The Account of His Commissioning as a Prophet ﷺ

Al-Zuhri narrated from ʿUrwah, from ʿĀʾishah, who said:

“The first form of revelation granted to the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—was the righteous dream. After that, solitude was made dear to him. He would go to the cave of Ḥirāʾ, where he engaged in tahannuth (acts of devotion), spending a number of nights in worship and taking provisions with him. Then he would return to Khadījah and prepare supplies for another stay.

While he was in the cave, the Truth came to him unexpectedly. The angel appeared and said, ‘Recite.’ I replied, ‘I am not a reciter.’ He seized me and pressed me so hard that I was exhausted, then released me and said, ‘Recite.’ I again replied, ‘I am not a reciter.’ He seized me a second time and pressed me until I was exhausted, then released me and said, ‘Recite.’ I said, ‘I am not a reciter.’ He seized me a third time, pressed me until I was exhausted, then released me and said:

“Recite in the name of your Lord who created,
created man from a clot.
Recite, and your Lord is the Most Generous,
who taught by the pen,
taught man what he did not know.” (Q 96:1–5)

He returned with these words, his limbs trembling, until he entered upon Khadījah and said, ‘Wrap me up!’ So they wrapped him until the fear left him. Then he said, ‘O Khadījah, what is the matter with me?’ and he related what had happened, adding, ‘I feared [for myself].’

She replied, ‘Never! Rejoice, for by Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You maintain family ties, speak the truth, bear the burdens of others, [provide for the destitute, honor the guest], and assist in every just cause.’

Khadījah then took him to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā, who had embraced Christianity in the Time of Ignorance. He wrote the Arabic script and had copied into Arabic as much of the Gospel as Allah willed for him to write. He was an elderly man who had gone blind. Khadījah said, ‘Cousin, listen to your nephew.’ So he said, ‘My nephew…’