Le traducteur

William Muir étudia à l’Académie Kilmarnock, à Glasgow et à l’Université d’Edimbourg ainsi qu’à Haileybury College. Entre 1837 et 1885, il eut de haute responsabilité dans l’administration du gouvernement des Indes. En 1885, il fut élu principal de l’Université d’Édimbourg en succédant à Sir Alexander Grant, et occupa ce poste jusqu’en 1903, date où il prit sa retraite.

Preface

The Coran abounds with arguments, drawn from Nature and Providence, with a view to prove the existence of God as the Supreme Ruler, and enforce His sovereign claim on the obedience and gratitude of mankind. The retri- bution of good and evil in the world to come, the obligation to follow virtue and eschew vice, the duty and happiness of the creature in worshipping and serving the Creator, and such-like topics, are set forth in language of beauty and vigour, abounding often with real poetry. Thus, also, the reasonableness of the Resurrection is taught by many forcible considerations, and especially by the analogy, so striking in southern climes, of the earth long dry and dead, quickened suddenly into exuberant life by the copious rain from heaven.

Passages like these can hardly be obnoxious to the professors of any faith ; and there is much in them that should be welcome to all. Accordingly, it occurred to me when in India, that extracts of the kind might prove suitable for the use of scliools. While acceptable to the Mahometans, I conceived that they might not be unattractive to others, either Hindoo or Christian, as illustrations at once of the beautiful and nervous diction of the Corlln, and also of the better parts of Mussulman theology. With this view I compiled the extracts which form the present volume, intending to publish them in a tri-lingual form, — ^Arabic, English, and Urdoo. But when I had nearly completed the design, and began to take counsel with my Mahometan friends for carrying it into effect, I was assured that their people would probably be averse from the use of any such manual. Reverence for the "divine Cor&n’’ is so intense (I was told), that the very act of using extracts selected from it, would be held a desecration. Some of my own countrymen even, were startled at the proposal, thinking that the introduction of such a school book might be regarded as an undue re- cognition of the CorSn. And so, finding little favour for my project anywhere, I dropped it.

I now take it in hand again. I still venture to think that the publication of these extracts will be beneficial. It may promote amongst us the knowledge of portions of the teaching of Mahomet which are in themselves un- objectionable and often edifying. And it may also be useful, as affording a certain basis of agreement and common thought, for those who come into contact with the Moslem world.

Agauiy in respect of scIlooIs in India, the scruples as to the use of such a manual may perhaps be overcome ; and if once introduced, it is likely to be popular. At any rate, for the student of Arabic in this country, the selection must prove very serviceable. There can be no better intro- duction to this noble tongue, than the eloquent lessons of the Prophet himself, couched as they are in langiia^ of singular force and beauty, held by Moslems of every age a model unrivalled in its elegance, purity and power.

The collection avoids the special tenets of Islam. Occa- sional allusions could not be entirely eliminated ; but they will hardly be objected to.

The extracts follow the existing order of the Coran, which, as is well known, is not the chronological order ; ^ but that is here immaterial ; for the line of argument re- mained throughout the Prophet’s career the same, though the illustrations varied somewhat. For the most part the passages in this collection were delivered in the middle of that period. A few belong to the earlier and more rhapsodical stage ; and by way of illustration I have given one of the earlier Sdras entire, as the last of the series.

Repetition will be observed not infrequently of the same idea, and sometimes even in the same language ; — ^a trait that is characteristic of the Coran. A translation follows each extract, sufficiently close for the use of the student. It would not have been possible to infuse the spirit of the original into the rendering without greater freedom than I felt at liberty to intro- duce, and (which is, perhaps, more to the purpose) without a special talent for the task to which I have no pretension.

As it is, I trust that the attempt may be found to answer some of the objects which I have had in view.

W. M. 

London, April, 1880.

Table des matières

35 extraits sont traduits.