It is not difficult to imagine the kind of
reformation such an inspired Guide would preach. Indeed his role is
marked out for him in the prophecies just quoted. He would purge the
earth of injustice with the sword, and, breaking with all authority but
that of the Koran he would seek to renew a kingdom of heaven on the
model of Islam militant. It would be a repetition, but on a grander
scale, of the Wahhabite movement of the eighteenth century, and, having
a wider base of operations in the vast fanatical masses of North Africa,
might achieve far more important results.
Even without pretending to the rank of an inspired guide, it is certain
that a man of zeal and character might in the present crisis easily
persuade the Malekite Arabs to reform their moral practice, if necessary
to asceticism, by proving to them that they would thus regain their
ascendancy in arms. On this basis a reformation would be easy; but it
would be analogous to that of the Hussites and Anabaptists in Europe,
rather than of the true Church reformation which succeeded these, and
would hardly be universal or permanent.
I once heard a most distinguished Alem describe the qualifications of
one who should preach a reform of this kind:--"The man," said he, "who
would persuade us to reform must come, in the first place, of a
well-recognized family.
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