Early European translations of Islamic texts ignored most major source works besides the Quran

Evidence

This brings out forcibly the contrast between what was observed and what was inferred; between what was accepted on evidence and what was believed even without an adequate authority. At the beginning of this chapter it was said that both modification and confirmation of theory were found in practice. What is really remarkable is that this did not happen more. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1281 (#expands, via linked claim)

In Du Ryer’s case, it seems that his real aim was to produce a readable translation that would make the French public aware of one of the glories of Arabic literature. Like Galland who translated The Thousand and One Nights half a century later, Du Ryer set upon improving the barbarousness of the Arabic by turning it into a stately and courtly French. ‘I have made the Prophet speak French,’ he declared. Du Ryer’s was the first complete translation of the Qur’an since the Middle Ages and the first translation ever into a vernacular. — Robert Irwin, For Lust of Knowing, 183 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Early modern Europe reused medieval texts about Islam rather than writing new ones; The Qur’an’s first European vernacular translation prioritized literary polish over fidelity — Robert Irwin, For Lust of Knowing: The Orientalists…, 183; Medieval Europeans could not distinguish the Qur’an from other Islamic books. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1513 (+2 more)

Related

• The Qur’an’s first European vernacular translation prioritized literary polish over fidelity (similarity 0.90)
• Medieval Europeans could not distinguish the Qur’an from other Islamic books. (similarity 0.85)
• The first vernacular Qur’an translation appeared in 1647. (similarity 0.83)
• The first English Qur’an translation carried an anti-Islamic caveat (similarity 0.80)
• Theory outweighed direct observation in medieval European writing about Islam (similarity 0.80)
• Medieval attacks on the Qur’an obscured its evident piety to unlearned readers (similarity 0.80)
• Islamic translations of Greek and Indian texts catalyzed the European Renaissance. (similarity 0.79)
• Arabic scientific writings served as medieval European textbooks for centuries. (similarity 0.79)
• Medieval Qur’an translators adapted scripture to fit their audience’s knowledge (similarity 0.79)
• Medieval Muslims feared Christian translators would steal credit for Arabic learning (similarity 0.78)
• Claims that the Quran borrowed from Scripture were linguistically unserious (similarity 0.78)
• Even sympathetic European scholarship ignored Islam’s living devotional spirituality (similarity 0.78)
• Medieval Christians read the Qur’an as inadvertent testimony to Christian truth (similarity 0.78)
• Medieval Christian readers preferred easily ridiculed Islamic legends over the faithful Qur’an translation. (similarity 0.78)
• Early scholars inferred authorship of texts from assumed Muslim moral incapacity (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Early modern Europe reused medieval texts about Islam rather than writing new ones #corroborates (0.85)
• Theory outweighed direct observation in medieval European writing about Islam #expands (0.80) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1281
• The Qur’an’s first European vernacular translation prioritized literary polish over fidelity #exemplifies (0.75) — Robert Irwin, For Lust of Knowing, 183
• Medieval Europeans could not distinguish the Qur’an from other Islamic books. #complicates (0.75) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1513
• Canonical Islamic texts were cited only to discredit Islam #complicates (0.70) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1388