How sound is the Hadith: "He who reads is beautiful in the sight of his Lord, so learn to read, and when you have learned, then teach it"?
Perhaps what is meant by "the Hadith" is the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "The best among you is he who learns the Quran and teaches it." The encouragement to learn to read the Quran is abundant in the Book and the Sunnah. Indeed, the Holy Quran was the only book read by Muslims in the early days of Islam, so learning to read and write began with learning the Quran. Moreover, the command to read came in the very first verses revealed from the Quran: "Recite in the name of your Lord who created... Who taught by the pen." As for a hadith stating that Allah loves those who learn to read in general, no such text has been reported in the books of Sunnah.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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