THE MOHAMMEDAN REVIVAL

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · January 15, 1880

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 3

THE MOHAMMEDAN REVIVAL.

The changes that the Turkish empire has recently passed through seem to have had the effect of stimulating a Mohammedan revival in Asia. As long as the Sultan arrogated to himself the califate, and had the military power to enforce his decrees, the followers of the prophet in Africa, Arabia, and even in Persia, were virtually compelled to acknowledge his supremacy. This was not done willingly; for the Tartar instincts of the Turk, that have clung to him through successive generations, made him a disagreeable associate for his more refined coreligionists. But, recognizing the impossibility of successfully combating the pretensions of the Sultan, the Mohammedans throughout the East have quietly acquiesced; and, as the theory of extirpating unbelief by forcibly converting or killing the infidels was dropped, years ago, from the policy of the Sultan, the whole religion has, so far as its professors are concerned, been characterized by a lethargy which had the appearance of gradual decay. But, now that the power of the Sultan has been in a great measure broken, the Asiatic sectarians have come to the belief that their day for action has arrived. In Arabia, for some months past, a systematic organization has been going on. It is true that the larger part of the peninsula is under the government of the Sultan, but, just at present, he seems powerless to check the movement. Possibly he may think that it is not for his interest to interfere; for those whom these Arabian fanatics seek to overthrow are his religious enemies as well as theirs. The ostensible head of this agitation is the Sheik of Derepah, who claims that he has been raised up to restore the domain of the immediate descendants of the prophet, and it is reported that he has enrolled as his supporters not less than sixty thousand men in Arabia alone.

How are these men to carry out their views? and whom do they propose to fight? These are questions somewhat difficult to answer; but appearances indicate that the English are looked upon as immediate enemies. They are fighting the Mohammedans in Afghanistan, and have under their control in India millions of believers in this faith. That the leaders of this revival may attempt, and perhaps are attempting, to get up a religious war in India, is thought not improbable, from the fact that an unusual number of Arabians are now entering the Indian seaports and are passing up into the interior; while, at the same time, small parties of Afghans are passing over the mountains southward into India. The English officials have stopped quite a number of these, and have endeavored to find out from them what object they had in view; but to no purpose. Yet this failure to solve the mystery can hardly be said to prove much. Asiatic conspiracies are always carried on with the utmost secrecy. It is not supposed that this Mohammedan revival can attain any permanent success; but should it continue, it may cost England a long and bloody war.—Boston Herald.