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ISLAM
19
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can never ignore the life of the Founder in any faith, for it is the heart and the mainspring of the faithturn now to the teachings. First of all comes, of course, the Unity of God, a teaching found in every faith; the specialty, perhaps, of the faith of the Arabian Prophet being that he taught the unity of God as the King, the Ruler, the Governor; of Him whom we call Ishvara, the Supreme Logos. Over and over again the words ring out: "Say God is one God. He begetteth not, neither is He begotten: and there is not any one like unto Him." That is the heart of the teaching; that is the supreme message; for every religion has a special word to speak and a special message to deliver. And as the great word of Hinduism is the universality of the Self, the God who is in all and all men one with Him, so the great word of Islam is the unity of God as Ruler; there is none beside Him, there is none second unto Him. I might quote a dozen passages from Al Quran in order to prove it. It is not necessary; though I add a couple:
"God! there is no God but He, the living, the self-subsisting; neither slumber nor sleep seizeth Him; to Him belongeth whatsoever is in heaven and on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him, but through His good pleasure? He knoweth that which is past, and that which is to come unto them, and they shall not comprehend anything of His knowledge, but so far as He pleaseth. extended over heaven and earth, and the preservation *Ibid, Chap. exii.
His throne is