Lu'lu' wal-Marjan

Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the initial period of revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) began with good, true, and pure dreams. Whatever he saw in his dreams would come true as clearly as the morning light. Then, by divine will, he became fond of solitude and adopted seclusion in the Cave of Hira. He would remain there for several days and nights in continuous worship, remembrance of Allah, and contemplation, until he felt inclined to return home. He would stay there with provisions (food and drink) until they ran out, and only then would he return to his noble wife, Sayyidah Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her), to take more provisions and go back to seclusion. This continued until the truth was revealed to him while he was staying in the Cave of Hira. Suddenly, Angel Jibreel (peace be upon him) appeared before him and said, “O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)! Read.” He replied, “I do not know how to read.” He (the Prophet) says that the angel took hold of me and squeezed me so hard that I lost all strength, then released me and said, “Read.” I again replied, “I am not learned.” Upon this, the angel squeezed me again with great force, causing me severe pain, and then said, “Read.” I said, “I am not learned.” The angel seized me a third time, squeezed me, and then released me, saying, “Read in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clot of blood. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous.” () (Al-‘Alaq 1-3)

So (after hearing these verses from Angel Jibreel), he returned from the Cave of Hira in a state that his heart was trembling from this strange incident. He went to Sayyidah Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be pleased with her) and said, “Cover me! Cover me!” She covered him with a blanket. When his fear subsided, he narrated the entire incident in detail to his noble wife, Sayyidah Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her), and said, “Now I fear for my life.” His noble wife, Sayyidah Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her), comforted him and said, “Your thought is not correct. By Allah! Allah will never disgrace you. You possess excellent character, you care for your relatives, you bear the burdens of the helpless, you earn for the poor, you are unmatched in hospitality, and you support the truth in times of difficulty. (A person with such noble qualities cannot die a disgraceful and humiliating death.)”

Then, for further reassurance, Sayyidah Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) took him to Waraqah bin Nawfal, who was her cousin and had adopted Christianity during the pre-Islamic era. He was a scribe of the Hebrew language and used to write the Gospel in Hebrew as per the will of Allah. He had become very old, to the extent that he had lost his eyesight. Sayyidah Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) described the situation to him and said, “O cousin, listen to your nephew (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) and hear about his condition.” He said, “Nephew, tell me what you have seen.” So the Prophet narrated the entire incident from beginning to end. Upon hearing this, Waraqah exclaimed, “This is the same Namus (the noble confidant angel) whom Allah sent to Musa (peace be upon him) with revelation. If only I were young when your prophethood begins! If only I could live until your people drive you out of this city!” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was surprised and asked, “Will they drive me out?” (Even though I am truthful, trustworthy, and accepted among them.) Waraqah replied, “Yes, this is all true. No one has ever come with the truth as you have without becoming the enemy of his people. If I live to see your time of prophethood, I will fully support you.”

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), describing the circumstances during the cessation of revelation, said: One day I was walking when suddenly I heard a voice from the sky. I raised my head towards the sky and saw that the same angel who had come to me in the Cave of Hira was sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I became afraid of him, and upon returning home, I again expressed the desire to be covered with a blanket. At that time, these verses were revealed from Allah Almighty: "O you who are wrapped up! Arise and warn, and magnify your Lord, and purify your garments, and keep away from impurity." (Al-Muddathir 51) After that, revelation began to come rapidly and continuously.

Yahya bin Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that I asked Abu Salamah bin Abdur Rahman (may Allah have mercy on him): Which verse of the Qur'an was revealed first? Abu Salamah replied: "Ya ayyuhal muddathir (O you who are wrapped up in a garment)." I said to him: "I have heard that 'Iqra' bismi rabbika allathee khalaq' was revealed first." He said: "I am telling you what I heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I secluded myself in the cave of Hira. When I had completed that period and came down and reached the middle of the valley, I was called. I looked in front of me, behind me, to my right and to my left, and I saw that the angel was sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. Then I came to Khadijah and said to her: 'Cover me with a cloth and pour cold water over me.' And this verse was revealed to me: 'O you who are wrapped up in a garment, arise and warn, and magnify your Lord.' (Al-Muddathir: 31)"