This is the first Surah of the Noble Qur’an revealed to the Messenger of Allah (swt). He is an illiterate prophet who does not read or write. Therefore, when Jibril (puh) addressed him to read, he (saws) said to him: “I am not the one who reads.” Jibril, then repeated it three times and in every time the Prophet (saws) answered “I am not the one who reads.”. The prophet responded with his humanity because for him reading requires something written in front of him but when Allah (swt) says, (Read), then this reading is not like the normal reading of human beings, nor has the same reasons of learning. Rather it means: O Muhammad you will not read by the reasons of reading that people know but by the will of the founder of causes, because He (swt) is the creator of things.

بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ (in the name of your Lord)

That is, you read in the name of Allah (swt). From here we find that all the Surahs of the Holy Qur’an begin with “in the name of Allah the Compassionate the Merciful”, therefore, you read the words of Allah (swt) by His secret and by His will.