Ayesha reported,

The first form of revelation given to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the true dream during sleep. He never saw a dream except that it came true like the breaking of dawn. Then solitude was made dear to him, and he used to seclude himself in the cave of Hira, devoting himself to worship there for many nights before returning to his family, and he would take provisions for that purpose. Then he would return to Khadijah and take provisions for another such retreat, until the truth came to him while he was in the cave of Hira.The angel came to him and said, "Recite."He replied, "I am not one who can recite."The Prophet ﷺ said, "He took hold of me and pressed me until I could bear no more, then released me and said, 'Recite.'I said, 'I am not one who can recite.'He took hold of me and pressed me a second time until I could bear no more, then released me and said, 'Recite.'I said, 'I am not one who can recite.'He took hold of me and pressed me a third time, then released me and said, 'Recite in the name of your Lord who created. He created man from a clinging clot. Recite, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught man that which he knew not' [Alaq 96:1–5]."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned with these verses, his heart trembling, and entered upon Khadijah bint Khuwaylid and said, "Wrap me up, wrap me up." So they wrapped him until the terror left him.Then he said to Khadijah, after telling her what had happened, "I fear for myself."Khadijah replied, "By no means. By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You maintain the ties of kinship, bear the burdens of others, help the destitute, honor the guest, and assist those afflicted by misfortune."Then Khadijah took him to Waraqah bin Nawfal bin Asad bin Abdul-Uzza, her cousin, who had become a Christian during the pre-Islamic period. He used to write in Hebrew and would write from the Gospel in Hebrew whatever Allah willed for him to write. He was an old man who had become blind.Khadijah said to him, "Cousin, listen to what your nephew has to say."Waraqah said to him, "Nephew, what is it that you have seen?"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told him what he had seen.Waraqah said to him, "This is the same Namus that Allah sent down upon Musa. I wish I were young in this matter. I wish I were alive when your people drive you out."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "Will they really drive me out?"He answered, "Yes. No man has ever brought what you have brought without being treated with hostility. If I should live to see your day, I will support you with mighty aid."But Waraqah did not live long after that, and the revelation paused for a time.

عن عائشة أم المؤمنين أنها قالت

أول ما بدئ به رسول الله ﷺ من الوحي الرؤيا الصالحة في النوم، فكان لا يرى رؤيا إلا جاءت مثل فلق الصبح ثم حبب إليه الخلاء وكان يخلو بغار حراء فيتحنث فيه-التعبد- الليالي ذوات العدد قبل أن ينزع إلى أهله، ويتزود لذلك، ثم يرجع إلى خديجة فيتزود لمثلها، حتى جاءه الحق وهو في غار حراء فجاءه الملك فقال: اقرأ قال: ما أنا بقارئ قال: فأخذني فغطني حتى بلغ مني الجهد ثم أرسلني، فقال: اقرأ قلت: ما أنا بقارئ فأخذني فغطني الثانية حتى بلغ مني الجهد ثم أرسلني فقال: اقرأ فقلت: ما أنا بقارئ فأخذني فغطني الثالثة ثم أرسلني فقال: {اقرأ باسم ربك الذي خلق خلق الإنسن من علق اقرأ وربك الأكرم الذي علم بالقلم علم الإنسن ما لم يعلم} [سورة العلق: ١- ٥]. فرجع بها رسول الله ﷺ يرجف فؤاده، فدخل على خديجة بنت خويلد رضي الله عنها فقال: زملوني زملوني، فزملوه حتى ذهب عنه الروع، فقال لخديجة وأخبرها الخبر: لقد خشيت على نفسي فقالت خديجة: كلا والله ما يخزيك الله أبدا، إنك لتصل الرحم، وتحمل الكل، وتكسب المعدوم وتقري الضيف، وتعين على نوائب الحق. فانطلقت به خديجة حتى أتت به ورقة بن نوفل بن أسد بن عبد العزى ابن عم خديجة، وكان امرءا تنصر في الجاهلية، وكان يكتب الكتاب العبراني فيكتب من الإنجيل بالعبرانية ما شاء الله أن يكتب وكان شيخا كبيرا قد عمي فقالت له خديجة: يا ابن عم اسمع من ابن أخيك فقال له ورقة: يا ابن أخي ماذا ترى، فأخبره رسول الله ﷺ خبر ما رأى، فقال له ورقة: هذا الناموس الذي نزل الله على موسى، يا ليتني فيها جذع ليتني أكون حيا إذ يخرجك قومك، فقال رسول الله ﷺ: أو مخرجي هم؟ قال: نعم، لم يأت رجل قط بمثل ما جئت به إلا عودي، وإن يدركني يومك أنصرك نصرا مؤزرا. ثم لم ينشب ورقة أن توفي وفتر الوحى.