ITS ORIGIN, ITS STRENGTH, AND ITS WEAKNESS. 19] 
REMARKS ON THE FOREGOING PAPER. 
From Major C. R, Conner, R,.E., D.C.L., LL.D., M.R.A.S., &e. 
The paper on Islam by Rev. W. St. Clair Tisdall, M.A., is a 
scholarly and useful summary of what is known as to the real 
character of the Moslem religion. With cxception of one point, 
the views as to its relationship to earlier creeds are those to which 
I have called attention from time to time since 1883,* in works 
with which Mr. Tisdall is probably not acquainted. The Christian 
and Jewish elements have long been recognised, but I had not 
come across any account of the Persian element, which appeared 
to me, when studying the Zendavesta, to be quite as important. 
In fact, Geiger, when writing his celebrated essay on the Jewish 
comparison, was not aware that many of the Talmudic legends 
and fancies are not original in the Talmud, but were clearly 
borrowed, by the Jews, from earlier Magian beliefs. These ideas 
do not appear in any Hebrew work until after the time when the 
Jews came into close contact with the Persians, 
I have more than once expressed my belief in the strong 
personal influence of Muhammad. Of his wild genius and energy, 
and enthusiastic conviction, I think no student can fail to be 
convinced, But he had very little that was original to relate; 
and Islam, while certainly borrowing from all the older Asiatie 
creeds, is distinguished from them by its negatious rather than by 
its dogmas. I much doubt if Muhammad read either Jewish 
works or the gospels of the Gnostic Christians. The vagueness 
of his information seems to point rather to his having picked up, 
orally, the legends of Jews, and Persians, and Gnosties, both from 
the traders with whom he came early in contact, and also from his 
wives, Rihanah, the Jewess, and Maria, the Coptic slave. 
Many Arab tribes were Christian before Muhammad’s time 
(Beni Hanifa, Beni Tai, and others). The Jews had penetrated 
into Arabia some 100 years before he was born (if we may credit 
the history of Dhu Nowas), and the great towns were full of Jews 
when the new creed was preached. The Persian element was also 
present, and had so far affected Arab ideas, as to teach some of 
them to hold the dog as sacred as in Persia. 
The evidence quoted is, however, literary only ; and, I think, 
* See “Heth and Moab,” Appendix II, pp. 406-416 ; Ist Edition, 1883, 
‘*Syrian Stone Lore,” 1st Edition, 1886, pp. 324-348. “ Palestine,” 1889, 
pp. 119-127, 
