promise of this is pledged in the Law, and in the Evangel, and in the Qur'an — and who more faithful to His engagement than God? ' ¹

In other passages Muhammad enters into the question of how and why God changes His attitude to men as nations or as individuals, and explains that the relation which God holds to man must necessarily vary with any variation of the attitude they take up towards Him. Any change on His part is more apparent than real; and at any rate is not the result of any arbitrary change of feeling towards men, or any sudden indifference or anger. 'Verily, God will not change His gifts to men, till they change what is in themselves.' ² 'This, because God changeth not the favour with which He favoureth a people, so long as they change not what is in their hearts.' ³

This is the teaching of the Qur'an throughout as to God's faithfulness in His dealings with mankind, and it conveys the idea of God as One who is true and faithful to His covenant, One who does not to-day say one thing and to-morrow another. 'Set thou thy face then, as a true convert, ⁴ towards the faith which God hath made, and for which He hath made man. No change is there in the creation of God. This is the right Faith, but the greater part of men know it not.' ⁵

The basis of this faithfulness lies in the fact that He is true and doeth truth; and this must ever be kept in

mind in considering those passages which speak of God as doing as He pleaseth. He doeth what He pleaseth.. This means that there is none that can gainsay Him, and not that His will and pleasure may change from day to day. His faithfulness prevents this.

10. We come now to the last of the divine attributes which we shall consider — God's Holiness.

In one passage, the angels are represented as claiming that they extol the Holiness of God, 'When thy Lord said to the angels, "Verily, I am about to place one in my stead on earth," they said, "Wilt thou place there one who will do ill therein and shed blood, when we celebrate thy praise and extol thy holiness?" ' ¹

In two other passages we find God described as the Holy One. 'He is God beside whom there is no god: He is the King, the Holy.' ²

In none of these passages is there anything from which we can argue to a conclusion as to wherein Muhammad conceived the holiness of God to consist. The teaching of the Muhammadan theologians is, for the most part, quite clear that what is intended by God's holiness is His transcendence above all things; including, of course, all that is evil or blameworthy. ³ But even were we to admit (what Muhammadan theologians will scarcely allow us to admit without objection and protest on their part) that by holiness in these passages is meant what Christian writers mean when they employ