Notes on Islam Part 10

For the protection of the good, for the destruction of evil-doers, for the sake of firmly establis.h.i.+ng righteousness, _I am born_ from age to age."

The words _italicised_ suggest the Hindu doctrine of Incarnation and Metempsychosis. Orthodox Muslims do not believe in any such doctrine ([Arabic: hulool wa it-ti-had]) but would subst.i.tute for the italics the words: _I send a messenger or reformer._ See, _e.g._, Quran, xvi. 36.

[36] To students of Islam and its history I cannot recommend better and more useful books than the Rt. Hon.

Dr. Syed Ameer Ali's _Spirit of Islam_ and _History of the Saracens_. New and revised editions have been recently published. They present the various aspects of Islam in their proper perspective. They are cla.s.sics for English readers.

[37] "Grant the existence of G.o.d and it is impossible to deny that Muhammad was His Messenger. A man does not change the belief of half the world by chance." So wrote a Christian friend of mine.

[38] Muslim = resigned or submissive, therefore, peaceful.

[39] I mean "goodness and greatness" as a _human being_, for Muhammad never said or did anything to show that he was not a human being. The Qur'an commanded him, "Say I am a man like yourself." [Arabic: qul ?ana baarun mi?luk.u.m] He therefore insisted that men should attach greater importance to the nature of the message than to the character of the messenger himself. "I am," said he "no more than a man: when I order you anything with respect to religion, receive it, and when I order you about the affairs of the world then I am nothing more than a man."

[40] "Ahmad" is another name of Muhammad. I have nothing to say to those mystics, who, by a reasoning peculiar to their doctrines, identify the Messenger (Prophet) with the Master (G.o.d).

[41] Nor indeed is Jesus answerable for the Inquisition and _autos-da-fe_.

[42] "These are parables which we have set forth for men--Q. xxix. 43.

[43] [Arabic: yow-mud-din] = the day of the Faith = the time of Dissolution predicted by Islam as well as by Science. Sir Syed Ahmad fully explains the meaning of [Arabic: qiya mat-e-kubra] = Universal Destruction and of [Arabic: qiya mat-e-sughra] = individual destruction, (_i.e._, death) from the viewpoint of modern Science.

[44] As regards miracles, the beliefs that are held do not matter so much as the spirit in which they are held. If the spirit is right and leads to virtuous conduct in life, any reasonable belief will quite do. Here comes in the Pragmatism of Islam. It does not object to anything which has a _practical value_ unless it is unreasonable, immoral, or inconsistent with the Islamic ideas of the unity of G.o.d and the brotherhood of man.

[45] "We will soon show them our sign in all horizons (= regions) and in their own souls, until it shall become quite clear to them that it is the Truth--Qur'an xli 53.

[Arabic: sa-nurihim ?ayatina fi l-?afaqi wa-fi ?anfusihim ?atta yatabayyana lahum ?annahu l-?aqqu]

[46] G.o.d's is the East and the West, therefore whichever side you turn, you will see the face (= presence) of G.o.d--Qur'an i. 115.

[Arabic: wa-li-llahi l-mariqu wa-l-magribu fa-?aynama tuwallu fa-?amma waghu llahi]

[47] And He is within you (= in your mind), why don't you see Him?--Qur'an li. 21. [Arabic: wa-fi ?anfusik.u.m ?a-fa-la tub?iruna]

[48] Islam must not be confounded with what is called "Muhammadanism" which is but an ossified form of Islam, clothed in Mediaeval beliefs and disfigured by pagan practices. See Mr. J.C. Molony's admirable report of the Census of the Madras Presidency for 1911, where, quoting from the poet Hali's famous _Musaddas_, he describes how far Muhammadanism in Southern India has been influenced by Hinduism. Read also Hali's excellent pamphlet called [Arabic: al-dinu sarih] "the Simplest Religion" which describes how Islam has been "ossified," _i.e._, rendered rigid and unprogressive.

[49] I know of no religion which does not say, "Do good and avoid evil" and I consider it no religion which does not say, "Live well and happily."

[50] Ghalib:

[Urdu: * Hum ko ma'loom hai jannat ki haqiqat laikin * dil kay khoosh rakhnay ko ghalib ye khiyal achcha.]

[51] See p. 24 above.

[52] It supplies the best motive for overcoming the perversity of human nature to which St. Paul directs our attention in these beautiful words: "The good that I would, I do not: and the evil which I would not, I do."--Rom. vii. 19.

[53] Read Draper's "Conflict between Science and Religion"

which is a historical account of how some scientific ideas had to contend with religious prejudices--a book which, by the way, disproves the charge that Caliph Omar destroyed the great Library at Alexandria.

[54] G.o.d reveals Himself to everybody at every instant of his life. It depends entirely on the spirituality or spiritual capacity of each individual to what extent he knows G.o.d and G.o.d's ways. The "spiritual capacity" is partly inherited from one's ancestors and partly acquired by faith and devotion, as well as by right conduct and good works.

[55] [Persian: Neest bar lohe delam joz alefe ghamat yar * che konam harf degar yaad nadad ostadam] The _Alif_ of the Loved One's form is engraven on my heart, No other letter did my Shaikh ever to me impart--_Hafiz_.

[56] See Note 2.

[57] I have neither time nor s.p.a.ce to explain the full significance of the Qur'anic verses I have quoted here.

[58] Some would call this Reality, G.o.d; but others would say that G.o.d is greater and higher than the Reality which manifests itself in different forms. He is above all that any man can think of or imagine. [Arabic: Au bar taraz khiyal wa qiyas guman wo waham.]

[59] Vol. ii. 748. You have to read the book itself to understand this. I cannot explain it in a short note.

[60] I have neither time nor s.p.a.ce to explain the full significance of the Qur'anic phrases I have mentioned here.

[61] "In the world there is nothing so great as man. In man there is nothing so great as mind"--_Sir William Hamilton_.

"In the mind of man there is nothing so great as the idea of G.o.d"--_Islam_.

[62] This is quite different from the Christian doctrine of Atonement.

[63] It was the spirit of co-operation which Islam engendered among wild and unruly Arabs, that enabled them to put aside their tribal feuds, to unite and conquer more than half the known world in the first century of the Hijri era (= the 7th century of the Christian era). It was the lack of that spirit in the next two centuries that dismembered the Muslim Empire.

[64] I say "_the_ Islam of our ancestors", because the Islam of _some_ of our contemporaries, called Muhammadanism, is not quite the same.

Read Prof. Gregory's _Discovery or the Spirit and Service of Science_.

[65] "Sufis" are those Muslims who claim with Mowlana Rumi

[Persian: maazey quraan ra badashtaim istekhwan beish sagaan andakhtum]

"We have taken the marrow out of the Qur'an and thrown the bones to dogs," meaning by "dogs" those who quarrel over words ([Arabic: mutakallimin]) of the sacred texts.

[66] "Man" says Carlyle, "is a symbol of Eternity imprisoned into Time."

[67] This proviso defines also the Liberty of Subjects in a State. Every man should be free to do whatever he wishes provided that he does not thereby prevent others from enjoying the _like_ liberty of action. It is the basis of all good Laws which should provide _equal opportunities_ to all subjects without distinction.

[68] Muhammadans generally misunderstand and misapply the doctrine of "Qismat" or Fate. The Prophet distinctly taught that we should first of all do whatever lies in our power and then leave the rest to G.o.d. We are apt to forget the first part of his precept and cling to its second part only which accords with our tropical laziness. See footnote (7) on page 12.

[69] [Arabic: ?alika d-dinu l-qayyim] = It (Islam) is the standard religion.--Q. xii. 41.

[70] Islam rejects some "previous revelations" not because they are untrue but because their records that have come down to us are not quite genuine and trustworthy.

[71] The heading of all chapters except one of the Qur'an.

[72] "Mankind comes to Me along many roads; and on whatever road a man approaches Me on that road do I welcome him, for all roads are Mine."--_Bhagawat Gita_.

[al turuk ila-allah bihasbi anf] See p. 24.

[73] See Note 2 (concluding part) which mentions three common factors in all religious systems of the world.

"The city of the Hindu G.o.d is Benares and the city of the Muslim G.o.d is Mecca. But search your hearts and there you will find the G.o.d both of Hindus and Muslims. If the Creator dwells in tabernacles only, whose dwelling is the Universe?"--_Kabir_.

[74] Some Muslims believe that Zoraster, Krishna, Buddha, and Confucius were also prophets or messengers of G.o.d but that they were no more than good and great men. They do not attribute any divinity to them.