Medieval Christian polemic distorted Qur’anic texts with minimal inaccuracy

Evidence

The implications of the text as this puts it are obvious. A careful comparison with the Qur’anic original will show how, with a minimum of inaccuracy, it gives an erroneous sense. Thus the Prophet’s being allowed more wives than the other believers becomes promiscuous access to all women; a suggestive phrase about their offering their bodies derives really from permission for marriage without a dowry. The final verse refers to the obligation of the Prophet to sleep with his wives in rotation; instead of conferring promiscuous licence, it regulates marital rights. It was to this Revelation that ‘A’ishah referred when she said that God hastened to satisfy Muhammad’s desires; but the reprobatio understood something much more shameful. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 565

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Christian polemicists distorted Qur’anic verses with small, impactful translation shifts; Medieval Christian polemic interpreted Qur’anic texts as nastily as possible; Ketton’s medieval Qur’an mistranslated but did not deliberately distort Islam (+3 more)