A Present to Kings — Page 20
( 20 ) apon the public stage and openly abuse the holy person of the. Prophet (peace be on him) and give public expression to their aversion to Islam. If any body should look closely into the condition of the Mussalmans, lie would find many a Mussalman who is not only altogether ignorant about Islam, but has contracted an aversion to it, and this state of things is not confined to. India alone but prevails in all countries. Even in the so-called. Islamic countries, Islam is treated with as scant respect as in other lands. Islam has been left a fossil and instead of being considered worthy of admiration is deemed to deserve every blame. The faith which was the goal of all creation and in reference to which God had said, "Enter ye the religion of. God in troops" would now seem to deserve the verdict "Leave ye the religion of God in troops. " Hundreds of thousands of men have already abandoned the faith and the majority of those who consider themselves within the pale of Islam have only the outward aspect of Mussalmans; their hearts have been estranged from the faith quite as much as of those who have discarded even the name of Islam, or to say the least, they are as much ignorant about Islam and know as little about its truths as do the Christians or the Hindus. There are thousands who are ignorant even of the formula of the unity of God. These statements are altogether free from exaggerations, and there is nothing of fancy about them. Men who think about the subject know that the present condition of the Mussalmans is really what has been described here. Thus, the time is crying that this age is an age of decline, not only for the Mussalmans but also for Islam, because 1slam has ceased to find a place in human hearts. If there had been a loss merely of temporal power, it might have been said that the age is a time of trial for the Mussalmans, but the fact that people have ceased to have any acquaintance with Islam save by its name would go to show that the trial is not for the Mussalmans alone but also for Islam. . It will perhaps be urged that even now there are thousands nay hundreds of thousands, of men who perform the Nemaz, that five times a day prayers are offered in the mosques, that