Transcriber’s Notes
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variationsin hyphenation and accents have been standardised but all otherspelling and punctuation remains unchanged.
The structure of some tables has been modified to improve legibilitywithin page width.
Arabia: The Cradle
of Islam
Studies in the Geography, People and
Politics of the Peninsula with an
account of Islam and Mission-work.
REV. S. M. ZWEMER, F.R.G.S.
INTRODUCTION BY
REV. JAMES S. DENNIS, D.D.
EDINBURGH AND LONDON
Oliphant Anderson and Ferrier
1900
Printed by
THE CAXTON PRESS
171-173 Macdougal St.
New York, U.S.A.
DEDICATED
DEDICATED
TO
_The “Student Volunteers” of America_
IN MEMORY OF
THE TWO AMERICAN VOLUNTEERS WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR ARABIA
PETER J. ZWEMER
AND
GEORGE E. STONE
And Jesus said unto him: This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuchas he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man is come toseek and to save that which was lost.—Luke xix. 9, 10.
The author of this instructive volume is in the direct lineof missionary pioneers to the Moslem world. He followsRaymond Lull, Henry Martyn, Ion Keith-Falconer, andBishop French, and, with his friend and comrade the Rev.James Cantine, now stands in the shining line of succession atthe close of a decade of patient and brave service at thatlonely outpost on the shores of the Persian Gulf. Others havefollowed in their footsteps, until the Arabian Mission, theadopted child of the Reformed Church in America, is atpresent a compact and resolute group of men and women atthe gates of Arabia, waiting on God’s will, and intent first ofall upon fulfilling in the spirit of obedience to the Master theduty assigned them.
These ten years of quiet, unflinching service have been fullof prayer, observation, study, and wistful survey of the greattask, while at the same time every opportunity has been improvedto gain a foothold, to plant a standard, to overcome aprejudice, to sow a seed, and to win a soul. The fruits of thisintelligent and conscientious effort to grasp the situation andplan the campaign are given to us in this valuable study of“Arabia, the Cradle of Islam.” It is a missionary contributionto our knowledge of the world. The author is entirelyfamiliar with the literature of his subject. English, German,French, and Dutch authorities are at his command. The lessaccessible Ar