The First Revelation — Cave Hira
نزول الوحي — غار حراء
At age 40, the Prophet ﷺ received the first revelation in Cave Hira during Ramadan. The angel Jibril appeared and commanded: "Read!" This was the beginning of the final message to humanity.
The Account
Seclusion Before Revelation
As the Prophet ﷺ approached his fortieth year, he increasingly withdrew to Cave Hira on Mount an-Nur (Mountain of Light), approximately three miles from Mecca. He would spend days there in solitude and contemplation (tahannuth), taking provisions and reflecting — repelled by the idol worship and moral corruption of Mecca.
This spiritual retreat was a divine preparation, though the Prophet ﷺ did not yet know revelation was coming.
The Night of the First Revelation
In the month of Ramadan, in the year 610 CE, when the Prophet ﷺ was 40 years old, the angel Jibril (Gabriel) appeared to him in the cave.
Jibril embraced him tightly until he could no longer bear it, released him, then commanded: "Iqra!" (Read! / Recite!)
The Prophet ﷺ replied: "Ma ana bi-qari'" — "I am not one who reads" (or "I do not know how to read").
This happened three times. On the third time, Jibril recited the first five verses of Surah Al-'Alaq:
*"Read in the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clinging substance. Read, and your Lord is the most Generous. Who taught by the pen. Taught man that which he knew not."* (Al-'Alaq: 1-5)
The Return to Khadijah RA
The Prophet ﷺ returned home trembling, his heart beating intensely, and said to Khadijah RA: "Zammilooni, zammilooni" — "Cover me! Cover me!" She covered him until his fear subsided.
Then he told her what had happened and said: "I feared for myself."
Khadijah RA responded with the famous words of reassurance, confirming his noble character and saying Allah would never disgrace him.
She then took him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, an elderly Christian scholar who had knowledge of the previous scriptures. When he heard the account, he declared:
"This is the Namus (angel of revelation) that Allah sent to Musa. If only I were young... If only I were alive when your people drive you out!"
The Prophet ﷺ asked: "Will they drive me out?" Waraqah replied: "Yes. No man came with what you have brought except that he was treated with hostility."
Waraqah died shortly after.
The Pause in Revelation (Fatrat al-Wahy)
After the first revelation, there was a pause (fatrah) in revelation. The Prophet ﷺ was distressed by this pause. Then Surah Ad-Duha was revealed:
*"By the morning brightness. And [by] the night when it covers with darkness. Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested [you]."* (Ad-Duha: 1-3)
Hadith References
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ
"Aisha RA narrated: The commencement of revelation to the Prophet ﷺ was in the form of true dreams... Then he was made to love seclusion, and he used to go to Cave Hira where he would worship Allah alone... until the truth descended upon him while he was in Cave Hira. Jibril came and said: "Read!" He said: "I am not a reader." He took me and squeezed me until I had no more strength, then released me and said "Read!" ..."
Relevance: The complete account of the first revelation — the most important hadith in all of Seerah
"The Prophet ﷺ said: "The month of Ramadan [is the month] in which the Quran was revealed...""
Relevance: Confirms the first revelation was in Ramadan
Scholar Views
"The first revelation came in Ramadan, as confirmed by the Quran (Al-Baqarah: 185) and the hadith. The command "Iqra" to an unlettered Prophet demonstrates that this knowledge was divine — he could not have composed it himself."
Al-Bidaya wa'l-Nihaya, Vol. 3
"The trembling and fear were not signs of weakness but of the overwhelming power of divine communication — even Jibril himself trembles when Allah speaks. The strongest men tremble in moments of divine proximity."
Zad al-Ma'ad, Vol. 1, Chapter on the Beginning of Revelation
"Waraqah's testimony is significant — a scholar of the previous scriptures immediately recognised the sign of prophethood. This supports the Quranic claim that the coming of Muhammad ﷺ was prophesied in the Torah and Gospel."
Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, Ch. 4
Key Lessons
- ◆The first revealed word was "Iqra" (Read) — showing that seeking knowledge is foundational to Islam
- ◆The Prophet ﷺ showed human fear and vulnerability — this confirms his humanity, not weakness
- ◆Khadijah RA's immediate support demonstrates the role of a supportive spouse in moments of trial
- ◆Waraqah's recognition shows that the Prophet's coming was prophesied in earlier scriptures
- ◆The pause in revelation tested his patience and trust in Allah — a lesson for all believers
Sources
- •Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum — Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri
- •Al-Bidaya wa'l-Nihaya — Ibn Kathir
- •Zad al-Ma'ad — Ibn al-Qayyim
- •Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Bad' al-Wahy
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