Was Muhammad, the Islamic Prophet illiterate? Can you elaborate on the Arabic word: ummī

The question of whether Muhammad, the Islamic Prophet, was illiterate is a subject of significant historical and scholarly debate. The term often used in this context is "ummī" (أُمِّي), and its interpretation is crucial to this discussion.

### Understanding "Ummī"
The Arabic word "ummī" is derived from the root "umm" (أم), meaning "mother." Its interpretations can be complex and multifaceted:

1. Illiterate or Unlettered: A common interpretation is that "ummī" means "illiterate" or "unlettered," implying that Muhammad could not read or write. This interpretation is supported by various Islamic traditions (Hadiths) and is often linked to the belief in the miraculous nature of the Quran, which was revealed to a person without formal education in reading or writing.

2. Unlearned in Previous Scriptures: Another interpretation suggests that "ummī" refers to someone who is unlearned or unschooled in the previous scriptures (the Torah and the Bible). In this context, it signifies that Muhammad did not have formal education in the Jewish or Christian traditions, emphasizing the originality and divine origin of his message.

3. Of the Common People: A less common interpretation is that "ummī" denotes a person from the common people, not belonging to the scholarly or elite class. This interpretation focuses on the social standing rather than literacy.

### Evidence from Islamic Texts
The Quran itself refers to Muhammad as "ummī" in several verses (e.g., 7:157, 7:158), and how this is understood has shaped much of the discussion around his literacy.

1. Quranic Verses: The Quran mentions in Surah Al-A'raf (7:157-158) that Muhammad is "the unlettered Prophet whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel." The term here is "an-nabiyyu l-ummī" (النبي الأمي), which many translate as "the unlettered prophet."

2. Hadith Literature: Various Hadiths (sayings and actions of Muhammad) support the notion of his illiteracy. For instance, in Sahih Bukhari, there is a hadith where Muhammad says, "We are an unlettered nation; we neither write nor know accounts" (Bukhari 7:64:270).

### Scholarly Views
Islamic scholars have debated the meaning of "ummī" extensively:

1. Traditional View: The traditional Islamic view holds that Muhammad was indeed illiterate. This view is seen as reinforcing the miraculous nature of the Quran, emphasizing that it could not have been produced by someone without formal learning.

2. Critical and Historical Analysis: Some modern scholars, both Muslim and non-Muslim, have questioned this traditional view. They argue that "ummī" might have meant Muhammad was uneducated in the scriptures of Judaism and Christianity rather than completely illiterate.

### Conclusion
The term "ummī" and the question of Muhammad's literacy are deeply intertwined with the religious, historical, and theological perspectives within Islam. The predominant traditional view within Islam is that Muhammad was illiterate, which underscores the miraculous nature of the Quran. However, alternate interpretations exist, reflecting a range of scholarly opinions on the subject.

.                                                    rarely...
but it does happen...
a cat will encounter you
going up the stairs
in the middle
of the night,
with a fresh batch of
ice-cubes,
   and it will attach yourself
to a medium of attention,
it will ballerina side-step
an 8,
    persistent,
looking for the strong aspect
of your hand,
burrowing its head into it,
no, it's not looking for your knuckles,
not the tip of your fingers,
but the cusp...
so you play with it for some time,
before you decide: "bored",
and hyena grip the poor thing
in the midst of its staged
performance...
you take it into your bedroom,
clear the bed, place her in it,
put on some ola gjeilo
for her, while you're still strapped
to the headphone listening
to some dikanda;
what could a cat actually
want from a drunkard?
maybe i respect her exercise
of freedom,
maybe: cats can teach a man
to not become overtly
attached to a "concept" of
                  progeny?
this **** is rare...
what? this feline show of
needing attention...
how i've come to adore cats...
bypassing the basic clues
of dogs,
the whole concern for a leash...
when an animal comes to you,
and asks to be petted,
when it's no longer a
primordial base,
  a bonsai variety of a tiger...
then you fake petting it...
it does it's 8 swirl...
shape akin to a standing
infinity...
   i wonder...
  how far apart is
the hyphen (-)
   from a lemniscate (∞)?
i'll tell you:
pet a cat prior,
pet a cat that wants /
implores you to pet it...
   but it just kept nudging my petting
hand, kept burrowing itself
in finding the cusp...
  it didn't want the fingertips,
it didn't want the knuckles...
what a rare occassion,
when,
   i would never, ever have
praise for dog ownership...
this, completed
variation of my own freedom...
maybe that's what i devalued
the ownership of dogs...
the leash put me off...
this dog-ownership
ownership consistency...
akin to parenthood
  of not being to allow
the a priori testimony /
expression of inherent freedom...

for all the sins of Muhammad...
i believe that i should
believe that...
the only judgement comes
in the form of khadija **** khuwaylid:
a woman 25 years his senior,
a literate woman...
  who wrote the first
verses of the quran...
if not khadija?
            
     to me... khadija wrote the first
verses of the quran...
if not more than half of them...
god has nothing to do with
this prominent individual,
muhammad died,
and will be judged by khadija...

after all... "the miracle"
of the existence of the quran...
last time i heard...
muhammad was illiterate...
he didn't write these verses...
so, who did?
my guess is...
a woman wrote it...
                                         khadija...
last time i heard:
   muhammad was illiterate!
so who wrote the first verses?
****'s sake...
my guess is as good as yours,
but my guess is:
a woman wrote the quran...
some would claim
the quran is nothing short of
the stephen vizinczey
novel: any woman 25 years
my senior....
   who managed to write a book
for me?

  one compliment to muhammad...
if those were genuine
hallucinations,
  and they rhymed in arabic...
great, having remembered them...
and allowing them access to
the writtten word,
   walking back from the cave
                           of meditation...

but, then of course...
  the "laissez faire" of theology,
   and the monopoly of monotheistic
revisionism...
   the: "enzyme" approach...
instigator, praise...
whatever you want to call it...

muhammad was illiterate...
so who wrote the first surahs...
if not the literate first wife
of muhammad, khadija **** khuwaylid?
no wonder...
   no wonder...
you know what tsar ivan
did to the architect
   of the st. basil cathedral,
postnik yakovlev?
he gauged out his eyes,
saying:
   you will not see anything more
beautiful in this world...
muhammad?
   when it came to khadija **** khuwaylid?
he didn't have the *****,
to do what he would do to his
subsequent victims...
i'm still trying to imagine
khadija **** khuwaylid in a burqa...
or a niqab...
a bit like what ivan IV
did to postnik yakovlev
after the st. basil cathedral
                              was completed...

who wrote the first verses of
the quran? a woman did...
            khadija **** khuwaylid...
and if she lived long enough...
she would have suffered
the same fate of  
                     postnik yakovlev...
surely not blinded,
but coerced into donning
a niqab.

Muhammad  Ali- Poster,personification and Palsy
-----------------------------------------------------------­-----------------

When I was young,I had posters of only two;
Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali ,you.
I was uninitiated to understand Che Guevara.
Frankly,my dear; I had no clue.
Rest in Peace, Muhammad Ali ,Sir.
A part of my childhood and adolescence goes with you.

From Cassius Clay,the champion
to Muhammad Ali,
With the whole world as his nation,
You were an awesome thing to happen to religion.
A  naive thought-One may argue.
But I was small then,
it was a child's view.
                    
My young mind questioned,
how could you float like a butterfly
and how could your punch be
like the sting of a bee?
It was you who made me understand,
what Metaphors do.

You began to move slow.
I saw you shaking too.
Your body suffered,
but you remained unshaken.
More than what it could,
You allowed me to know,
What this 'Shaking Palsy' could not do.

Rest in Peace,
I bid adieu.
It all feels strange,
this world is new.
But the World is not that brave.
Muhammad Ali, Sir,
without you.

The moon is still hanging low
since it came down so close.

The seven seas dance
beneath her polished feet
but could never touch it.

Then the intact moon,
in fact, did unleash
only when one popped
out ahead of the rest.
Down from the earth
luminary Muhammad
Peace be upon him
pointed his finger towards it
and into two halves did the Moon split!

But the man wouldn’t touch it
and remained with us all
with every human the Moon dwarfs!

THE ARAB PAGANS
                     MATLOOB BOKHARI

The Arab pagans  were plunged in the depth of ignorance,
Barbarism;  adored idols, lived in unchaste life,
Ate  dead bodies,  disregarded every feeling of humanity,
Allah raised among them a man,  honest, and pure ;
Who called them to  Oneness of God , forbade idol worship.  
Enjoined them to speak truth, be faithful, merciful .
Muhammad taught them rights of  neighbors ; kith and kin:
Forbade them to speak evil of women, or to eat orphans’ stuff.  
Ordered them to flee from the vices, and to abstain from evil.
Offer prayers, render alms,  observe fast and respect elders.
  The Arab pagans rose against him to cease his preaching.
Muhammad with a bloodied face, a busted lip, a broken tooth prayed for them
When they mutilated Hamza’s corpse; burnt off his nose ;  cut off his ears;
Muhammad, the messenger of peace and love, forgiving prayed for the pagans
But the shadow  of  the dark clouds of hate totally eclipsed the moon of love
The Arab pagans ruthlessly massacred the whole family of Muhammad
Hussain ,picking up the body of his young son, an image of Muhammad,prayed:
Praise be to Allah Who is the hearer of prayers and warders off anguishes
Hussain, gathering pieces of the dead body of his nephew trampled by horses , prayed
O Allah! The All-gentle, the All aware! I willingly desire for You and testify Your Lordship!
Hussain, burrying  his six month martyr with his own hand in the sand of Karbala, prayed
Praise be to Allah Who is raiser of ranks and suppressor of tyrants
Hussain  standing on  shifting sand-dunes of Kerbala , smeared with blood. of Abbas, prayed
O All-merciful, O All-beneficent. !All glory be to You! Verily Originator and Reproducer
The grandson of Prophet Muhammad ,left all alone, called  for help
But the pagans threw his headless body  on  the plains of Karbala
Leaving Prophet’s daughters in   raging flames of tents, they celebrated victory
O God Who gladdens the hearts that mourn, dries the eyes that weep
I cannot write the whole story of love and hate,  My heart cries! My pen  bleeds!
Matloob, sky and stars weep upon such sacrifices, angels bow, they don’t die in vain!
Every soul shall  have a taste of death:  We test you by evil and by good by way of trial!
Praise be to Allah ,Hearer of prayers! From God we come, and unto Him is our return.













Jan G. A good poetic account of  the history of Islam. Another Hussein might be required to correct once again what came of the Islamic Republic. Oppression loves to speak in the name of liberation it once embraced. - See more at: http://allpoetry.com/poems/by/matloob#sthash.iCoJzCfi.dpuf



RAJ NANDY: To take an universal view I must say, that let religion not come in the way of love and peace! It has been for the Wise to show us the way, banish ignorance and bring forth light always! True faith is love and as the greatest binding force that shall remain! Thanks for sharing, -Raj



Rick Ratliff : I am  a Christian  and moved greatly by this  powerful read


Rev. Donny Doom – Thanks  for this thought provoking read!


Nikluss 6: An excellent story!!
is it from the Koran????
PEACE MATLOOB!!!!



tarobinson - What a great poem . Wonderfully told . RESPECTFULLY TOLD .




    Hussain was supported by Christians too in Karbala
    

Kyle Wittman - Title / intro is: It certainly sparked my attention.


My favorite line is: The last line.

It's a great read! I do love the imagery.






Dark Iris : Such a beautiful  truth! I  Like it.

An achieving long lasting eternal flame
Dignity and honor bearing one name
Dalilah Muhammad bringing Rochdale fame
Your parents who taught you well
The advice is what helped Ms. Muhammad to excel
Olympic Rio will always be that name
The bulls eye being right on target
Extensive practice in the run to compete and not be out done
The run at the beginning years being for strictly fun
But you saw a vision and it became a run
Careful planning was your goal to achieve
It paid off, and it was a Gold Medal that you did receive
Victory in being at your best
We are Rochdale are your followers and we can contest
Ms. Muhammad continue being inspired
When the going gets tough don’t tire
When you think you should quit, don’t expire
It was determination that kept you on track
Your achievement, you will have a victory that you will be able to look back
You are the leader of the pack
Your excellent everyone will continue talking about
The spirit of pride
Destiny having a purpose
You are role model and encouragement to all young people
“Plan ahead and never doubt, a struggle is only hurdle bout, practice makes perfect, and determination in try, but as you learn, you find where your talent really stands”
Congratulations Ms. Muhammad, and achieve now and forever more.