Narrated 'Aisha:
(the mother of the faithful believers) Al-Harith bin Hisham asked Allah's
Apostle "O Allah's Apostle! How is the Divine Inspiration revealed to you?"
Allah's Apostle replied, "Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of
a bell, this form of Inspiration is the hardest of all and then this state
passes off after I have grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the Angel comes
in the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says." 'Aisha
added: Verily I saw the Prophet being inspired Divinely on a very cold
day and noticed the Sweat dropping from his forehead (as the Inspiration
was over).
Narrated Said bin Jubair:
Ibn 'Abbas in the explanation of the Statement of Allah. 'Move not
your tongue concerning (the Quran) to make haste therewith." (75.16) Said
"Allah's Apostle used to bear the revelation with great trouble and used
to move his lips (quickly) with the Inspiration." Ibn 'Abbas moved his
lips saying, "I am moving my lips in front of you as Allah's Apostle used
to move his." Said moved his lips saying: "I am moving my lips, as I saw
Ibn 'Abbas moving his." Ibn 'Abbas added, "So Allah revealed 'Move not
your tongue concerning (the Qur'an) to make haste therewith. It is for
us to collect it and to give you (O Muhammad) the ability to recite it
(the Qur'an) (75.16-17) which means that Allah will make him (the Prophet
) remember the portion of the Qur'an which was revealed at that time by
heart and recite it. The Statement of Allah: And 'When we have recited
it to you (O Muhammad through Gabriel) then you follow its (Qur'an) recital'
(75.18) means 'listen to it and be silent.' Then it is for Us (Allah) to
make It clear to you' (75.19) means 'Then it is (for Allah) to make you
recite it (and its meaning will be clear by itself through your tongue).
Afterwards, Allah's Apostle used to listen to Gabriel whenever he came
and after his departure he used to recite it as Gabriel had recited it."
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
Allah's Apostle was the most generous of all the people, and he used
to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel met
him. Gabriel used to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him the Qur'an.
Allah's Apostle was the most generous person, even more generous than the
strong uncontrollable wind (in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds).
Narrated Aisha:
(the wife of the Prophet) The commencement (of the Divine Inspiration)
to Allah's Apostle was in the form of true dreams in his sleep, for he
never had a dream but it turned out to be true and clear as the bright
daylight. Then he began to like seclusions, so he used to go in seclusion
in the cave of Hira where he used to worship Allah continuously for many
nights before going back to his family to take the necessary provision
(of food) for the stay. He came back to (his wife) Khadija again to take
his provision (of food) likewise, till one day he received the Guidance
while he was in the cave of Hira. An Angel came to him and asked him to
read. Allah's Apostle replied, "I do not know how to read." The Prophet
added, "Then the Angel held me (forcibly) and pressed me so hard that I
felt distressed. Then he released me and again asked me to read, and I
replied, 'I do not know how to read.' Thereupon he held me again and pressed
me for the second time till I felt distressed. He then released me and
asked me to read, but again I replied. 'I do not know how to read.' Thereupon
he held me for the third time and pressed me till I got distressed, and
then he released me and said, 'Read, in the Name of your Lord Who has created
(all that exists), has created man out of a clot, Read! And your Lord is
the Most Generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen, has taught
man that which he knew not." (96.1-5).
Then Allah's Apostle returned with that experience;
and the muscles between his neck and shoulders were trembling till he came
upon Khadija (his wife) and said, "Cover me!" They covered him, and when
the state of fear was over, he said to Khadija, "O Khadija! What is wrong
with me? I was afraid that something bad might happen to me." Then he told
her the story. Khadija said, "Nay! But receive the good tidings! By Allah,
Allah will never disgrace you, for by Allah, you keep good relations with
your Kith and kin, speak the truth, help the poor and the destitute, entertain
your guests generously and assist those who are stricken with calamities."
Khadija then took him to Waraqa bin Naufil, the son of Khadija's paternal
uncle. Waraqa had been converted to Christianity in the Pre-lslamic Period
and used to write Arabic and write of the Gospel in Arabic as much as Allah
wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija
said (to Waraqa), "O my cousin! Listen to what your nephew is going to
say." Waraqa said, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" The Prophet then
described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, "This is the same Angel (Gabriel)
who was sent to Moses. I wish I were young." He added some other statement.
Allah's Apostle asked, "Will these people drive me out?" Waraqa said, "Yes,
for nobody brought the like of what you have brought, but was treated with
hostility. If I were to remain alive till your day (when you start preaching).
then I would support you strongly." But a short while later Waraqa died
and the Divine Inspiration was paused (stopped) for a while so that Allah's
Apostle was very much grieved.
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah: While Allah's
Apostle was talking about the period of pause in revelation. he said in
his narration. "Once while I was walking, all of a sudden I heard a voice
from the sky. I looked up and saw to my surprise, the same Angel as had
visited me in the cave of Hira.' He was sitting on a chair between the
sky and the earth. I got afraid of him and came back home and said, Wrap
me! Wrap me!" So they covered him and then Allah revealed:
'O you, wrapped up! Arise and warn and your Lord magnify, and
your garments purify and desert the idols.' (74.1-5)
Abu Salama said, "(Rijz) are the idols which
the people of the Pre-lslamic period used to worship." After this the revelation
started coming frequently and regularly.
Narrated Aisha:
The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's Apostle was in
the form of true dreams. The Angel came to him and said, "Read, in the
Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists), has created man a
clot. Read! And your Lord is Most Generous" ..(96.1,2,3)
Narrated Aisha:
The Prophet returned to Khadija and said, "Wrap me! Wrap me!" (Then
the sub-narrator narrated the rest of the narration.)
Narrated Yahya bin Abi Kathir:
I asked Aba Salama bin 'Abdur-Rahman about the first
Sura revealed of the Qur'an. He replied "O you, wrapped-up (i.e. Al Muddaththir)."
I said, "They say it was, 'Read, in the Name of your Lord Who created,'
(i.e. Surat Al-'Alaq (the Clot)." On that, Abu Salama said, "I asked Jabir
bin 'Abdullah about that, saying the same as you have said, whereupon he
said, 'I will not tell you except what Allah's Apostle had told us. Allah's
Apostle said, "I was in seclusion in the cave of Hira', and after I completed
the limited period of my seclusion, I came down (from the cave) and heard
a voice calling me. I looked to my right, but saw nothing. Then I looked
up and saw something. So I went to Khadija (the Prophet's wife) and told
her to wrap me up and pour cold water on me.
So they wrapped me up and poured cold water on me."
Then, 'O you, (Muhammad) wrapped up! Arise and warn,' (Surat Al Muddaththir)
was revealed." (74.1)
Narrated Yahya: I asked Aba Salama, "Which Sura of the Qur'an was revealed
first?" He replied, "O you, wrapped-up' (Al-Muddaththir)." I said, "I have
been informed that it was, 'Read, in the Name of your Lord who created........
(i.e. Surat Al-Alaq).
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:
I heard the Prophet describing the period
of pause of the Divine Inspiration. He said in his talk, "While I was walking,
I heard voices from the sky. I looked up, and behold ! I saw the same Angel
who came to me in the cave of Hira' sitting on a chair between the sky
and the earth. I was too much afraid of him (so I returned to my house)
and said, 'Fold me up in garments!' They wrapped me up. Then Allah revealed:
'O you wrapped...and desert the idols before the prayer became compulsory.'
Rujz means idols.
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:
That he heard Allah's Apostle describing the period
of pause of the Divine Inspiration, and in his description he said, "While
I was walking I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up towards the sky,
and behold! I saw the same Angel who came to me in the Cave of Hira', sitting
on a chair between the sky and the earth. I was so terrified by him that
I fell down on the ground. Then I went to my wife and said, 'Wrap me in
garments! Wrap me in garments!' They wrapped me, and then Allah revealed:
"O you, (Muhammad) wrapped-up! Arise and warn...and
desert the idols." (74.1-5) Abu Salama said....Rujz means idols." After
that, the Divine Inspiration started coming more frequently and regularly.
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
The Prophet used to move his tongue when the divine
Inspiration was being revealed to him. (Sufyan, a subnarrator, demonstrated
(how the Prophet used to move his lips) and added. "In order to memorize
it." So Allah revealed: "Move not your tongue concerning (the Quran) to
make haste therewith." (75.16)
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
(as regards) Allah's Statement:
"Move not your tongue concerning (the Quran) to make haste therewith." (75.16)
When Gabriel revealed the Divine Inspiration in Allah's Apostle , he (Allah's Apostle) moved his tongue and lips, and that state used to be very hard for him, and that movement indicated that revelation was taking place. So Allah revealed in Surat Al-Qiyama which begins:
'I do swear by the Day of Resurrection...' (75) the Verses:--
'Move not your tongue concerning (the Quran) to make haste therewith.
It is for Us to collect it (Quran) in your mind, and give you the
ability to recite it by heart. (75.16-17) Ibn Abbas added: It is for Us
to collect it (Qur'an) (in your mind), and give you the ability to recite
it by heart means, "When We reveal it, listen. Then it is for Us toexplain
it," means, 'It is for us to explain it through your tongue.' So whenever
Gabriel came to Allah's Apostle ' he would keep quiet (and listen), and
when the Angel left, the Prophet would recite that revelation as Allah
promised him.
Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 12, Number 777:
Narrated Abu Salama:
Once I went to Abu- Sa'id Al-Khudri and asked him,
"Won't you come with us to the date-palm trees to have a talk?" So Abu
Said went out and I asked him, "Tell me what you heard from the Prophet
about the Night of Qadr." Abu Said replied, "Once Allah's Apostle performed
I'tikaf (seclusion) on the first ten days of the month of Ramadan and we
did the same with him. Gabriel came to him and said, 'The night you are
looking for is ahead of you.' So the Prophet performed the I'tikaf in the
middle (second) ten days of the month of Ramadan and we too performed I'tikaf
with him. Gabriel came to him and said, 'The night which you are looking
for is ahead of you.' In the morning of the 20th of Ramadan the Prophet
delivered a sermon saying, 'Whoever has performed I'tikaf with me should
continue it. I have been shown the Night of "Qadr", but have forgotten
its date, but it is in the odd nights of the last ten nights. I saw in
my dream that I was prostrating in mud and water.' In those days the roof
of the mosque was made of branches of date-palm trees. At that time the
sky was clear and no cloud was visible, but suddenly a cloud came and it
rained. The Prophet led us in the prayer and I saw the traces of mud on
the forehead and on the nose of Allah's Apostle. So it was the confirmation
of that dream."
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever establishes the prayers
on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's
rewards (not to show off) then all his past sins will be forgiven."
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Whoever fasted the month
of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from
Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the
prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward
from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven ."
Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
Some men amongst the companions of the Prophet
were shown in their dreams that the night of Qadr was in the last seven
nights of Ramadan. Allah's Apostle said, "It seems that all your dreams
agree that (the Night of Qadr) is in the last seven nights, and whoever
wants to search for it (i.e. the Night of Qadr) should search in the last
seven (nights of Ramadan)."
Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:
Allah's Apostle used to practice Itikaf (in
the mosque) in the middle third of Ramadan and after passing the twenty
nights he used to go back to his house on the 21st, and the people who
were in Itikaf with him also used to go back to their houses. Once in Ramadan,
in which he practiced Itikaf, he established the night prayers at the night
in which he used to return home, and then he addressed the people and ordered
them whatever Allah wished him to order and said, "I used to practice Itikaf
for these ten days (i.e. the middle 113rd but now I intend to stay in Itikaf
for the last ten days (of the month); so whoever was in Itikaf with me
should stay at his place of seclusion. I have verily been shown (the date
of) this Night (of Qadr) but I have forgotten it. So search for it in the
odd nights of the last ten days (of this month). I also saw myself (in
the dream) prostrating in mud and water." On the night of the 21st, the
sky was covered with clouds and it rained, and the rain-water started leaking
through the roof of the mosque at the praying place of the Prophet . I
saw with my own eyes the Prophet at the completion of the morning prayer
leaving with his face covered with mud and water.
Narrated 'Aisha:
The Prophet said, "Look for (the Night of
Qadr)."
Narrated 'Aisha:
Allah's Apostle used to practice Itikaf in
the last ten nights of Ramadan and used to say, "Look for the Night of
Qadr in the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan ,"
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
The Prophet said, "Look for the Night of Qadr
in the last ten nights of Ramadan ,' on the night when nine or seven or
five nights remain out of the last ten nights of Ramadan (i.e. 21, 23,
25, respectively)."