1825 THE KORAN: ALCORAN OF MOHAMMED
George Sale | Complete Two-Volume Antique Set | London, 1825
Offered for sale is an original, approximately 200-year-old, two-volume set of The Koran; Commonly Called the Alcoran of Mohammed, translated from the original Arabic into English by George Sale.
Published in London in 1825 by Geo. B. Whittaker and associated London booksellers, this historic edition represents an important chapter in the history of English-language Qur’an translation, Islamic studies, and early nineteenth-century book publishing.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
George Sale (c. 1697–1736) was an English scholar and Orientalist whose translation of the Qur’an, first published in 1734, became one of the most influential English translations of the Islamic holy text.
Sale’s work was the first complete English translation of the Qur’an made directly from the original Arabic. Earlier English translations had relied on intermediary European-language versions.
His translation was notable for its extensive explanatory notes and scholarly commentary. It also included a substantial Preliminary Discourse, examining the history of Arabia, Islamic religious traditions, cultural practices, and the historical background of the Qur’an.
Sale’s translation remained influential for generations and played an important role in introducing English-speaking readers to the Islamic world.
ABOUT THIS 1825 EDITION
This is an authentic 1825 London edition, identified on the title pages as “A New Edition,” published 91 years after Sale’s original 1734 publication.
Both volumes retain their original 1825-dated title pages identifying George Sale as translator.
The volumes feature decorative antique bindings with gilt-tooled leather spines, characteristic of nineteenth-century bookbinding.
HISTORIC ILLUSTRATIONS AND FOLDING ENGRAVINGS
One particularly interesting feature of this edition is its historical illustrative material.
The photographed examples include:
* A large folding genealogical table of the tribes of the naturalized Arabs.
* A folding genealogical table of the tribes of the genuine Arabs.
* An engraved folding illustration containing a detailed plan and architectural view of the Temple of Mecca, including the Kaaba and its surrounding sacred complex.
These fascinating historical engravings offer a visual representation of how European scholars documented Arabian genealogy, geography, and Islamic sacred architecture during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
Title: The Koran; Commonly Called the Alcoran of Mohammed
Translator: George Sale, Gent.
Publication year: 1825
Place of publication: London, England
Publisher: Geo. B. Whittaker and associated London booksellers
Printer: William Clowes, London
Edition: A New Edition
Format: Two-volume hardcover set
Language: English
Subject: Qur’an, Islam, Islamic history, religious studies, nineteenth-century printing, and antiquarian books.
CONDITION
Please examine all photographs carefully for the most accurate representation.
COLLECTOR INTEREST
An appealing historical set for collectors of antique religious books, early English Qur’an translations, Islamic history, Orientalist scholarship, Georgian-era publications, and nineteenth-century leather-bound books.
This is the authentic 1825 edition, not a modern reproduction or facsimile and not the original 1734 first edition.