Bismillah.
Sa‘ad bin Abdullāh reports from Dawūd bin Kathīr al-Raqqī. He said: ‘I asked Abū Abdillāh, Ja‘far bin Muhammad al-Sādiq (a) about fasting in Rajab. He said, “what is your position with regards to fasting in Sha‘bān?” I said to him, ‘O son of the Messenger of Allah, what is the reward of fasting a day in Sha‘bān?’ He said, “Paradise, by Allah.” Then I said, ‘O son of the Messenger of Allah, what is the best [deed] to perform in it?’ He said, giving sadaqah (charity) and doing istighfār (seeking forgiveness); for whoever gives charity in the month of Sha‘bān, Allah will nurture it the way one of you nurtures his baby camel, until he will meet it on the Day of Resurrection while it is like (the mountain of) Uhud. (Ibn Tāwūs, Iqbāl 685; Hurr al-‘Āmilī, Wasā’il H. 13983; taken from Academy for Learning Islam, Forty Hadith: Rajab and Sha‘baan, No. 30)
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ
Read in the Name of your Lord who created
(Sūrat Al-‘Alaq, No.96, āyat 1)
The art of poetry was highly valued by the Arabs before the Islamic era. Arabic culture was primarily oral, with poetry and ancestral stories being deeply cherished. Poets were held in great esteem, and a tribe’s reputation often rested on its poetic competency.
Literacy did not hold significant importance among the people of Arabia until the revelation of the Quran. It was with the first revelation to the Holy Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa-ālihi wasallam at the age of forty that the groundwork for literacy was established. Angel Jibra’īl descended with the first revelation and commanded the Prophet to read (إقرأ). The Prophet replied, “I am not a reader.” Angel Jibra’īl persisted and said: “Read in the name of your Lord who created.” The Prophet then attempted to read and later said, “I felt in my heart and inner self that luminous lines were inscribed on my heart, and I was able to read them.” (Mutahharī, Ashnāil bā Quran, 16:14)
The word Iqra’ is derived from qira’ah, which means “to assemble letters and words” as one recites. It can refer to both reading from a written text or accurately reciting from memory something that was written. Reading is the key to knowledge, and the command to read is essentially a command to acquire knowledge.
The movement toward literacy was thus initiated by the Prophet in Arabia. Within a short period, the cultural environment shifted from a focus on oral poetry and storytelling to an emphasis on reading and writing. Over time, numerous branches of knowledge, including science, theology, mathematics, and medicine, flourished in the Muslim world. Knowledge expanded even further when Muslims conquered Central Asia in the second century after Hijrah, where they learned the art of papermaking from the Chinese. Paper quickly replaced papyrus, leading to the printing of more books and the wider dissemination of knowledge.
The emphasis in the command is not just to Read but to Read in the name of your Lord. This signifies reading with the help, guidance, and invocation of the Creator’s name. Beginning a task in the name of Allah ‘azza wajall’ serves as a tool for achieving success and reflects the core of Islamic culture. Muslims are encouraged to start any activity—whether reading, speaking, or acquiring knowledge—by saying Bismillah (In the name of Allah). The intention behind reading and seeking knowledge is to become a better servant of Allah subhānahu wata‘ālā. At a deeper level, it reminds Muslims that all knowledge ultimately comes from Almighty Allah, and the ability to learn is granted by Him alone.
When knowledge is acquired without faith, it often leads to negative consequences. A person may achieve great intellectual feats, such as traveling to the moon or uncovering the secrets of the atom. However, without faith, knowledge serves only selfish desires rather than noble purposes. It fosters arrogance and oppression instead of humility and service. Societies devoid of faith may misuse knowledge to create destructive weapons and exploit or oppress others, turning progress into a source of harm rather than benefit.
We pray to the Almighty to grant us the ability to enhance our capacity for reading and to strengthen our faith. We also pray for the oppressed and the grief-stricken across the world.
Sources: ‘Allāmah Muhammad Husayn Tabātabā’ī, Tafsīr al-Mīzān; Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Tafsīr al-Kabīr, Shahīd Murtadā Mutahharī, Āshnā’i Bā Quran.