Against the law of the Saracens
By Fr. Riccoldo da monte di Croce, O.P.
Florence; c. 1243-1320
The Quran is an inordinate law,
|
|
Eleventh, it must be considered that the Koran is not the law of God because it is inordinate. "But whatever things are ordained of God," as the Apostle says. And we see this both in the works of nature and also in the sacred scriptures. |
|
(8) For it is most certain, not only to Christians but also to Saracens, that the law of Moses and the prophets and the gospel are from God. And all these are ordered . [1] For Moses began in the most orderly manner with the creation of the world, and then proceeded in the order of time and history throughout the entire Pentateuch. |
|
(13) Others also proceeded in an orderly manner and in the order of time, showing at what time or in what place [2] or under which kings [3] , or in the order of history or at least always in the order of the matter. |
|
(15) The Gospel also proceeds in the most orderly order of time, history, and matter: beginning with the incarnation and nativity of Christ, then about the life, teaching, and miracles of Christ, and afterwards about the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. |
|
(19) But in the Koran there is no order at all. Neither is there order of time, for it does not say under which kings or at what time, nor is there order of history [4] . For the first chapter from which it began is called the Rubric or Opening of the Book [5] , in which without a doubt it fittingly began with a prayer and praise of God; but immediately after the short prayer, the work continues and there is a second chapter on the Red Heifer [6] , which Moses sacrificed, the history of which is in Leviticus . The third chapter is about the family of Amram , who was the father of Moses [7] , into which he interjects much about Christ, and says that the Virgin Mary was the sister of Moses and Aaron [8] . And immediately follows the fourth chapter on Women [9] . And so on about the others, so inordinately that there is no man in the world who could give an account of the order of the history and chapters [10] . |
|
(29) Nor is there order in the matter; for he never pursues one matter in an orderly manner, but immediately from one matter | 206r | he transfers himself to another completely extraneous one, rightly as if he were a madman. Nor is there order in argumentation or in any proof, but the whole doctrine is from supposition; and he posits one proposition true in itself, and from that he concludes some other which has nothing to do with it [11] . As he very frequently says that God is exalted and good, and the Koran is the law of salvation [12] ; and that God is God, and that «there is no other god but God and Muhammad is the true prophet» [13] . But what is this conclusion that Muhammad is the true servant of God because God is God? |
|
(38) And as in the chapter Elmeyde , which is interpreted "table", it says: "God has appointed for you the house of Elharam, that is, of prohibition - this is the house of Mesque -, the month of fasting of the Saracens, and this so that you may know that God knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, and God is knowing all that is". But who, even a fool, doubts that God knows all things? But suppose that there is doubt, what is the consequence that the house of Mesque and the fasting of the Saracen month make one know that God knows all things? [14] |
|
(45) Most often, however, he seems to speak like a dreamer, and especially towards the end of the book he seems to be at a loss for words, as in the chapter Elkaferin , which is interpreted as "heretics", he says word for word thus: "O blasphemers, I do not worship what you worship, nor have you worshipped what I worship, and I do not worship what you have worshipped, and you do not worship what I worship; your law is yours and mine is my law" [15] . But every heretic can say this in order to lead the matter of inquiry to the truth. Nor do I recall that I have found in the whole book a single argument in the correct position and in the appropriate order. |
|
(53) But the order of the words, grammatically and rhythmically, is most beautiful there. For almost the entire book is rhythmic and rhythmic [16] . Hence the Muslims boast much about such a beautiful and ornate way of speaking in Arabic; and from this they argue that Muhammad is a true prophet because he would not have known how to speak so ornately by himself, being a completely ignorant man. But as was seen above in the fourth chapter, it is not the custom of God to speak to the world or to his prophets in verses and rhymes. |
|
(59) Thus, therefore, it is clear that this law is not from God, which contains no order except the grammatical and rhythmic order , which does not belong to God. |
[1] Cf. S. THOMAS,Summa theol. I- II,98, 6 (EL 7, p. 198).
[2] or in what place add. R interl.
[3] to the kings: that is, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel add. R marg. s .
[4] Cf. le problème des asbâb al-nuzûl ( R. ARNALDEZ, Le Coran, guide de lecture , Paris 1983, pp. 47-52).
[5] Cor ., al-Fatiha , 1.
[6] Cor.,al-Baqarah, 2,69.
[7] Cor ., al-'Imrân , 3. Amram, father of Moses ( Exod . 6,20).
[8] Cf. Heart 3,40-56 and 19,28 (Mary is the sister of Aaron).
[9] Surah an-Nisa' , 4.
[10] Les sourates du Coran sont classées, en gros, par ordre décroissant de longueur (ARNALDEZ , Le Coran, guide de lecture... , p. 35).
[11] Richard the logician; cf. son commentaire du Perihermeneias d'Aristote.
[12] The Koran is called par le 25,1, "al-furqân". Riccoldo pense-t-il au mot syriaque ( purkan ), dont seem to come from le mot arabe «furqân», et qui signifie «salut», «redemption»; cf.CLS10, rigo 12
[13] Encycl. de l'Islam , 1 a ed., "shah â da", "tashahhud". GARDET, L'Islam, Religion... , Paris 1967, pp. 34, 69. CLS 4,31-32; 8,87-88.
[14] Quran , al-mâ'ida 5,97. Contrarietas alpholica IX, Paris BN lat. 3394, f. 250r, 8-16: «Also in the chapter Elmaiede, which is interpreted as a table: God has established the house of Elharam in Ikaebe", which is interpreted as prey; this is the house of Mesque for the rising of the nations; "and the month of assembly and direction and establishment", this is the month of the fast of the Saracens; "and this that you may know that God knows what is in the heavens and what is on the earth, and God is all-knowing". But who ever shared in reason doubted that God knew everything? But suppose that it is doubted, what is the consequence that the house of Mesque and the fast of the month of the Saracens makes one know that God knows everything?».
[15] Cor ., al-kâfirûna , 109, 1-6; Contrarietas alpholica VIII, Paris BN lat. 3394, f. 248r, 9-12: «Say: O you infidels!, I do not worship what you worship, nor do you worship what I worship, nor do I worship what you worship, nor are you worshipping what I worship».
[16] Cf. Uguccione da Pisa [† 1210] , Derivations II, 1025 § 14- 17 : « ... and here rhythm, that is, the sound of a song, or rhythm in Greek, number in Latin, because it consists of a certain number of syllables or words; hence rhythmic -a -um, sweetly sounding or that which is made of rhythms, and rhythm -aris, that is, to consonate or to make rhythms. Rhythm is composed with ares, which is virtue, and this is called arithmetic -e or arithmetic -e, the discipline which treats of the virtue of numbers, hence arithmeticus -a -um or arithmeticus -a -um».