Last week, right at the end, we discussed the story of the rebuilding of the Ka'bah. And there are some profound symbolisms in it that we were not able to finish. So we do need to start from where we left off. And that is, we have just mentioned the tangent (off camera) about the story of the Black Stone, that it had become fragmented, and the Abbasids had to put it back in molten metal, and the actual Black Stone is in pieces now — it's not the original stone.
Symbolisms We Learn From the Rebuilding of the Ka'bah
1. There is clearly the metaphor being given that the Ka'bah has been destroyed before the coming (i.e., before the prophethood) of the Prophet PBUH and is being rebuilt right at his time: the symbolism is that the religion of Ibrahim AS had been destroyed and now the Prophet PBUH is going to rebuild it. So the Ka'bah represents the religion of Ibrahim AS and the first House ever built for the worship of Allah. Allah says:
أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ
"The first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Makkah" [Quran, 3:96]. Thus, this House represents the worship of Allah. And the symbolism of it being destroyed shows that the religion of Ibrahim has not been preserved by humanity, and the fact that it's being renewed at the time of the Prophet PBUH is a sign that the religion of Ibrahim is going to be rebuilt.
2. The fact that the Ka'bah was rebuilt upon the foundations of Ibrahim but the building was renewed, shows that the foundation of the theology that the Prophet PBUH comes with is the same "La ilaha illaLlah," but the shariah will be renewed.
3. Just like the Prophet PBUH saved his people from civil war and bloodshed and exalted their honor, so too he will save them as the Last and Final Messenger and once again exalt their honor.
4. The fact that the Prophet PBUH united all of the tribes by holding the cloth, is a symbol that he will unite them all under the banner of Islam.
5. Also, when the Prophet PBUH entered the Ka'bah, all of the tribes were happy — the Prophet PBUH was such an immense character, his nobility was so recognized that it didn't matter which subtribe he belonged to — everybody loved him as one of their own. This shows the status of the Prophet PBUH.
There are one or two interesting bits here as well:
1. It's narrated that when Abu Jahal stood up to gather funds for the rebuilding of the Ka'bah, he said, "We are rebuilding the House of Allah, so make sure that the money you use is from your pure earnings — no cheating and no interest, no gambling or prostitution." This is amazing that someone as filthy as Abu Jahal understood this — that you should not spend in the Path of Allah with filthy money.
2. Also, for the first time in the history of the building of the Ka'bah, it was built slightly short of the foundations of Ibrahim — as we said, the jahili Arabs built it in a square shape. And there is a divine wisdom in this: we know that praying inside the Ka'bah is a very great blessing — but if it had been built according to the foundations of Ibrahim AS in a rectangle, it would have been impossible for common people like us to pray inside it. So it's a huge blessing from Allah that one portion of the foundations of Ibrahim is left open — as now everyone can get the blessing of praying inside the Ka'bah without actually entering the Ka'bah. How? By praying in the Hijr Ismail (حجر إسماعيل) — it's open for all to pray in. Thus there is great wisdom in this. Allah's plans always work out for the best.
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There is another story before the advent of the wahy, which clearly shows the character of the Prophet PBUH, and that is the story of Zayd ibn Harithah:
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Adopting Zayd ibn Harithah
Zayd ibn Harithah (زيد بن حارثة) was a boy from the Qahtani branch of the Arabs, not the Adnani branch, and he was from a tribe of Yemen.
Zayd's mother and father were from two different tribes that had a love-hate relationship: One day, Zayd's mother, Su'da bint Tha'laba (سعدى بنت ثعلبة), took Zayd, who at the time was 7 or 8 years old, to her own tribe; and right at that time, it so happened that a small fight broke out between Zayd's father's and mother's tribes — and Zayd's distant relatives from his mother's side got so angry, they took Zayd, kidnapped him from his own mother, and sold him into slavery to get revenge at his father's tribe — because in Jahiliyyah, the son belongs to, and takes the lineage of, the father. And so, Zayd was sold in the grand fairs of Ukkadh (عكاظ - Okaz) —the largest marketplace which took place after the hajj season— and they sold him to Hakim ibn Hizam (حكيم بن حزام), Khadija's nephew, for 400 dirhams — Khadija had given Hakim money to find a young slave. And so Zayd becomes Khadija's servant. And when Khadija married the Prophet PBUH, she gifted Zayd to the Prophet PBUH. And this is of course way before Islam.
Zayd's father, Harithah, is frantically looking for his son. He is spreading the news, "There is a boy from our tribe — these are his features! If anybody hears of him, please come and tell me!" And it so happened that during the hajj season, someone saw Zayd, and realized this is the boy Harithah is looking for. So they told Harithah, "We found your son — he is a slave to one of the grandsons of Abdul Muttalib, and his name is Muhammad." So his father and his father's brother travel to Makkah and ask where is Muhammad PBUH. And they are told he is in the Haram area — so they approach the Prophet PBUH and say, "Ya Muhammad ibn Abdul Muttalib, you are of the most noble lineage, and you are people of trustworthiness, and Allah has given you so much blessings. Ya Muhammad, we want to take our son back who was unjustly stolen and kidnapped and sold into slavery. Zayd is our son, and we will give you any ransom you want. But please be generous with us, because we can only afford so much."
Note this happened in the days of Jahiliyyah, so there was no law and order — and power belonged to the strongest. No court or anything of the sort for them to plead their case. The law of Jahiliyyah is that they have to deal with it — and thus, they are now willing to buy their son back. The Prophet PBUH said, "Is this what you want? That I send Zayd back with you?" They said, "Yes." The Prophet PBUH said, "It is up to him (Zayd). I will leave the matter to him. If he chooses you, I will send him back with no ransom. But if he chooses me, I can never turn away from somebody who has turned to me." So the father and uncle were overjoyed — they said, "O Muhammad! You have done marvelous, and you have done much more than we could have asked for!"
So the Prophet PBUH called Zayd, who is now around 25 years old, and the Prophet PBUH asked him, "Do you recognize these men?" Zayd said, "Yes, this is my father, and this is my uncle." Then the Prophet PBUH said, "They have come requesting that you go back with them. And I have left the matter to you — if you want, you may go with them, or if you want, you may remain with me."
Subhan'Allah, even in this, we find that the Prophet PBUH had a fondness for Zayd — he doesn't want to let go of him, but he cannot say no to Zayd's father and uncle, because morally, they have a point, "Our son is not a slave." So the Prophet PBUH does the morally correct thing — but he doesn't want to hand over Zayd as he has genuine feelings of paternal love.
But to his father's and uncle's surprise, Zayd instantaneously said to the Prophet PBUH, "I can never choose anyone over you, for you are to me more than a father and an uncle combined." This is unnatural for a man to say to a person who is not his blood relative. Biologically, the love you have for your father is there — it's in the fitrah. And yet, instantaneously, he said, "How can I choose anyone over you?" Wallahi, this is unnatural except if this man is a prophet of Allah — the love of a prophet trumps the bond of fatherhood.
At this, Zayd's father said, "O Zayd, have you gone crazy? You will choose to be a slave in a strange land, and refuse to come with your own father to your own tribe?"—because as a slave, you have no honor, rights, or protection. So his father said, "Have you gone crazy?" And to this, Zayd said, "I know what I have said. I have seen from this man that which no other man has done."
And right then, the Prophet PBUH stood up, took Zayd by the hand, went to the Hijr Ismail, and announced, "O people of Makkah, I want you all to testify that from now on, Zayd is a free man, and I have adopted him as my son. So he is now my son, and he will inherit from me, and I from him." The Prophet PBUH did this in front of the father to bring peace to his heart, that his son is now a free man, adopted by the Quraysh.
Thus, the Prophet PBUH adopted Zayd, and Zayd became known as Zayd ibn Muhammad (زيد بن محمد).
Subhan'Allah, this is an amazing story, and it tells us about the mannerisms of the Prophet PBUH — it speaks volumes about who he is.
A few decades later, Abdullah ibn Umar (عبد الله بن عمر) RA remarked, "We never knew of Zayd by any other name except Zayd ibn Muhammad, until Allah revealed Surah al-Ahzab (سورة الأحزاب) 'Verse 5.'" This is where Allah says, "Call children by their fathers. That is more just in the Sight of Allah"—so this is when the Prophet PBUH re-changed the name of Zayd back to Zayd ibn Harithah.
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More About Zayd ibn Harithah RA
1. According to Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, Zayd was the first person to accept Islam (after the revelation began, obviously). But note narrations differ over who the actual first convert was — and to reconcile between all different narrations, we simply say that: the first Qureshi to accept Islam of the adult males was Abu Bakr, the first female was Khadija, the first mawla (مولى - freed slave) was Zayd, and the first child was Ali. The point being Zayd was among the first.
2. In the days of Jahiliyyah, when Zayd was still a slave, he married Ummi Ayman, who as we said, was the servant of Aminah, the Prophet's PBUH mother [see episode 7]. And after the passing of Aminah, Ummi Ayman was inherited by the Prophet PBUH (she didn't suckle him, but took care of him). And Ummi Ayman was a young lady, maybe 10-15 years older than the Prophet PBUH —so at least 20 years older than Zayd— and Zayd married her. And they had a child who was born literally in the house of the Prophet PBUH, Usama ibn Zayd (أسامة بن زيد), the Hibbu Rasulillah (حِبُّ رسول الله - the Beloved of the Messenger of Allah) — the one whom when the sahaba wanted something, they went to Usama and said, "Why don't you go to the Prophet PBUH and ask him, because he loves you so much he will never say no." Usama was a baby raised in the house of the Prophet PBUH, and he had a special status, as the Prophet PBUH loved both him and his father so much.
3. When the Prophet PBUH adopted and freed Zayd, this meant that Zayd would have the same status as the Quraysh. So the Prophet PBUH encouraged him to marry his PBUH own cousin, Zaynab bint Jahsh (زينب بنت جحش), to remove all 'elements of slavery' (stigma) from him. (Side note: But as we know, the marriage didn't work out, so after a few years, they got divorced, and the Prophet PBUH married Zaynab, as instructed by Allah directly in the Quran [33:37] [see episode 69].)
4. Whenever the Prophet PBUH sent Zayd for an expedition, he was put in charge. He was always the commander — and this shows the status that the Prophet PBUH gave him. And eventually, as we know, Zayd met his martyrdom in the Battle of Mu'tah (سرية مؤتة) against the Romans [see episode 73] — and this was the only battle where the Prophet PBUH put three people in charge, because it was such a fierce battle. He said, "Zayd is in charge of you (Muslims). And if something happens to him, then my cousin Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (جعفر بن أبي طالب). And if something happens to him, then Abdullah ibn Rawahah (عبد الله بن رواحة)." He puts three people in charge, one after the other. And all three leaders were killed, and then Khalid ibn al-Walid (خالد بن الوليد) took charge, and this was when Khalid became who he became [see episode 74].
The three commanders who died in the Battle of Mu'tah were all extremely beloved to the Prophet PBUH. As such, this was a very painful time for the Prophet PBUH. When the news of this came, it was very painful. Then a few years later, the Prophet PBUH appointed Zayd's son Usama, who was a young lad of around 16 years old, to go and fight the next battle against the Romans. And as we know, the Prophet PBUH passed away during this, and this is when the small crisis between Abu Bakr and Umar happened when Umar said, "Take Usama out of the battlefield, he is too young" — but Abu Bakr said, "I cannot undo a command that the Prophet PBUH did" [see episode 101].
5. Zayd is the only sahabi who has the blessing of being mentioned by Allah, by name, in the Quran [33:37]. Not even Abu Bakr has this blessing.
6. Some of the sahaba said, "Had Zayd been alive when the Prophet PBUH passed away, he would have been the khalifa"—as he was *that* beloved to the Prophet PBUH.
7. Abdullah ibn Umar RA once complained to his father, Umar al-Khattab, who was the khalifa at the time, "My dear father, how can you give the salary of Usama ibn Zayd more than my salary?" Umar RA said, "Because he was more beloved to the Prophet PBUH than you, and because his father was more beloved to the Prophet PBUH than your father."
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These are pretty much the only incidents we know about before the revelation begins.
And it's now as if the stage has been set, the character of the Prophet PBUH has been established, there are many signs and hints that there is a prophet coming — there are clear indications that something is about to change.
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The Beginning of Revelation
Aisha RA is the main narrator of the hadith of how wahy (revelation) began. It's a very long hadith —two pages— and it's very detailed. And in this, by the way, there is a beautiful wisdom — she couldn't have witnessed this herself but is narrating in vivid detail — which shows that the Prophet PBUH had many conversations with her just like any loving husband does.
This is the hadith narrated in Bukhari[1]:
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Aisha RA narrated: The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to the Prophet PBUH was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright daylight, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in Ghari Hira (غار حراء - the Cave of Hira') where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again until suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in Ghari Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet PBUH replied, "I do not know how to read." (The Prophet PBUH added): "The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it anymore. 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 until I could not bear it anymore. 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' [Quran, 96:1-5]." Then the Prophet PBUH returned with the revelation and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwaylid and said, "Cover me, cover me." She covered him until his fear was over and after that, he told her everything that had happened and said, "I fear that something may happen to me." Khadija replied, "Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously, and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones." Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza, who during the pre-Islamic period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, "Listen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!" Waraqa asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" The Prophet PBUH described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, "This is the same One Who Keeps the Secrets (angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out." The Prophet PBUH asked, "Will they drive me out?" Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain alive until the day when you will be turned out, then I would support you strongly." But after a few days, Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while.
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Aisha RA says, before the revelation began, the Prophet PBUH used to seclude himself in the Cave of Hira on the top of the mountain that is now called Jabal al-Nour (جبل النور - Mountain of Light). (Side note: This cave is amazing in many ways. It's not as much of a cave as it is a crevice [a type of hole] — and when you sit in the cave, there is only space for one person, and you are forced to face the direction of the Ka'bah. And to this day, you can clearly see the Ka'bah from the cave. And it's said in Ibn Ishaq that Abdul Muttalib was the one who discovered it and he also sat there to meditate.) The Prophet PBUH would go with some food and water to just sit there and meditate for a number of nights. And when he ran out of food and water, he would go back to replenish and take care of some of the family affairs for a few days, and then go back up again.
In one narration in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet PBUH is recorded as having said about during this time: "Before the revelation came to me, I began to hear rocks and stones greet me in my path. And there was a particular rock that always gave salam to me — and I recognize that rock even to this day."
Also around this time, every single night, the Prophet PBUH began having a dream about what would happen the next day — as the narration in Bukhari says, "The Prophet PBUH would dream as true as the sun rose (as certain as you know the sun will rise tomorrow)"—that is, his dreams would all come true. He mentioned this to Khadija, and she said this is a good sign from Allah.
And it's mentioned in another narration in Bukhari that this period of dreams lasted for 6 full months. So let's pause here for a while to talk about dreams.
Firstly, we know for a fact that the revelation of the Quran began in Ramadan [see Quran, 97:1].
Secondly, in a hadith in al-Tirmidhi, the Prophet PBUH said, "Nothing is left of prophethood except good dreams. And good dreams are 1/46 of prophethood." Some scholars tried to explain this particular ratio, and one of the explanations is:
- 6 months before Ramadan —from Rabi' al-Awwal to Ramadan— the Prophet PBUH saw his dreams come true the next day.
- And his prophethood lasted for 23 years.
- As a fraction, this is [6 months/23 years] = 1/46. This exact fraction.
[But of course, we have no way of discerning whether this is correct, as there is no evidence from hadith to support this interpretation.]
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Why are all these things happening to the Prophet PBUH?
1. To indicate to him that something momentous is about to happen. A sign that he needs to prepare.
2. Some scholars have said being a prophet requires spiritual and psychological training. And so the Prophet PBUH is being upgraded and transformed into the Messenger of God. For 6 months he is seeing dreams, hearing stones saying salam, etc. It's as if the Prophet PBUH is being spiritually, mentally, and psychologically trained for the big revelation.
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Tangent: Three Types of Dreams
There are three types of dreams [that we non-prophets see, believers and nonbelievers]:
1. Dreams from Allah — these dreams are: (1) generally good and positive; (2) they come true; (3) could be visions of the future (could be of tomorrow, next year, or 10 years down the line); (4) sometimes it happens as it is & doesn't require interpretation, but sometimes it's symbolic & requires interpretation; and (5) they never terrify you.
2. Dreams from shaytan — these dreams: (1) terrify you (i.e., nightmares); (2) they are never true (so don't act upon them); and (3) we should turn away from shaytan (i.e., by reciting ta'awwudh [تعوذ: "A'uudhu-bi-Llaahi-min-ash-shaytaan-ir-rajeem (أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيطَانِ الرَّجِيم - I seek refuge in Allah from shaytan, the accursed one)"]), and we should not tell anybody about the dream.
3. Dreams from our own imagination — for example, if during the day we're thinking about a fancy car, we'll dream about driving that car. The sign of this dream is that it vanishes from our memory after a short while (a few minutes or hours or days).
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(Cont.) The Beginning of Revelation
In these 6 months, the Prophet PBUH cut himself off from society to worship Allah SWT more and more.
In some narrations, it's mentioned that on one of the Saturdays of Ramadan, the Prophet PBUH saw a light and heard a sound, so he looked around — but he couldn't find anything. And on Sunday, the same thing happened. And then on Monday, Jibril AS came to him. Indeed, as we have discussed before [see episode 6], the Prophet PBUH said in a hadith in Sahih Muslim, "On a Monday I was born, and on a Monday the revelation began."
So the revelation began in the last 10 days of Ramadan on a Monday —which, by the way, marks Laylat al-Qadr (ليلة القدر - the Night of Glory/Decree/Power)—: The angel Jibril came to the Prophet PBUH and told him, "Iqra (اقرأ - read)." And the Prophet PBUH said, "I cannot read." Then Jibril squeezed him so tight that the Prophet PBUH said he lost all energy, then Jibril let him go. And Jibril said again, "Iqra." And the Prophet PBUH said again, "I cannot read." And Jibril squeezed him again. And this repeated until Jibril said the first 5 verses of Surah al-Alaq (سورة العلق).
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Wisdom of Jibril's Squeeze
Why is Jibril squeezing the Prophet PBUH? There is really no authoritative answer — but we can venture a few guesses:
- Some scholars say: to indicate he is not dreaming — this is real.
- Others say: Jibril is indicating to him that you are about to be inspired with a heavy Message. And indeed, Allah SWT said in the Quran, "We will soon send upon you a weighty revelation" [see Quran, 73:5]. Revelations were physically painful for the Prophet PBUH to receive [see episode 11].
- Some scholars say: it indicates that he will face three significant trials: (i) the boycott that lasted for 2½ years where the Muslims had nothing to eat [see episode 18]; (ii) the assassination attempt & the Hijrah [see episode 27]; and (iii) the Battle of Uhud where he was bleeding from three places of his head [see episode 49]. But of course, every time, Allah opened the way out.
And only Allah knows why the squeeze occurred.
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Brief Tafsir of the First Few Verses of Surat al-Alaq
Now, as for the revelation itself: "iqra" has two meanings — to "read" (from a paper, etc.), and to "recite" (from memory). The verb encompasses both meanings. When Jibril said, "Iqra," the Prophet PBUH thought he meant in the "read from a parchment" sense. However, Jibril meant iqra in the sense recite from his memory. And at the third time of asking, Jibril said, "Recite in the Name of your Lord who created" [96:1]. That is, "Your recitation will come from Allah, in His Name, with His blessings"—the qira'ah (قراءة - recitation) will be in Allah's Name. And it's very profound that this is the first verse revealed — the Prophet PBUH is being told that when you recite, recite in the Name of your Lord. (Side notes: The ba [ب] in the verse could also mean: [1] you will recite *by* Allah — and in Arabic, this is called ba' al-sababiyyah [باء السببية] — meaning the recitation will come directly from Allah — not from yourself. And [2] it could also mean Allah will help you in this recitation — and in Arabic, this is called ba' al-ma'iyyah [باء المعية].)
Next, Jibril said, "[The Lord who] created man from alaq (علق - that which clings)" [96:2]. And most scholars say "alaq" is a reference to the human embryo that is clinging in the womb of the mother. So Allah is saying the One who created man in all the stages —embryo, fetus, newborn— He is the One who is speaking to you.
And then in the third verse, "iqra" is mentioned for the second time: "Iqra! And your Lord is the Most Generous" [96:3]. And the reason for this duality/repetition is many: (1) Firstly, the repetition signifies that your job is to recite and keep on reciting, recite and keep on reciting, and recite and keep on reciting. (2) Secondly, some scholars have said the first iqra is a commandment to seek religious knowledge; and the second is a commandment to seek the knowledge of this world — as the first iqra says, "Iqra in the Name of your Lord" [96:1], and the second says, "Iqra! And your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the PEN — taught man what he didn't know" [96:3-5]. So it is as if the seeking of knowledge is being encouraged, both religious and of this dunya. Allah is telling us Muslims to learn the knowledge of religion that comes from Him, and then learn the knowledge of man that comes from the pens. But realize, even the knowledge of this dunya, Allah is the One who taught them; "Your Lord is the Most Generous who taught by the pen — taught man what he didn't know" [96:3-5].
And note these verses came down to an unlettered nation, a group of people who didn't know how to read and write. Allah is telling them to read what others have written and study them. It's not a coincidence that a hundred years later, the Muslims are already becoming the greatest superpower on earth. A few more centuries and they become the bastion of human civilization. They reach the pinnacles of their period — there are people coming to study medicine, science, math, chemistry, law, engineering, in Islamic lands. There are documented cases of people from [lands later became known as] France, Italy, England, coming to Andalus (Spain) to study medicine and then going back to teach their people.
Why did this happen? Because Allah encouraged the seeking of knowledge from the first revelation. Go ahead and study. Go ahead and learn. Go ahead and broaden your horizons. But as we do this, remember, all of the knowledge comes from Allah. If Allah hadn't given it to us, we wouldn't have it. Even the knowledge we take for granted, such as writing; the whole concept is really a miracle — the sounds that come out as speech can be recorded through scribblings? And you can then pass it down to anybody who was not present to hear it? Wallahi, it's a miracle. If Allah had not taught it to us, we would never know it. Our Prophet PBUH said in a hadith, "The first person to ever write with the pen was Idris (إدريس - Enoch)"—Allah taught the Prophet Idris how to write; and if He had not taught him, we would never have learned how to write. All knowledge of this world goes back to Allah. Subhan'Allah. Allah taught Adam how to speak; and if He did not teach him how to speak, we would be grunting and groaning like animals and would never have learned speech. And the Prophet PBUH said Allah taught Nuh AS how to build a ship, and He SWT taught Dawud AS how to make the armor malleable. Allah taught so many prophets so many different things — and from these, all other human knowledge comes forth. This is why we say whatever discovery we come across, Allah is the One who gave us the qudrah (قدرة - capacity) & intelligence to find it.
Now, the significance of beginning the revelation with "iqra" is that Allah SWT is telling that what is about to happen is, from now on, man will have a direct communication (a Book) coming from Allah. So the first command is to read and recite the Quran. Also, it's worth noting that from the word "iqra," we get the word "Quran." And as iqra both means "recite" and "read," the Quran has been preserved in both memory and writing — in the hearts of the huffaz (حفاظ - Memorizers [of the Quran]) and in the form of al-Kitab (الكتاب - the Book, i.e., the Quran). And this is the only book preserved in both.
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After the First Revelation
Getting back to the story, Aisha RA narrates that the Prophet PBUH ran back to Khadija, and his heart was palpitating. He entered in upon Khadija, and said, "Cover me up, cover me up." This shows how unexpected the occurrence was for the Prophet PBUH. And this, by the way, wallahi, also shows the humanity of the Prophet PBUH, and that his Message was not premeditated — he didn't think, "Let me see how I can trick mankind into believing that I'm a prophet," unlike some false prophets who have magnificent stories of themselves which sound so grandiose, our Prophet PBUH goes running home to his wife Khadija. Wallahi, this shows that our Prophet PBUH is telling the truth and that he is a true prophet.
So Khadija covers him up — until finally, he calmed down. And then he told her all that had happened —which shows how close he was to her; he could have gone to Abu Talib, but he went to his wife— and said, "I am scared/worried for myself." And this phrase has led to some discord among scholars — what exactly did he mean by he is scared/worried for himself? There are over 12 opinions as to what this means, but the bottom line is clear: (1) Either he was scared of dying from the squeezing of Jibril; or (2) he was scared that he was seeing visions that normal people don't see — he was scared of losing his sanity.
And Khadija RA said:
كلَّا! والله ما يخزيك الله أبدًا، إنك لتصل الرحم، وتصدُقُ الحديثَ، وتَحمِل الكَلَّ، وتَكسِبُ المعدومَ، وتَقري الضيف، وتعين على نوائب الحق
"No, by Allah! Allah will never humiliate you or cause you harm. You are good to your kin, you are truthful in speech, you take on the burden of others, you give money to those who have little, you are hospitable to your guests, and you do all kinds of good!" — She gives us a beautiful rule from her pure fitrah, without knowing any Quran or hadith, that if you do good, Allah will do good to you. And she is certain — she swears by Allah, that it's not possible that Allah will cause harm to the Prophet PBUH. This shows why Allah chose Khadija RA for our Prophet PBUH.
According to one book, she first went to Addas[2] (عداس), a Christian who was a slave in Makkah, and asked him if he was familiar with what was going on. Addas said, "What? The angel of Allah (God) in this heathen place of idols of Makkah? How is this possible?" So when Khadija gets the sense that this is something that is related to Judaism or Christianity, *then* she goes to Waraqa ibn Nawfal — Khadija's older cousin. (And recall, Waraqa is one of the four hunafa' —the four who rejected idolatry— and he is the eldest of the four, and he had traveled through the lands and adopted some type of religion. The version in Bukhari says Waraqa learned to write the books in Hebrew and became a Christian — so most likely, he is a Jewish Christian, not a 'pure Christian' or a 'pure Jew' — as he didn't write in Syriac or Greek.)
And Khadija asks Waraqa, and he becomes enthusiastic and eager, and says, "By God! This is the same Keeper of Secrets (al-Namus) that came to Moses!" Notice Waraqa mentioned "Moses" and not "Jesus" — and this most likely is because he understood that the Prophet Muhammad PBUH would be resembling Moses AS more than Jesus AS, especially in terms of becoming political figures along with religious figures. He then said, "How I wish I were a young man so that I could help you when your nation ridicules you, persecutes you, and expels you!" When Waraqa said, "Expels," the Prophet PBUH asked, "My nation will expel me?" Of course the first two are bad enough — but the third one, the Prophet PBUH couldn't keep quiet and said, "My people will kick me out?" Waraqa said, "Yes, never has any prophet been sent except that his people ridiculed him, persecuted him, and expelled him."
And Aisha RA mentioned that Waraqa only lived a short time after the first revelation.
(Side note: Aisha RA narrated that once, Khadija RA asked the Prophet PBUH about the fate of Waraqa[3][4]: "He believed in you, but he died before your advent." And the Prophet PBUH said, "I saw him in a dream, and upon him were white garments. If he were among the inhabitants of the Fire, then he would have been wearing other than that." So from this, we deduce that Waraqa was surely one of the earliest converts to Islam — he was the first sahabi, and the first to die as a Muslim in Islam.)
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The Second Revelation
The Prophet PBUH then continued to narrate his story, "The revelation stopped for a while [after the first revelation]"—some scholars say up to 6 months, some say 3 months. And so the Prophet's PBUH life resumed back to normal. But then, "When I was walking, I heard a sound, so looked up, and there I saw the same angel that had come to me in Hira, sitting on a throne that was in the heavens and the earth, and once again I trembled — and I rushed back to Khadija again saying, 'Daththiruni (دثروني - wrap me up),' and that was when Jibril came and revealed the second revelation:
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ
...قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ
'O you who is wrapped up [in a cloak]! Stand up and warn (be active and spread the Message)!' [Quran, 74:1-2]."
(So scholars say: with "iqra [read]," the Prophet PBUH became a nabi [prophet], and then with "qum fa andhir [stand up and warn]," he became a rasul [messenger].)
وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ
وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ
وَلَا تَمْنُن تَسْتَكْثِرُ
"And your Lord, glorify. And your clothing, purify. And uncleanliness, avoid. And do not confer favor to acquire more" [Quran, 74:3-6].
You can understand these verses literally and metaphorically. The symbolisms are, "Worship and pray to your Lord, and have strength from Him throughout! And be pure physically and spiritually — cleanse yourself from sins! And abandon all idols! And don't be greedy for what is in the hands of man — do things for the sake of Allah and expect your reward from Him!"
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Next we will talk about the types of wahy and how they occurred.
[Transcribed by Br. Safwan Khan & Faizan]
safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Re-revised by Muhammad Abdul Rahman, March 2023]
safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Re-revised by Muhammad Abdul Rahman, March 2023]
