[Q 139] Proper Translation of Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ Phrase

Question

What’s the ruling on the person who says the meaning of ما أنا بقارئ is I can’t read or I am not a reciter (when referring to the event where the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم received the first revelation of the Holy Qur’an)

Answer

It is not correct for anyone to translate “ما أنا بقارئ” as “I can’t read” or “I haven’t read.” Instead, a correct translation is what our scholars have done, which is “I do not read.” This is more suitable and clear because in the Cave of Hira, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was so engrossed in witnessing the divine attributes and characteristics of Allah سبحانه وتعالىٰ that there was no room for anything else.

Mufti Muhammad Sharif Ul Haq Amjadi, رحمة الله عليه, states: “The translation of ‘ما انا بقارئ’ is generally done as ‘I have not read,’ but our Scholars have translated it as ‘I do not read,’ which is more appropriate and common because in the Cave of Hira, the Holy Prophet ﷺ was so engrossed in witnessing the divine attributes of Allah سبحانه وتعالىٰ that there was no room for anything else there, as it is narrated in a hadith:

” الى مع الله وقت لا يسعنى فيه ملك مقرب ولا نبی مرسل “

Translation:

“With Allah, there is a time when there is no room for a close angel or a sent Prophet.” The answer to the invitation to recitation due to complete immersion in observation is this: I do not read. Also, this translation is according to the Arabic idiom……. As before the conquest of Mecca, Abu Sufyan came to Medina Tayyibah to renew the peace treaty and reached Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضی ﷲ تعالیٰ عنہ and requested him to request the Holy Prophet ﷺ, Hazrat Siddiqe Akbar said: “ما انا بفاعل” I will not do it. In the Quran itself, the words of Yusuf’s brothers are mentioned: “و ما انت مو من لنا” You will not believe us. By repeatedly pressing against his chest, there was a decrease in this immersion. Then Jibreel said “اقرأ باسم ربك” Read in the name of your Lord. When he heard that they were talking about the same world I was in……. Then he read without hesitation.

(Nuzhat al-Qari, Vol. 1, p. 247, Farid Book Stall Lahore)

Answered by: Tabaruk Madani (AskMufti Scholar)

Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari

Translated by: Shaheer Attari

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