Bismillah…

Why Was the First Revelation Sent by Allah “Iqra’ — Read”?

Before Islamic civilization rose,
before prayer was ever prescribed,
before laws descended upon humanity,
Allah opened the journey of Prophethood with a single word
that shifted the axis of heaven and earth:

“Iqra’ — Read.”

This first command was not merely an instruction.
It became the spiritual and intellectual foundation
for every soul in the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Within it, Allah planted a timeless principle:

That those who seek knowledge are elevated,
and that life itself is an unending, boundless university,
a landscape where we continue to read, learn, understand, and return.

Yet Iqra’ is far more than reading letters on a page.
In classical Arabic linguistics, its root carries meanings such as:

gathering knowledge,

uncovering meaning,

absorbing wisdom, and

conveying truth after deep reflection.

In this single command, Allah awakened the human being entirely,
the intellect, the heart, the memory, the deepest intuition.

And this revelation descended upon a society
where most people could not read,
a society without libraries,
without written tradition,
without recorded scholarship.

Yet Allah chose Iqra’
as the opening note of the Prophet’s ﷺ message.

Because civilizations are not built upon memorization,
but upon awakened awareness.

And Allah opened that awareness through reading,
reading signs, reading life, reading the self,
reading the verses of creation and the verses of revelation.

“Iqra’ bismi Rabbik” — Read in the Name of your Lord.

This is the meeting place of knowledge and spirituality.
Where understanding is no longer a pursuit for pride,
but a journey toward knowing Allah more intimately.

Where writing becomes more than a craft,
it becomes worship wrapped in ink.

Where reading becomes more than intellect,
it becomes a path home for the soul.