It included an extensive "Preliminary Discourse," which served as an encyclopedia of Islamic culture, geography, and tribes for 18th-century readers.
Sale’s translation was owned and studied by notable figures such as Thomas Jefferson and influenced writers like Voltaire and Goethe . Earlier Translations and the Title "Alcoran" Before Sale, other European versions used similar titles: Koran, commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed
Sale relied on Marracci’s accurate Latin translation, which also used the "Alcoran" naming convention. Understanding the Quran (Koran) Understanding the Quran (Koran) Published during the Age
Published during the Age of Enlightenment, it aimed to provide an objective look at Islamic law and history. It included an extensive "Preliminary Discourse
George Sale’s work was a landmark in Western scholarship, as it was the first English version translated rather than from a secondary French or Latin source.
Titled The Alcoran of Mahomet , this was the first English translation of the Quran, but it was translated from a French version ( L'Alcoran de Mahomet ) rather than Arabic.