190 THE REV. W. ST. CLAIR TISDALL, M.A., ON ISLAM: 
a feeling of clannishness rather than aught else. Of universal 
brotherhood they have no idea. 
Dr. Chaplin has referred to their assurance of felicity in the 
next world. It is doubtless true that thoughtless Muslims deem 
themselves all right as far as the next world is concerned simply 
because they ave Muslims. This idea, however, is not exactly in 
accordance with their creed. There is a tradition to the effect that 
Muhammad said that his religion must excel all others in every- 
thing, and as there were seventy-two sects among Christians there 
must therefore be seventy-three—or one more—in Islam. Only 
one of these numerous sects is entitled to salvation, and each 
Muslim believes that his own sect is the happy one. Another 
tradition states that on the Day of Judgment Gop will assign to 
every Muhammadan, who would otherwise be condemned, a Jew 
or a Christian to be cast into hell-fire in his stead. Again, any 
Muslim who has in his heart one grain of faith, although he may be 
cast into hell, will yet ultimately be delivered from it. But some 
of the most pious Muhammadans have died in the greatest agony 
of mind. For there is no Atonement in their religion and no proof 
of it upon which they can rely. Asa thoughtful Muslim said on 
one occasion after hearing an argument between a friend of his and 
a Christian, ‘‘What a fine religion ours is—until you inquire 
imbo ab 1? 
Tam glad that attention has been called to our responsibility 
with regard to Muhammadanism. It does seem to me a most 
scandalous thing that the Christian Church should have neglected 
the Muhammadan world as it has done for somany hundreds of years. 
Christian England rules over a vast number of Mushms. We surely 
have no reason to be ashamed of our faith, as we show ourselves to be 
by our carelessness and lukewarmness in this matter. We have as 
yet hardly more than begun missionary work among the Muslims, 
but whatever slight efforts we have made have been blessed by 
Gop in a way we could hardly have expected. We can point to 
able men, like ImAdu’ddin and Safdar ‘Ali in the Panjab, who were 
once champions of Muhammadanism, but who are now preaching 
the Christian faith which once they opposed. 
In conclusion I must thank you all for having so kindly listened 
to my paper. (Applause.) 
The Meeting was then adjourned. 
