George Sale, The Koran, commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed, translated into English immediately from the original Arabic; with Explanatory Notes, taken from the most approved Commentators. To which is prefixed A Preliminary Discource (1734)
made any attempt against them 1. The Romans never conquered any part of Arabia properly so called; the most they did was to make some tribes in Syria tributary to them, as Pompey did one commanded by Sampsiceramus or Shams’alkerâm who reigned at Hems or Emesa 2; but none of the Romans, or any other nations that we know of, ever penetrated so far into Arabia as Ælius Gallus under Augustus Cæsar 3; yet he was so far from subduing it, as some authors pretend 4, that he was soon obliged to return without effecting any thing considerable, having lost the best part of his army by sickness and other accidents 5. This ill success probably discouraged the Romans from attacking them any more; for Trajan notwithstanding the flatteries of the historians, and orators of his time, and the medals struck by him, did not subdue the Arabs; the province of Arabia, which it is said he added to the Roman empire, scarce reaching farther than Arabia Petræa, or the very skirts of the country. And we are told by one author 6, that this prince marching against the Agarens, who had revolted, met with such a reception that he was obliged to return without doing any thing.
Of the religion of the ancient Arabs.
The religion of the Arabs before Mohammed, which they call the state of ignorance, in opposition to the knowledge of God’s true worship revealed to them by their prophet, was chiefly gross idolatry; the Sabian religion having almost overrun the whole nation, tho’ there were also great numbers of Christians, Jews, and Magians, among them.
I shall not here transcribe what Dr. Prideaux 7 has written of the original of the Sabian religion; but instead thereof insert a brief account of the tenets and worship of that sect. They do not only believe one God, but produce many strong arguments for his unity; tho’ they also pay an adoration to the stars, or the angels and intelligences which they suppose reside in them, and govern the world under the supreme deity. They endeavour to perfect themselves in the four intellectual virtues, and believe the souls of wicked men will be punished for 9000 ages, but will afterwards be received to mercy: They are obliged to pray three times 8 a day; the first, half an hour or less before sun-rise, ordering it so that they may, just as the sun rises, finish eight adorations, each containing three prostrations 9; the second prayer they end at noon, when the sun begins
1 V. Diodor. Sic. ubi supra.
2 Strabo. l. 16. p. 1092.
3 Dion Cassius. l. 53. p. m. 516.
4 Huet Hist. du commerce & de la navigation des anciens. c. 50.
5 See the whole expedition described at large by Strabo. l. 16. p. 1126, &c.
6 Xiphilin. epit.
7 Connect. of the hist. of the Old and New Test. p. 1, b. 3.
8 Some say seven. See D’Herbelot. p. 726. and Hyde de rel. vet. Perf. p. 128.
9 Others say they use no incurvations or prostrations at all. V. Hyde ib.
