Shaikh Mushir Hosaln Kidwal

Pan- 1 si ami sm

iprescnteD to

ot tbe

'Univereit^ ot Toronto
The Department of Oriental

Languages
for use in the
Oriental Seminar.

s\

<^<SU "j

*<u.

KURAN

IV, 2.

PAN=ISLAMISM

BY

SHAIKH MUSHIR HOSAIN KIDWAI, Bar.=at-Law

(of gadia, bara banki. oudh, inoia)

late hon. secy. of the pan-islamic society of london

XonDon

LUSAC &
46

Co.,

v\'

Great Russel Street

1908

(b

KURAN

IV, 2,

PAN=ISLAMISM

BY

SHAIKH MUSHIR HOSAIN KIDWAI, Bar.=at=Law

(of GADIA, BARA BANKI, OUDH, INDIA)

LATE HON. SECY. OF THE PAN-ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF LONDON

XonOon

LUSAC &
46

Co.,

Grkat Russel Street

1908

PRINTED AT THE INDIAN PRESSV

ALLAHABAD.

DEDICATED
TO

Muhammad's twentieth century Apostle of

PAN-ISLAMISM
Dr.

Shah Abdullah Alma'mun Suhrawardy,

M.A.,

LL.D.,

BAR.-AT-LAW

As a token

of

Sincere Friendship and attached Brotherhood

IN

PAN-ISLAMISM

ii_>
I_).ek.v/

^y

Uj' /"<-

Kuran,
Objects of

tin'

XXIII, 2.

P(in-Islamic Hociety of J.ondun

and

of

Pan-I>>lumisni.

To promote the religious, social, moral and

tellectual advancement of the Mussahnau world.
(1)

To

(2)

from

all

afford a centre of social re-union to

in-

Muslims

parts of the world.

To promote brotherly feelings between Muslims

and facilitate intercourse between them.
(3)

(4)

To remove misconceptions prevailing amongst

non-Muslims regarding Islam and the Mussalmans.

To render legitimate assistance

ability to any Mussalman requiring

(5)

its

to the best of
it

in

any part

of the world.

To provide facilities for conducting religious

ceremonies in non-Muslim countries and to found
(6)

centres of jNIuslim thought.

(7)

To found branches

of the central

Pan-Islamic

Society
parts of the world and hold
debates and lectures and to read and publish papers
in

likelj- to
(8)

world

endow

To

different

further the interests of Islam.

collect

subscriptions from all parts of the

a mosque in London and to

in order to build
it.

PREPRINTED PROM THE flRoDetn "Rcvicw,

February,

1908.)

PAN-ISLAMISM
"

And to-day wherevei' Islam

exists there is a

Pan-Tslainic party, generally small, but always

having

as its leaders the most enlightened and most advanced

men. Under the guidance of these men Pan-Islamism
is essentially a defensive and not an
aggressive movementfor the elevation of the people, and therefore an
intellectual and peace-promoting, and not a military
or war-provoking one." Browne's Bonaparte in Egypt.

Greco-Arabic word " Pan-Islamism "

was, as far as I know, first used in its
true and correct sense by Abdullah alMa'mun Suhrawardy, wlien lie transformed an
almost defunct society, "The Anjuman-i-Islam

THE

of

London," into the now world-renownedPan-

Islamic Society * of the English metropolis.

In the year 1903 came into existence this
-'

Owing to certain circumstances which cannot be detailed herehas been recently decided to call this Association " The Islamic
Society" in future. Mr. Amir Ali. c.i.e.. late Judge of the Calcutta
it

High Court,

The

succeeds A. al-Ma'mun Suhrawardy as the President.

November. 1907, gives a sympathetic account of

Tlieosophist for

tha Pan-Islamic Society and

its

aims and aspirations.

Society with

its

novel and

uncommon name,

was trumpeted abroad by the

friends as well as the enemies of Islam. The
European people made a great fuss over it
and terrorising forebodings were given out
by them, so much so that some of those
Muslims of India whose spirits have been
crushed and in whose opinion flattery is the

and

its

birth

as distinguished from the policy

of agitation which the educated Hindus have
adopted, got awfully frightened and took

"best policy

exception to the use of the word Pan-Islamism.

"
"
The reason why the use of the word Pan
with Islam gave rise to such a vehement
outburst of opposition among the Christian
people is not far to seek. The glorious past
of

Islam accounts for

it.

Islam once defied

Empires of Rome and Persia,

Oreece and Egypt and succeeded at last in
the mighty

extending its influence over all the known

world. It has also defied successfully the

armed, fanatical and aggressive opposition of

the combined forces of Christendom during
the crusades, and as a religion, in spite of the
innumerable odds against it, it stands not
only unvanquished but even progressive and
victorious.

It

spread

witii

lightning

speed

from one corner

of

tlie

world to

another,

east and west, nortli and south, on account

of its innate life-giving qualities and morally
exalted and practicable principles, and there

no reason wliy the great moral force witliin

it should not conquer the world again, if tlie
brutal force and the military superiority
is

the peoples professing another religion

be not incessantly applied to make up for the

of

weaknesses
doing

its

of

faith

tliat

which

has been

best to annihilate Islam, and

followers of Islam once

more adhere

if

in

the

prac-

the principles of their great faith

which made the nomads of the desert of

tice

to

Arabia the

civilisers

of

Europe.

The

far-

sighted European peoi)leskno\v well their own

weakness and the mighty latent force of Islam.

Hence any

on the part of Musalmans to

revive the inherent expanding spirit of Islam
effort

by bringing the Musalmans of different parts

of tlie world more in touch with one another,

by educating the Musalmans in their j)ast

history and bringing into play the mighty
force of the

"

Pen

of blood-thirsty

"

to counteract

weapons

of

the force

warfare and other

modern instruments of destruction used so

much these days and with such deadly effect

by the followers of the Prince of Peace, cannot

naturally be welcome to them.

The recent epidemic

of articles

on

Pan-

Isla}nism,KhUafat and so-called '"''Fanaticism,'^

has been wilder and more virulent tlian tliat
wliich raged tiiree years ago

when Abdullah

al-Ma'mun Suhrawardy attached the modern

word "Pan" wliich denotes expansion and
union, to the old word Islam. A heated controversy has been going on in almost all the
leading European |)a|)ers and especially in
those of England an<l France as to the meaning
and the future of tiiat movement. But PanIslamism from a Muslim point of view haa not
been fully explained yet and it is my object in
this paper to offer that

exphmation.
Many a learned writer has given His Imperial Majesty the Sultan of Turkey the credit
originator of this spirit of PanMany have assigned it to the

of being the

Islamism.

efforts of al-Sanusi (Senoussi)

in

my

opinion none

of

and others, but

cliese

surmises

is

The originator of the spirit of PanIslamlsm was Muhammad himself, that greatest of great men, who preached Islam. The
correct.

great prophet inspired his followers with a

genuine

spirit of

common

brotlierhood and with

an intense love for

tlie

faith.

The Friday

prayers every week or those of 'Id-ul-Fitr and

'Id-uz-Zulia twice a year, in which thousands
Mnsalniaiis congregate at one place, offer
their prayers under the leadership of one man

of

and embrace eacii other with brotherly amity

and good-will, were instituted on none but
Pan-Islamic principles, and that masterly idea
of bringing together at one place in one kind
of dress hundreds of thousands of Musalmansevery year from every corner of the world
had as its essential object the advancement
of Pan-Islamism and a true Socialism. Theadvantages that can be derived, and that
shall be derived, Inshn Allah (God willing),.
in the very near future, from those annual
gatherings of pilgrims

and

make glowingly

in

Mecca, are immense

bright

the future

of

idea of establishing practically

the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood

Islam.

Tlie

God by that great and true Socialist is the

germ and the basis of Pan-Islamism, while ther

of

unconcealable truth that embodies the first

principles of Islam is a fire that burns in the
heart of every true Musalman and is bound
to do its work of kindling others with thesame flame. The fact is that whether a^

Miisalmaa openly styles himself a Pan-Islamist

or not, he is in spirit and at heart a PanIslamist and is sure to be ready to serve the
cause of Islam and even to spread it howsoever he can. Any one who reads tlie history
of Islam can learn tliat the spirit with which
that faith inspired its followers was almost
supernaturally irresistible and strong. That
produced even physical vij^our
and made Muslims extremely brave and undaunted as well as self-confident and strong.
Every Musalman became an ardent advocate
and a keen lover of Islam and ready to risk
even his life to further its cause.

spirit distinctly

That

Islam which, as I have said,

inspired the weak with strength, was, without
mucli loss of time, used for political purposes
spirit of

and was

utilised for

their

own

objects by
to
them
in acquirambition
help
people
ing leadersliips, kingships and in conquering
distant countries. Only a few years after
full of

Muliammad's death, the Koran was seen hanging from a military banner in a \va.v which
unfortunately broke out between tiie Musalmans themselves. Ameer Mu'awiyah then
secured for himself and his descendants a
kind of kingship through a very ingenious

handling of this spirit

Others fullowed liim
in

fact

among
in

to

same path and

Musalman kings

tlie

many succeeding

and Caliphs began

the Musalnians.

use Islam for almost

same purposes for which the Christian

Powers use Christianity in these days, i. e.,
a means of aggression in foreign countries.
All Europe shows its sympathy towards the
Christian ])eople when they revolt against
the

"the Turkish Yoke,"

and

among the Christian

of Turkey. It made Servia, Roumania,

encourages
subjects

It fosters intrigue

rebellion

Bulgaria and Crete free from the despotic

(rule of the Turks, because the Turks were
But it lets Christian Russia
not Christians.
or even

Roumania have

its

own way and mas-

sacre Jews, and it also shows no

to either Inrlians or Egyptians

sympathy

when they

clamour for the same freedom and independence which Europe has given to Servia,
Bulgaria and even to turbulent Crete. Missionaries in non-Christian

countries are sent

over to preach Christianity and they go with

the Bible in one hand and the Bottle of
"
whisky in the other and when the heathens"

them and want to turn them out, the

Bayonet intervenes and crushing indemnities

reject

are demanded and even concessions ao(| aired?

under the guise of redressing wrongs. Thougli

degree yet somewhat similar

case witli enterprising Muslima-

in

differing

was the
of

the

centuries

earlier

of

Islam.

They
Mahmudf

used religion for political purposes.

of Ghazni gave a colour of religion to his
invasions of India and destroyed idols and

Hindu temples on conquering parts

of

the

country. So also did the great Muhammad II,

the conqueror of Constantinople, inspire his
troops with valour by basing his desire tocomiuer that invincible town on a saying
of the Prophet.

Spain, to

whose

Tarik, the intrepid invader of

valour the Rock of Gibraltar

{Jabal-al-Tarik) is still a standing monument,

declared the spread of the Grand Truth ,.

La

ilnha ilV

only

God

Allah there

to

be

his

is

only

no god but the

ambition.

The

shrewd and clever Alamgir of India, gave

a religious tinge to the change he brought
about in the policy of Akbar, which he
thought had weakened the prestige of Musal-

man

rulers, as the English people to-day think

wishes of the people

or yielding to their agitation will affect the
prestige of the British Raj. In fact it wasthat regard for

tlie

tliis

Pan-Islamism for
purposes that has made the adverse

use of

political

tlie

s|)int

of

Islam say that it owes its expansion

But this statement is far
to the sword.
No doubt the ambitious
trom being true.

'Critics of

leaders

who

any military foresight in

'them found in the spirit of Pan-Islamism a
great power to excite tlie enthusiasm of their
soldiers and to prepare them for a reckless
sacrifice of

liad

their

lives.

They

also

found

it

a very strong tie to unite people of different

races and colours and so they gave their
invasions and wars a religious tinge. But
forced conversion to Islam has been expressly
prohibited by the Koran.

The fanatical and

by Christian Spain
as regards Musalmans and Jews was never
adopted by Islam even when the spirit of
Pan-Islamism was in its full vigour. There
was shown not even so much prejudice
against non-Muslims as the so-called liberal
and socialistic Americans show towards
Orientals and people of dark colour, or as
the so-called civilised Australians and Transvaalers show towards people who are not of
white colour (in the Western technical sense)
even if they be their own fellow-subjects
'.ungrateful

policy adopted

under

tlie

same sovereign.

Even to-day

the-

most free from racial and

colour prejudices, bigotry and fanaticism is
Turlfey. People of almost every race and
nation and colour in their particular and
peculiar dresses walk about in the streets of
Constantinople more freely than a Turk in hisnatioual head-gear can in any other European
country which

is

town.

On following the history

we find that at first, in

of

Islam

closely,,

theory at least,,
there was recognised to be only one King of
Islam or Khalifa, though Islam had spread to

Egypt, India, Spain and Central Asia. TJie

kings of the above-mentioned places used
to seek permission of the central Khalifa who

Prophet and the custody

of the holy. places to have their names repeated in the Khiithah.
So tiie other kings were

had the

as

it

relics of tiie

were vicegerents

But this
Each kingdom became

of the Caliph.

union did not last long.

not only unconnected with the central au-

thority but quite isolated and exclusive. There

was no more any idea of Pan-Islamism. The

bigotry of Spain, when she turned out of her

domains all the Musalmans, was exhibited in

the teeth of other Muslim powers that were

11

strong at the time, and could, it' they cared,.

In
Jiave helped their brothers in Spain.
fact, that very sad

event the ultimate result

which was the expulsion of all the Musalmans from S|)aiii, the total destruction of a
magnilicent civilisation, and putting back by
of

centuries the progress of modern civilisation would never have happened had there

many

been any of that spirit of Pan-Islamism, which

united all Musalmans, left among the Muslim
Powers. The onslaught of Russia on Muslim

kingdoms was made when there were in

existence Muslim Powers to check it, and the
extinction of the Muslim rule in India occurred

when
of its

the

Ottoman Empire was

power. Islamic history

is

at the zenith

entirely lacking

any combined offensive wars like the crusades

against any people for any religious purpose.
The coalition or concert of many powers of
one religion against another of a different
religion, has no parallel in the history of Islam.
In fact it was the spirit of Pan-Islamism latent

in

made

spread in the world.

It owed nothing to any combination or organised efforts on the part of the Muslim Powers.
Tlie Mushm Powers never made a common
in

Islam

cause,

itself

that

it

and unfortunately even to-day

the

weakened and

ill-used

Muslim kingdoms do

not combine together to

present a strong
4inited front to the merciless blows of united

Christendom. The downfall of the Mnsalmans

from the commanding position they had won
themselves to their present wretched condition, can well be attributed to their failure
for

latter days to understand the true spirit

of their great faith and to their becoming
in

indifferent to the

importance of the spirit of

Pan-Islamism. Had they acted according to
-the dictates of their religion, they would not
have allowed the Western nations, who were

once their pupils, to surpass them in learning,

science and inventions of great practical value.

They forgot the warning of the Koran that

God never alters the condition of any people
about themselves, and they
allowed their once magnificent and civilised
domains to come to their present wretched
plight, which gives a right of interference in
unless they bring

it

their affairs to progressive nations. Had they

brought the spirit of Pan-Islamism to their help
when they were harassed by their opponents,

and had united to keep their own supremacy

they would not have fallen to this state which
is revolting to the very nature of Islam, and

13

make even

Avould

maii lose heart.

the most optimistic MusalIt seems that tiiere is no

hope ill the near future of any political ascendency of Islam, and so the Pan-Islamic revival,
from a political point of view, is a little too
late

in

future.
is

coming.

The

Still

Tan-Islamism

political condition of

bad, no doubt.

lias

Musalmans

The military

efficiency of
too i)0werful for any

Christendom makes her

physical struggle with her.

But how hope-

weak was

lessly

the political condition of

or of his few followers when Islam

Muhammad
came

into

How much

existence as a codified religion

physically stronger were the people,
!

who were prepared

to shed their last

drop of
spark of the

blood to extinguish that tiny little

Grand Truth that lired at first the heart of one

man and began

after

Still

to spread fast on all sides soon

Muhammad

Truth did prevail.

to-day
It

is,

is

as

in Islam.

did triumi)h

Tlie iiope of

and the
Pan-Islamism

not in

the sword or the bayonet.

ever it was, in the Koran and

The one

religion that

can stand
the progress of rationalism is
Islam, and so
the one religion tliat has any chance of surviving the present scepticism is Islam. In
these few Koranic words "Inna
lillahi-wa
2

"

11

God we are and i(y

Him we return) is summed u]) not only the
"
monism " of more than 2,000 years of great
Yedanta pliilosoi)hers but also the most modern
and scientific monism of Haeckel. Those who
iniia ilaihi-rajiuu

(from

believe in evolution

must believe that Islam

was evolved from the religions that preceded it

and can well claim to be more developed
than
in

predecessors. So far as the belief

concerned, the most developed form

all its

God

is

of that belief is found in Islam.

Belief in a

plurality of gods failed thousands of years ago.

It was only a savage belief.
The deification
of

man

also failed

and

all

the

"

incarnations

"

have been brought again to their proper places

and recognised as nothing more than human
beings. Supernaturalism and mystic philosophy
offer sometimes a long resistance to tiie
encroachment of reason but in the long run
they, too, are vanquished. Krishna of immaculate birth and an Incarnation of God is now
recognised to be nothing more than a man of
extraordinary greatness and in the vei\y near
future the mystical and unreasonable belief
in the divinity of Christ, whose birth was as
mysterious as that of Krishna, is bound to be
superseded by a more rational

belief.

The

13

spread of

Uiiitarianism

an unmistakable

is

sign of the times and so are the ever-growing

(^

monotheistic movements
j

[J

among

the Hindus.

So ultimately the belief in one and only one

God without a companion, without a cosharer in His Divinity, will be the religious
belief of the world and it will be a triumph of
Islam and mean the success of Pan-Islamism.
Not only this as the substitution of matter
and energy for God has failed before, so will
that now, and these materialists will ultimate-

ly

"

Koran

perceive as the

all

God

creatures

in

out that

)>oints

heaven and earth

ancl the birds also."

Then

praise

will

they begin
within
their
hearts
thus:
"Were
they
argue
created by nothing? or are they the creators
of themselves ?
Created they lieaven and
to

Nay, rather they have no faith. Hold

they tliy Lord's treasures ? Bear they the rule

earth?

supreme?"

And

tlie

reply to these pertinent

has been, in the

negative. They will find that this universe
as it exists and as it works on, neither can be
questions will again be as

tlie

sole product of

it

matter nor

The matter had some One

to ordain for

it

in this beautiful

to give

fixed design

of

energy.

it its

which

is

form,
found

Universe, in these brilliant

stars,
it

and the energn

16
Iiad

i,;^'

some One

to guide

so correctly and scientifically a?

solar system works. To matter and

to worlc

the huge

eiiergij apply these verses of the Koran :Vorily, they whom ye call besides God, cannot
create

carry
from it.

fly

though they assemble for it, and if the

aught from them they cannot take it away
Weak, tlie sujipliant and the supplicated.

fly
off

Unworthy the estimate they form

of

God

for

God

is

right ijowerful and mighty."

So matter and energy will again give place

to the Great First Cause whom Huxley could
not deny and which even MacCabe and
"
"
Haeckel believe is One " and Eternal " and
^'Infinite" and it will be a triumpli of the Koran
and mean the success of Pan-Islamism. Not
only this, there are other social and moral
matters in which Pan-Islamism has a chance.
There is no other moral code that has so forcibly run down intemperance, gambling and
incontinence and so wonderfully succeeded in
eradicating these vices, which Canon Taylor
calls the three curses of Christian civilisation.

Unfortunately for the morality of the vvorld

and the godliness of man all these vices are
taking great strides and are increasing day by

day as

it

ialism in

were under the influence of materthose countries which claim to be

17

How much

greatly advanced in civilisation.

money

is

England on
corrnpt amusements and exciteevery year

spent

alcohol or in

in

ments
Ho\^^ large is the number of illegitimate children born every year in England I
!

How

shocking are
the Divorce Courts

the revelations

in

these matters

is still

worse.

in

Prance
Marriage, an

The condition

made

of

institution so beneficial for the social happi-

coming to be recognised
in practice at least as a useless, costly and
unnecessary tie, and the population of France
ness of

is

all

mankind,

is

stationary.

At

present

the

European

conscience

is

almost dead to the enormity of this phase of its

civilisation, but as we believe that man has in
his essence godliness, it may be hoped that

even the Enropean people

will

realise before

long that these vices are a curse, ruinous not

only to his moral
political

life,

and physical

but also to his

life

and that

will

social,,

be a

triumph of Islam anrl mean the success of PanIslamism. Arabia of old, in these matters,,
was almost in the same stage of degradation
when one man swei)t it clean of all of them.
Europe also shall be cleaned of them and
there is a chance for Islam to do it again.

18

TJie very increase in all the European countries

of the numl)er of those women whose existence
is

a curse and outrage on our humanity and

a disgrace to civilisation demands Islamic

laws which made such an increase impossible,
and so Pan-Islamism has a great chance in
this social line to effect

improvement and

save humanity from further disgrace.

There is one other cause where Islam
tined to play- an important part. It is

is

to

des-

in re-

cognising the equality between man and man

regardless of colour and of race. Universal

brotherhood shall be establised, all the prejudices of race and colour and creed shall vanish

when man

up this verse of the Koran

as his guide, as a warrant of his happiness
and peace
will take

"

Whether a Believer, a Jew, a Christian or a Sahian,

he who believes in God and the Last Day and acts
aright, his reward becomes due upon liis Creator, he
should neither fear anything nor be depressed."

This again will be a triumph of Islam and

mean the success of Pan-Islamism. In fact
Christianity has tried for many centuries now
to establish a common brotherhood between

the

human

races, to elevate the morals of the

people and to bring peace into the world, but

10

completely failed to achieve any of those

grand and noble olDJects, It is the Christian,
white, "discoloured," European people who are
it lias

"
"
coloured
fanatically prejudiced against the
and Asiatic races and so it is they who cons-

tantly disturb the amity and fraternity that

should exist and which did exist under the true

Islamic civilisation between

Under the Islamic civilisation,

of Abyssinia, the

man and man.

the "black men"

white of Spain, the yellow of

China and the brown of Asiatic countries loved

one another like brothers and treated each
other on terms of perfect equality and so they
do even to-day if they are Musalmans. Christianity has also failed to elevate the morals of
people. Wine, women of ill fame, and gambling
are the three great curses of Ciiristian countries, wliile Islamic countries, under Islamic
law, can neitlier tolerate prostitution, nor
Cliristianity has failed
wine, nor gambling.
altogetlier in bringing peace. It is the Chris-

who have shed the greatest quanhuman blood in the past and who are

tian people
tity of

bent on their bloody pursuits.

So the time shall come when Islam will be

still

given a trial again to achieve those grand

objects which Christianity has failed to achieve

20

and

\v

be a success for Pan-Islamism^

It must liave become clear from my foregoshall

it

ing remarks tliat Pan-Islamism

quite different
"
"

fanaticism

something
from fanaticism. But this word
is

has become a by-word

Europe
and
generally
among Biiglishmeu particularly
when they talk of JNIusalmans. If a Musal-

man

his

gives up

life

for

in

the love

of his

country or his liberty, he is

branded as a fanatic if a Oliristian does it, he
is idolised as a hero.
It is not only this word

religion,

liis

"

fanaticism

When
show

"

that has

its

relative

meaning..
the
Transvaal
and
California
Australia,
colour bigotry and racial prejudice,

excuses are found out for this narrowminded-

Morocco
show any hatred towards the "Whites" and

ness of theirs

but

if

Tibet, China or

have among themselves those

rather meddlesome and ambitious people, they
have their subjects massacred, their cities
bombarded and their towns ransacked as a

do not

like

to

punishment for their audacity in disliking

the people of white colour. Fanaticism in the

same way,
and not

is

in

latter miglit

disgraceful.

only objectionable in Musalmans

white nations even thougli the

forms more crude and

However, I do not mean to f^ay

show

it in

21

that there are not fanatics

but so there are

among

Miisalnians^

every religion, in every

race and in every walk of life. I can name a
great statesman of England who was as fanatically against the Turkish Government as some
in

Egyptians are against the English occupation

of their country.

TJiere

is

little ditference-

between Musalman and Christian fanaticism.

Musalman

fanaticism

can

be

found

only

amongst uneducated people, but among the

Christian people you sometimes find men of
learning and education more fanatical than:
the illiterate INIusalmans.

Go

in

fez

to-

some

country-place of England or give a

lecture on Islam at any place out of London aud very probably you will require a

your protection. Read any

book on Islam or Muliammad written by a
Cliristian and you will find tiie proof of thepolice force

for

basest fanaticism

been

in

tlic

abuses that have-

upon tiiem. Also the vituperations

that are poured with Christian charity upon
the Sultan of Turkey by even decent English
piled

papers are glaring signs of fanaticism among^

the educated class. While tlie Muslim monarch of Turkey has patronised many a

non-Muslim

institution, the Christian

King of

22

England, wlio has perhaps more Mnsalmans

under liini than Cliristians, would have to

were to accept the patronage

of, say, tlie London Mosque Fund.
The unfortunate incident at Denshawai is a

abdicate

if

lie

good illustration

of

both kinds of fanaticism.

Granting that the assault made by the uneducated Egyptians on the Englishman who
provoked them was fanatical, the anger of
the educated English people which that incident aroused was the more fanatical, the
spiteful revenge, under the name of justice,
still more fanatical, and the alarmist speech
of Sir Edward Grey, and the spurious letter
published by Lord Cromer, which had no other
object
of his

than to inflame the fanatical spirit

countrymen and to fabricate an excuse

inhuman punishments, were not very

sober acts. The latter acts can well be
for the

called acts of civilised

are also

fanaticism but there

instances of barbarous
"

fanaticism

"

found amongst these civilised people. The

desecration of the Mahdi's tomb in the Soudan,
an act which even a savage would hesitate to

severance of Bambata's head in

right savage fashion, are flagrant and shocking instances of the barbarous fanaticism of
do,

and

'the

Cliristiau, wliite

23

and "civilised

"

Tlie

people.

Pan-Islamists look at tliese acts of fanaticism

with as great disgust and abiiorrence as any

fanaticism among the illiterate Mnsalmans,

and

one of their great objects to protest

against such fanaticism in wiiatever quarter
it may exist.
They fully realise the danger
to which Muslim fanaticism can expose the
whole community.
They have seen that
it is

met by a stronger fanaticism

and as they are weaker the fight cannot be
to their advantage. So they want to suppress
fanaticism

is

fanaticism

among

gionists as

it

their

uneducated

has been suppressed

co-reli-

among

the

Mnsalmans, and to divert the

same energy to more profitable channels.
I have acknowledged that tiiere are fanatics among Mnsalmans and I will also admit

"cultured"

that they are very reckless. The reason of

this is that Islam is extremely dear to every

Musalman, and when a Musalman

is

given

reason to think that he serves his religion by

any act of self-sacrifice he will never hesitate
to give up even his life for tiiat purpose. To
a true Musalman wealth or life is not dearer

than his religion. Khalid, the "Sword of God,"

^'hen invading Persia invited tiie mighty

24

Emperor

of Persia to

submit to the orders of

the Khalifa of Islam, otlierwise lie would send

against liim men who loved death in the cause

even as the Persians loved

life and its luxuries.
This was no arrogant
threat, but a real fact. This very spirit in
uneducated Musalmans, wiio do not understand wliat would be a real service to Islam,
of tlieir religion

becomes dangerous fanaticism when the}' get

enthusiastic and disdain death even on supposed insults to their faith.
passionately and
injury

to

spirit, tliis

so

Tliey love Islam

wild

grow

over

any

imaginary. But this

staunch adiierence to one object^
it,

real

or

undaunted support of one cause served

the purpose of many a statesman and general
in the olden days, and in tlie not very remote
this

past excited

tlie

admiration

of

great military

geniuses of Europe like Napoleon. I am also

inclined to think that that military monarch

who

sits

on

the tiirone

of

Prussia has realised the fact

Germany and
tiiat

this s[)irit

a powerful weapon in the

hands of one who knows how to wield it, and
of fearlessness

is

Emperor William's memorable words of friendship for Musalmans

spoken at Damascus.
this

explains the

25

any alien people

Tl,e gi-eatest ^^^'^'^'''''^.^^^ sympathies
.itv

Muslim

of using
,, t
-ell as

oaeved
-''^.
=;";,,,
ad>
own
to theiv
^^ ,,e
mit t aK

Eugllsl. people,

,,atie.l

.s

of then-

^^^^^

-tate-ueu

land to-day

to the

.u^t'

vega de

^.^^^..

,^,,

^^

Eug-

^j,^

vith as "<=
B"gl'"
not evet,
';"',., ^go.
about
,egarded
^-"^'^jZ-ce Lave greatly
^^^^^^^ ^^^^p,^
i,;BeuceaudEgUsl,comne^
Au
'"TuvUey.
^^ ^1,,^.
suffered

have
latest events
ht
<-!^^^,
I"
means
e.e before.
by no
;*^^,. ,^,
that
oeeupation
proved
1^"'.'^;"" , BgUsU
>"^'-"tbe
iu
succeeded
'^ 'ot;itUstanding
.n
and even
_^

are uot so

popular,

I^icba

--ords of

flattering
foolishly
(,, t,,ey

enlightened

^^,,^^^,,jans-

<>'^;^;^,i,es),

liberal

the
--";,,ias
w
Musalmans as

:, ^fanatical"
much
a,e not very

and

majority
^^^^^^.^,.^

Anglo-Indian
^u^.^h
,riendliuess

haughtiness

and

of

satis^^^^

^^

p,.ers.

w
2G

''V

used her Muslim subjects as au asset of

value ill gaining influence over otiier Muslim

Napoleon is said to have declared

that he could conquer the world with a good
Muslim army, but England though possessing
a good Muslim army has failed to draw any
great advantage from it because that array is
no more tlian a mercenary body and England
has never aroused in it tliat world-conquering
She has failed to make Muslims feel
spirit.
their glory in the glory and success of the
countries.

British Empire.
Turkish friend of mine once

remarked

that tolerant and advanced England has not

given even one responsible post to any of the
70.000,000 INIuslims under her, while the socalled

backward Turkey

lerant" Islam

the country of "into-

has given even such responsible

posts as ambassadorships at foreign Courts* to

her Christian subjects out of only 3,000,000 of

This shows that either England cannot trust her Muslim subjects or she cannot

them.

As to Christian dignitaries appointed as Tui-kish

the Court of St. James, tlie name of Kostaki Pasha,
*'

the late Musuras Pasha and his father,

may

Ambassadors at

Rustam Pasha,

be mentioned.

Prince

Malcohn Khan was the Persian Ambassador in London for a long

Hasan Yang Chang, the late Chinesetime and is now in Rome.
Minister in

Berlin,

tolerant attitude of

illustrates

in

China towards

his
its

person the enlightened and

Muslim

subjects.

find

even one out

27

of so

after sncli a

many and

long rnle, who could be given a responsible

"
shame for EngIn both cases it is a
post.
land."

Mr. William Samuel

Service, writes in

Problems'':

Lilly of the Indian Civil

"
India and its
liis l)ook

" It
appear.s to ine

that v/o

slioiild

sedulously seek

among them most fitted sociallj^ morally

and intellectually to rule, and associate them with
Englishmen freely and liberally, even in the highest
offices such
are the Muhammadaiis of Northern

for those

India

one of the noblest races in the country."

But does the

Britisli

ing to his advice

Lord Cromer
to

Government act accord-

Lord Curzon

in

India and

Egypt both practically declined

associate Musalmans with Englishmen in
in

and it is quite reasonable

for Musalmans, who have the instinct of a
military and ruling race, and whose very
religion teaches them equality between man
and man, to resent their alleged inferiority. Sir Auckland Colvin, in his article in the
Nineteenth Century on " Egypt to-day," attrithe highest

offices,

butes to Islam "a fanatical

ill-will

to the supre-

an authority wliich is not of its own

creed" and lias evidenced surprise at "the Mus-

macy

of

lim clinging to Constantinople." Tliissiiows an.

28

inexcusable ignorance of the true spirit of Islam,

the right nature of Musalmans. Islam, indeed,
is a democratic religion and its adherents ouglit

bow

not to

their heads

but before God.

So

^Iso a Muslim would by his very nature prefer

to live even in a semi-civilised country with

and equality of riglits

under even Pax Bvitaii-

his self-respect, dignity,

than live
"
with a brand of native" on his forehead

establishetl,
iiica

and a constant shriek

that

the

"
"

in his ears
"

telling

him

the conquerors have more rights than

coiKjuered," that the white colour gives

more dignity and privileges to a person than

any other colour, that the policy of coercion
is the best
policy for Asiatics, and that
Christian civilisation

is

the only civilisation

that can be respected. A Muslim cannot bear

ignominious treatment. This is the secret of

the immigration into Turkey of the Musalmans

of those provinces which have been snatched

away from Turkey by the

This

is

Christian powers.

the secret of the Egyptians disliking

British predominance and their want of appreciation of the benetits that liave accrued
to

to

them through it. England has done nothing

appeal to the sentiments of the Musalmans

.and to win over their hery enthusiasm for her

glory.

the

Oil

29

coiiti'Mry

England and tier ollicials

have very often hurt tlieir

statesmen

her
in

India and

in

Egypt

feelings.

The greatest factor in shaking the confidence

of the Muslim world in England is her very
suspicious policy towards Arabian Musalmans.
Musalnians were never aggressive in making
religious wars as Christians were during
tlie
crusades, but they have shown that
wlieu their religious feelings and sentiments are in any way touched, tliey cau
become unconquerable in spite of a great
^combination

against them.

I,

as a British

subject, and one vi^lio even for personal interests lias to be loyal to the British Government in India, tliink it my duty to warn
of the

danger she

running by her
No Musalman with any repolicy.
ligious feeling in iiiin will ever allow
any
alien people to have even a sliadowy kind of

England
Arabian

"

"

is

The
holy places.
activity of England towards Koweit or Aden
and possibly at Yemen, cannot do England any
protectorate

good at
Turkey,

over

his

while on the other hand, it vexes

makes her more and more suspicious

all,
it

of lilnglaud's motives, and so more and more

inclined towards another great military power,

30

and

this policy is

Miisalmaiis.

extremely h'ritating

to

tlie

Even those Masalmans who are

eloiineut in praise of the blessings tliat British

rule has conferred npon them cannot be witli

English statesmen
are far-sighted enongli not to be duped by tlie
false utterances of any flatterer) in case Eng-

England (and

land tries to snatch

tiie

tliat

hope

away

the holy places from

protection of a Muslim monarch. Muslims

more than

and no
worldly blessings can be dearer to tliem than

love their religion

tiieir lives

their religion.

The best desire

of

all

the

Pan-Islamists

back upon her

policy of friendliness towards Masalmans
Under British rule is
and their rulers.
is

to see that

England

falls

number of
Musalmans, so when England shows any
anti|)athy towards other Muslim countries,
brought togetlier

the

greatest

they hnd themselves in an awkward position,

as the same religion, wliich lias established

common

brotheriiood

among Muslims, has

also

enjoined them to be loyal to tlieir riders,

and the strict discipline wiiich is found even
the Muslim prayers makes them obedient
to law and constituted authority. For this
in

reason

it is

one of the greatest objects of the

i^

31

Pan-Islamists to remove the prejudices of the

English people against Islam in order that
tlieir

fanaticism which causes them even pecu-

niary loss by decreasing tlieir commerce in

Muslim countries be not so intense as to
totally blind

even

tlieir

statesmen and their

liistorians.

The best way to be immune from the

danger of Muslim "fanaticism," and the best
way to win over the Muslim world to her
England to revert to her old
policy of Lord Beaconsfleld, towards Turkey and to give up at once her
ambition towards tliat land of rocks and sand
side will be for

the
policy

wJiich though of no value to any other community is very dear to every Muslim heart,

definite

alliance

with Turkey,

which

advocated during my stay in Constantinople,,

would insure peace in the Near East as the
alliance witli Japan has insured peace in the

Far East.

gladden the hearts of all

Musalmans and make them attached to the
It

will

English nation. On the contrary when Musalmans see England forward in taking away

Orete from Turkey and thus forcing tliousandsof Musalmans to

an exile from home, ia

making naval demonstrations,

contrary

to

32

)
^^

international law, against Turkey, in putting

obstacles in tlie internal administration and

taxation in Turlcey and in impeding the construction of useful railways, they feel iiurt
and when they see that it is only the Christian

subjects of Turlcey for

their

sympathy,

Her

stirred.

people

and

own

religious

solicitude

reveals her

just,

whom England

as

for

sliows

feelings get

the

Christian

not very impartial

but fettered by religious and racial

prejudice and spurred by religious bigotry.

England herself will be to blame if the

Pan-Islamic movement becomes inimical to

Great Britain later on.

Up to the
movement
least

not so as yet.
the Pan-Islamic

It is

present moment
is in favour of England

two bodies

of

it,

tlie

Nedwa

and at
in

India

and the Pan-Islamic Society of England, are

ven grateful to England and her people.
Every member of this Pan-Islamic Society,
though keen on the achievement of its objects,
is imbued with feelings of loyalty and even
gratitude towards England and her people.
Though all other opinions I have expressed
in this paper are my individual opinions, yet
this much I can say on behalf of the PanIslamic Society as its old secretary that she

33

opposed to the British connection

with Egypt nor to Britisli Rule in India.
Though our Society is interested in the
is

neiilier

well-being of Musalmans of every

part of the world, though she sympathises
witli Musalmans wherever they be troubled,

genei-al

Arabia or anywhere else, slie

fully realises that for a society with those
objects which she has in view there is no
other soil in tlie orld than the free land of
the little Island which throws its light thousands of miles oil and where the chains of
even slaves fall off when they laud on its
blessed soil. She knows also that there is a
chance for her success among a people who

in

Kgypt or

though

in

conservative

and

clinging

fast

their old prejudices, yet are acute judges

to

and

and keenly appreciate everything

good and true. The sympathy shown to her
even in such a short time, and the interest
tliat the educated and broad-minded English
people have taken in her, make her grateful
to tliem. It is tliis gratefulness and tliis love
of the English people that makes her more
solicitious to see England and its people on
friendly terms with Musalmans and their
critics

sovereigns so

tliat

she

may

iiave no occasion of

34

either being ungrateful or iinsisterl.y. Providence lias interwoven the destiny of English-

men with

that of

Musalmaus and

understand each other better.

fully confident that

sober judges and

are,

know

tliey

must

This Society

is

the more such calm and

critics, as

of Islam, the

the English people

more

inclined they will

be towards that great rational

and the
more friendly feelings they will have towards
those valiant people, the Musalmans.
I have said tliat tlie Pan-Islamists want to
faith,

"

in Musalsuppress the spirit of "fanaticisin

mans, but thej'^ by uo means want to extin-

guish that

spirit.

They want

to turn

it

into

proper channel and to teach Musalmans to

master that fire rather than be slaves to it.

its

Grand objects can be achieved by using properly that love of Islam and Muliammad which
Musalmans have. Muliammad told them tliat
knowledge was a birthright of Musalmans and
they should pick it up wherever they find it
he commanded them to go to distant and
even non-Islamic countries in search of know;

Musalmans have any love for

Muhammad they should act according to what
he said. Islam made all Musalmans brotliers
and so if they have any love of Islam they
ledge and

if

35

sliould follow its dictates.

want
ing

The Pan-Islamists

upon tlieii' brothers that holdthe palms of their bands on snpposed

to impress

life in

themselves beliind the

progressive people by their own ignorance and
tlien trying to get off from the intrusion of
those people by sheer physical force, are not
These hurt
things wliich Islam demands.
injnries,

or keeping

rather than serve the

cause

of

Islam.

In

ago, a pamphlet was

brought out by an enlightened Muslim association denouncing the so-called Ghazi-ism shown
India, not

many years

now and again by ignorant Pathans, and

so

Pan-Islamists want to denounce recklessness

every kind in serving the cause of Islam,

because it is suicidal. As a melancholy inof

stance of this deplorable and fatal recklessness

may be mentioned the annihilation of 12,000

men in a few hours at the battle of

Omdurman. This kind of love of Islam can do

brave

no good to the community nor to Islam. But

tluit love of Islam is beneficial which would
attract non-Muslims by creating those heroic
virtues wliich Islam created in tlie old Musal-

Muslim
Muslim tolera-

mans, by setting practical examples

brother-hood, Muslim socialism,
tion,

Muslim morality and

ideal

of

of chastity.

:5f)

Masliin temperance an I abstinence fcoin ever y~

kind of intoxicant, Muslim love of knowledge

and above

one God. The

more intense that love lor Islam is, tlie more
it will serve the cause of Islam and the purall

Mnslini belief

in

pose of the Pan-Islamists. Tliat love should

be advanced even to the point of " fanaticism""

and the fanatical love

Islam whicii already

exists in the hearts of Musalmans should be
directed towards tlie achievement of the obI

jects
I

mentioned above.

liave

was not

for

so sanguine of

cause of Pan-Islamism until

tlie

success of the

visited Constan-

As I said in my faretinople last August.'''

well speech to Abdullah al-lNIa'mun Sulirawardy,

have

come

believe

to

fraternal string of Islam

thirteen centuries old, is

tliat

though more than

still strong enough

and fast all the 300,000,000

in the words of the poet,

to hold close

and that

it,

Heai't to heart
111

body and

My

visit to

tiie

of us

and mind to mind

in soul

can

l)ind.

the capital of the Turkish

Em-

been extremely remarkable and I had

a grand time of it there. I was with a friend
of mine, Slieikh Abdul Qadir, and both of us
received special recognition and decoration
pire has

* This was written in 19L)G.

37

from His Imperial Majesty the Sultan Abdul

Hamid II, visited many times the Prime
Minister, Perid Pasiia, also the Foreign Minister, Tewfllv Pasha, both of whom we fonnd to

be splendid statesmen and thorongh gentlemen

as well as good specimens of educated and enlightened Mnsalmans. Our visits to Ahmad
Pasim, a son-in-law of His Majesty and a keen

statesman, to Mamdnli Pasha, Minister of the

Interior, the two Secretaries of His Imperial

Majesty,

the

well-known

General Ediiam

Pasha (wi)o gave us his signed ])hotographs

"as a remembrance of fraternity"), Arfa-ndDaula, Mirza Riza Khan Danish and tlieir
Excellencies Nouri Bey, Ismail Pasha and

Hakky Bey
progress of

we found

followed the

Indian Mnsalmans

wonderfully

(tiie

latter

closely), gave us great satisfaction. In another line we had very lengthy conversations

with the venerable Shaikh Syed Abul Huda,

also with the Sheildi-ul-Islam, a man of un-

doubted (lualifications and great enlightenment, and Kazi Askar Mahmood Effendi, the
highly cultured Alim (theologian). We also
had the privilege of visiting that wonderfully

enlightened Muslim ruler H. H. the Khedive

of P]gy|)t who with Islamic hospitality invited

us to Ei^ypt.

38

have f^iven tliis incomplete

list of persons wliom we visited while at Constantinople to show that I had a grand time
there, and it is not because I had the honour
of visiting such high personages that I attach
so

much

significance to the visit.

made me

side that has

It

is

not this

so sanguine about the

cause of Pan-Islamism.
My companion will
bear me out when I say that after my visits to
the palaces of His Majesty and the great
personages I have mentioned, I very often
feelingly repeated these

sentimental lines of

a great poet
Ba favagh dil zamani nazari ba mahrooi.
Behazan ki kasri Shahi hama roz hai o hooi.
:

" To

with satisfied and happy heart for

a short time with one beautiful, is better
sit

than being

in

a king's palace and loud merry-

making all day."

appreciate more the brotherly
affection of the two great friends we made in
In fact

Constantinople, Jelal Bey and H. E. Saaduddin Bey. So it is not on account of these

acquaintances witli sncii big personages that

I made, that I attach so mucii importance to
this visit of mine, bnt because I noticed that
tlie

heart of Muslims are

full

of

sympatliy

hut
to

little

meet

in

over the world and

organisation and effort can be

one other

for

39

all

witli

made

union.

Every Musalman

in

Turkey whether

rich

or poor, educated or uneducated, whom we

met, seemed to feel as if he had found a
long-lost relation. The ecstasies of a i)oor
brothel" of ours, who was almost in rags, into

which he went at the very pleasure of seeing

"
us at tlie Sublime Porte" after having read
the news of our arrival

in

and

same

otiier

events of

me hopeful of

tlie

the morniiig jiapers

Pan-Islamism.

kind, liave

We

made

had an oppor-

tunity of meeting Musalmans from almost all

p^rts of the world, even those wlio liave

and Japan, and it is tlie experience which I thus got that lias made
me so sanguine, Tlie brotherhood of INIusalmans and the Islamic spirit in tliem is still
a living force and it requires only to be organised to advance the civilisation of the world
as forcibly on to perfection as it did in former
ages. The more I realised the spirit of PanIslamism and common brotherhood whicli the
Great Prophet inculcated in the hearts of
his followers and which has been germinating
in these people wlio have come more than
visited Oliina

40

thirteen

centuries after

more 1
that Great

him,

tlie

became devotedly attached to

Prophet, the more I became sure

the

of

ultimate triumph of Islam, and tlie more I

became sanguine of the success of PanIslamisin.

TJie

community

is

there are quite bright signs of

Whatever be the cause of it,

awakening and
it.

either a

trast of their past with that of their

con-

present

Musalmans have been drawing in their

minds, as is shown by modern Muslim literawJiicii

ture, a consciousness of

the deplorableness of
the condition to which they have sunk, or the

combination of Christendom against their

kings and sovereigns and tne dwindling away
of their dominions, the spirit of

Pan-Islaniism

has recently revived in Musalmans of

many

countries.

In India the awakening took the form of

schools for religious education and orphanages
to

save

Muslim orphans from

falling

the hands of Christian missionaries.

associations

have

also been

sectarian principles.

man-i-Himayat-i-Islam

The
of

into

Many

established

well-knovsii

Lahore

oil'

Anju-

with

its

magnilicent college (the Islamiyyah College),

and orphanage and the noble assembly called

41

itlie

Nudwat-ul-Ulama are great products

of

this awakening.

In Afghanistan the

was revived by
late

tliat

great

Pan-Islam ism
statesman,

tlie

Ameer Abdur Rahman

ruler of Kabul,

Khan,

spirit of

He

not only suggested a union between Turkey, Persia and Afghanistan but

was

also far-sighted

enough

to

use

Islam

purposes. He took the title of

"Zia-ul-Millat w'al-Din" (The Light of the Nation and the Faith) and tiie very idea of estabfor

political

lishing a college on modern lines at Kabul

which but for his untimely death would have

become an accomplished fact in his

shows how practical his notions
Islamism were.
only that

It

is

lifetime,
of

Pan-

by general education

those inborn qualiflcations

of

Musalman patriotism and love of Islam can

be made to serve the cause of Islam and that
is the one means by which Pan-Islamists can

There can be no
-doubt that His Majesty Habib LlUali the present successor of that great statesman who
succeed

in

their

objects.

made a

point of following the policy laid

dovv'n by his father, will prove as staunch a
Pan-Islamist as his father was and will carry
lias

vout all those ideas of Pau-Islamism

which the

lamentable death

42

of his

fatliei'

has

left

un-

realised.

In

Egypt

also

the revival of Pan-Islainijin

has been perceptible of late and it lias taken

a nationalist turn. But this nationalism has
nothing to do with fanaticism. If tlie efforts
wliich tlie

colonies

ment

peoi:)le

made

or those

Transvaal or other
success for self-govern-

of the

witli

wliich Indians and Irishmen

are making for that purpose, are fanaticism

tlien the nationalism of the Egyptians may
fanaticism, but a fanaticism
of which no one need be asiiamed.
There
also be

called

are

many

my

friend

also

the

true Pan-Islamists

Egypt

like

M. Shonkrey Bey but there are

a number of Musalmaus who do not like
"

white

"

people, as

not like the Asiatics

and

in

if

the Trausvaalers do

and coloured people,

the dislike of the latter

the dislike of

the Khedive

tlie

former

is

is

not fanaticism,

also

not.

H. H.

an educated and enlightened

prince and a very lit person for guiding PanIslamism into a useful and proper channel.
In Persia the spirit of Pan-Islamism has
been most successful, thanks to lier deceased
ruler H. M. Muzaffar-ud-din Shall. One of
is

the great causes of the political downfall of

43

Musalinans was the schism that broke out inthe body of the Musahnans on the tiuestion of
the Caliphate.
Tliat was the time wlien
religion

and so

was

freely used for political

this matter,

though

was brought within the

jjurely

i)ale of

jjurposes
political,

religion

Abu

the difference of opinion whetiier

and

Bakr,

Omar and Osnian were

legally and rightly

entitled to that place,

Khalifasor only Ali was

was extended to such an extent shortly after,
that it made the disciples of one persuasion
directly opposed to those of the other and
even differences in rituals and ceremonies

were introduced to divide the people. This

was most unfortunate. It caused great mischief and in the end that difference changed
into deadly animosity. The Sliiahs began to
hate their brother Sunnis only because the
latter accepted the predecessors of Ali as
Khalifas and they even forgot to reason that
tliat

incident

was a matter

which gave

rise to this

of past history

the control of the

now and beyond

people living

thirteen centuries after.

So

schism

tlie

more than

Shiah Persia

and the Sunni Turkey became enemies and

the i)eople of one countrj" turned against the
peoi)le of the other, though both worshipped

rthe

44

same Ood and followed the same prophet.

But the

nol)le Sliah, imbiied

set a

of Pan-Islamism,

the amity

tiiat

two peoples and

should

with the

spirit

personal example of
exist between the

visited the Sultan of

Turkey
The
between
the
in his ca|)ital.
meeting
two great heads of tlie two sects of Islam
was quite brotherly and I was told l)y eyewitnesses that they embraced each otiier
with tears in their eyes- As a result of this
meeting the relations between the two peoples

have very much improved and

was

deliglited

to find that the Persians at Constantinople

(about ten thousand or more) were conscious
of the harm the schism had caused and

were
Sunni

brotherly affection for their

In fact my time at
co-religionists.

full

of

Constantinople with the Persians was more

pleasant than what I spent with my Sunni
brotliers, because I could speak Persian but
not Turkish, and

revere and

respect

my

esteemed Sliiah friend, tlie Majd-al-Sultauat

Mirza Mehdi Ali Khan, as much as I do my
Turkish friends Hamid Bey and Rafat Bey.
The reconciliation between the two so-called
churches in Islam is evidenced by a remarkable incident.

The

principle of election has

45

by the Sunnis who recognised

the three Khalifas before Ali, because thej^
were elected, but this was never recognised
Ijeen followed

by the Sliiahs. The Sunnis derive their name

from following the traditions and the opinion
majority {Siiunat wa Jainaat). The
Sliiahs did not do so before, but it is signflcant

of

the

that they liave

elective

ment

of

now adopted

the system of

government and have got a

their own. So the institution

parliaof this

elective system of government promises not

only, as the Persians think, another Japan

near future, but also a complete union

between these two great sects of Musalnians:

in the

and the greatest success of Pan-Islamism.

The remarkable revolution in Persia, whichy
thanks to tlie magnaminity of tJie late Shah,.
has been accomplished with perfect peace, is

a child

of tlie spirit of

Pan-Islamism.

Many

enlightened Persians had been |)reparing the

ground for this step for a long time and I
have a book anonymously published ten years

ago

was

in

which

this

success of the revolution

The writer

book I
happen to know. He is a learned but unassuming old man, leading a (juiet life away from
his home, where nobody seems to realise
foretold.

of

this

40

what a genius he

That this change is a

result of rational Pan-Islamism is also evidenced by the remarkable fact that it was the
Ulamas, the theologians, who were foremost
is.

demanding constitutional government, thus

giving up the authority, stronger than even
that of the king, which they had hitherto
in

enjoyed over the people.

In Turkey the spirit of Pan-Islamism can
be found in uo person more than His Imperial

Majesty the Sultan Abdul Hamid

11.

In fact

given the credit of being the very cause

of the revival of this s])irit of Pan-Islamism
and in the imagination of some fevered brains
lie is

supposed to have sent secret

emissaries all over the Muslim world to draw

he

also

is

the Musalmans closer to him, to instigate

them to acts of fanaticisim against their
foreign rulers and so on. There is no truth in
these fantastic ideas, but there is no doubt

that

His

Majesty

is

way he has re-assured

a Pan-Islamist.

The

to himself the Caliphate,

the manner in which he receives his co-relifrom different parts of the world in

gionists
his dominions, the restrictions which he has
laid down in order that his people should not

go out

of the

bounds

of their

own

civilisation,

47

<nistoms and manuers,

glorious idea of

and Medina,

and

above

making a railway

all

to

tliat

Mecca

these are clear demonstra-

the spirit with which His Majesty

Had the Christian Powers
imbued.

tions
is

all

of

given a freer liand to His Majesty, had they

allowed rest to Turkey even for a quarter
of a century, had they not encouraged the
rebellion of his Majesty's Christian subjects,
who are treated with unparalleled toleration
(in

fact too

much

toleration)

riglits

wiiich England,

boast

of

and are given

notwithstanding her
and justice, has not

impartiality
given to Indians or any non-Christians, had
Turkey not been compelled to spend so much

preparations to the enforced neglect of other material and economical reforms, Turkey would have been quite

money

in

military

a different country from what

Pan-Islamist Sovereign has,

it is

these obstacles, given Turkey

many

in

The

now.

spite

of

all

beneficial

and above all has slowly but

steadily educated his people and prepared them
for constitutional government.
Shortsighted
and maliMusalmans
the
people even among
cious opponents of Turkish Government have
been giving out that the present Sultan has a
institutions

48

government and prorogued the Parliament lie gave to Turkey on

account of that horror. They forget to realisethat had Turkey been given a constitutional
government before the Muslim population was
educated enough to have the government in
its hands,
Turkey would have practically
become l)y now a non-Muslim power.
There is no doubt that if |)rovidence spares
His Majesty for a few years more Turkey
will iiave a constitution! Government guided
liorroi* for

constitutional

by the masterful hand of His Majesty. It

will be the crowning achievement of PanIslamism. It will draw the educated Musalmans from all parts of tlie world who by the
experiences gained in their own countries
would be able to pay the Christian statesmen
in their

own

coin,

wlien

tliey

make any

Government and

onslaught on the Turkish

will read them a lesson

in

lesson tauglit by them, as

now

Musalmans from every part

return for the

the oppressed
of the world

seek shelter in His Majesty's dominions. It

wdl then make it possible to utilise the

annual gatherings

Hijaz for the purpose

they were instituted and it will be then that
the whole Muslim world will be devotedly
in

49

to tlieir

^attaclietl

Khalifa.

Tliat

will

be a

great success of tlic j^reat Pan-Islamist Sultan

Abdul Haniid and of Pan-Islaniisin in general.

A Russian Muslim

me

that

a current of Pan-Islamic spirit running

the hearts of the Musalmans of Russia.

there
in

friend informs

is

great meeting from

almost all parts of Russia and discussed matters for the ^y ell-being of the community. The

They very

lately held a

Russian Muslim papers have been exhorting

their brethren to take a lesson from Indian
Musalmans in awakening to tiie needs and re^(uirementsof the times and I read a book very
recently written by a Russian Musalman on
questions economic and political, in wiiich the
learned writer has dealt with the Pan-Islamic
(luestioii under the very name "Pan-Islam."
In Tunis the spirit of Pan-Islamism has
been revived and the enlightened Muslims
have awakened to the needs of the time.
Tliey have got some places in the new
"assembly" and mean to show some resistance to the over-domination of the European
races.

Nor are

tlie

signs of a great revival

Morocco, and the Sahara

and other recesses of the Dark Continent

wanting

in Algeria,

^peopled by the followers of the Prophet.

50

The Pan-Islamists, who know the intrinsic

value of their religion and have found how
that religion

suitable

is

to the

requirements
age and advanced humanity,
have come to tiiink tliat they can put their
of a progressive

before

the

enlightened people of
advanced countries with a chance of its being

religion

accepted as

tlieir

religion, at

least

with a

confidence of making those |)eople adopt its

principles of Tiieism and iiractioal morality
which are undoubtedly the most perfect and
the most ])ractical. Witii tliis object the eyes
of the Pan-Islamist are turned tov.ards England,

As
seem

America and
I

the destinies of England

have been intertwined with those of

liave

to

Jai)an.

said,

Musalmans, so England was the

first

to yield

the proselytizing ambitions of Musalmans

which have resulted in the formation of genu-

to

ine Islamic centres in London, Liverpool and

elsewhere.

Many have adopted

the faith of

Islam, the first and most remarkable convert

being the late Lord Stanley of Alderley. Thus

neither the floating bulwarks nor the surrounding seas could stop the penetration of Islam to
the soil which had remained untouched by it for

a long time.

It is

a matter of regret though,

51

that

tlie

spread of Islam in

been so general as

not

tile

still

tone

the

of

tliis

country has

promised to be,
English public has
it

decidedly undergone a change in favour of

that faith. Ignorance was tlie cause of many

a prejudice and as that ignorance is 1)eing

removed those ])rejn(lices are also disappearing.

no hope of Islam becoming tlie religion of the people who are so

conservative and who love their luxurious

Of course there

life

is

too well to like any check being placed on

but there

every liope that the enlightened

peojjle of England will, sooner or later, ac-

it

is

the

knowledge
exertions of

greatness

Musalmans

of

Islam,

if

the

initiated in an orga-

al-Ma'mun Suhrawardy to familiarise the people with Muslim

customs and manners and festivals, to remove
their ignorance of Islam by lectures and
pamphlets and to attract them towards the
faith by placing it before them in its true
light, are continued for some time.
Thongh

nised form

number
persons who
their

Abdullaii

Abdullah

by

is

not

large

still

there

are

adopted Islam through

al-Ma'muii Suhiawarrlv and their
iiave

'Conversion

is

more

52

valuable

because

they
are men of learning and seekers after Truth.*
As I have said, the English people are
fair-minded as critics and the ajipreciation
their strong point. The splendid
of Mr. Ameer Ali on Islam have among

of talent

works

is

their admirers

collec-

Sayhigs of Muhcuuniad" and my

pamphlet "T//e Miracle of Muhauiiuad''

tion of the
little

many Englishmen. The

''''

have succeeded in attracting the attention of

many an eidightened person in England and
America. The learned Dr. Paul Cams of New
York has reviewed both the works very favourably.
like

Many

Miss Martha

talented ladies of America,

Craig and Miss Alice Ives,

are very favourably disposed towards Islam

and Muhammad.
These are very hopeful signs

of the success

of the proselytising Pan-Islamism.

The spread

of

greater than in

America has been even

England if we consider Babism

Islam

in

and Behaism as sects of Islam. Islam did

succeed in making its staunch follower one
highly educated American, the Hon. Alexander Russel Webb, American Consul-Geneial
in the Phillipines, whose indefatigable labours
* The illustrated German
magazine Vehcr Land iind ]\[ccr for
1907, gives a hrief account of

liis

work.

53

l-a^.e

of .rtverse
^^^^^^^^
,

the race

-,n

.esultert

circumstances
'
, ,a..y

ti,e

in

"^^f
---'

,,t

and

valnable

recently
a ,n,sl>.f^^, ,
I
to
Warn
.aclUerent
,.,
p,actical.
^"',^'
an<l ^
'..tical religion,
ig people
a
as well as
.,i>o i,as

"f

^^^
a life-giving
^^^.^^.^^^
was
Americans are <>";-;;
Mhamma<l
a t
^^^,^^,.
Islamisademocrat>c most p
and ti>e
^^_j^,^,ists

is

the greatest
It is not only

tl.e

eves o

.e

tow-Os
tatare tnrned
ce" ;MJapan

l,as

beconre

many ways,
,akes

ti.e

tl.e

ti

^^^^,_^_^,^^,
.

^^^^.^^^.
^ ^^^ ^,,^,

look
-y;^"-^^ ^^^^ ^ eovetons
would

P--'^'^
and "; ..ttdvantages ,s l,er
towards Japan,
^^,.^,
j'"^^
^
to
Japan
^^^^^^
accrue
,is.eacce,rt^^^_^^^
t>e
fe
maj
p^^j
state religion
^_^^.^^^^
'
'"- ^^"^^"
and take
i^
;;:UtMoOO
Jiuie
on
of London
,^
^^

ti.e

liberty of quoting /j^J^/.i^ePan-IslamicSoeiety

Post
SiK,-To us, the "-;-'^- ;'^ ;^, i, the Moruluc,
thln.iug of
the news from
\enously
^^j
''V^^^t^V
^,
inst. that Tapan
.^ ^^^^.^
ot the 13th
o
a.
adopting islam
,, over-sanguine
^-^J^^^;^,
and practical
.velcome. Of
-^-'^^'/^^.'r^hivalvous
as islam .
hut
^,,,,, for
it iust yet,
a^^ ^^ .^ ^^^^
and as
that if -Japan
,eligion,
""%^;y^\^^ii
ha^e ta ,,ope
we
the Asiatic people,

^f

Avants to play a doiniii.iiit and prominent ]KU't in worldpolitics of the fiitiii-e, and if she has any am)>ition of

being the regenoratoi- of Asia, she

will,

sooner or later,

adopt that religion which nptiirned the groat Empires

of Rome and Persia and which made the wanderers of
the desert of Arabia the conqiieroi-s and civilisors of
all the three old C(>ntin<>nts.

almost

There are at present two courses open for Japan

one to adopt the civilisation and tlie religion of Europe
and thus merge her identity in the European Powers,
:

the other

to be the I'estorer of the glory and civiliAsia and to be the leading power in that
civilisation. If her amlition is nothing beyond the

sation

is

(if

she shall have no credit or honour from the

Easterns nor much from the Westerns, who are far
more advanced than her in that civilisation but if she
first,

dreams

becoming one day a world-power, and to

make Asia again dominate other Continents as she did
of

once, Japan cannot realise that object but by adopting

the enlivening and inspiriting religion of Islam- the

simple, invigorating, and practical religion the religion of Muhammad, the greatest reformer, legislator,

conuuander, a nation and emi)ire founder the religion

of Khalid and Sa'd, the conqueror of Persia in Asia ;
;

the religion of Amrou, the conqueror of the land of

Pharaohs in Africa; and the religion of JNluhaanand
II., the conqueror of the invincible Constantinople in

Europe.

As has been suggested

])olitieal

advantages

in

the Moniiiiij Po^t, the

tliut .lapan

can gain

l)y

adopting

Islam

;is

55

her State religion are too obvious to be hid--

from the eyes of the statesmen of Japan.

Japan, notwithstanding her marvellous ])rogress
and successes, remains nothing but a small State,
doii

whose influence

is

confined to that corner of the world

only wliere she is situated. At present she has no

interest and no sympathies beyond that limited
sphere.

But

if

she were to become a Muslim Power

her successes and progress would arouse the sympathy and acclamation of every Muslim in the world, and
as there

hardly anj^ ])art of the world which is without Mussulmans, Japan by adopting Islam Avould by one
stroke become a Power possessing an influence all
is

over the world and backed, supported, and loved by

one-fiftli of tlie Avhole

human

kind.

Yours, &c.,

SHAIKH MUSHIR HOSAIN KTDWAI,

Hon. Secretary, Pan-Islamic Society..
127,

Sutherland-avenne, IMaida-vale, June

14.

Thanks to its own wortli the religion of tlie

Arabian shepherd does not owe anything to a
Constantine or to any Royal patronage which
Christianity oi' other reh'gions owe. Islam gaye
splendid kingdoms to the nomads of tlie Arabian
desert but for
(Hit

Itself

its

power or influence

under the obligation

convert, nor has to

bow down

of

it

never

any royal

for that jnirpose

any monarch now. Tlie Muslim theologians, to whom and whom alone Islam as

l)efore

56

indebted, tlieinselves disdained

ail worldly honours.
Had these exponents of
Islam, some of whom by the sublimity of their

-a

religion

is

character and by their erudition were equal

to the old prophets and seers, not attracted
people towards Islam by their pious, unselfish
and saintly lives and by the true love of

knowledge with which

tliey

devoted them-

selves to the study of that great faith and

the troubles they bore to expound it, had they

uot gone from place to place in tlieir tattered

garments with their pen and ink and books,
and above all witli their model characters, the
religion of Islam would not have become so dear
to the people and it woukLnot have remain-

ed undiminished in

its

infiuence

with the

decrease of the political power of Musalmans.

It was not only that the great Omar did uot
care for the conversion of Jabalah bin

Ayham,

the king of GJiassan. aud made him answerable

to the same penalty which he inflicted on a

poor Musalman, but

even

in later

days the

Muslim theologians did not care for the conversion of a great monarch who wanted the
restriction of total abstinence to be modified

There are many instances of

Muslim theologians giving up their lives to

in his

favour.

57

save the principles of Islam. The extensivedomains won by Musallmans vi^ere nothing in*
tlieif eyes and
the religion of Islam was
in its zenith, in their opinion, only for thirty-

three years -up to the time of the Caliphate of

Ali. On the contrary there might be mentioned

a number of kings who rather injured the

cause of Islam by their nominal adhesion to

and

practice doing acts quite

repulsive to the nature of Islam. So Islam
for its power and influence never was nor
tliat religion

want

in

any regal support from any

Had it been so the political condi((uarter.
tion of Musalmans of the present time would
have made the cause of Pan-lslamism utterly
hopeless. It must be known that when the
Pan-Islamists look towards the Mikado with
wistful eyes it is not because they want to
give Islam any strength by converting him
is

in

of

but because they hope that Japan itself will

become doubly strong and the prestige of

Musalmans

will

tlieir political

be

much

raised as well as

place in the world re-estab-

lished.
It is

lation

a well-known fact that the Muslim popuof

millions

Cliina,
anrl

is

which

is

said to be seventy

a gigantic evidence of the

o8

peaceful penetration and tlie marvellous

success of the honorary missionaries of
Islam,
is

distinguished by sobriety and courage. No

royal edict is necessary to eradicate the vice
of opium smoking in them, because the Ciiinese
Musalmans do not smoke even tobacco. Dr.

Gustave Le Bon

in Ids

Civilisation writes

masterly book on Arab

thus aI)out the Chinese

Musalmans- are vevy particular about

speaking the
truth and being honest.
Those among them Avho
hold offices are popular among people and are well-

"They

respected.

Those who are

in business are
well-reput-

The principles of their religion have made them

generous and it seems as if all of them are members
of one family who help and pi-otect each other."
ed.

Tliese Chinese

Musalmans have

also

shown

worth very recently as splendid soldiers

and they also seem to be imbued with the fratheir

ternal spirit of Islam.

When

the

"

mailed

fist

"

Europe was in Peking, tlie Musalmans of

India were also sent over and the
newspapers
of

reported that after the i)eace when the Chinese Musalmans and these Indian INIusalmans

met, though they could not understand each

other's language, they saluted each other
with the Islamic salutation and embraced
each other as brethren in Islam.

->9

Witli such a large luiinber of Miisalmaiis so

<;lose to Japan I was astouiuled when I saw a

note of a responsible Japanese minister in tlie

hands of a Mullah in Turkey (Haj Muhammad
Ali) sliowing such a great ignorance of Islam
as cliai-acterising polygamy as the fundamental
teaching of Islam. But the existence of such

great ignorance is very hopeful for the future.

It shows tliat the Japanese do not know anything yet of Islam and so there
chance of its success when it

is
is

a greater
put before

know

it.

Francois also a country winch

is

them and

tliey

are jnade to

toucii with Pan-Islamism, but

Islam in France

is

much

in

the success of

not possible as long as

tlie

people there do not come to fully realise the

danger they are incurring as a nation by their
unbridled love of luxuries and wine. Social
in iterance

animal

life

life

has come almost to the level of

and human nature does not

restrictions of any kind, so

seems

it

like

difficult

luider the present circumstances for people

law and be bound by Islamic

restrictions. Nevertheless Islam could count
a Member of the French Ciiamber of Deinities
to turn to Islamic

and several other Frenchmen

amongst

its followers.

It

in liigh positions

will

be surely for

00

France not to alienate tliefeelings of Musalmaus from her. Siie has a

large number of Iter own Muslim subjects and
it cannot be said to be a wise policy to wound
their feelings. She should also bear in n)ind
tlie political

good

of

that Musalmaus are a grateful people. From

Paris is published a very useful Pan-Islamic

Magazine

man"

called

whicli

is

"Revue du monde Musal-

very creditable to

its

publishers

and which may help in bringing about an

entente cordiale between France and the

Musalman world.
I was not a little surprised when 1 found
Islam so unknown in Hungary though it was^
a Muslim country not long ago and there is a
little tomb of the Muslim Saint Gul Baba in
that splendid town Buda-Pest reminding one
It might prove useful to the
of days gone by.

vigorous and pushing peo[)le of Hungary in

their aspirations to enlist the sympathies of

They must remember that it

Constantinople that Kossuth the cham-

Musalmaus.

was

in

pion of

tlieir

national cause found an asylum.

Prominent amongst German Muslims is Muhammad Add Schmitz (hi Moulin whose heart
is

burning with the fire of Pan-Islamism,

It cannot be too often repeated that the

01

and salvation of Musalmans lies in

one and only one thing, i.e., if tlie.v waut prosperity even in this world they shouhl fall back
npon their true and simple religion, npon the
religion of Mnliammad and of Ali and thonsands of otiiers who truly and rightly and
closely followed Islam. There is no religion
in this world to which any people owe so much
of tlieir worldly prosperity and progress as
Musalmans owe to Islam, Wliat was it that
brought out tlie Arabs from the darkness they
were in since ages, to play a most dazzlingly

Avell-being

the history of tlie world ?

that made a people without any

prominent

yjart in

What was

it

colieslon,

into

What was

tion V

who were hardly

compact and
it

tliat

made

united

na-

those people

distinguisliable from ordinary

brute creation, the civilisers of the world,

who held "tlie torch of learning and knowledge"

and showed their activity in

almost every branch of human knowledge, who
were recognised as " the enlightened teachers

for centuries,

barbarous Europe " in philosopliy, medicine,

natural history, geography, grammar, " the
of
golden art"
poetry, chemistry, astronomy and other branches of science ? What

of

was

it

that

made those
5

"

shepherd people,"

62

"

since tlie
roaming unnoticed in the desert
creation of the world" the conquerors and

administrators of such a large part of the

world, and extraordinary military geniuses and

marvellous statesmen -Khalids and Omars?

All this was done by Islam and Islam alone.
early victories of theMusalmans can
be attributed to Islam. When two combatants

Even the

were seen in the field, at times not only of

the same nation, same race and same country,
but also sons of tlie same parents, but with
the difference that one was non-Muslim and
the other Muslim, the self-confldence,

tiie

un-

daunted courage and tlie entliusiasm wliicii

the grand cause lie wanted to serve created
in the latter, were clearly distinguishable from
the first who had no moral support behind him.

When we

observe critically

how

the pagan

Arabs though greater in number and with

greater advantages of supply and position
were many times vanquished by the much
smaller number of their own brethren wlio had
changed in no other respect than that they
had managed to get the spell of Islam over
them, we come to understand the secret of
the astonisiiing progress of Arabian conquests
which has puzzled many a historian. The

0:>,

principles of Islam and the cause of Truth

l)Otli

produced extraordinary courage and created a

very great amount of self-contldence. One extraordinary Muslim soldier, Derar bin Advvar
always opposed an armoured enemy unarmoured and only witli a single spear and

an unsaddled
that

horse,

on one

and Gibbon has written

occasion at least

memorable battle

of

{I.e.,

the

in

Ajendan) he, in this parfaced and repulsed tliirty

ticular style of his,

great warriors of the side of the

enemy.

It

can also be seen by the perusal of the history

of the Muslim conquests that in almost every
battle the

Musalman army was in the minority

sometimes even
seven.

Still in

Musalmans
it

to the

ratio

of only

one to

was the
What was

the majority of cases

it

were victorious.
tlmt gave them victory ? Noldeke says
tliat

"

Rhetorical expressions about the decaying condition of both empires (Byzantium and Persia) and the
youthful energies of the Muslims are unsatisfying to
the inquirer who keeps the concrete facts before him."

These "concrete facts," he says further,

stand thus

On one side " Both Byzantium and Persia had at

their command genuine soldiers regularly armed and
disciplined. The traditions of Roman warfare were
not yet entirely lost and

tlu^

Persians

still

possessed

64

tboir di'oadecl cuirassiers, before

whom

in better tiines,-

even the armies of Rome liad often fled. Tlie Emjjeror

Heracleiis was certainly the greatest man who had
held the Empire since Constantine and Julian. He
was an astute diplomatist and a very competent general
and as a soldier bold even to rashness."
On the
other side "the wretchedly armed Arab, fighting not
in regularly organised military divisions but by fami-

and clans, and under leaders Avho never before

had faced disciplined troops."

lies

How was

it

then that the Arabs shattered

the armies of botli the Emperors

as to

many European

historians

To Noldeke
who do not

"

understand Islam, tlie plienomenon continues

mysterious as before," but to Musalmans it is
very simple. The key to these successes was
Islam itself. It was not the sword that spread
Islam but it was Islam tliat drilled bodily and
invigorated physically and inspirited morally its
followers and gave victory to that sword
which, though its possessors were a lightingpeople from ages, had never sliowji its sharpIn short, it is to
ness to the outer world.

Islam that Mussalmans owe their conquests

and it is also to Islam tliat they owe their
intellectual progress.

The
*"'

"'Saijincfs

of

Muhammud'"*

By Abdullah-al-Mii'mun Sukrawardy

is

(Constable, 1904.)

replete

65

marvellous incentives and injunctions for

acquiring knowledge.
Some of Muhammad's sayings on the subject
run thus

Avitli

"

To

listen to the Avords of the learned

into others the lesson of science

is

and to

better tlian

instil
vc^li-

gious exercises."

"He who

livetii

search of knoAvledge walketh

in

the path of God."

in

"

With knowledge man I'iseth to the heights of goodness and to a noble position, associatetli with sover-eigns in this world and attaineth to the perfection of
happiness in the next."

"Acquire knowledge, as he who

acquires it perpraises the Lord,

forms an act of piety, who speaks of it,

who seeks it, adores God, who dispenses instruction
in it, bestows alms, and also Avho imparts it to its

performs an act of devotion to God." ^

Acquire knowledge. It enableth its 2)ossessor to
distinguish right from wrong, it lighteth the Avay to

.fitting objects,
"

Heaven,

it is

solitude, our

to happiness,

our friend in the desert, our society iu

companion when friendless,

it

sustaineth us in misery,

it

it is

guidoth
an orna-

ment amongst friends and an armour against enemies."

Muhammad even turned

the attention of his

militant people towards learning and

ship by beautifully
"
'Of

The ink

saying:

of the scholaf is

the martyr."

more

holj'

penman-

than the blood

So

OG

was not that Islam sharpened onlj^

it

sword

of tlie

tlieir brains.

the-

Musalmans, it also quickened

It was on account of this dual

influence that in those early

Musalmans could

be found not only men of extraordinary military valour but also of wonderful intellectual
and administrative qualities. Had Islam pro-

duced only four men Abu Bakr, Omar,

Osman and AH it would have still enriched'
the world with four splendid characters in
different aspects.

The world knows no

saint

who can excel in saintly qualities the first, the

world knows no statesman who excels the
second

the qualities of statesmanship as well

as administration, no pious man who excels
the piety of Osman and no hero who excelsthe heroism of Ali, yet what were they before
in

they became Musalmans

What was

that

greatest of all great men himself before he

became a Musalman? None of these were

men

of

any great importance before their con-

version.

In short,

everything
if

it is

in

they want

to Islam that

respect of

Musalmans owe

their progress

to regenerate themselves

to that they should return.

Musalman should

try to be a

Every

and
it is-

individual;

true Musalman.'

G7

and the more he succeeds in that the nearer

shall he be to perfection, to prosperity and to
success.

stand in

Koran

They should not make themselveswant of any such reminder from the

Keinember also when we accepted the covenant

of tlie children of Israel, saying " Ye shall not worany other except God, and ye shall show
kindness to your parents and kindred and to orphans
and to the poor, and speak that which is good unto
men and be constant at prayer and give alms,"

ship

afterwards ye

turned back except a few of you,

and retired afar off. And w^Iien we accepted your
covenant saying, " Ye shall not shed yonr brother's
blood, nor dispossess one another of your habitations,""
then ye confirmed it and were witness thereto.
Afterwards ye were they who slew one another and
turned several of your brethren out of their houses,
mutually assisting each
injustice and enmity.

other against them

with,

What has been recommended to individual

Musalmans can also be recommended to
Muslim states and Muslim nations at large.
Islam demands justice and peace and good
government of every kind. Tlie very word
"Islam" means "peace." The Islamic salutation is "Peace be on you." The Koran
says, "Peace is the Word of the Merciful
"
Creator
and again
;

68

"

Verily God bids you do justice and good, and give

to kindred their due, and he forbids you to sin and
<lo wrong and oppress (Ch. VI.).
"O ye Muslims, stand fast to justice when ye bear

God though

be against yourselves
or your parents or your kindred, whether the party
be rich or poor. God is nearer than you to both.

Avitness before

it

Therefore follow not passion, lest ye swerve from

truth.
"

The servants

of the merciful are they that

upon the earth softly, and

walk

when the ignorant speak

unto them they reply " Peace" those that invoke not
with God any other God and slay not a soul that God
;

hath forbidden otherwise than by right, and commit

not fornication."
"Say, verily my Lord hath forbidden filthy actions,
both that which is discovered thereof, and that which
is

concealed, and also iniquity and unjust violence."

"And commit not disorders on the well-ordered

earth."
"

true believers, observe justice when ye appear

as witness before God, and let not hatred towards

but act justly this

induce you to do wrong
nearer piety, and fear God, for God is
fully accpiaintcd with what ye do."

anj^

will approach

Now

any government tliat is based on sucli

precepts cannot but command respect and
admiration from every people.

To adopt Islamic
of

principles in the

government, to devote

all

its

system
energy to

69

better the condition of

prove the resonrces of

people and to imcountry and not to

its
its

lack in militar.y efficiency or scientific and

material progress is what Pan-Islamists want

from every Mnslim state.

those Muslim states
otiier

Ameer

also

want

are close to each

form a defensive alliance without

to

delay.

who

They

suggested by the late

Abdur Rahman between Turkey, Persia
Tlie

alliance

and Afghanistan is the most imi)erative and

leaders of Muslim thought should urge the
Importance of such an alliance upon the people and the sovereigns of those countries.
It is a matter for the greatest grief and pain
to those Mnsalmans who have sense enough
to understand the

truly liberal spirit of their

great faith that its many ignorant but overzealous adherents confine it to an extremely limited

strictly

to

They look only and very

outward appearances and super-

scope.

In their eyes a man dressed according to their own ideas of a Muslim dress
is the only man deserving of salvation.
They
ficialities.

the saying of Muhammad

"acts
ignore
should be judged by the intentions and motive actuating them."
To them the verse
of

the

Koran

"

We

have

not

sent thee,

70

O Muhammad

),

save as a mercy

to

the-

worlds" has no import. A Muslim of one

sect calls tliat of another a kapr (heretic)
though they were strictly forbidden to divide
Islam into sects.

Tliose

MuUahs

ignorant

and MujtaliUis, who know practically nothing

of Islam and its history and philosophy, pose
as great ciliins (theologians) and issue abominable Fdtivas.
These fanatics instead of
serving Islam do it great harm and they

The

should be suppressed by Pan-Islamists.

greatest need of religions toleration is in

such countries as India and the aspect of

Islam best suited for an advanced age and

progressive nations is Suflsm, where even

Hindus and Buddhists and Theosophists can

meet with Musalmans. Kabir Das and Guru

Nanak

laid

down, not so very long ago, noble

lines for that union.

researches should be

It is

time

made

in

th.at

modern

Snflsm as has

been done by Mr. Snrfaraz Husain Qari* and

new interpretations given to such grand ideas
as are expressed in the following verses]"
Nature's ^reat secret let me now rehearse
:

Long- have I pondered o'er the

wondrous

tale,

Mr. S. H. Qari's Beauties of Islam, edited by Abdiillah-al-JIamun

SuTirawardy will he published shortly.
t Masnavi !Molvi

Rumi.

How Love

71

immortal

till

fills the universe,

mortals shall His presence hail

Tarrying
But man, alas liath interposed a veil,
And Love behind the lover's self doth hide.

Shall Love's great kindness prove of no avail

When

will ye cast the veil of sense aside.

Content
I liave
is

Love to

in finding

shown

tliat tlie

It

spontaneous.

up by any single

man

lose all else beside ?

Pan-Islamic movement
has not

been worked
association.

or by any

In certain respects it can be called the

product of the times. Not only Christians
have adopted Pan- Christian principles but
people of other religions and races are also
becoming conscious tiiat their very existence
is

tiireatened

if

they do not wake up and

The Hindus of India who are

unite together.
an extremely exclusive people, have now in
them a Pan-Hindu spirit and it has been

manifest
of the

among other movements

in the

form

Arya Samaj propaganda.

The Jews, another exclusive

people,

imve

been trying to return to Zion to be safe from

such

exterminations

as

threaten

them

in

Of course of all these

Pan "-movements Pan-Islamism has the
greatest vitality and greatest chance because

Christian
"

Russia.

72

an essential ingredient of the I'eligion of

Islam and because Musalmans are spread all
over the world and also because they have
it is

gone down completely in political

independence.
But because the Musalmans are so widely
spread and because they have not yet been
politically effaced and have contending forces
against them who are bent upon seeing the
not yet

comijlete

destruction

of

Muslim

political

strength, the task of the Pan-Islamist is more

difficult than that of the Pan-Hinduist or the

Pan-Judaist.

Pan-Islamism a perfect
organisation is required and branch societies
in every Muslim country needed to make the

For the success

of

people as well as tiieir Governments realise

their condition and their backwardness as

compared with advanced nations. The central

Pan-Islamic Society should be placed on a
London is the jjlace best
firmer footing.
suited for the headquarters of tlie Society. It
is the metropolis of the empire which is spread

over the world almost as largely as Musalmans

themselves. It is the metropolis of the British

Government that

numa larger number of

rules over the largest

ber of Musalmans, antl

T.)

Musalmans come

to this

capital than

to

any

other Eui'opeau capital. So London is tlie best

place for a society like this. But this Society

and permanent location before

can make its inlluence felt all over the

re(iuires capital
it

world.
I

believe

that Islam

is

destined to be the
Islam, the

first

belief in the unity of

God,

world's religion of the future.

principle of
is

the

faitli

which

is

destined to become the faith of

advanced humanity and

it

should be the elTort

the Pan-Islamist to spread

The verse of the Koran which
of

all

tliat
I

belief.

have given

above, viz.,
"
Whether liclievers or Jews or Christians or Sabiaus, he who believes iii God, the List day and acts
aright, his meed is with his Lord, neither fear nor
remorse should overtake him,"

should be the guiding princi|)le of the PanIslamists and they should recognise every-body,

whether a Hindu or a Buddhist, a Christian

or a Jew, who believes in the Unity of God, the
last day, and acts aright, as their brother and
thus establish a universal brotherhood without

any distinction of race, religion or coloni-.

The Koran repeatedly says tliat Muhammad
never

brought

any

new

religion

but

the

74

Adam

and other jiropliets and

seers, as Moses and Christ or Krishna and
Buddha. The Koran has also said that God

t'eligioas of

has sent prophets to every nation. Muhammad has also called his religion the religion
of nature in which every child is born.
So all
these matters tend to prove that Islam
in its

wider sense

is

the quintessence of

all

and every man whose belief is not

repugnant to the first principles of Islam,
which the Koran holds was the first principle
religions

true religion, sliould be considered

as under the aegis of Islam and a brotJier
of every

Musalmans, even tliough he be not following the rituals and ceremonies followed by the
Musalmans.
Recently I was thinking of founding an
Association of Universal Brotherhood where
of

all

those

|)eople

who

believe

in

one

God

could meet each other on terms of equality

so that all those people who had common
ideas about

God and morality

could look to

one anotlier as ))rothers even though they

or in forms of belief.
rituals
differed in

The members would be

religion

they

liked

wanted from them

free to

follow any

and the only thing

would be a belief in

the

Unity

73

God and

of

also

to

leave

olT

those religious or social matters which are

repugnant to universal brotherhood at large.

member

brotherhood for instance though not recognising Christ as a prophet would not be allowed to asperse the
character of the Virgin Mary and a Christian
Jewisli

of the

Muhammad

an

80
impostor.
by mutual understanding and witliout leaving
any cardinal points of tlieir own religions,
not

to

call

Jews, Christians and JNIusalmans and even

those Hindus and Buddhists whose religious
belief in

God would not be against the funda-

mental

creed

of

this

Ijrotherhood

would

'become united.

This society for establishing

the universal brotherliood would have come

into existence by
to think that in

this time,* but as I

tlie

wider sense

of

began
Pau-

Islamism this universal brotherhood can be

established, I have dropped the idea of that
society.
'^l^lie

Koran

calls

Musalmans

"

the interme-

"

and so tliey are. TJiere is no

nation which can take any serious exception
to the Islamic idea of God, and Islam can be

diate nation

"'*

An

Jormed

Association on

tlie

lines inillcated

above has already

heeii

made the

76

universal religion, the intermediate

uniting link between

enlightened religions of the world.

and

religion

tlie

all tlie

already a harmony in belief existing between the Jews and tlie Musalmaus.
Between a Unitarian Christian and a Musal-

There

is

So these
three world-religions can be united without
any difficulty and so I believe can all the

man

there

is

still

difference.

less

There is not much

difference in the fundamental principles of
Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity.
religions of

the

world.

Kufr o Islam dar rahash poyau,

"Wahclaho la sharik leh goyaii.

Faith and unfaith run together in Thy path and there

the}- meet,
"He is one, without a partner," both in their own

tongue repeat.

Gilwa har barg-o-gul men tera dekha,

Esa-o-Krishna men bhi usko dhondha,
Islam ne jab rah dekhai teri

Khud

We

men apnc tujhe hamne

paya.
and flowers.
in
the
leaves
of
Thine
the
found
signs

(i. ('.,

We

nafs

in

Nature),

searched for the same

in

Jesus and Krishna,

Wlien Islam showed us tlie way to Thee

\\'c found Thee in the Ego of our own selves.

pc:

to