Chapter 14

THE CREED OF ISLAM.

Monotheism is the corner-stone of Islam. Their creed consists of six articles. God, predestination, the angels good and bad, the books and the traditions of the 124,000 prophets, the resurrection and judgment, eternal reward and punishment. The formula continually repeated by the Mohammedans is this: "There is no god but God and Mohammed is His prophet." Allah or God has infinite power and wisdom and is holy, omnipotent, omnipresent, creator of the universe, upholder of all. He is an arbitrary ruler but deals justly with men. He is an object of fear and reverence, rather than of love and gratitude. The Mohammedan does not look upon God as the Father. He says God is the almighty creator and men ought to fear and tremble before Him as slaves. The writer was reasoning with a Mohammedan one day and spoke of God as "our heavenly Father." He said "you blaspheme. Don't call God a father." This could not be as he never had a wife. Allah has foreordained all things, good and evil. An unconditional resignation to Him is true wisdom. He is known because He has revealed Himself through chosen messengers, angelic and human, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, our great and chief prophets, but Mohammed is the last and the greatest above all.