man was branded as a heretic and infidel and suffered severe persecution. But he took his stand on the position that he was only following the teaching of Mohammed, who said, "One should seek knowledge even unto China."
Sir Sayyid and his enthusiastic associates ultimately gained their point. He is now regarded in India as having been one of the greatest champions of the faith, and the magnificent modern Moslem university at Aligarh is a splendid memorial to his efforts. But these and many other examples of reform have succeeded because they were frankly within the system. They did not attack Islam. They rather sought to bring the expression of it up to date, and into line with modern tendencies. The original system itself was considered perfect. Even today when the current of modernism is running stronger than ever before in India, Egypt, and Turkey, the same argument holds, and all changes and modifications of the manners and customs of the Moslem people are based on the assumption that Islam is elastic, and adaptable to the demands of each age.
why the "perfect religion"?
One may well ask on what grounds Moslems base the claim that theirs is the perfect religion. One reason has already been noted: the authority of the Koran. Since the Koran has stated that Islam is the perfect religion that is the end of the matter, for the Koran is the very word of God. This no Moslem dares
