The Blessed Name: Ummī

One of the blessed names of the Rasool of Rahmah, the Intercessor of Ummah, the Distributor of Na’mah, the Owner of Jannah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is Ummī. It is a very famous and well-known name, and it is also mentioned in the noble Quran. Allah Almighty says:

اَلَّذِیْنَ یَتَّبِعُوْنَ الرَّسُوْلَ النَّبِیَّ الْاُمِّیَّ

Those who follow the Messenger who relates news of the unseen, the unschooled,^[1]

The common meaning of the word Ummī is: unlettered, that is, a person who has not learned to read or write from anyone in the world. This is a unique matter; being unlettered and not learning to read or write is considered a flaw for us, but being Ummī is a great honour for our Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. This pure name holds many great attributes of the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Let us listen to them:

The Unique and Unmatched Prophet

A great scholar of the 7th century Hijri, Allāmah Fakhr ad-Dīn Harālī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه states: The meaning of the word Ummī is that Allah Almighty created the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم with a unique and unmatched nature, different from all other people.^[2]

This means that all the people who have come into this world, their nature includes learning to read and write. You must have observed at home that when a child starts speaking and begins to see and understand things, he asks many questions. This is proof that learning is inherent in everyone's nature in this world. Whoever comes into this world tries to learn and understand. But salute to our Master, the unique and unmatched Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, whose unique nature is that Allah Almighty has granted him the ability to teach, not