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doing they became possessed of more property。 They were clothed with
hair garments； they knew not good from evil； and made no distinction
between that which was lawful and unlawful。 Such was our state； but
God in his mercy has sent us； by a holy prophet； a sacred volume； which
teaches us the true faith。〃
These words； I think； show us the secret of Islam。 They are a just
comment on that short and rugged chapter of the Koran which is said to
have been Mohammed's first attempt either at prophecy or writing； when；
after long fasting and meditation among the desert hills； under the glorious
eastern stars； he came down and told his good Kadijah that he had found a
great thing； and that she must help him to write it down。 And what was
this which seemed to the unlettered camel…driver so priceless a treasure？
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Not merely that God was one Godvast as that discovery wasbut that he
was a God 〃who showeth to man the thing which he knew not；〃 a 〃most
merciful God；〃 a God； in a word； who could be trusted； a God who would
teach and strengthen； a God； as he said； who would give him courage to
set his face like a flint； and would put an answer in his mouth when his
idolatrous countrymen cavilled and sneered at his message to them； to turn
from their idols of wood and stone； and become righteous men； as
Abraham their forefather was righteous。
〃A God who showeth to man the thing which he knew not。〃 That
idea gave might to Islam； because it was a real idea； an eternal fact； the
result of a true insight into the character of God。 And that idea alone；
believe me； will give conquering might either to creed； philosophy； or
heart of man。 Each will be strong； each will endure； in proportion as it
believes that God is one who shows to man the thing which he knew not：
as it believes； in short； in that Logos of which Saint John wrote； that He
was the light who lightens every man who comes into the world。
In a word； the wild Koreish had discovered； more or less clearly； that
end and object of all metaphysic whereof I have already spoken so often；
that external and imperishable beauty for which Plato sought of old； and
had seen that its name was righteousness； and that it dwelt absolutely in an
absolutely righteous person； and moreover； that this person was no
careless self…contented epicurean deity； but that He was； as they loved to
call Him； the most merciful God； that He cared for men； that He desired to
make men righteous。 Of that they could not doubt。 The fact was
palpable； historic； present。 To them the degraded Koreish of the desert；
who as they believed； and I think believed rightly； had fallen from the old
Monotheism of their forefathers Abraham and Ismael； into the lowest
fetishism； and with that into the lowest brutality and wretchednessto
them； while they were making idols of wood and stone； eating dead
carcases； and burying their daughters alive； careless of chastity； of justice；
of property； sunk in unnatural crimes； dead in trespasses and sins； hateful
and hating one anothera man； one of their own people had come； saying：
〃I have a message from the one righteous God。 His curse is on all this；
for it is unlike Himself。 He will have you righteous men； after the pattern
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of your forefather Abraham。 Be that； and arise； body； soul； and spirit； out
of your savagery and brutishness。 Then you shall be able to trample
under font the profligate idolaters； to sweep the Greek tyrants from the
land which they have been oppressing for centuries； and to recover the
East for its rightful heirs； the children of Abraham。〃 Was this not； in
every sense； a message from God？ I must deny the philosophy of
Clement and Augustine； I must deny my own conscience； my own reason；
I must outrage my own moral sense； and confess that I have no immutable
standard of right； that I know no eternal source of right； if I deny it to have
been one； if I deny what seems to me the palpable historic fact； that those
wild Koreish had in them a reason and a conscience； which could awaken
to that message； and perceive its boundless beauty； its boundless
importance； and that they did accept that message； and lived by it in
proportion as they received it fully； such lives as no men in those times；
and few in after times； have been able to live。 If I feel； as I do feel； that
Abubekr； Omar； Abu Obeidah； and Amrou； were better men than I am； I
must throw away all that Philoall that a Higher authorityhas taught me：
or I must attribute their lofty virtues to the one source of all in man which
is not selfishness； and fancy； and fury； and blindness as of the beasts which
perish。
Why； then； has Islamism become one of the most patent and complete
failures upon earth； if the true test of a system's success be the gradual
progress and amelioration of the human beings who are under its influence？
First； I believe； from its allowing polygamy。 I do not judge Mohammed
for having allowed it。 He found it one of the ancestral and immemorial
customs of his nation。 He found it throughout the Hebrew Scriptures。
He found it in the case of Abraham； his ideal man； and； as he believed； the
divinely…inspired ancestor of his race。 It seemed to him that what was
right for Abraham； could not be wrong for an Arab。 God shall judge him；
not I。 Moreover； the Christians of the East； divided into either monks or
profligates； and with far lower and more brutal notions of the married state
than were to be found in Arab poetry and legend； were the very last men
on earth to make him feel the eternal and divine beauty of that pure
wedded love which Christianity has not only proclaimed； but commanded；
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and thereby emancipated woman from her old slavery to the stronger sex。
And I believe； from his chivalrous faithfulness to his good wife Kadijah；
as long as she lived； that Mohammed was a man who could have accepted
that great truth in all its fulness； had he but been taught it。 He certainly
felt the evil of polyamy so strongly as to restrict it in every possible way；
except the only right waynamely； the proclamation of the true ideal of
marriage。 But his ignorance； mistake； sin； if you will； was a deflection
from the right law； from the true constitution of man； and therefore it
avenged itself。 That chivalrous respect for woman； which was so strong
in the early Mohammedans； died out。 The women themselveswho； in
the first few years of Islamism； rose as the men rose； and became their
helpmates； counsellors； and fellow…warriorsdegenerated rapidly into
mere playthings。 I need not enter into the painful subject of woman's
present position in the East； and the social consequences thereof。 But I
firmly believe； not merely as a theory；