Tafsir of Al-`Ankabut 29:48

(And you were not reciting any book before it) meaning, before Our sending down the Book to you, you were not able to recite any book. The word min (from/any) is a connective. (Nor did you write it) meaning, nor were you able to write it (with your right hand). Or, it means it was not your habit to recite it nor to write it. The mention of the "right hand" is an additional depiction to emphasize what has been negated regarding his—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—ability to write. It is like the word "eye" in your saying: "I saw with my eye," to verify the reality and emphasize it, so that no room for metaphor remains.

(If it were so, the falsifiers would have surely doubted) meaning: If you had been among those capable of reciting and writing, or among those accustomed to it, the polytheists of Makkah would have doubted and said, "Perhaps he gathered it from the books of the ancients." Since you were not such, their doubt had no basis. It is as if the possibility of learning was not even considered, because it is obvious that something like this, a detailed and lengthy book, cannot be acquired or learned except over a long time through study, the likes of which cannot be hidden.

The polytheists of Makkah are described as "falsifiers" in consideration of their doubt and disbelief, while he—peace and blessings be upon him—was illiterate (ummi). It is as if it were said: "Then these falsifiers would have doubted now, and their doubt would have had a basis at that time." It is said that they were described as such in consideration of their doubt while he was illiterate, and also in consideration of their doubt were he—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—not illiterate. As for them being "falsifiers" in the first consideration, it is clear. As for the second, it is because the furthest extent necessitated by the absence of his illiteracy would be the negation of one aspect of the miraculous nature [of the Quran], while the remaining aspects suffice for the purpose; thus, the doubter is a falsifier, just like one who doubts the prophethood of those prophets who were not illiterate, or the validity of what they brought.

The first view is more apparent. That the "falsifiers" refers to the polytheists of Makkah is what has been narrated from Mujahid. Qatadah said: They are the People of the Book, meaning: "If you had recited before it or written, the People of the Book would have doubted, because your description in their book is 'the illiterate one'." Their description as "falsifiers" is said to be in consideration of their doubt while he—peace and blessings be upon him—was illiterate, as is the reality. Otherwise, they would not be "falsifiers" in their doubt upon the assumption that he was not illiterate. In al-Kashshaf, this is a hypothesis and an illustration, signifying that the crux of the matter lies in the miracle, and that the fact he was illiterate and did not write is not something without which his claim would not be complete. That indication does not differ, and the denier is a falsifier. Reflect on this.

Furthermore, there is a difference of opinion as to whether he—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—began to read and write after his prophethood. It is said he was not proficient in writing, and al-Baghawi chose this in al-Tahdhib, stating it is the most correct view. Some claimed that he—peace and blessings be upon him—did come to know how to write after he did not know, and that his lack of knowledge was due to the miracle of this verse. When the Quran was revealed, Islam became renowned, and the state of doubt appeared, he learned to write then. Ibn Abi Shaybah and others narrated that he—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—did not die until he wrote and read. This was conveyed to al-Sha'bi, and he confirmed it, saying: "I heard groups of people saying it, and there is nothing in the verse that contradicts it." Ibn Majah narrated from Anas that he said: The Prophet—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—said: "I saw on the night of my ascension, written on the gate of Paradise: Charity is rewarded tenfold, and a loan eighteenfold."

The ability to read is a branch of writing. This has been countered by the possibility that God—the Almighty—empowered him—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—to do so without it being a miracle, or that there is an elided phrase [in the narration], meaning: "So I asked about what was written, and it was said:..." etc. The view supporting his writing is attested to by hadiths in Sahih al-Bukhari and others, such as what occurred at the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah: "The Messenger of God—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—took the document, and he did not know how to write, yet he wrote: 'This is what Muhammad ibn Abdullah has agreed upon...'" Among those who held this view were Abu Dharr 'Abd ibn Ahmad al-Harawi, Abu al-Fath al-Naysaburi, and Abu al-Walid al-Baji from the Maghribis. He narrated it from al-Simnani and authored a book on it, having been preceded by Ibn Munyah. When Abu al-Walid stated this, he was attacked, accused of heresy, and cursed from the pulpits. Then a council was held for him, and he established the proof for what he claimed and wrote to scholars in various regions, and they answered in agreement with him.

Knowing how to write after having been illiterate does not contradict the miracle; rather, it is another miracle, as it was without instruction. Some of the great scholars rejected al-Baji's book due to the authentic hadith: "We are an illiterate nation; we do not write and we do not calculate," stating that every instance in the hadith where it says "he wrote," it means "he ordered it to be written," just as it is said, "The Sultan wrote such-and-such to so-and-so." The precedence of the Almighty's saying "(before it)" over His saying "(nor did you write it)" is like an explicit statement that he—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—did not write at all.

The idea that the middle constraint [before it] returns to what follows it is not consistent. Some scholars thought it returned to both what preceded it and what followed it, saying: "It is understood from this that he—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—was capable of recitation and writing after the descent of the Book." Were it not for this consideration, the speech would be void of benefit. You know that even if one concedes what he mentioned about the referral, the benefit is not achieved unless one holds the validity of the "concept" (mafhum), and the one who speculated this is among those who do not believe in its validity. It is not hidden that his saying—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—"We are an illiterate nation; we do not write and we do not calculate" is not a definitive text regarding the continuous negation of writing from him—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty. Perhaps that was in consideration of the fact that he was sent—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—while he was so, and most of those to whom he was sent were among the Arabs, illiterate, not writing or calculating. Thus, the absence of the attribute of illiteracy in the majority later on does not cause harm.

As for the interpretation of "he wrote" as "he ordered to be written," it is contrary to the apparent meaning. In Sharh Sahih Muslim by al-Nawawi—may mercy be upon him—it is quoted from al-Qadi Iyad that his saying in the narration we mentioned, "He did not know how to write, yet he wrote," is like a definitive text that he—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—wrote with his own hand. Thus, turning away from it to something else is metaphor for which there is no necessity. He then said: "The discussion of every group has been lengthy on this issue, and each group has vilified the other." God, the Almighty, knows best.

I saw in some books—though I do not know now which book it is—that he—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—did not read what was written, but if he looked at the script, he knew what was in it because the letters informed him—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—of their names; every letter would inform him that it was such-and-such a letter. That is similar to the lamb informing him—upon him be the peace and blessings of the Almighty—that it was poisoned. You know that something like this is not accepted without an authentic report, and I have not found one.