The Night of Revelation and Consolation

Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

The first thing the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, experienced was the truthful dream during sleep.

He would see no vision except that it came like the break of dawn.

Then he came to love solitude.

So he would go to the Cave of Hira.

So he practices devotional seclusion in it, and he said that devotional seclusion is devout worship.

For several nights before he returned to his family,

And he takes provisions for that,

Then he returns to Khadijah.

So he would resupply himself with similar provisions.

Until the truth came upon him while he was in the Cave of Hira.

Then the angel came to him and said, "Read."

Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I am not a reader."

He said, "Then he seized me and covered me until I reached the limit of my strength."

Then he sent me and said, "Read."

I said, "I am not a reciter."

So he seized me, and the second one covered me until I became exhausted.

Then He sent me and said, 'Read.'

I said, "I am not a reciter."

So he seized me and pressed me a third time until I reached exhaustion.

Then he released me and said, 'Read.'

In the name of your Lord who created.

He created the human from a clot.

Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous.

Who taught by the pen.

The verses up to His words.

He taught man what he did not know.

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then returned with her.

His limbs were trembling until he entered upon Khadijah.

Then he said, "Cover me, cover me."

So they wrapped him until the fear left him.

He said to Khadijah, "O Khadijah, what is the matter with me?"

I was truly afraid for my self, so I told her the news.

Khadijah said, "No, be glad."

By God, God will never disgrace you.

By Allah, you surely maintain the ties of kinship.

And you speak the truth,

And you bear the whole.

And you provide for the destitute.

And you host the guest,

And you help upon the calamities of the truth.

So Khadija set out with him.

until she brought him to Waraqah ibn Nawfal.

And he was the son of Khadija's paternal uncle, her father's brother.

And he was a man who converted to Christianity during the Age of Ignorance,

He was writing the book in Arabic.

And he would write from the Gospel into Arabic whatever God willed him to write.

He was an old man who had become blind.

Khadijah said, "O cousin, listen to what your nephew has to say."

Waraqah said, "O son of my brother, what do you see?"

The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, then told him what he had seen.

Waraqah said, "This is the law that was revealed to Moses."

I wish I were a stump in it,

I wish I were alive to hear him mention a single letter.

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Or are they the ones who will drive me out?"

Waraqah said, "Yes."

No man came with what you brought except that he was harmed.

And if your day comes while I am alive, I will give you strong, forceful support.

Then it was not long before Waraqah died.