THE FUTURE OF ISLAM. 



91 



mainly, propagated by the sword. Islam as a ]power has indeed 

 been so maintained and extended, and in every age semi-barbarous 

 peoples have shown themselves more or less ready to embrace the 

 religious system of their conquerors and rulers. The law of the 

 Koran is that no force shall be employed in religion (Chapter 2), 

 and although this law has not always been observed, especially as 

 regards Arabia, for instance, the rule generally in force has been to 

 offer to conquered peoples the alternatives of conversion, tribute, 

 or death. 



Another misconception is that Islam does not treat women with 

 respect, and regards them merely as slaves of the lusts of men. 

 This is not so. " Women's rights " were safeguarded by the Koran 

 more than a thousand years before they were much thought of in 

 England. It is true that polygamy is allowed, and divorce permitted 

 upon any or no ground except the will of the husband. But 

 polygamy and facility of divorce had a legal existence under the 

 Mosaic law, and indeed are still practised among those Jews who 

 live in countries where they are free to follow their own social 

 Kabbinical laws. Yet among both Moslems and Jews polygamy 

 and divorce were (and are) hedged about with regulations which 

 render them not so easy and desirable as might seem. 



I have known many Mohammedans who treated their wives with 

 tenderness and respect, and were much influenced by them in 

 domestic and even public affairs ; the tenderness and respect shown 

 being infinitely greater than is often received by wives in a certain 

 class of society in our own country. 



In approaching Moslems with a view to influencing them in 

 favour of Christianity the wise advice of Sale should ever be in 

 our thoughts : " not to give them ill words, and to avoid all 

 reproachful language, which never did good either from pulpit or 

 press." 



