Christian writings about Islam. Spanish
Christians called the Muslims who
swept in from North Africa Moors, and
strictly speaking, the term does refer to
Muslims of North Africa. (The names of
two nations in Northern and Western
Africa, Morocco and Mauritania, are
derived from the word ‘‘Moor.’’) The
Saracens were a tribe from Arabia.
Medieval Christians began to use the
word to refer to all Arab Muslims, and
ultimately to all Muslims (Arab or not)
who were threatening Eastern Europe
from the Middle East.
[ 3 ]There are numerous helpful
translations of the Koran available,
many of which were completed by
Muslims. The Meaning of the Glorious
Koran, a translation by the English