batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l3665-l3714
---
record_id: batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l3665-l3714
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
passage_locator:
label: PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE / SECTION I. / SECTION II. / SECTION III; lines 3665-3714
start: '3665'
end: '3714'
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 discusses reported doctrinal arguments about whether the Koran
was created, an anecdote in which al Walid attacks a copy of the book after reading
a rebuking passage, methods for interpreting passages by their circumstances and
chronology, Muslim reverence for the Koran through purity rules and ritual handling,
military and devotional uses of Koranic sentences, and translation of the scripture
into other languages while preserving respect for Arabic.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Abu Harn Ebn al Baca is described as making a distinction that the Koran was
ordained and that what was ordained was created, while denying that this proved
the Koran itself was created.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Al Wald Ebn Yazd is said to have opened the book, read words condemning a
rebellious perverse person, placed the book on a lance, and shot it with arrows.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Al Wald is said to address the book in verse and to tell it to report his
tearing of it before the Lord on the day of resurrection.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The passage says proper explanation of passages requires knowledge from tradition
and study of time, circumstances, state, history, and reasons for revelation.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: The passage lists interpretive distinctions such as Meccan or Medinan revelation,
abrogating or abrogated passages, chronological order, contextual dependence,
particular or general scope, and implicit or explicit wording.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: The passage says Mohammedans do not touch the Koran unless washed or legally
purified and mark the cover or label with a warning that only the clean should
touch it.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: The passage says Mohammedans read the Koran carefully and respectfully and
never hold it below their girdles.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:8
text: The passage says Mohammedans swear by the Koran, consult it on weighty occasions,
carry it to war, and write sentences from it on banners.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:9
text: The passage says Mohammedans adorn the Koran with gold and precious stones
and do not knowingly allow it to be possessed by people of another persuasion.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:10
text: The passage says the Koran has been translated into Persian and other languages,
including Javan and Malayan, while versions generally remain intermediary out
of respect for the Arabic original.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Abu Harn Ebn al Baca
description: A doctor in the time of al Mtasem who argued about the Koran being
ordained and created.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: al Wald Ebn Yazd
description: The eleventh of the race of Emmeya, described as a reprobate who attacked
the book after reading from it.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Mohammedans
description: The group described as revering, reading, touching, carrying, adorning,
consulting, and translating the Koran.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: the Lord
description: The addressee before whom al Wald says the book should report his tearing
of it on the day of resurrection.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
roles:
- id: role:1
label: doctrinal interpreter
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He is described as a doctor making distinctions about whether the Koran was
ordained and created.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: defiant desecrator of scripture
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: He is described as placing the book on a lance, shooting it with arrows,
and speaking defiant verses to it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: reverent handlers of scripture
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: They are described as requiring purification before touch, reading respectfully,
and keeping the book physically elevated.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:4
label: custodians and ritual users of scripture
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: They are described as swearing by, consulting, carrying to war, inscribing
on banners, adorning, and restricting possession of the Koran.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:5
label: eschatological judge addressed in speech
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Al Wald's verse imagines the book appearing before the Lord on the day of
resurrection.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Koran as revered book
literal_form: the Koran / this book
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: sym:2
label: purity before touch
literal_form: washing or legal purification before touching the Koran
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:3
label: cover warning of cleanliness
literal_form: 'words on the cover or label: only the clean may touch it'
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:4
label: scriptural banner
literal_form: sentences of the Koran written on banners
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:5
label: adorned scripture
literal_form: gold and precious stones used to adorn the Koran
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: sym:6
label: lance and arrows used against the book
literal_form: a lance and arrows used by al Wald against the book
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:7
label: day of resurrection
literal_form: the day of resurrection named in al Wald's verse
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Doctrinal distinction about createdness
summary: A doctor argues that the Koran may be called ordained and that the ordained
is created, while denying that this entails that the Koran is created.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Al Wald attacks the book
summary: Al Wald reads a rebuke from the book, places it on a lance, shoots it with
arrows, and speaks verses presenting himself as the rebellious person.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Rules for interpreting revelation
summary: The passage states that correct interpretation depends on tradition, study,
circumstances, chronology, abrogation, context, scope, and wording.
figure_refs: []
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: Reverent handling and ritual use of the Koran
summary: Mohammedans are described as touching the Koran only after purification,
reading it respectfully, swearing by it, consulting it, taking it to war, inscribing
its sentences on banners, adorning it, and limiting its possession.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: scene:5
label: Translation with respect for Arabic original
summary: The passage says the Koran has been translated into Persian and other languages,
with versions generally intermediary out of respect for the Arabic original.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: sacred text requiring ritual purity
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The book is not to be touched without washing or legal purification, and
a label warns that only the clean should touch it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: This is presented in a later translated preliminary discourse, not as
a narrative episode from the Koran itself.
- id: motif:2
label: scripture as oath, oracle, and protective object
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The passage says the Koran is sworn by, consulted on weighty occasions, carried
to war, and inscribed on banners.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The passage reports practices collectively and does not narrate a single
specific ritual performance.
- id: motif:3
label: desecration of sacred book as defiant self-identification
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Al Wald identifies himself with the condemned rebellious person and physically
attacks the book with a lance and arrows.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The anecdote is reported through cited authorities and should be reviewed
for historical framing.
- id: motif:4
label: sacred text personified as witness before divine judgment
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
- resurrection
basis: Al Wald's verse addresses the book as if it could speak before the Lord on
the day of resurrection.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The personification occurs in a hostile verse attributed to al Wald, not
in a doctrinal statement by the passage narrator.
- id: motif:5
label: revelation ordered by chronology, context, and abrogation
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage emphasizes knowing when and why passages were revealed and whether
they abrogate or are abrogated, among other interpretive distinctions.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy reference is broad; the passage is more about hermeneutics
than a mythic wisdom narrative.
- id: motif:6
label: translation subordinated to sacred original language
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The passage says translations exist in Persian, Javan, Malayan, and other
languages, but versions are generally intermediary out of respect for the original
Arabic.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: The exact meaning of “intermediary” in the passage may require editorial
review.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 3666-3671
quote_or_summary: A doctor named Abu Harn Ebn al Baca argues that the Koran was
ordained and that what was ordained was created, while denying that this proves
the Koran was created.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 3677-3684
quote_or_summary: Al Wald Ebn Yazd reads a passage about a rebellious perverse person,
sticks the book on a lance, and shoots it to pieces with arrows.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: lines 3682-3686
quote_or_summary: '"When thou appearest before thy LORD on the day of resurrection,
say, O LORD, al Wald has torn me thus."'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 3694-3697
quote_or_summary: Correct explanation of passages requires tradition and study of
the time, circumstances, state, history, and reasons for revelation.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 3697-3702
quote_or_summary: The passage lists distinctions concerning Mecca or Medina, abrogation,
chronological order, contextual relation, particular or general scope, and implicit
or explicit wording.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: quote
locator: lines 3703-3707
quote_or_summary: '"Let none touch it but they who are clean."'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 3707-3708
quote_or_summary: They read the Koran with care and respect and never hold it below
their girdles.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 3708-3710
quote_or_summary: They swear by the Koran, consult it in weighty occasions, carry
it to war, and write sentences from it on banners.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 3710-3712
quote_or_summary: They adorn the Koran with gold and precious stones and do not
knowingly allow it to be possessed by someone of a different persuasion.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 3713-3714
quote_or_summary: The passage says the Koran has been translated into Persian and
other languages, especially Javan and Malayan, generally as intermediary versions
out of respect for the original Arabic.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: The passage is a preliminary discourse and contains reported practices, hermeneutic
categories, and anecdotes rather than a continuous mythic narrative. No comparison
claims were made because the passage itself does not support a cross-tradition
comparison.
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: |-
All motifs are candidate labels derived from this passage only; no external traditions or unsupported taxonomy identifiers were added.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg__l3665-l3714
passage_sha256=91583be1f82d74ec6125606d5dc2eda76e99b5f3d5f6145044a801e0dd175397