We read in the book of Isaiah a passage that states:
For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say to him, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I can't; it is sealed." Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I don't know how to read." (Isaiah 29:11-12)
Many will claim that this is a prophecy about an unlettered prophet. We know from various ayat of the Qur'an that Muhammad was illiterate (Al-A'raf 7:157). There also seems to be a similarity between this and the story of Al-Alaq, the story of Muhammad in the cave of Hiraa. The angel Jibreel came to Muhammad and said to him "Iqra" (which means read/recite/proclaim). "Iqra" comes from the root word of "qara." This is the same in Hebrew in Isaiah which says "qara'" (which also means read/recite/call out/proclaim).
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Iqra' bi ism rabbka 'allaze khalaqa | Khalaqa al 'insaan min alaq | Iqra' wa rabbka al akram
Read! in the name of your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot. Read and your Lord is Most Honorable (Al-Alaq 96:1-3)
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ve.ni.tan ha.se.fer al a.sher lo-ya.da se.fer le.mor ka.ra na-ze ve.a.mar lo ya.da.ti se.fer:
Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I don't know how to read." (Isaiah 29:12)
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One can see how this is a strong case for Isaiah 29:12 predicting the coming of Muhammad. But, upon closer look of Isaiah chapter 29, we can see that this is not a prophecy about Muhammad or the story of Al-Alaq. We see that Isaiah 29 is a warning to Israel that they will be punished:
Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled! Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals go on. Yet I will besiege Ariel; she will mourn and lament, she will be to me like an altar hearth. I will encamp against you all around; I will encircle you with towers and set up my siege works against you. Brought low you will speak from the ground; you speech will mumble out of the dust. Your voice will come ghostlike from the earth; out of the dust your speech will whisper. (Isaiah 29:1-4)
If we look at the context, we find out who Isaiah 29:12 is about:
The LORD had brought over you a deep sleep: He has sealed your eyes (the prophets); he has covered your heads (the seers). (Isaiah 29:10)
Is there a reason why God will seal the prophets eyes and cover the head of the seers? Yes! Read:
The Lord says:
"These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. (Isaiah 29:13)
If Isaiah 29:12 is put into context, one can see that it is not about an unlettered prophet, but people who have had their wisdom and intelligence taken away by God:
For you this while vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say to him, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I can't; it is sealed." Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I don't know how to read."
The Lord says:
"These people come near me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish." (Isaiah 29:11-14)
It is important to see what God is going to do. He will cover the eyes of the prophets, cover the head of the seers, take the wisdom away from the wise, and the intelligence will leave the intelligent. This will happen because they did adhere to Gods word. Isaiah 29:12 is not a prophecy about Muhammad, but about the punishment of the nation of Israel for being disobedient.
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Further Discussion:
Isaiah 29: A prediction of an illiterate prophet? (From Answering Islam team)