules.
II Is. nevertheless. amusing to see
the ingenuity by which the pious Mus
sulman evades the rules of his religion
to accomplish what the late Thomas B.
Reed said was the just ambition of
every citizen of the state Of Maine
TO get seven per cent on his money.
and ten per cent. IL possible"
The chief money lenders and bankers
OF Turkestan are Jews. There are a few
Armenians in the business also, but they
are exceedingly unpopular because of
general impression that all Armenians
are English spies. This Is based upon
the fact that Great Britain has endeav-
ored 10 protect the Armenian people from
the persecution of the Turks. There are
some Afghan and Hindu bankers also,
and occasionally native Bakharoit goes
into ;hat business. There are more ma
tives engaged in banking and money
lending In the Russian provinces of Khiva.
Mery, Samarkand. Roland and Tashkent
than in Bokhara. however The more a
community becomes civilized the less
scrupulous are the Moslems In the OBJ
servance OF the teachings of the Koran.
Each community has its peculiar meth
DDS or evadlng the injunction against
collecting interest on money loaned and
among Musselman capitalists through
out Turkestan 4 per cent a month Is not
considered excessive. The mullahs, or
priests. do not condemn the practice but
encourage IL by teaching the principle
that lending money 10 the poor is Civ
ing TO the Lord. and that all worthy ac-
tons are entitled TO a just reward.
Designated as Paths"
The various methods OF collecting in
terest are called paths" and we hear
OF ''Bokhara paths" "Khiva paths"
'Tashkend paths" and others. The BOX
hara path Is an arrangement under
which a man who borrows money sells
the lender some article OF nominal value
q ring or watch or a whip-and agrees
TO buy IL back within three months or six
months at an advance over and above
the purchase price equivalent TO the in
terest at a given rate for the interval
The 'Tashkend path" Is for the bor-
rover TO buy OF the lender a piece OF
property and agree TO pay him certain
amount on a certain date provided he Is
allowed the use OF the funds in the
meantime.
As some good Christians often make
light OF theri own sins. so do pious Mus
selmans joke each other concerning the
evasion OF the commandments Of their