Page:Islam, Turkey, and Armenia, and How They Happened.djvu/22

16 time and country, namely, to the discord and corruption among the Christian sects, and the hostility between the proselyte Jews and the Christians, and to the adaptation of Islamic militio-religious system to the adventurous spirit of the Arab races, and to the sensual and avaricious nature of savage tribes, and to the absence of a mighty power to check its fury, this system was firmly established in Arabia "by the edge of the sword," and these local successes encouraged the followers of Islam to carry on their expeditions by the force and fire of the "Holy Wars" which burned all the surrounding countries, ruined and defiled the Christian churches, killed and enslaved the Jews and the Christians, until, in the short space of 80 years from the death of their prophet they could extend the Mohametan dominion from Egypt to India, and from Lisbon to Samarcand, thus waving the bloody banner of the "Crescent" over the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. Had it not been for the bravery of Charles Martel Europe would have been overwhelmed by the torrent of Islam, and would most probably be covered with its gloom even unto this day. As an illustration of the rapid progress of Islam, so much would suffice to mention that in the fourth year of his mission Mohamet could only make 40 Proselytes, chiefly slaves and the people of the lower ranks, while towards the twentieth year of his ministry he entered the city of Mecca with 40,000 followers to perform pilgrimage in the Kabeh, the sacred temple that was already Mohametanized. The present number of Mohametans is estimated to be over 200,000,000.