CALL TO PROPHETHOOD (First Revelation)
Q, a) Write about the events of the first revelation received by the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) and how he was reassured afterwards? (10 marks)
Answer: The Prophet (pbuh) used to meditate sometimes for days and even a
month, as was the Arab tradition, (tahannuth) only returning home for provisions.
He had increased the time he spent in solitude in the cave of Hira. He used to take
water and food supplies such as dates and oatmeal etc with him to spend some days
in the cave of Hira. When he was 40 years in year 610 AD the first revelation came
to him, during the month of Ramadan
The angel Jibril came to him and instructed him to read, “iqra” and the Prophet
(pbuh) replied he could not. He said he could not read. Then again angel squeezed
him hard and Prophet reported later that “the angel pressed me until I could not
bear it anymore” Angel Jibrael repeated the command and squeezed the Prophet
(pbuh) again, then after a third time the angel squeezed him, released him then
recited the first few verses of Sura Alaq (96.1–5): “Read! In the name of your
Lord, who created, created man out of a clot of congealed blood: Proclaim!
And your Lord is most bountiful, He who taught by the pen, Taught man
what he did not know.”
The Prophet (pbuh) came out of the cave and saw the angel on the horizon. The
Angel told him, “You are the Messenger of Allah and I am Jibril.”
The prophet pbuh returned home with the inspiration and his heart beating severly.
He asked his wife Hazrat Khadija to cover him. He also narrated the entire
incident to her. On hearing the entire account, Hazrat Khadija pacified and
consoled him by saying: “you have never done any wrong to anyone. You are
kind to the others and help the poor. Allah will not let you down”.
Hazrat Khadija later took the Prophet to her cousin a pre Islamic Christian scholar,
Warqah-bin-Naufil. Warqah confirmed the prophet hood of the prophet and said
that Muhammad pbuh had been visited by the same angel who had visited other
prophets as well. He also forewarned that the Prophet will be expelled from his
own city by his own people. . “This is the same one who keeps the secrets
(Angel jibrael) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could
live upto the time when yourv people will turn you out” After a few weeks
Warqa died.
This event marks the beginning of a new religion Islam which was to be adopted
by the entire Makkah , Madinah, Arabia in fact almost more than half of the world
one day.
October/November 2020
2b Why do you think that the revelation was sent to someone who could not read or write?
(4 marks )
Candidates can give a range of answers; they should present their opinion and give reasons for it.
They could say, for example, that
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It was to show that the Prophet (pbuh) had not written the revelations himself, and
neither did he copy them from elsewhere as he had not read other books.
In those days, the oral tradition and poetry was important and so the revelation was
sent in a similar method for people to be able to relate to it and respect it.
Others might say that it is not even relevant whether the Prophet(pbuh) could read or
write, prophethood is a special favour, granted by God, to His chosen people and one’s
ability to read and write does not have any impact on God’s choice.
Some may go further and say that God chooses people with high moral principles and
impeccable character hence the fact whether one can read or write is insignificant.