PART 2 · THE MAKKAN PERIOD · الْعَهْدُ الْمَكِّيُّ
STAGE 1 · THE REVELATION BEGINS
غَارُ حِرَاءٍ وَنُزُولُ الْوَحْيِ
Chapter 6: The Cave of Ḥirā’ and the First Revelation
At forty, in a cave above Makkah, the first words of the Qur’an came down
Sheikh Mohamed Fawzyالشيخ محمد فوزي
© 2026 Sheikh Mohamed Fawzy. All rights reserved. Version 1.7
Before it began قَبْلَ الْوَحْيِ
Preparing his heart
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ أَوَّلُ مَا بُدِئَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ الْوَحْيِ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ فِي النَّوْمِ، فَكَانَ لَا يَرَى رُؤْيَا إِلَّا جَاءَتْ مِثْلَ فَلَقِ الصُّبْحِ، ثُمَّ حُبِّبَ إِلَيْهِ الْخَلَاءُ، وَكَانَ يَخْلُو بِغَارِ حِرَاءٍ فَيَتَحَنَّثُ فِيهِ وَهُوَ التَّعَبُّدُ اللَّيَالِيَ ذَوَاتِ الْعَدَدِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْزِعَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ، وَيَتَزَوَّدُ لِذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى خَدِيجَةَ، فَيَتَزَوَّدُ لِمِثْلِهَا، حَتَّى جَاءَهُ الْحَقُّ وَهُوَ فِي غَارِ حِرَاءٍ، فَجَاءَهُ الْمَلَكُ فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ. قَالَ «مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ». قَالَ «فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ. قُلْتُ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ. فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّانِيَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ. فَقُلْتُ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ. فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّالِثَةَ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ ﴿اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ * خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ * اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ﴾» ...
‘Ā’ishah, Mother of the Believers, said: “The first thing with which the revelation began for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was true dreams in sleep: he never saw a dream but it came true like the light of dawn. Then being alone was made dear to him. He used to stay alone in the cave of Ḥirā’ and worship there [taḥannuth, that is, worship] for a number of nights before going back to his family; he would take provisions for that, then return to Khadījah and take provisions for the same again — until the truth came to him while he was in the cave of Ḥirā’. The angel came to him and said: ‘Read!’ He said: ‘I am not a reader.’ He said: ‘He took hold of me and squeezed me until I could bear no more, then released me and said: Read! I said: I am not a reader. [He squeezed me a second and a third time,] then he released me and said: Read in the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous.’…”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3Sahih
Point out the three steps of preparation in ‘Ā’ishah’s words: true dreams → love of being alone → worship in Ḥirā’. The cave is on Jabal al-Nūr, about two miles (3–4 km) from Makkah.
The first words أَوَّلُ مَا نَزَلَ
“Read!”
The first verses of the Qur’an ever revealed are the opening of Surat al-‘Alaq:
ٱقۡرَأۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ١ خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِنۡ عَلَقٍ ٢ ٱقۡرَأۡ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلۡأَكۡرَمُ ٣ ٱلَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِٱلۡقَلَمِ ٤ عَلَّمَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ ٥
1 Recite in the name of your Lord who created 2 Created man from a clinging substance 3 Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous 4 Who taught by the pen 5 Taught man that which he knew not.
Surat al-‘Alaq 96:1–5سورة العلق: ١–٥
When?
In Ramaḍān, when he was forty — according to Ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, on a Monday, 21 Ramaḍān, in the year 610 CE.
Who brought it?
The angel Jibrīl, sent by Allah. In this course we never draw the angels.
The first word?
Tap to think
Iqra’ — Read! A religion that begins with reading and knowledge — “He taught by the pen”.
The date: the day (Monday) is from the Prophet ﷺ himself (Muslim 1162; see Chapter 2 of this course). The exact day of Ramaḍān is the preference of Ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm; the scholars mention other days too.
Back home زَمِّلُونِي
“Cover me! Cover me!”
... فَرَجَعَ بِهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَرْجُفُ فُؤَادُهُ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَى خَدِيجَةَ بِنْتِ خُوَيْلِدٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا فَقَالَ «زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي». فَزَمَّلُوهُ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الرَّوْعُ، فَقَالَ لِخَدِيجَةَ وَأَخْبَرَهَا الْخَبَرَ «لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي» ...
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned with it, his heart trembling. He came in to Khadījah bint Khuwaylid and said: ‘Cover me! Cover me!’ They covered him until the fear left him. He told Khadījah what had happened and said: ‘I feared for myself.’…”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3Sahih
Khadījah did not panic. She comforted him: “By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you…” and reminded him of his good character (Chapter 5). She was the first person to believe in him.
He was afraid — the Prophet ﷺ was a human being, and this was something no one had ever experienced before. A good moment to talk about supporting family members when they are afraid.
A wise old man وَرَقَةُ بْنُ نَوْفَلٍ
“This is the one who came to Mūsā”
... فَانْطَلَقَتْ بِهِ خَدِيجَةُ حَتَّى أَتَتْ بِهِ وَرَقَةَ بْنَ نَوْفَلِ بْنِ أَسَدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعُزَّى ابْنَ عَمِّ خَدِيجَةَ وَكَانَ امْرَأً تَنَصَّرَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، وَكَانَ يَكْتُبُ الْكِتَابَ الْعِبْرَانِيَّ، فَيَكْتُبُ مِنَ الْإِنْجِيلِ بِالْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ، وَكَانَ شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا قَدْ عَمِيَ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ خَدِيجَةُ يَا ابْنَ عَمِّ اسْمَعْ مِنَ ابْنِ أَخِيكَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ وَرَقَةُ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي مَاذَا تَرَى فَأَخْبَرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَبَرَ مَا رَأَى. فَقَالَ لَهُ وَرَقَةُ هَذَا النَّامُوسُ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى مُوسَى صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَا لَيْتَنِي فِيهَا جَذَعًا، لَيْتَنِي أَكُونُ حَيًّا إِذْ يُخْرِجُكَ قَوْمُكَ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ «أَوَمُخْرِجِيَّ هُمْ». قَالَ نَعَمْ، لَمْ يَأْتِ رَجُلٌ قَطُّ بِمِثْلِ مَا جِئْتَ بِهِ إِلَّا عُودِيَ ...
“…Khadījah took him to Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzzā, her cousin, who had become a Christian before Islam. He used to write the Hebrew script, and wrote from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah willed; he was an old man who had gone blind. Khadījah said to him: ‘Cousin, listen to your nephew.’ Waraqah said to him: ‘Son of my brother, what do you see?’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told him what he had seen. Waraqah said: ‘This is the Nāmūs [the angel Jibrīl] whom Allah sent down to Mūsā. I wish I were young! I wish I could be alive when your people drive you out.’ He said: ‘Will they drive me out?’ Waraqah said: ‘Yes. No man ever came with what you have brought without being treated with hostility…’”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3Sahih
Waraqah knew
He had studied the earlier scriptures. He recognised that the same angel who came to the earlier prophets had come again.
A warning
Every prophet who brought the truth was opposed by his people. The road ahead would be hard.
A pause, then a command فَتْرَةُ الْوَحْيِ
“Arise and warn!”
After the first revelation, the revelation stopped for a while. Then it returned:
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ - وَهُوَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ فَتْرَةِ الْوَحْيِ - فَقَالَ فِي حَدِيثِهِ: «بَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِي، إِذْ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا، مِنَ السَّمَاءِ، فَرَفَعْتُ بَصَرِي فَإِذَا الْمَلَكُ الَّذِي جَاءَنِي بِحِرَاءٍ جَالِسٌ عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ، فَرُعِبْتُ مِنْهُ، فَرَجَعْتُ فَقُلْتُ زَمِّلُونِي. فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ * قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ﴾ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ ﴿وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ﴾ فَحَمِيَ الْوَحْيُ وَتَتَابَعَ».
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh, speaking about the pause in revelation, reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I raised my eyes, and there was the angel who had come to me in Ḥirā’, sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I was frightened of him, went home and said: ‘Cover me!’ Then Allah revealed: ‘O you who covers himself, arise and warn…’ up to ‘…and avoid uncleanliness.’ After that, the revelation came strongly and one after another.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 4Sahih
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُدَّثِّرُ ١ قُمۡ فَأَنذِرۡ ٢ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرۡ ٣ وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرۡ ٤ وَٱلرُّجۡزَ فَٱهۡجُرۡ ٥
1 O you who covers himself [with a garment] 2 Arise and warn 3 And your Lord glorify 4 And your clothing purify 5 And uncleanliness avoid.
Surat al-Muddaththir 74:1–5سورة المدثر: ١–٥
Surat al-‘Alaq made him a Prophet. Surat al-Muddaththir made him a Messenger, with a mission: arise and warn people.
The scholars distinguish the first revelation (al-‘Alaq) from the command to deliver the message (al-Muddaththir). The length of the pause is disputed; Ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm says it was a matter of days.
Timeline الْخَطُّ الزَّمَنِيُّ
How the revelation began
- Step 1 True dreams — every dream came true like the dawn.
- Step 2 Love of solitude — worship alone in the cave of Ḥirā’.
- Step 3 “Read!” — Jibrīl brings the first verses of al-‘Alaq.
- Step 4 Khadījah comforts him and believes in him.
- Step 5 Waraqah confirms: this is the angel who came to Mūsā.
- Step 6 The pause, then “Arise and warn” — the mission begins.
Lessons دُرُوسٌ وَعِبَرٌ
What we learn
1
Knowledge first
The first word of the Qur’an is “Read”. Learning is worship.
2
A good wife and friend
Khadījah’s calm support shows the power of a loving, believing family.
3
Truth faces opposition
Waraqah’s warning came true — but Allah supported His Messenger.
Review مُرَاجَعَةٌ
Quick quiz
Score: 0 / 4
1.Where did the first revelation come down?
Correct (al-Bukhari 3).
It was the cave of Ḥirā’ on Jabal al-Nūr.
2.What was the first word revealed?
Yes — al-‘Alaq 96:1.
The first word was “Iqra’” (al-‘Alaq 96:1).
3.Who was the first person to believe in him?
Correct.
Khadījah was the first to believe.
4.Which surah commanded him “Arise and warn”?
Right (al-Bukhari 4).
It was al-Muddaththir 74:1–2.
The light came down in Ḥirā’
ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam ﷺ
NEXT · Chapter 7: The First Believers · السَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ