[2] I have avoided further details here, as I have dealt with this
subject, at length, in my _Contributions to the History of Islamic
Civilisation_, pp. 146-169.
[3] Deutsch, _Literary Remains_, p. 87. For further information see Von
Kremer, _Culturgeschichtliche Streifzüge_ (my translation, p. 49.)
[4] Wellhausen, _Reste_, pp. 230-231.
[5] Lyall, _Ancient Arabian Poetry_, p. 93.
[6] In Wellhausen’s _Reste_, p. 229 will be found the passage in
question from Imra-ul-Qais.
[7] Journal of the Asiatic Society October, 1903 p. 773. Khuda Bukhsh,
_Islamic Civilisation_ p. 147 and the authorities therein cited.
II.
It is clear beyond doubt that Christian and Jewish influences, to a
large extent, unsettled and disturbed the beliefs of the Pagan Arabs
and paved the way for the prophet. Resistance to his faith there was,
but it was resistance on the part of those, who sought to maintain the
old faith and superstition; not on account of any warmth of conviction
or sincerity of zeal, but on account of the fear and apprehension that
the success of Islam would mean loss of large incomes derived from the
temples and old heathen practices.[8] But resistance, founded upon
such a selfish basis, could not prevent, and indeed did not prevent,
the onward progress of Islam. In the deadly conflict between Islam and
the Arab Heathenism Islam triumphed.
We, now, proceed to enquire as to what was the basis or, in other
words, what were the sources from which Islam was derived. Islam freely
borrowed from Judaism and Christianity and even did not hesitate to
adopt practices prevalent in Pre-Islamic Arabia. In fashioning his
religion the prophet adopted an eclectic method, retaining or rejecting
from the older systems whatever seemed to him necessary and proper.
It is not exactly within the scope of my paper to precisely specify
or to accurately define the exact obligation of Islam to Christianity
or Judaism. Such a discussion would take me far afield. Professor
Wellhausen is inclined to belittle the influence of Judaism in the
birth and infancy of Islam and points to the Islamic conception of
Jesus, as the greatest of the prophets before Mohamed, as a conclusive
proof of his contention. But the present writer is not prepared to
attach much weight to this argument. If the Islamic conception of
Jesus, indeed, is to be put forward as indicating the absence of Judaic
influence on early Islam; with equal force might the Islamic conception
of Jesus be urged as subversive of the theory of Christian influence,
so stoutly advocated by Professor Wellhausen.[9] The basis of dogmatic
Christianity, namely, the sonship of Christ, Mohamed inveighed against
early and late. It would be idle to deny the indebtedness of Islam
to Judaism. Mohamed has not merely accepted dogmas and doctrines of
Judaism, minute Talmudical ordinances, but has even adopted, in its
entirety, some of the Jewish practices and, far above all these, that
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