The Preaching of Islam: A History of the Propagation of the Muslim FaithArnold, Thomas Walker, Sir
Islamic
The Preaching of Islam: A History of the Propagation of the Muslim Faith
Arnold, Thomas Walker, Sir
Islam -- History; Islam -- Missions -- History; Islam -- Relations
In order to complete this survey of Islam in Africa, it remains only to
draw attention to the fact that this religion has also made its
entrance into the extreme south of this continent, viz. in Cape Colony.
These Muhammadans of the Cape are descendants of Malays, who were
brought here by the Dutch [1154] either in the seventeenth or
eighteenth century; [1155] they speak a corrupt form of the Boer
dialect, with a considerable admixture of Arabic, and some English and
Malay words. A curious little book published in this dialect and
written in Arabic characters was published in Constantinople in 1877 by
the Turkish minister of education, to serve as a handbook of the
principles of the Muslim faith. [1156] The thoroughly Dutch names that
some of them bear, and the type of face observable in many of them,
point to the probability that they have at some time received into
their community some persons of Dutch birth, or at least that they have
in their veins a considerable admixture of Dutch blood. They have also
gained some converts from among the Hottentots. Very little notice has
been taken of them by European travellers, [1157] or even by their
co-religionists until recently. In 1819 Colebrooke had drawn attention
to the growth of Islam in some interesting notes he wrote on the Cape
Colony: “Mohammedanism is said to be gaining ground among the slaves
and free people of colour at the Cape; that is to say, more converts
among negroes and blacks of every description are made from Paganism to
the Musleman, than to the Christian religion, notwithstanding the
zealous exertions of pious missionaries. One cause of this perversion
is asserted to be a marked disinclination of slave owners to allow
their slaves to be baptized; arising from some erroneous notions or
over-charged apprehensions of the rights which a baptized slave
acquires. Slaves are certainly impressed with the idea that such a
disinclination subsists, and it is not an unfrequent answer of a slave,
when asked his motives for turning Musleman, that ‘some religion he
must have, and he is not allowed to turn Christian.’ Prejudices in this
respect are wearing away; and less discouragement is now given to the
conversion of slaves than heretofore. Masters, it is affirmed, begin to
find that their slaves serve not the worse for instruction received in
religious duties. Missionaries who devote themselves especially to the
religious instruction of slaves (and there is one in each of the
principal towns) have increasing congregations, and hope that their
labours are not unfruitful. But the Musleman priest, with less
exertion, has a greater flock.” [1158] During the last fifty years the
Muhammadans in Cape Colony have been visited by some zealous
co-religionists from other countries, and more attention is now paid by
them to education, and a deeper religious life has been stirred up
among them, and they are said to carry on a zealous propaganda,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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