batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l2355-l2402
---
record_id: batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l2355-l2402
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
passage_locator:
label: THE KORAN. / PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE / SECTION I. / SECTION II.; lines 2355-2402
start: '2355'
end: '2402'
translation: The Koran (Al-Qur'an)
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: '"raised up on purpose by GOD, to be a scourge to the Christian church"'
summary: The passage describes the weakening of the Roman and Persian empires before
and around Mohammed's time, attributes Arab success to religion and divine assistance,
frames the Arabs as a divine scourge on the Christian church, and recounts Persian
internal dissensions involving Manes, Mazdak, Kobad, and Anushirwan.
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Success in enterprises against opposing powers is said to have been attributed
to a new religion and its divine assistance.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The Roman empire is described as declining after Constantine, with the western
half overrun by Goths and the eastern half weakened by Huns and Persians.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Heraclius is described as courageous and successful against Persians, yet
the empire is said to have remained mortally wounded and vulnerable to Arab enterprises.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The Arabs are described as seemingly raised by God to be a scourge to the
Christian church for failing to live according to its religion.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Greek luxury, degeneracy, monachism, and persecution are described as weakening
forces.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: Persia is described as declining before Mohammed because of internal disputes,
partly attributed to the doctrines of Manes and Mazdak.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: Mazdak is said to have claimed to be a prophet sent from God and to have preached
community of women and possessions because all men were brothers descended from
common parents.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: Kobad is said to have embraced Mazdak's opinions and permitted him access
to the queen according to the new doctrine, but Anushirwan persuaded Mazdak not
to use that permission.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: Anushirwan is said to have killed Mazdak, his followers, and the Manicheans,
and to have restored the ancient Magian religion.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:10
text: Mohammed is said to have been born during the reign of Anushirwan, after whom
the Persian throne was repeatedly contested until Persia was subverted by the
Arabs.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: God
description: Divine source to whom Arab success and providential raising are attributed
in the passage.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Arabs
description: A people whose enterprises are described as favored by the weakened
state of the empires and as a scourge to the Christian church.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:9
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Christian church
description: Religious community described as being scourged for not living according
to its received holy religion.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Roman empire
description: Empire described as declining after Constantine and weakened by invasions
and internal losses.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Persians / Persian empire
description: Empire described as weakened by wars and internal dissensions before
being subverted by the Arabs.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:9
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Heraclius
description: Emperor described as courageous, capable, and successful against the
Persians, though unable to restore the empire fully.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Manes
description: Teacher whose doctrines are named as contributing to Persian dissensions.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Mazdak
description: Claimant prophet who preached communal women and possessions and whose
followers were later killed.
role_refs:
- role:6
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Kobad
description: Persian ruler who embraced Mazdak's opinions.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Anushirwan
description: Son of Kobad and later Persian ruler who stopped Mazdak's intended
action and later killed Mazdak and his followers while restoring Magian religion.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Mohammed
description: Said to have been born during the reign of Anushirwan.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
roles:
- id: role:1
label: divine agent
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Success and the raising of the Arabs are attributed to God or divine assistance.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: role:2
label: divinely raised scourge
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The Arabs are described as raised by God to be a scourge to the Christian
church.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: chastised religious community
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The Christian church is described as receiving punishment for not living
according to its religion.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: declining empire
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: Both Roman and Persian powers are described as weakened by invasions, war,
or internal dissension.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:9
- id: role:5
label: restoring ruler unable to avert decline
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Heraclius is described as courageous and successful, but the empire remains
mortally wounded.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:6
label: doctrinal source of dissension
assigned_to:
- fig:7
- fig:8
basis: The doctrines of Manes and Mazdak are named as causes of Persian internal
dissensions.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:7
label: claimant prophet and social reform preacher
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Mazdak is said to have pretended to be a prophet sent from God and preached
community of women and possessions.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: royal adherent of new doctrine
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Kobad is said to have embraced Mazdak's opinions.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:9
label: restorer and suppressor
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: Anushirwan stopped Mazdak's action, then killed Mazdak and followers and
restored Magian religion.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: role:10
label: new religious founder born amid imperial decline
assigned_to:
- fig:11
basis: Mohammed is located chronologically in Anushirwan's reign, before later Persian
collapse under the Arabs.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
symbols: []
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Imperial weakening before Arab expansion
summary: The Roman empire is described as weakened by invasions, internal losses,
and moral decline, while the passage states that this created a favorable time
for Arab enterprises.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:2
label: Providential scourge against the Christian church
summary: The passage interprets the Arabs as raised by God to punish the Christian
church for failing to live according to its holy religion.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Mazdak's doctrine and royal acceptance
summary: Mazdak claims prophetic authority and preaches communal women and possessions;
Kobad embraces his doctrine, while Anushirwan intervenes to prevent one application
involving the queen.
figure_refs:
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:4
label: Suppression of sects and Persian succession
summary: Anushirwan kills Mazdak, his followers, and the Manicheans, restores Magian
religion, and Mohammed is said to be born during his reign; after him Persian
rule becomes contested until Arab conquest.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:8
- fig:10
- fig:11
- fig:2
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Divine punishment through a conquering people
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: The passage states that the Arabs seemed to have been raised by God as a
scourge to the Christian church because of moral-religious failure.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: This is the translator/commentator's providential historical interpretation,
not a narrative episode from the Qur'anic text itself.
- id: motif:2
label: Claimant prophet brings radical communal doctrine
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Mazdak is described as pretending to be a prophet sent from God and preaching
communal women and possessions to end quarrels among men.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage is polemical and calls Mazdak an impostor; no independent
account of the doctrine is supplied here.
- id: motif:3
label: Restoration by suppressing disruptive sects
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Anushirwan is described as killing Mazdak, his followers, and the Manicheans
and restoring the ancient Magian religion.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
confidence: low
cautions: This is a historical-polemical claim rather than a fully developed mythic
motif in the passage.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: 2355-2356
quote_or_summary: Success against opposing powers was attributed to "their new religion
and the divine assistance thereof."
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt used.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 2357-2366
quote_or_summary: The Roman empire declined after Constantine; its western half
was overrun by Goths and its eastern half was weakened by Huns and Persians.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: 2366-2377
quote_or_summary: Heraclius had success against the Persians, yet the empire was
"mortally wounded" and the Arabs seemed "raised up on purpose by GOD, to be a
scourge to the Christian church."
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt used.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 2378-2381
quote_or_summary: Greek luxury, degeneracy of manners, monachism, and persecution
are said to have weakened their forces.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 2382-2385
quote_or_summary: The Persians are described as declining before Mohammed because
of internal broils and dissensions, partly arising from doctrines of Manes and
Mazdak.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: quote
locator: 2385-2391
quote_or_summary: Mazdak "pretended himself a prophet sent from GOD" and preached
"a community of women and possessions" because all men were brothers from common
parents.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt used.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: 2391-2395
quote_or_summary: Kobad embraced Mazdak's opinions and gave permission involving
the queen; Anushirwan persuaded Mazdak not to make use of it.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: 2395-2399
quote_or_summary: Anushirwan, on succeeding his father, killed Mazdak, his followers,
and the Manicheans, and restored the ancient Magian religion.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: 2400-2402
quote_or_summary: Mohammed was born in Anushirwan's reign; after Anushirwan the
Persian throne was almost continually contested until subverted by the Arabs.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: medium
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The passage is a historical and polemical section from Sale's preliminary
discourse, not a mythic narrative. Motif extraction is limited to explicit providential
and claimant-prophet patterns stated in the passage.
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: |-
No taxonomy symbol refs were assigned because the passage does not present supported literal symbols from the available symbol list.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg__l2355-l2402
passage_sha256=1cc3e8a944c6a809bb5e52abde459e948583f21271f8333e8d84bdbc1f0507d8