What Shall I Read?
Many are familiar with the well-known narrative of how the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have received his initial revelation, encapsulated in Sura 96:1-5. This story centers on the Angel Gabriel urging the Prophet to read, which he reportedly could not fulfill. Traditional interpretations of this account postulate that the prophet could not complete this request because he was illiterate, yet as we have seen in previous articles, the idea that the prophet was illiterate was a fabrication to make his receiving of the Quran appear much more miraculous.
Today, the most well-known account of this narration comes from Bukhari:
Narrated โAisha (the mother of the faithful believers): The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allahโs Messenger (๏ทบ) was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright daylight, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira, where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food likewise again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet (๏ทบ) replied, โI do not know how to read.โ The Prophet (๏ทบ) added, โThe angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, โI do not know how to read.โ Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, โI do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?โ Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, โRead in the name of your Lord, who has created (all that exists), created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous.โ (96.1, 96.2, 96.3) Then Allahโs Messenger (๏ทบ) returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwailid and said, โCover me! Cover me!โ They covered him till his fear was over, and after that, he told her everything that had happened and said, โI fear that something may happen to me.โ Khadija replied, โNever! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously, and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones.โ Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin โAbdul โUzza, who, during the pre-Islamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, โListen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!โ Waraqa asked, โO my nephew! What have you seen?โ Allahโs Messenger (๏ทบ) described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, โThis is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out.โ Allahโs Messenger (๏ทบ) asked, โWill they drive me out?โ Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, โAnyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly.โ But after a few days, Waraqa died, and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while.
ุญูุฏููุซูููุง ููุญูููู ุจููู ุจูููููุฑูุ ููุงูู ุญูุฏููุซูููุง ุงููููููุซูุ ุนููู ุนูููููููุ ุนููู ุงุจููู ุดูููุงุจูุ ุนููู ุนูุฑูููุฉู ุจููู ุงูุฒููุจูููุฑูุ ุนููู ุนูุงุฆูุดูุฉู ุฃูู ูู ุงููู ูุคูู ููููููุ ุฃููููููุง ููุงููุชู ุฃูููููู ู ูุง ุจูุฏูุฆู ุจููู ุฑูุณูููู ุงูููููู ุตูู ุงููู ุนููู ูุณูู ู ููู ุงููููุญููู ุงูุฑููุคูููุง ุงูุตููุงููุญูุฉู ููู ุงููููููู ูุ ููููุงูู ูุงู ููุฑูู ุฑูุคูููุง ุฅููุงูู ุฌูุงุกูุชู ู ูุซููู ูููููู ุงูุตููุจูุญูุ ุซูู ูู ุญูุจููุจู ุฅููููููู ุงููุฎููุงูุกูุ ููููุงูู ููุฎูููู ุจูุบูุงุฑู ุญูุฑูุงุกู ููููุชูุญููููุซู ููููู ู ูููููู ุงูุชููุนูุจููุฏู ู ุงููููููุงูููู ุฐูููุงุชู ุงููุนูุฏูุฏู ููุจููู ุฃููู ููููุฒูุนู ุฅูููู ุฃูููููููุ ููููุชูุฒููููุฏู ููุฐูููููุ ุซูู ูู ููุฑูุฌูุนู ุฅูููู ุฎูุฏููุฌูุฉูุ ููููุชูุฒููููุฏู ููู ูุซูููููุงุ ุญูุชููู ุฌูุงุกููู ุงููุญูููู ูููููู ููู ุบูุงุฑู ุญูุฑูุงุกูุ ููุฌูุงุกููู ุงููู ููููู ููููุงูู ุงููุฑูุฃูโ.โ ููุงูู โโโ ู ูุง ุฃูููุง ุจูููุงุฑูุฆู โโโโ.โ ููุงูู โโโ ููุฃูุฎูุฐูููู ููุบูุทููููู ุญูุชููู ุจูููุบู ู ููููู ุงููุฌูููุฏูุ ุซูู ูู ุฃูุฑูุณูููููู ููููุงูู ุงููุฑูุฃูโ.โ ููููุชู ู ูุง ุฃูููุง ุจูููุงุฑูุฆูโ.โ ููุฃูุฎูุฐูููู ููุบูุทููููู ุงูุซููุงููููุฉู ุญูุชููู ุจูููุบู ู ููููู ุงููุฌูููุฏูุ ุซูู ูู ุฃูุฑูุณูููููู ููููุงูู ุงููุฑูุฃูโ.โ ููููููุชู ู ูุง ุฃูููุง ุจูููุงุฑูุฆูโ.โ ููุฃูุฎูุฐูููู ููุบูุทููููู ุงูุซููุงููุซูุฉูุ ุซูู ูู ุฃูุฑูุณูููููู ููููุงูู โ{โุงููุฑูุฃู ุจูุงุณูู ู ุฑูุจูููู ุงูููุฐูู ุฎููููู * ุฎููููู ุงูุฅูููุณูุงูู ู ููู ุนููููู * ุงููุฑูุฃู ููุฑูุจูููู ุงูุฃูููุฑูู ูโ}โ โโโโ.โ ููุฑูุฌูุนู ุจูููุง ุฑูุณูููู ุงูููููู ุตูู ุงููู ุนููู ูุณูู ููุฑูุฌููู ููุคูุงุฏูููุ ููุฏูุฎููู ุนูููู ุฎูุฏููุฌูุฉู ุจูููุชู ุฎูููููููุฏู ุฑุถู ุงููู ุนููุง ููููุงูู โโโ ุฒูู ูููููููู ุฒูู ูููููููู โโโโ.โ ููุฒูู ููููููู ุญูุชููู ุฐูููุจู ุนููููู ุงูุฑููููุนูุ ููููุงูู ููุฎูุฏููุฌูุฉู ููุฃูุฎูุจูุฑูููุง ุงููุฎูุจูุฑู โโโ ููููุฏู ุฎูุดููุชู ุนูููู ููููุณูู โโโโ.โ ููููุงููุชู ุฎูุฏููุฌูุฉู ูููุงูู ููุงูููููู ู ูุง ููุฎูุฒูููู ุงูููููู ุฃูุจูุฏูุงุ ุฅูููููู ููุชูุตููู ุงูุฑููุญูู ูุ ููุชูุญูู ููู ุงูููููููุ ููุชูููุณูุจู ุงููู ูุนูุฏููู ูุ ููุชูููุฑูู ุงูุถููููููุ ููุชูุนูููู ุนูููู ููููุงุฆูุจู ุงููุญููููโ.โ ููุงููุทูููููุชู ุจููู ุฎูุฏููุฌูุฉู ุญูุชููู ุฃูุชูุชู ุจููู ููุฑูููุฉู ุจููู ูููููููู ุจููู ุฃูุณูุฏู ุจููู ุนูุจูุฏู ุงููุนูุฒููู ุงุจููู ุนูู ูู ุฎูุฏููุฌูุฉู ู ููููุงูู ุงู ูุฑูุฃู ุชูููุตููุฑู ููู ุงููุฌูุงูููููููุฉูุ ููููุงูู ููููุชูุจู ุงููููุชูุงุจู ุงููุนูุจูุฑูุงูููููุ ููููููุชูุจู ู ููู ุงูุฅูููุฌูููู ุจูุงููุนูุจูุฑูุงูููููุฉู ู ูุง ุดูุงุกู ุงูููููู ุฃููู ููููุชูุจูุ ููููุงูู ุดูููุฎูุง ููุจููุฑูุง ููุฏู ุนูู ููู ู ููููุงููุชู ูููู ุฎูุฏููุฌูุฉู ููุง ุงุจููู ุนูู ูู ุงุณูู ูุนู ู ููู ุงุจููู ุฃูุฎููููโ.โ ููููุงูู ูููู ููุฑูููุฉู ููุง ุงุจููู ุฃูุฎูู ู ูุงุฐูุง ุชูุฑูู ููุฃูุฎูุจูุฑููู ุฑูุณูููู ุงูููููู ุตูู ุงููู ุนููู ูุณูู ุฎูุจูุฑู ู ูุง ุฑูุฃููโ.โ ููููุงูู ูููู ููุฑูููุฉู ููุฐูุง ุงููููุงู ููุณู ุงูููุฐูู ููุฒูููู ุงูููููู ุนูููู ู ููุณูู ุตูู ุงููู ุนููู ูุณูู ููุง ููููุชูููู ูููููุง ุฌูุฐูุนูุงุ ููููุชูููู ุฃูููููู ุญููููุง ุฅูุฐู ููุฎูุฑูุฌููู ููููู ูููโ.โ ููููุงูู ุฑูุณูููู ุงูููููู ุตูู ุงููู ุนููู ูุณูู โโโ ุฃูููู ูุฎูุฑูุฌูููู ููู ู โโโโ.โ ููุงูู ููุนูู ูุ ููู ู ููุฃูุชู ุฑูุฌููู ููุทูู ุจูู ูุซููู ู ูุง ุฌูุฆูุชู ุจููู ุฅููุงูู ุนููุฏูููุ ููุฅููู ููุฏูุฑูููููู ููููู ููู ุฃูููุตูุฑููู ููุตูุฑูุง ู ูุคูุฒููุฑูุงโ.โ ุซูู ูู ููู ู ููููุดูุจู ููุฑูููุฉู ุฃููู ุชูููููููู ููููุชูุฑู ุงููููุญูููโ.โ
Sahih al-Bukhari 3 https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3
In the above narration, when the prophet is commanded to โreadโ (iqraโ / ุงููุฑูุฃโ ), he responds with the statement that literally translates to โI am not a reader/reciterโ ( ma ana biqฤriโ / ู ูุง ุฃูููุง ุจูููุงุฑูุฆู ). This is a peculiar and particularly clumsy statement to say rather than simply saying, โI am illiterate,โ if the reason he could not read was because he was incapable of reading. This statement may also imply that he was just not skilled in reciting and not necessarily that he was incapable of reading.
One of the most famous biographers of the prophet was Ibn Ishaq (704โ767CE / 85-150AH). He lived ~100 years before Bukhari (810โ870CE / 194โ256AH). His monumental work, The Life of the Prophet (Sฤซrat Rasลซl Allฤh / ุณูุฑุฉ ุฑุณูู ุงูู ), was transmitted by his student Ibn Hisham (d. 833CE / 218AH).
In this book, Ibn Ishaq narrates the same story regarding the prophetโs supposed receiving of the first revelation, except there are a couple of major differences. It is worth noting that Tabari also cites this narration from Ibn Ishaq.
Here is the Arabic for reference:
In his account, the prophet does not claim that โhe is not a reader,โ instead he says, โWhat shall I read?โ (ma aqra / ู ุง ุฃูุฑุฃ ). Some may claim that the translation provided is mistranslated and it should be translated as, โI cannot read,โ except the narration also uses the response โmฤdhฤ aqraโuโ ( ู ูุงุฐุง ุฃููุฑูุฃ ), which, unlike the first statement is unambiguous and can only be understood as, โWhat then shall I read?โ Additionally, the narration ends with the prophet complying with the command and reading after the verses were presented to him, with the statement, โSo I read itโ (faqaraโtuhฤ / ูููุฑูุฃุชููุง ), which completely contradicts the narrative that the reason he said he was unable to was because he was illiterate.
Additionally, it is strange that in this comprehensive history of the life of the prophet, Ibn Ishaq never mentions once that the prophet was illiterate! Not only that, but three times, he explicitly states that the prophet wrote. Once regarding the Constitution of Medina (p. 231), another time regarding a letter he gave one of the companions in preparation for the Battle of Badr (p. 286), and the third time regarding a letter the prophet wrote to the kings of Himyar (p. 643).
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