alexandria and her schools-第25章
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a reason and a conscience； which could awaken to that message； and perceive its boundless beauty； its boundless importance； and that they did accept that message； and lived by it in proportion as they received it fully； such lives as no men in those times； and few in after times； have been able to live。 If I feel； as I do feel； that Abubekr； Omar； Abu Obeidah； and Amrou； were better men than I am； I must throw away all that Philoall that a Higher authorityhas taught me： or I must attribute their lofty virtues to the one source of all in man which is not selfishness； and fancy； and fury； and blindness as of the beasts which perish。
Why； then； has Islamism become one of the most patent and complete failures upon earth； if the true test of a system's success be the gradual progress and amelioration of the human beings who are under its influence？ First； I believe； from its allowing polygamy。 I do not judge Mohammed for having allowed it。 He found it one of the ancestral and immemorial customs of his nation。 He found it throughout the Hebrew Scriptures。 He found it in the case of Abraham； his ideal man； and； as he believed； the divinely…inspired ancestor of his race。 It seemed to him that what was right for Abraham； could not be wrong for an Arab。 God shall judge him； not I。 Moreover； the Christians of the East； divided into either monks or profligates； and with far lower and more brutal notions of the married state than were to be found in Arab poetry and legend； were the very last men on earth to make him feel the eternal and divine beauty of that pure wedded love which Christianity has not only proclaimed； but commanded； and thereby emancipated woman from her old slavery to the stronger sex。 And I believe； from his chivalrous faithfulness to his good wife Kadijah； as long as she lived； that Mohammed was a man who could have accepted that great truth in all its fulness； had he but been taught it。 He certainly felt the evil of polyamy so strongly as to restrict it in every possible way； except the only right waynamely； the proclamation of the true ideal of marriage。 But his ignorance； mistake； sin； if you will； was a deflection from the right law； from the true constitution of man； and therefore it avenged itself。 That chivalrous respect for woman； which was so strong in the early Mohammedans； died out。 The women themselveswho； in the first few years of Islamism； rose as the men rose； and became their helpmates； counsellors； and fellow…warriorsdegenerated rapidly into mere playthings。 I need not enter into the painful subject of woman's present position in the East； and the social consequences thereof。 But I firmly believe； not merely as a theory； but as a fact which may be proved by abundant evidence； that to polygamy alone is owing nine…tenths of the present decay and old age of every Mussulman nation； and that till it be utterly abolished； all Western civilisation and capital； and all the civil and religious liberty on earth； will not avail one jot toward their revival。 You must regenerate the family before you can regenerate the nation； and the relation of husband and wife before the family； because； as long as the root is corrupt； the fruit will be corrupt also。
But there is another cause of the failure of Islamism； more intimately connected with those metaphysical questions which we have been hitherto principally considering。
Among the first Mussulmans； as I have said； there was generally the most intense belief in each man that he was personally under a divine guide and teacher。 But their creed contained nothing which could keep up that belief in the minds of succeeding generations。 They had destroyed the good with the evil； and they paid the penalty of their undistinguishing wrath。 In sweeping away the idolatries and fetish worships of the Syrian Catholics； the Mussulmans had swept away also that doctrine which alone can deliver men from idolatry and fetish worshipsif not outward and material ones； yet the still more subtle； and therefore more dangerous idolatries of the intellect。 For they had swept away the belief in the Logos； in a divine teacher of every human soul； who was； in some mysterious way； the pattern and antitype of human virtue and wisdom。 And more； they had swept away that belief in the incarnation of the Logos； which alone can make man feel that his divine teacher is one who can enter into the human duties； sorrows； doubts； of each human spirit。 And； therefore； when Mohammed and his personal friends were dead； the belief in a present divine teacher； on the whole； died with them； and the Mussulmans began to put the Koran in the place of Him of whom the Koran spoke。 They began to worship the bookwhich after all is not a book； but only an irregular collection of Mohammed's meditations； and notes for sermonswith the most slavish and ridiculous idolatry。 They fell into a cabbalism； and a superstitious reverence for the mere letters and words of the Koran； to which the cabbalism of the old Rabbis was moderate and rational。 They surrounded it； and the history of Mohammed； with all ridiculous myths； and prodigies； and lying wonders； whereof the book itself contained not a word； and which Mohammed； during his existence； had denied and repudiated； saying that he worked no miracles； and that none were needed； because only reason was required to show a man the hand of a good God in all human affairs。 Nevertheless； these later Mussulmans found the miracles necessary to confirm their faith： and why？ Because they had lost the sense of a present God； a God of order； and therefore hankered； as men in such a mood always will； after prodigious and unnatural proofs of His having been once present with their founder Mohammed。
And in the meanwhile that absolute and omnipotent Being whom Mohammed； arising out of his great darkness； had so nobly preached to the Koreish； receded in the minds of their descendants to an unapproachable and abysmal distance。 For they had lost the sense of His present guidance； His personal care。 They had lost all which could connect Him with the working of their own souls； with their human duties and struggles； with the belief that His mercy and love were counterparts of human mercy and human love； in plain English； that He was loving and merciful at all。 The change came very gradually； thank God； you may read of noble sayings and deeds here and there； for many centuries after Mohammed： but it came； and then their belief in God's omnipotence and absoluteness dwindled into the most dark； and slavish； and benumbing fatalism。 His unchangeableness became in their minds not an unchangeable purpose to teach； forgive； and deliver menas it seemed to Mohammed to have been but a mere brute necessity； an unchangeable purpose to have His own way； whatsoever that way might be。 That dark fatalism； also； has helped toward the decay of the Mohammedan nations。 It has made them careless of self…improvement； faithless of the possibility of progress； and has kept； and will keep； the Mohammedan nations； in all intellectual matters； whole ages behind the Christian nations of the West。
How far the story of Omar's commanding the baths of Alexandria to be heated with the books from the great library is true； we shall never know。 Some have doubted the story altogether： but so many fresh corroborations of it are said to have been lately discovered； in Arabic writers； that I can hardly doubt that it had some foundation in fact。 One cannot but believe that John Philoponus； the last of the Alexandrian grammarians； when he asked his patron Amrou the gift of the library； took care to save some； at least； of its treasures； and howsoever strongly Omar may have felt or said that all books which agreed with the Koran were useless； and all which disagreed with it only fit to be destroyed； the general feeling of the Mohammedan leaders was very different。 As they settled in the various countries which they conquered； education seems to have been considered by them an important object。 We even find some of them； in the same generation as Mohammed； obeying strictly the Prophet's command to send all captive children to schoola fact which speaks as well for the Mussulmans' good sense； as it speaks
