Qays (reported) from Jundub ibn ʿAbd-Allāh al-Bajalī who said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ fell ill and, for one, two, or three nights, he did not rise (for prayer). A certain woman (1) then remarked, ‘I see that your devil has finally left you.’ Thereupon Allah revealed: ‘By the morning brightness, and by the night when it grows still; your Lord has not forsaken you, nor has He despised you.’”

With that revelation the commission to deliver the message to humankind was bestowed, whereas prophethood itself had been conferred by the first revelation.

Some have maintained that the period of interruption (fatrah) lasted close to two years—or two and a half. What seems apparent, and Allah knows best, is that this was the span during which the angel Michael accompanied him, as al-Shaʿbī and others (2) have stated. This in no way negates the fact that Gabriel had first brought him the words: “Read in the name of your Lord who created.” After that came the interval during which Michael was with him; then Gabriel joined him once more following the descent of: “O you who are wrapped up, rise and warn, and magnify your Lord, and purify your garments, and shun all impurity.” From that point the revelation blazed forth in rapid succession—one passage swiftly following another—and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ rose to the task of conveying it with perfect resolve. He rolled up the sleeves of determination and called to Allah those near and far, freeborn and enslaved alike. In that moment every intelligent, receptive, and fortunate soul embraced faith, while every haughty tyrant persisted in opposition and defiance.

The first to hasten to believe among the free men was Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq; among the youths, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib; among the women, his wife Khadījah bint Khuwaylid; and among the freedmen, his servant Zayd ibn Ḥārithah al-Kalbī—may Allah be pleased with them all. We have already discussed the faith of Waraqah ibn Nawfal upon recognizing the revelation (5); he passed away during the interval (fatrah).

Section (6)
On the barring of the jinn and the rebellious devils from eavesdropping once the Qur’an was being sent down, lest any of them snatch even a single letter, cast it upon the tongue of his protégé, and thereby sow confusion and mingle truth with falsehood.

Out of His mercy, bounty, and gracious care for His creation, Allah veiled them from the heavens, as He informs us in His words:
“Indeed, we touched the sky and found it filled with mighty guards and flames. We used to sit there in positions to overhear, but whoever listens now finds a flaming comet lying in wait for him, and we do not know whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them what is right.” (al-Jinn 8–10)

And He, the Exalted, says:
“The devils have not brought it down, nor does it befit them, nor are they able; indeed, they have been kept far away from hearing.” (al-Shuʿarāʾ 210–212)