ALCORAN

ALCORAN, the Mahometan Gospel; or the Revelations, Prophecies, &c. of the Impostor Mahomet. See MAHOMETANISM. The Word Alcoran is Arabic, and literally denotes either Reading, or Collection; but 'tis in the first of these Senses that the Alcoran of Mahomet seems best understood; Mahomet purposing to have his Book called Reading, by way of Eminence; in imitation of the Jews and Christians, who call the New and the Old Testament Writing, Scripture, Holy Books, Η Γραφή, on the same account. See SCRIPTURE, and BIBLE. The Mussulmen also call it Impron Alpharkan; from the Verb pharak, to distinguish; either by reason it makes the Distinction between what is true and false, or between what is lawful to do and what not; or else on account of its containing the Divisions, or Heads of the Law: in which, again, they imitate the Hebrews, who give divers Books the like Name of Perakim, q.d. Capita, Capitula, Chapters, Heads; e.g. the מפרקי אבות Capita Patrum; מפרקי רבי אליעזר Capitula Rabbi Eliezer. Lastly, the Alcoran is also denominated Alzechy, Advertisement, or Remembrance; as serving to retain or retrieve the Knowledge of the Law.



'Tis the common Opinion among us, that Mahomet, assisted by one Sergius, a Monk, composed this Book; but The Mussulmans believe it as an Article of their Faith, that the Prophet, who they say was an illiterate Man, had no hand in it; but that it was given him by God, who, to that end, made use of the Ministry of the Angel Gabriel; that however it was communicated to him by little and little, a Verse at a time, and in different Places, during the Course of 23 Years. And hence, say they, proceeds that Disorder and Confusion visible in the Work; which, in truth, is so great, that all their Doctors have never been able to adjust it. For Mahomet, or rather his Copist, having put all these loose Verses promiscuously in a Book together, it was impossible ever to retrieve the Order wherein they were delivered. These 23 Years which the Angel employed in conveying the Alcoran to Mahomet, are of wonderful Service to his Followers; insomuch as they furnish them with an Answer to such as tax them with those glaring Contradictions wherewith the Book is full: those Contradictions they piously father upon God himself; alleging, that in the Course of so long time, he repealed and altered several Doctrines and Precepts, which the Prophet had before received of him.

M. D'Herbelot thinks it probable, that when the Heresies of the Nestorians, Eutychians, &c., had been condemned by Oecumenical Councils; many Bishops, Priests, Monks, &c., being driven into the Deserts of Arabia and Egypt, furnished the Imposter with Passages, and crude ill-conceived Doctrines out of the Scriptures: And it was hence, that the Alcoran became so full of the wild and erroneous Opinions of those Heretics, The Jews, also, who were very numerous in Arabia, contributed their Quota to the Alcoran; nor is it without some Reason that they boast, twelve of their chief Doctors to have been the Authors of this detestable Work.

The Alcoran, it is to be observed, while Mahomet lived, was only kept in loose Sheets: His Successor, Abubeker, first collected them into a Volume, and committed the keeping thereof to Haphsa, the Widow of Mahomet, in order to be consulted as an Original. And there being a good deal of Diversity between the several Copies already dispersed throughout the Provinces; Othman, Successor of Abubeker, procured a great Number of Copies to be taken from that of Haphsa; at the same time suppressing all the others not conformable thereto. The chief Differences, then, in the present Copies of this Book, consist in the Points; which were not in use at the Time of Mahomet and his immediate Successors, but were added since, to ascertain the Reading; after the Example of the Masoretes, who put the like Points to the Hebrew Text of Scripture. See POINTS.

The Work is divided into Surates, or Chapters; and the Surates subdivided into little Verses, which are all composed in a broken interrupted Style, resembling Prose rather than Verse. The Division into Surates is but of a late standing: The usual Number of them is 60.

There are seven principal Editions of the Alcoran; two at Medina, one at Mecca, one at Kufa, one at Basra, one in Syria, and the Common or Vulgate Edition. The first contains 6000 Verses; the others surpassing this Number by 200, or 236 Verses: But the Number of Words and Letters is the same in all, viz. 77,639 Words, and 323,015 Letters. See MASORETES.

The Number of Commentaries on the Alcoran, is so large, that the bare Titles would make a huge Volume.—Ben Oschair has written the History thereof, intitled, Tarikh Ben Oschair. The principal among them are Reidhahori, Thaalebi, Lamalshabari, and Bacai.

Beside the Alcoran, which is the Basis of the Mahometan Faith, they have also a Book containing their Traditions, which they call Sonna. See SONNA, TRADITION, MAHOMETANISM, etc.

The Mahometans have a positive Theology, built on the Alcoran and Tradition; as well as a Scholastic one, built on Reason. — They have likewise their Casuists, and a kind of Canon Law; wherein they distinguish between what is of divine, and what of positive Right.

They have their Beneficiaries too, Chaplains, Almoners, and Canons, who read a Chapter every Day out of the Alcoran in the Mosques; and have Prebends for so doing.—The Hatib of the Mosque, is what we call the Parson of the Parish; and the Scheiks are the Preachers, who take their Text out of the Alcoran.

Among the Persians, Alcoraz likewise signifies a kind of Tower, or Steeple; very high and narrow; surrounded without by two or three Galleries, one over another; whence their Moravites or Priests repeat their Prayers thrice a day, with a very loud Voice; making the Tour of the Gallery all the while, that they may be the better heard all around.

ALCORAN