The revelation

The cave of Hira. As he approached forty, the Prophet ﷺ liked to withdraw alone, several nights in a row, to a small cave on Mount Hira near Mecca, to reflect and worship Allah.

The first revelation. One night in the month of Ramadan, the angel Jibril (Gabriel) came to him and said: "Read!" He answered: "I cannot read." The angel pressed him tightly, three times, then recited to him the first verses of Surah Al-'Alaq: اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ "Read, in the name of your Lord who created" (meaning of verse 96:1), up to verse 5: "He taught man what he did not know." He was forty years old (Bukhari 3902). The full account of the beginning of revelation is reported by 'Aisha (Bukhari 3, Muslim 160).

Khadija's support. He came home trembling and said: "Cover me, cover me!" Then he told her what had happened and said he had feared for himself. Khadija reassured him: "No, by Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep ties of kinship, you carry the burden of the weak, you give to the one who has nothing, you honour your guest and you help those struck by misfortune." (Bukhari 3). She then took him to her cousin Waraqa ibn Nawfal, an old man who knew the Scriptures, and who recognised that it was the same angel who had come to Moses.

Notice: Khadija's reasons mention neither wealth nor power: she points to his good conduct towards people. That is what she relies on to be sure that Allah will not abandon him.

After a pause, revelation resumed and continued for about twenty-three years, in Mecca then in Medina, until it formed the Qur'an.

And you? The first word revealed is "Read!". What would you like to learn this year to know your religion better?

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The first word revealed is a command: "Read!". But it is immediately linked to Allah: "in the name of your Lord who created". From the very first moment, Islam ties knowledge to faith: we learn to know Allah better and to serve people better, not to show off.

The Prophet's ﷺ fear as he came home from Hira shows two things. First, he had not sought to become a prophet: he did not expect what happened to him. Second, he was fully human: he was afraid, he needed to be covered, reassured and listened to. Being afraid at a great moment is not a lack of faith.

Khadijah knew how to help him: she did not rush him, she listened, then reminded him of the good he did and took him to someone who knew, Waraqah. It is a fine model of support.

Finally, the Qur'an did not come down all at once. Allah answers those who asked for that: "Thus it is, so that We may strengthen your heart with it" (meaning of part of 25:32). A gradual revelation, over about twenty-three years, went along with the life of the community, step by step.

Lessons to draw from it • Seeking knowledge is part of the religion, and we seek it "in the name of Allah", with a good intention. • When something is bigger than us, it is normal to be afraid: we then look for support from those who love us and those who know. • Supporting someone means listening, reminding them of the good they do and helping them find the right person to talk to. • We learn and change step by step: the Qur'an itself was revealed gradually.

Key points to remember • The first revelation: verses 1 to 5 of Surah Al-'Alaq (96), in the cave of Hira, during the month of Ramadan. • The Prophet ﷺ was forty; the revelation lasted about twenty-three years. • Khadijah reassured him by recalling his good conduct towards people.

The main message The message of Islam begins with "Read!": learning in the name of Allah, supported by those close to us, step by step.