`Abd al-Latif ascribe this to Ibn Hisham.

`Abd al-Latif ascribe this to Ibn Hisham.’ We have already mentioned that from the historical point of view, what is inferred from most narrations, is that `Ali (PBUH) wrote all the written materials. But that the Prophet (PBUHH) wrote, despite his inability to write, can only be concluded from Al-Tabari and Ibn Al-Athir’s statements.

At most, this can be implied that the Prophet (PBUHH) wrote once or more during the prophetic period, whereas, the issue under discussion concerns the period before his prophethood. The Adversaries’ Accusation It was mentioned at the very beginning of the book that: “The opponents of Islam and the Prophet (PBUHH) accused him of borrowing ideas from others (this accusation is reflected from some verses of the Qur’an).

But they did not say that he was literate and knew how to read and write and that he perhaps had some books, which he consulted before presenting his views.” Someone might, however, claim that the Prophet (PBUHH) was accused in this respect too.

This reflected from the Qur’an where it says: They say, ‘He has taken down myths of the ancients, and they are dictated to him morning and evening.’ (6) The answer is that this verse does not explicitly indicate their claim that the Prophet (PBUHH) used to write, regardless of the fact that the opponents’ accusations were so prejudiced and based on complexes and grudges that, as the Holy Qur’an puts it, only terms like “injustice” and “oppression” can best be used for them.

At the same time, the Arabic term “iktitab” means both `to write’ and “istiktab” i.e., to make someone write something’. Here, the second meaning applies to the verse which would mean “They said: “he has written (or others have written for him) the stories of the ancient, then someone reads to him every morning and evening,” “iktitab” is mentioned here in the past tense and “imla”‘ in the present continuous.

It implies that someone wrote them, and that those who knew how to read, used to come to Prophet (PBUHH) every day and night and read them to him, and that he learned and memorized them. Thus, if the Prophet (PBUHH) knew how to read, they would not necessarily say that others used to read to him, day and night; rather, it would suffice them to say that he himself referred to writings and memorized them.