Question:
What does 'Ummi' mean in the holy Qur'an?
Isn't it disrespectful to the Prophet?
Answer:
According to dictionaries, Ummi is someone who has not learned to read or write. The holy prophet (PBUH) was told Ummi because he had not learned to read or write from anyone. But it does not conflict with that the prophet be able to read and write by divine teaching.
Although inability to read and write is considered as a defect and teaching and learning are known as emphasized orders of the prophet (PBUH) (according to narrations that we have about teaching and learning), but given that the inability to read and write have had a miracle aspect and that was a kind of proof toward his prophethood, being Ummi is a perfection for the prophet (PBUH); Because reading and writing may create doubts that what the prophet has offered to us is taken from Human teachings.
The verse 48 of surah AL-‘ANKABUT is referred to this subject as well:
“And you did not recite before it any scripture, nor did you inscribe one with your right hand. Otherwise the falsifiers would have had [cause for] doubt.” [1]
Note:
[1] “وَمَا كُنتَ تَتْلُو مِن قَبْلِهِ مِن كِتَابٍ وَلَا تَخُطُّهُ بِيَمِينِكَ إِذًا لَّارْتَابَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ”