Castilian translations of the Koran and Mi’raj served anti-Muslim polemic

Evidence

In this schema, a key role is played by the affirmation of the superiority of Christianity and the denigration of Judaism and Islam. In the latter, the polemical biography of Muhammad is central: because Muhammad fails to show the signs of prophecy, because he fabricated a false religion as “an insult to God” there can be no political legitimacy under Muslim rule, and Muslims must recognize the political superiority of Christian rulers. The “proof” of this is offered not only in the biography of Muhammad in the Estoria de España but also in the Castilian translations of the Mi’râj and of the Koran, undoubtedly conceived as tools in the polemical confrontation with Islam. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 996

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to translation-as-polemical-tool theme seen in how Arabic/Islamic texts were weaponized in medieval Christian Spain.
• QUESTION: Were these translations actually used in disputations or only symbolic court prestige projects?