Ayesha reported,

The first form of revelation that came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was true visions in his sleep. He never saw a vision except that it came like the breaking of the dawn. Then solitude was made dear to him. He used to seclude himself in the cave of Hira, where he would devote himself to worship for many nights before returning to his family. He would take provisions for his stay, then return to Khadijah to take more provisions for a similar period, 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 cannot recite."The Prophet ﷺ said, "He took hold of me and pressed me until I could bear it no longer, then he released me and said, 'Recite.'"I said, "I cannot recite."He took hold of me and pressed me a second time until I could bear it no longer, then he released me and said, "Recite."I said, "I cannot 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" [Alaq 96:1–3].The Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned with these verses, his heart trembling. He went in to Khadijah bint Khuwaylid and said, "Cover me, cover me."They covered him until the terror left him. Then he said to Khadijah, after telling her what had happened, "I feared for myself."Khadijah said, "By no means. By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You maintain ties of kinship, bear the burdens of the weak, give to the destitute, honor your guest, and help others in their times of need."Then Khadijah set out with him and brought him to Waraqah bin Nawfal bin Asad bin Abdul-Uzza, her cousin, who had become a Christian during the period of pre-Islamic ignorance. He used to write in Hebrew script and would write from the Gospel in Hebrew whatever Allah willed him to write. He was an old man who had become blind.Khadijah said to him, "Cousin, listen to your nephew."Waraqah said to him, "Nephew, what have you seen?"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told him what he had seen.Waraqah said to him, "This is the Namus that Allah sent down to Musa. I wish I were young in this matter. I wish I were alive when your people will drive you out."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "Will they drive me out?"Waraqah replied, "Yes. No man has ever come with what you have brought without being treated with hostility. If I live to see your day, I will support you mightily."It was not long after this that Waraqah died, and the revelation paused.Ibn Shihab said, Abu Salama bin Abdul-Rahman informed me that Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari said, while speaking about the pause in revelation, in his account, "While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I raised my eyes and saw the angel who had come to me at Hira sitting on a throne between the sky and the earth. I was terrified of him and returned saying, 'Cover me, cover me.' Then Allah Almighty revealed, "O you who are wrapped up in your cloak, arise and warn" up to His saying, "and shun all filth" [Muddaththir 74:1–5]. After this the revelation came strongly and continued without pause."Abdullah bin Yusuf and Abu Salih followed him in narration. Hilal bin Raddad also followed him from Zuhri. Yunus and Muamar said, "bawadiruhu" (his shoulder muscles).

حدثنا يحيى بن بكير قال حدثنا الليث عن عقيل عن ابن شهاب عن عروة بن الزبير

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 وهو 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 الإنسان من علق اقرأ وربك الأكرم} 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 امرأ قد 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 جذعا ليتني أكون حيا إذ يخرجك قومك فقال رسول الله ﷺ أومخرجي 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 الوحي قال ابن شهاب وأخبرني أبو سلمة بن عبد الرحمن أن جابر بن عبد الله الأنصاري قال وهو يحدث عن فترة الوحي فقال في حديثه بينا أنا أمشي إذ سمعت صوتا من السماء فرفعت بصري فإذا الملك الذي جاءني بحراء جالس على كرسي بين السماء والأرض فرعبت منه فرجعت فقلت زملوني زملوني فأنزل الله تعالى {يا أيها المدثر قم فأنذر} إلى قوله {والرجز فاهجر} فحمي الوحي وتتابع تابعه عبد الله بن يوسف وأبو صالح وتابعه هلال بن رداد عن الزهري وقال يونس ومعمر بوادره