第10章 権力の源泉としての信条 n.3 - ムハンマドの敵対者
「ムハンマドを迫害した者たち(注:オンミア家の人々)は,ムハンマドの子供たちが受けついだ遺産を奪った。そうして,偶像崇拝の擁護者たちが,ムハンマドの宗教と帝国の最高の首長となった。アブー・スフヤーン(注:Abu Spphian 新しいカリフのムア・ウィヤーの父のムハンマド)の反対は,(以前から)はげしくかつ頑固であった。(従って)彼の(イスラム教への)改宗はゆっくりかつ不承不承であった。彼の新しい信仰(イスラム教の信仰)も,必要性と利害によって固められたものであった。彼は(宗教の)勤めをし,戦い、恐らくイスラム教を信じたかも知れない。そうして,かつての無知であった時代の罪も,オンミア家の人々の最近の功績(merits 複数形!)によって償われた(のであった)。」(ギボン『同書』第50章参照)。このとき以来,長い間,カリフの地位は,自由思想をもった寛大さによって際立ったものとなったのに対し,キリスト教徒は依然として狂信的なままであった。最初から(当初から),イスラム教徒は,征服したキリスト教徒の取扱いにおいて寛大な態度を示した。そうして,このような寛大さはカリトック教会の迫害したいという熱意と著しい対照をなしており,彼ら(イスラム教徒たち)の征服の容易さと彼らの帝国の安定(性)は、主として、(彼らの)この寛大さのおかげなのである。 |
Chapter X: Creeds as Sources of Power, n.3Very soon -- sooner than in the beginning of any other great religion-- fanaticism was dethroned from the government. Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law, kept alive the original enthusiasm among a section of the faithful, but he was defeated in civil war, and finally assassinated. He was succeeded in the Caliphate by the family of Ommiyah, who had been Mohammed's bitterest opponents, and had never yielded more than a political assent to his religion."The persecutors of Mahomet usurped the inheritance of his children ; and the champions of idolatry became the supreme heads of his religion and empire. The opposition of Abu Sophian (note: Father of the new Caliph Moawiyah) had been fierce and obstinate ; his conversion was tardy and reluctant; his new faith was fortified by necessity and interest ; he served, he fought, perhaps he believed; and the sins of the time of ignorance were expiated by the recent merits of the family of Ommiyah" (Gibbon, ibid). From that moment onwards, for a long time, the Caliphate was distinguished by free-thinking latitudinarianism, while the Christians remained fanatical. From the first, the Mohammedans showed themselves tolerant in their dealings with conquered Christians, and to this toleration -- which was in strong contrast to the persecuting zeal of the Catholic Church -- the ease of their conquest and the stability of their Empire were mainly due. |