MUHAMMAD(SAWS) OUR BELOVED MESSENGER

MUHAMMAD'S (SAWS) BIRTH AND LIFE LEADING TO HIS PROPHETHOOD

HIS BIRTH:

Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the Master of Prophets, was born in Bani Hashim lane in Makkah

on Monday morning, the twelveth of Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, the same year of the Elephant Event, and forty

years of the reign of Kisra (Khosru Nushirwan), i.e. the twentieth or twenty-second of April, 571

A.D., according to the scholar Muhammad Sulaimân Al-Mansourpuri, and the astrologer Mahmûd

Pasha.

Ibn Sa‘d reported that Muhammad’s mother said: “When he was born, there was a light that issued

out of my pudendum and lit the palaces of Syria.” Ahmad reported on the authority of ‘Arbadh bin

Sariya something similar to this.

It was but controversially reported that significant precursors accompanied his birth: fourteen

galleries of Kisra’s palace cracked and rolled down, the Magians’ sacred fire died down and some

churches on Lake Sawa sank down and collapsed.

His mother immediately sent someone to inform his grandfather ‘Abdul-Muttalib of the happy event.

Happily he came to her, carried him to Al-Ka‘bah, prayed to Allâh and thanked Him. ‘Abdul-Muttalib

called the baby Muhammad, a name not then common among the Arabs. He circumcised him on his

seventh day as was the custom of the Arabs.

The first woman who suckled him after his mother was Thuyebah, the concubine of Abu Lahab, with

her son, Masrouh. She had suckled Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib before and later Abu Salamah bin

‘Abd Al-Asad Al-Makhzumi.

BABYHOOD:

It was the general custom of the Arabs living in towns to send their children away to bedouin wet

nurses so that they might grow up in the free and healthy surroundings of the desert whereby they

would develop a robust frame and acquire the pure speech and manners of the bedouins, who were

noted both for chastity of their language and for being free from those vices which usually develop

in sedentary societies.

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was later entrusted to Haleemah bint Abi Dhuaib from Bani Sa‘d

bin Bakr. Her husband was Al-Harith bin ‘Abdul ‘Uzza called Abi Kabshah, from the same tribe.

Muhammad (Peace be upon him) had several foster brothers and sisters, ‘Abdullah bin Al-Harith,

Aneesah bint Al-Harith, Hudhafah or Judhamah bint Al-Harith (known as Ash-Shayma’), and she

used to nurse the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and Abu Sufyan bin Al-Harith bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib,

the Prophet’s cousin. Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib, the Prophet’s uncle, was suckled by the same two

wet nurses, Thuyeba and Haleemah As-Sa‘diyah, who suckled the Prophet (Peace be upon him).

Traditions delightfully relate how Haleemah and the whole of her household were favoured by

successive strokes of good fortune while the baby Muhammad (Peace be upon him) lived under her

care. Ibn Ishaq states that Haleemah narrated that she along with her husband and a suckling babe,

set out from her village in the company of some women of her clan in quest of children to suckle.

She said:

It was a year of drought and famine and we had nothing to eat. I rode on a brown she-ass. We also

had with us an old she-camel. By Allâh we could not get even a drop of milk. We could not have a

wink of sleep during the night for the child kept crying on account of hunger. There was not enough

milk in my breast and even the she-camel had nothing to feed him. We used to constantly pray for

rain and immediate relief. At length we reached Makkah looking for children to suckle. Not even a

single woman amongst us accepted the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) offered to her. As

soon as they were told that he was an orphan, they refused him. We had fixed our eyes on the

reward that we would get from the child’s father. An orphan! What are his grandfather and mother

likely to do? So we spurned him because of that. Every woman who came with me got a suckling

and when we were about to depart, I said to my husband: “By Allâh, I do not like to go back along

with the other women without any baby. I should go to that orphan and I must take him.” He said,

“There is no harm in doing so and perhaps Allâh might bless us through him.” So I went and took

him because there was simply no other alternative left for me but to take him. When I lifted him in

my arms and returned to my place I put him on my breast and to my great surprise, I found enough

milk in it. He drank to his heart’s content, and so did his foster brother and then both of them went

to sleep although my baby had not been able to sleep the previous night. My husband then went to

the she-camel to milk it and, to his astonishment, he found plenty of milk in it. He milked it and we

drank to our fill, and enjoyed a sound sleep during the night. The next morning, my husband said:

“By Allâh Haleemah, you must understand that you have been able to get a blessed child.” And I

replied: “By the grace of Allâh, I hope so.”

The tradition is explicit on the point that Haleemah’s return journey and her s ubsequent life, as long

as the Prophet (Peace be upon him)stayed with her, was encircled with a halo of good fortune. The

donkey that she rode when she came to Makkah was lean and almost foundered; it recovered speed

much to the amazement of Haleemah’s fellow travellers. By the time they reached the

encampments in the country of the clan of Sa‘d, they found the scales of fortune turned in their

favour. The barren land sprouted forth luxuriant grass and beasts came back to them satisfied and

full of milk. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) stayed with Haleemah for two years until he was

weaned as Haleemah said:

We then took him back to his mother requesting her earnestly to have him stay with us and benefit

by the good fortune and blessings he had brought us. We persisted in our request which we

substantiated by our anxiety over the child catching a certain infection peculiar to Makkah. At last,

we were granted our wish and the Prophet (Peace be upon him) stayed with us until he was four or

five years of age.

When, as related by Anas in Sahih Muslim, Gabriel came down and ripped his chest open and took

out the heart. He then extracted a blood-clot out of it and said: “That was the part of Satan in thee.”

And then he washed it with the water of Zamzam in a gold basin. After that the heart was joined

together and restored to its place. The boys and playmates came running to his mother, i.e. his

nurse, and said: “Verily, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has been murdered.” They all rushed

towards him and found him all right only his face was white.

BACK TO HIS COMPASSIONATE MOTHER:

After this event, Haleemah was worried about the boy and returned him to his mother with whom

he stayed until he was six.

In respect of the memory of her late husband, Amina decided to visit h is grave in Yathrib (Madinah).

She set out to cover a journey of 500 kilometers with her orphan boy, woman servant Umm Ayman

and her father-in-law ‘Abdul-Muttalib. She spent a month there and then took her way back to

Makkah. On the way, she had a severe illness and died in Abwa on the road between Makkah and

Madinah.

BACK TO HIS COMPASSIONATE GRANDFATHER:

‘Abdul-Muttalib brought the boy to Makkah. He had warm passions towards the boy, his orphan

grandson, whose recent disaster (his mother’s death) added more to the pains of the past. ‘Abdul-

Muttalib was more passionate with his grandson than with his own children. He never left the boy a

prey to loneliness, but always preferred him to his own kids. Ibn Hisham reported: A mattress was

put in the shade of Al-Ka‘bah for ‘Abdul-Muttalib. His children used to sit around that mattress in

honour to their father, but Muhammad (Peace be upon him) used to sit on it. His uncles would take

him back, but if ‘Abdul-Muttalib was present, he would say: “Leave my grandson. I swear by Allâh

that this boy will hold a significant position.” He used to seat the boy on his mattress, pat his back

and was always pleased with what the boy did.

When Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was eight years, two months and ten days old, his

grandfather ‘Abdul-Muttalib passed away in Makkah. The charge of the Prophet (Peace be upon him)

was now passed on to his uncle Abu Talib, who was the brother of the Prophet’s father.

Abu Talib tookthe charge of his nephew in the best way. He put him with his children and preferred

him to them. He singled the boy out with great respect and high esteem. Abu Talib remained for

forty years cherishing his nephew and extending all possible protection and support to him. His

relations with the others were determined in the light of the treatment they showed to the Prophet

(Peace be upon him).

Ibn ‘Asakir reported on the authority of Jalhamah bin ‘Arfuta who said: “I came to Makkah when it

was a rainless year, so Quraish said ‘O Abu Talib, the valley has become leafless and the children

hungry, let us go and pray for rain-fall.’ Abu Talib went to Al-Ka‘bah with a young boy who was as

beautiful as the sun, and a black cloud was over his head. Abu Talib and the boy stood by the wall of

Al-Ka‘bah and prayed for rain. Immediately clouds from all directions gathered and rain fell heavily

and caused the flow of springs and growth of plants in the town and the country.

BAHIRA, THE MONK:

When the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) was twelve years old, he went with his u ncle Abu

Talib on a business journey to Syria. When they reached Busra (which was a part of Syria, in the

vicinity of Howran under the Roman domain) they met a monk called Bahira (his real name was

Georges), who showed great kindness, and entertained them lavishly. He had never been in the

habit of receiving or entertaining them before. He readily enough recognized the Prophet (Peace be

upon him) and said while taking his hand: “This is the master of all humans. Allâh will send him with

a Message which will be a mercy to all beings.” Abu Talib asked: “How do you know that?” He

replied: “When you appeared from the direction of ‘Aqabah, all stones and trees prostrated

themselves, which they never do except for a Prophet. I can recognize him also by the seal of

Prophethood which is below his shoulder, like an apple. We have got to learn this from our books.”

He also asked Abu Talib to send the boy back to Makkah and not to take him to Syria for fear of the

Jews. Abu Talib obeyed and sent him back to Makkah with some of his men servants.

THE ‘SACRILIGIOUS' WARS:

Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was hardly fifteen when the ‘sacrilegious’ wars — which continued

with varying fortunes and considerable loss of human life for a number of years — broke out

between Quraish and Banu Kinana on the one side and Qais ‘Ailan tribe on the other. It was thus

called because the inviolables were made violable, the prohibited months being included. Harb bin

Omaiyah, on account of his outstanding position and honourable descent, used to be the leader of

Quraish and their allies. In one of those battles, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) attended on his

uncles but did not raise arms against their opponents. His efforts were confined to picking up the

arrows of the enemy as they fell, and handing them over to his uncles.

ALFUDOUL CONFEDERACY:

At the conclusion of these wars, when peace was restored, people felt the need for forming

confederacy at Makkah for suppressing violence and injustice, and vindicating the rights of the weak

and the destitute. Representatives of Banu Hashim, Banu Al-Muttalib, Asad bin ‘Abd Al-‘Uzza,

Zahrah bin Kilab and Taim bin Murra were called to meet in the habitation of an honourable elderly

man called ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an At-Taimy to enter into a confederacy that would provide for the

above-mentioned items. The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) shortly after he had been

honoured with the ministry of Prophethood, witnessed this league and commented on it, with very

positive words: “I witnessed a confederacy in the house of ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an. It was more

appealing to me than herds of cattle. Even now in the period of Islam I would respond positively to

attending such a meeting if I were invited."

In fact, the spirit of this confederacy and the course of deliberations therein marked a complete

departure from the pre-Islamic tribal-pride. The story that led to its convention says that a man

from Zubaid clan came as a merchant to Makkah where he sold some commodities to Al-‘As bin Wail

As-Sahmy. The latter by hook or by crook tried to evade paying for the goods. The salesman sought

help from the different clans in Quraish but they paid no heed to his earnest pleas. He then resorted

to a mountain top and began, at the top of his voice, to recite verses of complaint giving account of

the injustices he sustained. Az-Zubair bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib heard of him and made inquiries into the

matter. Consequently, the parties to the aforesaid confederacy convened their meeting and

managed to force Az-Zubaidy’s money out of Al-‘As bin Wa’il.

MUHAMMAD'S EARLY JOB:

Muhammad (Peace be upon him), had no particular job at his early youth, but it was reported that

he worked as a shepherd for Bani Sa‘d and in Makkah. At the age of 25, he went to Syria as a

merchant for Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) Ibn Ishaq reported that Khadijah, daughter

of Khwailid was a business-woman of great honour and fortune. She used to employ men to do her

business for a certain percentage of the profits. Quraish people were mostly tradespeople, so when

Khadijah was informed of Muhammad (Peace be upon him), his truthful words, great honesty and

kind manners, she sent for him. She offered him money to go to Syria and do her business, and she

would give him a higher rate than the others. She would also send her hireling, Maisarah, with him.

He agreed and went with her servant to Syria for trade.

HIS MARRIEAGE TO KHADIJAH:

When he returned to Makkah, Khadijah noticed, in her money, more profits and blessings than she

used to. Her hireling also told her of Muhammad’s good manners, honesty, deep thought, sincerity

and faith. She realized that she homed at her target. Many prominent men had asked for her hand

in marriage but she always spurned their advances. She disclosed her wish to her friend Nafisa,

daughter of Maniya, who immediately went to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and broke the good

news to him. He agreed and requested his uncles to go to Khadijah’s uncle and talk on this issue.

Subsequently, they were married. The marriage contract was witnessed by Bani Hashim and the

heads of Mudar. This took place after the Prophet’s return from Syria. He gave her twenty camels as

dowry. She was, then, forty years old and was considered as the best woman of her folk in lineage,

fortune and wisdom. She was the first woman whom the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him)

married. He did not get married to any other until she had died.

Khadijah bore all his children, except Ibrahim: Al-Qasim, Zainab, Ruqaiyah, Umm Kulthum, Fatimah

and ‘Abdullah who was called Taiyib and Tahir. All his sons died in their childhood and all the

daughters except Fatimah died during his lifetime. Fatimah died six months after his death. All his

daughters witnessed Islam, embraced it, and emigrated to Madinah.

REBUILDING AL-KA'BAH AND THE ARBITRATION ISSUE:

When the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) was thirty five, Quraish started rebuilding Al-

Ka‘bah. That was because it was a low building of white stones no more than 6.30 metres high, from

the days of Ishmael. It was also roofless and that gave the thieves easy access to its treasures

inside. It was also exposed to the wearing factors of nature — because it was built a long time ago

— that weakened and cracked its walls. Five years before Prophethood, there was a great flood in

Makkah that swept towards Al-Ka‘bah and almost demolished it. Quraish was obliged to rebuild it to

safeguard its holiness and position. The chiefs of Quraish decided to use only licit money in

rebuilding Al-Ka‘bah, so all money that derived from harlotry, usury or unjust practices was

excluded. They were, at first, too awed to knock down the wall, but Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah Al-

Mukhzumi started the work. Seeing that no harm had happened to him, the others participated in

demolishing the walls until they reached the basis laid by Abraham. When they started rebuilding its

walls, they divided the work among the tribes. Each tribe was responsible for rebuilding a part of it.

The tribes collected stones and startwork. The man who laid the stones was a Roman mason called

Baqum. The work went on in harmony till the time came to put the sacred Black Stone in its proper

place. Then strife broke out among the chiefs, and lasted for four or five days, each contesting for

the honour of placing the stone in its position. Daggers were on the point of being drawn and great

bloodshed seemed imminent. Luckily, the oldest among the chiefs Abu Omaiyah bin Mugheerah Al-

Makhzumi made a proposal which was accepted by all. He said: “Let him, who enters the Sanctuary

first of all, decide on the point.” It was then Allâh’s Will that the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon

him) should be the first to enter the Mosque. On seeing him, all the people on the scene, cried with

one voice: “Al-Ameen (the trustworthy) has come. We are content to abide by his decision.” Calm

and self-possessed, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) received the commission and at once resolved

upon an expedient which was to conciliate them all. He asked for a mantle which he spread on the

ground and placed the stone in its centre. He then asked the representatives of the different clans

among them, to lift the stone all together. When it had reached the proper place, Muhammad

(Peace be upon him) laid it in the proper position with his own hands. This is how a very tense

situation was eased and a grave danger averted by the wisdom of the Prophet (Peace be upon him).

Quraish ran short of the licit money, they collected, so they eliminated six yards area on the

northern side of Al-Ka‘bah which is called Al-Hijr or Al-Hateem. They raised its door two metres from

the level ground to let in only the people whom they desired. When the structure was fifteen yards

high they erected the roof which rested on six columns.

When the building of Al-Ka‘bah had finished, it assumed a square form fifteen metres high. The side

with the Black Stone and the one opposite were ten metres long each. The Black Stone was 1.50

metre from the circumambulation level ground. The two other sides were twelve metres long each.

The door was two metres high from the level ground. A building structure of 0.25 metre high and

0.30 metre wide on the average surrounded Al-Ka‘bah. It was called Ash-Shadherwan, originally an

integral part of the Sacred Sanctuary, but Quraish left it out.

A RAPID REVIEW OF MUHAMMAD'S BIOGRAPHY BEFORE COMMISSIONING OF THE

PROPHETHOOD:

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was, in his youth, a combination of the best social

attributes. He was an exemplary man of weighty mind and faultless insight. He was favoured with

intelligence, originality of thought and accurate choice of the means leading to accurate goals. His

long silence helped favourably in his habit of meditation and deep investigation into the truth. His

vivid mind and pure nature were helpfully instrumental in assimilating and comprehending ways of

life and people, individual and community-wise. He shunned superstitious practices but took an

active part in constructive and useful dealings, otherwise, he would have recourse to his selfconsecrated

solitude. He kept himself aloof from drinking wine, eating meat slaughtered on stone

altars, or attending idolatrous festivals. He held the idols in extreme aversion and most abhorrence.

He could never tolerate someone swearing by Al-Lat and Al-‘Uzza. Allâh’s providence, no doubts,

detached him from all abominable or evil practices. Even when he tried to obey his instinct to enjoy

some life pleasures or follow some irrespectable traditions, Allâh’s providence intervened to curb any

lapse in this course. Ibn Al-Atheer reported Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as saying: “I have

never tried to do what my people do except for two times. Every time Allâh intervened and checked

me from doing so and I never did that again. Once I told my fellow-shepherd to take care of my

sheep when we were in the upper part of Makkah. I wanted to go down to Makkah and entertain

myself as the young men did. I went down to the first house of Makkah where I heard music. I

entered and asked: ‘What is this?’ Someone answered: ‘It is a wedding party.’ I sat down and

listened but soon went into deep sleep. I was awakened by the heat of the sun. I went back to my

fellow-shepherd and told him of what had happened to me. I have never tried it again.”

Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Jabir bin ‘Abdullah that he said: “While the people were

rebuilding Al-Ka‘bah, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) went with ‘Abbas to carry some

stones. ‘Abbas said: ‘Put your loincloth round your neck to protect you from the stones.’ (As he did

that) the Prophet (Peace be upon him) fell to the ground and his eyes turned skyward. Later on he

woke up and shouted: ‘My loincloth... my loincloth.’ He wrapped himself in his loincloth.” In another

report: “His loins were never seen afterwards.”

The authorities agree in ascribing to the youth of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) modesty of

deportment, virtuous behaviour and graceful manners. He proved himself to be the ideal of

manhood, and to possess a spotless character. He was the most obliging to his compatriots, the

most honest in his talk and the mildest in temper. He was the most gentle-hearted, chaste,

hospitable and always impressed people by his piety-inspiring countenance. He was the most

truthful and the best to keep covenant. His fellow-citizens, by common consent, gave him the title of

Al-‘Ameen (trustworthy). The Mother of believers, Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) once

said: He unites uterine relations, he helps the poor and the needy, he entertains the guests and

endures hardships in the path of truthfulness.

IN THE SHADE OF THE MESSAGE AND PROPHETHOOD

IN THE CAVE HIRA:

When Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was nearly forty, he had been wont to pass long

hours in retirement meditating and speculating over all aspects of creation around him. This

meditative temperament helped to widen the mental gap between him and his compatriots. He used

to provide himself with Sawiq (barley porridge) and water and then directly head for the hills and

ravines in the neighbourhood of Makkah. One of these in particular was his favourite resort — a

cave named Hira’, in the Mount An-Nour. It was only two miles from Makkah, a small cave 4 yards

long and 1.75 yard wide. He would always go there and invite wayfarers to share him his modest

provision. He used to devote most of his time, and Ramadan in particular, to worship and meditation

on the universe around him. His heart was restless about the moral evils and idolatry that were

rampant among his people; he was as yet helpless because no definite course, or specific approach

had been available for him to follow and rectify the ill practices around him. This solitude attended

with this sort of contemplative approach must be understood in its Divine perspective. It was a

preliminary stage to the period of grave responsibilities that he was to shoulder very soon.

Privacy and detachment from the impurities of life were two indispensable prerequisites for the

Prophet’s soul to come into close communion with the Unseen Power that lies behind all aspects of

existence in this infinite universe. It was a rich period of privacy which lasted for three years and

ushered in a new era, of indissoluble contact with that Power.

GAGRIEL BRINGS DOWN THE REVELATION:

When he was forty, the age of complete perfection at which Prophets were always ordered to

disclose their Message, signs of his Prophethood started to appear and twinkle on the horizons of

life; they were the true visions he used to experience for six months. The period of Prophethood was

23 years; so the period of these six months of true visions constituted an integral part of the fortysix

parts of Prophethood. In Ramadan, in his third year of solitude in the cave of Hira’, Allâh’s Will

desired His mercy to flow on earth and Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was honoured with

Prophethood, and the light of Revelation burst upon him with some verses of the Noble Qur’ân.

As for the exact date, careful investigation into circumstantial evidence and relevant clues point

directly to Monday, 21st. Ramadan at night, i.e. Au, 10, 610 A.D. with Prophet Muhammad (Peace

be upon him) exactly 40 years, 6 months and 12 days of age, i.e. 39 Gregorian years, 3 months and

22 days.

‘Aishah, the veracious, gave the following narration of that most significant event that brought the

Divine light which would dispel the darkness of disbelief and ignorance. It led life down a new course

and brought about the most serious amendment to the line of the history of mankind:

Forerunners of the Revelation assumed the form of true visions that would strikingly come true all

the time. After that, solitude became dear to him and he would go to the cave, Hira’, to engage in

Tahannuth (devotion) there for a certain number of nights before returning to his family, and then

he would return for provisions for a similar stay. At length, unexpectedly, the Truth (the angel)

came to him and said, “Recite.” “I cannot recite,” he [Muhammad (Peace be upon him)] said. The

Prophet (Peace be upon him) described: “Then he took me and squeezed me vehemently and then

let me go and repeated the order ‘Recite.’ ‘I cannot recite’ said I, and once again he squeezed me

and let me till I was exhausted. Then he said: ‘Recite.’ I said ‘I cannot recite.’ He squeezed me for a

third time and then let me go and said:

· “Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists), has created man from

a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! and your Lord is the Most Generous.’”

[96:1-3]

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) repeated these verses. He was trembling with fear. At this stage,

he came back to his wife Khadijah, and said, “Cover me, ... cover me.” They covered him until he

restored security. He apprised Khadijah of the incident of the cave and added that he was horrified.

His wife tried to soothe him and reassured him saying, “Allâh will never disgrace you. You unite

uterine relations; you bear the burden of the weak; you help the poor and the needy, you entertain

the guests and endure hardships in the path of truthfulness.”

She set out with the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to her cousin Waraqa bin Nawfal bin Asad bin

‘Abd Al-‘Uzza, who had embraced Christianity in the pre-Islamic period, and used to write the Bible

in Hebrew. He was a blind old man. Khadijah said: “My cousin! Listen to your nephew!” Waraqa

said: “O my nephew! What did you see?” The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) told him what

had happened to him. Waraqa replied: “This is ‘Namus’ i.e. (the angel who is entrusted with Divine

Secrets) that Allâh sent to Moses. I wish I were younger. I wish I could live up to the time when

your people would turn you out.” Muhammad (Peace be upon him) asked: “Will they drive me out?”

Waraqa answered in the affirmative and said: “Anyone who came with something similar to what

you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should be alive till that day, then I would

support you strongly.” A few days later Waraqa died and the revelation also subsided.

At-Tabari and Ibn Hisham reported that the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) left the cave of

Hira’ after being surprised by the Revelation, but later on, returned to the cave and continued his

solitude. Afterwards, he came back to Makkah. At-Tabari reported on this incident, saying:

After mentioning the coming of the Revelation, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) said: “I

have never abhorred anyone more than a poet or a mad man. I can not stand looking at either of

them. I will never tell anyone of Quraish of my Revelation. I will climb a mountain and throw myself

down and die. That will relieve me. I went to do that but halfway up the mountain, I heard a voice

from the sky saying ‘O Muhammad! You are the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) and I am

Gabriel.’ I looked upwards and saw Gabriel in the form of a man putting his legs on the horizon. He

said: ‘O Muhammad You are the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) and I am Gabriel.’ I

stopped and looked at him. His sight distracted my attention from what I had intended to do. I

stood in my place transfixed. I tried to shift my eyes away from him. He was in every direction I

looked at. I stopped in my place without any movement until Khadijah sent someone to look for me.

He went down to Makkah and came back while I was standing in the same place. Gabriel then left,

and I went back home. I found Khadijah at home, so I sat very close to her. She asked: ‘Father of

Al-Qasim! Where have you been? I sent someone to look for you. He went to Makkah and returned

to me.’ I told her of what I had seen. She replied: ‘It is a propitious sign, O my husband. Pull

yourself together, I swear by Allâh that you are a Messenger for this nation.’ Then she stood up and

went to Waraqa and informed him. Waraqa said: ‘I swear by Allâh that he has received the same

Namus, i.e. angel that was sent to Moses. He is the Prophet of this nation. Tell him to be patient.’

She came back to him and told him of Waraqa’s words. When the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be

upon him) finished his solitary stay and went down to Makkah, he went to Waraqa, who told him:

‘You are the Prophet of this nation. I swear by Allâh that you have received the same angel that was

sent to Moses.’”

INTERRUPION OF REVELATION:

Ibn Sa‘d reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas that the Revelation paused for a few days.After

careful study, this seems to be the most possible. To say that it lasted for three and a half years, as

some scholars allege, is not correct, but here there is no room to go into more details.

Meanwhile, the Prophet (Peace be upon him), was caught in a sort of depression coupled with

astonishment and perplexity. Al-Bukhari reported:

The Divine inspiration paused for a while and the Prophet (Peace be upon him) 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 Allâh’s Messenger in truth,” whereupon

his heart would become quiet and he would calm down and return home. Whenever the period of

the coming of the Revelation used to become long, he would do as before, but Gabriel would appear

again before him and say to him what he had said before.

ONCE, GABRIEL BRINGS ALLAH'S REVELATION:

Ibn Hajar said: ‘That (the pause of Allâh’s revelation for a few days) was to relieve the Messenger of

Allâh (Peace be upon him) of the fear he experienced and to make him long for the Revelation.

When the shades of puzzle receded, the flags of truth were raised, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be

upon him) knew for sure that he had become the Messenger of the Great Lord. He was also certain

that what had come to him was no more than the ambassador of inspiration. His waiting and longing

for the coming of the revelation constituted a good reason for his steadfastness and self-possession

on the arrival of Allâh’s inspiration, Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Jabir bin ‘Abdullah that

he had heard the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) speak about the period of pause as

follows:

“While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up, and surely enough, it was the same

angel who had visited me in the cave of Hira’. He was sitting on a chair between the earth and the

sky. I was very afraid of him and knelt on the ground. I went home saying: ‘Cover me …, Cover me

…’. Allâh revealed to me the verses:

· ‘O you [Muhammad (Peace be upon him)] enveloped (in garments)! Arise and warn! And

your Lord (Allâh) magnify! And your garments purify! And keep away from Ar-Rujz (the

idols)!’” [74:1-5]

After that the revelation started coming strongly, frequently and regularly.

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THE SEVEN GATES OF MONCKS CORNER

Writings of Cheikh Mustafa

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