Mohammedan writers endeavour to modify these fierce denunciations of the Koran, alleging that they were intended to be humane and temporary, we can only reply that such an explanation is opposed to the entire spirit of Islamism, and has at least never yet been carried out. 90 The same spirit of hatred to Christians and their religion, which inspired the author of Islamism and those propagators who immediately succeeded him, has been transmitted with all its pristine zeal and fanaticism to the present generation of Moslemin. Scarcely a month passes in which some outrages, against the followers of Christ, are not recorded in the public journals of Christian Europe; and the greater part of the cruelties and barbarities which are committed against our brethren, never reach the ear of their fellow-christians who live under European protection. Those concessions and mitigations which Christians of the Turkish Empire have in later times acquired, have only been wrung from the Porte by the influence of Christian powers. If any doubt had remained as to the sentiments of Mohammedans towards Christians, the recent occurrences in India, Arabia, Syria and Morocco must have removed it for ever. Lest it should however be thought that the Indian Sepoys simply strove to recover their national freedom, and as patriots were carried beyond the point of a just resistance against foreign oppression, let us notice a few passages from 90 Tychsen: Com. soc. reg. Gott. tom. XV. pag. 156. may here be consulted. your the Koran, from which it will appear, that they simply carried out its precepts when perpetrating the most barbarous atrocities ever recorded in the annals of rebellion or warfare. "But the recompence of those, who fight against God and his apostle and study to act corruptly in the earth, shall be, that they shall be slain, or crucified, or have their hands and their feet cut off on the opposite sides, or be banished the land. This shall be their disgrace in this world, and in the next world they shall suffer a grievous punishment." Again: "I will cut off your hands and feet on the opposite sides, and I will crucify you all."92 Again: "I will cast a dread into the hearts of the unbelievers. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off all the ends of their fingers. This shall they suffer, because they resisted God and his apostle, verily God will be severe in punishing. This is your part, taste it therefore; and the infidels shall also suffer the torment of hell fire."93 In various parts of the Koran, war is enjoined against all non-Moslemites or Kaffers; 94 but what we now wish to establish is this, that the book in question taught and commanded those very atrocities which were committed against Christians in the recent rebellion in 91 Sur. V. 38. Again Sur. VII. 121. "Then I will cause your hands and feet to be cut off, and after that make you all to be crucified." 92 Sur. XXVI. 49. This passage does not refer to the Christians directly, but it indicates, whence the Sepoys gained instruction in the diabolical art of torturing. 93 Sur. VIII. 12. Unbelievers are not to be made friends of, nor to be taken as allies. Sur. IV. 143. V. 62. 94 See the entire Sura, VIII, especially 40. 57. 60–62. 66. 95 India. Nor is it probable, that the history of the original spread of Islamism and its marvellous successes, after the death of its founder, will afford us more favourable impressions touching the spirit of this terrible and wide-spread scourge. CHAPTER VII. SPREAD AND SUCCESS OF ISLAMISM. "Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates; and the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month and a year for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two myriads of myriads: and I heard the number of them." Rev. IX. 14-21. The rapidity of the spread of Mahommed's creed is, in the annals of propagandism, without parallel. In the twenty-first year of the Hedgra, the crescent floated over an extent of territory as wide as that of the Roman eagle; and the Saracen empire may be said to have extended its dominion over more kingdoms and countries in eighty years than the Roman, 95 Were the celebrated "Testamentum et pactiones inter Mohammedem et Christianae fidei cultores," (Paris 1630 and Hamb. 1690) a genuine document, which it is not,-it would only be a "snare and delusion" after the above teaching of the Koran. Compare Reland: Diss. de jure militari Mohammedanorum contra Christianos bellum gerentium; - Institutiones juris Mohammedani circa bellum contra eos, qui ab Islamo sunt alieni. ed. Rosenmüller, Lips. 1825. The Turks now complain that Jeddah was bombarded for having simply fulfilled the precepts of the Koran, in 800.96 In Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Asia Minor, North-Africa and other countries, the Koran was introduced at the point of the sword. Thence its contents were promulgated eastward to the frontiers of India and China; westward to the shores of the Atlantic ocean; and northward to the banks of the Oxus and Jaxartes, reaching to the frozen borders of the Caspian Sea, in an incredibly short space of time. 1. In twelve years the whole of Arabia had embraced Islamism; there was indeed some opposition yet to overcome, but the chief work was accomplished. The Koreishites, who at one time contemplated returning to the religion of their ancestors, were dissuaded by Sohael; 97 and the rest of the discontented Arabs, who had been tempted to rebellion by the rival prophet Moseilama, and roused by the recollection of that much-loved independance which now seemed lost for ever, were speedily subjected by the sword of the ferocious Khaled. With a view to divert the minds of the people, Abubeker, the first Kaliph, declared war against all nations, especially against the Emperor of Constantinople and the "great 95 "Wie eine verzehrende Flamme brach plößlich die neue Glaubensform mit unwiderstehlicher, Alles vernichtender Gewalt hervor aus den Wüsten Arabiens, und in zehenfach geringerer Zeit, als die Römer vordem zur Aufrichtung ihres Weltreiches bedurft hatten, waren die Völker von der chinesischen Mauer bis zu den Säulen des Herkules, vom Caspischen Meere bis zum Niger der Herrschaft des Islam oder doch der Gewalt seiner Bekenner unterworfen," Prof. Döllinger's “Muhammed's Religion", pag. 5. Ockley, Hist. of the Sarac. Vol. I. pag. 315. 97 Sohaèl addressed them in these words: "Ye men of Mecca, will ye be the last to embrace Islamism, and the first to abandon it?" king of Persia," at that time the two most powerful monarchs of the East. 99 Abubeker published a proclamation to the Arab tribes, encouraging them to join the army which he proposed sending to Syria, to free that country from infidel dominion. 98 Accompanying the assembled host on foot for a considerable distance from Medina, the Kaliph gave them a few parting injunctions and dismissed them with his blessing. The assault was impetuous, but Sergius the Byzantine commander resolutely maintained his ground in Syria, till the country was opened to the Arabs by the conquest of Bostra. Another division of Greek troops was conquered near Gaza, and amidst the treachery and inability of the Greek generals, the cowardice of the soldiers and the discontent of the inhabitants, the Moslem army made rapid progress in the conquest of the country. During this expedition Abubeker died, and Omar who was with the army, was nominated his successor. One of his first acts was the conquest of Damascus, in after ages, one of the three 98 "In the name of the most merciful God, to the rest of the true believers: peace and happiness, grace and blessing from God upon you. I laud the Most High God, and pray for his prophet Mohammed. It is known to you that I intend sending the true believers to Syria to take that land from the hands of the unbelievers, and I make known to you that it is an act of obedience to God to fight for religion." 99 "Keep yourselves from injustice and oppression, said he to his generals, in conducting the battles of the Lord; fight like men without wavering, but defile not the victory by the blood of women and children. Destroy no palm-tree, burn no corn-fields; what ye have promised keep faithfully; spare all except the shorn crowns, (the monks) for they belong to the kingdom of Satan." |