Islam Creator of the Modern Age
2. Holding Sacred that which is not Sacred
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2. HOLDING SACRED THAT WHICH IS
NOT SACRED
The noted anthropologist, Nathan Soderblom,
observed in a work completed in 1913 that the
notion of holiness formed the central concept of
religion. Since then the history of religions has been
studied on a vast scale, a large number of scholarly
books having been written on the subject in
German, French, English and other languages. With
very few exceptions, scholars of religion are in
agreement that holiness is the basic tenet of religion,
that is, the attribution of such mystical qualities or
powers to certain persons or things as are not ever
found in ordinary creatures or objects. These
mystical attributes cannot be explained by general,
rational principles or concepts.
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This concept of holiness is not an imaginary thing; it
is deeply ingrained in the nature of man. The
feeling generated by it is properly employed when
it is concentrated exclusively on God. But it
frequently happens that this urge within man is
diverted to something which, in actual fact, is not
