Chapter 22: How the Revelation used to descend upon the Prophet

ﷺ It was already mentioned earlier how Jibreel عليه السالم brought the Revelation to the Prophet ﷺ the first time (from the hadith of `Aaishah) and the second time (from the hadith of Jaaber). Narrated `Aaishah رضي اهلل عنها: Al-Haarith Ibn Hishaam رضي اهلل عنه asked the Prophet ﷺ: “How does the divine inspiration come to you?” He ﷺ replied: ❝In all these ways: The Angel sometimes comes to me with a voice which resembles the sound of a ringing bell, and when this state abandons me, I remember what the Angel has said, and this type of Divine Inspiration is the hardest on me; and sometimes the Angel comes to me in the form of a man and talks to me, and I understand and remember what he says.❞ `Aaishah رضي اهلل عنها added: “Verily I saw the Prophet ﷺ being inspired Divinely on a very cold day and noticed the sweat dripping from his forehead (as the Inspiration was over).” 151 And in the long hadith of Ifk (slandering), `Aaishah رضي اهلل عنها said: “By Allaah, Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ had not got up and nobody had left the house before the Divine Inspiration came to Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ. So, there overtook him the same state which used to overtake him, (when he used to have, on being inspired divinely). He was sweating so much so that the drops of the sweat were dropping like pearls though it was a (cold) winter day, and that was because of the heaviness of the Statement which was revealed to him.” 152 And in sahih Muslim, it is reported from `Ubaadah Ibn Saamit رضي اهلل عنه: “When Wahee (inspiration) descended upon Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ, he felt a burden on that account and the color of his face underwent a change.” 153 151 sahih al-Bukhaaree (2, 3215) and sahih Muslim (2333-87) 152 sahih al-Bukhaaree (2661, 4141, 4750) and sahih Muslim (2770-56) 153 sahih Muslim (2334-88) [TN: `Ubaadah Ibn Saamit رضي اهلل عنه reported: ❝When Wahee descended upon Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ, he lowered his head, and so his Companions too would lower their heads, and when (this state) was over, he raised his head.❞ [sahih Muslim (2335-89)]

It is reported from Zaid Ibn Thaabit رضي اهلل عنه that the Prophet ﷺ dictated to him (the following Aayah): ﴿ َّّل ي س ت و ي ال ق اع د ون م ن ال م ؤ م ن ني﴾ {Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home)…} And… ﴿ و ال م ج اه د ون ف س ب يل اللَّـه﴾ {…and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allaah…} [Surah al-Nisaa’ (4): 95] ❞ Zaid added: ❝Ibn Umm Maktoom came while the Prophet ﷺ was dictating to me and said: ‘O Allaah’s Messenger! By Allaah, if I had the power to fight (in Allaah’s Cause), I would’, and he was a blind man. So Allaah revealed to his Messenger while his thigh was on my thigh, and his thigh became so heavy that I was afraid it might fracture my thigh. Then that state of the Prophet ﷺ passed and Allaah revealed: ﴿ غ يـ ر أ ول الضَّر ر﴾ {Except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame etc)}❞ 154 And in the Saheehain, Ya`la رضي اهلل عنه saw the Prophet ﷺ when he was receiving the Revelation, and he saw that the face of Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ was red and he breathing heavily (like someone snoring). 155 In a long hadith, Abu Hurairah رضي اهلل عنه said: ❝(At this moment) revelation came to the Prophet ﷺ and when he was going to receive the Revelation, we understood it, and when he was (actually) receiving it, none of us would dare raise his eyes to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ until the revelation came to an end.❞ [sahih Muslim (1780-84)]] 154 sahih al-Bukhaaree (2832, 4592) 155 sahih al-Bukhaaree (1536, 4329, 4985) and sahih Muslim (1180-8)

And in the Saheehain, `Aaishah رضي اهلل عنها said: Saudah رضي اهلل عنها (the wife of the Prophet) went out to answer the call of nature after it was made obligatory (for all the Muslims ladies) to observe the veil. She was a bulky lady, and everybody who knew her before could recognize her. So `Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab saw her and said: “O Saudah! By Allaah, you cannot hide from us, so think of a way by which you should not be recognized on going out.” Saudah returned while Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ was in my house taking his supper and a bone covered with meat was in his hand. She entered and said: “O Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ! I went out to answer the call of nature and `Umar said to me such-andsuch.” Then Allaah inspired him (the Prophet) and when the state of inspiration was over and the bone was still in his hand as he had not put in down, he said (to Saudah): ❝You (women) have been allowed to go out for your needs.❞ 156 (Ibn Katheer said): From this, it is understood that even while receiving Inspiration he did not completely lose his senses, and the evidence is that while he was sitting for dinner (he received the Inspiration), yet the bone (covered with meat) did not fall from his hand. صلوات اهلل وسالمه دائما عليه Abu Ya`laa reported that al-Faltaan Ibn `Aasim رضي اهلل عنه said: ❝While we were with the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ, he received Divine Inspiration. And when he used to receive Inspiration, he would stare continuously, his eyes would be wide open, and his hearing and heart would be freed for the (Inspiration) which he was receiving from Allaah عز وجل, and it was from this that we recognized it (that he was being Divinely Inspired).❞ 157 Imaam Ahmad and Abu Nu`aim reported that Asmaa’ Bint Yazeed رضي اهلل عنها said: ❝I was holding reins of Al-`Adhbaa’, the she-camel of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ when 156 sahih al-Bukhaaree (4795, 5237) and sahih Muslim (2170-17) 157 Musnad Abu Ya`laa (1583) and al-Tabaraanee in al-Kabeer (856). (Shaikh al-Albaanee said): Al-Haithmaee said: “It was reported by Abu Ya`laa, al-Bazzaar, and al-Tabaraanee, and the narrators of Abu Ya`laa are all reliable.” It was also reported in Musannaf Ibn Abee Shaibah and sahih Ibn Hibbaan (4712), and it is as he (al-Haithamee) had said. [TN: Shaikh al-Albaanee graded is as “sahih” in “al-Ta`leeqaat al-Hassaan” (4692)]]

Surah al-Maaidah was revealed to him in full, and because of its weight, it almost broke the limbs of the she-camel.❞ 158 Imaam Ahmad also reported `Abdullaah Ibn `Amr رضي اهلل عنهما said: ❝Surah al-Maaidah was revealed to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ while he was mounted (on his camel). And (because of its heaviness) it could not bear the weight and it kneeled down.❞ 159 (Ibn Katheer said): And it is reported in the Saheehain regarding the revelation of Surah al-Fath upon the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ while he was returning from al-Hudaibiyh, while mounted on his camel. So sometimes it would be this way (the camel kneeling down because of the weight) and sometimes it would be the other way, depending on the situation. And Allaah knows best. 160 158 Musnad Ahmad (27575, 27592). (Shaikh al-Albaanee said): Its chain is “Hasan li ghairihee”, see the next narration. 159 Musnad Ahmad (6643). (Shaikh al-Albaanee said): Its chain is “Hasan li ghairihee”, due to the previous narration. 160 I (al-Albaanee) say: It is possible to say: Only because the heaviness of the Wahee is not mentioned in this narration does not mean that it did not happen. Rather, the possibility is that it did happen but the narrator for some reason did not report it, like the way he did not narrate the effect of burden (it had on the Prophet ﷺ), which were mentioned in the earlier narrations. Like the hadith of Ibn `Abbaas, which will be mentioned later, and also this hadith of Ibn Mas`ood رضي اهلل عنه. He said: ❝We returned with the Prophet from al-Hudaibiyah…(then he mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions stopped at a place to spend the night, and when they woke up)…the she-camel of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ had strayed away. He asked to search for it. I found it (as its) rein had got stuck in a tree, and I brought it to the Prophet ﷺ. He sat on it while he was happy. When the Divine Inspiration came upon him, he felt the burden on that account, and it was from this that we recognized it (that he was being Divinely Inspired).❞ Ibn Mas`ood added: ❝He was riding behind us alone.❞ He further said: ❝So when the Divine Inspiration came to him, he covered his head with his cloth, and he felt the burden because of it. So we knew that he was receiving the Revelation. Then he ﷺ came to us and informed us that (the following) was Revealed to him: ﴿إ نَّا فـ ت ح ن ا ل ك فـ ت حًا م ب ينًا﴾ {Verily, We have given you (O Muhammad) a manifest victory.} [Surah al-Fath (48): 1] [Musnad Ahmad (4421) and the chain of this narration is “Jayyid”] [TN: The summary of different ways the Prophet used to receive Revelation: Good Vision: A Good or True vision was the first stage of Divine revelation to be experienced by the Prophet ﷺ [sahih alBukhaaree (3)]. And Ibraaheem said: {"O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you…”} and the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝The vision of a believer is the forty-sixth part of Prophecy.❞ [Saheehain]

Inspiration: The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝The Holy Spirit (Jibreel) blew into my heart (revealed to me) that no one will die till he gets his sustenance (that was decreed for him)…❝ [al-Saheehah (2866) of Shaikh al-Albaanee] Like the ringing of a bell: The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of a bell, this form of Inspiration is the hardest of all and then this state passes off after I have grasped what is inspired…❞ In the form of a Man: The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝…Sometimes the Angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says.❞ [sahih al-Bukhaaree (2)]. Also the hadith Jibreel; Companions also saw him in this form. In the original form: Jibreel عليه السالم twice came to the Prophet with the inspiration in his original form as mentioned in Surah al-Najm (53). Direct Speech: Allaah directly spoke with the Prophet ﷺ as happened on the Night of Israa, and also with Moosaa عليه السالم.]