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THE MOHAMMEDAN CONTROVERSY
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respect to Jesus himself and his
followers the true one; but may properly be termed `error,' with respect to the
last Prophet and his followers." Mohammed was, therefore, at first in error
because he was a Christian! He also explains the verses where Mohammed's sins
are mentioned as referring to the sins of his people. Our Indian antagonist
Kazim Ali is more candid; for he does apply the words to Mohammed, but alleges
that they refer merely to omissions of prayer and other ceremonial observances,
which even Prophets are sometimes guilty of, but which imply no moral stain.
So easy is it by forced reasoning to avoid the point of the clearest
expressions!
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We must hasten to Mirza Ruza's answer to Martyn, written in 1813, the year after
his death. It is very prolix, occupying no less than 289 pages; but not being
characterised by any peculiar exhibition of talent, and abounding with
perversions of Scripture and unfair conclusions, such as we meet with nowadays
in India, the work is not deserving lengthened notice. The Mirza treats many of
his opponent's arguments with great injustice, brings forward a grand array of
prophecies which he insists upon applying to Mohammed along with the foolish
story of the Hebrew child, expatiates upon the wonderful superiority of the
Shiea doctrines, and praises with fulsome panegyric the virtues of his Prophet
and the Coran. We shall take leave of the Mirza with a few specimens of his
style; and first an instance of his proficiency in history:—
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"It is told of Plato, that when he heard of Jesus having restored one to
life who had been three days dead, he said, I can do the same thing; which we
suppose must be understood of a person in the longest possible fit of
apoplexy. For it is an established principle with the physicians, that the
longest continuance of an apoplectic fit cannot exceed seventy-two hours ....
And hence it is that when any one dies suddenly, he is not buried for three
days ; during which time every effort is made for his recovery, because there
is still a possibility of his being restored" (p. 217). "And
again" (p. 177), "when Plato wrote to Christ to know if anyone could
be saved by his intervention, the answer of Jesus was, 'Divine Physician!
without my mediation no one can be saved'" (p. 173).
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The reason assigned for Mohammed's having nine wives is
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