Bukhari

� Lexical Explanation:
«فَتْرَةِ الْوَحْيِ» The cessation of revelation, its stopping.
«فَرُعِبْتُ» I became anxious.
«الْمُدَّثِّرُ» The one who covers himself with a cloak.
«فَحَمِيَ» Became intense, increased.

Explanation:
«بوادر» is the plural of «بادرة», which refers to the part of the body between the neck and the shoulder. Sometimes, upon witnessing a terrifying scene, this part also begins to tremble. The meaning here is that due to this astonishing event, the flesh of your shoulder began to tremble rapidly.

Many matters are illuminated by this hadith regarding the beginning of revelation. Firstly, through true dreams (manamat sadiqah), your connection with the world of similitudes was established, and at the same time, you adopted seclusion in the Cave of Hira. This cave is located about three miles from Makkah Mukarramah. There, you practiced «تحنث». The word «تحنث» is a term from the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah). At that time, the main method of worship was considered to be that a person would spend some nights in a secluded place, away from the world and its affairs, in remembrance of Allah. Since divine revelation had not yet come to you, you adopted this practice and spent time there in remembrance of Allah, reflection, contemplation, and self-meditation by divine inspiration. Angel Jibril (alayhis salam) pressed your chest to his chest three times with force so that, by Allah’s command, your chest would open and an immediate connection could be established between a material, earthly being and a luminous, angelic being. This is what happened: afterwards, you began to recite the divine revelation «اقرا باسم ربك» fluently. In the first revelation, the subtle allusions made regarding the sciences of gnosis of Allah, the creation of mankind, the importance of the pen, the etiquettes of teaching, and the difference between knowledge and ignorance—this is not the place to detail them, nor is there room here. Waraqah bin Nawfal, during the Age of Ignorance, became disenchanted with idol worship and became a Christian, and he had knowledge of Syriac and Hebrew. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) saw him after his death in the attire of Paradise, because he had believed in you from the very beginning. What Sayyidah Khadijah al-Kubra (radi Allahu anha) said to encourage you is a beautiful depiction of your noble character. Sayyidah Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) said, considering common understanding, that a person as compassionate and virtuous as you is never disgraced or humiliated. Rather, your future is exceedingly glorious. Upon hearing the circumstances, Waraqah referred to Angel Jibril (alayhis salam) with the term “Namus al-Akbar.”

Imam Qastallani (rahimahullah) states in his commentary on Bukhari:
«هو صاحب سرالوحي والمراد به جبرئيل عليه الصلوة والسلام واهل الكتاب يسمونه الناموس الاكبر»
That is, this confidant of revelation is Angel Jibril (alayhis salam), whom the People of the Book used to call “Namus al-Akbar.”

Although Waraqah was a Christian, he mentioned Musa (alayhis salam) here because Musa (alayhis salam) was the possessor of a revealed law (shari’ah). Isa (alayhis salam) was a propagator of the Mosaic law. After this, the series of revelation ceased for two or two and a half years, until suddenly Surah al-Muddaththir was revealed. Then, revelation began to come continuously.

Angel Jibril (alayhis salam) pressed you.
Regarding this, Imam Qastallani (rahimahullah) states:
«وهذا الغط ليفرغه من النظر الي امور الدنيا ويقبل بكلية الي مايلقي اليه وكرره للمبالغة واستدل به على ان المودب لايضرب صبيا اكثر من ثلاث ضربات وقيل الغطة الاوليٰ ليتخليٰ عن الدنيا والثانية ليتفرغ لما يوحي اليه والثالثة للموانسة» [ارشاد الساری 63/1]
That is, this pressing was so that you would be freed from attention to worldly matters and be fully prepared to accept the revelation and the burden of prophethood being placed upon you. From this incident, it is deduced that it is appropriate for a teacher, if necessary, not to strike a student more than three times. Some have counted this incident of “pressing” among the unique characteristics (khasa’is) of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), because such an event at the beginning of revelation is not reported for any other prophet. The further details of the joy expressed by Waraqah bin Nawfal upon hearing your circumstances are narrated by Imam Qastallani as follows:
«فقال له ورقة ابشرثم ابشر فانااشهدانك الدي بشربه ابن مريم وانك على مثل ناموس موسيٰ وانك نبي مرسل»
That is, Waraqah said: “Rejoice, rejoice! I certainly bear witness that you are the very Prophet and Messenger whose glad tidings Isa ibn Maryam (alayhis salam) gave, and upon whom the same Namus (angel) has descended as used to descend upon Musa (alayhis salam), and you are indeed the true Messenger sent by Allah.”

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) saw Waraqah bin Nawfal after his death in the attire of Paradise, because he believed in you (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and affirmed you, thus he became a person of Paradise. From this incident of Waraqah bin Nawfal, the ruling is established that if a person believes in Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and does not get the opportunity to perform other Islamic obligations before passing away, Allah, by the blessing of faith, will admit him to Paradise.

Hazrat Mawlana Sanaullah Amritsari (rahimahullah): In his commentary on Surah al-Muddaththir «وثيابك فطهر», he states that the poets of Arabia used to refer to the heart by «ثياب».
Imru’ al-Qais says:
«وان كنت قد ساتك مني خليقة فسلي ثيابي من ثيابك تنسلي»
In this verse, «ثياب» refers to the heart. This is most appropriate here, because keeping one’s clothes clean is necessary for the validity of prayer, but keeping the heart pure and clean is essential in every circumstance.

It is narrated in the noble hadith: «ان فى الجسد مضغة اذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله واذا فسدت فسدالجسد كله الا وهى القلب» “Indeed, there is a piece of flesh in the body; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. That is the heart.” («اللهم اصلح قلبي وقلب كل ناظر») [تفسير ثنائي]

A Strange Subtlety:
There is some difference of opinion regarding which surah of the Qur’an was revealed first, but there is near consensus that it was Surah «اقراءباسم ربك الذي». After that, the period of cessation of revelation lasted two and a half to three years, and then the first surah «ياايها المدثر» was revealed. Observe the state of sectarian prejudice: at this point, a certain individual who is publishing a translation and commentary of Sahih Bukhari has tried to use this as evidence for the non-essentiality of Surah al-Fatihah in prayer.

His words are as follows:
SA “The very first surah to be revealed was Surah Iqra’, and Surah al-Fatihah was revealed later. So, until it was revealed, how were the prayers of that time valid, when al-Fatihah is a pillar of prayer and without it prayer is not valid? Let those who claim al-Fatihah is a pillar of prayer answer.” [انوارالباري: جلد اول، ص40] EA

Reciting Surah al-Fatihah in prayer is necessary for the validity of prayer; this is not the place to write about it in detail, nor is this the context for such a discussion. However, in the words of Hazrat Shah Abdul Qadir Jilani (rahimahullah), it is necessary to state:
«فإن قراءتها فريضة و هي ركن تبطل الصلوة بتركها.» [غنية الطالبين: ص 53]
That is, reciting Surah al-Fatihah in prayer is obligatory as a pillar of prayer, and omitting it invalidates the prayer. In response to the aforementioned individual, it suffices to say that since Surah al-Fatihah had not yet been revealed, as he himself has written, then at that time the question of its being a pillar or obligatory does not arise. In the early days of prophethood, many Islamic rulings had not yet been established, which were later prescribed. If someone were to say that these rulings did not exist at the beginning of prophethood, so why is it necessary to accept them? Probably no intelligent person would consider this correct. Initially, there were only two prayers; later, the method of five daily prayers was established. There was no adhan at first; later, the adhan was instituted. Fasting in Ramadan was not obligatory in the Makkan period; it was made obligatory in the Madinan period. So, can all these matters be denied on the basis of such a delicate argument? A little reflection would have made this clear, but where sectarian and juristic rigidity prevails at every step, seeking broad-mindedness is futile. In summary, whenever Surah al-Fatihah was revealed and the method of congregational obligatory prayer was established in Islam, this noble surah was made a pillar of prayer. Before the revelation of the surah and the obligation of congregational prayer, the question of these things does not arise. Other discussions will come in their proper place. «ان شاءالله تعاليٰ.»

Hadith Commentary:
➊
This narration is a continuation of the previous narration, which is presented here through a different chain of transmission.
The first chain reaches Lady Aisha (radi Allahu anha) through the intermediary of Urwah, while the chain of this narration reaches Jabir (radi Allahu anhu) through the intermediary of Abu Salamah bin Abdur Rahman (radi Allahu anhu).
In the first narration, Ibn Shihab Zuhri (rahimahullah) narrated the incident up to the cessation of revelation via Urwah from Aisha (radi Allahu anha), and in this narration, via Abu Salamah from Jabir (radi Allahu anhu), the result of that incident is mentioned.

➋
It is the habit of Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) that wherever, due to uniqueness or obscurity, there is a possibility of doubt, suspicion, or hesitation regarding a hadith, he presents further supporting evidences for the wording of the hadith.
In the terminology of the hadith scholars, this is called "mutaba‘at" (corroboration).
There are two types of this:
One is "mutaba‘at tammah" (complete corroboration) and the other is "mutaba‘at naqisah" or "qasirah" (incomplete or partial corroboration).
When a narrator, in agreeing with another, narrates from the same teacher as the first narrator, this is called complete corroboration (mutaba‘at tammah).
And if the agreement occurs higher up in the chain, such as at the teacher’s teacher or above, then it is called incomplete corroboration (mutaba‘at qasirah).
Here too, Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) has mentioned corroboration, the details of which are that, apart from Yahya bin Bukayr, Abdullah bin Yusuf and Abu Salih Abdullah bin Salih narrating this narration from Layth bin Sa‘d is complete corroboration, and Hilal bin Raddad narrating this narration from Ibn Shihab Zuhri (rahimahullah) apart from ‘Uqayl is incomplete corroboration.
Then he has mentioned, with reference to Yunus and Ma‘mar, the difference in the wording of the hadith, that both of them narrated from Ibn Shihab Zuhri (rahimahullah) "bawadiruhu" instead of "fu’aduhu".
"Bawadir" is the plural of "badirah".
By this is meant the area between the neck and the shoulder, which, at the time of intense fear, begins to tremble in the same way as the heart quivers.
Thus, both narrations are equal in terms of the essential meaning,
because both indicate agitation.

➌
From this hadith, it is understood that the first revelation is:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ... ﴾
whereas from the previous hadith, it is understood that the first revelation is:
﴿اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ ... ﴾
Both statements are correct in their respective contexts.
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ... ﴾ is considered the first revelation in the sense that after the cessation of revelation, the resumption of revelation began with Surah al-Muddathir, i.e., after the first revelation ﴿اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ﴾, the series of revelation was temporarily interrupted.

➍
In this hadith, it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) requested to be covered with a blanket.
The reason for this was perhaps his anxiety, due to which he was overtaken by shivering, and he asked his family to cover him with a cloth, because sometimes, due to anxiety, a person covers himself with a cloth.
And this happened only the first time.
Afterwards, when revelation would descend upon him, due to the weight of it, he would sweat profusely, but he would not be overtaken by anxiety, nor would he request to be covered with a cloth.

➎
The literal meaning of (حَمِيَّ الوَحيُ) is:
"the revelation became hot."
When something becomes hot, after a while it cools down.
So, with the word (تَوَاتَرَا), this misunderstanding is removed, i.e., the matter of revelation did not cool down, rather, it began with even greater continuity than before.