Thee only do we worship, and to thee do we cry for help. Guide thou us on the straight path,
The path of those to whom thou hast been gracious; with whom thou art not angry, and who go not astray. 1
Sura I
The first of these examples may be likened to one of the psalms, and the second is not unlike our Lord's Prayer, and is used by Moslems in much the same way.
Moslems regard the Koran as the central truth for the world. It is not Mohammed but the Koran that is the revelation of God's will; not a personality but a book. Being of divine origin it is not subject to ordinary literary and historical criticism, and the means by which it was revealed is not open to investigation. Even the best-educated Moslems who have been trained in the latest scientific knowledge of Western universities dare not seriously advance any modern opinions about the origin of the Koran, or call in question the method of its production. This doctrine of revelation is the cornerstone of faith on which Islam is founded; and one may well say that if this is lost, then all is lost. The question is, How long can such a belief withstand the advance of knowledge and the ultimate demands of truth?
In addition to the Koran, the Moslems regard the genuine Traditions concerning Mohammed as being second only in divine authority to the Koran itself. They are considered of immense importance because
1 From J. M. RodwelTs translation of the Koran, p. 28.
THE
