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Thomas Jefferson's Qu'ran: Where Glenn Beck is right, and where he is wrong
PGA Weblog ^

Posted on 03/23/2016 8:58:48 PM PDT by ProgressingAmerica

For a very long time, Beck has been out there saying that "In Jefferson's Koran", there is contained the following warning: (Saying for a long time now)

Thou wilt wonder that such absurdities have infected the best part of the world, and wilt avouch, that the knowledge of what is contained in this book, will render that law contemptible

If you, like I did, try Googling that quote you'll find a lot of things - but nothing that goes directly to Jefferson's Koran. Now some of you may be content with seeing a bit of information that's contained on a .blogspot.whatever site, but not me. With all of the challenges that we face as a country, as a society, as a culture, we cannot afford to get the facts wrong. We have too many people about us who are selling snake oil, we need to nail them down and flush them out. First, - I swear that this is very likely the 10th time I searched for this, but finally, finally, finally! I struck gold.

The first question before we even get past page one is this: What was Jefferson's Koran? Does anybody believe that Thomas Jefferson spoke nor read Arabic so fluently that he himself was capable of directly translating such a large work? And when, exactly would Jefferson have had the time to undertake such an activity, in between founding a country and sticking his finger in King George's eye? Now, all of this could be true that Jefferson did all of these things, but we do not assume.

Never assume. Always verify. According to Monticello it is believed that Jefferson probably did have some Arabic reading ability, but probably not fluently. With that being the case, he probably did not engage in a translation. So did Jefferson then, buy his copy of the Koran from someone else who did have the time and ability for such a venture?

Yes, Jefferson did get(buy?) his copy of the Koran from someone else. Specifically, he got it from Sieur du Ryer. Actually, he got a copy of Alexander Ross's work. Ross translated Sieur du Ryer's 1647 French translation into English, but who's trying to dig up all the facts anyways. Oh, wait! I am. Good, I'm glad I included that. Alexander Ross completed his French-to-English translation in about two years, in 1649.

So, here is the 1649 book, in all of its old-English glory. The actual quote looks a little less legible to the modern eye: "Thou wilt wonder that fuch abfurdities have infected the beft part of the world, and wilt avouch, that the knowledg of what is contained in this book, will render that Law contemptible."

That's the exact quote, you can see it for yourself. The first few pages are numbered at the bottom of the pages with the letter A, except this page with this quote. But it would be page A 5 if we were counting. Right at the beginning of the book. It should be pretty clear that this is the Koran that Jefferson owned, however he came to own it(as a gift, library rent, bought at a bookstore).

The Alcoran of Mahomet: translated out of Arabique into French

As an aside, George Sale wrote an equally unflattering translation of the work of Mohammed in 1734. "The Alcoran of MOHAMMED, Translated into English immediately from the Original Arabic", here and here.


TOPICS: History; Reference; Religion; Society
KEYWORDS: jefferson; koran; progressingamerica; quran

1 posted on 03/23/2016 8:58:48 PM PDT by ProgressingAmerica
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To: ProgressingAmerica

Glenn Beck is an idiot.


2 posted on 03/23/2016 9:02:19 PM PDT by 20yearsofinternet (Border: Close it. Illegals: Deport. Muslims: Ban 'em. Economy: Liberate it. PC: Kill it. Trump 2016)
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To: celmak; SvenMagnussen; miss marmelstein; conservatism_IS_compassion; Loud Mime; Grampa Dave; ...

Ping to my ping list, with a few others added who (I hope) will find the direct links to the original sources interesting/useful.


3 posted on 03/23/2016 9:03:30 PM PDT by ProgressingAmerica (We cannot leave history to the; historians anymore.)
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To: ProgressingAmerica

Jefferson recorded the ambassador’s response, in which he said that Islam “was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Qur’an, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman (Muslim) who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.”

In other words, the Muslim ambassador openly proclaimed that the Qu’ran teaches that Muslims have a duty to wage war against those who have not accepted the authority of Islam (by paying the tribute), enslave the infidels, and if they were killed in the process they would go to heaven. Sound familiar?

Doubtless his experience with the extremist ideology of militant Islam while a diplomat strongly influenced Jefferson’s later decision as president in 1801 to go to war with the Barbary pirates when the Pasha of Tripoli asked for a new, massive sum as tribute. Jefferson refused, and war ensued.

http://conservativetribune.com/jefferson-on-islam/


4 posted on 03/23/2016 9:06:29 PM PDT by stars & stripes forever (Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalm 33:12)
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To: stars & stripes forever

TITLE TO THE ABOVE ARTICLE
How Thomas Jefferson Responded to Islam in 1801 Puts Barack H. Obama to Shame
http://conservativetribune.com/jefferson-on-islam/


5 posted on 03/23/2016 9:08:32 PM PDT by stars & stripes forever (Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalm 33:12)
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To: 20yearsofinternet

HEY???!!!

GB’s show is aired here each week day for two hours.

I now have two hours, 5 days to do something else.

(better than a false promise of $2500 back for health care... but I’m still not listening to GB)


6 posted on 03/23/2016 9:15:08 PM PDT by This_far
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To: stars & stripes forever

Yes, Jefferson and Adams together authored that.

https://books.google.com/books?id=eNJpKGGnya4C&pg=PA604
https://books.google.com/books?id=eNJpKGGnya4C&pg=PA605
(second paragraph)


7 posted on 03/23/2016 9:18:46 PM PDT by ProgressingAmerica (We cannot leave history to the; historians anymore.)
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To: 20yearsofinternet

Yeah beck never did anything good ever..

Its not like he ever taught anyone about the history of progressivism or connected the dots that are all of soros’s organisations...

I guess beck is totally useless....


8 posted on 03/23/2016 9:42:23 PM PDT by GraceG (The election doesn't pick the next president, it is an audition for "American Emperor"...)
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To: 20yearsofinternet

Interesting story, and a fascinating quote.


9 posted on 03/23/2016 9:46:38 PM PDT by TBP (0bama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: GraceG

Oh you mean like how you pretended to feign ignorance on your post about Alex Jones submissions?

“Consistent Conservatives”

Hope you come around some day and commit to MAGA. Trump supporters don’t like pretending to think something just to further “the cause”.

Until then, I’ll ignore you and your fake vanities. Good luck!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3412815/posts


10 posted on 03/23/2016 9:49:09 PM PDT by 20yearsofinternet (Border: Close it. Illegals: Deport. Muslims: Ban 'em. Economy: Liberate it. PC: Kill it. Trump 2016)
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To: 20yearsofinternet

March 2018 see you there...


11 posted on 03/23/2016 10:03:42 PM PDT by GraceG (The election doesn't pick the next president, it is an audition for "American Emperor"...)
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To: ProgressingAmerica
So, here is the 1649 book, in all of its old-English glory.

Whoever wrote this is not well educated. Old English was over by 1150, and Middle English by 1500. So, if this book was from 1649, it was written in Early Modern English.

12 posted on 03/23/2016 10:33:55 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: GraceG

Beck had a moment in time that was pure brilliance, but it is obvious to me that he has a lot of unresolved issues in his life. Not sure how much longer his media empire will last because he is losing it. I don’t say that with glee. My wife and I really enjoyed his investigative journalism on television, but something is very wrong with him.


13 posted on 03/23/2016 11:04:43 PM PDT by volunbeer (ABH for President! - Anybody but Hillary)
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To: ProgressingAmerica
Glenn Beck has got the original copy, right? He's also got the original copy of the Gutenberg Bible and also the Dead Sea Scrolls, as he had George Washington's copy of the Declaration of Independence. You believe him, right?

Beck's a perfect match for Cruz-----LIAR!

14 posted on 03/23/2016 11:24:27 PM PDT by gg188 (Ted Cruz, R - Goldman Sachs)
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To: volunbeer
I don’t say that with glee. My wife and I really enjoyed his investigative journalism on television, but something is very wrong with him.

Cruz mania infected him, I still get his show but can't stand more than 5 minutes anymore.

15 posted on 03/24/2016 12:45:25 AM PDT by itsahoot (Trump is a fumble mouthed blowhard that can't finish a sentence, but he will finish a term.)
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To: ProgressingAmerica

Glenn Beck is an idiot for endorssing this guy.
FOR SURE!
See here
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3378862/posts


16 posted on 03/24/2016 1:22:30 AM PDT by V K Lee (u TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP to TRIUMPH Follow the lead MAKE AMERICA GREAT)
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To: This_far

He’s on for three hours where I live and it’s a three hour commercial for Cruz and three hours of Trump bashing. He’s desperate for Cruz to be elected and I think he will literally commit suicide if he’s not. I use to be able to have talk radio on in the background while doing chores but when Beck is on now, I have to turn it off. His connection with Cruz is obsessive and in my opinion it’s all about the Seven Mountains Dominion Theology. I don’t understand why Cruz supporters want to ignore their partnership and act like it’s not happening.


17 posted on 03/24/2016 2:51:05 AM PDT by MagnoliaB (You can't always get what you want but if you try sometime you might find, you get what you need.)
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To: volunbeer

I stuck with him until the whole [paraphrase]”In the next 24 hours, I will release information that will take down the entire Global political structure.” situation. He didn’t even mention it the next day. It was as if he got a phone call with a threat.

That’s where I ended it. Building up to that moment he would literally make me sick (with fear) about our impending doom and coming financial crisis. I get it, there will always be some kind of economic reckoning, but life is too short to live my life in complete fear in the fetal position.

He has only gotten worse from that moment on. He’s went so far into space he’s some sort of hybrid-liberal cultist now; I don’t even know what you would call it. He would always recommend fantastic books, but the guy is completely useless to me now. I can’t stand to listen to him any longer. (Mark Levin, for me, is also in that useless category, although not crazy like Beck.)


18 posted on 03/24/2016 4:35:24 AM PDT by CommieCutter
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To: CommieCutter

” I will release information that will take down the entire Global political structure.”

Beck likes to broadcast drunk no doubt.


19 posted on 03/24/2016 5:12:30 AM PDT by CodeToad (Islam should be banned and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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To: ProgressingAmerica

Thanks for the BEEP!


20 posted on 03/24/2016 10:04:45 AM PDT by YHAOS
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