The Night of Revelation and Consolation

Each Arabic line is a button. Press it to go through its words, then press a word for its meaning.

عَائِشَةُ زَوْجُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَتْ

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

كَانَ أَوَّلُ مَا بُدِئَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّادِقَةَ فِي النَّوْمِ

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

فَكَانَ لَا يَرَى رُؤْيًا إِلَّا جَاءَتْ مِثْلَ فَلَقِ الصُّبْحِ

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

ثُمَّ حُبِّبَ إِلَيْهِ الْخَلَاءُ

Then he came to love solitude.

فَكَانَ يَلْحْقُ بِغَارِ حِرَاءِ

So he would go to the Cave of Hira.

فَيَتَحَنَّثُ فِيهِ قَالَ وَالْتَّحَنُّثُ التَّعَبُّدُ

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

اللَّيَالِيَ ذَوَاتِ الْعَدَدِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ

For several nights before he returned to his family,

وَيَتَزَوَّدُ لِذَلِكَ

And he takes provisions for that,

ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى خَدِيجَةِ

Then he returns to Khadijah.

فَيَتَزَوَّدُ بِمِثْلِهَا

So he would resupply himself with similar provisions.

حَتَّى فَجَاءَهُ الْحَقُّ وَهُوَ فِي غَارِ حِرَاءٍ

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

فَجَاءَهُ الْمَلَكُ فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ

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

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ

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

قَالَ فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِّنِّي الْجُهْدُ

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

ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ

Then he sent me and said, "Read."

قُلْتُ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ

I said, "I am not a reciter."

فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الْثَّانِيَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجُهْدُ

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

ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ اِقْرَأْ

Then He sent me and said, 'Read.'

قُلْتُ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ

I said, "I am not a reciter."

فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّالِثَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجُهْدُ

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

ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ اِقْرَأْ

Then he released me and said, 'Read.'

بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ

In the name of your Lord who created.

خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ

He created the human from a clot.

إِقْرَأْ وَ رَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ

Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous.

الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ

Who taught by the pen.

الآيَاتِ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ

The verses up to His words.

عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

He taught man what he did not know.

فَرَجَعَ بِهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

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

تَرْجُفُ بَوَادِرُهُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى خَدِيجَةَ

His limbs were trembling until he entered upon Khadijah.

فَقَالَ زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي

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

فَزَمَّلُوهُ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الرَّوْعُ

So they wrapped him until the fear left him.

قَالَ لِخَدِيجَةَ أَىْ خَدِيجَةُ مَا لِيَ

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

لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي فَأَخْبَرَهَا الْخَبْرَ

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

قَالَتْ خَدِيجَةُ كَلَّا أَبْشِرْ

Khadijah said, "No, be glad."

فَوَاللَّهِ لَا يُخْزِيكَ اللَّهُ أَبَدًا

By God, God will never disgrace you.

فَوَاللَّهِ إِنَّكَ لَتَصِلُ الرَّحِمَ

By Allah, you surely maintain the ties of kinship.

وَتَصْدُقُ الْحَدِيثَ

And you speak the truth,

وَتَحْمِلُ الْكُلَّ

And you bear the whole.

وَتَكْسِبُ الْمَعْدُومَ

And you provide for the destitute.

وَتَقْرِي الضَّيْفَ

And you host the guest,

وَتُعِينُ عَلَى نَوَائِبِ الْحَقِّ

And you help upon the calamities of the truth.

فَانْطَلَقَتْ بِهِ خَدِيجَةُ

So Khadija set out with him.

حَتَّى أَتَتْ بِهِ وَرَقَةَ بْنَ نَوْفَلٍ

until she brought him to Waraqah ibn Nawfal.

وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَمِّ خَدِيجَةَ أَخِي أَبِيهَا

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

وَكَانَ أَمْرَأً تَنَصَّرَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ

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

وَكَانَ يَكْتُبُ الْكِتَابَ الْعَرَبِيَّ

He was writing the book in Arabic.

وَيَكْتُبُ مِنَ الإِنْجِيلِ بِالْعَرَبِيَّةِ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ

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

وَكَانَ شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا قَدْ عَمِيَ

He was an old man who had become blind.

فَقَالَتْ خَدِيجَةُ يَا ابْنَ عَمِّ اِسْمَعْ مِنْ ابْنِ أَخِيكَ

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

قَالَ وَرَقَةُ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي مَاذَا تَرَى

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

فَأَخْبَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَبَرَ مَا رَأَى

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

فَقَالَ وَرَقَةُ هَذَا النَّامُوسُ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ عَلَى مُوسَى،

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

لَيْتَنِي فِيهَا جَذْعًا

I wish I were a stump in it,

لَيْتَنِي أَكُونُ حَيًّا ذَكَرَ حَرْفًا

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

قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَوَ مُخْرِجِيَّ هُمْ

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

قَالَ وَرَقَةُ نَعَمْ

Waraqah said, "Yes."

لَمْ يَأْتِ رَجُلٌ بِمَا جِئْتَ بِهِ إِلَّا أُوذِيَ

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

وَإِنْ يُدْرِكْنِي يَوْمُكَ حَيًّا أَنصُرُكَ نَصْرًا مُؤَزَّرًا

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

ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنْشَبْ وَرَقَةُ أَنْ تُوُفِّيَ،

Then it was not long before Waraqah died.

وَفَتَرَ الْوَحْيُ فَتْرَةً حَتَّى حَزِنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Then the revelation paused for a time, until the Messenger of God became sorrowful; may God send blessings upon him and grant him peace.