2. Revelation
Sahih Ibn Hibban 33Sahih
أَوَّلُ مَا بُدِئَ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنَ الْوَحْيِ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّادِقَةُ يَرَاهَا فِي النَّوْمِ فَكَانَ لَا يَرَى رُؤْيَا إِلَّا جَاءَتْ مِثْلَ فَلَقِ الصُّبْحِ ثُمَّ حُبِّبَ لَهُ الْخَلَاءُ فَكَانَ يَأْتِي حِرَاءَ فَيَتَحَنَّثُ فِيهِ وَهُوَ التَّعَبُّدُ اللَّيَالِيَ ذَوَاتِ الْعِدَّةِ وَيَتَزَوَّدُ لِذَلِكَ ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى خَدِيجَةَ فَتُزَوِّدُهُ لِمِثْلِهَا حَتَّى فَجِئَهُ الْحَقُّ وَهُوَ فِي غَارِ حِرَاءَ فَجَاءَهُ الْمَلَكُ فِيهِ فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «فَقُلْتُ » مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ « قَالَ » فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ لِي اقْرَأْ فَقُلْتُ «مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ» فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّانِيَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ فَقُلْتُ «مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ» فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّالِثَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ {اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ} حَتَّى بَلَغَ {مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ} قَالَ فَرَجَعَ بِهَا تَرْجُفُ بَوَادِرُهُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى خَدِيجَةَ فَقَالَ «زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي» فَزَمَّلُوهُ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الرَّوْعُ
The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Messenger of Allah ﷺ was in the form of good righteous (true) dreams in his sleep. He never had a dream but that it came true like bright day light. He used to go in seclusion (the cave of) Hira where he used to worship(Allah Alone) continuously for many (days) nights. He used to take with him the journey food for that (stay) and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again for another period to stay, till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him in it and asked him to read. The Prophet ﷺ replied, "I do not know how to read." (The Prophet ﷺ added), "The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it anymore. He then released me and again asked me to read, and I replied, "I do not know how to read," whereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it anymore. He then released me and asked me again to read, but again I replied, "I do not know how to read (or, what shall I read?)." Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me and then released me and said, "Read: In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists). Has created man from a clot. Read and Your Lord is Most Generous...up to.......that which he knew not." (96.15) Then Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned with the Inspiration, his neck muscles twitching with terror till he entered upon Khadija and said, "Cover me! Cover me!" They covered him till his fear was over and then he said, "O Khadija, what is wrong with me?" Then he told her everything that had happened and said, 'I fear that something may happen to me." Khadija said, 'Never! But have the glad tidings, for by Allah, Allah will never disgrace you as you keep good reactions with your Kith and kin, speak the truth, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guest generously and assist the deserving, calamityafflicted ones." Khadija then accompanied him to (her cousin) Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin ʿAbdul ʿUzza bin Qusai. Waraqa was the son of her paternal uncle, i.e., her father's brother, who during the Pre-Islamic Period became a Christian and used to write the Arabic writing and used to write of the Gospels in Arabic as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to him, "O my cousin! Listen to the story of your nephew." Waraqa asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" The Prophet ﷺ described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, "This is the same Namus (i.e., Gabriel, the Angel who keeps the secrets) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out." Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "Will they turn me out?" Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said: "Never did a man come with something similar to what you have brought but was treated with hostility. If I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly." But after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while and the Prophet ﷺ became so sad as we have heard that he intended several times to throw himself from the tops of high mountains and every time he went up the top of a mountain in order to throw himself down, Gabriel would appear before him and say, "O Muhammad! You are indeed Messenger of Allah ﷺ in truth" whereupon his heart would become quiet and he would calm down and would return home. And whenever the period of the coming of the inspiration used to become long, he would do as before, but when he used to reach the top of a mountain, Gabriel would appear before him and say to him what he had said before. (Ibn ʿAbbas said regarding the meaning of: 'He it is that Cleaves the daybreak (from the darkness)' (6.96) that Al-Asbah. means the light of the sun during the day and the light of the moon at night). (Using translation from Bukhārī 6982)
Sahih Ibn Hibban 34Sahih
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ أَيُّ الْقُرْآنِ أُنْزِلَ أَوَّلَ؟ قَالَ {يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ} قُلْتُ إِنِّي نُبِّئْتُ أَنَّ أَوَّلَ سُورَةٍ أُنْزِلَتْ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ {اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ}
✧ I asked Abu Salamah which part of the Qur'an was revealed first. He said, "{O you enveloped}." I said, "I have been informed that the first surah revealed from the Qur'an was {Read in the name of your Lord who created}."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 35Sahih
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ أَيُّ الْقُرْآنِ أُنْزِلَ أَوَّلَ؟ قَالَ {يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ} قُلْتُ أَوِ {اقْرَأْ} فَقَالَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ سَأَلْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ {يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ} فَقُلْتُ أَوِ {اقْرَأْ} فَقَالَ إِنِّي أُحَدِّثُكُمْ مَا
✧ I asked Abu Salama which chapter of the Quran was revealed first. He said, "O you who wraps himself [in clothing]!" I asked, "Or was it 'Recite'?" Then Abu Salama said, "I asked Jabir ibn Abdullah about that, and he said, 'O you who wraps himself [in clothing]!' I asked, 'Or was it 'Recite'?' He said, 'I inform you of what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ informed us. He said, 'I was near the Mount Hira for a month, and when I finished my stay, I descended and hid myself in the valley. Then I heard a voice calling me. I looked ahead, behind me, to my right, and to my left, but I did not see anyone. Then the voice called again, and I looked up to the sky. And behold, it was above the throne in the air. I was seized with severe trembling. I went to Khadijah and said to her, 'Cover me! Cover me!' So they covered me until the fear subsided. Then Allah revealed to me, 'O you who wraps himself [in clothing], arise and warn! And your Lord, exalt [i.e., praise] and purify your garments.'"
Sahih Ibn Hibban 36Sahih
«إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ الْأَمْرَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ضَرَبَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ بِأَجْنِحَتِهَا خُضْعَانًا لِقَوْلِهِ كَأَنَّهُ سِلْسِلَةٌ عَلَى صَفْوَانٍ حَتَّى إِذَا فُزِّعَ عَنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ قَالُوا مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ؟ فَيَقُولُونَ قَالَ الْحَقَّ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ فَيَسْتَمِعُهَا مُسْتَرِقُ السَّمْعِ فَرُبَّمَا أَدْرَكَهُ الشِّهَابُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْمِيَ بِهَا إِلَى الَّذِي هُوَ أَسْفَلُ مِنْهُ وَرُبَّمَا لَمْ يُدْرِكْهُ الشِّهَابُ حَتَّى يَرْمِيَ بِهَا إِلَى الَّذِي هُوَ أَسْفَلُ مِنْهُ
✧ When Allah decrees a matter in the heaven, the angels beat their wings in submission to His word, which is like a chain on a rock. Then when fear is removed from their hearts, they say, "What did your Lord say?" They say, "The truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great." Then the eavesdroppers hear it, and sometimes a meteor catches him before he can cast it down to the one below him, and sometimes the meteor does not catch him until he casts it down to the one below him.
Sahih Ibn Hibban 37Sahih
«إِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا تَكَلَّمَ بِالْوَحْيِ سَمِعَ أَهْلُ السَّمَاءِ لِلسَّمَاءِ صَلْصَلَةً كَجَرِّ السِّلْسِلَةِ عَلَى الصَّفَا فَيُصْعَقُونَ فَلَا يَزَالُونَ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُمْ جِبْرِيلُ فَإِذَا جَاءَهُمْ فُزِّعَ عَنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَيَقُولُونَ يَا جِبْرِيلُ مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ الْحَقَّ فَيُنَادُونَ الْحَقَّ الْحَقَّ»
✧ When Allah speaks the revelation, the inhabitants of the heaven hear from the heaven a sound like a chain being dragged on a rock, and they swoon. They remain like that until Jibril comes to them. When he comes, terror is removed from their hearts, and they say, "O Jibril, what did your Lord say?" He says, "The truth," and they call out, "The truth, the truth."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 38Sahih
أَنَّ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْيُ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي فِي مِثْلِ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَيَّ فَيَنْفَصِمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ مَا قَالَ وَأَحْيَانًا يَتَمَثَّلُ لِيَ الْمَلَكُ رَجُلًا فَيُكَلِّمُنِي فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ»
✧ Al-Harith b. Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "O Messenger of Allah, how does the revelation come to you?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, and that is the severest upon me; then it leaves me and I have retained what he said. And sometimes the angel appears to me in the form of a man and speaks to me, and I retain what he says."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 39No grade recorded
فِي قَوْلِهِ {لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ} قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُعَالِجُ مِنَ التَّنْزِيلِ شِدَّةً كَانَ يُحَرِّكُ شَفَتَيْهِ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ «أَنَا أُحَرِّكُهُمَا كَمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُحَرِّكُهُمَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ {لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمَعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ} قَالَ جَمْعُهُ فِي صَدْرِكَ ثُمَّ تَقْرَؤُهُ {فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ} قَالَ فَاسْتَمِعْ لَهُ وَأَنْصِتْ {ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ} ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ تَقْرَأَهُ
✧ The Prophet ﷺ used to treat the severity of the revelation by moving his lips. Ibn Abbas said, "I move my lips like the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to move his lips, and Allah revealed {Do not move your tongue to hasten it. Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation.} He said, 'Its collection is in your heart, then recite it [from memory],' and He said, {So when We have recited it [through Gabriel], then follow its recitation.} He said, 'Listen to it and pay attention,' and He said, {Then indeed, upon Us is its clarification [to you].' Then it is upon Us [Allah] to make you recite it."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 40No grade recorded
لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ {لَا يَسْتَوِي الْقَاعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «ادْعُ لِي زَيْدًا وَيَجِيءُ مَعَهُ بِاللَّوْحِ وَالدَّوَاةِ أَوْ بِالْكَتِفِ وَالدَّوَاةِ» ثُمَّ قَالَ «اكْتُبْ لَا يَسْتَوِي الْقَاعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ» قَالَ وَخَلْفَ ظَهْرِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ عَمْرُو بْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ الْأَعْمَى قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَمَا تَأْمُرُنِي فَإِنِّي رَجُلٌ ضَرِيرُ الْبَصَرِ؟ قَالَ الْبَرَاءُ فَأُنْزِلَتْ مَكَانَهَا {غَيْرَ أُولِي الضَّرَرِ}
✧ When {Not equal are those who sit among the believers} was revealed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Call Zayd for me and let him come with the tablet and the inkwell, or with the shoulder blade and the inkwell." Then he said, "Write: Not equal are those who sit among the believers and the mujahidun in the path of Allah." Behind the Prophet ﷺ was 'Amr b. Umm Maktum, the blind one. He said, "O Messenger of Allah, what do you command me, for I am a man blind of sight?" Al-Bara' said, "Then it was revealed in its place: {other than those having a disability}."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 41Sahih
«إِيتُونِي بِالْكَتِفِ أَوِ اللَّوْحِ» فَكَتَبَ {لَا يَسْتَوِي الْقَاعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} وَعَمْرُو بْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ خَلْفَ ظَهْرِهِ فَقَالَ هَلْ لِي مِنْ رُخْصَةٍ؟ فَنَزَلَتْ {غَيْرَ أُولِي الضَّرَرِ}
✧ "Bring me the shoulder blade or the tablet." He wrote: {Not equal are those who sit among the believers}, while 'Amr b. Umm Maktum was behind his back. He said, "Is there any concession for me?" Then {other than those having a disability} was revealed.
Sahih Ibn Hibban 42No grade recorded
لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ {لَا يَسْتَوِي الْقَاعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} دَعَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ زَيْدًا فَجَاءَ بِكَتِفٍ فَكَتَبَهَا فِيهِ فَشَكَا ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ ضَرَارَتَهُ فَنَزَلَتْ {غَيْرَ أُولِي الضَّرَرِ}
✧ I heard Al-Bara' saying, when this verse was revealed "Not equal are those believers who sit [at home] and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah," the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called Zaid and he came with a shoulder on which it was written. Ibn Umm Maktum complained of his disability's harm, so the verse "not [to be incurred] by those who have incurred [the obligation of] the discharge of a burden" was revealed.
قُلْتُ لِعُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ مَا حَمَلَكُمْ عَلَى أَنْ قَرَنْتُمْ بَيْنَ الْأَنْفَالِ وَبَرَاءَةَ وَبَرَاءَةُ مِنَ الْمِئِينَ وَالْأَنْفَالُ مِنَ الْمَثَانِي فَقَرَنْتُمْ بَيْنَهُمَا؟ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ كَانَ إِذَا نَزَلَتْ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ الْآيَةُ دَعَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بَعْضَ مَنْ يَكْتُبُ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ ضَعْهُ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَأُنْزِلَتِ الْأَنْفَالُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَبَرَاءَةُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ مِنْ آخِرِ الْقُرْآنِ فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ يُخْبِرْنَا أَيْنَ نَضَعُهَا فَوَجَدْتُ قِصَّتَهَا شَبِيهًا بِقِصَّةِ الْأَنْفَالِ فَقَرَنْتُ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَمْ نَكْتُبْ بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرَ «بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ» فَوَضَعْتُهَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطُّوَلِ
✧ I said to 'Uthman b. 'Affan, "What led you to put al-Anfal and Bara'ah together, when Bara'ah is among the mi'in and al-Anfal is among the mathani, and you joined them?" 'Uthman said, "When a verse of the Qur'an was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ would call one of the scribes and say to him, 'Put it in the surah in which such-and-such is mentioned.' Al-Anfal was revealed in Madinah, and Bara'ah was revealed in Madinah, being among the last of the Qur'an. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ died without telling us where to put it, but I found its story similar to the story of al-Anfal, so I joined them together, and we did not write between them the line 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.' I placed it among the seven long surahs."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 44Hasan sahih
أَتَاهُ رَجُلٌ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ كَمِ انْقَطَعَ الْوَحْيُ عَنْ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ؟ فَقَالَ مَا سَأَلَنِي عَنْ هَذَا أَحَدٌ مُذْ وَعَيْتُهَا مِنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ «لَقَدْ قُبِضَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَهُوَ أَكْثَرُ مِمَّا كَانَ»
✧ A man came to him while I was listening and said, "O Abu Bakr, how long was the revelation cut off from the Prophet of Allah ﷺ before his death?" He said, "No one has asked me about this since I heard it from Anas b. Malik." Anas b. Malik said, "He was taken from this world while it was more frequent than it had been."