THE
MOSLEM
DOCTRINE
OF GOD:
An Essay on the Character and Attributes of Allah
According
to the Koran and Orthodox Tradition.
by
Samuel M. Zwemer
1905
This web document is copyright © 2006 by The
Interdisciplinary
Biblical Research Institute. All rights reserved.
Biographical Sketch of the Author
Samuel M. Zwemer (1867-1952)
(from the introduction)
Dr. Samuel M. Zwemer was a
missionary for many years in lands regions west and northwest of the
Persian Gulf, including Bahrain where two of his daughters are buried.
He learned Arabic, became a master of the Moslem philosophy. He loved
the Mohammedans and worked constantly to evangelize the Moslem world.
Dr. Zwemer was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of
London. In 1929 he was appointed Professor of Missions and the History
of Religion at Princeton University, a position he held to retirement
in 1938. Following retirement he taught courses at the Christian and
Missionary Alliance Missionary Training Institute and at Biblical
Seminary in New York City.
Note: See the Columbia
International University biography of Samuel Zwemer for further
information.
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CONTENTS.
I. THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH 15
015
016
017
018
019 020
021
022
Importance of these words -- Gibbon's verdict-- Value of this creed to
the Moslem -- Sources for the idea of Deity -- The ethical value of
such Monotheism -- Various views.
II. ALLAH, THE DIviNE ESSENCE 23
Significance of the word Allah -- Allah among the pagan Arabs -- The
Beit Allah -- The Hanifs -- Testimony of the monuments -- Monotheism in
the Koran -- The idea of God's essence -- Silence of tradition --
Ghazzali's definition -- Mohammed's idea of the Unbegotten -- The
Commentaries.
III. THE NINETY -- NINE BEAUTIFUL NAMES OF ALLAH 34
034
035
036
037
038
039
040
041
042
043
044
045
046
These really attributes -- The Moslem's rosary -- List of these names
-- The Holy -- The All-Compelling -- Moslem idea of Divine Justice Of
Truth -- "The mothers of the attributes" -- The word
Rabb -- The two hundred and one
names of Mohammed.
IV. ALLAH'S ATTRIBUTES ANALYZED AND EXAMINED 47
047
048
049
050
051
052
053
054
055
056
057
058
059
060
061
062
063
Their effect on the Moslem mind -- Division and classification -- Those
that describe His Unity -- Mercy -- Power -- The Avenger -- The moral
attributes -- Holiness of God ignored -- The Koran doctrine of Sin --
Kinds of sins -- Terms used -- No distinction between the ceremonial
and the moral law -- Proof from tradition -- Sin not a serious matter
-- The punishment of sin -- Allah not bound by a standard of justice --
ls Allah unchangeable? -- Justice of Allah -- The chief
attritbute -- God's omniscience purely physical -- His power -- He does
not sleep -- Real Unity of God absent -- The Koran idea of holiness --
The Pantheism of force -- The idea of the mystics -- Views of other
sects -- Allah the light of the world.
V. THE RELATION OF ALLAH TO HIS WORLD 64
064
065
066
067
068 069
070
071
072
073 074
075
076
The fundamental idea in Moslem theology -- Palgrave as a critic of
Islam -- His famous characterization of Allah -- The Absolute and
Omnipotent Monad -- He is jealous of His creatures -- Wahabi teaching
orthodox -- Moslem idea of Creation -- Koran texts -- Contradictions --
the days of creation -- God the author of evil -- The universe not
infinite -- Creation of the pen -- The throne of God -- How God sits --
Speculation and orthodoxy -- Renan's opinion -- Allah leads men astray
-- No hope in Islam -- One-sided idea of God -- God above us,
with us, in us.
VI. MOHAMMEDAN IDEAS OF THE TRINITY 77
077
078
079
080
081
082 083
084
085
086
087
088
089
090
091
092
The negative side of the Moslem idea of God -- Clark's remark on this
aspect of false religions -- The two foci of Moslem controversy -- The
idea of the Trinity fundamental and essential -- Koran references to
the doctrine -- Misapprehension of true Trinity -- The testimony of the
commentaries -- How they differ and why -- Indirect references in
the Koran -- Shirk -- Are Christians polytheists? -- The
Christology of the Koran -- The person of Christ -- His birth -- The
denial of Christ's divinity -- And the Atonement -- Hatred of the
Cross -- Christ's place in heaven -- The Holy Spirit is the Angel
Gabriel -- Was Mohammed ignorant of true Christian teaching concerning
the Trinity? -- The Collyridians -- Intercourse with Christians --
Yemen Christianity -- Abyssinian -- Koelle's conclusion -- Could
Mohammed read and write?
VII. PREDESTINATION VS. FATALISM 93
093
094 095
096
097
098
099
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
The importance of this doctrine in Islam's idea of God -- Distinguished
from Christian teaching -- Terms used -- Koran passages -- El Berkevi's
summary -- Tradition on this topic -- Pre-existence of souls -- Adam
and Moses -- The salvation of infants -- Fatalism of the Greeks -- Of
Islam -- "Allah katib" -- "Inshallah" -- "El-ha'mdu-lillah" -- Moslem
idea of prayer -- The fundamental difference between Calvinistic and
Moslem doctrine of the decress -- Allah not love -- No Fatherhood --
The Moslem hell -- Source of these ideas -- The Talmud -- Story
of the angel of death -- Other views of Predestination -- The orthodox
view widespread -- Barren of ideas.
VIII. THE COMPLETED IDEA AND ITS INSUFFICIENCY 107-120
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115 116
117
118
119 120
The Moslem idea of God compared with that of Christianity -- The true
standard -- Mohammed's ascent to heaven -- Four elements wanting -- No
Fatherhood -- The lack of love in the Moslem religion -- Mysticism a
revolt -- The distorted idea of justice -- The law in Islam -- Lack of
harmony in Allah's attributes -- The results of such Monotheism --
Islam's ideal of ethics -- The Moslem idea of God is sterile -- The
Christian Trinity -- No compromise is possible -- The only True God and
Jesus Christ.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
High resolution images are
available for download here.
Page
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Click for plate at 100 ppi
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facing page 2
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Talisman from a Moslem Book on the Names of Allah.
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Facing page 12
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Analysis of Islam as a System
Developed from its Creed.
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