Reviewing the Viewpoint of Régis Blachère about the Term "Ommi" (The Illiteracy of Prophet Muhammad PBUH)

Abstract

The subject of Prophet's illiteracy and being uneducated is one of the important challenging issues of Quranic sciences in the field of Quranic Miracle, which is almost discussed by orientalists and scholars of Islamic sciences; the concept of illiteracy is the subject of their dispute, some scholars say illiteracy means not being educated but other scholars say illiteracy means someone who is literate but is attributed to Mecca, which is the main pivot of their opposite ideas. Meanwhile, some orientalists like Will Durant agreed on the illiteracy of holy Prophet; but some like Blachère disagreed the illiteracy of holy Prophet (PBUH). The famous French Orientalist, Régis Blachère, in the preface to his translation of the Quran in French, has presented his views on several issues like Quranic sciences and history. The illiteracy of the Prophet is one of the points that the scholars of Quranic sciences have discussed in the Qur'an's miracle debate. But some orientalists like Blachère have not accepted the illiteracy of holy Prophet and have criticized the viewpoint of Muslims. He considers the origin of the Muslim's viewpoint about the Prophet's illiteracy as the wrong interpretation of the term "Ommi". He has defined the phrase "Al-Nabi Al-Ommi" as the Prophet of idol worshipers. In this article, by descriptive-analytic method, the writers first examine the literal meaning of the word “Ommi” and then by citing related verses, and expressing the commentators' viewpoint, have proved that Ommi means the Prophet's illiteracy. In addition to literal and interpretative documents and Quran, other strong proofs and documents have been presented that the Prophet was illiterate and he could not read and write.