Page:The young Moslem looks at life (1937).djvu/94

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while the tombs of Moslem saints are venerated and regularly visited throughout the length and breadth of the Moslem world. Only the puritanical Wahhabis, whose present leader is King Ibn Saoud of Mecca, prohibit this, and at one time they carried their fanatical opposition to such an extent that after the World War was over they attacked Medina and even damaged the tomb of the Prophet to remove from it evidences of reverence for Mohammed which they considered to be worship of him.

REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS

Along with these five pillars of faith that we have been considering we must, before ending this study of the straight path, look at the closely related subject of Moslem ethics and the system of rewards and punishments under Islam.

Moslem ethics may be conceived as consisting of a definite moral code or set of rules for conduct known as the Law (shariat), which is based upon divine revelation as found in the Koran and the Traditions. Those who obey the law are rewarded, and the disobedient are punished, all according to a well defined scale of values. This conception of ethical standards, rewards and punishments may be sketched briefly as follows:

1. Obligatory acts: performance rewarded, omission punishable.

2. Recommended acts: rewarded if done, not punishable if omitted.


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