Show ISLAM An Article Concerning Us Founder Doctrines and JsrcU Written lor the DULCET Mror by JUS In I time like ours when everything every-thing in the Orient attracts thb a tentionorthc world tile following attemi t at a true and impartial representation > rep-resentation of the religion of theFt the-Ft Islam may not pre nwdI ccme t the readers t Viie Xcws The daA that will be ued in this I faper are a given by Luttke in his I Dcr Islam und tane TuMtr supplied sup-plied with sucii l irvoiia observations I observa-tions as I have had an opportunity t make WtE Ul Tto official orauthoritatlvc name of the Mohammedan religion 1 as well known Islam This word springs from a root which means t be healthy well safe sound or without blimUh In some of Its for I iko means to submit and to make pac Tho form Islam wouU signify submission sub-mission resignation t the will of God namely the professors of this religion The Mohammedans nre called Molems a won derived from the same root A Moslem I I therefore when tho name onli is considered one who has perfectly submitted to the will of Ciod and who Is on that ground enjoying pac and trauqullltj The namu i IL Ir a well as its signification is really beautiful miU might b envied I en-vied by our Christian sects with Uielru ly i ais and Ut appended ap-pended to tiro nasnu bf a frail tp or t 1 doctrine doubtful origin I ItdesciAcs a passing notice that If fslam is oneof the three great monotheistic I mono-theistic rellgionstof the word which cam t be founded b > GO himself through inspiration and all that the professors of Islam are now estimated esti-mated at 200000000 of oul covering cover-ing a larger area in Asia Africa and hurcpe than thu Christian I r THE FOUNDER Ol 1S1AJI Moliamnuii the founder of Islam and the author of thu Loh booV Al horn was horn in Mecca In April 571 A D He belonged t the tribe Ivorllsh and to the Tamil of Itashem who had the title of Princes of Mecca and her Jtarj guardians ot the Ktaba All this notwithstanding Molummed was poor and after the death of his tattler AbdalLik van handed over to a Bedouin nurse with whom he remained for two j cars In the wilderness wil-derness Tho boj wa howeve afllicted wit sickness Ho had sometimes filts which were 8metmt i wcrethougnt to be caused by evil spirit In order to rome enit of the reach of thfe he was again brought to Mecca In the jrnr 577 his mother Amlna died and the little Mohammed Moham-med was now convejed first to his I grandfather AbdelMutalib and then when this worth gentleman died to his uncle Abu Talib This last one he sometimes hI Imclml accompanied on his travels and nt other times lie I earned a living as n cowboj or shepherd In the vicinity of Mecca But fata smiled upon him lie I I obtained employment from a wealthy widow named Chidja who I conducted tho business left by her husband In his new position I I I I the future prophet had opportunities opportuni-ties to make business trits to Svria I I I and the southern parts of Arabia and 6 u ell did lie acquit himself of his work that the widow rewarded him with her I rand and heart and everything pertaining thereto Thus Mohammed became at once wealthy and occupied a respected position in Mecca Like many a great genius ic hammed was of melancholy disposition dispo-sition lie loved wltu and p r tired very often t a place where he could meditate and cul meitte contemplate A cavu In the mountain Hlra rru montnln Ilt near Mecca was often Visltal by him for such purpo es Here he txjran to receive islons and revelation which were often accompanied b paralytic fits a weakness which never left the prophet during his lifetime Here he conceited the grand idea of reforming the religion I 1 of his countrymen and of cleansing I from gross error The inhabitants of the Anblan I peninsula tho Arats are descendants descend-ants of Ishmael dCCld1 with Hagar Without doubt their I I religion was orisinally nearly identical iden-tical with that of the great patriarch but nlv the lime I ofotp Mobimmed Ihul I peoplo had almost entirely forgotten the traditions once handed down from Hagarand Ihnuel Sabuiim rl hlm1el Sbll m I the worshipping of tho stars and even lower forms cf idolatry had udna their I waj among the people and had thtlr centrum in Mecca Here was the sanctuarj the Kahn which acvordlng to tradition had been founded by Ishmael himself l Hundreds of Idol had stntsofhonor In this towerlike bulldlngand her was the mysterious blaek stone which is still a ol ject of the greatest great-est reverence as Mohammetl had wisJom enough not to Interfere with this building anj further than to cleanKi It from its IdoK Hence Mecca with its Kaabaand black tone Jfadjar atatwad I yet tho central point of Islam Mohammed was forty years old when he frt publicly announced his new principles I It was his idea to cleanse the religious rites and I traditions prevalent among the Arab and to leave them a religion in every respect I identical w Hh that of Abiaham i His object was certainly so fir Rood d il f I and this explains perhaps why Islam I In so many respects resembles Juda ism and Chnstianlty Some have charged the founder wIt deliberate fraud in mixing Christianity and Judaism together w ith hlsown ideas in order to IKJ oner t able t produce a new religious 83 stem Xotlil ng howe er substantiates this supjosition 1 a a far from Mohimmeds mind t produce something as it was from Luthers He ante like the real I reformers to I ring forth again the old long forgotten standards of orten lnds per eton This was hs renl aim If he all I his opus became i mi I tumcompoalum well l which of the reformers was not more or less a failure I rpcaks well for Mohammed for his moral character and sincerity I tat amone his frt filthful fnllnu ers was ills wife Chadidji and otler who bot knew llb Private prrte u Ufe That he as little a ether n formers went free from pers cu tlons show that human nature Is the same everywhere In the shade Ilae of the wingsof the blessed American eagle and on tb burning sands of Arabia More than once his enemies lid plans to take his lfe and he found himself under the ncce sit ofto use a rnoJern expression taking the underground But while in exllo he labored faithfully in the work before him and among the pilgrims who yearly came to Mecca t he found many follow er particu lady among the inhabitant of Me dina and thee finally prevailed upon him t come and take up his r ldcnceinthelrmliit Tlustllght t Medina tbesocillnl HedjraU or Begira took plico on July 16th 6J2 and from this event the ia lem count the commencement of their religion and the commencement commence-ment oftheMohamniedin era em In Medin Mohammal nreintrni his followera and bit the first mosque and fnm now on tl > e city was par cxtcUaicc the capital of the prophet and the centrum of Islam IFlm a dlgnltjhich jaln little later ler 1 was returned to Mecca From Meoina Islam spread very quickly I was announced as a commandment from God that this reli ipn should beepread by the help of the sword In blood and llame the Word should b given to te Mecca was first besieged and after I several struggle conquered The idols were now destroyed but the Kaaba was declared to be thu Mmtuary of tliu one G i aud tho true faith An tempt invasion of Persia resulted in total defeat but In other directions the sword of swon Mohammed was victorious and at I + the death of this wonderful reformer te I tho whole of Arabia had accepted bbm hcprlbet die on June he bad to 8 6 jut M rlume He left Irom behind him ulao lawful wive Two had alreadi preceded him lo the heavenly partdiEC fdle J Concerning tha yUIonA and Cnrlrbln nseeh lon tbhMven bf Jhl OrUntal prophet we are low the following J I He had his first ilsion on Mount Hlra one bourajourne from MCC I I ca As he was cn apa Itl frajcr ll m C and c t l 1 olcewosheard Cry and he ald What bal I crJ1 Upon which came the answer I an-swer Cry out lu thy name O Lord Thee words are the flnt of tho Koran although first found In tho Pith chatier of its pncnt edition tbXet soon as Mohammed awoke front bis ecstasies jtt3a I he bit M If a t ok hid bceu w rltteii in his heart His wife whom he I I I always kept poled on his apr I ennd on hearing this exclaimed lUjnicf dear liusland He lu whO hands Is the fate of Chadl iljih Is my witness that thou shall I become tho prophet of this l > ple It seems from tills that Mohnnimrd was not only hlnuelfa I prophet but thut he ra fortunate enough to hive partner who was also in for prophesying As the prophet sometime ri l gtht leJlhd time after thin in great despair would throw himself down a precipice preci-pice on the mount ho plc saw Gabriel standing 1 the ind cf the horizon and tho cttat nrchriiige cried with a loud olcentid said I am Gab riel and thou art Mohammetl From this time revelations followed olowe each other with few intervals for ibouttwentyicar Micnhohad his revelttlons ho roared like a I camel Ill 13es rolled wildly about in their sockets and shone like un bent He trent over his whole body Mohammeds ascension to heaven Is also thus described Gabriel nl dlrlLl Gbrd took Ills fcrut nhd UnUieU Hill thu well Zeuzcm filled it with faith and knowledge and put I back In It place After this the prophet mounted Borak nmk the li htnlnj ind rodo to thr ro temple jilicc in Jerusalem From here he went to heaven on JacobV ladder In thu second hcnvcn the two trelel Gabriel and Moham inetl found Clirit and John the Bantlt In the third Jr < nh ntul David in the fourth Ilnoch in the fifth MOKS w ho we nt bitterly when he saw tat MuhdmmeJ was to conn higher In the last heaven was Abraliam Then came thu tret where Gabriel lives aud from this Mohammed went bn still further until hu came a far as within two bowshot lengths of the throne of God Her i great sllcnco prevailed vailed Xotlili g was hen but the ln w Ith whith the Word of Goel I w rltteii in the book of fate Comp Emmanuel Deutsch Der If Camp I do not think it absolutely neces ari > ido CitUioIlcaud Proletaut writers I to I generally class Mobam ujyu IUUUK iuu religious wvuntrei of the world to jl him the false prophet or the son of perdition thereby condemning him and his followers without mm to the bot tomless pit There is tomlus lIlt Ther no tiling that I know of either in lao1 or the character or hUtory of Mohammetl nor In the judgment Won of God to warrant such a Mohammed undoubtedly had vis Ions and revelaliocs The evidence of this I to mj mind sufficient His Inceritiand the moral chare ter of thb mal forbid me to think for a moment that he invented the stories abut his vision 1 The fact that his nearest relatives embraced hit doctrine and acknowledged him as a prophet Is proof enough that the were satisfied as to tin IHHI HUsfe a tl i Ineness of his isions I eo not I know of any ttslimony to Uie con I i trary that can invalidate theli I I Of course in our day as soon as anybod claims I to have I had com I I munlcatlon with the other word he is denounced as a liar a h 10 I rtd rt a deceiver The Infidelity lof the Jg and the caricatures of I I Christianity mut In self defense I send out these crhs So It comes l that Mohammeds vlslon too I I have been denied and he himself set I down as a liar But the clamors of wthllnfdel and theological numb I numb skulls do not prove an thing aLt I the joint in question The Oriental prophftmaj haie had rei lislons j forall that j I i must be remembered that iO himmed was just a much an In I I strumciit in thu hands of God as wasoneu Nebuchadnezzar or Cyrus I The mblon of Mohammed was to I I mir up a people that wcrestrong and enthusiastic enough to sucep j I I with a broom of desolation the various vari-ous countries defiled by apostacy I from tho doctrines of the Son of i God As the holy prophets have clearb described the calamities that should come through the forces i > ut In movement by Mohammetl what they should be able to do and not do i and how long a time their lower si ould I last tec Rev ix 1 12 It may fairly I Uf inferred that God had I something to do wtlk hij lsions j fl I one way or another i I Hereby is not admitted thouh j that his vWons and revelations I I were of the simo nature as those of fo < S of Ezekisl of John tho IJevelator or Joseph the Prophet lrphet I I II nor that Mohammed wa e in the same sen c of thu on as theM a prophet of God Neither his vMons i i I nor Ills revelations partake of the nature of tbo communications I which God has l granted to Hia messengers I I mes-sengers of peace and love For Instance I In-stance tho first revelation when i I tho Or prophet and hears he answers a voice saIng hat I 1 thill I cry resembles r far a roelation to Isaiah ehaii iO G 7 but the following Cry in the laDe of God Is com pelc nothingness n compared to the answer given to cmpn Sow So-w Itli thu isiou I related alove Mo I hammed is troubled in his soul until lire is a burden t him He want to commit suicide but in Uncritical Un-critical moment be I stayed by an appearance calling himself Gabriel ft hat has this I chief of the angels to say in order to pour consolation into the troubled heart Nothing but this I am Gabriel and thou art Molianined Tint was not much after all Again that ascension to heaven where Mo is I hC whr ie seen CM Ing because left behind when Iu hammed passed on towards God Well surely thC visions and revel rev-el do not provK any Dhine Spirit a the originator Tho case seems to be thi and It Is well worthy Uie trouble l of Innuirj I The ChrMian churches had fallen Tlte Church had l > eea comnellnl tn I flee Into the w llderuess What w as left of Christendom was sunk In sup tUonand Idolatry God concluded con-cluded to punish the Uolatrcus cudO t pnish loltrus peoples peo-ples with wars and their concomitant concomit-ant In accordance with Uiiadecrec Mohammetl came t this world and was from his chlldhooJ reared 8 to speak for the urpoe rr view HU mind was re IIs n throegh love of solitude and m dtaliou made I suscepllble of rapiwrt with cpirits As soon a the time came such spirits as God saw fit to communicate communi-cate with him r permitted t operate on Ills mind nnd to lcd him on until ho had accomplished llhe unt nccompJhO hle work for which he had tin mir up Tint these spirits were of no I particular excellence I think is evident evi-dent from their communications Particularly clear is this when they tench that religion mu t L propagated by the sword a doctrine opposite t that of Christ Yet this I txacUy what God per milled t b tajght and done as a fearful punishment upon the apostates apos-tates Mnlillnm rlnn aps clatlon < i thenwere real communications communica-tions from the oUier world He was no liar F tar Both Jn the org InaUng of Islam and in its miraculous miracul-ous propagation there was more real interference by cjilnb under the pcnnUsion of God than como people Jple are readily willing t admit lu all spheres we find geniuses Arts and enc have theirs Others excel in willing end doing They are geniuses in these branches and always become Uie her of history But even Uiefc like the sculptor rainier or poet are not Eclltr Jlnkr pet ao 10t always clear a t what every par Ucular of their grand ideal is pr whereunto when executed i will led They seem t be operated oprted upon by a higher pow cr n fate a Von fccheliing put it under the I direction of which they eland and t = = whoe lie must fulfil I rurjxjs a thU philosophical rrmifk J iQitlcularlv appllcablu t Mohammed Moham-med and will eiplal I the mystery othis life and work on this earth chi Tats continued |