بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

إِقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ {1} خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ {2} إِقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ {3} أَلَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ {4} عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ {5

 

A`oodhu biLlaahi min al-shayṭaani l-rajeem

Bismi Llaahi l-raḥmaani l-raḥeem

1 `iqra bismi rabbika lladhee khalaqa 2 khalaqa l-insaana min `alaqin 3 iqra wa rabbuka l-akramu 4 alladhee `allama bil-qalami 5 `allama l-insaana ma lam ya`lam

 

By the one who is denoted by the name Allah (who created my being with His Names in accord with the meaning of the letter ‘B’), the Rahman, the Rahim.

1. READ with the Name of your Rabb (with the knowledge that comprises your being), who created.

2. Created man from alaq (a clot of blood; genetic composition).

3. READ! For your Rabb is Akram (most generous).

4. Who taught (programmed the genes and the essential qualities) by the Pen.

5. Taught man that which he knew not.

 

I advise those who want to reach the hidden secrets in the depths of the truths of religion to recite these verses 313 times a day!

What does ‘READ’ mean? What is to be read? How can it be read? If it’s not about reading and writing in the literal sense, then what does Muhammad (saw) being ‘illiterate’ (ummi) mean? I’ve tried to answer all of these in What did Muhammad Read? But let us know with certainty that this is not about reading a physical object, such as a book.

Again, those who want to READ the truths in the sight of their Rabb should make it a habit to recite these verses 313 times on a daily basis.