The Faith of Islam Part 7

They did so, whilst I pa.s.sed the whole night in meditation, with my face turned toward Mecca. As the morning drew near, a little light came into my mind, but I could not distinguish form or colour. After the morning prayers, I was taken to the Sheikh who bade me inform him of my mental state. I replied that I had seen a light with my inward eye. On hearing this, the Sheikh became animated and said: 'Thy heart is dark, but the time is come when I will show myself clearly to thee.' He then ordered me to sit down in front of him, and to impress his features on my mind. Then having blindfolded me, he ordered me to concentrate all my thoughts upon him. I did so, and in an instant by the spiritual help of the Sheikh my heart opened. He asked me what I saw. I said that I saw another Tawakkul Beg and another Moolla Shah. The bandage was then removed, and I saw the Sheikh in front of me. Again they covered my face, and again I saw him with my inward eye. Astonished, I cried; 'O master! whether I look with my bodily eye, or with my spiritual {98} sight, it is always you I see.' I then saw a dazzling figure approach me. The Sheikh told me to say to the apparition, 'What is your name?' In my spirit I put the question, and the figure answered to my heart: 'I am 'Abd-ul-Qadir Jilani, I have already aided thee, thy heart is opened.' Much affected, I vowed that in honour of the saint, I would repeat the whole Quran every Friday night.

Moolla Shah then said: 'The spiritual world has been shown to thee in all its beauty.' I then rendered perfect obedience to the Sheikh. The following day I saw the Prophet, the chief Companions, and legions of saints and angels. After three months, I entered the cheerless region in which the figures appeared no more. During the whole of this time, the Sheikh continued to explain to me the mystery of the doctrine of the Unity and of the knowledge of G.o.d; but as yet he did not show me the absolute reality.

It was not until a year had pa.s.sed that I arrived at the true conception of unity. Then in words such as these I told the Sheikh of my inspiration. 'I look upon the body as only dust and water, I regard neither my heart nor my soul, alas! that in separation from Thee (G.o.d) so much of my life has pa.s.sed. Thou wert I and I knew it not.' The Sheikh was delighted, and said that the truth of the union with G.o.d was now clearly revealed to me. Then addressing those who were present, he said: 'Tawakkul Beg learnt from me the doctrine of the Unity, his inward eye has been opened, the spheres of colours and of images have been shown to him. At length, he entered the colourless region. He has now attained to the Unity, doubt and scepticism henceforth have no power over him. No one sees the Unity with the outward eye, till the inward eye gains strength and power.'"

I cannot pa.s.s from this branch of the subject without making a few remarks on Omar Khayyam, the great Astronomer-Poet of Persia. He is sometimes confounded with the Sufis, for there is much in his poetry which is similar {99} in tone to that of the Sufi writers. But his true position was that of a sceptic. He wrote little, but what he has written will live. As an astronomer he was a man of note. He died in the year 517 A.H. There are two things which may have caused his scepticism. To a man of his intelligence the hard and fast system of Islam was an intolerable burden. Then, his scientific spirit had little sympathy with mysticism, the earnest enthusiasts of which were too often followed by hollow impostors. It is true, that there was much in the spirit of some of the better Sufis that seemed to show a yearning for something higher than mere earthly good; above all, there was the recognition of a Higher Power. But with all this came spiritual pride, the world and its duties became a thing of evil, and the religious and the secular life were completely divorced, to the ruin of both. The Pantheism which soon pervaded the system left no room for man's will to act, for his conscience to guide. So the moral law become a dead letter. Irreligious men, to free themselves from the bondage and restraints of law, a.s.sumed the religious life. "Thus a movement, animated at first by a high and lofty purpose, has degenerated into a fruitful source of ill.

The stream which ought to have expanded into a fertilising river has become a vast swamp, exhaling vapours charged with disease and death."

Omar Khayyam saw through the unreality of all this. In vain does he try, by an a.s.sumed air of gaiety, to hide from others the sadness which fills his heart, as all that is bright is seen pa.s.sing away into oblivion.

One moment in annihilation's waste, One moment, of the well of life to taste-- The stars are setting and the Caravan Starts for the dawn of nothing--oh, make haste!

Ah, fill the cup:--what boots it to repeat How Time is slipping underneath our feet: Unborn To-morrow, and dead Yesterday, Why fret about them if To-day be sweet.

{100}

Omar held to the earthly and the material. For him there was no spiritual world. Chance seemed to rule all the affairs of men. A pitiless destiny shaped out the course of each human being.

"'Tis all a chequer-board of nights and days Where destiny with men for pieces plays: Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays, And one by one back in the closet lays.

The moving finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a line, Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it."

Neither from earth nor heaven could he find any answer to his cry. With sages and saints he discussed, and heard, "great argument, but evermore came out by the same door as in he went." He left the wise to talk, for one thing alone was certain, and all else was lies,--"the flower that once has blown for ever dies." Leaving men he turned to nature, but it was all the same.

"Up from earth's centre through the seventh gate I rose, and on the throne of Saturn sate, And many knots unravell'd by the road; But not the knot of human death and fate.

And that inverted bowl we call the sky, Where under crawling coop'd we live and die, Lift not thy hands to it for help--for it Rolls impotently on as thou or I."

Omar has with justice been compared to Lucretius. Both were materialists, both believed not in a future life. "Lucretius built a system for himself in his poem ... it has a professed practical aim--to explain the world's self-acting machine to the polytheist, and to disabuse him of all spiritual ideas." Omar builds up no system, he only shows forth his own doubts and difficulties, "he loves to balance ant.i.theses of belief, and settle himself in the equipoise of the sceptic." {101}

The fact that there is no hereafter gives Lucretius no pain, but Omar who, if only his reason could let him, would believe, records his utter despair in words of pa.s.sionate bitterness. He is not glad that there is no help anywhere.[89] And though he calls for the wine-cup, and listens to the voice within the tavern cry,

"Awake, my little ones, and fill the cup Before Life's liquor in its cup be dry,"

yet he also looks back to the time, when he consorted with those who professed to know, and could say:

"With them the seed of wisdom did I sow, And with my own hand laboured it to grow."

The founder of the Wahhabi sect was Muhammad-ibn-Abd-ul-Wahhab, who was born at a village in Nejd in the year 1691 A.D. The Wahhabis speak of themselves as Muwahhid--Unitarians; but their opponents have given to them the name of the father of the founder of their sect and call them Wahhabis.

Muhammad was a bright intelligent youth, of a strong const.i.tution and generous spirit. After going through a course of Arabic literature he studied jurisprudence under a teacher of the Hanifi school. He then set out in company with his father to perform the Hajj. At Madina he received further instruction in the Law. He spent sometime at Ispahan in the society of learned men. Full of {102} knowledge, he returned to his native village of Ayina where he a.s.sumed the position of a religious teacher. He was shocked to see how the Arabs had departed from what seemed to him the strict unchanging precepts of the Prophet. Luxury in the form of rich dresses and silken garments, superst.i.tion in the use of omens, auguries, and the like, in the pilgrimages to shrines and tombs seemed to be altering the character of the religion as given by the Apostle of G.o.d. He saw, or thought he saw, that in the veneration paid to saints and holy men, the great doctrine of the "Unity" was being obscured. The reason was very plain. The Quran and the Traditions of the Companions had been neglected, whilst the sayings of men of lesser note, and the jurisprudence of the four great Imams had been too readily followed. Here was work to do. He would reform the Church of Islam, and restore men to their allegiance to the Book and the Sunnat, as recorded by the Companions. It is true, that the Sunnis would rise up in opposition, for thus the authority of the four Imams, the "Canonical Legists" of the orthodox sect, would be set aside; but what of that? Had he not been a follower of Abu Hanifa? Now he was prepared to let Aba Hanifa go, for none but a Companion of the Prophet could give an authoritative statement with regard to the Sunnat--the Prophet's words and acts. He must break a lance with the glorious Imam, and start a school of his own.

He said: "The Muslim pilgrims adore the tomb of the Prophet, and the sepulchre of 'Ali, and of other saints who have died in the odour of sanct.i.ty. They run there to pay the tribute of their fervent prayers. By this means they think that they can satisfy their spiritual and temporal needs, From what do they seek this benefit? From walls made of mud and stones, from corpses deposited in tombs. If you speak to them they will reply, 'We do not call these monuments G.o.d; we turn to them in prayer, and we pray the saints to intercede for us on high.' Now, the true {103} way of salvation is to prostrate one's self before Him who is ever present, and to venerate Him--the one without a.s.sociate or equal." Such outspoken language raised up opposition, and he had to seek the protection of Muhammad-Ibn-Saud, a chief of some importance, who now vigorously supported the Wahhabi movement. He was a stern and uncompromising man. "As soon as you seize a place," he said to his soldiers, "put the males to the sword.

Plunder and pillage at your pleasure, but spare the women and do not strike a blow at their modesty." On the day of battle he used to give each soldier a paper, a safe conduct to the other world. This letter was addressed to the Treasurer of Paradise. It was enclosed in a bag which the warrior suspended to his neck. The soldiers were persuaded that the souls of those who died in battle would go straight to heaven, without being examined by the angels Munkar and Nakir in the grave. The widows and orphans of all who fell were supported by the survivors. Nothing could resist men who, fired with a burning zeal for what they deemed the truth, received a share of the booty, if conquerors; who went direct to Paradise if they were slain. In course of time, Muhammad-Ibn-Saud married the daughter of Ibn-Abd-ul-Wahhab and founded the Wahhabi dynasty which to this day rules at Ryadh.[90]

Such was the origin of this great movement, which spread, in course of time, over Central and Eastern Arabia, and in the beginning of this century found acceptance in India. In the year 1803 A.D. both Mecca and Madina fell into the hands of the Wahhabis. A clean sweep was made of all things, the use of which was opposed to Wahhabi principles. Not only rosaries and charms, but silk robes and pipes were consigned to the flames, for smoking is a {104} deadly sin. On this point there is a good story told by Palgrave--"'Abd-ul-Karim said: 'The first of the great sins is the giving divine honours to a creature.' Of course I replied, 'The enormity of such a sin is beyond all doubt. But if this be the first, there must be a second; what is it?' 'Drinking the shameful!' (in English idiom, 'smoking tobacco') was the unhesitating answer. 'And murder, and adultery, and false witness?'

I suggested. 'G.o.d is merciful and forgiving,' rejoined my friend; that is, these are merely little sins."[91]

After holding possession of the holy cities for nine years they were driven out by the Turkish forces. 'Abdullah, the fourth Wahhabi ruler, was captured by Ibrahim Pasha, and afterwards executed in the square of St.

Sophia (1818 A.D.) The political power of the Wahhabis has since been confined to parts of Arabia; but their religious opinions have widely spread.

The leader of the Wahhabi movement in India was Sayyid Ahmad, a reformed freebooter. He was now born at Rai Bareili, in Oudh, 1786 A.D. When about thirty years of age he gave up his wild way of living and settled down in Delhi as a student of the Law of Islam. After a while, he went on pilgrimage to Mecca, but his opinions, so similar to those of the noted Wahhabi, attracted the attention of the orthodox theologians, through whose influence he was expelled from the sacred city. Persecution deepened his religious convictions, and he returned to India a p.r.o.nounced Wahhabi. He soon gained a large number of disciples, and in 1826 A.D. he preached a Jihad against the Sikhs. This war was not a success. In the year 1831 the Wahhabis were suddenly attacked by the Sikhs, under Sher Singh, and Sayyid Ahmad was slain. This did not, however, prevent the spread of Wahhabi principles, for he had the good fortune to leave behind him an enthusiastic disciple. This man, {105} Muhammad Isma'il, was born near Delhi in the year 1781 A.D. He was a youth of good abilities and soon mastered the subjects which form the curriculum of a liberal education amongst Musalmans. His first preaching was in a Mosque at Delhi on Tauhid (Unity), and against s.h.i.+rk (Polytheism). He now met with Sayyid Ahmad who soon acquired great influence over his new disciple. Isma'il told him one evening that he could not offer up his prayers with Huzur-i-Kalb, presence of heart. The Sayyid took him to his room where he instructed him to repeat the first of the prayers after him, and then to conclude them alone. He did so, and was able to so abstract himself in the contemplation of G.o.d that he remained engaged in prayer till the morning. Henceforward he was a devoted adherent of his spiritual teacher. In the public discussions, which now often took place, none were a match for Isma'il. This fervent preacher of Wahhabiism is now chiefly remembered by his great work, the Takwiat-ul-Iman, the book from which the account of Wahhabi doctrine given in this chapter is taken. If I make no special reference to the quotations given, it will be known that my authority for the statements thus made is Muhammad Isma'il, the most famous of all Sayyid Ahmad's disciples. This book was followed by the Sirat-ul-Mustaqim, said to have been written by one of Isma'il's followers.

Wahhabi doctrines are now spread throughout India. In the South there is not much religious excitement or inquiry, yet Wahhabis are to be found there.[92] It was and is a remarkable movement. In one sense it is a struggle against the traditionalism of later ages, but in no sense can it be said that the Wahhabis reject Tradition. They acknowledge as the foundation of the faith--first, the Quran; secondly, the Traditions which are recorded on the authority of the Companions, and also the Ijma' of the Companions, that is, all things on which they were unanimous in opinion {106} or in practice. Thus to the Wahhabi as to the Sunni, Muhammad is in all his _acts_ and _words_ a perfect guide.

So far from Wahhabiism being a move onward because it is a return to first principles, it rather binds the fetters of Islam more tightly. It does not originate anything new, it offers no relaxation from a system which looks upon the Quran and the Traditions as a perfect and complete law, social and political, moral and religious.

The Wahhabi places the doctrine of the "Tauhid," or Unity, in a very prominent position. It is true that all Musalman sects put this dogma in the first rank, but Wahhabis set their faces against practices common to the other sects, because they consider that they obscure this fundamental doctrine. It is this which brings them into collision with other Musalmans.

The greatest of all sins is s.h.i.+rk (_i.e._ the ascribing of plurality to the Deity). A Mushrik (Polytheist) is one who so offends. All Musalmans consider Christians to be Polytheists, and all Wahhabis consider all other Musalmans also to be Polytheists, because they look to the Prophet for intercession, pray to saints, visit shrines, and do other unlawful acts.

The Takwiat-ul-Iman says that "two things are necessary in religion--to know G.o.d as G.o.d, and the Prophet as the Prophet." The two fundamental bases of the faith are the "Doctrine of the Tauhid (Unity) and obedience to the Sunnat." The two great errors to be avoided are s.h.i.+rk (Polytheism) and Bida't (Innovation). As Bida't is looked upon as evil, it is somewhat difficult to see what hope of progress can be placed upon this latest phase of Muhammadan revival.

s.h.i.+rk is defined to be of four kinds: s.h.i.+rk-ul-'Ilm, ascribing knowledge to others than G.o.d; s.h.i.+rk-ut-tasarruf, ascribing power to others than G.o.d; s.h.i.+rk-ul-'Ibadat, offering wors.h.i.+p to created things; s.h.i.+rk-ul-'adat, the performance of ceremonies which imply reliance on others than G.o.d. {107}

The first, s.h.i.+rk-ul-'Ilm, is ill.u.s.trated by the statement that prophets and holy men have no knowledge of secret things unless as revealed to them by G.o.d. Thus some wicked persons made a charge against 'ayesha. The Prophet was troubled in mind, but knew not the truth of the matter till G.o.d made it known to him. To ascribe, then, power to soothsayers, astrologers, and saints is Polytheism. "All who pretend to have a knowledge of hidden things, such as fortune-tellers, soothsayers and interpreters of dreams, as well as those who profess to be inspired are all liars." Again, "should any one take the name of any saint, or invoke his aid in the time of need, instead of calling on G.o.d, or use his name in attacking an enemy, or read pa.s.sages to propitiate him, or make him the object of contemplation--it is s.h.i.+rk-ul-'Ilm."

The second kind, s.h.i.+rk-ut-tasarruf, is to suppose that any one has power with G.o.d. He who looks up to any one as an intercessor with G.o.d commits s.h.i.+rk. Thus: "But they who take others beside Him as lords, saying, 'We only serve them that they may bring us near G.o.d,'--G.o.d will judge between them (and the Faithful) concerning that wherein they are at variance."

(Sura x.x.xix. 4.) Intercession may be of three kinds. For example, a criminal is placed before the King. The Vizier intercedes. The King, having regard to the rank of the Vizier, pardons the offender. This is called Shafa'at-i-Wajahat, or 'intercession from regard.' But to suppose that G.o.d so esteems the rank of any one as to pardon a sinner merely on account of it is s.h.i.+rk. Again, the Queen or the Princes intercede for the criminal.

The King, from love to them, pardons him. This is called Shafa'at-i-muhabbat, or 'intercession from affection.' But to consider that G.o.d so loves any one as to pardon a criminal on his account is to give that loved one power, and this is s.h.i.+rk, for such power is not possible in the Court of G.o.d. "G.o.d may out of His bounty confer on His favourite servants the epithets of Habib--favourite, or Khalil--friend, {108} &c.; but a servant is but a servant, no one can put his foot outside the limits of servitude, or rise beyond the rank of a servant." Again, the King may himself wish to pardon the offender, but he fears lest the majesty of the law should be lowered. The Vizier perceives the King's wish, and intercedes. This intercession is lawful. It is called Shafa'at-i-ba-izn--intercession by permission, and such power Muhammad will have at the day of Judgment. Wahhabis hold that he has not that power now, though all other Musalmans consider that he has, and in consequence (in Wahhabi opinion) commit the sin of s.h.i.+rk-ut-tasarruf. The Wahhabis quote the following pa.s.sages in support of their view. "Who is he that can intercede with Him but by _His own permission_." (Sura ii. 256) "Say: Intercession is wholly with G.o.d! His the kingdoms of the heavens and of the earth." (Sura x.x.xix. 46). They also say: "whenever an allusion is made in the Quran, or the Traditions to the intercession of certain prophets or apostles, it is this kind of intercession and no other that is meant."

The third s.h.i.+rk is prostration before any created beings with the idea of wors.h.i.+pping it. It also includes perambulating the shrines of departed saints. Thus: "Prostration, bowing down, standing with folded arms, spending money in the name of an individual, fasting out of respect to his memory, proceeding to a distant shrine in a pilgrim's garb and calling out the name of the saint whilst so going is s.h.i.+rk-ul-'Ibadat." It is wrong "to cover the grave with a sheet (ghilaf), to say prayers at the shrine, to kiss any particular stone, to rub the mouth and breast against the walls of the shrine, &c." This is a stern condemnation of the very common practice of visiting the tombs of saints and of some of the special practices of the pilgrimage to Mecca. All such practices as are here condemned are called Ishrak fi'l 'Ibadat--'a.s.sociation in wors.h.i.+p.'

The fourth s.h.i.+rk is the keeping up of superst.i.tious customs, such as the Istikhara--seeking guidance from beads {109} &c., trusting to omens, good or bad, believing in lucky and unlucky days, adopting such names as 'Abd-un-Nabi (slave of the Prophet), and so on. In fact, the denouncing of such practices and calling them s.h.i.+rk brings Wahhabiism into daily contact with the other sects, for scarcely any people in the world are such profound believers in the virtue of charms and the power of astrologers as Musalmans. The difference between the first and fourth s.h.i.+rk, the s.h.i.+rk-ul-'Ilm and the s.h.i.+rk-ul-'adat, seems to be that the first is the _belief_, say in the knowledge of a soothsayer, and the second the _habit_ of consulting him.

To swear by the name of the Prophet, of 'Ali, of the Imams, or of Pirs (Leaders) is to give them the honour due to G.o.d alone. It is Ishrak fi'l adab--'s.h.i.+rk in a.s.sociation.'

Another common belief which Wahhabis oppose is that Musalmans can perform the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), say prayers, read the Quran, abide in meditation, give alms, and do other good works, the reward of which shall be credited to a person already dead.[93] Amongst other Musalmans it is a common practice to read the Quran in the belief that, if done with such an intention, the reward will pa.s.s to the deceased object of the desire.

Wahabis entirely object to this.

The above technical exposition of Wahhabi tenets shows how much stress they lay on a rigid adherence to the doctrine of the "Unity." "La-il-laha, Il-lal-la-hu" (there is no G.o.d but G.o.d) is an eternal truth. Yet to the Musalman G.o.d is a Being afar off. In rejecting the Fatherhood of G.o.d he has accepted as the object of his wors.h.i.+p, hardly of his affections, a Being despotic in all He does, arbitrary in all His ways. He has accepted the position of a slave instead of that of a son. Wahhabiism emphasizes the ideas which flow from the first article of the Muslim creed. But {110} on this subject we prefer to let Palgrave speak. He of all men knew the Wahhabi best, and he, at least, can be accused of no sectarian bias. The extract is rather long, but will repay perusal; indeed, the whole pa.s.sage from which this extract is taken should be read.

"'There is no G.o.d but G.o.d,' are words simply tantamount in English to the negation of any deity save one alone; and thus much they certainly mean in Arabic, but they imply much more also. Their full sense is, not only to deny absolutely and unreservedly all plurality whether of nature or of person in the Supreme Being, not only to establish the unity of the Unbegetting and the Unbegot, in all its simple and incommunicable oneness, but besides this, the words, in Arabic and among Arabs, imply that this one Supreme Being is the only Agent, the only Force, the only Act existing throughout the universe, and leave to all beings else, matter or spirit, instinct or intelligence, physical or moral, nothing but pure unconditional pa.s.siveness, alike in movement or in quiescence, in action or in capacity. Hence in this one sentence is summed up a system which, for want of a better name, I may be permitted to call the 'Pantheism of Force.' 'G.o.d is One in the totality of omnipotent and omnipresent action, which acknowledges no rule, standard, or limit, save one sole and absolute will. He communicates nothing to His creatures, for their seeming power and act ever remain His alone, and in return He receives nothing from them.' 'It is His singular satisfaction to let created beings continually feel that they are nothing else than His slaves, that they may the better acknowledge His superiority.' 'He Himself, sterile in His inaccessible height, neither loving nor enjoying aught save His own and self-measured decree, without son, companion, or councillor, is no less barren for Himself than for His creatures, and His own barrenness and lone egoism in Himself is the cause and rule of His indifferent and unregarding despotism around.'[94]

Palgrave allows that such a notion of the Deity is monstrous, but maintains that it is the "truest mirror of the mind and scope of the writer of the Book" (Quran), and that, as such, it is confirmed by authentic Tradition and learned commentaries. At all events, Palgrave possessed {111} the two essential qualifications for a critic of Islam--a knowledge of the literature, and intercourse with the people. So far as my experience goes I have never seen any reason to differ from Palgrave's statement. Men are often better than their creeds. Even the Prophet was not always consistent.

There are some redeeming points in Islam. But the root idea of the whole is as described above, and from it no system can be deduced which will grow in grace and beauty as age after age rolls by.

The Arab proverb states that "The wors.h.i.+pper models himself on what he wors.h.i.+ps."[95] Thus a return to "first principles," sometimes proclaimed as the hope of Turkey, is but the "putting back the hour-hand of Islam" to the place where indeed Muhammad always meant it to stay, for

"Islam is in its essence stationary, and was framed thus to remain.

Sterile, like its G.o.d, lifeless like its first Principle and supreme Original in all that const.i.tutes true life--for life is love, partic.i.p.ation, and progress, and of these the Quranic Deity has none--it justly repudiates all change, all advance, all development."[96]

Muhammad Ibn 'Abd-ul Wahhab was a man of great intellectual power and vigour. He could pierce through the mists of a thousand years, and see with an eagle eye how one sect and another had laid accretions on the Faith. He had the rare gift of intuition, and could see that change (Bida't) and progress were alien to the truth. This recognition of his ability is due to him; but what a sad prostration of great gifts it was to seek to arrest, by the wors.h.i.+p of the letter, all hope of progress, and to make "the starting-point of Islam its goal." That he was a good Musalman in so doing no one can doubt, but that his work gives any hope of the rise of an enlightened form of Islam no one who really has studied Islam can believe.

Wahhabiism simply amounts to this, that while it denounces all other Musalmans as polytheists, it enforces the {112} Sunnat of the Prophet with all its energy.[97] It breaks down shrines, but insists on the necessity of a pilgrimage to a black stone at Mecca. It forbids the use of a rosary, but attaches great merit to counting the ninety-nine names of G.o.d on the fingers. It would make life unsocial. The study of the Fine Arts with the exception of Architecture can find no place in it. Isma'il quotes with approval the following Tradition. "'ayesha said: 'I purchased a carpet on which were some figures. The Prophet stood in the doorway and looked displeased.' I said: 'O messenger of G.o.d, I repent to G.o.d and His Messenger; what fault have I committed that you do not enter?' His Highness then said: 'What is this carpet?' I replied; 'I have bought it for you to sit and rest upon.' Then the messenger of G.o.d replied: 'Verily, the maker of pictures will be punished on the day of resurrection, when G.o.d will desire them to bring them to life. A house which contains pictures is not visited by the angels.'" In a Tradition quoted by Ibn 'Abbas, the Prophet cla.s.ses artists with murderers and parricides. Wahhabiism approves of all this, and thus by forbidding harmless enjoyments it would make society "an organised hypocrisy." It would spread abroad a spirit of contempt for all mankind except its own followers, and, where it had the power, it would force its convictions on others at the point of the sword.

Wahhabiism was reform after a fas.h.i.+on, in one direction; in the history of Islam there have been attempts at reform in other directions; there will yet be such attempts, but so long as the Quran and the Sunnat (or, in the case of the s.h.i.+a'h, its equivalent) are to form, as they have hitherto {113} done for every sect, the sole law to regulate all conditions and states of life, enlightened and continued progress is impossible. The deadening influence of Islam is the greatest obstacle the Church of G.o.d has to overcome in her onward march; its immobility is the bane of many lands; connection with it is the a.s.sociation of the living with the dead; to speak of it, as some do, as if it were a sort of sister religion to Christianity, is but to show deplorable ignorance where ignorance is inexcusable. Thus it is plain that Musalmans are not all of one heart and soul.[98] In the next chapter I hope to show that Islam is a very dogmatic and complex system in spite of the simple form of its creed.

{114}

NOTE TO CHAPTER III.

WAHHaBiISM.