"It is He who has sent among the unlettered"—the Arabs—"a Messenger from among themselves." They were unlettered, having no book from Allah as the People of the Book had, although they used to write with their own hands. "Reciting to them His verses"—the Quran—"and purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the Wisdom." Qatada’s interpretation: The Book is the Quran, the Wisdom is the Sunnah, and purification (al-zakāh) is righteous action. "And although they were, before"—he came to them—"in clear error," manifest.