وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا ٱلْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةًۭ لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًۭا وَٱتَّخِذُوا۟ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ مُصَلًّۭى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِىَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلْعَـٰكِفِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ
And ˹remember˺ when We made the Sacred House a centre and a sanctuary for the people ˹saying˺, “˹You may˺ take the standing-place of Abraham as a site of prayer.” And We entrusted Abraham and Ishmael to purify My House for those who circle it, who meditate in it, and who bow and prostrate themselves ˹in prayer˺. (2:15)
أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَتْ كَانَ أَوَّلُ مَا بُدِئَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الرُّؤْيَا الصَّادِقَةُ فِي النَّوْمِ فَكَانَ لاَ يَرَى رُؤْيَا إِلاَّ جَاءَتْ مِثْلَ فَلَقِ الصُّبْحِ ثُمَّ حُبِّبَ إِلَيْهِ الْخَلاَءُ فَكَانَ يَلْحَقُ بِغَارِ حِرَاءٍ فَيَتَحَنَّثُ فِيهِ ـ قَالَ وَالتَّحَنُّثُ التَّعَبُّدُ
Narrated by Aisha RA (the wife of the Prophet SAW):
The commencement (of the Divine Inspiration) to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was in the form of true dreams in his sleep, for he never had a dream but it turned out to be true and clear as the bright daylight. Then he began to like seclusions, so he used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship Allah continuously for many nights… (Bukhari 4953)
With his aversion to some of the most cohesive social ties in Makkan society, it was inevitable that Muhammad (SAW) would grow apart from his fellow Makkans and their depraved way of life. He began to long for solitude, and preferred to spend his time alone, away from the noisy festivals and crowded markets. At the same time, he felt the need to save his people from the destruction he felt was imminent. His discontent grew, and he began to seek refuge in the cave of Hira’. Here he would spend long periods alone, and it was here that he worshipped not idols or imagined gods, but the one true God—Allah.
Following the monotheistic practice of his forefather, Ibrahim (AS), every year, for three consecutive years, he spent the month of Ramadan in the cave. He would then return to Makkah, circumambulate the Ka ‘bah, and then go back home.
When Muhammad (SAW) reached forty years of age, he began to experience what could be called the portents of prophethood. He would have visions, and whatever appeared to him in these visions and dreams would come true.
It is narrated by ꜤA’isha (RA) that the Divine Inspiration started in the form of good dreams. Whichever dream he would see, it would become true like the morning light. These dreams were a sign that the light of Prophethood was about to come to Rasūlullāh (SAW). Rasūlullāh (SAW) then developed a love for seclusion and withdrawing himself from other people. He used to seclude himself in the cave of Ḥirā and worship Allāh (SWT).
Jabal Nūr
The cave of Ḥirā is on top of a mountain called Jabal Nūr. This mountain lies on the outskirts of Makkah, about 5km away from the Ḥaram. The mountain is approximately 640m which is quite high. It has a very distinctive shape, as the top looks like a camel’s hump.
The Cave of Ḥirā
The cave itself is very small and its opening faces the Ka’bah. To get to the cave, you must climb across the top of the mountain and then go down slightly before you can go inside. It gets very busy especially in times of Ḥajj and it’s not an easy climb.
Iqra’ – Read
Late one Monday night, just before sunrise on the twenty-first of Ramadan (August 10, 610 C.E.), an event transformed the life of the man chosen to deliver Allah’s message, just as it would change the lives of countless beings, most of whom were yet to be born. When Rasūlullāh (SAW) was 40 years old, he was in the cave of Hira when the Angel Jibrīl (AS) entered. He gave Salam and said to Rasūlullāh (SAW) ‘Iqra’ which means read. Rasūlullāh (SAW) replied ‘I cannot read’. We have to remember that Rasūlullāh (SAW) was ‘ummi’, meaning he was unlettered, he could not read or write. This adds to the miracle of the Qur’ān, that he was able to preserve it without being able to read it. Jibrīl (AS) took hold of Rasūlullāh (SAW) and squeezed him until he could not bear it any longer. He then let go and again he said to him ‘Iqra’, read. Again Rasūlullāh (SAW) said I cannot read. Once more Jibrīl (AS) took hold of Rasūlullāh (SAW) and squeezed him. Again, he told him to read, again Rasūlullāh (SAW) replied, I cannot read.
The Angel took hold of Rasūlullāh (SAW) for a third time, squeezed him, and said: ‘Read in the name of your Lord who Created. Created man from a clot. Read and your Lord is the most Generous. Who taught by the Pen. Taught Man, that which he knew not’
Rasūlullāh (SAW) returns to Makkah
Aisha (RA) narrated: “Then Allah’s Messenger (SAW) returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khaḍījah bint Khuwaylid (RA)and said, “Cover me! Cover me!” They covered him till his fear was over and after that he told her everything that had happened and said, “I fear that something may happen to me.” Khaḍījah (RA) replied, “Never! By Allāh, Allāh will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones.”
Khaḍījah (RA) then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn ꜤAbdul ꜤUzza, who, during the pre-Islamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allāh (SWT) wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khaḍījah (RA) said to Waraqah, “Listen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!” Waraqah asked, “O my nephew! What have you seen?” Allāh’s Messenger (SAW) described whatever he had seen. Waraqah said, “This is the same one who keeps the secrets (Jibrīl AS) whom Allāh had sent to Mūsa (AS). I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out.” Allāh’s Messenger (SAW) asked, “Will they drive me out?” Waraqah replied in the affirmative and said, “Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly.” But after a few days Waraqah died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while.
WuḍūꜤ and Ṣalāt
Rasūlullāh (SAW) received the first revelation and the period of the final Prophethood began. Before we go into what happened in the first few years of Islām, a very important event took place. In Ibn Ishāq, it mentions that Jibrīl (AS) came to Rasūlullāh (SAW). He struck his heel on the earth and a spring gushed out. Jibrīl (AS) performed WuḍūꜤ to show Rasūlullāh (SAW) how to purify himself for Ṣalāt. Jibrīl (AS) then showed him how to read Ṣalāt. He showed him all the different positions, rukn in Ṣalāt, the qiyām, rukūꜤ, sajdah etc. Rasūlullāh (SAW) followed his example and when he returned to his house, taught his wife Khaḍījah (RA) what he had learnt, and they prayed together. From this we can see the origin of how Rasūlullāh (SAW) learnt to perform WuḍūꜤ and Ṣalāt.
(When The Moon Split: A Biography of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) by Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri)
(Sirah of Muhammad, Part 4-The Early Years of Prophethood by Maulana Ebrahim Noor)
