Table of Contents
Turning Point in Human History
The beginning of prophethood did not come suddenly or randomly. Allah prepared His final Messenger ﷺ in a special way, both before revelation and in the period just before Jibril عليه السلام descended with the first verses. This spiritual preparation shows Allah’s care for His Messenger and the greatness of the mission that was about to begin.
In this chapter we will focus on the inner and spiritual side of this preparation in the years just before revelation, especially his love for seclusion, his retreats in the Cave of Hira, and his searching heart that longed for the truth.
Key idea: Allah prepared the Prophet ﷺ spiritually before revelation by turning his heart away from falsehood, filling it with dislike of sin and injustice, and placing in it a deep love for worship, reflection, and seclusion.
Inner Purity Before Revelation
Even before receiving revelation, the Prophet ﷺ lived a life of inner purity that separated him from the darkness around him in Makkah. He lived in a city filled with idols, injustice, and moral corruption, yet Allah protected his heart and his character and made him ready to carry revelation.
Allah reminds us in the Quran that He guides and chooses whom He wills:
اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ
“Allah knows best where He places His message.”
(Surah Al An‘am 6:124)
The scholars understood this verse to include the meaning that Allah does not choose anyone randomly to carry His revelation. He chooses the one whose creation, character, and preparation are most suited to this trust.
Before revelation, the Prophet ﷺ never bowed to an idol and never took part in the acts of worship that the Quraysh performed for their false gods. Allah says:
وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَى
“And He found you seeking, and guided [you].”
(Surah Ad Duha 93:7)
The word "ضَالًّا" here, according to many scholars, does not mean misguidance in belief, but that you were not yet aware of the details of revelation and Shari‘ah, and Allah guided you to His complete guidance through revelation.
The Prophet ﷺ himself described the protection of Allah over his early life. There are narrations that when he intended, as a young man, to attend some of the indecent gatherings of the Quraysh, he was overcome by sleep and thus kept away from them. These events showed that his heart was being guarded so that it would not be stained by the habits of his people.
This early purity of heart was part of his spiritual preparation. The heart that would receive the Quran had to be completely clean of attachment to idols, full of honesty, and distant from corruption.
Awakening of the Heart and Dislike of Jahiliyyah
As the Prophet ﷺ grew older, his inner discomfort with the society around him became stronger. The Arabs of Makkah lived in what Islam later called "Jahiliyyah", a time of ignorance. There was injustice, pride in tribe, burying of daughters, exploitation of the weak, and worship of idols.
His clean nature could not accept these acts. What other people around him found normal, he found disturbing and painful. This inner disturbance was a sign that Allah was turning his heart away from Jahiliyyah and preparing him to bring light to that same society.
Allah describes the role of the Prophet ﷺ in the Quran:
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ
“He is the One who has raised among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them…”
(Surah Al Jumu‘ah 62:2)
The one who would purify others was first purified in his own heart. He deeply disliked injustice and oppression before the Quran came and commanded justice. He honored family ties before revelation came to confirm it. He cared for the poor and weak before Islam detailed their rights. This harmony between his natural character and the later message is part of his spiritual preparation.
The Prophet ﷺ later explained that Allah kept him far from the ways of the people of Jahiliyyah. In a hadith, he said:
إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ صَالِحَ الْأَخْلَاقِ
“I was only sent to perfect righteous character.”
(Musnad Ahmad)
The word “perfect” shows that he already possessed noble character before prophethood, and revelation came to complete, guide, and raise it even higher.
Love for Seclusion
As his dislike of the corruption in Makkah grew, the Prophet ﷺ began to feel increasingly detached from the gatherings and habits of his people. This detachment did not mean hatred of people themselves, but a deep dislike of their false beliefs and sins.
Allah placed into his heart a strong love for seclusion. Instead of spending nights in the busy circles of poetry, trade, and idle talk in Makkah, he would withdraw alone to think and reflect.
Aisha رضي الله عنها described this period in a famous hadith in Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. She said:
أَوَّلُ مَا بُدِئَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنَ الْوَحْيِ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّادِقَةُ فِي النَّوْمِ، فَكَانَ لَا يَرَى رُؤْيَا إِلَّا جَاءَتْ مِثْلَ فَلَقِ الصُّبْحِ، ثُمَّ حُبِّبَ إِلَيْهِ الْخَلَاءُ...
“The first of the revelation that came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the true dream in sleep. He would not see a dream except that it came like the clearness of the morning, then seclusion was made beloved to him...”
(Sahih Al Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
This statement "then seclusion was made beloved to him" shows clearly that this love was not accidental. It was a special gift from Allah, part of his spiritual preparation.
Seclusion allowed him to escape the pressure of society, to free his mind from distractions, and to direct his heart to the Creator. In the quiet and emptiness of the mountains, the light of truth can enter more easily into the heart than in the noise of the city.
Important point: The love of seclusion was a divine preparation, not just a personal habit. Allah made isolation from the noise of Jahiliyyah dear to the Prophet ﷺ so that his heart would be ready to receive the greatest message.
Retreats in the Cave of Hira
The love of seclusion led the Prophet ﷺ to choose a particular place outside Makkah. This was the Cave of Hira, located in Jabal An Nur, the Mountain of Light, a short distance from the city.
Aisha رضي الله عنها continued in the same hadith:
ثُمَّ حُبِّبَ إِلَيْهِ الْخَلَاءُ، فَكَانَ يَخْلُو بِغَارِ حِرَاءٍ يَتَحَنَّثُ فِيهِ اللَّيَالِيَ ذَوَاتِ الْعَدَدِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْزِعَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ، وَيَتَزَوَّدُ لِذَلِكَ…
“Then seclusion was made beloved to him, so he would go into seclusion in the Cave of Hira and devote himself there in worship for a number of nights before returning to his family, and he would take provisions for that...”
(Sahih Al Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
The Cave of Hira became his place of spiritual retreat. From there, he could see the city of Makkah at a distance, but he was physically and mentally away from its idols and practices.
In these retreats, he would spend days and nights in reflection and devotion. He was not yet given the formal salah that the Muslims pray today, but he engaged in what the hadith called "يتحنث", which is explained as worshipping Allah alone in a way similar to the worship of Ibrahim عليه السلام, and avoiding the falsehoods of his people.
The description "اللَّيَالِيَ ذَوَاتِ الْعَدَدِ" shows that he sometimes stayed many nights at once. This was not a quick or occasional visit, but a repeated and extended commitment. He would prepare food from home and stay until it finished, then return to Khadijah رضي الله عنها, take more supplies, and return again to the cave.
These retreats had several roles in his spiritual preparation. They trained him to be alone with Allah. They cut his attachment to the routines of society. They strengthened his patience, focus, and self control. They filled his heart with remembrance of Allah and allowed him to look deeply at the creation and think about its Creator.
In the Quran, Allah praises those who reflect on creation:
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
“Those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and who reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth...”
(Surah Ali Imran 3:191)
Although this verse came later, it describes the very kind of worship that the Prophet ﷺ practiced in Hira. He remembered Allah and reflected on the signs of His power and wisdom.
The Search for Truth
Inside the cave, the Prophet ﷺ turned his heart to Allah, searching for the right way to worship Him. He knew that the idols of Quraysh were false. He knew that the faith of Ibrahim عليه السلام was the correct path. He had heard of the People of the Book, Jews and Christians, but he did not have a clear, complete system of worship and law.
Allah describes this state in the Quran:
مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِي مَا الْكِتَابُ وَلَا الْإِيمَانُ
“You did not know what the Book is nor (its detailed) faith...”
(Surah Ash Shura 42:52)
He believed in Allah, but the details of the Book and the full explanation of faith were not yet revealed to him. His retreats were a sincere search and a humble waiting for guidance from his Lord.
In another verse, Allah says:
وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَى
“And He found you seeking, and guided [you].”
(Surah Ad Duha 93:7)
This seeking was not a search for idols but a search for how to worship Allah correctly. The guidance came with the first revelation, but the desire for this guidance, and his readiness to accept it completely, were formed in those days of seclusion.
The Prophet ﷺ did not know when or how guidance would come. He did not expect or demand prophethood for himself. His heart was simply sincere and open. This sincerity is the foundation of spiritual preparation. When the Quran taught later:
وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا
“Those who strive for Us, We will surely guide them to Our ways...”
(Surah Al Ankabut 29:69)
The greatest example of this is the striving of the Prophet ﷺ in Hira, seeking his Lord in worship and reflection, until Allah guided him to His straight path and made him the guide for all humanity.
Core lesson: Before Allah gives knowledge and responsibility, He fills the heart with sincerity, truthfulness, and a longing for guidance. True guidance is a gift for the one who sincerely searches for the truth.
Inner Calm before the Storm of Revelation
The period just before revelation was a time of deep inner calm for the Prophet ﷺ, even though around him Makkah was full of noise, business, and conflict. This calm was not weakness or escape. It was a necessary quiet before the great storm of events that would soon come.
The revelation of the Quran would bring intense pressure, rejection, and struggle. The Prophet ﷺ would be insulted, called a liar, and attacked. He would be responsible for teaching, leading, judging, and reforming an entire society. To carry all of this, his heart needed to be completely tied to Allah.
Allah later said to him:
إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا
“Indeed, We will soon cast upon you a heavy word.”
(Surah Al Muzzammil 73:5)
The "heavy word" of revelation required a heart that was already trained in focus, patience, and certainty. The nights of Hira, filled with worship and reflection, were training for this heaviness.
In Surah Al Muddaththir, Allah later commanded:
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ. قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ
“O you who is wrapped up, arise and warn.”
(Surah Al Muddaththir 74:1–2)
Before this command to arise and warn, there was a time of quiet retreat, where the Prophet ﷺ was alone, wrapped not in a cloak but in the silence of the mountain, opening his soul to his Lord. This spiritual rest made him able to stand firm when the command to arise came.
Gradual Divine Preparation
From the hadith of Aisha رضي الله عنها, we learn that even revelation itself began in a gradual and gentle way, with true dreams before the descent of Jibril عليه السلام in Hira. She said:
أَوَّلُ مَا بُدِئَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنَ الْوَحْيِ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّادِقَةُ فِي النَّوْمِ، فَكَانَ لَا يَرَى رُؤْيَا إِلَّا جَاءَتْ مِثْلَ فَلَقِ الصُّبْحِ...
“The first of the revelation that came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the true dream in sleep. He would not see a dream except that it came like the clearness of the morning...”
(Sahih Al Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
These dreams were a bridge between the normal world and the world of revelation. They familiarized his heart with messages from the unseen. Every dream came true clearly, like the light of dawn. This regular experience prepared him so that when the angel came, his heart was not completely shocked by the idea that news could come to him from Allah.
The sequence described in the hadith shows a beautiful order in his spiritual preparation. First, true dreams that confirmed his special connection with the unseen. Second, a strong love for seclusion and worship. Third, long retreats in Hira filled with reflection and devotion. After that came Jibril عليه السلام with the first verses of the Quran.
Allah says:
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا
“And thus We have revealed to you a Spirit of Our command...”
(Surah Ash Shura 42:52)
The word "روحًا" (a spirit) shows that revelation gives life to the hearts. The heart that was prepared with truthfulness, seclusion, and reflection was ready to receive this spiritual life and then share it with the world.
Summary of Spiritual Preparation
The beginning of prophethood did not come suddenly into an empty heart. Allah prepared the Prophet ﷺ over many years. He kept him away from idol worship and protected his character from the common sins of his society. As he grew older, Allah placed in his heart a strong dislike of the falsehood and injustice around him, and a burning desire for truth and purity.
Then Allah made seclusion beloved to him, so he withdrew again and again to the Cave of Hira, worshipping Allah alone and reflecting on His creation. His nights of reflection, his true dreams, and his deep sincerity softened and expanded his heart, so that when the words "اقْرَأْ" descended, his soul was already turned completely to his Lord.
This spiritual preparation explains why, once revelation began, he was able to bear its heaviness, stay patient in the face of rejection, and remain constant in worship and trust in Allah. The light that would spread across the world first filled one heart in a quiet cave on a mountain near Makkah.