Ayesha reported,

The first thing that came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ of revelation was true dreams in sleep. He never saw a dream but that it came like the break of dawn. Then solitude was made dear to him, and he would withdraw to the cave of Hira and devote himself to worship there for many nights before returning to his family, taking provisions with him for that. Then he would return to Khadijah and take provisions again for the same, until the truth came upon him suddenly while he was in the cave of Hira.The angel came to him and said, "Recite."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "I answered, 'I am not one who recites.'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 recites.'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 recites.'He took hold of me and pressed me a third time until I could bear no more, then released me and recited, "Recite in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clinging clot. Recite, and your Lord is the Most Generous" [Alaq 96:1–3]."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned with these words, the muscles of his neck trembling, until he came to Khadijah and said, "Wrap me up, wrap me up."They wrapped him until the terror left him. Then he said to Khadijah, "Khadijah, what is happening to me?" and he told her what had occurred. He said, "I fear for myself."Khadijah said to him, "Never. Be glad. By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. By Allah, you keep the ties of kinship, you speak the truth, you carry the burdens of others, you provide for the destitute, you honor the guest, and you help others through the trials of truth."Then Khadijah took him to Waraqa bin Nawfal bin Asad bin Abdul-Uzza, her cousin, the son of her father's brother. He was a man who had become a Christian in the age of ignorance, who wrote the Arabic script and would write out from the Gospel in Arabic as much as Allah willed him to write. He was a very old man who had gone blind.Khadijah said to him, "Uncle, listen to your nephew."Waraqa bin Nawfal said to him, "Nephew, what is it that you see?"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told him what he had seen.Waraqa said to him, "This is the keeper of secrets that was sent down to Musa . I wish I were a young man in those days. I wish I could be alive when your people drive you out."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "Will they really drive me out?"Waraqa answered, "Yes. No man has ever brought what you have brought without being met with hostility. If your day reaches me, I will support you with all my strength."

عن عائشة أم المؤمنين قالت

كان 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، فكان يخلو بغار حراء يتحنث فيه، (وهو التعبد) الليالي أولات العدد قبل أن يرجع إلى أهله، ويتزود لذلك، ثم يرجع إلى خديجة فيتزود لمثلها حتى فجئه 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 قال: فأخذني فغطني الثانية حتى بلغ مني الجهد ثم أرسلني، فقال: اقرأ، فقلت: ما أنا بقارئ فأخذني فغطني الثالثة حتى بلغ مني الجهد، ثم أرسلني فقال: {أقرأ باسم ربك الذي خلق خلق الإنسان من علق أقرا وربك الأكرم} [العلق: ١-٣] فرجع بها رسول الله ﷺ ترجف بوادره حتى دخل على خديجة، فقال: زملوني زملوني فزملوه حتى ذهب عنه الروع، ثم قال لخديجة: أي خديجة ما لي وأخبرها الخبر، قال: لقد خشيت على نفسي فقالت له خديجة: كلا، أبشر فوالله لا يخزيك الله أبدا، والله إنك لتصل الرحم وتصدق الحديث، وتحمل الكل، وتكسب المعدوم، وتقري الضيف، وتعين على نوائب الحق فانطلقت به خديجة حتى أتت به ورقة بن نوفل بن أسد بن عبد العزى وهو ابن عم خديجة، أخي أبيها. وكان امرأ تنصر في الجاهلية وكان يكتب الكتاب العربي ويكتب من الإنجيل بالعربية ما شاء الله أن يكتب. وكان شيخا كبيرا قد عمي، فقالت له خديجة: أي عم اسمع من ابن أخيك. قال له ورقة بن نوفل يا ابن أخي ماذا ترى؟ فأخبره رسول الله ﷺ خبر ما رآه فقال له ورقة: هذا الناموس الذي أنزل على موسى عليه السلام، يا ليتني فيها جذعا، يا ليتني أكون حيا حين يخرجك قومك قال رسول الله ﷺ: أو مخرجي هم؟ قال ورقة: نعم، لم يأت رجل قط بما جئت به إلا عودي، وإن يدركني يومك أنصرك نصرا مؤزرا.