Peter the Venerable was a 12th-century Benedictine abbot and theologian who served as the leader of the Cluniac order. Born in Auvergne, he entered the monastery of Sauxillanges as a youth and eventually rose to become the abbot general of Cluny. He was known for his significant reform efforts within his order and his diplomatic involvement in various international religious councils. A scholar of great breadth, he is particularly recognized for his efforts to study Islam by commissioning the first Latin translation of the Qur'an.