_Some Observations on the Mohammedan Religion._
I shall not attempt to give a philosophical dissertation on the
tenets of the religion of Mohammed, a subject that has been often
ably discussed by various authors; but a few desultory observations
may, perhaps, be not improper in this place.
Many writers have endeavoured to vilify the Mohammedan religion, by
exposing the dark side of it, and their representations have been
transmitted to posterity by enthusiasts who, probably, have been
anxious to acquire ecclesiastical fame; but we shall, on a minute
examination of the doctrines contained in the Koran, find that it
approaches nearer to the Christian religion, in its moral precepts,
than any other with which we are acquainted. Indeed, were there as
many absurdities in this religion as some persons have attributed to
it, it is probable that it would not have extended itself over so
great a portion of the habitable globe; for we find it embraced,
with little exception, from the shores of West Barbary, to the
most eastern part of Bengal, an extent of upwards of 8000 miles;
and from the Mediterranean to Zanguebar and Mosambique, with the
exception of some nations of Pagans; neither is there any language
spoken and understood by so great a proportion of the population of
the world as that in which it is promulgated.
Koran, chap. vii.—“Forgive easily: command nothing but what is
just: dispute not with the ignorant”
Koran, chap. xi.—“O earth, swallow up thy waters: O heaven,
withhold thy rain; immediately the waters subsided, the ark rested on
Mount Al Judi, and these words were heard: Wo to the wicked nation!”
Chap. xiii.—“They who do good for evil shall obtain paradise
for their reward.”
From these extracts we see that the Mohammedans have some of the same
moral precepts laid down for their guidance which are inculcated
by the Gospel of Christ. They believe in the flood; they teach
forgiveness of injuries, justice, and rendering good for evil. The
nations which followed paganism were taught by Mohammed the unity
of God. He exhorted them to believe with the heart, that there is
only one God, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, and that
he is spiritual. That the angels are subtle, pure bodies, formed of
light; neither eating, drinking, or sleeping; not of different sexes;
having no carnal desires, nor degrees of relationship, and are of
various forms.
Mohammed maintained that Jesus Christ was a prophet, and that those
who believed it not were infidels. He says, the sacred books are 104,
of which the Almighty gave
To Adam 10
To Seth 50
To Idris, or Enoch 30
To Abraham 10
To Moses 1, which is the Law
To David 1
To Jesus 1, which is the Gospel
To Mohammed 1, the Koran;
and he asserts, that whoever rejects, or calls in question the divine
inspiration of any of the foregoing books, is an infidel. He says
also, that he who can lay his hand on his heart and say, “I fear
not the resurrection, nor am I in any concern about hell, and care
not for heaven,” is an incorrigible infidel.
Religion and the State are considered as twins, inseparable; if one
die, the other cannot survive.
The most refined and intelligent Mohammedans are not of opinion,
that God is the author of all good and evil; but maintain that every
man who follows the direct or good way, has the protecting eye of
God upon him, and that God is with him; but that, if he withdraw his
influence from any one, then evil or misfortune ensues; not actively
from God, but passively from the withdrawing of that protecting
influence; that this is an act of the Almighty, which cannot be easily
comprehended by our weak reason: and that it is not willed by him with
approbation, but necessarily. The Mohammedan thinks himself unworthy
to prostrate himself before God, until he be clean and undefiled:
this opinion makes ablutions so necessary; of which there are three
kinds: the first is El gasul (the g pronounced guttural), which is
an immersion of the whole body, and is performed by the affluent,
or those in easy circumstances; the second is El woden, which is a
washing of the hands, fingers, and arms, up to the elbows, the feet,
face, and head, the sexual parts, the mouth and nostrils, the toes,
separately and singly; and this should be repeated three times:
the third mode of purification is practised only in the Desert,
where the difference is the substitution of sand for water, as the
latter can seldom be procured there.
Charity is considered a cardinal virtue, and an indispensible duty:
those, however, who possess not five camels, or thirty sheep, and
200 pieces of silver, are not considered as obligated to give alms;
for it is held, that the alms-giver should not injure himself. It is
expected that a person of good property ought to give a muzuna[161]
in a mitkal, which is equivalent to 6_d._ in the pound, to the poor,
out of his annual profits, which being calculated at the end of the
sacred month of Ramadan, the people have ten days to prepare their
donations, when the feast of L’ashora commences, and the poor
go about to the inhabitants to collect their respective donations,
which they call (mtâa Allah) _God’s property_.[162]
During the fast of the moon, or month of Ramadan (which, from their
years being lunar, happens at various periods of the year), they
are very rigorous; it is necessary that the fast should be begun
with an intention in the heart to please God: during this month
they do not eat, nor even smell food, drink, smoke, nor communicate
with women, from the rising to the setting sun; but at night they
eat plentifully. Even those who indulge in wine at other times,
refrain from it in the sacred month of Ramadan.
Mohammed declared that the Jews, Christians, and Pagans, cannot be
saved, so long as they remain in infidelity and idolatry: of which
last, the Mohammedans accuse the Roman Catholics, who worship a
cross, or an image, carved by the hands of man: as to the English,
they seem not to have determined what denomination to give them; they
are commonly called infidels, who never pray; this opinion having
obtained among them because Protestants have no public chapels in
the Mohammedan towns in Africa, which the Catholics have, as already
mentioned. They have it on record, that the sultan of the English
(Richard Cœur de Lion) received from the Sultan Solhaden or Saladine,
or from Mohammed himself, the letter admitting him and his followers
as Mohammedans: but that the English king being engaged in various
negociations whilst in Palestine, he did not give so much attention
to the letter as was expected, and that after returning to England,
he still doubted whether he should embrace the Mohammedan doctrine,
or remain a Christian!
It is highly probable, in that age of fanaticism, when the holy
wars were undertaken, that the Sultan Saladine, apprehensive for the
cause of Mohammedanism, did make overtures to Richard; for it was the
custom in the days of Mohammed, and afterwards in the days of those
enthusiasts, to invite all powerful princes to embrace their religion.
The 2nd, 5th, and 9th chapters of the Koran declare a believer to be
one who embraces the Mohammedan faith (i.e. a belief in the divine
inspiration of the Prophets, of Jesus, and of Mohammed); this and
Islaemism are synonymous terms.
Koran, chap. v.—“If Jews and Christians believe, they shall be
admitted into paradise.”
1. Believe, implies a belief in one God, and of the day of judgment,
the two grand pillars of Islaemism.
2. Believe in Islaemism; this admits of various interpretations:
Islaem is performing obedience and prostration before God! in another
interpretation it implies Mohammedanism, or a belief in the divine
mission of Mohammed.
The generality of religions, which have made any progress in the
world, make it indispensable to believe in its own tenets: Mohammed,
although he naturally gives the preference to the religion of his
own forming, yet he has the liberality to acknowledge, that those who
have professed other religions may be saved, after suffering a degree
of chastisement or damage in the life to come, as it is termed by him.
“Whoever shall have professed any religion except Islaemism,
his belief shall not be acceptable to God, and he shall receive
damage in the life to come, or be not so well received, as if he
had professed Islaemism, or the law of peace and obedience.”
Although the Prophet reprobated the Jews as well as the Christians,
whom he accused of perverting the Scriptures, yet he took care
to keep up the latitudinarian principle of his own law, called
Dêne-el-Wasah (the extended doctrine) by believing the divine
inspiration of both the Old and New Testament, thus giving an
opportunity to the expounders of the law, to regulate themselves
according to circumstances.
The Mohammedans, when disputing with Christians, which they rarely
do, say, that Christians believe faith will save the soul: they
also believe so; and that if their religion is the true one, they
will go to Paradise; they tell us, if your’s be the true one, we
both shall go there, because we believe in the divinity of Christ,
but you do not believe in that of Mohammed, therefore, if faith
save the soul, we have the advantage of you in being, in any case,
on the safe side.[163]
The Mooselmin’s ideas of the Creator are grand and elevated. Whatever
is, exists either necessarily and of itself, and is God, or has not its
being from itself, and does not exist necessarily, and is of two sorts:
substance and accidents: substances are of two kinds, abstract and
concrete; abstract substances are, all spirits and intellectual beings:
concrete being the matter and form.
Whenever God is spoken of by the Mohammedans, as having form, eyes,
&c. it is meant, allegorically, to convey the idea of some particular
attribute.
They deny that Christ was crucified.
Finally, the Mohammedan religion recommends toleration; and all
liberal Mohammedans insist that every man ought to worship God
according to the law of his forefathers. “If it pleased God,”
say they, “all men would believe; why then should a worm, a
wretched mortal, be so foolish as to pretend to force other men to
believe? The soul believes only _by the will of God_: these are the
true principles of Mohammedans.”
It must, however, be observed, that the principles here laid down
are not always the rule of action, any more than the sublime truths
inculcated by the Christian religion are altogether acted upon by
its professors.
Both religions acknowledge the greatness of God, and yet _bigotry is
so prevalent at Old Fas_, that if a Christian were there to exclaim
Allah k’beer, God is great, he would be invited immediately to add
to it, and Mohammed is his prophet, which, if he were inadvertently to
utter before witnesses, he would be compelled to become a Mohammedan,
and would be circumcised accordingly: so that Europeans should be
extremely cautious, when unprotected, or not in the suite of an
ambassador, what words they ever repeat after a Mohammedan, even if
ignorant of the meaning thereof. I do not apprehend, however, that
it is necessary to observe this caution in any part of the empire
except at Old Fas, where bigotry, as before observed, _predominates_.
Martin Martinius, the jesuit, and Abraham Ecchellensis, professor
of Oriental languages at Rome in the 17th century, tax the Koran
with asserting, that God himself prays for Mohammed; this absurdity
has probably originated in an incorrect translation of the Koran,
published about 270 years since, which translates, “may the blessing
of God be upon thee, may the prayers of God be upon thee:” the
same Arabic word (Sollah) which signifies peace or blessing, when
applied to a man, signifies prayer. Sollah Allah ala Seedna Mohammed,
signifies, “pray to God through our master Mohammed,” not,
“the prayers of God are upon Mohammed.”
It has been said by Maccarius, in his Theolog. Polemic. p. 119, that
Mohammed does not acknowledge any hell. Why then does he explain the
seven gates of hell, mentioned in the Koran, chap. xv.? which are an
emblem of the seven deadly sins, and of their various punishments;
for, according to the Arabian prophet, hell has seven gates,
allegorically, and heaven has seven heavens, or degrees of happiness;
the highest and chiefest of which, according to the Mohammedans,
is to see God. The (Gehennume) hell of Mohammed is not an _eternal_
punishment.
Monsieur de St. Olon, ambassador from the King of France at Marocco,
says, in his description of the kingdom of Marocco, chap. ii.—“The
Mohammedans maintain, that by washing their head, hands, and feet,
they are purified from all sin:” but this is an error, and I may
presume, from the nature of the assertion, that the Ambassador, like
many others, who are sent to Mohammedan countries, knew nothing of
the Arabic language, and that he was obliged to negotiate through
some Jewish interpreter. The washing is merely a necessary ceremony,
and is similar to our custom of going washed and clean to church;
it is a purifying of the shell, or the outward man, prayers are a
purifying of the kernel or inward man; as by purifying the kernel,
the amendment of the heart is implied.
With regard to spirits or devils (called Jin, Sing. and Jinune (pl.);
Sale translates Genii, which is the word Jin, with the vowel point
thus, جنِ jinee), Philip Guadagnolo,[164] in his apology for
the Christian religion, p. 291, asserts, that the Koran is full of
contradictions, from what it says about devils in the chapter called
_the chapter of Devils_; but this is really the chapter of spirits
(Genii, spirits), for of these Mohammedans admit three kinds,
besides the departed souls of men, called Rôh Benadam, viz.
1. Lucifer, the chief of the devils, is called Shetan.
2. All rebellious or deformed spirits belonging to Shetan are
called Iblis.
The 3d kind are called Genii, in Arabic Jinune; they are both good
and bad, offensive and inoffensive, and assume various forms. The
good are called Melik.
Of sins, the Mooselmin affirm _envy_ to have been the first committed
in heaven and on earth; they say Iblis envied Adam; when God ordered
all Angels to honour him, he tacitly condemned God; and expostulated
with him on ordering him, who was made of fire, to adore or honour
the first man, who was made from earth. ‘Now,’ said the wretch
Iblis, ‘it is not just that the superior being should honour the
inferior;’ and he was cast down from heaven for his disobedience:
thus envy was the first sin in heaven.
Kabel and Habel (the Arabic names of Cain and Abel) offered sacrifice
to God; the offerings of Habel met with a more favourable reception;
Kabel envied him and killed him; so envy first occasioned infidelity
in heaven, and murder on earth.
The heighth of the celestial happiness is to see God; all those
elegant descriptions of beautiful virgins, rivers flowing with honey,
gardens of delicious fruits, &c. which are said by some to compose the
happiness of the Mohammedan paradise, are allegorical descriptions.
Chap. xl.—“Whoever shall believe and do good works, whether man
or woman, shall enter paradise.”
Thus we see that the fate of the Mohammedan women is not altogether
so deplorable as some Christians have made it.
Peter Cevaller, in his _Zelus Christi contra Saracenos_, p. 137,
speaking of Mohammed, says—“This madman places Haman in the time
of Pharoah, which is such a proof of his ignorance, as ought to put
him and all his beastly followers to an eternal silence.”
Peter Cevaller, it appears, was not apprised that Pharaoh was
a general name for all the kings of the Pharoah dynasty, which
continued to reign in Egypt many centuries. The Mohammedans,
moreover, have many traditions about a man of the name of Haman,
who was a general of one of the Pharaohs.
Bartholomew of Edessa, in p. 442 of the _Varia Sacra_, published by
Stephen le Moine, reproaches Mohammed with saying, that the blessed
Virgin became pregnant by eating dates:
Koran, chap. xix.—“Remember what is written of Mary. We sent to
her our spirit, (or angel,) in the shape of a man; she was frightened,
but the angel said to her, O Mary! I am the messenger of your Lord,
and your God, who will give you an active and prudent son. She
answered, How shall I have a son without knowing any man? The angel
replied, God has said it, the thing shall happen; it is easy to
your Lord, and your son himself shall be a proof of the almighty
power of God. Then she conceived, and retired for some time into
a solitary place, near a date-tree, and her labour-pains began
forthwith; but the angel said, Do not afflict thyself; shake the
date-tree, and gather the dates; eat them, drink water, and wash
your eyes.” Now this passage, which is the one alluded to, does
not say that the pregnancy proceeded from the eating of the dates,
although the dates eased the pains of pregnancy. Hence, probably,
that superstitious African tradition, that when the Virgin Mary was
in pain, she exclaimed, O that I had some dates! and immediately the
exclamation, or letter O, was marked on the stone of the fruit.[165]
_Dog_ and _hog_ are synonymous terms of contempt or degradation
among the Mohammedans: they are the two unclean animals; and if
either of them drink out of a cup, it must be washed. They will not
sit down where a dog has been, nor will they wear the skin of the
animal, even if made into leather. Some men of rank, however, keep
greyhounds, and other dogs for hunting; but seldom let them go into
those apartments of their houses, where the women are, for they say,
no angel or benediction comes to any place where a dog is.
In the xivth chap. of the Koran Mohammed makes Abraham beg of God
to protect Mecca, and to make it a place of peace or safety (aman
المعان in the original) to all the world. The learned Robert
of Retz, who translated the Koran in the 16th century, has rendered
this word, Aman or Hammon, and hence the prophet has absolutely
been accused of _placing Mecca_ in the country of the Hammonites,
and consequently abused for his geographical ignorance, as if any man
of common understanding could so far mistake the place of his birth,
a place he had lived in so long, had conquered, and from whence he
had made so many eruptions against his neighbours. The word Aman in
the original is _a consecrated place, or place of faith, of safety,
of refuge, of protection_. Birds, fish, or animals, are not allowed
to be killed in such places, neither is blood to be spilt therein.
Mohammed has also been accused of contradicting himself, in saying,
sometimes, that he could read, and at others, that he could not; and
the following passage of the Koran (ch. xlvii.) is thence produced
as evidence that he could read: God is introduced as saying to
Mohammed—“God knows what you do, and what you read.”[166] But
the whole is a mistake, both of the version and of the annotator,
for in the original Arabic, God does not speak to Mohammed, but
the latter speaks to other men, and says, “God knows what ye do,
and what ye meditate,” (not read).
With regard to marriage, the Koran (chap. iv.) allows four wives:
“Receive in marriage such women as you like, two, three, or four
wives, at the most. If you think you cannot maintain them equally,
marry only one.” (This subject has been elucidated in a preceding
chapter, it is therefore unnecessary to say any thing further upon
it here).
It has been said by Euthymius Zygabenus, and an anonymous author,
who wrote Mohammed’s life, in Sylburgh’s _Saracen._ p. 60,
that Mohammed, in his Koran, placed Moses amongst the damned; but
whoever has the least knowledge of Arabic, must know, by consulting
the Koran, that Moses is every where mentioned with great respect,
and the Mohammedans call him Seedna, i.e. _our Lord_ or _Master_.
From the foregoing observations, it will be perceived that the
principles of the Mohammedan religion are neither so pernicious nor
so absurd as many have imagined. They have sometimes been vilified
from error, or for the purpose of exalting the Christian doctrine;
but that doctrine is too pure and celestial to need any such aids.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 161: Forty muzuna make one mitkal.]
[Footnote 162: In the evening of the feast of L’ashora, they
have a masquerade, during which the masquers proceed through the
different streets, and go to the houses, to collect charity: their
masks are made in a rude way, but the characters are well represented
throughout. Amongst them we generally find an English sailor, a French
soldier, a cooper, a lawyer, an apothecary, and a sheik or alkaid,
who determines all disputes, and whose decree is absolute.]
[Footnote 163: This is similar to the Catholic lady, who, worshipping
the picture of Satan alternately with that of the Virgin, declared
that her object was to secure a friend on both sides.]
[Footnote 164: He translated the Bible into Arabic in 1671.]
[Footnote 165: All date-stones have a circular mark on them, like
the letter O.]
[Footnote 166: Robert de Retz’s translation.]