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)
of the future edifice, or rather a leaven for the mass which is to be joined to it. For he taught, that a man’s body was entirely consumed by the earth, except only the bone called al Ajb, which we name the os coccygis, or rump-bone; and that as it was the first formed in the human body, it will also remain uncorrupted till the last day, as a seed from whence the whole is to be renewed: and this he said would be effected by a forty days rain which God should send, and which would cover the earth to the height of twelve cubits, and cause the bodies to sprout forth like plants 1. Herein also is Mohammed beholden to the Jews; who say the same things of the bone Luz 2, excepting that what he attributes to a great rain, will be effected according to them by a dew, impregnating the dust of the earth.
The signs of its approach.
The time of the resurrection the Mohammedans allow to be a perfect secret to all but God alone; the angel Gabriel himself acknowledging his ignorance in this point when Mohammed asked him about it. However they say the approach of that day may be known from certain signs which are to precede it. These signs they distinguish into two sorts, the lesser, and the greater; which I shall briefly enumerate after Dr. Pocock 3.
The lesser signs are, 1. The decay of faith among men 4. 2. The advancing of the meanest persons to eminent dignity. 3. That a maid-servant shall become the mother of her mistress (or master;) by which is meant either that towards the end of the world men shall be much given to sensuality, or that the Mohammedans shall then take many captives. 4. Tumults and feditions. 5. A war with the Turks. 6. Great distress in the world, so that a man when he passes by another’s grave shall say, Would to God I were in his place. 7. That the provinces of Irâk and Syria shall refuse to pay their tribute. And, 8. That the buildings of Medina shall reach to Ahâb, or Yahâb.
The greater signs are,
1. The sun’s rising in the west. Which some have imagined it originally did 5.
2. The appearance of the beast, which shall rise out of the earth, in the temple of Mecca, or on mount Safâ, or in the territory of Tâyef, or some other place. This beast they say is to be sixty cubits high; tho’ others not satisfied with so small a size, will have her reach to the clouds and to heaven when her head only is out; and that the will appear for three days, but shew only a third part of her body.
1 Idem, ib. p. 255, &c.
2 Bereshit, rabbah, &c. V. Poc. ubi sup. p. 117, &c.
3 Ibid, p. 258, &c.
4 Sec Luke, xviii. 8.
5 See Whiston’s Theory of the earth, Book 2. p. 98, &c.
