CHAPTER IV.
THE CREED OF ISLAM.
Monotheism is the corner-stone of Islam. Their creed consists of six articles. God, predestination, the angels good and bad, the books and the traditions of the 124,000 prophets, the resurrection and judgment, eternal reward and punishment. The formula continually repeated by the Mohammedans is this: "There is no god but God and Mohammed is His prophet." Allah or God has infinite power and wisdom and is holy, omnipotent, omnipresent, creator of the universe, upholder of all. He is an arbitrary ruler but deals justly with men. He is an object of fear and reverence, rather than of love and gratitude. The Mohammedan does not look upon God as the Father. He says God is the almighty creator and men ought to fear and tremble before Him as slaves. The writer was reasoning with a Mohammedan one day and spoke of God as "our heavenly Father." He said "you blaspheme. Don't call God a father." This could not be as he never had a wife. Allah has foreordained all things, good and evil. An unconditional resignation to Him is true wisdom. He is known because He has revealed Himself through chosen messengers, angelic and human, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, our great and chief prophets, but Mohammed is the last and the greatest above all.
CHAPTER V.
THE PRIESTHOOD.
The Muj-ta-hid is the highest order of the priesthood but this order is divided into four degrees. The members of the highest degree reside at Karbala, the sacred city. The chief of this degree is called Naib-el-emam and in the belief of Shiite Moslems he is the representative of Mohammed. His position is the same as that of the pope in the Roman Catholic Church; and he is believed to be infallible. His authority extends over the entire clergy and in some respects over government. He resides in the most holy mosque which was built on the tombs of Hassan and Hussein, children of Ali, who were Martyrs in the war between the Shi-ites and Sun-neh Moslems. He has power to declare holy war. Vast sums of money are contributed into his keeping every year which he spends in defraying the expenses of thousands of pilgrims who flock to this shrine, and also for students who study in that mosque. He leads a simple life but it was stated by one of the pilgrims that he makes considerable money for his children. When this great chief dies there is a day of lamentation throughout Persia and lords and counts feed thousands of poor men and divide money among them. All business is suspended for the day.
The late Shah, it is said, sent three different messengers to this high Church official before he could get an interview, the churchman pleading humility and unworthiness to receive the king but before the latter departed after the interview he was charged to be a good and faithful ruler.
The second degree in the Muj-ta-hid is called Arch-Muj-tahid. It is composed of four priests who reside in the four places known as Era-wa-nee Shirazee, Khorasonee and Isphahonee, and one of these officials succeeds Na-ib-el emam at the death of the latter.