[15] This too was written before the events of September, 1881. These
have immensely added to the chance of Cairo's becoming once more the
seat of the Caliphate, though not perhaps of Mohammed Towfik's being the
Caliph elected.
CHAPTER IV.
A MOHAMMEDAN REFORMATION.
It is with considerable doubt of my ability to do justice to so very
difficult a subject that I now approach the most important point of all
in this inquiry, namely, the question on which in reality every other
depends: "Is there a possibility of anything like general reform for
Islam in her political and moral life?"
It is obvious that, unless we can answer this in the affirmative, none
of the changes I have been prefiguring will very much affect her
ultimate fortunes--neither the solution of her legal deadlock with the
Ottoman Caliphate, nor the transfer of her metropolis to a new centre,
nor even the triumph of her arms, if such were possible, in Africa or
India. These by themselves could, at best, only delay her decline. They
might even precipitate her ruin. Islam, if she relies only on the sword,
must in the end perish by it, for her forces, vast as they are, are
without physical cohesion, being scattered widely over the surface of
three continents and divided by insuperable accidents of seas and
deserts; and the enemy she would have to face is intelligent as well as
strong, and would not let her rest.
Pages:
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141