Author: Seyyed Abulhasan Nadavi
Blessed Be the Prophecy!
One day, while the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, was staying in Hira, the promised day of his mission arrived, it was the 17th of Ramadan, equal to 6th of August 610 AD.
The Holy Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was in his 41st years of age. The Gabriel, Angel of Revelation Appeared, while the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was in his full wakefulness and alertness. The revelation angel said to Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him “Read!” The Prophet said: I am not able to Read. The prophet peace be upon him said that Gabriel the angel of revelation held and pressed him so tightly that Prophet peace be upon him felt pain, then he released him and said for the second time; Read!
The prophet peace and blessing of Almighty Allah be upon him said that he could not read. Gabriel, the angel of revelation took and held tightly the prophet peace be upon him in his arms that he felt pain, then he let him go and said: Read!
The prophet peace be upon him said he did not have the power to read. The angel took hold of him for the third time and pressed me tightly, then released him and said:
) [96:1] Al-‘Alaq-الْعَلَق (
“اِقراۡ بِاسمِ رَبِّکَ الَّذِی خَلَقَ ۚ﴿۱﴾ “خَلَقَ الانسَانَ مِن عَلَقٍ ۚ﴿۲﴾”اِقرَا وَ رَبُّکَ الاَکرَمُ ۙ﴿۳﴾”الَّذِیۡ عَلَّمَ بِالقَلَمِ ۙ﴿۴﴾”عَلَّمَ الاِنسَانَ مَا لَم یَعلَمۡ ؕ﴿۵﴾
(O Beloved!) Read (commencing) with the Name of Allah, who has created (everything).
He created man from a hanging mass (clinging) like a leech (to the mother’s womb).
Read, and your Lord is Most Generous,
Who taught man (reading and writing) by the pen,
Who (besides that) taught man (all that) which he did not know. [Or] – Who imparted to (the most eminent of) mankind (the chosen Prophet Muhammad [blessings and peace be upon him] without using any pen) the whole knowledge that he was not aware of before.
And that day was the first day of prophet hood of the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, and this revelation was the first revelation of the Holy Qur’an.