The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 155
IV - Early Life 155 dawned upon Muḥammad sa , which are mentioned to have lasted for a period of six months. 1 It was as if the primary stage of the prophethood of the Holy Prophet sa. Therefore, Ḥaḍrat ‘ Ā’ishah ra narrates: اَوَّل ُ مَا بُدِیٴ َ بِه ٖ رَسُوْل ُ اللّٰه ِ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ و َ اٰلِه ٖ وَسَلَّم َ مِن َ الْوَحْی ِ اَلرُّوٴْیَا الصَّالِحَة ُ فِی ْ النَّوْمِ. وَكَان َ لَا یَرٰی رُوٴْیًا اِلَّا جَاءَت ْ مِثْل َ فَلَق ِ الصُّبْح ِ وَحُبِّب َ اِلَیْه ِ الْخَلَاء ُ فَكَان َ یَخْلُو ُ بِغَار ِ حِرَاء َ فَیَتَحَنَّث ُ فِیْه ِ وَھُو َ التَّعَبُّد ُ اللَّیَالِی ْ ذَوَات ِ الْعَدَد ِ قَبْل َ اَن ْ یَنْزِع َ اِلٰی اَھْلِه ٖ وَیَتَزَوَّد َ لِذَالِك َ ثُم َّ یَرْجِع ُ اِلٰی خَدِیْجَةَ. فَتَزَوَّد ُ لِمِثْلِھَا حَتّٰی جَاءَہ ُ الْحَق ُّ وَھُو َ فِی ْ غَارِحِرَاء The commencement of (Divine) Revelation to Allāh’s Messenger sa was in the form of righteous (true) dreams which he would see during his sleep. Every dream came true like bright daylight. During that time period, solitude and seclusion had become very dear to him. He used to go to the cave of Ḥirā where he would worship (Allāh alone) and continuously engage himself in worship for many nights. Then he would come back and take more food with him. Upon its exhaustion he would return to Khadījah ra and take his food again. He was still in this state when suddenly the truth from God descended upon him. At that time he was in the cave of Ḥirā. 2 1 Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Muḥammad bin ‘Abdul-Bāqī Az- Zarqānī, Volume 1, pp. 386, Bābu Mab‘athin-Nabī sa , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 2 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābu Bad’il-Waḥī, Bābu Bad’il-Waḥī, Ḥadīth No. 3