The first form in which revelation came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was true dreams during sleep. He never saw a dream except that it came to pass as clearly as the break of dawn. Then solitude became dear to him, and he would withdraw to the cave of Hira, where he would devote himself to worship for many nights at a stretch before returning to his family. He would take provisions for that purpose, then return to Khadijah and resupply for another such period, until the truth came to him suddenly while he was in the cave of Hira.The angel came to him and said, "Recite."He replied, "I cannot recite."The Prophet said, "He seized me and pressed me until I could bear no more, then released me and said, 'Recite.'"I said, "I cannot recite.""So he seized me and pressed me a second time until I could bear no more, then released me and said, 'Recite.'"I said, "I cannot recite.""So he seized me and pressed me a third time until I could bear no more, then released me and said, 'Recite in the name of your Lord who created. 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 shoulders trembling, until he came in to Khadijah and said, "Wrap me up, wrap me up." So 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, "By no means. Be glad. By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. By Allah, you maintain ties of kinship, you speak the truth, you bear the burdens of others, you provide for the destitute, you honor the guest, and you assist in every just cause."Then Khadijah took him to Waraqah bin Nawfal bin Asad bin Abd al-Uzza, who was her cousin, the son of her father's brother. He had become a Christian during the time of pre-Islamic ignorance and used to write Arabic script, transcribing from the Gospel into Arabic as much as Allah willed him to write. He was an old man who had lost his sight.Khadijah said to him, "Uncle, listen to your nephew."Waraqah bin Nawfal said, "Nephew, what have you 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 to Musa ﷺ. I wish I were young 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?"Waraqah said, "Yes. No man has ever brought what you have brought without being met with hostility. If I live to see that day, I will support you with mighty support."
حدثني أبو الطاهر أحمد بن عمرو بن عبد الله بن عمرو بن سرح أخبرنا ابن وهب قال أخبرني يونس عن ابن شهاب قال حدثني عروة بن الزبير أن
كان أول ما بدئ به رسول الله ﷺ من الوحي الرؤيا الصادقة 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 قال قلت ما أنا بقارئ قال فأخذني فغطني الثانية حتى بلغ مني الجهد ثم أرسلني فقال أقرأ فقلت ما أنا بقارئ فأخذني فغطني الثالثة حتى بلغ مني الجهد ثم أرسلني فقال {اقرأ باسم ربك الذي خلق خلق الإنسان من علق اقرأ وربك الأكرم الذي علم بالقلم علم الإنسان ما لم يعلم} 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 قالت 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 ورقة بن نوفل يا ابن أخي ماذا ترى فأخبره رسول الله ﷺ خبر ما رآه فقال له ورقة هذا الناموس الذي أنزل على موسى ﷺ 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