سورة العَنکبوت
Surah Al-‘Ankabût 29:48
The Spider · Verse 48 of 69
وَمَا كُنْتَ تَتْلُو مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنْ كِتَابٍ وَلَا تَخُطُّهُ بِيَمِينِكَ ۖ إِذًا لَارْتَابَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ
Abdul Mannan Omar
(Prophet!) you read no book, nor did you write one with your own hand before this (Qur´ân was revealed). (Had it been so,) those who declare (it) as false could then (have the cause to) entertain some doubts.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
And thou wast not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: In that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted.
Ahmed Ali
You did not read any Scripture before this, nor wrote one with your right hand, or else these dissemblers would have found a cause to doubt it.
12 more translations
Ali Unal
You did not (O Messenger) read of any book before it (the revelation of this Qur’an), nor did you write one with your right (or left) hand. For then those who have ever sought to disprove the truth might have a reason to doubt (it).
Daryabadi
And thou hast not been reciting any book before it, nor hast thou been writing it With thine right hand, for then might the followers of falsehood have doubted.
Faridul Haque
And you (O dear Prophet Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) were not reading any Book before it, nor writing with your right hand – if it were, the people of falsehood would surely have doubted.
Maulana Muhammad Ali
And thou didst not recite before it any book, nor didst thou transcribe one with thy right hand, for then could the liars have doubted.
Maulvi Sher Ali
And thou didst not recite any Book before the Qur'an, nor didst thou write one with thy right hand; in that case the liars would have had cause to doubt.
Muhammad Asad
for, [O Muhammad,] thou hast never been able to recite any divine writ ere this one [was revealed], nor didst thou ever transcribe one with thine own hand - or else, they who try to disprove the truth [of thy revelation] might indeed have had cause to doubt [it].
Muhammad Musin Khan
Neither did you (O Muhammad SAW) read any book before it (this Qur'an), nor did you write any book (whatsoever) with your right hand. In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted.
Muhammad Pickthall
And thou (O Muhammad) wast not a reader of any scripture before it, nor didst thou write it with thy right hand, for then might those have doubted, who follow falsehood.
Muhammad Sarwar
You were not able to read or write before the Quran was revealed to you; otherwise, the followers of falsehood would have tried to confuse the matter.
Muhammed ali Shakir
And you did not recite before it any book, nor did you transcribe one with your right hand, for then could those who say untrue things have doubted.
Rashad Khalifa
You did not read the previous scriptures, nor did you write them with your hand. In that case, the rejectors would have had reason to harbor doubts.
Shabbir Ahmed
(O Prophet) you were never able to read a book before this (Revelation), nor could you write anything with your own hand. Or else, those who try to disprove the truth might have some reason to doubt it.
Commentary 29:48 The Holy Prophets (pbuh) fellow citizens knew well that he neither applied himself to learning, nor frequented with learned men, and lived in a land that…
وَمَا كُنتَ تَتْلُو مِن قَبْلِهِ مِن كِتَابٍ وَلَا تَخُطُّهُ بِيَمِينِكَ ۖ إِذًا لَّارْتَابَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ
29:48 The Holy Prophets (pbuh) fellow citizens knew well that he neither applied himself to learning, nor frequented with learned men, and lived in a land that was, through its vast deserts, largely isolated from other countries. He could not have derived his extensive knowledge from earlier Scriptures. He had to convince impartial persons that his knowledge must have come to him through Divine Revelation. There is a difference of opinion whether he could read and write. He is called ummî in the Holy Qur’ân (7:157), which is usually translated as someone who cannot read or write. This, however, is an incorrect translation, leaves a wrong impression, and is the cause of many objections. Makkah was called Umm al-Qurâ’ and a Makkan Arab is an ummî. Jews at the time of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) used to refer to all Arabs who had no knowledge of the Torah dismissively as ummî, likening them to illiterates. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) could indeed read and write. He used to double-check the Divine Revelation when it was put into writing. How could an illiterate be confident that what Allâh revealed is written down accurately? Moreover, he was a successful business person who must have command of arithmetic.