He had these written out , and these are being dictated to him (in the) morning and evening’ [25:5] ثم قال علي بن إبراهيم، و في رواية أبي الجارود، عن أبي جعفر (عليه السلام)، في قوله: إِلَّا إِفْكٌ افْتَراهُ قال: «الإفك: الكذب وَ أَعانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ آخَرُونَ يعنون أبا فكيهة، و حبرا ، و عداسا، و عابسا مولى حويطب، Then Ali Bin Ibrahim said, ‘And in a report of Abu Al-Jaroud, (It has been narrated) from Abu Ja’far -asws regarding His -azwj Words: ‘Surely this is only a lie.
He fabricated it [25:4] , he -asws said: ‘ Al-Ifak (الإفك) – is the lie, and he is being assisted upon it by other people – meaning Abu Fakeyhat, and Habra, and Adasa, and Abasa the slave of Huweytab. و قوله: أَساطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَها فهو قول النضر بن الحارث بن علقمة بن كلدة، قال: أساطير الأولين اكتتبها محمد، فهي تملى عليه بكرة و أصيلا». And His -azwj Words: ‘Stories of the former ones!
He had these written out – This is the speech of Al-Nazar Bin Al-Haris Bin Alqama Bin Kaldat who said, ‘Stories of the former ones! Muhammad -saww had these written out, and these are being dictated to him (in the) morning and evening’ [25:5] ’ . [2] So, it was well known among the non-believers of that time that -saww could read and write. So why some Muslims got confused that the Holy Prophet was illiterate (Nauzobillah)?
We look at the Holy Verse which is frequently presented in the support of their assumption. Why do they Allege that -saww was Illiterate (Nauzobillah)?
Some Muslims have assumed that holy Prophet -saww was illiterate (nauzobillah) based on the following Verse: الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِنْدَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالْأَغْلَالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا النُّورَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ مَعَهُ ۙ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ {157} Those who are following the Rasool, the Prophet, the Ummy ( Makkan) whom they are finding written with them in the Torah and the Evangel (that) he would be instructing them with the good things and forbidding them from the evil, and permitting for them the good things and prohibiting upon them the bad, and removing from them their burdens and their shackles which would be upon them.