The revelation and the discreet call

The cave of Ḥiraa' As he approached forty, the Prophet ﷺ came to love solitude. He would withdraw for several nights to the cave of Ḥiraa', on a mountain near Makkah, to worship Allah. 'Aa'isha relates that revelation began with true dreams: every dream came true like the breaking of dawn. Then the angel came to the cave and said to him: "Read!" He replied: "I am not a reader." The angel squeezed him to exhaustion, three times, then recited the first five verses of Surah Al-'Alaq (studied in the course "Juz 'Amma"). This was, according to the best-known view, in the month of Ramadan, in the fortieth year of his life [À VÉRIFIER : date].

Khadiija and Waraqa He came home trembling and said: "Cover me!" When his fear calmed, he told Khadiija everything and said: "I feared for myself." She replied: "No, by Allah, Allah will never disgrace you: you keep the ties of kinship, you bear the burden of the weak, you give to the one who has nothing, you honour the guest and you help in misfortunes." She took him to her cousin Waraqa ibn Nawfal, an old Christian man who knew the Scriptures. Waraqa said: "This is the Naamuus (the angel of revelation) whom Allah sent to Muusaa. If only I were young, and alive when your people drive you out!" The Prophet ﷺ asked: "Will they drive me out?" "Yes: no man has brought what you bring without being opposed" (Bukhari 3, Muslim 160).

The pause and the command to arise Waraqa died soon after, and revelation paused for a time. Then, Jaabir relates, the Prophet ﷺ saw the angel of Ḥiraa' sitting on a throne between heaven and earth. He came home frightened and said: "Wrap me up!" Allah revealed the beginning of Surah Al-Muddaththir (below): "O you who are wrapped up, arise and warn" (Bukhari 4925, Muslim 161). The mission had truly begun.

The first believers For about three years, the call was made discreetly, from person to person [À VÉRIFIER : durée]. The first to believe were: • Khadiija, the very first; • Abu Bakr, his friend, among the free men; he brought to Islam 'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan, Az-Zubayr, 'Abd ar-Raḥmaan ibn 'Awf, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqaaṣ and Ṭalḥa; • 'Ali ibn Abi Ṭaalib, a child who lived in the Prophet's ﷺ house; • Zayd ibn Ḥaaritha, his freed slave and adopted son. The believers met in secret, in particular in the house of Al-Arqam ibn Abi l-Arqam, near Aṣ-Ṣafaa, to learn the Qur'an and pray [À VÉRIFIER : référence].

Exercise: reread Khadiija's words. They describe five good deeds towards people. Choose one and practise it this week.

The text: Surah Al-Muddaththir (74), verses 1 to 7 بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ﴿١﴾ قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ ﴿٢﴾ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ ﴿٣﴾ وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ ﴿٤﴾ وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ ﴿٥﴾ وَلَا تَمْنُنْ تَسْتَكْثِرُ ﴿٦﴾ وَلِرَبِّكَ فَاصْبِرْ ﴿٧﴾

Meaning: "O you who are wrapped up, arise and warn; and your Lord, magnify Him; and your clothes, purify them; and filth (the idols), shun it; do not give hoping to receive more; and for your Lord, be patient." These verses set out the programme of the mission: warning, glorifying Allah, purifying oneself, rejecting idolatry, giving without calculation and being patient.

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Revelation did not come to a man who sought it out of ambition: the Prophet ﷺ was afraid, and feared for himself. Scholars see in this a proof of his sincerity: an impostor would not have told of his fear. The retreat in Ḥiraa' also shows that before changing the world, one must turn to Allah in calm. Khadiija is the first support of Islam. Her answer is a line of reasoning: a man who does so much good to people cannot be abandoned by Allah. She did not only comfort him; she looked for someone who knew, Waraqa. It is a model for a spouse, a friend, a parent: reassure, then point towards knowledge. The verses of Al-Muddaththir move from fear to action: "arise". And the last command, "be patient", announces what Waraqa had foretold: opposition. The three discreet years show the wisdom of the method: first build a small, solid group of chosen people, before speaking to everyone.

Lessons to draw from it • Seek moments of calm to draw closer to Allah. • Support those you love in their fears, and point them towards those who know. • Know that good deeds towards people are a protection. • Move from fear to action, with patience. • Begin with those close to you and a small, sincere circle.

Key points to remember • Beginning of revelation in Ḥiraa', at about 40 (Bukhari 3, Muslim 160). • Khadiija, the first believer; Waraqa ibn Nawfal. • Al-Muddaththir 74:1-7: "arise and warn" (Bukhari 4925, Muslim 161). • Abu Bakr, 'Ali, Zayd: first believers; the house of Al-Arqam.

The main message The mission began with fear, comfort and a command: "arise". Surround yourself with sincere support, and move forward with patience.