batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l37250-l37280
---
record_id: batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l37250-l37280
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
passage_locator:
label: ENTITLED, THE GENII; REVEALED AT MECCA. / IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL
GOD. / CHAPTER LXXIII. / IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.; lines 37250-37280
start: '37250'
end: '37280'
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: Commentarial notes explain difficult Qur'anic precepts, the suitability
of night for meditation, prayer, and attentive reading of God's word, a polemical
alternative reading by Marracci, infernal punishments involving the tree al Zakkum
and corruption from the damned, the easing or abrogation of prolonged night devotion,
and the merit of good deeds performed during life.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The passage describes Qur'anic precepts as heavy and difficult for those obliged
to observe them, especially for the prophet responsible for his people observing
them.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The nighttime is described as especially suitable for meditation, prayer,
and distinct attentive reading of God's word because of the absence of distractions.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Marracci is reported as offering a sexualized Latin paraphrase of the night-season
explanation, which the note criticizes as ridicule.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Infernal food or punishment is described with thorns, thistles, the fruit
of the infernal tree al Zakkum, and corruption flowing from the bodies of the
damned.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: A later explanation says the obligation of night reading and prayer was made
easier because some Moslems watched the whole night until their legs and feet
swelled.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: The commentators add that dedicating part of the night to devotion was abrogated
by the institution of five hours of prayer.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: Good deeds done during one's lifetime are said to be more meritorious before
God than good deferred until death and ordered by will.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: God
description: Divine figure whose word is read and in whose sight good deeds have
merit.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: the prophet
description: The prophet is described as especially burdened by the precepts because
of his care that his people observe them.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Moslems observing night devotion
description: Some Moslems are described as spending the whole night in reading and
praying, standing and walking until their legs and feet swelled.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: the damned
description: Bodies of the damned are described as producing corruption associated
with infernal punishment.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Marracci
description: A commentator who is reported as giving a sexualized paraphrase of
the night-season explanation.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: commentators
description: Commentators are cited for explanations of night devotion and its abrogation
by five hours of prayer.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: divine authority
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: God's word is the object of devotional reading, and merit is evaluated in
God's sight.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
- id: role:2
label: responsible prophet
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The prophet is described as caring that his people observe the precepts.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: night devotees
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Some Moslems keep night vigil in reading and prayer.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:4
label: damned sufferers
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The damned are named in connection with infernal corruption.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: polemical interpreter
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Marracci is reported as reinterpreting the passage in a sexualized way, criticized
by the note.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:6
label: exegetical authorities
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Commentators supply explanations of nighttime devotion and abrogation.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: nighttime
literal_form: the nighttime or first hours of the night
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: sym:2
label: God's word
literal_form: reading God's word distinctly and with attention
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: infernal tree al Zakkum
literal_form: the fruit of the infernal tree al Zakkum
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: thorns and thistles
literal_form: thorns and thistles
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: five hours of prayer
literal_form: the institution of the five hours of prayer
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Night as devotional time
summary: The note explains night as a fitting time for meditation, prayer, and attentive
reading because distracting noise and objects are absent.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Infernal punishment imagery
summary: The note lists thorns, thistles, the fruit of al Zakkum, and corruption
from the damned as infernal elements.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Easing the night-vigil obligation
summary: The note says the duty of counting and spending night hours in reading
and prayer was made easier, after some Moslems kept vigil all night, and was later
considered abrogated by five hours of prayer.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: night vigil for prayer and sacred reading
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage presents night as the proper time for meditation, prayer, and
attentive reading of God's word, and describes believers keeping night vigil.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy link to wisdom is broad; the passage is exegetical commentary
rather than a narrative myth.
- id: motif:2
label: infernal punishment through dreadful food and corruption
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: Infernal elements include thorns, thistles, fruit of the infernal tree al
Zakkum, and corruption flowing from the bodies of the damned.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives a brief explanatory note, not a full judgment scene.
- id: motif:3
label: religious burden eased by later dispensation
taxonomy_refs:
- covenant
basis: The note describes a demanding devotional precept and an easing or abrogation
of the night-vigil requirement through the institution of five hours of prayer.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The covenant taxonomy fit is indirect; the passage frames this as legal
or devotional interpretation.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 37250-37253
quote_or_summary: The precepts in the Koran are described as heavy and difficult
for observers, especially the prophet, who must see that his people observe them.
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 37254-37259
quote_or_summary: The note explains the night, especially early hours, as proper
for meditation, prayer, and attentive reading of God's word because distractions
are absent.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 37260-37267
quote_or_summary: Marracci is said to reinterpret the night-season explanation in
sexual terms, and the note criticizes this as a way to make the book ridiculous.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: quote
locator: lines 37268-37270
quote_or_summary: '"As thorns and thistles, the fruit of the infernal tree al Zakkm,
and the corruption flowing from the bodies of the damned."'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 37271-37277
quote_or_summary: The note says the obligation of counting night hours for reading
and prayer was made easy; some Moslems watched all night until their legs and
feet swelled, and commentators say this devotion was abrogated by the five hours
of prayer.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 37278-37280
quote_or_summary: Good done during life is said to be more meritorious before God
than good deferred until death and ordered by will.
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: Literal extraction is straightforward, but motif-family assignments are broad
because the passage is commentary rather than narrative myth. No comparison claims
were made because the passage does not itself support a comparative claim.
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: |-
The passage is primarily exegetical and polemical commentary; motifs are therefore recorded cautiously.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg__l37250-l37280
passage_sha256=a2c59ee941649b370dbb074d79cc51d5cdaca79b213dd22a2d5f556caf298e03