George Sale facts for kids
George Sale (1697–1736) was a British scholar who studied the Middle East. He was also a lawyer. He is most famous for translating the Quran into English in 1734. The Quran is the holy book of Islam. After reading Sale's translation, the famous French writer Voltaire even wrote an essay about the Quran and Mohammed.
Sale also helped write parts of a large dictionary called A General Dictionary, Historical and Critical. He wrote sections about the history of the Middle East.
About George Sale
George Sale was born in Canterbury, Kent, England. He went to school at the King's School, Canterbury. In 1720, he began studying to become a lawyer at the Inner Temple in London. He worked as a lawyer but also took time off to focus on his studies. Sale was also an early member of a group called the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, which aimed to spread Christian teachings.
George Sale became very ill and died on November 13, 1736, in London. He was buried at St Clement Danes church in London. He had a wife and five children.
Sale's Quran Translation
In 1734, Sale published his English translation of the Quran. It was titled The Koran: Commonly called The Alcoran of Mohammed. He dedicated this book to John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville.
Sale used other translations to help him, especially a Latin translation by Louis Maracci. He also used old Arabic texts. Sale added many notes to his translation. These notes explained things and gave extra historical information. He also included a special introduction called a "Preliminary Discourse."
Preliminary Discourse
In his "Preliminary Discourse," Sale shared his thoughts on Islam and its founder, Muhammad. He saw Muhammad as a leader who helped end the worship of idols in Arabia. He also saw him as a lawgiver who brought new rules to the region.
Sale wrote that Muhammad gave the Arabs the best religion and laws he could. He believed Muhammad deserved respect, similar to ancient lawgivers like Minos or Numa Pompilius. Sale's introduction talked about the Arabs before Islam, the state of churches and Judaism at Muhammad's time, and the main ideas of the Quran.
Other Works
George Sale also helped correct an Arabic version of the New Testament in 1726. This was for the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
He owned a large collection of valuable old books and writings. Many of these were in Persian, Ottoman Turkish, and Arabic. This collection is now kept at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
Sale also helped write a huge book series called the Universal History. This book was published in London between 1747 and 1768. Sale wrote the first chapter, which was about the creation of the world.
Some of his books include:
- The Koran, First Edition, 1734.
- The Koran: Commonly Called the Alcoran of Mohammed, 1856.
- Sacred Books of the East: With Critical and Biographical Sketches, 1900.
- An Universal History, from the Earliest Account of Time, 1747.
Legacy
George Sale's collection of old manuscripts is very important. It includes many writings from the 13th to 18th centuries, mostly poetry and literature. These are now part of the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.
Sale's translation of the Quran is still printed and used today. In 2007, Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, used a 1764 edition of Sale's translation when he was sworn into office. This book was bought by the Library of Congress in 1815 from Thomas Jefferson. In 2019, Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar also used the same edition of Sale's Quran translation for their swearing-in ceremonies.
