First Revelation Was to Read

The first revelation given to the prophet commands him to “read” ( iq’ra / اقرَأ ).

[96:1] Read, in the name of your Lord, who created. [96:2] He created man from an embryo. [96:3] Read, and your Lord, Most Exalted. [96:4] Teaches by means of the pen. [96:5] He teaches man what he never knew.

(١) اقرَأ بِاسمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذي خَلَقَ (٢) خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ (٣) اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ (٤) الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ (٥) عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

If Muhammad could not read, he would not have been able to fulfill God's request. Yet even if we say that before this revelation, he was illiterate, the verses state that God teaches man what he never knew, which means God could have allowed him to read to fulfill this command.

Additionally, the term "iq'ra" (ٱقْرَأْ) only occurs three times throughout the Quran. Twice in the verses above (96:1 & 3), the other occurrence is in 17:14. If we look at the third occurrence, the verse indicates that the meaning is to "read" and not recite, as the occurrence of 17:14 is used to a physical record.

[17:14] Read your own record. Today, you suffice as your own reckoner.

(١٤) ٱقْرَأْ كِتَـٰبَكَ كَفَىٰ بِنَفْسِكَ ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا

Additionally, God tells us that He teaches man by means of the pen. Some people argue that the pen is only metaphorical, but this is clarified in the next revelation, which explains that the purpose of the pen is to write. This is because the second revelation given to the prophet was Sura 68 entitled “The Pen (Al-Qalam / الـقـلـم )” and it informs us that the function of the pen is to write.

[68:1] NuN, the pen, and what they (the people) write.

(١) نون وَالقَلَمِ وَما يَسطُرونَ

Then, in verse 20 of the third revelation, Sura 73: Cloaked (Al-Muzzammil), we see that the prophet is commanded to read the Quran at night.

[73:20] Your Lord knows that you meditate during two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or one-third of it, and so do some of those who believed with you. GOD has designed the night and the day, and He knows that you cannot always do this. He has pardoned you. Instead, you shall read what you can of the Quran. He knows that some of you may be ill, others may be traveling in pursuit of GOD's provisions, and others may be striving in the cause of GOD. You shall read what you can of it, and observe the contact prayers (Salat), give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and lend GOD a loan of righteousness. Whatever good you send ahead on behalf of your souls, you will find it at GOD far better and generously rewarded. And implore GOD for forgiveness. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

(٢٠) إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَىِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٌ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرْضَىٰ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًا وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِي

So, from the first three revelations, we see

• The prophet was commanded to “read” the Quran.

• God taught the Quran through the pen

• The function of the pen is to write

• Muhammad was commanded to read the Quran

Additionally, The term Quran ( الْقُرْآن ) is often translated as “Recitation,” and some people assume this means the Quran’s foremost format is oral, but this is not correct. The word Quran comes from the same root as the word for read in 96:1 ( ق ر ا ). This root has the derivative meaning: “to read” and, more specifically, “to read from something written.” So, the word Quran inherently implies reciting from something written.

The Quran references itself throughout the text using different names. The most frequent name used is al-kitab ( ٱلكتب ), which means book or scripture. This indicates that one of the facets of the Quran was that it was intended to be written from the start of the revelation.

[2:2] This scripture is infallible; a beacon for the righteous;

ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

Muhammad’s sole duty was to deliver God’s final scripture to mankind. If he had outsourced the critical task of physically writing the revelations he received from God during the 23 years he received Quranic revelations, he would have neglected his very function as a prophet.

[42:48] If they turn away, we did not send you as their guardian. Your sole mission is delivering the message.

فَإِنْ أَعْرَضُوا فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا إِنْ عَلَيْكَ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ وَإِنَّا إِذَا أَذَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً فَرِحَ بِهَا وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَإِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ كَفُورٌ

[64:12] You shall obey GOD and you shall obey the messenger. If you turn away, then the sole mission of our messenger is to deliver the message.

وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَىٰ رَسُولِنَا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ