Question:

Was the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) illiterate?

Answer:

According to the authentic Hadiths of Ahlul-Bayt (a.s) and our best understanding of the Quran, the Prophet (p) was unlettered prior to his Mission, but since his Mission began, he was – by the Leave of Allah- reading the book (at least the Quran) but was not normally writing. However, we need to keep in mind that illiteracy for the Prophet (p) was a virtue for that means that he was never taught by anyone. The only teacher of the Prophet was:

الرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ

“The Most Beneficent! Has taught the Qur’an”.

[Holy Quran: Surah 55, Ayahs 1-2]

Answered by: Sheikh Mansour Leghaei