The Koran: Commonly Called the Alcoran of Mohammed by George Sale* is an 18th-century English translation of the Quran that played a major role in shaping early English-speaking understanding of Islam. First published in 1734, it was based on Arabic sources as well as earlier Latin scholarship. Sale aimed to present what he considered a more accurate and scholarly rendering than previous English versions. The work includes a lengthy “Preliminary Discourse” which outlines Islamic history, beliefs, practices, and legal traditions as interpreted by European scholars of the period. For many readers in Britain and America, this edition became the standard reference to the Quran for over a century. Although modern translations are based on broader manuscript traditions and contemporary scholarship, Sale’s version remains historically significant as a reflection of Enlightenment-era study of religion and cross-cultural engagement.
