The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume I (of 2), 1866-1868Livingstone, David
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The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume I (of 2), 1866-1868
Livingstone, David
Africa, Central -- Description and travel
No better authority for what has been done or left undone by
Mohamadans in this country can be found than Mohamad bin Saleh, for he
is very intelligent, and takes an interest in all that happens, and
his father was equally interested in this country's affairs. He
declares that no attempt was ever made by Mohamadans to proselytize
the Africans: they teach their own children to read the Koran, but
them only; it is never translated, and to servants who go to the
Mosque it is all dumb show. Some servants imbibe Mohamadan bigotry
about eating, but they offer no prayers. Circumcision, to make
_halel_, or fit to slaughter the animals for their master, is the
utmost advance any have made. As the Arabs in East Africa never feel
themselves called on to propagate the doctrines of Islam, among the
heathen Africans, the statement of Captain Burton that they would make
better missionaries to the Africans than Christians, because they
would not insist on the abandonment of polygamy, possesses the same
force as if he had said Mohamadans would catch more birds than
Christians, because they would put salt on their tails. The
indispensable requisite or qualification for any kind of missionary is
that he have some wish to proselytize: this the Arabs do not possess
in the slightest degree.
As they never translate the Koran, they neglect the best means of
influencing the Africans, who invariably wish to understand what they
are about. When we were teaching adults the alphabet, they felt it a
hard task. "Give me medicine, I shall drink it to make me understand
it," was their earnest entreaty. When they have advanced so far as to
form clear conceptions of Old Testament and Gospel histories, they
tell them to their neighbours; and, on visiting distant tribes, feel
proud to show how much they know: in this way the knowledge of
Christianity becomes widely diffused. Those whose hatred to its
self-denying doctrines has become developed by knowledge, propagate
slanders; but still they speak of Christianity, and awaken attention.
The plan, therefore, of the Christian missionary in imparting
knowledge is immeasurably superior to that of the Moslem in dealing
with dumb show. I have, however, been astonished to see that none of
the Africans imitate the Arab prayers: considering their great
reverence of the Deity, it is a wonder that they do not learn to
address prayers to Him except on very extraordinary occasions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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