Muhammad's first revelation
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- This is a sub-article to Muhammad before Medina
Muhammad's first revelation is the event where Muhammad met an angel. This resulted in Muhammad proclaiming himself to be a Prophet of God.
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[edit] History
[edit] Introduction
Muhammad, believed by Orthodox Muslims to be the final prophet, lived in Mecca in the Arabian peninsula. In Mecca, many people had diverted from monotheism and worshipped numerous idols which they placed in the Kaaba. As a form of refuge, he would often spend time alone for contemplation and meditation in the cave of Hira, on peak known as Jabal al-Nour. According to Islamic sources, it was here that Muhammad received his first revelation. The actual date is uncertain, but was generally calculated to be around Monday 27 Month of Ramadan, ie August 10, 610 CE. The date is known to Muslims as Laylat al-Qadr.
[edit] Event
In the mentioned date, Muhammad met an angel named Gabriel who gave him a message from God. The first message was to become the beginning of a chapter in the Qur'an, the chapter (sura) Iqra.
According to tradition – notably, a hadith of Aishah – Gabriel came and told him "Iqra!". The word "Iqra" does not have an exact English translation, but it is typically translated as a command to 'read' or 'recite' (as in traditional cultures, reading silently to oneself was unheard of, so "to read" assumed the connotation to say something aloud). Muhammad replied "I am not a reader" (which is usually taken to mean that Muhammad, living in a nearly pre-recorded culture, was illiterate). Gabriel continually commanded "Iqra!", and somehow "pressed" Muhammad physically, although the hadith literature does not explain exactly what this means. Muhammad gave the same answer a number of times, until finally, the sura began to manifest:
- Recite (Iqra'): In the name of thy Lord Who created,
- Created a man from a blood-clot.
- Recite: And thy Lord is the Most Generous,
- Who taught by the pen,
- Taught man that he knew not [1]
After this, he disappeared, and the Prophet, shaken and trembling, returned home to his wife Khadija, and told her "Cover me, cover me... What has happened to me?" and told her what had happened, adding "I fear for my life". She comforted him, assuring him that God would never debase him, because of his good works, and sought the advice of her aged Christian cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal. Upon hearing the sura, Waraqah saw in Muhammad the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, describing it as the namus which was sent to Moses. Some Muslims regard this as a specific fulfillment of Isaiah 29:11-18[1].
[edit] Views
A few commentators disagree with this account, claiming that the first revelation was the beginning of surat al-Muddaththir or surat al-Fatiha, but theirs is a minority position.
[edit] Muslim view
Muslims view this as one of the most important events in history, leading to other people adopting Islam.
[edit] Christain view
Some Christians believe Muhammad was deceived by an angel, and cite Paulus in the Bible warning against listening to angels.
[edit] Non-Muslim view
Some non-Muslim are known to speculate regarding Muhammads health as an explanation of the event.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Sahi Bukhari Volume 4 Book 55 Number 605
