The Meaning of “Umma Ummiyya”

Question

What does “umma ummiyya” (اُمَّةٌ أُمِّيَّةٌ) mean — illiterate, ignorant, or something else?

Answer

In “Majma‘ Bihar al-Anwar” (vol. 1, p. 91) this hadith is explained as follows: [ar]عَلَى أَصْلِ وِلَادَةِ أُمِّهِمْ لَمْ يَتَعَلَّمُوا الْكِتَابَةَ وَالْحِسَابَ فَهُمْ عَلَى جِبِلَّتِهِمُ الْأُولَى[/ar] “[They remain] upon the original state of their birth, not having learned writing or reckoning — they are upon their first nature,” and so on — that is, whoever has not…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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