The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 607
PT. 9 AL-A'RĀF of "unlettered", the verse would signify that although the Prophet had received no education whatever and was quite unread and illiterate, yet God vouchsafed to him such knowledge as can impart light and guidance even to those who are considered to be most advanced in learning and enlightenment. 'Draw the CH. 7 straight, divide the س properly', etc. , and that in his last moments he called for writing materials. The question arises, when did he acquire this art? The commentators say that God gave him the power, as he did his inspiration, and they quote chap. xcvi. 4, one of the earliest verses of the Quran, in proof. Certainly that verse seems to teach clearly that he could write as well as read, though it by no means teaches that he had not received the The illiteracy (a) of the Holy Prophet, mentioned in this verse and believed to have also been hinted at in 10:17, has been subjected to much hostile criticism. George Sale, a well-knowledge of both beforehand, or known Christian commentator of the Quran, writes as follows: "For so old was Muḥammad before he took upon him to be a Prophet, during which time his fellow-citizens well knew that he had not applied himself to learning of any sort, nor frequented learned men, nor had ever exercised himself in composing verses orations, whereby he might acquire the art of rhetoric or elegance of speech" (Prelim. Disc, Section II). or Referring to this view of Sale, another Christian commentator of the Quran, the Rev. E. M. Wherry, says: "This view, however, does not agree with what is recorded of his previous career. Is it likely that he should have been trained in the same household with ‘Alī, who knew both how to read and write, and not have received similar instruction? Could he have conducted an important mercantile business for years without some knowledge of letters? That he could read and write in later years is certain. Tradition tells us, he said to Mu'awiyah, one of his secretaries: that he did not receive it in the ordinary way. His use of amanuenses does not militate against his knowledge of the art of writing, for such use of amanuenses was common in that age, even among the most learned. But still there remains the testimony of many traditions and the almost universal belief of Muhammadans. How account for this? I am inclined to think it originated with a misunderstanding of Muḥammad's repeated claim that he was the "Illiterate Prophet", or rather the "Prophet of the Illiterate", the term "illiterate" being generally applied by the Jews to the Arabs. See notes on chap. v. 85, 86. This misunderstanding turned out to the furtherance of Muḥammad's claims, inasmuch as the miracle of the matchless style of the Quran was enhanced by the consideration that the Prophet was illiterate. On the whole, we think there is very good reason for believing Muḥammad to have been acquainted with the art of both reading and writing from an 1047