independent, are in all that relates to the higher aspects
of intellectual and civilized life far behind the nations of the west.

The subject of _'Ilm-i-Aqaid_, or the science of dogma properly ends here,
but most Muslim treatises include in this branch of the subject a few
practical remarks. I therefore add a summary of them here. The believer who
commits murder, fornication, &c., does not cease to be a Muslim provided
that he does not say that these are allowed: should he die unrepentant, God
can punish him for a while in hell, or forgive him without punishment. The
Hadd, a punishment based on a Zahir, or obvious sentence of the Quran
requires that a Muslim who apostatizes shall be put to death.[173] In the
case of an apostate woman, Imam Abu Hanifa ruled that she should be
imprisoned and beaten every day. The other three Imams, Malik, Shafa'i and
Hanbal said that she should be put to death in accordance with the
Tradition which says: "He who changes his religion, kill." The Arabic word
"man," usually translated "He who" is of common gender, and so these Imams
include women in the list of those who, after apostasy, are to be
killed.[174] God does not pardon polytheism and infidelity; but He can, if
He willeth, pardon all other crimes. If any one is asked, "dost thou
believe?" he should reply, "I am truly a believer," and not say: "If God
{180} willeth."[175] If any one says to him: "Wilt thou die in the faith?"
he should reply: "I do not know, God knows." Except when speaking of
prophets, or of those of whom the Prophets have spoken, such as Abu Bakr,
Omar, Osman and 'Ali, it must not be said of any one, "he is gone to
Paradise," for God only knows his state. Prayer should be made for a
deceased Muslim whether he was a good or bad man. To give alms, to read the
Quran, to perform other good works, and to apply the merit thus gained to
the souls of the dead is a pious and beneficial act.

{181}

NOTE TO CHAPTER IV.

MUSLIM PHILOSOPHY.

I have shown in the preceding chapter how the earlier scholastics, or
the Mutazilites, as they are called, were finally crushed by the
orthodox party. The later scholastics, or the philosophers, form the
subject of this note. The Khalif Mamun (813-833 A.D.), a notorious
free-thinker, was the first to give an impulse to philosophic
researches. It was then that Greek philosophical works were translated
into Arabic. The Greek author most patronized w