batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l3219-l3266
---
record_id: batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l3219-l3266
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
passage_locator:
label: PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE / SECTION I. / SECTION II. / SECTION III; lines 3219-3266
start: '3219'
end: '3266'
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: ''
summary: The passage explains how chapters of the Koran are titled, how some are
associated with Mecca or Medina, how chapters are subdivided into verses called
Ayt meaning signs or wonders, and how different ancient editions differ in verse
counts while being said to preserve the same word and letter counts.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Chapter titles may be taken from a matter or person mentioned in the chapter,
or from a notable word, and some chapters have more than one title because copies
differ.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Some chapters are described as revealed at Mecca, others at Medina, and some
partly at both places; commentators dispute the location for others.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Chapters are subdivided into unequal portions customarily called verses; the
Arabic term Ayt is glossed as signs or wonders.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The signs or wonders are described as including the secrets of God, his attributes,
works, judgments, and ordinances delivered in the verses.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The passage says manuscripts do not set down verse numbers after each chapter
title, and that Muslims have scruples about making an actual distinction because
editions differ in division and verse number.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: Seven principal editions or ancient copies are listed by place or name, with
differing total verse counts.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: The editions are said to contain the same number of words and letters, though
footnotes give alternate computations.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:8
text: The passage explicitly compares Muslim chapter-naming and textual counting
practices with Jewish practices.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: God
description: God is named as the one whose secrets, attributes, works, judgments,
and ordinances are delivered in the verses.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Mohammedans
description: The passage describes Muslims as having scruples about marking verse
divisions and as numbering words and letters of their law.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Jews
description: The passage compares chapter naming and word-and-letter counting with
Jewish practices.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: commentators
description: Commentators are said to dispute whether some chapters belong to Mecca
or Medina.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
roles:
- id: role:1
label: divine source of secrets, attributes, works, judgments, and ordinances
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The verses are described as containing the secrets of God, his attributes,
works, judgments, and ordinances.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:2
label: religious community preserving and enumerating sacred text
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The passage attributes scruples about verse division and the numbering of
words and letters to Muslims.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: role:3
label: comparative textual model
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The passage says Koran chapter naming is like Jewish Sedrim naming and that
Muslims imitated Jews in numbering words and letters.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- id: role:4
label: disputants over revelation location
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The passage says commentators dispute whether some chapters belong to Mecca
or Medina.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Ayt as signs or wonders
literal_form: verses called Ayt, glossed as signs or wonders
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: numbered words and letters
literal_form: the word and letter counts of the sacred text
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: sym:3
label: Mecca and Medina revelation locations
literal_form: chapter labels identifying revelation at Mecca, Medina, or both
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Explanation of chapter titles
summary: The passage explains that Koranic chapter titles may derive from persons,
topics, or notable words, and compares this title formation to Jewish Sedrim naming.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Classification by place of revelation
summary: The passage states that some chapters are classified as revealed at Mecca,
at Medina, partly at both, or are disputed by commentators.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Verses as signs or wonders
summary: The passage describes the subdivision of chapters into verses called Ayt,
meaning signs or wonders, in which divine secrets, attributes, works, judgments,
and ordinances are delivered.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Editions and textual enumeration
summary: The passage describes seven principal editions or ancient copies with different
verse totals, while saying they preserve the same word and letter totals and comparing
such enumeration to Jewish practice.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: sacred text as divine signs and wonders
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
- divine_judgment
basis: The passage defines verses as Ayt, signs or wonders, and says they deliver
the secrets of God along with divine attributes, works, judgments, and ordinances.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage is an expository discussion of textual structure rather than
a narrative mythic episode; taxonomy links are broad.
- id: motif:2
label: sacred enumeration of textual units
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The passage emphasizes differing verse counts, fixed word and letter counts,
and religious concern over exact textual division and enumeration.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: This is a textual-preservation pattern rather than a supplied taxonomy
motif family.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage compares Koranic chapter naming with Jewish naming of Sedrim
as a similar textual practice.
claim_level: same_function
target: Jewish Sedrim naming practice
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: The comparison is limited to chapter or section naming practice and
does not establish historical contact beyond the author's assertion of similarity.
- id: claim:2
claim: The passage says Muslims imitated Jews in numbering the words and letters
of their law, presenting a comparison of sacred textual enumeration.
claim_level: same_function
target: Jewish enumeration of words and letters of the law
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The claim reflects the passage author's statement; the excerpt does
not provide independent evidence for the asserted imitation.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 3219-3235
quote_or_summary: Chapter titles are described as drawn from a topic, person, or
notable word, in the same manner as Jews named their Sedrim; some chapters have
multiple titles due to copy differences.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary supplied.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 3236-3241
quote_or_summary: Chapters are said to be revealed at Mecca or Medina, sometimes
partly at both, while commentators dispute the place for some chapters.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary supplied.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: lines 3242-3248
quote_or_summary: "“the Arabic word is Ayt ... and signifies signs, or wonders;
such as are the secrets of GOD, his attributes, works, judgments, and ordinances”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; short quotation from public domain text.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 3249-3256
quote_or_summary: The author says he has not seen manuscripts where verse counts
are set after chapter titles, and that Muslims have scruples about marking verse
distinctions because editions differ in verse division and number.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary supplied.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 3257-3264
quote_or_summary: 'Seven principal editions or ancient copies are listed: two of
Medina, one each of Mecca, Cufa, Basra, Syria, and a common edition, with verse
totals ranging from 6,000 to 6,236; they are said to share 77,639 words and 323,015
letters.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary supplied.
- id: ev:6
type: quote
locator: lines 3264-3266
quote_or_summary: "“the Mohammedans have in this also imitated the Jews, that they
have superstitiously numbered the very words and letters of their law”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; short quotation from public domain text.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The passage is primarily a scholarly prose description of Koranic textual
organization, not a myth narrative. Literal extraction is strong; motif assignment
is necessarily broad.
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: |-
Only the supplied passage and metadata were used.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg__l3219-l3266
passage_sha256=742ca5dfdbac7d1b8fb4d50e67641ea2ab14ab4a83634a3d5c8d149dc6a3f9c2