Explaining Sahih Muslim Book 1 – Hadith 308-315

Explaining Sahih Muslim Book 1 - Hadith 308-315

 

Chapter 73: The beginning of the revelation to the messenger of Allah (saws).

 

A'isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), reported:

 

The first (form) with which was started the revelation to the Messenger of Allah was the true vision in sleep. And he did not see any vision but it came like the bright gleam of dawn. Thenceforth solitude became dear to him and he used to seclude himself in the cave of Hira', where he would engage in tahannuth (and that is a worship for a number of nights) before returning to his family and getting provisions again for this purpose. He would then return to Khadija and take provisions for a like period, till Truth came upon him while he was in the cave of Hira'. There came to him the angel and said: Recite, to which he replied: I am not lettered. He took hold of me [the Apostle said] and pressed me, till I was hard pressed; thereafter he let me off and said: Recite. I said: I am not lettered. He then again took hold of me and pressed me for the second time till I was hard pressed and then let me off and said: Recite, to which I replied: I am not lettered. He took hold of me and pressed me for the third time, till I was hard pressed and then let me go and said: Recite in the name of your Lord Who created, created man from a clot of blood. Recite. And your most bountiful Lord is He Who taught the use of pen, taught man what he knew not (al-Qur'an, xcvi. 1-4). Then the Prophet returned therewith, his heart was trembling, and he went to Khadija and said: Wrap me up, wrap me up! So they wrapped him till the fear had left him. He then said to Khadija: O Khadija! what has happened to me? and he informed her of the happening, saying: I fear for myself. She replied: It can't be. Be happy. I swear by Allah that He shall never humiliate you. By Allah, you join ties of relationship, you speak the truth, you bear people's burden, you help the destitute, you entertain guests, and you help against the vicissitudes which affect people. Khadija then took him to Waraqa b. Naufal b. Asad b. 'Abd al-'Uzza, and he was the son of Khadija's uncle, i. e., the brother of her father. And he was the man who had embraced Christianity in the Days of Ignorance (i. e. before Islam) and he used to write books in Arabic and, therefore, wrote Injil in Arabic as God willed that he should write. He was very old and had become blind Khadija said to him: O uncle! listen to the son of your brother. Waraqa b. Naufal said: O my nephew! what did you see? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), then, informed him what he had seen, and Waraqa said to him: It is namus that God sent down to Musa. Would that I were then (during your prophetic career) a young man. Would that I might be alive when your people would expel you! The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Will they drive me out? Waraqa said: Yes. Never came a man with a like of what you have brought but met hostilities. If I see your day I shall help you wholeheartedly. (Sahih Muslim Book 1 - Hadith 308)

 

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'A'isha with another chain of narrators like one transmitted by Yunus, i. e. the first thing with which the revelation was initiated with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) except the words:

 

By Allah, Allah would never humiliate you, and Khadija said: O son of my uncle! Listen to the son of your brother. (Sahih Muslim Book 1 - Hadith 309)

 

This hadith has been reported from 'A'isha by another chain of transmitters and the words are:

 

He (the Holy Prophet) came to Khadija an his heart was trembling. The rest of the hadith has been narrated like one transmitted by Yunus and Ma'mar, but the first part is not mentioned, i. e. the first thing with which was started the revelation to the Prophet was the true vision. And these words like those transmitted by Yunus are mentioned thus: By Allah, Allah would never humiliate you. And there is also a mention of the words of Khadija: O son of my uncle! Listen to the son of your brother. (Sahih Muslim Book 1 - Hadith 310)

 

Jabir b. 'Abdullah al-Ansari who was one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) reportedThe Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) told about the intermission of revelation and narrated While I was walking I heard a voice from the sky, and raising my head I saw the angel who had come to me in Hira', sitting on a Throne between heaven and earth I was terror-stricken on that account and came back (to my family) and said:

 

Wrap me up, wrap me up! So they wrapped me up, and the Blessed and Most Exalted Allah sent down:" You who are shrouded, arise and deliver warning, your Lord magnify, your clothes cleanse, and defilement shun," and" defilement" means idols; and then the revelation was followed continuously. (Sahih Muslim Book 1 - Hadith 311)

 

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir b. Abdullah that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) says:

 

The wahi was intermitted for me for a small span of time and while I was walking, and then the hadith like the one narrated by Yunus was transmitted but with the exception of these words: I was terror-stricken till I fell on the ground. Abu Salama said: Defilement means idols. After this the revelation was speeded up and followed rapidly. (Sahih Muslim Book 1 - Hadith 312)

 

This hadith, the like of one narrated by Yunus has also been transmitted by Ma'mar on the authority of al-Zuhri who narrated:

 

Allah the Most Glorious and Exalted revealed this:" You who are shrouded, arise and deliver warning, your Lord magnify, your clothes cleanse and defilement shun," before making the prayer obligatory. I felt terror-stricken as narrated by Uqail. (Sahih Muslim Book 1 - Hadith 313)

 

Yahya reported:

 

I asked Abu Salama what was revealed first from the Qur'an. He said:" 0, the shrouded one." I said: Or" Recite." Jabir said: I am narrating to you what was narrated to us by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: I stayed in Hira' for one month and when my stay was completed, I come down and went into the heart of the valley. Somebody called me aloud. I looked in front of me, behind me, on the right of my side and on my left, but I did not see any body. I was again called and I looked about but saw nothing. I was called again and raised my head, and there on the Throne in the open atmosphere he, i. e. Gabriel (peace be upon him) was sitting. I began to tremble on account of fear. I came to Khadija and said: Wrap me up. They wrapped me up and threw water on me and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, sent down this: you who are shrouded! arise and deliver warning, your Lord magnify, your clothes cleanse." (Sahih Muslim Book 1 - Hadith 314)

 

Yahya b Abi Kathir has reported this hadith with the same chain of transmitters and narrated:

 

And there he was sitting on the Throne between the heaven and the earth. (Sahih Muslim Book 1 - Hadith 315)