THE appearance of these Lectures is easily
explained. On my return to England on furlough towards the end of 1890, the
Trustees of the James Long Lectureship Fund did me the honour to invite me to
deliver a course of Lectures on the subject of the Religion of the Muhammadans.
The James Long Lectureship was founded some years ago with the object of
endeavouring to spread among the people of England reliable information with
reference to the nature and teachings of the main non-Christian religions of the
world, and also regarding the methods adopted by and the measure of success
vouchsafed to Christian Missions among the adherents of such faiths. The
Trustees endeavour to secure the delivery of lectures on Hinduism, Buddhism and
Muhammadanism by competent Lecturers, whose acquaintance with their respective
subjects is not only literary and theoretical but practical also. They did me
the honour to think me fitted for the James
