infidels--on the British and the Hindus in this case--was a prominent
doctrine of the crusade. In Mahomedan language, India was _Daru-l-harb_
or a Mansion of War. In these later years, on the contrary, it is
generally recognised by Mahomedans that India under the British rule is
not _Daru-l-harb_, but _Daru-l-Islam_, or a Mansion of Islamism, in
which war on infidels is not incumbent.[60] It may be noted that the
decree, recently issued from Mecca, that British territory is
Daru-l-Islam, can only refer to India.

[Sidenote: The Aligarh movement analogous to Brahmaism.]

Exactly like the Brahmas, the other new Mahomedan sect, in the modern
rational spirit, have refined away their faith to a theism or deism
purged of the supernatural. Mahomed's inspiration and miracles are
rejected. These represent the modern rationalising spirit in religion;
reason is their standard, and "reason alone is a sufficient guide."
According to Sir Syed Ahmad, founder of the movement, "Islam is Nature,
and Nature Islam." Hence the sect is sometimes called the Naturis,[61]
or followers of _Natural_ Religion, the adoption of the English word
identifying them again with the Br[=a]hmas, who are essentially the
outcome of English education and Christian influence among Hindus. The
Naturis, the modernised Mahomedans, have as their headquarters the
Mahomedan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh in the United Provinces. It
ought to be said that they also claim to be going back to pure original
Mahomedanism before it was corrupted by the "Fathers" of Islam.




CHAPTER XIII