The Ibn Saoud
dynasty no longer holds the first position in Nejd, and Ibn Rashid who
has taken their place, though nominally a Wahhabite, has little of the
Wahhabite fanaticism. He is in fact a popular and national rather than a
religious leader, and though still designated at Constantinople as a
pestilent heretic, is counted as their ally by the more liberal Sunites.
It is probable that he would not withhold his allegiance from a Caliph
of the legitimate house of Koreysh. But this, too, is beyond the subject
of the present chapter.
With the Wahhabites, then, our census of Islam closes. It has given us,
as I hope, a fairly accurate view of the forces which make up the
Mohammedan world, and though the enumeration of these cannot but be dull
work, I do not think it will have been work done in vain. Without it
indeed it would be almost impossible to make clear the problem presented
to us by modern Islam or guess its solution. More interesting matter,
however, lies before us, and in my next chapter I propose to introduce
my reader to that burning question of the day in Asia, the Caliphate,
and explain the position of the House of Othman towards the Mohammedan
world.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] The following is a formula of the faith:--
1.
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