Answered by Shaykh Abdullah Anik Misra
Question:
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
There are a number of potential reasons why the angel Jibril asked the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) to read while squeezing him three times, in spite of the latter’s never having learned to read and write. This incident occurred in the cave of Hira’ immediately before the first revelation of the Quran.
It could have been to draw attention to the coming revelation, which was to be a recitation itself or to create a sense of alertness. It could have been to establish the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) as an unlettered person who was not previously taught scripture or recitation. It could also have been used to establish that what was to come (i.e., revelation) would not be received, read, or recited through human ability, but only by the omnipotent divine will and power. There may be other reasons in Allah’s divine wisdom as to why this occurred.
Angel Jibril was Drawing Attention to the Imminent Coming of Divine Revelation
Firstly, the reason angel Jibril gave the request to read was by way of rousing and alerting the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for the momentous act of reciting the first revelation, which was just about to be revealed.
After the command to read/recite and being squeezed three times, the opening verses of Sura ‘Alaq [Quran 97:1-5] were revealed, which also happened to start with the word to read/recite, as in: “Recite in the Name of you Lord who created…”. So while the angel’s own commands were not part of the Quranic revelation, there certainly was a significance in the angelic command being a precursor and prelude to the Divine address.
In Arabic, the word used for the command to “read!” is iqra’, from the root Q-R-A, which means to both read [aloud or silently] from a written text or to recite something that one has memorized. Hence, the command to read can also be translated as “recite!” [Zurqani, Al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah]
Establishing the Aspect of Being Unlettered and Not Being Involved with Poetry
Secondly, the angel Jibril’s command to read/recite, and the response of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) that is commonly interpreted to mean that he could not read (lit. “I am not a reciter”) showed that the Prophet was unlettered by his own admission. This was not a deficiency with respect to him at all; rather, it emphasized the miracle of an unlettered prophet proclaiming divine revelation, the Quran, which by its surpassingly eloquent and inimitable language, is also a divine miracle in itself. The miracle of revelation to an unlettered prophet is, therefore, a stronger proof of the truth of Islam.
Thirdly, the Prophet’s response (Allah bless him and give him peace) not only showed that he could not (or would not) read, but also that he did not have anything memorized or learned previously that he could have offered to recite. It could also show that he refused to take part in recitation because that was not befitting for him.
An unlettered person can still memorize or learn something to recite when asked, and the command to recite was kept general. However, by repeatedly and emphatically declaring that he was not a reciter, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) also established that no previous influence, learning, or preparation for this commissioning of prophethood occurred on his part.
The entire incident showed his not having planned for the angelic encounter nor having anything to do with scripture or poetry before. This establishes the miracle of his prophethood and the truth of Islam further.
Leaving Off Human Efforts for Divinely-Gifted Ability
Finally, the act of repeatedly asking the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) to read/recite and being met with a negative response each time was to establish that the recitation of the revelation would not be done by human effort or ability. It was done to exhaust and leave behind all semblance of human qualities or acquired human knowledge, and only then, to recite “in the Name of your Lord,” meaning by His omnipotent power and permission, and to receive a type of knowledge that can only be bestowed by Allah Most High. [Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari; Al-Tibi, Sharh Mishkat]
Wassalam,
Shaykh Abdullah Anik Misra
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Abdullah Misra was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1983. His family hails from India, and he was raised in the Hindu tradition. He embraced Islam in 2001 while at the University of Toronto, from where he completed a Bachelor of Business Administration. He then traveled overseas in 2005 to study the Arabic language and Islamic sciences in Tarim, Yemen, for some time, as well as Darul Uloom in Trinidad, West Indies. He spent 12 years in Amman, Jordan, where he focused on Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith Sciences, Prophetic Biography, and Islamic Spirituality while also working at the Qasid Arabic Institute as Director of Programs. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies (Alimiyya, Darul Uloom) and authorization in the six authentic books of Hadith and is currently pursuing specialized training in issuing Islamic legal verdicts (ifta’). He holds a certificate in Counselling and often works with new Muslims and those struggling with religious OCD. He is an instructor and researcher in Sacred Law and Theology with the SeekersGuidance The Global Islamic Seminary. Currently, He resides in the Greater Toronto Area with his wife and children. His personal interests include Indian history, comparative religion, English singing, and poetry.