MOHAMMEDANISM 



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MOHAMMEDANISM 



ored, and the horseshoe and stalactite arches. 

 The domes were first built only over tombs, but 

 later, over the prayer halls also, as in the 

 Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock at 

 Jerusalem. In the mosques (which see) the 

 many pillars were usually small in diameter. 

 Mohammedan architectural forms included 

 mosques (by far the most frequent and famil- 

 iar), mausoleums (tombs), minarets, klans 

 (inns), hospitals, bazaars (markets), and a few 

 palaces. 



Mohammedan and Indian architecture com- 

 bined to produce one of the most exquisite 

 buildings in the world, the Taj Mahal. The 

 Alhambra (which see), so beautifully described 

 by Washington Irving, is an expression of Mo- 

 hammedan and Spanish architecture, and the 

 old Christian Church of Saint Sophia has the 

 Mohammedan characteristic of many minarets. 



MOHAMMEDANISM, mo ham ' e dan iz'm, 

 the name of a religion founded by Mohammed, 

 about 600 A. D., and having at the present time 

 about 250,000,000 followers, probably the third 

 largest of all sects in the world. It was 



Nearly all Mohammedan M Majority Mohammedan 



MOHAMMEDAN COUNTRIES 

 In addition to the areas shown above, there are 

 about 20,000 Mohammedans in the United States 

 and Canada and 10,000 in Dutch Guiana. 



called by Mohammed Islam, meaning resigna- 

 tion. Islam as taught by Mohammed was a 

 combination of the teachings of idolatry, Juda- 

 ism and Christianity, and the conclusions of a 

 wise and experienced student of human nature. 

 Understanding the Oriental mind, he made few 

 demands unlikely to be easily met; the white 

 heat of religious zeal was satisfied by the ex- 

 alted conception of the God of the Jews, and 

 fasts and sacrifices which were enjoined were 

 followed by revels. 



The teachings of Islam contained in the Kc- 

 ran, the bible of Islam, may be divided into 

 the two groups, faith and religion, or works. 

 243 



The fundamental doctrines of faith were found 

 in the Pentateuch, Psalms and the Gospels, 

 parts of the already existing Hebrew Bible. 

 These were adapted by Mohammed and were 

 the basis of the Koran. The Koran teaches 

 faith in God and in angels, belief in resurrection 

 and final judgment, and in the doctrine of pre- 

 destination. To these Hebrew and Christian 

 beliefs the Koran adds the idolatrous faith in 

 good and evil spirits or genii, fairies, giants and 

 fates. As the Koran was claimed to be the 

 latest and truest expression of divine will, so 

 Mohammed's importance exceeded that of all 

 the former prophets, among whom were in- 

 cluded Christ, disclaimed by Mohammed as the 

 Son of God. 



After the death of Mohammed students and 

 devotees of his faith explained and added to 

 many of his teachings, meeting in his spirit so 

 far as possible the demands made by new con- 

 ditions. In this way there came into existence 

 a vast amount of teaching, including Moham- 

 medan law, which did not come from the 

 prophet. The doctrine of fatalism was also 

 emphasized and enlarged by later writers. 



The Koran teaches four cadinal works, prayer, 

 almsgiving, fasting and a pilgrimage to Mecca. 

 Prayers are to be said at five appointed times 

 every twenty-four hours. They consist of lines 

 from the Koran, praise and thanksgiving, and 

 to some extent, petition. Certain prescribed 

 washing (with sand in the case of .the Bedouin 

 far from water) must be performed before each 

 prayer. The place on which the suppliant 

 kneels must be clean, and the use of the prayer 

 rug is a result of this teaching. Almsgiving 

 once consisted of a legal tax and a voluntary 

 offering; there was so much objection to the 

 first that it was in time abandoned. 



Fasting is required during the month of 

 Ramadan, the ninth month of the Mohamme- 

 dan calendar, which is calculated upon phases 

 of the moon. To this is due the fact that 

 Ramadan does not occur at precisely the same 

 season from year to year. When the fast comes 

 at the hot time of year, the hardship is very 

 great. People for whom it might be too severe, 

 as sick persons, are excused. Only during the 

 daytime is the fast required, and at night the 

 privilege of breaking the fast often results in 

 revelry .and excesses. At the end of the month 

 a feast of several days duration is observed. 



The fourth duty required of the Moham- 

 medan is a pilgrimage to Mecca. Mecca is the 

 sacred city, being the birthplace of Moham- 

 med; in it is the old shrine, the Kaaba, sacred 



