• The Messenger of God (pbuh) around the age of 40 first began receiving Divine Inspiration in the form of true dreams in his sleep, and when he saw them, they would be true and clear as the bright daylight.

  • The Prophet (pbuh) was given the love of seclusion. He increased the time he spent in seclusion (Khulwah) in the cave of Hira, spending several days and nights worshipping Allah while taking little food and water with him, and then returning.

  • Muhammad (pbuh) went to the cave during the month of Ramadan, and during one of the nights the first revelation came to him.

  • The angel Jibril appeared and said to Muhammad (pbuh) "Iqra! (read/recite)"

  • The Prophet replied, ’I do not know how to read.”

  • The angel seized and pressed Muhammad (pbuh) to itself until Muhammad could not bear it and released him, and then asked him the Prophet (pbuh) again, whereupon he repeated the same thing.

  • After the third time the Prophet (pbuh) asked ''What shall I read?'' and the Angel recited the first five verses of Sura Alaq (96:1-5):

    Read, ˹O Prophet,˺ in the Name of your Lord Who created— created humans from a clinging clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, Who taught by the pen— taught humanity what they knew not. (96:1-5)

  • Muhammad repeated these words until he felt the words were imprinted on his heart.

  • The Prophet (pbuh) came out of the cave only to find the Jibril still in front of him on the horizon. Whenever he turned away from him, there Jibril was in front of him yet again.

  • The Angel told him.

    “Oh Muhammad, You are the Messenger of Allah and I am Jibril.”

  • The Angel disappeared.

  • He ran home trembling and told Khadija 'Cover me!', and she covered him till his state of fear was over.

  • He said to Khadija, "O Khadija! What is wrong with me? I was afraid that something bad might happen to me." Then he told her the story.

  • Khadija replied "No, by God, there is no need to fear, for God would never put you to shame. You are the one who faithfully visits his kith and kin, bears up the weak, provides for those who have nothing, receives guests with hospitality, and helps others to cope with tribulation."

  • Waraqa had been converted to Christianity in the Pre-lslamic Period and used to write Arabic and write of the Gospel in Arabic as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight.

  • They went to see her cousin Waraqa ibn Nawfal, an upright Christian who knew the holy scriptures.

  • Khadija said (to Waraqa), "O my cousin! Listen to what your nephew is going to say."

  • Waraqa said, "O my nephew! What have you seen?"

  • The Prophet (ﷺ) then described whatever he had seen.

  • Waraqa said, "This is the same Angel (Gabriel) who was sent to Moses. I wish I were young." He added some other statement.