The Reconciliation of Races and Religions — John Shaqi
The Reconciliation of Races and ReligionsCheyne, T. K. (Thomas Kelly)
Religion
The Reconciliation of Races and Religions
Cheyne, T. K. (Thomas Kelly)
Bahais
There is also the idea--the realized idea--of brotherhood, a
brotherhood which is simply an extension of the equality of Arabian
tribesmen. There is no caste in Islam; each believer stands in the
same relation to the Divine Sovereign. There may be poor, but it is
the rich man's merit to relieve them. There may be slaves, but slaves
and masters are religiously one, and though there are exceptions to
the general kindliness of masters and mistresses, it is in East Africa
that these lamentable inconsistencies are mostly found. The Muslim
brothers who may join the Bahais will not find it hard to shake off
their moral weaknesses, and own themselves brothers of their servants.
Are we not all (they will say) sons of Adam? Lastly, there is the
character of Muḥammad. Perfect he was not, but Baha'ullah was
hardly quite fair to Muḥammad when (if we may trust a tradition) he
referred to the Arabian prophet as a camel-driver. It is a most
inadequate description. He had a 'rare beauty and sweetness of
nature' to which he joined a 'social and political genius' and
'towering manhood.' [Footnote: Sister Nivedita, _The Web of Indian
Life_, pp. 242, 243.]
These are the chief contributions which Muslim friends and lovers will
be able to make; these, the beliefs which we shall hold more firmly
through our brothers' faith. Will Muslims accept as well as proffer
gifts? Speaking of a Southern Morocco Christian mission, S. L.
Bensusan admits that it does not make Christians out of Moors, but
claims that it 'teaches the Moors to live finer lives within the
limits of their own faith.' [Footnote: _Morocco_ (A. & C. Black),
p. 164.]
I should like to say something here about the sweetness of
Muḥammad. It appears not only in his love for his first wife and
benefactress, Khadijah, but in his affection for his daughter,
Fatima. This affection has passed over to the Muslims, who call her
very beautifully 'the Salutation of all Muslims.' The Bābis affirm
that Fatima returned to life in their own great heroine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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