3.4.3 The First Revelation

A Night That Changed Human History

In a single night in Mecca, in a small cave on a mountain, the world entered a new phase of guidance. The first revelation to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was the beginning of the final link between heaven and earth. It was the opening of the Qur’an, the start of prophethood for him, and the moment that gave Islam its living connection to Allah through revelation.

This chapter will focus specifically on how that first revelation took place, what was revealed, and what it meant for the Prophet ﷺ himself.

The Setting: Cave Ḥirāʾ and the Search for Truth

Before the revelation, Muhammad ﷺ lived in Mecca, known for honesty and trustworthiness. People called him “al-Amīn,” the trustworthy. Yet he was deeply troubled by the corruption around him, such as idol worship, injustice, and the oppression of the weak.

Allah had chosen him, and signs of that choice appeared in his increasing desire for solitude and worship. Near Mecca there is a mountain called Jabal an-Nūr, the Mountain of Light. On this mountain, there is a small cave named Ḥirāʾ. The Prophet ﷺ would climb to this cave and spend days in reflection, worshipping Allah in the way of the pure monotheism of Ibrāhīm عليه السلام, although the detailed laws of Islam were not yet revealed.

In authentic narrations, ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها described this period, explaining that Allah prepared him for revelation through true dreams and through love of solitude.

ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها said: “The first of the Prophet’s revelation was the true dream in sleep; he never saw a dream but that it came like the breaking of the dawn. Then seclusion was made dear to him, and he used to go into seclusion in the cave of Ḥirāʾ and there he used to worship (Allāh)… until the Truth came to him while he was in the cave of Ḥirāʾ.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)

These true dreams were a gentle beginning. They were like a bridge between the unseen world and the visible world, preparing his heart for something much greater.

The Moment of Encounter with Jibrīl عليه السلام

One night, during the month of Ramaḍān, while the Prophet ﷺ was alone in the cave of Ḥirāʾ, the angel Jibrīl عليه السلام came to him. This was not a vague spiritual feeling, but a real, overwhelming encounter with the greatest of angels.

ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrated in a detailed ḥadīth how the first revelation began. She said that the angel appeared to the Prophet ﷺ and commanded him.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“The angel came to me and said: ‘Read.’ I said: ‘I am not one who reads.’ He took hold of me and pressed me until I was exhausted, then released me and said: ‘Read.’ I said: ‘I am not one who reads.’ He took hold of me and pressed me a second time until I was exhausted, then released me and said: ‘Read.’ I said: ‘I am not one who reads.’ He took hold of me and pressed me a 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)

This intense physical experience showed the seriousness of revelation. The command “Read” was not about his ability to read written words, since he was unlettered, but about receiving and conveying the words of Allah. The squeezing showed that this was real, powerful, and weighty.

Allah later described the Qur’an itself as a heavy word:

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

The “heavy word” began in that night, in that cave, with that first command.

The First Verses Revealed

The very first verses of the Qur’an that came down in this moment are from 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

These verses were the opening of the Qur’an and the opening of the final message to humanity. They contain key themes that would define the entire revelation.

First, the command “Read in the name of your Lord” shows that all knowledge and all learning becomes true guidance only when it is connected to Allah. The very first word of revelation was a call to knowledge that is tied to faith.

Second, “who created” reminds humans of their origin and their dependence on Allah. Even at the beginning, revelation linked worship and knowledge to the reality of creation.

Third, “Created man from a clinging clot” refers to the simple, humble beginning of human life, which points to the power and wisdom of the Creator.

Fourth, “who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know” shows that Allah is the One who grants knowledge. The pen, as a tool of writing and preserving, is honored because it is a means by which guidance and knowledge are spread. The Qur’an began by honoring learning, reflection, and revelation together.

The Prophet’s Fear and Return to His Home

After this overwhelming encounter, the Prophet ﷺ was filled with fear and awe. This was the first time in his life that he had experienced direct revelation. He descended from the mountain and returned to his home, trembling.

He went straight to his wife Khadījah رضي الله عنها, who was his closest support. He said to her, as reported in the ḥadīth:

“Zammilūnī, zammilūnī (Cover me, cover me).”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)

He was wrapped in a garment until his fear settled. Then he described to Khadījah what had happened. He did not claim greatness or status. In fact, he worried about himself and said:

“I feared for myself.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)

His reaction showed humility and the human side of prophethood. He did not run out to declare himself better than others, but instead feared the weight of what had happened. This fear was natural and part of the awe that comes with contact with the unseen.

The Support and Wisdom of Khadījah رضي الله عنها

Khadījah رضي الله عنها responded with calmness, wisdom, and faith. She comforted him, reminded him of his good character, and assured him that Allah would not humiliate or abandon him.

In the well known narration, she said:

“Never. By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You maintain family ties, you bear the burdens of the weak, you help the poor and needy, you honor the guest, and you assist in all good causes.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)

Her words show that the foundation of the Prophet’s life even before revelation was truthfulness, mercy, and justice. She saw in his character a sign that Allah had prepared him for this great mission. Khadījah رضي الله عنها became the first believer in Islam. She believed in him before anyone else, and she trusted that what he had experienced was from Allah.

This moment also shows how Allah supports His messengers through righteous companions and family members. The first revelation was not just a private spiritual event. It immediately involved the household, with Khadījah standing firmly in faith and reassurance.

Meeting Waraqah ibn Nawfal

Khadījah رضي الله عنها then took the Prophet ﷺ to her relative, Waraqah ibn Nawfal. He was a learned man who knew previous scriptures. He had studied the earlier revelations and was aware of the prophecies about a final messenger.

The ḥadīth mentions that Khadījah told Waraqah what had happened, and the Prophet ﷺ then described his experience. Waraqah recognized the truth of this event and said:

“This is the Nāmūs (the angel of revelation) that was sent to Mūsā. I wish that I were young when your people will drive you out.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)

The Prophet ﷺ was surprised and asked, “Will they drive me out?” Waraqah replied that no one ever came with what he had brought except that he faced hostility and opposition. He told him that if he lived to see that time, he would support him strongly.

In this way, the first revelation was confirmed by a knowledgeable person from the People of the Book, who recognized that the same angel who came to Mūsā عليه السلام had now come to Muhammad ﷺ. This was another form of reassurance for the Prophet and his family, and an early sign that his mission would not be easy.

The Pause After the First Revelation

After these first verses, there was a period during which revelation stopped for some time. This pause is known as “fatrah al-waḥy,” the break of revelation. The Prophet ﷺ felt deep sadness and longing during this time, because he had tasted the sweetness and greatness of Allah’s words.

The exact length of this pause is not clearly fixed in the texts, but what matters is that it served as another form of preparation. It allowed the Prophet’s heart to yearn for revelation, to fully feel its value, and to be ready to carry its weight steadily.

During this pause, he did not receive new verses, but he had already entered the journey of prophethood. When revelation came again, it did so with another powerful address.

Allah says:

“O you who is wrapped up, arise and warn, and magnify your Lord, and purify your garments, and shun all filth.”
Qur’an 74:1‑5

These verses of Sūrat al‑Muddaththir were among the earliest revelations after the pause. They moved the Prophet ﷺ from the stage of receiving revelation into the stage of openly conveying it. The first revelation in Sūrat al‑ʿAlaq introduced the connection between the Prophet and Allah’s words. The following early verses of Sūrat al‑Muddaththir commanded him to stand up, warn, and call people to Allah.

The Beginning of His Prophetic Mission

With the first revelation, Muhammad ﷺ became a prophet of Allah. The first verses of Sūrat al‑ʿAlaq established his link to the Qur’an. They made clear that his role was to receive from Allah what humanity needed to know.

Allah later reminded him of this great favor:

“And thus We have revealed to you a Spirit of Our command. You did not know what the Book is nor what faith is, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants.”
Qur’an 42:52

The “Spirit” here refers to the revelation that gives life to hearts, just as the spirit gives life to bodies. The first revelation was the beginning of that life for humanity in its final and complete form.

From this point, over the next 23 years, revelation continued, sometimes with long passages and sometimes with short verses, sometimes in Mecca and sometimes in Madinah, until Allah completed the religion.

But everything began with those first five verses, with the command “Read,” with a night in the cave of Ḥirāʾ, and with a man who came down the mountain trembling, then supported by his wife, confirmed by a scholar, and prepared by Allah to carry the message of the final revelation.

The First Revelation as a Sign for All Time

For Muslims today, the story of the first revelation is more than a historical account. It is a reminder that this religion is built upon clear, real communication from Allah to humanity through His chosen messenger.

The Qur’an refers back to the night of beginning when it describes the night of Qadr:

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

The “sending down” mentioned here includes that first moment of revelation in Ramaḍān that opened the door of guidance. It connects every recitation of the Qur’an in every time and place to that first “Read in the name of your Lord who created.”

The first revelation shows that Islam begins with knowledge that is tied to Allah, with humility before the Creator, and with revelation that comes from above, not from human ideas or inventions. It shows that the Prophet ﷺ did not seek status or claim prophethood for himself, but that Allah chose him, sent His angel to him, and placed in his heart the weight of His final message.

In knowing how revelation began, a beginner in Islam understands that the Qur’an is not a random book and that the message of Islam was not built on dreams, guesses, or philosophy. It began with a specific night, a specific place, a specific angel, and specific words from Allah that have been preserved and recited until today:

“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