3.1.1 The Beginning of Revelation

The First Light of Revelation

When Allah chose to begin revealing the Qur’an, it was not sudden or random. It was a carefully prepared moment in human history, and in the life of one specific man, Muhammad ﷺ. Understanding how revelation began helps a beginner see that the Qur’an is not a human invention, but a message that came with clear signs, a clear process, and a clear Witness, Allah Himself.

“Indeed, We sent it down during the Night of Decree.”
Qur’an 97:1

“The Trustworthy Spirit has brought it down upon your heart, [O Muhammad], that you may be of the warners, in a clear Arabic language.”
Qur’an 26:193‑195

These verses show two key points. First, the Qur’an was “sent down,” it came from Allah. Second, it was brought to the heart of the Prophet ﷺ by the Trustworthy Spirit, Jibrīl عليه السلام, not discovered by human thinking or imagination.

The World and the Man Before Revelation

Before revelation began, Arabia was in deep misguidance in belief and practice. People worshiped idols, stones, and graves, although they claimed to know Allah as the Creator. They also committed many injustices, such as burying their baby daughters alive, abusing the weak, and following tribal pride instead of truth.

“He brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and He gives life to the earth after its lifelessness. And thus will you be brought out.”
Qur’an 30:19

“And when one of them is given tidings of a female, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief. He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that of which he has been given tidings, [asking himself], ‘Should he keep it in humiliation or bury it in the ground?’ Unquestionably, evil is what they decide.”
Qur’an 16:58‑59

Into this society Allah raised Muhammad ﷺ. Before revelation, he was known among his people as “al‑Amīn,” the trustworthy. He never worshiped idols, never lied, and never took part in the corruption around him. Allah prepared his character and his heart for a great mission.

“Your companion has not strayed, nor has he erred. Nor does he speak from [his own] desire. It is nothing but revelation revealed.”
Qur’an 53:2‑4

This verse, revealed later, confirms that what he would convey is revelation from Allah, not his own thoughts.

The Love of Seclusion in the Cave of Ḥirāʾ

As he grew older, Muhammad ﷺ became more and more disturbed by the false worship and injustice he saw. Near the age of forty, Allah placed in his heart a love for solitude. He began to go alone to a cave in a mountain near Mecca, called Ḥirāʾ. There he would reflect on Allah, worship Him in the way of Prophet Ibrāhīm عليه السلام, and think deeply about truth and falsehood.

The famous hadith in Ṣaḥīḥ al‑Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, narrated by ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها, describes this time:

“The first thing with which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was initiated of revelation was good, true dreams in sleep. He never had a dream except that it came like the brightness of the morning. Then seclusion was made beloved to him. He used to go into seclusion in the cave of Ḥirāʾ where he would worship for a number of nights before returning to his family... until the truth came to him while he was in the cave of Ḥirāʾ.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al‑Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

From this we learn three early signs. First, true dreams came before direct revelation, preparing him for contact with the unseen. Second, seclusion was not an accident, it was “made beloved” to him by Allah. Third, revelation came “while he was in the cave of Ḥirāʾ.” The place and the time were chosen by Allah.

The Night Jibrīl Came

On one of the nights in Ramaḍān, during what the Qur’an calls Laylat al‑Qadr, the Night of Decree, the greatest event in human history after creation took place. The angel Jibrīl عليه السلام came down from the heavens with the first words of the final message.

“Indeed, We sent it down during the Night of Decree. And what will make you know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.”
Qur’an 97:1‑5

ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها described exactly what happened in Ḥirāʾ:

“Then the truth came to him while he was in the cave of Ḥirāʾ. The angel came to him and said, ‘Read.’ He said, ‘I am not one who reads.’ He (the Prophet) said, ‘Then he took hold of me and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it anymore. Then he released me and said, “Read.” I said, “I am not one who reads.” Then he took hold of me and pressed me again until I could not bear it anymore. Then he released me and said, “Read.” I said, “I am not one who reads.” Then he took hold of me and pressed me the third time, then released me and said:
“Read in the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know.”’”
Ṣaḥīḥ al‑Bukhārī

These are the first verses of Sūrat al‑ʿAlaq:

“Read in the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know.”
Qur’an 96:1‑5

Here the Qur’an first commands “Read,” yet Muhammad ﷺ could not read or write. This shows that the message did not start from human literacy but from divine command.

The Prophet’s Human Fear and the Comfort of Waḥy

The first experience of revelation was intense and terrifying. Muhammad ﷺ was alone in a cave, then suddenly met a mighty angel, heard a voice, felt a powerful physical squeezing, and was commanded to read. This was a completely new type of experience for him.

ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها continued in the same hadith:

“Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned with that, his heart trembling. He went to Khadījah bint Khuwaylid and said, ‘Cover me, cover me.’ So they covered him until his fear went away. Then he said to Khadījah, ‘I feared for myself.’ Khadījah said, ‘No, by Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You maintain family ties, you bear the burden of the weak, you give to one who is deprived, you honour the guest, and you help in all cases of truth.’”
Ṣaḥīḥ al‑Bukhārī

The Prophet ﷺ felt fear and uncertainty, which shows his humility and his true human nature. He did not seek to be a prophet or prepare a plan to lead people. Instead, he was chosen by Allah suddenly, and at first he did not fully understand what had happened.

Khadījah رضي الله عنها responded with wisdom and faith. She reassured him by pointing to his good character. Her words show an important principle. Allah does not humiliate someone who sincerely lives with justice, mercy, and honesty.

Later, Allah Himself comforted the Prophet ﷺ through revelation. Among the early surahs, Sūrat ad‑Duḥā was revealed:

“By the morning brightness, and by the night when it grows still. Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor has He hated you. And surely the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life]. And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied.”
Qur’an 93:1‑5

These verses show how revelation became a source of peace for the Prophet’s heart after an experience that was initially frightening.

The Confirmation by Waraqah ibn Nawfal

Khadījah رضي الله عنها wanted to further reassure the Prophet ﷺ by seeking someone who had knowledge of previous scriptures. She took him to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal, who was an elderly Christian who could read the scriptures in Hebrew or Arabic.

ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrated:

“Khadījah then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn ʿAbd al‑ʿUzzā, who had become a Christian during the time of ignorance. He used to write the scripture in Arabic and write from the Gospel in Arabic whatever Allah willed that he write. He was an old man who had become blind. Khadījah said to him, ‘O cousin, listen to the son of your brother.’ Waraqah said, ‘O son of my brother, what have you seen?’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told him what he had seen. Waraqah said to him, ‘This is the Nāmūs that Allah sent to Mūsā. If only I were young and if only I might be alive when your people drive you out.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Will they drive me out?’ He said, ‘Yes. No man ever came with the like of what you have brought except that he was treated with enmity. If I should reach that day of yours, I will support you strongly.’”
Ṣaḥīḥ al‑Bukhārī

“Nāmūs” here means the angel of revelation, Jibrīl عليه السلام. This statement from a learned man among the People of the Book is an early testimony that the experience in Ḥirāʾ was a real prophetic revelation, in line with the mission of Mūsā عليه السلام and the previous prophets.

Although Waraqah died soon after, his words helped the Prophet ﷺ understand that what had come to him was not madness or a harmful spirit, but the same angelic revelation that had come to earlier messengers.

The Pause in Revelation

After the first event in the cave, there was a period when revelation stopped. The scholars call this the “fat­rah al‑waḥy,” the pause of revelation. The Prophet ﷺ longed for more revelation and felt sadness at its absence. This pause had deep wisdom.

First, it allowed the Prophet ﷺ to recover from the shock of the first encounter and to develop a stronger desire and love for Allah’s words. Second, it made the later return of revelation even more powerful and memorable.

The hadith of ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها continues briefly about this pause:

“Then Waraqah died, and the revelation paused for a while, so that the Prophet ﷺ was grieved according to what reached us. Then, while he was walking, he heard a voice from the sky. He raised his head and there was the angel that had come to him in Ḥirāʾ, sitting on a chair between the heaven and the earth. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was terrified of him and returned, saying, ‘Cover me, cover me.’ So they covered him, and Allah revealed:
‘O you who are wrapped up. Arise and warn. And magnify your Lord. And purify your garments. And shun impurity.’”
Ṣaḥīḥ al‑Bukhārī

These verses are from Sūrat al‑Muddaththir:

“O you who are wrapped up. Arise and warn. And magnify your Lord. And purify your garments. And shun impurity.”
Qur’an 74:1‑5

Here the Prophet ﷺ moves from simply receiving revelation to being commanded to stand up and warn people. The beginning of revelation is therefore not only a spiritual event but also the start of a mission to all humanity.

The Form of Revelation: Sound and Sight

The beginning of revelation also teaches how the Prophet ﷺ experienced waḥy. Revelation did not always come in the same way, but from the earliest days he described two main types.

In a hadith narrated by ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها, the Prophet ﷺ explained:

“Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, and that is the hardest upon me. Then it departs from me and I have understood what was said. And sometimes the angel comes to me in the form of a man and speaks to me, and I understand what he says.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al‑Bukhārī

The first form, like the sound of a bell, describes a strong, intense, nonvisible form of revelation. The second form, where the angel appears as a man, is similar to what later happened when Jibrīl came in the form of a man and asked questions about Islam, Īmān, and Iḥsān.

From the beginning, waḥy was a real experience for the senses. The Prophet ﷺ would feel its physical weight. His face would become red, he would sweat even on a cold day, and the animal he was riding might feel the weight and almost collapse. These detailed descriptions, passed on by many Companions, show that revelation was not simply inner inspiration. It was something heavy and distinct.

Allah described this weight in the Qur’an:

“Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word.”
Qur’an 73:5

The beginning of revelation in the cave of Ḥirāʾ was the first taste of this heavy word.

Early Surahs and the Gentle Shaping of Hearts

After the first verses of Sūrat al‑ʿAlaq and the beginning of Sūrat al‑Muddaththir, further short surahs began to be revealed in Mecca. These early revelations were brief, powerful, and focused on awakening hearts to the reality of Allah, the Hereafter, and moral responsibility.

Among the very early surahs were Sūrat al‑Muzzammil, Sūrat ad‑Duḥā, and Sūrat ash‑Sharḥ (al‑Inshirāḥ). They comforted the Prophet ﷺ, trained him in night prayer, and reminded him that Allah had always cared for him.

For example:

“O you who are wrapped in garments. Stand [for prayer] at night, except a little. Half of it, or subtract from it a little. Or add to it, and recite the Qur’an with measured recitation.”
Qur’an 73:1‑4

And:

“Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] shelter? And He found you lost and guided [you]. And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient.”
Qur’an 93:6‑8

These early messages shaped the Prophet’s inner life before the laws and detailed rulings came later in Medina. The beginning of revelation was therefore not only the delivery of information. It was the beginning of a complete spiritual training of the Prophet ﷺ and, through him, the training of all believers.

Why the Beginning Matters for Believers Today

For someone beginning to learn about Islam, knowing how revelation began has several important lessons.

First, it shows that Islam is rooted in a real, witnessed history. The event in the cave of Ḥirāʾ is described in detail by trusted narrators, with many people, such as Khadījah and Waraqah, involved from the very start.

Second, it shows the mercy of Allah in preparing His Prophet step by step. True dreams, love of seclusion, the first verses, a pause, then commands to rise and warn. The process was gradual and wise.

Third, it shows that fear and confusion at the start of a great change can be normal. Even the best human being felt scared when he first met Jibrīl عليه السلام. But Allah calmed him through His words. In the same way, a new Muslim or a struggling believer can find comfort and guidance in the Qur’an when life feels overwhelming.

“Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.”
Qur’an 13:28

Finally, it shows that the Qur’an began with a command connected to knowledge and worship together: “Read in the name of your Lord.” Knowledge that is linked to the name of Allah brings guidance. Knowledge that is separated from Him becomes lost.

From this first encounter in the cave of Ḥirāʾ until the Prophet’s death, revelation continued to come for over twenty years. The beginning of revelation is the first door that opened between heaven and earth in the final message. In the next chapters, we will see how this revelation continued, how Jibrīl عليه السلام had a constant role, and how the Qur’an became a source of mercy for all of creation.