Mukhtasar Bukhari

Narrated by Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): She said, “The first revelation that began to come to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was good dreams. So whatever dream he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw would become manifest (clearly) like the brightness of the morning. (Then, from Allah) the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him (peace and blessings be upon him). Thus, he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to seclude himself in the cave of Hira, and there he would worship for several nights in succession, not returning to his family, and he would take provisions for that period. This continued until revelation came to him (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was in the cave of Hira, that is, the angel came to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, ‘Read!’ He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘I am not a reader.’ He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Then the angel took hold of me and pressed me hard until I was distressed, then released me and said, “Read!” I said, “I am not a reader.” Then he took hold of me and pressed me hard again until I was distressed, then released me and said, “Read!” I said, “I am not a reader.” He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Then the angel took hold of me a third time and pressed me hard, then said to me: ((Read in the name of your Lord)) etc. (Al-‘Alaq: 1-3): “Read in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous.”’

So the heart of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) trembled with fear because of this incident, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Umm al-Mu’minin Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) and said (to those present), ‘Cover me! Cover me!’ So they covered him (peace and blessings be upon him) with a blanket until the fear left his heart. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) told Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) all that had happened in the cave and said, ‘Indeed, I fear for my life.’ Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, ‘Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. Surely, you maintain ties of kinship, bear the burdens of the weak, earn for those who have nothing, honor the guest, and help in (the way of) Allah.’

Then Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) took him (peace and blessings be upon him) to Waraqah bin Nawfal bin Asad bin ‘Abd al-‘Uzza, who was the son of Khadijah’s uncle. Waraqah had become a Christian during the pre-Islamic period and used to write Hebrew script, writing from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah willed. He was an old man who had lost his eyesight. Umm al-Mu’minin Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) said to him, ‘O son of my uncle! Listen to your nephew (peace and blessings be upon him)!’ Waraqah said, ‘O my nephew! What do you see?’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) described to him what he had seen. Waraqah said to him (peace and blessings be upon him), ‘This is the same angel whom Allah sent to Musa (Moses) (peace be upon him). I wish I were young at that time (when you will be made a prophet). I wish I could live until the time when your people will expel you (from Makkah).’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said (in astonishment), ‘Will they expel me?’ Waraqah said, ‘Yes, no one has ever come with what you have brought except that he was opposed. If I live to see that day, I will support you strongly.’ But only a few days later, Waraqah passed away, and the revelation (temporarily) ceased for a few days.