The Advent of Prophecy

UNREST

Muhammed (r) was approaching his fortieth year. He felt a mystifying internal unrest, yet he did not know the rationale behind it. He was himself not aware what the inexplicable confusion meant to him; nor did the idea that God was about to honor him with revelation and Prophethood ever crossed his mind. This was how the Prophet (r) felt, as has been attested by God in the Qur’an:

“And thus We have inspired in thee (Muhammed) a Spirit of Our Command. You knewest not what the Scripture was, nor what the Faith. But We have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of our bondmen. And Lo! You verily dost guide unto a right path.” [Qur'aan 42:52]

At another place, the inability of the Prophet (r) to know the reason for his internal unrest has been demonstrated in these words:

“You hast no hope that the Scripture would be inspired in thee; but it is a mercy from Your Lord, so never be a helper to the disbelievers.” [Qur'aan 28:86]

It pleased the Will of God, All-wise and All-knowing, that His Prophet (r) should remain a stranger to the arts of reading and writing. His contemporaries could thus never accuse him of himself editing the divine revelations. This, too, has been subverted by the Qur’an to settle the matter as evidenced by the following verse:

“And You (O Muhammed) was not a reader of any Scripture before it, nor didst You write it with Your right hand, for then might those have doubted, who follow falsehood.” [Qur'aan 29: 48]

That is why the Qur’an calls him an 'unlettered Prophet (r)'.

"Those who follow the messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, whom they will find described in the Torah and the gospel (which are) with them—He commands them for Al-Maruf (monotheism and all that Islam has ordained) and forbids them from Al-Munkar (disbelief and all that Islam forbids)” [Qur'aan 7:157]

IN THE CAVE OF HIRA

Often Muhammed (r) preferred the solitude of Cave Hira where he remained for as many days as the provision with him required, spending his nights in vigils and prayers, in the manner he thought reminiscent of the way of Ibrahim (u).

It was the 17th Ramadan/ 6th August, 610 AD of the year following the fortieth year of the Prophet (r). Muhammed (r) was wide-awake and fully conscious when the Angel Gabriel came to him and said: “Read”. Muhammed (r) answered truthfully, “I cannot read.” The Prophet (r) related that the Angel took and pressed him until he was distressed, after which he released him and said again, “Read.” The Prophet (r) replied for the second time, “I cannot read.” The Angel again pressed him tightly until he felt squeezed and then letting him go, said, “Read.” When the Prophet (r) replied once again, “I cannot read,” he took him and pressed tightly a third time in the same manner. He then let the Prophet (r) go and said:

Read (O Muhammed) in the name of Your Lord who createth,
Createth man from a clot. Read: and Your Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who teacheth by the pen, Teacheth man that which he knew not. [Qur'aan 96:1-5]

BACK HOME

Upset and frightened by the strange experience which had never occurred to him earlier or having not heard of the same prior incident, the Messenger of God (r) came back with verses, his heart trembling, and went to Khadijah and said: “Wrap me up, wrap me up!" for he still felt horrified.

Khadijah asked the reason for the Prophet's (r) restlessness and the latter told her what had happened. Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) was intelligent and prudent and had heard a great deal about the messengers of God, Prophethood and angels from her cousin Waraqa Ibn Naufal (who had embraced Christianity and familiarized the Torah and Gospels). She was herself dissatisfied with the pagan cult of the Makkahns like several other enlightened ones who had broken away from the idol worship.

Khadijah was the wife of the Prophet (r). She had spent many years with him as the closest companion and knew him like she knew herself. By that alliance, Khadijah became the most reliable and credible testament of the nobility of her husband’s character. Worthiness of his moral fiber had convinced her that succor of the Lord would in any case stand by such a man. She knew in her heart of hearts that the good grace of God could never allow one so high-minded, truth-loving, trustworthy and upright man such as her husband, to be possessed by a jinn or a devil. And so she assured him with domineering self-confidence: “By no means; I swear to God that He would never embarrass you. Because you consolidate and salvage relationships, you speak the truth, you bear peoples’ burdens, you help the destitute, you entertain guests and you relieved the pain and grief suffered for the sake of truth.” (Mishkat al-Masabih, Vol. IV, p. 1253)

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