The First Revelation to Muhammad
The genesis of the Islamic religion is inextricably linked to a foundational event: the first revelation bestowed upon Muhammad. While the precise date remains a subject of scholarly debate, Muslims widely accept that this pivotal moment occurred in the year 610 AD. In the period preceding this event, Muhammad, deeply troubled by the moral and spiritual decay he observed in his community, sought solace and clarity through solitary contemplation. This quest led him to retreat to the Cave of Hira on Jabal al-Nour, a mountain near Mecca. It was within this secluded sanctuary that Muhammad experienced a profound encounter with the angel Gabriel, who revealed to him the initial verses of what would ultimately form the Quran. This divine visitation marked the commencement of Muhammad's prophetic career, at the age of 40, heralding his role as the "Seal of the Prophets".
The Nuances of the Revelation's Date
The exact timing of the first revelation remains an enigma, with no definitive mention in historical records. This ambiguity has led to differing interpretations among scholars.
The Calendar's State During the First Revelation
To maintain a consistent alignment between the lunar calendar and the seasons, a practice known as intercalation was employed. This involved the periodic insertion of an extra month, a practice announced during the annual pilgrimage. It is believed that intercalation, which was adopted from the Jews, was introduced around 412 AD. The responsibility for managing this temporal adjustment rested with a Jewish official known as the Nasīʾ.
When the Arabs adopted this system, they retained the term "nasīʾ" to describe the entire practice. Similar to the Jewish method, the commencement of the Arabian calendar, specifically the month of Muharram, was synchronized with the spring season. This ensured that significant religious observances remained anchored to specific times of the year, preventing them from drifting through the seasons.
Pinpointing the Date of the First Revelation
According to the meticulous research of Islamic scholar Mubarak Puri, the first revelation is thought to have occurred on Monday, the 21st of Ramadan, just before dawn. He posits this date as August 10, 610 AD, when Muhammad was precisely 40 lunar years, 6 months, and 12 days old (equivalent to 39 solar years, 3 months, and 22 days).
Other scholars, however, approach the dating by projecting the fixed calendar backward. This method suggests a date falling on the night of Sunday to Monday, specifically December 13th to 14th, 610 AD. This divergence highlights the challenges in definitively establishing a historical date for an event shrouded in the mists of time and spiritual significance.
The Narrative of the First Revelation
The accounts found in the biographies of Muhammad paint a vivid picture of the first revelation. While undertaking a period of spiritual retreat in the secluded Cave of Hira, a place Muhammad frequented for introspection amidst the moral laxity of his community, he was visited by the angel Gabriel. The angel's command, "Read!", was met with Muhammad's response, "I cannot read." This exchange was repeated twice, with Gabriel embracing Muhammad with such intensity that he could barely endure it. Following this profound encounter, Gabriel revealed the inaugural verses of Surah Al-Alaq (Chapter 96) of the Quran:
"Read: In the name of your Lord Who created, Created man from a clinging substance. Read, and your Lord is most Generous, He who taught by the pen, Taught man that which he knew not." (Bukhari 4953).
This marked the commencement of Muhammad's divine mission, a transformation that would reshape the spiritual landscape of the world.
The Pre-Revelation Context
Muhammad was born and raised in the bustling city of Mecca. As he approached his fortieth year, a deep sense of spiritual unease began to pervade his thoughts. He would spend extended periods in solitary prayer and contemplation, pondering the mysteries of creation and the moral fabric of his society. The pervasive ignorance of divine guidance, the rampant social unrest, the stark injustices, the widespread discrimination, and the constant feuds among the tribes, all fueled by the often-abusive exercise of tribal authority in pre-Islamic Arabia, weighed heavily on his conscience. This profound concern for the moral degeneration of his people, coupled with his own earnest search for a true path, compelled him to withdraw periodically to the Cave of Hira, a natural sanctuary offering respite for deep contemplation and reflection. Islamic tradition asserts that during this preparatory phase, Muhammad began experiencing dreams of extraordinary spiritual import, dreams that would unfailingly manifest in reality, signaling the nascent stages of his divine revelation.
The Moment of Revelation
According to the most widely accepted Islamic tradition, during one of his contemplative retreats in the Hira cave, in the year 610 CE, the archangel Gabriel materialized before Muhammad. The angel's imperative command, "Read," was met with Muhammad's humble and perhaps bewildered reply, "I am unable to read." This initial exchange was followed by two more instances where Gabriel embraced Muhammad with an overwhelming force, a physical intensity that was almost unbearable. It was after this profound and physically taxing encounter that Gabriel recited the following verses to Muhammad:
"Read in the name of your Lord who created Created man from a clinging substance. Read, and your Lord is most Generous,– He who taught by the pen– Taught man that which he knew not." [Quran 96:1–5]
This divine impartation was not merely a recitation of words; it was the very beginning of the Quran, the sacred scripture of Islam, being revealed to humanity.
The Aftermath of the Revelation
The immediate aftermath of this extraordinary experience left Muhammad profoundly disoriented and perplexed. He returned to his home, where his wife, Khadija bint Khuwaylid, provided him with comfort and reassurance. Muhammad, grappling with the intensity of the vision, feared he might have been afflicted by a jinn (demon), exclaiming, "Woe is me - poet or possessed!" Khadija, however, with unwavering faith, dismissed his fears, declaring, "No, by Allah, Allah would never disgrace you." In her wisdom, she then took him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, a learned Nestorian Christian. Islamic tradition recounts that upon hearing Muhammad's description of the encounter, Waraqah recognized the divine nature of the experience. He testified to Muhammad's prophethood, affirming that the entity he encountered was Namus, the same angel who had delivered divine messages to Moses. Waraqah expressed a wish to live to see the day Muhammad's people would reject him, a sentiment he voiced with the prediction: "Anyone who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should be alive until that day, then I would support you strongly." Tragically, Waraqah passed away a few days later.
The initial revelation was followed by a period of silence, a pause that caused Muhammad significant distress. He reportedly climbed a mountain intending to cast himself off in despair, but was met by a celestial voice and saw the same angel, Gabriel, suspended between the sky and the earth. This second encounter marked the resumption of revelations, beginning with the verses of Surah Al-Muddaththir (Chapter 74).
Al-Tabari and Ibn Hisham documented Muhammad's initial reaction to the revelation as one of profound surprise, leading him to return to the cave and continue his solitude before eventually returning to Mecca. According to their accounts, Muhammad recounted to Zubayr a celestial encounter:
"when I was midway on the mountain, I heard a voice from heaven saying "O Muhammad! you are the apostle of Allah and I am Gabriel." I raised my head towards heaven to see who was speaking, and Gabriel in the form of a man with feet astride the horizon, saying, "O Muhammad! you are the apostle of Allah and I am Gabriel." I stood gazing at him moving neither forward nor backward, then I began to turn my face away from him, but towards whatever region of the sky I looked, I saw him as before."
The duration of the interval between Muhammad's first and second encounters with divine revelation is a matter of differing accounts among biographers. Ibn Ishaq suggests a three-year gap before Muhammad began his public preaching. While Bukhari identifies chapter 74 as the second revelation, the verses of Surah Al-Qalam (Chapter 68) are also considered strong contenders by some scholars.
Potential Christian Influence
The scholar Paul Neuenkirchen has proposed that the narrative of Muhammad's first revelation bears a striking resemblance to the biblical passage in Isaiah 40:6. He suggests that this alignment might reflect how Muslims later envisioned their prophet's life, perhaps more than a strictly historical account. The biblical passage reads:
The voice said: "Proclaim!" And he said: "What shall I proclaim?"
This parallel raises intriguing questions about the cross-pollination of religious narratives and the ways in which foundational events are understood and recounted across different faiths.