Islam Rediscovered
24. A Case of Discovery*
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reproach to Christendom than polygamy to Islam.
The strictly regulated polygamy of the Muslim is
infinitely less degrading to women and less
injurious to men than the promiscuous polyandry
which is the course of Christian cities and which is
absolutely unknown in Islam. The polyandrous
English are not entitled to cast stones at
polygamous Muslims. Let us first pluck out the
beam from our own eye, before we meddle with the
mote in our brother’s eye.” Now, which matrimonal
code, do you think, is more practical, more
consonant to the actual needs of human society and
more conducive to its highest development from a
moral and spiritual point of view? I could bring
forward other moral precepts of Islam and,
contrasting them with those of other great religions
of the world, point out how in each case there is in
Islam a far more harmonious blending of practical
wisdom and spiritual insight than anywhere else.
But that would lead me too far and demand a
separate lecture by itself. For this occasion I shall
only content myself by quoting the following
passage from Amir Ali’s famous book,
The Spirit of
Islam:
“The practical character of a religion, its
abiding influence on the common relations of
