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huwa lladhī baʿatha fī l-ʾummiyyīna rasūlan minhum yatlū ʿalayhim ʾāyātihī wa-yuzakkīhim wa-yuʿallimuhumu l-kitāba wa-l-ḥikmata wa-ʾin kānū min qablu la-fī ḍalālin mubīnin
It is He who sent to the unlettered [people] an apostle from among themselves, to recite to them His signs, to purify them, and to teach them the Book and wisdom, and earlier they had indeed been in manifest error.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-Jum’a - Verse 2
This blessed and significant Verse treats of Divine Unity and Attributes as well as the Prophetic Call of the Prophet of the Islamic faith (S) interrelated with Divine Might, Wisdom, and Holiness, saying that He is the One Who appointed a Messenger from amongst the unlettered to recite His Verses unto them and purify them in the light of the recitation of these Verses from any kind of polytheism, error, and corruption and also teach them the Book and Wisdom, though they were formerly in manifest error.
It is worthy of note that the Prophetic Call, whose characteristics may not be interpreted but through inimitability reflect Divine Glory and Existence, saying that God Almighty is the One Who appointed the Messenger (S) and created such masterpiece in the process of Creation. The Arabic plural noun umiyyin whose singular form is ummi ("unlettered," attributed adjective from the nominal form umm "mother), denoting that the noble Prophet (S) did not receive any schooling but what he learned from his mother.
Some scholars maintain that the word ummi connotes "from Mecca," since Mecca was called "the mother of dwelling places" (umm al-qura). According to a tradition narrated from Imam Sadiq (as), the people of Mecca had neither Scriptures nor a Divinely appointed leader, hence the designation ummi was Divinely attributed to them.13
It is noteworthy that the blessed Verse is saying that the Noble Prophet of the Islamic faith (S) is from the same unlettered people such that the significance and greatness of his Prophetic Call be reflected and it may also demonstrate the veracity of his Call, since the Holy Qur’an, a Book with such profound and great contents and an exalted culture like the Islamic culture may not be the fruit of human thought, let alone an unlettered person who had not received any formal education.
The Light shines from the shadows. It is a verdant and luxurious orchard in the heart of the desert. It is a plain miracle and a manifest proof reflecting the veracity of his Call. The blessed Verse in question summarizes the goal of the Prophetic Call in three sections: one is of the preliminary aspect, namely the recitation of Divine Verses; the two other sections, i.e. purification of the soul and teaching the Book and Wisdom constitute two great final goals.
The Noble Messenger of Allah (S) was appointed to foster and educate people in terms of knowledge, ethics, and practice such that by means of the two wings, they may soar into the sky of happiness and proceed on the path toward Allah and attain to proximity with Him. It is also worthy of note that three out of four Qur’anic Verses give the precedence to self purification and one Verse gives the precedence to teaching over fostering good qualities.
The point reflects that the two affect each other. Ethics is gendered by knowledge in the same manner that knowledge is gendered by ethics. The point refers to the originality of fostering good qualities. It is noteworthy, however, that rue sciences are hereby intended rather than those in the attire of sciences.14 The difference between the Book and Wisdom may be in that the former implies the Holy Qur’an and the latter alludes to the sayings and teachings of the Noble Prophet (S) termed as sunna ("tradition"). The word Book may also connote Islamic Injunctions and Wisdom may make a reference to its philosophy and secrets.
The phrase
tersely alludes to the Arabs in pre-Islamic times and the error that had cast its shadow on their societies. They were in plain error since they fashioned idols out of stone and wood and resorted to such inanimate objects in time of need. They interred their daughters alive and even took pride in such villainy saying that thus they did not let aliens lay their hands on them. Their worshipping rituals included clapping and whistling around the House of Ka‘ba which was even circumambulated by stark naked women. All kinds of superstitions prevailed over their thought.
They took pride in waging war and shedding blood and plunder and regarded women as worthless merchandise on whom they gambled. Women were deprived of the most basic human rights. Hatred and enmity passed from fathers to their children as a consequence of which shedding blood and slaughter were quite common. The Noble Prophet (S) came unto them and delivered them out of the shadows of error through the Book and Wisdom. Educating such people and saving them from error and leading them unto the Straight Path is one of the glories of the Islamic faith and one of the manifest miracles of our eminent Prophet (S).
Footnotes