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THE MOHAMMEDAN CONTROVERSY
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The most popular work against Christianity in the North-West Provinces is at
present the Saulat uz Zaigham, or "Lion's Onset," a rambling,
desultory attack, full of spite and animosity, and careless as to the
correctness of its premises, but written in a vigorous and attractive style.
An abridgment of it in Urdoo has gained great currency among the Mohammedans,
and as a reply to it has just issued from the press, our readers will probably
be interested to know the character and merits of both books. The Khulâsa
i Saulat uz Zaigham was written thirteen years ago, but was only printed
within the last three years. The object, as described in the concluding
paragraph, is as follows:—
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In former times when Christians were
not in power, and the noisy violence of their abrogated religion was therefore
concealed, our Professors seldom turned their thoughts towards its refutation;
but upon the learned of this age it is incumbent as a sacred duty, to
use every endeavour for overturning their faith, otherwise these people by
insidious efforts will gradually mislead whole multitudes. And be not
discouraged by the knowledge that such attempts will be thrown away upon the
infidels themselves; for when it became generally known that I had written the
Saulat uz Zaigham, people began to dispute with the Padres, White and
Williams, and with me, and in the end, by God's assistance, I overcame them;
and the effect was that, of their friends, who had turned Christians, two
came to me and resumed the Mohammedan faith. Then praise be to God, the Lord
of both worlds!
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The chief peculiarities of this treatise are the. audacity
with which lengthened extracts from the Bible are, by the facile use of perverse
application, turned into predictions of Mohammed. It is difficult, perhaps, to
say how far many of these may not be the bonâ fide convictions of a
sincere mind searching after the confirmation of what it deems the true faith;
but some of the fancies are so conceited and puerile, some so extravagantly
absurd, that the most extensive charity will hardly admit their sincerity. Thus,
not only is every mention of armies, fear, terror, conquest, goodness or
dominion, intended for Mohammed and nobody else, but the Prophet's very horses,
swords and arrows were prefigured,—nay, his love of perfumes and hatred of
garlick and onions were not overlooked. The "White stone" of the
Revelations must mean the famous stone given by Gabriel to Mohammed,
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