Saheeh Seerah Al Albaanee English

Chapter 19: How the Divine Revelation started to be revealed to
Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ and mentioning the first thing that was
revealed to him from the Glorious Qur’aan
The Revelation first began when he ﷺ was forty years old. 124
Imaam al-Bukhaaree reported from `Aaishah رضي ‏ُاهلل ‏ُعنها that she said: The
commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ was in the form of
good dreams (in another narration it is: true dreams) which came true like bright
daylight, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. So, he used to go to
the cave of Ḥiraa’ and devote himself to worship there for a number of nights, before
his desire to see his family. He would bring with him the provisions for (his stay in the
cave). Then he would return to Khadeejah and replenish his provisions for a similar
number of nights, till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave
of Ḥiraa’. The Angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet ﷺ replied: ❝I
do not know how to read.❞
The Prophet ﷺ added: ❝The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard
that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read
and I replied: ‘I do not know how to read.’ Thereupon he caught me again and
pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and
again asked me to read but again I replied: ‘I do not know how to read (or what shall I
read)?’ Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then
released me and said:
‏﴿اق رَأُُبِاس مُُِرَبِّكَُُالَّذِيُخَلَقَُُ*ُخَلَقَُُاْل ‏ِنسَانَُُمِن ‏ُُعَلَق ‏ُُ*ُاق رَأُُوَرَبُّكَُُاِّل ‏َك رَمُُ*ُالَّذِيُعَلَّمَُُبِال قَلَمُُِ*ُعَلَّمَُُ‏
اْل ‏ِنسَانَُُمَاُلَُُيَع لَم ُ﴾
124 I (al-Albaanee) say: This is what those who have recorded the (Prophet’s) biography and those who have
knowledge of the narrations have affirmed to be the most correct, as al-Suhailee had said. It is also the statement
of Ibn `Abbaas ُ هللا ُ , as al-Bukhaaree had recorded in his “Ṣaḥeeḥ” (3902): “Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ started
رضي
عنهما
receiving the Divine Inspiration at the age of forty. Then he stayed in Makkah for thirteen years, receiving the
Divine Revelation. Then he was ordered to emigrate and he lived as an emigrant for ten years and then died at the
age of sixty-three (years).” Muslim also reported the same in his “Ṣaḥeeḥ” (2351-117). And whatever opposes this
is “Shaadh” (i.e. when an acceptable narrator reports in contradiction to someone who is more reliable than
him)). See also Taareekh al-Ṭabaree (2/290).
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