One day, he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم was worshipping Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ in the cave of Hira when an angel appeared in front of him. (The angel was Sayyiduna Jibra`eel عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام who had always been conveying the Divine message to His Rusul.) All of a sudden, the angel said, ‘Read’ but he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم replied, ‘I will not read’. The angel embraced him very warmly. Then, releasing the hold on him, the angel said ‘Read’ but he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم replied, ‘I will not read’. Embracing him for the second time and releasing the hold on him, the angel said ‘Read’ but he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم replied, ‘I will not read’. For the third time, the angel embraced him very tightly and released the hold on him once again and said1:
اِقْرَاْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِیْ خَلَقَۚ(۱) خَلَقَ الْاِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍۚ(۲) اِقْرَاْ وَ رَبُّكَ الْاَكْرَمُۙ(۳) الَّذِیْ عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِۙ(۴) عَلَّمَ الْاِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ یَعْلَمْؕ(۵)
It was the very first revelation he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم received. Memorizing these Ayahs, he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم came home with his heart trembling due to this sudden occurrence. He صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم asked his family members to cover him with a blanket. When his fear subsided and he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم felt relaxed, he told Sayyidatuna Khadijah رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا what had happened in the cave, expressing fear for his life. Listening to it, Sayyidatuna Khadijah رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا said, ‘Your life is not in danger at all. By Almighty! Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will never cause you to be disgraced. You treat your relatives very well; you ease the burden on others; you earn a living yourself and bestow different things upon the poor and the destitute; you show hospitality to travellers; you promote justice and truth and you help everyone who is in need and trouble.’
Afterwards, Sayyidatuna Khadijah رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا took him to her paternal cousin ‘Warqah Bin Nawfil’ who was a monotheist2. Fed-up with polytheism and idol-worship, he had become a Christian and had translated the book ‘Injeel’ from Hebrew to Arabic. He was very old and had lost his eyesight. Sayyidatuna Khadijah رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا said to him, ‘Brother! Please listen to what your nephew says.’ Warqah Bin Nawfil asked him what he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم had seen. He صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم told him everything that had happened in the cave of Hira. Listening to it, Warqah Bin Nawfil said, ‘This is the very same angel Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ sent to Sayyiduna Musa عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام.’ Warqah Bin Nawfil then said, ‘If only I were healthy and young at the time of the declaration of your Nubuwwah! If only I had remained alive until your nation would turn you out of Makkah!’ Listening to it, he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم said (in surprise), ‘Will the people of Makkah turn me out of Makkah?’ Warqah replied, ‘Yes, whoever declared Nubuwwah as you have done faced enmity from people.’
For some days, he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم received no Divine revelation and anxiously waited for it. One day, he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم was going somewhere. Suddenly, someone called him, ‘Ya Muhammad ( صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم )’. He صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم looked towards the sky lifting his blessed head and saw that the very same angel (i.e. Sayyiduna Jibra`eel) who had appeared to him in the cave of Hira was sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. Seeing it, he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم felt fear in his blessed heart, came home and lay down. He صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم then asked his family members to cover him in a blanket. He صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم lay down. In the same state, the initial Ayahs of Surah Al-Muddassir were revealed to him along with a Divine commandment:
یٰۤاَیُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُۙ(۱) قُمْ فَاَنْذِرْﭪ(۲) وَ رَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْﭪ(۳) وَ ثِیَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْﭪ(۴) وَ الرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْﭪ(۵)
O you who is enveloped in a cloak (Prophet Muhammad). Stand up and then warn. And proclaim the Purity of your Lord only. And keep your clothes pure. And keep away from idols.3
After the revelation of these Ayahs, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ gave him the sacred task of Islamic preaching and he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم became determined to fulfil it following the Divine commandments.