Muhammad b. Isma'il al-Bukhari said sixty-three is the commonest statement. `A'isha said: The first revelation God's messenger received was the true vision in sleep, and every vision he saw came like the bright gleam of dawn. He then became fond of solitude and would go alone to the cave on Hira where he would engage in tahannuth, which means worship for a number of nights, before feeling a yearning for his family. He would take provisions for that purpose, then he would return to Khadija and get provisions for a like period, till the truth came to him when he was in the cave on Hira. The angel came to him and said, `Recite,'[1] to which he replied, "I am not a reciter." He said, "He then took me and squeezed me till I was distressed, after which he let me go and said, `Recite.' When I replied, `I am not a reciter,' he took me and squeezed me a second time till I was distressed, then letting me go he said, `Recite;' When I replied, "I am not a reciter,' he took me and squeezed me a third time till I was distressed. He 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 the pen, taught man what he did not know.' "[2]
God's messenger came back with the verses, his heart trembling, and went in to Khadija and, said "Wrap me up, wrap me up." So, they wrapped him up till the terror had left him. He then spoke to Khadija and informed her of what had happened, saying, "I fear for myself." She replied, "By no means! I swear by God that God will never shame you. You join ties of relationship, you speak the truth, you bear people's burdens, you give to the destitute, you entertain guests, and you help against the vicissitudes which affect people's rights." Khadija then took him to Waraqa b. Naufal, her paternal cousin, and said to him, "Listen, cousin, to what your nephew has to say." Waraqa said to him, "Son of my brother, what do you see?'' God's messenger then informed him about what he had seen and Waraqa said, "It is the namus[3] which God sent down to Moses. Would that I were a young man during your prophetic career! Would that I might be alive when your people expel you!" God's messenger asked, "Will they expel me?'' and he replied, "Yes; no man has ever brought anything like what you have brought without meeting hostility. If I see your day, I shall give you strong help."Waraqa died soon afterwards, and there was an intermission in the inspiration.
1. The word iqra means either "recite" or "read". The former is to be preferred here.
2. Quran; 96:1-5.
3. This word is most likely derived from the Greek nomos (law). It indicates the revelation of scripture in the form of a divine law such as that given to Moses. "The suggestion may also have been present that Muhammad should be the founder or legislator of a community" (W. M. Watt, Muhammad at Mecca, Oxford, 1953, p. 51).
(Bukhari and Muslim.) Bukhari added: so that the Prophet (ﷺ) was grieved, as we have heard, and on that account went out in the morning several times to throw himself down from the heights of the mountain; but as often as he reached the summit of a mountain to throw himself from it, Gabriel appeared to him and said, "Muhammad, you are truly God's messenger." On that account his turmoil would then quieten and he would feel at ease.
وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ أَوَّلُ مَا بُدِئَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ الْوَحْيِ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّادِقَةُ فِي النَّوْمِ فَكَانَ لَا يَرَى رُؤْيَا إِلَّا جَاءَتْ مِثْلَ فَلَقِ الصُّبْحِ ثُمَّ حُبِّبَ إليهِ الخَلاءُ وكانَ يَخْلُو بغارِ حِراءٍ فيتحنَّثُ فِيهِ وَهُوَ التَّعَبُّدُ اللَّيَالِيَ ذَوَاتِ الْعَدَدِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْزِعَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ وَيَتَزَوَّدَ لِذَلِكَ ثُمَّ يَرْجِعَ إِلَى خَدِيجَةَ فَيَتَزَوَّدَ لِمِثْلِهَا حَتَّى جَاءَهُ الْحَقُّ وَهُوَ فِي غَارِ حِرَاءٍ فَجَاءَهُ الْمَلَكُ فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ قَالَ فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدُ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ 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 الْجهد ثمَّ أَرْسلنِي فَقَالَ [اقرَأْ باسمِ ربِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لم يعلم] فَرجع بِهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَرْجُفُ فُؤَادُهُ فَدَخَلَ عَلَى خَدِيجَةَ فَقَالَ زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي فَزَمَّلُوهُ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الرَّوْعُ فَقَالَ لخديجةَ وأخبرَها الخبرَ لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي فَقَالَتْ خَدِيجَةُ كَلَّا وَاللَّهِ لَا يُخْزِيكَ اللَّهُ أَبَدًا إِنَّكَ لَتَصِلُ الرَّحِمَ وَتَصْدُقُ الْحَدِيثَ وَتَحْمِلُ الْكَلَّ وَتَكْسِبُ الْمَعْدُومَ وتقْرِي الضيفَ وَتُعِينُ عَلَى نَوَائِبِ الْحَقِّ ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَتْ بِهِ خَدِيجَةُ إِلَى وَرَقَةَ بْنِ نَوْفَلٍ ابْنِ عَمِّ خَدِيجَةَ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ يَا ابْنَ عَمِّ اسْمَعْ مِنِ ابْنِ أَخِيكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ وَرَقَةُ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي مَاذَا تَرَى فَأَخْبَرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَبَرَ مَا رَأَى فَقَالَ وَرَقَةُ هَذَا هُوَ النَّامُوسُ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى مُوسَى يَا لَيْتَنِي فِيهَا جَذَعًا يَا لَيْتَنِي أَكُونُ حَيًّا إِذْ يُخْرِجُكَ قَوْمُكَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَوَ مُخْرِجِيَّ هُمْ قَالَ نَعَمْ لَمْ يَأْتِ رَجُلٌ قَطُّ بِمِثْلِ مَا جِئْتَ بِهِ إِلَّا عُودِيَ وَإِنْ يُدْرِكْنِي يَوْمُكَ أَنْصُرُكَ نَصْرًا مُؤَزَّرًا ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنْشَبْ وَرَقَةُ أَنْ تُوَفِّيَ وَفَتَرَ الوحيُ مُتَّفق عَلَيْهِوَزَادَ الْبُخَارِيُّ حَتَّى حَزِنَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِيمَا بَلَغَنَا حُزْنًا غَدَا مِنْهُ مرَارًا كي يتردَّى منْ رؤوسِ شَوَاهِقِ الْجَبَلِ فَكُلَّمَا أَوْفَى بِذِرْوَةِ جَبَلٍ لِكَيْ يُلْقِيَ نَفْسَهُ مِنْهُ تَبَدَّى لَهُ جِبْرِيلُ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ حَقًّا فَيَسْكُنُ لذلكَ جأشُه وتقرُّ نفسُه