A Present to Kings — Page 34
( 84 ) indulging in various masquerades. In the market places the. Mussalmans were roaming about in the masques of leopards, tigers, monkeys and bears. The sight made him greatly wonder that Islam as found in practice was far different from. Islam as found in books, and he was so much shocked that he became altogether estranged from Islam. Thus, if there is any obstacle to the path of Islam, it is the practical life of the. Muslims themselves and the sight of the same not only causes a repugnance in the followers of other creeds, but also alienates from Islam the feelings of the future generations of Muslims. . The fact can not be denied that in most Muslim families, it is to be found that the concern with religion is diminishing from father to son. Only a very small percentage of Mussalmans can be found who are sincerely convinced of the truth of Islam. . In most cases religion has been left merely a matter of custom and habit. . SALVATION OF ISLAM LIES IN DIVINE SUCCOUR. . Now, Your Highness may well understand that if Islam is a true religion, and there is no doubt that it is a true religion, it can never stand to reason that in the presence of so many internal and external dangers God should have abandoned it and not come to its assistance. Admitting that Islam derived its origin from God and seeing the extremely precarious nature of its present condition, how can it be supposed that God has not made any provision to thwart all these internal and external dangers. . Islam is that religion for the spread of which the beloved of God, the blessed Prophet, sacrificed the whole of his life and for the propagation of which by day and night he surrendered all kinds of pleasure and comfort. Is it possible that the abours of such an elect soul should come to such an end as is presented by Islam to-day?. Human parents when they see their children in danger at once set about their rescue, and in spite of a thousand acts of disobedience on their part, the sight of this danger moves the parents' compassion. How can it then be that God should sit