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==Was Muhammad illiterate?==
==Was Muhammad illiterate?==
===The word ''ummiy'' in the Quran===
===The meaning of ''ummiy''===
The word is derived from the root أمم. There are 119 words in the Quran, derived from this root <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Amm</ref>. There are other words besides ''ummiy'' (أمي):
 
*''umm'' (أم) - mother
*''amam'' (امام) - in front of
*''imam'' (إمام) - leader (because he is "in front of" others)
*''ummah'' (أمة) - the (Islamic) community/nation
 
The Lane's lexicon says this about ''ummiy'':
{{Quote-text|Lane's lexicon on أُمِّىٌّ|
 
أُمِّىٌّ
(T, M, Mgh, Mṣb, Ḳ) and ↓أُمَّانٌ (Ḳ) [the former a rel. n. from أُمَّةٌ, and thus '''properly meaning Gentile''': whence, in a secondary, or tropical, sense,(assumed tropical:) '''a heathen''';] (assumed tropical:) '''one not having a revealed scripture'''; (Bḍ in iii. 19 and 69;) so applied by those having a revealed scripture: (Bḍ in iii.69:) '''[and particularly] an Arab''': (Jel in iii. 69, and Bḍ and Jel in lxii. 2:) [or] in the proper language [of the Arabs], of, '''or belonging to, or relating to, the nation (أُمَّة) of the Arabs, who did not write nor read''': and therefore '''metaphorically applied to (tropical:) any one not knowing the art of writing nor that of reading''': (Mgh:) or (assumed tropical:) '''one who does not write; (T, M, Ḳ;) because the art of writing is acquired; as though he were thus called in relation to the condition in which his mother (أُمَّهُ) brought him forth''': (T:) or (assumed tropical:) one who is in the natural condition of the nation (الأُمَّة) to which he belongs, (Zj, * T, M, * Ḳ, *) in respect of not writing, (T,) or not having learned writing; thus remaining in his natural state: (M, Ḳ:) or (assumed tropical:) one who does not write well; said to be a rel. n. from أمٌّ; because the art of writing is acquired, and such a person is as his mother brought him forth, in respect of ignorance of that art; or, as some say, from أُمَّةُ العَرَبِ; because most of the Arabs were of this description: (Mṣb:) the art of writing was known among the Arabs [in the time of Moḥammad] by the people of Et-Táïf, who learned it from a man of the people of El-Heereh, and these had it from the people of El-Ambár. (T.) أُمِّيُّون لَا يَعْلَمُونَ, الكِتَابَ, in the Ḳur ii. 73, means Vulgar persons, [or heathen,] who know not the Book of the Law revealed to Moses: (Jel:) or ignorant persons, who know not writing, so that they may read that book; or, who know not the Book of the Law revealed to Moses. (Bḍ.) '''Moḥammad was termed أُمِّىّ [meaning A Gentile, as distinguished from an Israelite: or, accord. to most of his followers, meaning illiterate;] because the nation (أُمَّة) of the Arabs did not write, nor read writing; and [they say that] God sent him as an apostle when he did not write, nor read from a book; and this natural condition of his was one of his miraculous signs, to which reference is made in the Ḳur [xxix. 47], where it is said, “thou didst not read, before it, from a book, nor didst thou write it with thy right hand:” (T, TA:) but accord. to the more correct opinion, he was not well acquainted with written characters nor with poetry, but he discriminated between good and bad poetry: or, as some assert, he became acquainted with writing after he had been unacquainted therewith, on account of the expression “ before it ”''' in the verse of the Ḳur mentioned above: or, as some say, this may mean that he wrote though ignorant of the art of writing, like as some of the kings, being أُمِّيُّون, write their signs, or marks: (TA:) or, accord. to Jaạfar Es-Sádik, he used to read from the book, or scripture, if he did not write. (Kull p. 73.) [Some judicious observations on this word are comprised in Dr. Sprenger's Life of Moḥammad (pp. 101-2); a work which, in the portion already published (Part I.), contains much very valuable information.]
―
Also, (Ḳ,) or [only] أُمِّىٌّ, (AZ, T, M,) applied to a man, (AZ, T,) Impotent in speech, (عَيِىّ, in the Ḳ incorrectly written غَبِىّ, TA,) of few words, and rude, churlish, uncivil, or surly. (AZ, T, M, Ḳ.)}}
 
Online Arabic dictionary says about ummiy:
{{Quote-text|Almaany.com on أمي |Translation and Meaning of أمي in Almaany English Arabic Dictionary
 
أُمّيّ  ( اسم ):
 
illiterate ; uneducated ; unlettered
-
- illiterate
- unable to read or uneducated
- an illiterate person
- not educated; illiterate
- illiterate, not well educated
 
أُمّيّ  ( اسم ):
 
maternal ; mother ; motherly
-
- maternal
- typical of or connected with being a mother
- of a female parent of a child or animal
- of or relating to mother}}
 
====The word ''ummiy'' in the Quran====
The word ''ummiy'' (أمي) appears 6 times in the Quran. Two times in the singular (verses 7:157-158) and four times in the plural form (verses 2:78, 3:20, 3:75 and 62:2). <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Amm</ref> From the verses we will see that the word doesn't have to necessarily mean "illiterate", but can also mean "ignorant" or "pagan" or "gentile".
The word ''ummiy'' (أمي) appears 6 times in the Quran. Two times in the singular (verses 7:157-158) and four times in the plural form (verses 2:78, 3:20, 3:75 and 62:2). <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Amm</ref> From the verses we will see that the word doesn't have to necessarily mean "illiterate", but can also mean "ignorant" or "pagan" or "gentile".
====Chapter 2 Verse 78====
====Chapter 2 Verse 78====
Line 85: Line 123:


(And others among them) by mentioning Persia. }}
(And others among them) by mentioning Persia. }}
===The meaning of ''ummiy''===
===Claimed prediction of an illiterate prophet in the Bible===
The word is derived from the root أمم. There are 119 words in the Quran, derived from this root <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Amm</ref>. There are other words besides ''ummiy'' (أمي):
 
*''umm'' (أم) - mother
*''amam'' (امام) - in front of
*''imam'' (إمام) - leader (because he is "in front of" others)
*''ummah'' (أمة) - the (Islamic) community/nation
 
The Lane's lexicon says this about ''ummiy'':
{{Quote-text|Lane's lexicon on أُمِّىٌّ|
 
أُمِّىٌّ
(T, M, Mgh, Mṣb, Ḳ) and ↓أُمَّانٌ (Ḳ) [the former a rel. n. from أُمَّةٌ, and thus '''properly meaning Gentile''': whence, in a secondary, or tropical, sense,(assumed tropical:) '''a heathen''';] (assumed tropical:) '''one not having a revealed scripture'''; (Bḍ in iii. 19 and 69;) so applied by those having a revealed scripture: (Bḍ in iii.69:) '''[and particularly] an Arab''': (Jel in iii. 69, and Bḍ and Jel in lxii. 2:) [or] in the proper language [of the Arabs], of, '''or belonging to, or relating to, the nation (أُمَّة) of the Arabs, who did not write nor read''': and therefore '''metaphorically applied to (tropical:) any one not knowing the art of writing nor that of reading''': (Mgh:) or (assumed tropical:) '''one who does not write; (T, M, Ḳ;) because the art of writing is acquired; as though he were thus called in relation to the condition in which his mother (أُمَّهُ) brought him forth''': (T:) or (assumed tropical:) one who is in the natural condition of the nation (الأُمَّة) to which he belongs, (Zj, * T, M, * Ḳ, *) in respect of not writing, (T,) or not having learned writing; thus remaining in his natural state: (M, Ḳ:) or (assumed tropical:) one who does not write well; said to be a rel. n. from أمٌّ; because the art of writing is acquired, and such a person is as his mother brought him forth, in respect of ignorance of that art; or, as some say, from أُمَّةُ العَرَبِ; because most of the Arabs were of this description: (Mṣb:) the art of writing was known among the Arabs [in the time of Moḥammad] by the people of Et-Táïf, who learned it from a man of the people of El-Heereh, and these had it from the people of El-Ambár. (T.) أُمِّيُّون لَا يَعْلَمُونَ, الكِتَابَ, in the Ḳur ii. 73, means Vulgar persons, [or heathen,] who know not the Book of the Law revealed to Moses: (Jel:) or ignorant persons, who know not writing, so that they may read that book; or, who know not the Book of the Law revealed to Moses. (Bḍ.) '''Moḥammad was termed أُمِّىّ [meaning A Gentile, as distinguished from an Israelite: or, accord. to most of his followers, meaning illiterate;] because the nation (أُمَّة) of the Arabs did not write, nor read writing; and [they say that] God sent him as an apostle when he did not write, nor read from a book; and this natural condition of his was one of his miraculous signs, to which reference is made in the Ḳur [xxix. 47], where it is said, “thou didst not read, before it, from a book, nor didst thou write it with thy right hand:” (T, TA:) but accord. to the more correct opinion, he was not well acquainted with written characters nor with poetry, but he discriminated between good and bad poetry: or, as some assert, he became acquainted with writing after he had been unacquainted therewith, on account of the expression “ before it ”''' in the verse of the Ḳur mentioned above: or, as some say, this may mean that he wrote though ignorant of the art of writing, like as some of the kings, being أُمِّيُّون, write their signs, or marks: (TA:) or, accord. to Jaạfar Es-Sádik, he used to read from the book, or scripture, if he did not write. (Kull p. 73.) [Some judicious observations on this word are comprised in Dr. Sprenger's Life of Moḥammad (pp. 101-2); a work which, in the portion already published (Part I.), contains much very valuable information.]
―
Also, (Ḳ,) or [only] أُمِّىٌّ, (AZ, T, M,) applied to a man, (AZ, T,) Impotent in speech, (عَيِىّ, in the Ḳ incorrectly written غَبِىّ, TA,) of few words, and rude, churlish, uncivil, or surly. (AZ, T, M, Ḳ.)}}
 
Online Arabic dictionary says about ummiy:
{{Quote-text|Almaany.com on أمي |Translation and Meaning of أمي in Almaany English Arabic Dictionary
 
أُمّيّ  ( اسم ):
 
illiterate ; uneducated ; unlettered
-
- illiterate
- unable to read or uneducated
- an illiterate person
- not educated; illiterate
- illiterate, not well educated
 
أُمّيّ  ( اسم ):
 
maternal ; mother ; motherly
-
- maternal
- typical of or connected with being a mother
- of a female parent of a child or animal
- of or relating to mother}}
 
====Claimed prediction of an illiterate prophet in the Bible====
A popular Islamic preacher Zakir Naik proposed that an illiterate prophet is predicted in Isaiah 29:12 <ref>http://www.unchangingword.com/illiterate-prophet/</ref>. According to Zakir Naik, the verse says:
A popular Islamic preacher Zakir Naik proposed that an illiterate prophet is predicted in Isaiah 29:12 <ref>http://www.unchangingword.com/illiterate-prophet/</ref>. According to Zakir Naik, the verse says:
{{Quote-text|Non-existant (Isaiah 29:12 according to Zakir Naik)|
{{Quote-text|Non-existant (Isaiah 29:12 according to Zakir Naik)|
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