George Sale (1697–1736) was a British Orientalist scholar and practising solicitor, best known for his 1734 translation of the Quran into English. In 1748, after having read Sale's translation, Voltaire wrote his own essay "De l'Alcoran et de Mahomet" ("On the Quran and on Mohammed").
For A General Dictionary, Historical and Critical,an English translation and enlargement of Pierre Bayle's Dictionnaire historique et critique,Sale supplied "Articles relating to Oriental History".
Al-Masad (Arabic: المسد, (meaning: "Twisted Strands" or "The Palm Fiber") is the 111th chapter (sūrah) of the Quran. It has 5 āyāt or verses and recounts the punishments that Abū Lahab and his wife will suffer in Hell.
A study on Quranic manuscripts within the Vatican Library noted the titles Lahab (Flame); masad; al-ḥaṭab; and Abī Lahab. In the 1730s the chapter title was known as Abu Laheb by translator George Sale.
Al-Ikhlāṣ (Arabic: الْإِخْلَاص, "Sincerity"), also known as the Declaration of God's Unity and al-Tawḥid (Arabic: التوحيد, "Monotheism"), is the 112th chapter (sūrah) of the Quran.
According to George Sale, this chapter is held in particular veneration by Muslims, and declared, by Islamic tradition, to be equal in value to a third part of the whole Quran. It is said to have been revealed during the Quraysh's conflict with Muhammad; in answer to a challenge over the distinguishing attributes of God, Muhammad invited them to worship.