Chapter IV — Muhammadanism
The founder of Muhammadanism was Muhammad, who was born in Arabia in A.D. 570; and the sacred books of this religion are the Qur'an and Hadis (Traditions), but the latter are not accepted by all Muhammadans. We might divide the Qur'an into those "revelations" which were given at Mecca, and those given at Medina after the Flight or Hidjra. The subject-matter of the former deals largely with affairs relating to the political and social life of the growing Muhammadan community, while both in it and in the Medina portion is much teaching which had already appeared in the Bible, Talmud, and in some other books.
In Arabia, in Muhammad's day there were many Jewish and Christian communities; and several Christians are known to have existed among the relations of the Prophet, and to have exercised some influence upon him. Also, he lived on intimate terms with his wife Khadija's brother, Waraqa bin Naufal, who translated the Gospel into Arabic.
There is no need to write at length about this religion, for in it there is no originality of thought. It deals with subjects already treated of in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures.
It will be sufficient if we touch on two or three points only. Muhammad calls Christ "the Word of God" and "the Spirit of God". We could not wish for a better name to prove the divinity of Christ than the name "Ruh Allah", or Spirit of God, which is used of Christ in the Qur'an. Because God is a Spirit, and God is one Spirit and only one, and Christ is the manifestation and incarnation of that Spirit, therefore there is no ground left for the objection that Christ is the Son of God; for as body is born from body, so Spirit is born from Spirit and God is Spirit; therefore, because Christ was conceived by the Spirit of God in Mary, we can call Him Son of God and Spirit of God.
SUFISM
1. Contrary to the principles of Islam and of the Qur'an, a considerable number of Muhammadans profess a pantheistic and mystical form of creed. Among the Hindus there are Vedantists, the catchword of whose belief is aham Brahma (I am Brahma), so among the Muhammadans the Sufis use as their catchword ana'l haqq (I am truth); and some of them are so far from a real comprehension of the truth, that they mock at Reality and strangle all understanding and discernment. As Sheikh Ibrahim in Irshadat has written:
"A certain fakir entered the cloister of Junayid wrapped in a black blanket. Junayid asked him the reason for his mourning. He said, 'God is dead.' Junayid peremptorily ordered the fakir to be turned out. This was done three times. On the fourth occasion the fakir was asked to explain himself. He said, 'Not knowing that my carnal self (nafs) was a manifestation of God, I have killed it, and therefore I am in mourning for it.'"
2. The Vedanta teaches that Salvation (moksa) means absorption into Brahma through knowledge that clears away illusion; and Buddhism maintains that Salvation is extinction of desire, that is Nirvana; so also the Sufis claim that Salvation is the fana fi'llah or annihilation in God. But to destroy selfishness, and all sins and evil desires that spring from it and injure one's own soul and the souls of others, is the real fana fi'llah, and not annihilation of self as the Sufis believe. To kill one's own selfish desires and motives rather than to cause loss to others, to do the will of God rather than to consider the good and benefit of others, and to live for the glory and praise of God, is to fulfil in our lives the intention of the Creator. To die to sin and to the world, and so to enter into life, and to live in God for ever is life in God (baqa fi'llah) instead of annihilation in God (fana fi'llah), and is Reality.