74 BULLETIN 148, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



ever, crept into use. By order of the Caliph Osman in the year 30 

 of the Hegira, Zeid and three assistants made a careful revision 

 which was adopted as the standard, and all other copies were ordered 

 to be burnt. 



2. TRADITION (HADITH, SUNNA) 



The haditli (properly, narrative, communication), is an amplifi- 

 cation and explanation of the Koran. It pretends to consist of au- 

 thentic reports of the sayings and doings of the prophet as handed 

 down by tradition. The traditions supply materials for the decision 

 of questions of doctrine, morals, law, habits, and customs which arose 

 in the growth of the religious system of Islam and on which the Koran 

 is sUent. As Mohammed was an inspired prophet, all his deeds and 

 words are regarded as prompted by God, and therefore as authorita- 

 tive guides to his followers. The tradition as to the way of Moham- 

 med soon included that of his companions, and what they taught or 

 did became authoritative to the orthodox as the right way, or sunna. 



Six arranged and classified collections of traditions have obtained 

 canonical standing and are held in great reverence next to the Koran 

 throughout the Mohammedan world. 



3. IJMA 



The third foundation of Islam is the ijma, literally, agreeing upon, 

 or assembling, the unanimous consent upon a question of the learned 

 doctors, {mujtahidun) . 



4. KIYA3 



Literally, to compare, that is, the decision of a question reached 

 by analogical reasoning of the learned with regard to the teaching of 

 the Koran, the hadith and the ijma. These are the four usuls, "roots" 

 or fundamentals from which the Moslem faith is derived. 



DOCTRINES OF MOHAMMEDANISM 



The cornerstone of Mohammedanism is the absolute oneness of 

 Allah, his power, his kindness to mankind, his readiness to forgive 

 those who repent and honestly believe in him, but in return demands 

 obedience and submission to His will. The Mohammedan name of 

 the religion is, therefore, al-Islam, surrender or resignation to God's 

 will, and thus obtain peace of soul and mind and salvation. Moham- 

 med's monotheistic conception of God which he opposes to Arabic 

 paganism agrees in substance with that of the Old Testament; he 

 emphasizes, however, the universal power and the unhindered free 

 will of God rather than his holiness. Mohammed did not claim to 

 be the founder of a new religion, but to have been called by God 

 through the medium of Gabriel, the angel of revelation, to convert 

 the world to the one true religion which God before revealed to the 

 five great prophets and lawgivers, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, 

 and Jesus. 



