AUTHOR OF "ARABIA, THE CRADLE OF ISLAM", "RAYMUND LULL", ETC.
AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY
150 NASSAU STREET, NEW YORK
1905
"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well,
the devils also believe and tremble."—James 2:19.
"Neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son
and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him."—Matt. 11:27.
| PREFACE | |
| CHAPTER I : THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH Importance of these words - Gibbon's verdict - Value of this creed to the Moslem - Sources for the idea of Deity - The ethical value of such Monotheism - Various views.
| |
| CHAPTER II : ALLAH, THE DIVINE ESSENCE Significance of the word Allah - Allah among the pagan Arabs - The Beit Allah - The Hanifs - Testimony of the monuments - Monotheism in the Koran - The idea of God's essence - Silence of tradition - Ghazzali's definition - Mohammed's idea of the Unbegotten - The Commentaries.
| |
| CHAPTER III : THE NINETY-NINE BEAUTIFUL NAMES OF ALLAH These really attributes - The Moslem's rosary - List of these names - The Holy - The All-Compelling - Moslem idea of Divine Justice – Of Truth - "The mothers of the attributes" – The word Rabb - The two hundred and one names of Mohammed.
| |
| CHAPTER IV : ALLAH'S ATTRIBUTES ANALYZED AND EXAMINED Their effect on the Moslem mind - Division and classification - Those that describe His Unity – Mercy – Power – The Avenger – The moral attributes – Holiness of God ignored – The Koran doctrine of Sin – Kinds of sins – Terms used – No distinction between the ceremonial and the moral law – Proof from tradition – Sin not a serious matter – The punishment of sin – Allah not bound by a standard of justice – Is Allah unchangeable? – Justice of Allah – The chief attribute – God's omniscience purely physical – His power – He does not sleep – Real Unity of God absent – The Koran idea of holiness – The Pantheism of force – The idea of the mystics – Views of other sects – Allah the light of the world.
| |
| CHAPTER V : THE RELATION OF ALLAH TO HIS WORLD The fundamental idea in Moslem theology – Palgrave as a critic of Islam – His famous characterization of Allah – The Absolute and Omnipotent Monad – He is jealous of His creatures – Wahabi teaching orthodox – Moslem idea of Creation – Koran texts – Contradictions – the days of creation – God the author of evil – The universe not infinite – Creation of the pen – The throne of God – How God sits – Speculation and orthodoxy – Renan's opinion – Allah leads men astray – No hope in Islam – One-sided idea of God – God above us, with us, in us.
| |
| CHAPTER VI : MOHAMMEDAN IDEAS OF THE TRINITY The negative side of the Moslem idea of God – Clark's remark on this aspect of false religions – The two foci of Moslem controversy – The idea of the Trinity fundamental and essential – Koran references to the doctrine – Misapprehension of true Trinity – The testimony of the commentaries – How they differ and why – Indirect references in the Koran – Shirk – Are Christians polytheists? – The Christology of the Koran – The person of Christ – His birth – The denial of Christ's divinity – And the Atonement – Hatred of the Cross – Christ's place in heaven – The Holy Spirit is the Angel Gabriel – Was Mohammed ignorant of true Christian teaching concerning the Trinity? – The Collyridians – Intercourse with Christians – Yemen Christianity – Abyssinian - Koelle's conclusion – Could Mohammed read and write?
| |
| CHAPTER VII : PREDESTINATION vs. FATALISM The importance of this doctrine in Islam's idea of God – Distinguished from Christian teaching – Terms used – Koran passages – El Berkevi's summary – Tradition on this topic – Pre-existence of souls – Adam and Moses – The salvation of infants – Fatalism of the Greeks – Of Islam - "Allah katib" – "Inshallah" – "El-hamdu-lillah" – Moslem idea of prayer – The fundamental difference between Calvinistic and Moslem doctrine of the decress – Allah not love – No Fatherhood – The Moslem hell – Source of these ideas – The Talmud – Story of the angel of death – Other views of Predestination – The orthodox view widespread – Barren of ideas.
| |
| CHAPTER VIII : THE COMPLETED IDEA AND ITS INSUFFICIENCY The Moslem idea of God compared with that of Christianity – The true standard – Mohammed's ascent to heaven – Four elements wanting – No Fatherhood – The lack of love in the Moslem religion – Mysticism a revolt – The distorted idea of justice – The law in Islam – Lack of harmony in Allah's attributes – The results of such Monotheism – Islam's ideal of ethics – The Moslem idea of God is sterile – The Christian Trinity – No compromise is possible – The only True God and Jesus Christ. | |
Translation:
"Is the name of Allah the Merciful, the Compassionate. Truly Thou wilt preserve the one who carries this writing of mine from the evil of all that might harm him and Thou wilt appoint over him its angels and servants and assistants who are entrusted with its service and guard him by day and by night. Mohammed is the Apostle of Allah and those with him are stronger than the unbelievers. Among them are merciful ones whom we see bowing and kneeling seeking kindness from Allah and favor. Their marks are on their faces, the effect of prostration, and that is their likeness in the Pentateuch and the Gospel."
Books by Samuel Zwemer
Answering Islam Home Page