batch.motif.islamic-koran-rodwell-gutenberg-l7693-l7858
---
record_id: batch.motif.islamic-koran-rodwell-gutenberg-l7693-l7858
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-rodwell.md
passage_locator:
label: PUBLIC SERVICES, / AND EMINENT LITERARY ATTAINMENTS, / THE TRANSLATOR. /
PREFACE; lines 7693-7858
start: '7693'
end: '7858'
translation: The Koran (Al-Qur'an), Rodwell translation
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The passage opens Sura Sad with a warning against unbelieving opponents,
recalls earlier peoples destroyed for rejecting apostles, and presents examples
involving David, Solomon, Job, and other righteous servants. It emphasizes divine
judgment, repentance, wisdom, royal authority, trials, restoration, and final
destinies for the pious and evildoers.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The infidels are described as proud, contentious, and objecting to the claim
that the gods are one God.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Earlier generations and named peoples are said to have been destroyed or punished
after rejecting apostles.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The opponents are said to await one trumpet blast and refer to the day of
reckoning.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: David is described as a servant who turns to God; mountains and birds join
him in praise.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: David is given a stable kingdom, wisdom, and skill in clear decisions.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: Two pleaders enter upon David, present a dispute about ninety-nine ewes and
one ewe, and ask him to judge truthfully.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: David judges the dispute, perceives that he has been tried, asks pardon, bows,
repents, and is forgiven.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: David is made vicegerent upon earth and instructed to judge between people
with truth and not follow passions.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: Solomon is described as a servant who turns Godward, is distracted by displayed
horses, and then acts against the horses by severing legs and necks.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: Solomon is tried by a phantom placed on his throne, asks pardon, and asks
for a unique dominion.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: The wind is subjected to Solomon, and satans are described as builders, divers,
and others bound in chains.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: Job cries that Satan has laid disease and pain on him; he is told to stamp
with his foot and receives water to wash with and drink.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:13
text: Job’s family is restored with as many more, and he is instructed to take a
rod and strike with it without breaking his oath.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:14
text: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhoulkefl are remembered as righteous
or elect servants.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:15
text: The pious are promised Gardens of Eden with open portals, fruit, drink, and
companions; evildoers are assigned a wretched home.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: God
description: The divine speaker who warns, destroys earlier generations, grants
wisdom and dominion, forgives, restores, and judges.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:9
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Muhammad
description: The addressed recipient to whom the story of the two pleaders and the
blessed Book are directed.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Infidels / Meccan opponents
description: Opponents described as proud, disputing the warning, rejecting one
God, and awaiting reckoning.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Former rejecting peoples
description: The people of Noah, Ad, Pharaoh, Themoud, the people of Lot, and dwellers
in the forest, all described as rejecters of apostles.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: David
description: A servant strong of hand who turns to God, receives kingdom and wisdom,
judges pleaders, repents after a trial, is forgiven, and is made vicegerent.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Two pleaders / two brothers
description: Two opposing parties who enter upon David and present a dispute over
ewes.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Solomon
description: David’s son, a servant who turns Godward, is tested, repents, and receives
dominion over wind and satans.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Satan / Satans
description: Satan is named as the source of Job’s disease and pain; satans are
also subjected to Solomon as builders, divers, and chained beings.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Job
description: A patient servant who cries to God in affliction, receives healing
water and family restoration, and obeys an instruction involving a rod.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
description: Servants described as men of might and vision, cleansed by remembrance
of the abode of Paradise, elect and good.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhoulkefl
description: Remembered figures described as just.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: The pious
description: People promised a goodly retreat in Gardens of Eden.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:13
name_or_label: Evildoers
description: People assigned a wretched home.
role_refs:
- role:12
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:14
name_or_label: Mountains and birds
description: Natural beings constrained or gathered to join David in praise.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
roles:
- id: role:1
label: divine warner, judge, giver, and restorer
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The divine speaker issues warnings, recounts destructions, grants wisdom
and dominion, forgives David and Solomon, restores Job, and assigns final destinies.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:9
- id: role:2
label: addressed recipient of revelation and instruction
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The passage addresses Muhammad and says a blessed Book has been sent down
to him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: rejecters of warning and apostles
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:4
basis: The opponents dispute the warning, while former peoples are said to have
charged apostles with falsehood.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:4
label: repentant ruler and truthful judge
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: David receives kingdom and wisdom, judges the pleaders, repents, is forgiven,
and is commanded to judge with truth.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: litigants in a judicial test
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The two pleaders present an asymmetric dispute over ewes and ask David to
judge.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:6
label: tested ruler granted extraordinary dominion
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Solomon is tried by a phantom, seeks pardon and dominion, and receives command
over wind and satans.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: adversarial or subordinated demonic beings
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Satan afflicts Job, while satans are made builders, divers, and chained subjects
under Solomon.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:8
label: patient afflicted servant restored by God
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Job cries out in disease and pain, receives water, family restoration, and
is called patient and excellent.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:9
label: remembered righteous servants
assigned_to:
- fig:10
- fig:11
basis: The named figures are remembered as elect, good, or just.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:10
label: praising natural beings
assigned_to:
- fig:14
basis: Mountains and birds join David in lauds.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:11
label: recipients of eschatological reward
assigned_to:
- fig:12
basis: The pious are promised Gardens of Eden and unfailing provision.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:12
label: recipients of eschatological punishment
assigned_to:
- fig:13
basis: Evildoers are assigned a wretched home.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Book of warning / blessed Book
literal_form: The Koran or sent-down Book described as full of warning and for meditation.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- id: sym:2
label: single trumpet blast
literal_form: One trumpet blast associated with the awaited reckoning.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:3
label: mountains joining praise
literal_form: Mountains constrained to join David in lauds at evening and sunrise.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:14
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:4
label: birds returning to David
literal_form: Birds flocking to David and returning to him.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:14
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:5
label: ninety-nine ewes and one ewe
literal_form: 'The animals in the pleaders’ dispute: one brother has ninety-nine
ewes and the other one.'
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:6
label: phantom on the throne
literal_form: A phantom placed on Solomon’s throne as part of a trial.
associated_figures:
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:7
label: subjected wind
literal_form: Wind made to run softly at Solomon’s bidding.
associated_figures:
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:8
label: chains for satans
literal_form: Some satans or others bound in chains under Solomon’s dominion.
associated_figures:
- fig:7
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:9
label: cool water for washing and drinking
literal_form: Water produced or indicated after Job stamps with his foot, used to
wash and drink.
associated_figures:
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:10
label: rod used to keep an oath
literal_form: A rod Job is instructed to take in his hand and strike with, without
breaking his oath.
associated_figures:
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:11
label: fire for infidels
literal_form: Fire named in connection with woe to infidels.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:13
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:12
label: Gardens of Eden with open portals
literal_form: Afterlife gardens with open portals, fruit, drink, and companions.
associated_figures:
- fig:12
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Warning, rejection, and precedent of destroyed peoples
summary: The passage states that opponents reject the warning and one God, while
earlier peoples likewise rejected apostles and received retribution.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: David praised with mountains and birds
summary: David is remembered as a servant who turns to God; mountains and birds
join him in praise, and he receives kingdom, wisdom, and decisive judgment.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:14
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: David and the two pleaders
summary: Two disputants enter upon David, present a dispute over ewes, and David
judges; he then perceives a divine trial, repents, bows, and is forgiven.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: David’s vicegerency and command to judge rightly
summary: David is made vicegerent upon earth and commanded to judge with truth,
while the passage warns of the day of reckoning, fire, and the blessed Book.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:5
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:5
label: Solomon’s horses and trial by phantom
summary: Solomon is remembered as turning Godward, is associated with displayed
chargers, acts against them, is tried by a phantom on his throne, and repents.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:6
label: Solomon’s dominion over wind and satans
summary: Solomon asks for a unique dominion and receives command over the wind and
over satans who serve as builders, divers, and chained beings.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:7
label: Job’s affliction, healing, and restoration
summary: Job cries to God about disease and pain from Satan, is directed to healing
water, has his family restored, and receives an instruction involving a rod and
oath.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:9
- sym:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: scene:8
label: Remembrance of righteous servants
summary: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhoulkefl are remembered as
good, elect, or just figures.
figure_refs:
- fig:10
- fig:11
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: scene:9
label: Final retreat of pious and home of evildoers
summary: The pious are promised Gardens of Eden, fruit, drink, companions, and unfailing
provision; evildoers are assigned a wretched home.
figure_refs:
- fig:12
- fig:13
symbol_refs:
- sym:12
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Rejected prophetic warning followed by retribution
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: The passage says earlier peoples rejected apostles and were destroyed or
justly punished, and it applies warning language to current opponents.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: The extraction is limited to the warning-retribution pattern as stated
in this passage.
- id: motif:2
label: Final reckoning with opposed destinies
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: The passage refers to a trumpet blast, the day of reckoning, fire for infidels,
Gardens of Eden for the pious, and a wretched home for evildoers.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: No detailed journey through the afterlife is described in this passage.
- id: motif:3
label: Divine trial, repentance, and restoration
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: David perceives a trial and repents, Solomon is tried by a phantom and repents,
and Job is afflicted but restored after crying to God.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The trials differ in form and are not explicitly named as one category
by the passage.
- id: motif:4
label: Righteous royal authority grounded in wisdom and divine gift
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
- wisdom
basis: David is given kingdom, wisdom, and vicegerency with a command to judge truthfully;
Solomon receives a unique dominion from God.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not give a political genealogy beyond Solomon being given
to David.
- id: motif:5
label: Nonhuman nature and spirits subordinated to a chosen servant
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Mountains and birds join David in praise, while wind and satans are subjected
to Solomon.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage presents distinct episodes for David and Solomon; functional
grouping is interpretive.
- id: motif:6
label: Healing water and restoration of the afflicted righteous person
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Job is afflicted by disease and pain, receives cool water to wash with and
drink, and has his family restored.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not elaborate the mechanics of healing beyond the command
to stamp and the use of water.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage explicitly aligns the current opponents with earlier peoples
who rejected apostles, giving them the same narrative function as rejecters warned
before retribution.
claim_level: same_function
target: Meccan opponents and the people of Noah, Ad, Pharaoh, Themoud, the people
of Lot, and dwellers in the forest
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: This is an internal comparison made by the passage; it does not establish
historical contact or dependence beyond the text’s own alignment.
- id: claim:2
claim: David, Solomon, and Job are presented in a repeated pattern of exemplary
servants who undergo trial or affliction, turn to God, and receive divine favor
or restoration.
claim_level: same_function
target: Servant-trial episodes of David, Solomon, and Job within the passage
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The passage does not explicitly state a single named motif for these
episodes; the grouping is based on repeated narrative functions.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: Sura XXXVIII.Sad, opening warning through named former peoples and trumpet
blast; within lines 7693-7858
quote_or_summary: Infidels dispute the warning and one God; earlier peoples such
as Noah’s people, Ad, Pharaoh, Themoud, Lot’s people, and forest dwellers rejected
apostles and received retribution; one trumpet blast and reckoning are mentioned.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-rodwell.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: Sura XXXVIII.Sad, David remembered before the two pleaders; within lines
7693-7858
quote_or_summary: David is remembered as a servant who turns to God; mountains and
birds join him in praise, and he receives established kingdom, wisdom, and skill
in clear decisions.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-rodwell.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: Sura XXXVIII.Sad, story of the two pleaders; within lines 7693-7858
quote_or_summary: Two pleaders enter upon David and describe a dispute over ninety-nine
ewes and one ewe; David judges, perceives he has been tried, asks pardon, bows,
repents, and is forgiven.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-rodwell.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: Sura XXXVIII.Sad, David’s vicegerency and blessed Book; within lines 7693-7858
quote_or_summary: David is made vicegerent upon earth and told to judge with truth;
the passage warns against forgetting the day of reckoning, mentions fire for infidels,
and describes a blessed Book sent down for meditation.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-rodwell.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: Sura XXXVIII.Sad, Solomon’s chargers and phantom; within lines 7693-7858
quote_or_summary: Solomon is remembered as an excellent servant; displayed chargers
are associated with distraction from remembrance, he severs legs and necks, and
a phantom is placed on his throne as a trial before he returns to God.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-rodwell.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: Sura XXXVIII.Sad, Solomon’s prayer and dominion; within lines 7693-7858
quote_or_summary: Solomon asks pardon and a dominion unlike any other; wind is subjected
to him, and satans serve as builders, divers, and chained beings; his rank is
high with God.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-rodwell.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: Sura XXXVIII.Sad, Job episode; within lines 7693-7858
quote_or_summary: Job cries that Satan has laid disease and pain on him; he is told
to stamp with his foot and use cool water to wash and drink; his family is restored,
and he is instructed to strike with a rod without breaking his oath.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-rodwell.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: Sura XXXVIII.Sad, remembered righteous servants; within lines 7693-7858
quote_or_summary: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are described as men of might and vision,
cleansed by remembrance of the abode of Paradise, and elect and good; Ishmael,
Elisha, and Dhoulkefl are described as just.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-rodwell.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: Sura XXXVIII.Sad, pious and evildoers; within lines 7693-7858
quote_or_summary: The pious are promised Gardens of Eden with open portals, fruit,
drink, and companions, as unfailing provision; evildoers have a wretched home.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-rodwell.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: Literal extraction is high confidence from the supplied passage. Motif and
comparison fields remain draft interpretations and should be checked by a human
reviewer, especially where repeated patterns are grouped across distinct episodes.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the supplied passage and metadata. Available taxonomy references were applied only where directly supported by passage content.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:islamic-koran-rodwell-gutenberg__l7693-l7858
passage_sha256=5a99f570305feb57ee8b1c7c4bb198b101898750336cf507528e4b95ef7802ba