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Christian remnant became tributaries； and Alexandria dwindled； from that
time forth； into a petty seaport town。
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And nowcan we pass over this new metaphysical school of
Alexandria？ Can we help inquiring in what the strength of Islamism lay？
I； at least； cannot。 I cannot help feeling that I am bound to examine in
what relation the creed of Omar and Amrou stands to the Alexandrian
speculations of five hundred years； and how it had power to sweep those
speculations utterly from the Eastern mind。 It is a difficult problem； to
me； as a Christian priest； a very awful problem。 What more awful
historic problem； than to see the lower creed destroying the higher？ to see
God； as it were； undoing his own work； and repenting Him that He had
made man？ Awful indeed： but I can honestly say； that it is one from the
investigation of which I have learntI cannot yet tell how much： and of
this I am sure； that without that old Alexandrian philosophy； I should not
have been able to do justice to Islam； without Islam I should not have been
able to find in that Alexandrian philosophy； an ever… living and practical
element。
I must； however； first entreat you to dismiss from your minds the
vulgar notion that Mohammed was in anywise a bad man； or a conscious
deceiver； pretending to work miracles； or to do things which he did not do。
He sinned in one instance： but； as far as I can see； only in that oneI
mean against what he must have known to be right。 I allude to his
relaxing in his own case those wise restrictions on polygamy which he had
proclaimed。 And yet； even in this case； the desire for a child may have
been the true cause of his weakness。 He did not see the whole truth； of
course： but he was an infinitely better man than the men around：
perhaps； all in all； one of the best men of his day。 Many here may have
read Mr。 Carlyle's vindication of Mohammed in his Lectures on Hero
Worship； to those who have not； I shall only say； that I entreat them to do
so； and that I assure them； that though I differ in many things utterly from
Mr。 Carlyle's inferences and deductions in that lecture； yet that I am
convinced； from my own acquaintance with the original facts and
documents； that the picture there drawn of Mohammed is a true and a just
description of a much…calumniated man。
Now； what was the strength of Islam？ The common answer is；
fanaticism and enthusiasm。 To such answers I can only rejoin： Such
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terms must be defined before they are used； and we must be told what
fanaticism and enthusiasm are。 Till then I have no more e priori respect
for a long word ending in …ism or …asm than I have for one ending in …ation
or … ality。 But while fanaticism and enthusiasm are being defineda
work more difficult than is commonly fanciedwe will go on to consider
another answer。 We are told that the strength of Islam lay in the hope of
their sensuous Paradise and fear of their sensuous Gehenna。 If so； this is
the first and last time in the world's history that the strength of any large
body of peopleperhaps of any single manlay in such a hope。 History
gives us innumerable proofs that such merely selfish motives are the
parents of slavish impotence； of pedantry and conceit； of pious frauds；
often of the most devilish cruelty： but； as far as my reading extends； of
nothing better。 Moreover； the Christian Greeks had much the same hopes
on those points as the Mussulmans； and similar causes should produce
similar effects： but those hopes gave them no strength。 Besides；
according to the Mussulmans' own account； this was not their great
inspiring idea； and it is absurd to consider the wild battle…cries of a few
imaginative youths； about black…eyed and green… kerchiefed Houris calling
to them from the skies； as representing the average feelings of a generation
of sober and self…restraining men； who showed themselves actuated by far
higher motives。
Another answer； and one very popular now； is that the Mussulmans
were strong； because they believed what they said； and the Greeks weak；
because they did not believe what they said。 From this notion I shall
appeal to another doctrine of the very same men who put it forth； and ask
them； Can any man be strong by believing a lie？ Have you not told us；
nobly enough； that every lie is by its nature rotten； doomed to death；
certain to prove its own impotence； and be shattered to atoms the moment
you try to use it； to bring it into rude actual contact with fact； and Nature；
and the eternal laws？ Faith to be strong must be faith in something
which is not one's self； faith in something eternal； something objective；
something true； which would exist just as much though we and all the
world disbelieved it。 The strength of belief comes from that which is
believed in； if you separate it from that； it becomes a mere self…opinion； a
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sensation of positiveness； and what sort of strength that will give； history
will tell us in the tragedies of the Jews who opposed Titus； of the rabble
who followed Walter the Penniless to the Crusades； of the Munster
Anabaptists； and many another sad page of human folly。 It may give the
fury of idiots； not the deliberate might of valiant men。 Let us pass this by；
then； believing that faith can only give strength where it is faith in
something true and right： and go on to another answer almost as popular
as the last。
We are told that the might of Islam lay in a certain innate force and
savage virtue of the Arab character。 If we have discovered this in the
followers of Mohammed； they certainly had not discovered it in
themselves。 They spoke of themselves； rightly or wrongly； as men who
had received a divine light； and that light a moral light； to teach them to
love that which was good； and refuse that which was evil； and to that
divine light they stedfastly and honestly attributed every right action of
their lives。 Most noble and affecting； in my eyes； is that answer of Saad's
aged envoy to Yezdegird； king of Persia； when he reproached him with the
past savagery and poverty of the Arabs。 〃Whatsoever thou hast said；〃
answered the old man； 〃regarding the former condition of the Arabs is true。
Their food was green lizards； they buried their infant daughters alive； nay；
some of them feasted on dead carcases； and drank blood； while others
slew their kinsfolk； and thought themselves great and valiant； when by so
doing they became possessed of more property。 They were clothed with
hair garments；