the last third of the night, and He says, ‘Who calls upon Me, that I may answer him? Who asks of Me, that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’”

It is also established in the Sahīh that “Allah draws near on the evening of ‘Arafah”; and in another narration, “to the lowest heaven, and He speaks proudly of the people of ‘Arafah to the angels, saying, ‘Look at My servants: they have come to Me dishevelled and dusty. What do these people seek?’”

It has also been narrated that “Allah descends on the night of mid-Sha‘bān”—if the hadith is authentic, for its authenticity has been questioned by the scholars.

Likewise, the report narrated by some that “when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came down from Hirā’, his Lord appeared to him upon a chair between heaven and earth” is erroneous by the agreement of the scholars. Rather, the authentic collections relate that the one who appeared to him was the angel who had come to him at Hirā’ the first time and said to him, “Read!” The Prophet related:

“I replied, ‘I cannot read.’ He took hold of me and pressed me until I could bear no more. Then he released me and said, ‘Read!’ I replied, ‘I cannot read.’ He took hold of me and pressed me until I could bear no more. Then he 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.’”

This was the first revelation sent down to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then went on to describe the interruption in revelation. He said:

“As I was walking, I heard a voice. I raised my head, and there was the angel who had come to me at Hirā’, sitting upon a chair between heaven and earth.”

This was narrated by Jābir, may Allah be pleased with him, in the two Sahīh collections. Thus, he stated that he saw the angel who had come to him at Hirā’ between heaven and earth, and he mentioned that he was terrified