MAHOMMEDAN COMMENTARY ON THE BIBLE.
A Mahommedan Commentary on th& Bible, by Syud Ahmed, is being- published in India. The Syud has spent much time on the work, the first eleven chapters of the Bible having alone called ior a commentary occupying 368 quarto pages in parrallel columns of Hindustani and English. The old Ptolemaic notions of crystallising spheres, and the belief that the earth is stationery, which the Mahommedans have adhered to- so long, are treated in this commentary as fables. The ' firmament' he regards as the heavenly expanse; and. that the sun is the centre of the system he has no doubt. The Pentateuch, as we have it, is identical he says ' with that of Moses.' The object of the first verse of Genesis is to assure us that ' God is the creator of everything, great and small;' the second verse relates only to tbe beginning of this material world. 1 The inspired writer considered it sufficient to instruct in those things only which arepatent to our sense of seeing, and did: not think it necessary to treat of bygon& worlds.' The Syud makes it distinctly understood that woman is inferior to man. He says — ' The object aimed at by Bishop Patrick seems to be that God breathed His soul into woman, in like manner as he had done into Adam. However, we Mahommedans do not agree with the Bishop in this view of the matter. We hold that Eve, being formed out of a living creature? — namely, Adam — an<i therefore naturally born a living being, did not need the infusion of a soul into her.' The practice oi having more than one wife, he attempts to show, is not contrary to the original institution of iharriage. The existence of Satan is denied; and it is said that nothing but the ( animal powers*" in man are to signify what we call Satan;- The recorded con^ vernation between Eve"a#ij Satan is merely a 'self-debate.' The Adam of the first chapter and the Adam of the second chapter are the heads of two .distinct races, &c, &c. The commentary is altogether very singular and interesting 1 . < The Regder..' . .
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Bibliographic details
Bruce Herald, Volume III, Issue 73, 31 August 1865, Page 5
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358MAHOMMEDAN COMMENTARY ON THE BIBLE. Bruce Herald, Volume III, Issue 73, 31 August 1865, Page 5
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