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)
One of the most learned commentators 1 distinguishes the contents of the Korân into allegorical and literal. The former comprehends the more obscure, parabolical, and ænigmatical passages, and such as are repealed or abrogated; the latter those which are plain, perspicuous, liable to no doubt, and in full force.
To explain these severally in a right manner, it is necessary from tradition and study to know the time when each passage was revealed, its circumstances, state, and history, and the reasons or particular emergencies for the sake of which it was revealed 2. Or, more explicitly, whether the passage was revealed at Mecca, or at Medina; whether it be abrogated, or does itself abrogate any other passage; whether it be anticipated in order of time, or postponed; whether it be distinct from the context, or depends thereon; whether it be particular or general; and lastly whether it be implicit by intention, or explicit in words 3.
The honour shewn to it.
By what has been said the reader may easily believe this book is in the greatest reverence and esteem among the Mohammedans. They dare not so much as touch it without being first washed or legally purified 4; which lest they should do by inadvertence, they write these words on the cover or label, “Let none touch it, but they who are clean.” They read it with great care and respect, never holding it below their girdles. They swear by it, consult it in their weighty occasions 5, carry it with them to war, write sentences of it in their banners, adorn it with gold and precious stones, and knowingly suffer it not to be in the possession of any of a different persuasion.
Translations.
The Mohammedans far from thinking the Korân to be profaned by a translation, as some authors have written 6, have taken care to have their scriptures translated not only into the Persian tongue, but into several others, particularly the Javan and Malayan 7, tho’ out of respect to the original Arabic, these versions are generally (if not always) interlineary.
1 Al Zamakhshari. V. Korân, chap: 3. p. 35.
2 Ahmed Ebn Moh. al Thalebi, in princip. expos. Alc.
3 Yahya Ebn al Salâm al Basri, in princip. expos. Alc.
4 The Jews have the same veneration for their law; not daring to touch it with unwashed hands, nor then neither without a cover. V. Millium, de Mohammedismo ante Moh. p. 366.
5 This they do by dipping into it, and taking an omen from the words which they first light on: which practice they also learned of the Jews, who do the same with the scripture. V. Millium, ubi sup.
6 Sionita, de urb. orient. p. 41. & Marracc. de Alc. p. 33.
7 Reland, de Rel. Moh. p. 265.
