Thomas Patrick Hughes

“ The situation of hell is a matter of dispute.
Baghawi s distribution of the different sections of hell is a proof of the utter recklessness of Muslim Commentators, for in neither case are Lazwd and Hutama apportioned to Christians or Jews in the Quran. ”

“ ANGELS. 83
angels respecting the decrees of God, which they sometimes impart to men by means of talismans and invocations.
The good genii are Muslims, and perform all the religious duties of the faithful.
King Solomon is said to have had great power over the genii by means of his magic ring.*
Students of Islam must bear in mind that most of the absurd stories of the genii are related in the Quran, and have, therefore, received from Muhammad all the authority of a divine revelation. ”

“ Faith in the decrees of God, is that we believe in our heart and con fess with our tongue that the most High God hath decreed all things so that nothing can happen in the world, whether it respects the conditions and operations of things, or good and evil, or obedience and disobedience, or faith and infidelity, or sickness and health, or riches and poverty, or life and death, that is not contained in the written tablet of the decrees of God. ”

“ God would make the fast an ease and not a diffi culty," for notwithstanding its rigour in the day-time, it must be an easier observance than the strict fast observed during Lent by the Eastern Christians of Muhammad s day. ”

“ Islam, true to its an ti- Christian character, preaches a sensual abode of bliss in opposition to the express teaching of our blessed Lord, who said, " They neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of heaven " (St. Matt. xxii. 30) .
It is remarkable that with the exception of one passage (Sura iii. 25) , Muhammad s de scriptions of the sensual paradise belong to the later period of his mission, and after he had become a polygamist. ”

“ Sirdt is a bridge which all must pass over on the day of judgment. It is said to extend over the midst of -hell, and to be sharper than the edge of a sword. In passing it the feet of the infidel will slip, and he will fall into hell fire ; but the feet of the Muslim will be firm, and carry him safely to Paradise.
XIV. HEAVEN.
THE Muhammadan Paradise is called Jannat (garden) in Arabic, and Bahisht in Persian ; the word Fir dam, from which -we get our Eng lish word Paradise, being restricted to one region in the celestial abodes of bliss. ”

“ We translate the words Suldt and Namdz by the English word prayer, al though this " second foundation " of the re ligion of Muhammad is something quite distinct from that prayer which the Christian poet so well describes as the " soul s sincere desire uttered or unexpressed." It would be more correct to speak of the Muhammadan Namdz as a service; "prayer" being more correctly rendered by the Arabic du
. In Islam prayer is reduced to a mechanical act, as distinct from a mental act ”

“ The fast is extremely rigorous and mortify ing, and when the Ramazan happens to fall in the summer and the days are long, the prohibition even to drink a drop of water to slake the thirst is a very great hardship. ”

“ The excellence of this month was much extolled by Muhammad, who said that during Ramazan " the gates of Para dise are open, and the gates of hell are shut, and the devils are chained by the leg"; and that " only those who observe it will be per mitted to enter by the gate of heaven called Jtayydn." Those who keep the fast " will be pardoned all their past venial sins." f In the ”

“ Besides angels and devils, there are said to be a distinct order of crea tures called Jinn (Genii) who were created of fire some thousands of years before Adam. According to tradition the species consists of five distinct orders: 1. Jdnn ; 2. Jinn; 3. Shaitdn; 4. Ifrit; 5. Mar id.
Their chief abode is the mountains of Qaf, which are supposed to encircle the world.
There are good and evil Genii. If good, they are exceedingly handsome ; if evil, they are horribly hideous. ”

“ O God our Lord, give us the blessings of this life, and also the blessings of life everlast ing. Save us from the torments of fire."
f The Shia hs add, " who has no partner." t Every two rak ats close with the Tashahhud. i The Shia hs merely recite : " God have mercy on Muhammad and his descendants ; " and omit the rest. The Du a is omitted by the Shia hs, who recite the following instead : " Peace be on thee, Prophet, with the mercy of God and His blessing ! " " Peace be upon us, and upon God s righteous servants ! "
112 PRAYER.
He then closes with the Salam. ”

“ If the sky be overclouded and the moon cannot be seen, the fast begins upon the completion of thirty days from the begin ning of the previous month.
The Ramazan must be kept by every Mu- salman, except the sick, the infirm, and preg nant women, or women who are nursing their children. Young children, who have not reached the age of puberty, are exempt, and also tra vellers on a journey. In the case of a sick person or a traveller, the month s fast must be kept as soon as they are able to perform it. ”

“ Jewish fast of the Tenth, which coincides \vitli the Muhammadan day Ashura, being regarded as the day of creation. Moreover, the Jewish Asur and the Muslim Ashura are both fasts and days of affliction. It is far more probable that Muhammad got his idea of a thirty days* fast from the Christian Lent. ”

“ The peace and mercy of God be with you."
At the close of the whole set of prayers, that is, of Farz, Sunnat, Nan, or Witr, the worshipper raises his hands * and offers up a " Mundjdt" or supplication. This usually con sists of prayers selected from the Quran or Hadis. They ought to be said in Arabic, although they are frequently offered up in the vernacular.
These daily prayers are either Farz, Sunnat, Nafl, or Witr. Farz, are those number of rak ats, (or forms of prayer,) said to be enjoined by God. Sunnat those founded on the practice of Muhammad. ”

“ Of this doctrine Muhammad makes great use in his Quran, arid all those who have had any practical acquaintance with the lives of Mu- hammaclans, know well to what extent it influences the daily life of every Muslim. It
Lahw-ul-MaJifiiz, occurs only once in the Qurdn r namely, Sura Ixxxv. 22, where it relates to the Quran being written thereon. The Preserved Tablet 011 which the actions of men are written, is called Imdm-ul- Mubin,. the clear prototype, Sura xxxvi. 1 1 .
DECREES OF GOD. 99
is not only urged as a source of consolation in every trial, but as a palliation of every crime. ”

“ The exact date of this solemn night has not been dis-
Life of Mahomet, iii. p. 49.
122 RAMAZAN, OK THE MONTH OF FASTING.
covered by any but the Prophet himself, and some of the Companions, although the learned doctors believe it to be on the twenty-seventh. Of this night Muhammad says in the Quran (Surat-ul-Qailr) :
" Verily we have caused it (the Quran) to descend on the night of power.
" And who shall teach thee what the night of power is ?
" The night of power excelleth a thousand months ;
" Therein descend the angels and the spirit by permission
" Of their Lord in every matter ”

“ H 2
100 DECREES OF GOD.
of seduction, indignation, and prohibition.
But whosoever shall say that God is not
delighted with good faith, or that God hath
not an indignation against evil and unbelief, he is certainly an infidel."
101
XVII. THE FIVE FOUNDATIONS OF PRACTICAL RELIGION.
THE five pillars, or foundations, of practice in Islam are :
1. The recital of the Creed, or Kalimali,* " There is no deity but God, and Muhammad is the Prophet of God."
2. Suldt. The five stated periods of prayer.
3. Roza. The thirty days fast of Ramazan. ”

“ The coming of Jesus Christ, who will descend upon one of the minarets of the Mosque at Damascus.
14. War with the Jews.
15. The ravages made by Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog) .
16. A smoke which shall fill the whole earth. ”

“ The second Targum on Esther i. ii., mentions the four classes of Genii which were given into the power of King Solomon.
G 2
84
XII. PROPHETS.
THE number of prophets (rast^l) , which have been sent by God, are said to be 224,000, or, according to another tradition, 124,000. Of these 313 were Apostles sent with special com missions, to reclaim the world from infidelity and superstition.
Six brought new laws which successively ab rogated the preceding and have special titles, or fadima* :
1. Adam (Adam) , Sufi-Ullah, the Chosen of God.
2. Nuh (Noah) , Ndbi-Uttah, the Preacher of God. ”