Who taught the Prophet to read and write? In the context of codification and research into the Holy Quran, an interpretation has been offered that proposes the idea that the Prophet Muhammad's ability to read and write was affected by his illiteracy. However, it should be noted that this explanation is superficial and shallow, and is not supported by strong evidence or logical arguments. When we look deeper into the Quran, we find many verses that refer to the Prophet Muhammad's ability to receive and transmit revelations accurately and faithfully. There is historical support and evidence from classical interpretations that emphasize this ability. Therefore, we must treat this constructionist interpretation with caution and keep in mind that it has no solid foundations. We must rely on research, serious study, and reliable sources to properly understand the Qur'an and avoid getting carried away by superficial and ungrounded interpretations.
Who taught the Prophet to read and write?
We will answer the question, "Who taught the Prophet to read and write?" in our article. Those who argue that he did not read or write base their understanding on two pieces of evidence:
The first of them: In the Qur'anic context, the term “Ummi” is used to describe the Prophet (pbuh) and also to refer to some Arabs as “illiterate”. However, it must be understood that this term in the Qur'an is not simply understood as referring to the inability to read and write.
Indeed, there were members of the People of the Book who were illiterate and yet were proficient in writing. In his book “The Sources of Jahiliyyah Poetry and their Historical Value”, Professor Nasser al-Din al-Assad points to this fact and provides historical evidence that clearly confirms it. More details on this topic can be found on page 43 and beyond in the book.
Therefore, we must look at the meaning of illiteracy in the correct cultural and historical context and not diminish the Prophet's or anyone else's ability to learn and know based on their mere categorization as “illiterate.”.
Secondly: The hadith, narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, indicates that Muslims of that period relied on the sighting of the crescent moon to determine the beginning of the lunar month, rather than relying on written astronomical calculations. The hadith addresses the issue of entering the lunar month with the crescent moon, and this is emphasized by the hadith that states: “We are an illiterate nation, we do not write or calculate the month like this and like that, meaning once twenty-nine and once thirty.” This indicates that the Arabs of that era did not have books in astronomy or other fields, and thus relied on the visual sighting of the crescent moon.
However, it must be understood that the term illiteracy in this discourse does not necessarily refer to the inability to read and write in general. Indeed, there is historical evidence that writing was widespread in major Arab cities such as Mecca, Hira, Yathrib, Taif, and commercial markets. Even today, we still rely on the sighting of the crescent moon to determine the beginning of our months, despite technological advances and the utilization of modern technologies.
Evidence of the Prophet's mastery of reading and writing
For those who ask who taught the Prophet to read and write, the strongest evidence that confirms that the Prophet was proficient in reading and writing is the following evidence:
The first of them: It is incomprehensible that Abdulmuttalib's childhood grandson was showing poor literacy skills in Mecca, a city that carried great cultural and commercial weight. Mecca was characterized by vibrant markets and active trading, attracting merchants and pilgrims from all directions.
In addition, Abdulmuttalib was of high social standing in Mecca and was wealthy and respected. It is logical to assume that his grandson was inspired by education and had strong reading and writing skills. In this context, we can conclude that Abdulmuttalib's grandson had good literacy skills in this society that relied heavily on culture and trade.
Second: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is an exceptional historical figure, and there are many indications that he was literate. For example, before his prophetic mission, he dealt with commerce and managed his wife Khadija's money wisely and accurately. This shows his knowledge of business concepts and calculations.
In addition, Surah al-Baqarah in the Quran contains a medinah verse that deals in detail with commercial matters and the laws of deferred debts. This indicates his ability to think economically and legislate.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, also dealt with the trusts that people deposited with him with honesty and sincerity, and this requires the ability to read and write to record and manage these funds and things.
Based on these historical and Qur'anic facts, it can be said with confidence that the Prophet was skilled in reading and writing, and had sufficient knowledge and finances to handle trade and money efficiently.
III: In the Sahih al-Bukhari, it is reported that he said to Gabriel in the cave of Hira, «I am not a reader.» In the biography of Ibn Ishaq, he narrated the previous statement and added to it, «I do not read.» These two narrations do not confirm his inability to read, but rather indicate his surprise at the sudden command, «Read,« and then the question of what he was reading, and this was confirmed by the verse «Read in the name of your Lord who created you.» We have the right to ask those who deny his ability to read, did he respond to the divine command and actually respond to it? Did he obey what he was commanded to do and demonstrate his ability to read and write?.
IV: Considering the most influential meaning of reading, it means keeping track of written words and pronouncing them, and requires something written to be readable. The following verse can be understood in this context: “And a Qur'an that we have scattered for you to recite to people on a regular basis, and we have revealed it down” (al-Isra'a, 106). Reading here may mean reciting what has been memorized, and this possibility does not negate the true meaning in our opinion. The divine mandate to the messengers does not accept a metaphorical interpretation.
V: Most commentators rely on the following verse to prove the Prophet's illiteracy in reading: “And thou didst not recite a book before him, nor write it with thy right hand, so that the unbelievers would doubt.” (Al-Ankabut, 48) This verse explicitly denies the reading or writing of any previously revealed book such as the Papers of Abraham, the Zabur, the Torah and the Gospel. This verse is explicit in denying the reading or writing of any previously revealed book such as the Papers of Abraham, the Zippor, the Torah and the Gospel. Although the verse refers to recitation, it does not completely negate reading and writing. The Prophet (peace be upon him) read and wrote in other than the religious books revealed before him. This verse is sufficient to deny the Prophet's knowledge of any book revealed before him, and therefore we cite it not to prove illiteracy in general, but rather to deny the reading or written transmission of previous scriptures.
VI: In the two mentioned verses: “And they said, ”Myths of the ancients, he wrote them down, and they are dictated to him day and night“ * Say, ”It was revealed by Him who knows the secrets in the heavens and the earth, for He was forgiving and merciful'" (Al-Furqan 5, 6). The Makkan polytheists accuse the Prophet (peace be upon him) of having written down the myths of the ancients and that they are being dictated to him. The verb "write" clearly indicates that he made an effort and endeavored to write. Therefore, the attribution of this verb to the Prophet is real and not metaphorical as some commentators have claimed. Would the Mecca polytheists have accused him of writing if they knew that he could neither read nor write and knew the details of his life well? When the response came in the second verse, God did not deny him the issue of writing in general, but only showed them that the Qur'an was revealed by God. Perhaps they judged the Qur'an to be the myths of the first two because they had never read it before and thought it was the myths of the first two.
Seventh: It is narrated that the Prophet did not write letters and treaties himself, which is normal in the case of a leader who deals with a large number of people and needs to focus on many things. At that time, there were more than forty revelation scribes writing orders and treaties under the Prophet's supervision. At that time, there was a scarcity of writing instruments, so it was safer and easier to rely on these scribes to document letters and treaties.
Eighth: It is narrated in the biography of the Prophet (PBUH) that he used to urge his companions to learn to read and write. An example of this is that after the Battle of Badr, he asked each of the Quraysh captives to teach ten of the Muslims' children. This reflects the Prophet's keenness to develop the Muslim community and provide culture and education to individuals.
Although there were books and readers in Mecca, and some Meccan captives were literate and taught reading and writing, there were some individuals in Quraysh who were not. This may be related to the lack of educational opportunities at times or the lack of interest in education by some individuals.
He then emphasizes that the belief that the Prophet (pbuh) could not read and write is a kind of ignorance and cultural intolerance. It was the exegetes who understood this meaning and realized that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not proficient in researching the suggestive connotation of the aesthetics of Arabic speech. Hence, the Ummah was exposed to superficial phenomena in thinking, as there were repeated calls and lectures aimed at proving the Prophet's illiteracy in reading and writing, without clear and conclusive evidence from the Holy Qur'an, clear mental proof, or an explicit hadith to prove it.
We can provide a response to this argument that denies the Prophet's ability to read and write by claiming that the Qur'an was not written by him. When we look at the history of the Quraysh and how they dealt with the Prophet, we find that they did not accuse him of composing the Qur'an, despite their contradiction in describing it. One of them even said, “He is above and not above.” This shows that they recognized that the Qur'an was authored by him. This shows that they recognized that the Qur'an could not be a human creation.
Thus, there is no harm in saying that the Prophet (peace be upon him) could read and write. Would that make people leave the religion of God in droves? Would believing that he was illiterate make non-Muslims enter the religion when they have not read it? Of course not, as faith and religion are not based on the personal ability of the Prophet to read and write, but rather on the divine message and spiritual truths contained in the Qur'an.
After we talked about who taught the Prophet to read and write. First of all, we must understand that the meaning of illiteracy in the linguistic beginning is not simply the inability to read and write. Rather, it relates to the filtering of Arabs in the context of the People of the Book, which refers to Jews and Christians, on whom no divine book was revealed. Thus, the term “illiterate” is used to refer to Arabs who were not People of the Book.
From here, we can understand that God sent an illiterate prophet from among the illiterate, meaning that he did not have the ability to read and write as some believe. We can find an example in the Holy Qur'an, where some of the People of the Book are described as illiterate, because of their deviation from God's commands and because they write the book with their own hands and then claim that it is from God: “Among them are illiterate people who do not know the Book except by faith, and if they are only Woe to those who write the Scripture with their own hands and then say, ”This is from the hand of Allah, in order to buy it for a small price." (Al-Baqarah, 78, 79). The Prophet, peace be upon him, had exceptional abilities in reading and writing, and was not at the level of illiterate people who could not read and write. The Qur'an mentions reading and writing extensively, and many synonyms are used.
We can point out that in several verses Allah Almighty referred to the act of writing Himself, such as “We wrote”, and that He swore by the pen and what they write. Thus, we can understand that the message that was revealed to the Prophet was from Allah Almighty, who is the source of wisdom and knowledge. This means that the Prophet, peace be upon him, was an accomplished teacher and mentor, and the scripture that was revealed to him is proof of this.
In the end, after learning about who taught the Prophet to read and write, we must realize that the Prophet's ability to read and write was part of his divine mission, and that God gave him this ability to be an example and teacher for the nation.