Islam is a religion that is concerned with literacy. When the Qur’an was revealed, the first word was `iqra’ – read, learn, and understand. In a cave, on the outskirts of the Holy city of Makkah, the angel Jibra`il عليه السلام squeezed Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺchest and demanded that he should read. Unable to read or write, the Prophet ﷺ replied, “I cannot read.”

حَتَّى جَاءَهُ الْحَقُّ وَهُوَ فِي غَارِ حِرَاءٍ، فَجَاءَهُ الْمَلَكُ فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ ‏”‏‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ‏.‏ قُلْتُ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ‏.‏ فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّانِيَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ‏.‏ فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّالِثَةَ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ ‏{‏اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ * خَلَقَ الإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ * اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الأَكْرَمُ‏}‏ ‏”

Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, Who has taught by the pen, He has taught man that which he knew not. [Al-`Alaq 96:1-5]

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ never learned to read or write but he did understand the importance of literacy. Although the majority of Arabs at the time were illiterate, they possessed a powerful and eloquent love of words. Arabs were masters of the spoken word – poetry, storytelling, and memorizing genealogies. Encouraging literacy was a natural progression.

From the earliest days of Islam, the Prophet’s ﷺ companions (RA) began to write down the words of the Qur’an. They were written on bark, bone, animal skin, and even stones. This ushered in a new era of literacy.

Many of the first Muslims were poor, without position or prestige in Makkan society, or were slaves. Islam offered them a chance of equality and respect. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ wisely understood that his new nation would have a better chance of surviving, and thriving, if its followers were literate and well educated.

After the battle of Badr, the first battle against the Makkan oppressors, the fledgling Muslim army took seventy prisoners. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ knew that most of the prisoners were literate and he offered freedom to those who taught ten Muslims to read and write.

The new Muslims began to understand the importance of implementing Qur’an’s guidance into their lives. Then, just as now, literacy allowed the believers to look at the world around them and to contemplate the wonders of creation, and the magnificence of The Creator.

In his traditions that were painstakingly recorded by Muslim scholars, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ encouraged his followers to seek knowledge. He said that if someone followed a path in pursuit of knowledge, Allah would make his path to Paradise easy.

The pursuit of knowledge is important in Islam. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ encouraged his followers to attend learning classes, and he sent teachers of Qur’an to the outlying tribes and far away cities. He sat with his followers and taught them the principles of Islam.

Islam holds knowledge, education, literacy, and intellectual pursuits in high regard. Throughout Islamic history, there are countless instances of the establishment of schools, universities, libraries and think tanks. Muslims established theories of education, wrote curriculums, pursued literature and art, and took the concept of seeking knowledge to new heights.