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)

The Preliminary Discourse.

establish must be received as obligatory and of divine authority.

The division and fundamental points of it.
The Mohammedans divide their religion, which as I just now said they call Islâm, into two distinct parts; Imân, i.e. faith, or theory, and Dîn, i.e. religion, or practice; and teach that it is built on five fundamental points, one belonging to faith, and the other four to practice.

The first is that confession of faith which I have already mentioned; that there is no god but the true God; and that Mohammed is his apostle. Under which they comprehend six distinct branches; viz. 1. Belief in God; 2. In his angels; 3. In his scriptures; 4. In his prophets; 5. In the resurrection and day of judgment; and, 6. In God’s absolute decree and predetermination both of good and evil.

The four points relating to practice are, 1. Prayer, under which are comprehended those washings or purifications which are necessary preparations required before prayer; 2. Alms; 3. Fasting; and, 4. The pilgrimage to Mecca. Of each of these I shall speak in their order.

Of their faith in God.
That both Mohammed and those among his followers who are reckoned orthodox, had and continue to have just and true notions of God and his attributes, (always excepting their obstinate and impious rejecting of the Trinity) appears fo plain from the Korân itself and all the Mohammedan divines, that it would be loss of time to refute those who suppose the God of Mohammed to be different from the true God, and only a fictitious deity or idol of his own creation 1. Nor shall I here enter into any of the Mohammedan controversies concerning the divine nature and attributes, because I shall have a more proper opportunity of doing it elsewhere 2.

And in his angels.
The existence of angels and their purity are absolutely required to be believed in the Korân; and he is reckoned an infidel who denies there are such beings, or hates any of them 3, or asserts any distinction of sexes among them. They believe them to have pure and subtil bodies, created of fire 4; that they neither eat nor drink, nor propagate their species; that they have various forms and offices; some adoring God in different postures, others singing praises to him, or interceding for mankind. They hold that some of them are employed in writing down the actions of men; others in carrying the throne of God and other services.

The four angels whom they look on as more eminently in God’s favour, and often mention on account of the offices assigned them,

1 Marracc. in Alc. p. 102.

2 Sect. VIII.

3 Korân c. 2. p. 13.

4 Ib. c. 7, and 38.

Cite this page

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, C. Ackers in St. John’s-Street, for J. Wilcon at Virgil’s Head overagainst the New Church in the Strand., Consulted online at “Quran Archive - Texts and Studies on the Quran” on 28 Mar. 2024: http://quran-archive.org/explorer/george-sale/1734?page=90