Refutation 29:48 Claim
Some claim that verse 48 of Sura 29 (Al-‘Ankaboot / العنكبوت) indicates that the prophet was illiterate and incapable of reading or writing.
Below is the Arabic and the word-by-word translation of the verse.
29:48 You did not read the previous scriptures, nor did you write them with your right hand. In that case, the rejectors would have had reason to harbor doubts. وَمَا كُنتَ تَتْلُوا۟ مِن قَبْلِهِۦ مِن كِتَـٰبٍ وَلَا تَخُطُّهُۥ بِيَمِينِكَ إِذًا لَّٱرْتَابَ ٱلْمُبْطِلُونَ
| 1 | wamā | وَمَا | And not |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | kunta | كُنتَ | you used to |
| 3 | tatlū | تَتْلُوا۟ | [you] recite / read |