INTRODUCTION xix 



the Domain of INIuhammad and the region in which he 

 was born, hved, and worked. 



What will Islam do for the v/orld of civihsation in j 

 return? Will it give up, once and for all and completely, j 

 the age-long attempt to maintain slavery as an institu- i 

 tion, to override and enslave the Negi'o, to persecute the 

 Christian, the Jew, and the harmless pagan? Will it 

 cease to despise true Science, and encourage unfettered 

 education ? For a century or two after the Arab conquests 

 of Spain and Mesopotamia, education took great strides, j 

 and the civilisation of the Old World was really somewhat 

 advanced. Then followed a heart-breaking JMuhammadan 

 reaction, as bad in its effects as Byzantine Christianity. / 

 Under the Turks, more especially, Islam was made the ; 

 cover for a disastrous check to learning, to investigation, j 

 to mastery over the planet and its resources. Muham- j 

 madanism became the rallying ground for the enemies of ! 

 Civilisation. Its teaching became and has remained in-' 

 credibly puerile and futile. Compare the curriculum of! 

 Al Azhar with that of British, American, French, Ger- 1 

 man, Italian, Austrian or Spanish universities ! The ', 

 author of this interesting story seems content and hopeful ' 

 as to the progress of Senusi teaching. I, having traced 

 the downward course of so many Muhammadan move- 

 ments, split always on the rock of Education, reserve my 

 opinion, and meantime distrust all Islamic agitation. 



H. H. Johnston. 



July 25, 1921. 



