- The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah’s Apostle and the prophethood, was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright day light
- The second stage : the love of seclusion was bestowed
- Third Stage: The descent of the Archangel Gabriel with the Quran to the Messenger of Allah pbuh.
Narrated/Authority of Aisha (the mother of the faithful believers): The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah’s Apostle was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright day light.
As narrated by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) : “and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before he would head back to see his family. He used to take with him food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija, and once again take provisions for his journey and leave.”
It means: that Allah Almighty inspired to His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the love of seclusion, away from people, so he chose the cave of Hira, and he used to sit in it to worship. The retreat would remain for several days, then he would return to Khadija, take his provision and go back to worship, and so on.
The cave is a hollow part in the mountain and Hiraa is a well-known mountain that was previously a little away from the heart of Mecca, and it is to the left of the road going from Mecca to Mina.
Aisha said: “ till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, “I do not know how to read. The Prophet added, “The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, ‘I do not know how to read.’ Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, ‘I do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?’ Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said,
‘(Read, ˹O Prophet,˺ in the Name of your Lord Who created— created humans from a clinging clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, Who taught by the pen— taught humanity what they knew not.)
Then Allah’s Apostle returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwailid and said, “Cover me! Cover me!” They covered him till his fear was over and after that he told her everything that had happened and said, “I fear that something may happen to me.”
The meaning of “suddenly” is: the revelation came to him suddenly, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not expect it, and therefore the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was afraid and returned to Khadija, his heart beating severely.
What confirms this fact is that the Angel embraced the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) so hard, to assure him that he was awake and not in a dream, and that it was not something to be prepared for, but a real occurrence.
- أول مراحل النبوة هي: الرؤيا الصالحة في النوم: فكان لا يرى رؤيا إلا جاءت مثل فلق الصبح.
- المرحلة الثانية: أنه حبب إليه الخلاء
- المرحلة الثالثة: نزول جبريل بالقرآن على رسول الله ﷺ
أي أنها تقع كما رآها ﷺ، كما قالت عائشة -رضي الله عنها-:” أَوَّلُ ما بُدِئَ به رَسولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنَ الوَحْيِ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّادِقَةُ في النَّوْمِ؛ فَكانَ لا يَرَى رُؤْيَا إلَّا جَاءَتْ مِثْلَ فَلَقِ الصُّبْحِ”.
كما قالت عائشة-رضي الله عنها-:” ثُمَّ حُبِّبَ إلَيْهِ الخَلاءُ، وكانَ يَخْلُو بغارِ حِراءٍ فَيَتَحَنَّثُ فيه-وهو التَّعَبُّدُ-اللَّيالِيَ ذَواتِ العَدَدِ قَبْلَ أنْ يَنْزِعَ إلى أهْلِهِ، ويَتَزَوَّدُ لذلكَ، ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ إلى خَدِيجَةَ فَيَتَزَوَّدُ لِمِثْلِها”.
ومعناه: أن الله تعالى حبب إلى نفس رسوله ﷺ أن يخلو بعيدا عن الناس فاختار غار حراء، وكان يجلس فيه ليتعبد، وكانت هذه الخلوة تبقى لعدة أيام، ثم يرجع إلى خديجة فيأخذ زاده ويرجع إلى التعبد، وهكذا.
والغار هو: الكهف والنقب في الجبل، أما (حراء) فهو جبل معروف كان في السابق يبعد قليلاً عن قلب مكة، وهو عن يسار الذاهب من مكة إلى منى.
قالت عائشة: ” حَتَّى فَجِئَهُ الْحَقُّ وَهُوَ فِي غَارِ حِرَاءٍ، فَجَاءَهُ الْمَلَكُ فَقَالَ: اقْرَأْ. قَالَ: “مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ” قَالَ، فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ: اقْرَأْ. قَالَ قُلْتُ: مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ، قَالَ فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّانِيَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ: اقْرَأْ. فَقُلْتُ: مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ، فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّالِثَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ. ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ: ﴿اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ * خَلَقَ الإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ * اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الأَكْرَمُ * الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ * عَلَّمَ الإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ﴾، فَرَجَعَ بِهَا رَسُولُ اللّهِ ﷺ تَرْجُفُ بَوَادِرُهُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى خَدِيجَةَ فَقَالَ: “زَمِّلُونِي، زَمِّلُونِي” فَزَمَّلُوهُ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الرَّوْعُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ لِخَدِيجَةَ: “أَيْ خَدِيجَةُ! مَا لِي” وَأَخْبَرَهَا الْخَبَرَ. قَالَ: “لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي””
ومعنى “فجأه”: أي جاءه الوحي بغتة، لأنه ﷺ لم يكن متوقعاً لنزوله، ولذلك خاف ﷺ ورجع إلى خديجة يرجف قلبه.
ومما يؤكد تلك الحقيقة أن الملك احتضن النبي ﷺ احتضانًا شديدًا، ليؤكد له أنه في يقظة لا في منام، وأنه ليس شيئًا يتهيأ له، بل حق واقع.