Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read not write whom they find written with them in the Tawraat and the Injeel, – he commands them for al-Ma’roof (i.e., Islamic monotheism and all that Islaam has ordained); and forbids them from al-Munkar (i.e., disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islaam has forbidden); he allows them as lawful al-Tayyibaat (i.e., all good and lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.), and prohibits them as unlawful al-khabaa’ith (i.e., all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.), he releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allaah’s Covenant) and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them. So those who believe in him (Muhammad), honor him, help him and follow the light (the Qur’aan) which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful.”
— Holy Quran – [al-A’raaf 7:157]
The process of sending down the Quran from Allah to the prophet Muhammad through Angel Gebril is called Revelation. Let’s state the proof of this process of the revelation:
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel (should know that) it is he who brings down the Qur’an on your heart by the leave of God, (not of his own accord), confirming (the Divine origin of and the truths still contained in) the Revelations prior to it, and (serving as) guidance and glad tidings for the believers.’
— Holy Quran – [Baqara 2:97]
(Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel (should know that) it is he who brings down the Qur’an on your heart) means, whoever becomes an enemy of Jibril, let him know that he is Ruh Al-Qudus who brought down the Glorious Dhikr (Qur’an) to your heart from Allah by His leave. Hence, he is a messenger from Allah.
Prophet will remain unable to write even one line or one letter, until the Day of Resurrection. He had scribes who would write down in front of him the Revelation and letters.
ِDoes it’s considered inappropriate to ascribe the prophet, peace be upon him, illiterate? Absolutely no. However, it’s considered a miracle. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘. . . In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted.’
— Holy Quran – [al-‘Ankaboot 29:48]
i.e., if you had been good at it (reading and writing), some of the ignorant people would have doubted you and said that you had learned this from the previous Books left by the Prophets.
Al-Mawardi said: ‘What is good about the fact that Allaah sent an unlettered Prophet? There are three things:
(i) his message fulfilled the foretelling of the previous Prophets;
(ii) this made him similar to and closer to other Prophets (illiterates);
(iii) this would eliminate all suspicion that he had learned the message he preached from books and writings that he had read.”
All of this is evidence of the miraculous nature and truth of his Prophethood.
