Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I wanted 2 ask u a simple question but its very important. It is indeed believed by every scholar irrelevent of the sect that Prophet Muhammad was Ummi ( Illiterate). What did this signifty. First of all the Quran came down on him which is indeed a great book and on the other hand he was illiterate. Is there any explanation of this in the Quran. Pls clarify. 

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Answer:

Why was the Holy Quran revealed on an illeterate person?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your question: It is indeed believed by every scholar irrelevent of the sect that Prophet Muhammad was Ummi ( Illiterate). What did this signifty.

Today, when one hears the term ‘illiterate’, they try to understand the term with its currently used connotation; because it is obvious that if one is illiterate, he neither knows how to read or write, and thus cannot derive any knowledge from the volumes of books which are the only available sources of millenniums of humanly acquired knowledge.

Some believers, who sincerely love and respect the Messenger of Allah (saws) find it difficult to comprehend that how can this most remarkable teacher of teachers be ‘illiterate’? How can this man, who was sent as a leader to all mankind, be illiterate? How can this man, who is the ‘imam’ of all the Prophets, be illiterate? How can this man, who cannot even read and write, dictate a Book which is to be the source of Guidance for all mankind until the end of time???

They just cannot fathom and comprehend this fact; so they, in their genuine love and respect for the Prophet of Allah (saws), deny that he (saws) was illiterate!!!

Most scholars and teachers learn their knowledge through years and years of study from the collection of written material made available to them. The fact that this illiterate man from the desert, whom the people knew for 40 years , suddenly comes out one day with the blazing and eloquent poetry of a Book like the Quran is in itself a miracle, and a proof that indeed he (saws) was directly guided by the Lord of the Worlds! Thus instead of being ashamed or thinking that this belittles the status and position of the noble Prophet of Allah (saws); we should realize that this very fact that no man was/is/or will ever be able to produce literature the like of the Glorious Quran, is in itself the biggest proof that he (saws) was indeed the chosen and appointed Prophet of Allah, and the words of the Quran could not be the work of a man; but rather they are the very Words of the Lord of the Worlds!

Your question: First of all the Quran came down on him which is indeed a great book and on the other hand he was illiterate. Is there any explanation of this in the Quran. Pls clarify. 

When the disbelievers saw that a man who spent 40 long years amongst them, whom they knew could not read or write, suddenly comes out one day and starts reciting the like of the Quran, and declares himself to be the chosen Prophet of Allah (saws), they called him every imaginable name they could think of! The called him a liar even though they knew that for 40 years he never spoke a lie; a sooth-sayer even though they knew he never was, a madman when he was the sanest man in the desert, one who is possessed, a poet, etc.! These disbelievers just could not fathom that a man who could put the best poets of Arabia to shame, was indeed what he (saws) claimed to be: The Chosen Prophet of Allah.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 68 Surah Qalam verse 2: Thou (O Mohamed) art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 52 Surah Tur verses 29-30

29 Therefore proclaim thou the praises (of thy Lord): For by the Grace of thy Lord thou (O Mohamed), art no soothsayer, nor art thou one possessed.

30 Or do they say "A Poet! we await for him some calamity (hatched) by Time!"

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 69 Surah Haaqqah verses 41-43:

41 It is not the word of a poet: little it is ye believe!

42 Nor is it the word of a soothsayer: little admonition it is ye receive.

43 (This Quran is) a Message sent down from the Lord of the Worlds.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 44 Surah Dukhaan verse 14: Yet they turn away from him (Prophet Mohamed (saws), and they say: "Tutored (by others), or a man possessed!"

But the people who were not proud, whose hearts were open to Guidance, who knew and recognized him (saws) as the truthful, who realized and recognized the Words of the Quran could not be the work of a mere human being; believed in the claim of this noble and illiterate man that he (saws) was indeed the Prophet of Allah Subhanah!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 29 Surah Ankaboot verse 48:(O Prophet), you did not read any book before this, nor did you write any with your hand. If it were so, the worshippers of falsehood could have been involved in doubt.

And the single biggest evidence that the Prophet (saws) was indeed unable to read and write, are in the very words of Allah Subhanah in His Glorious Quran in the above Aayah of Surah Ankaboot verse 48! Allah Subhanah clearly declares that never did Prophet Mohamed (saws) ever read any book before this, nor did he (saws) ever write any! And the wisdom for this illiteracy is given in the very next sentence of the same Aayah: “If it were so, the worshippers of falsehood could have been involved in doubt.” Because if indeed the Prophet (saws), who lived 40 long years amongst his people, could read and write…then they could easily claim that he has conjured up this Glorious Book himself! But Allah Subhanah, in His Divine and Absolute Wisdom did even want this window of doubt to be left open! The disbelievers who heard the noble words of the Quran, knew that this could not be the work of a mere man…but in their pride and arrogance, just did not want to comprehend how can this simple, illiterate, orphan be chosen as a Prophet above all the other people of the Quraish!

But the Lord does whatever He Wills! And to prove that Mohamed (saws) was indeed the Chosen Prophet of Allah, and to prove that the Noble Quran was indeed the Words of the All-Mighty Lord, Allah Subhanah challenged the disbelievers to all get together and produce the like of the Quran! Nay: produce ten Surahs like it! Nay: produce even only one Surah like it!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Isra verse 88:Declare this! ‘Even if human beings and the jinns should co-operate with one another to bring forth a book like the Quran, they would never be able to bring anything like it, even though they all helped one another!”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 11 Surah Hud verses 13-14:Do they say, “He has invented the Book himself?” Say to them, “Very well, if it is so, then bring ten fabricates Surahs like this! And you may call to your assistance whosoever you can except Allah, if you are speak the truth! Now if they (your false gods) do not come to your help, you should know that this Book has been revealed with the knowledge of Allah, and that there is no true deity other than Allah. Do you then surrender to this?”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 23-24:And if you be in doubt whether the Book We have sent down to Our Servant (Mohamed(saws)) is from Us or not, then produce, at least, one surah like this. You may call all your associates to assist you and avail yourselves of the help of any, other than Allah. If you are genuine in your doubt, do this! But if you do not do this, and you can never do this, then fear the Fire which has been prepared for the disbelievers, and which shall have men and stones for fuel.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan