Page 45 - History of The Quranic Text | Kalamullah.Com

EARLY HISTORY OF ISLAM: A BRIEF LOOK 25

iii. Muhammad ~ the Messenger of Allah

Blessed with an ideal nature and a hatred of idolatry, Muhammad never
prostrated before Quraish's idols nor took part in any of their polytheistic
rituals. Instead he worshipped one God, in whatever manner he thought
best, his complete illiteracyprecluding any knowledge ofJewish or Christian
practices.Soon the time wasripe forhiscommissionas Prophet and Messenger,
and Allah prepared him for this task gradually. First he started beholding
true visions.52 He noticed a rock salutinghim;53 he alsoobservedthe Archangel
Jibrll (Gabriel) calling him from the sky by his name," and observed a
light."
,"~'isha reports that the prelude of prophethood for Muhammad were
his perfect dreams: for sixmonths he witnessed visions so accurate that they
seemed to materialise from the very fabric of reality. Then suddenly the first
revelation descended upon him while he was secluded in the cave of Hira';
Jibrll appeared before him and repeatedly asked him to read, countering
Muhammad's insistence that he was illiterate by continuing the same
demand, till at last he divulged to him the first verses of Sura al-'Alaq:56
rf-l l ~jj i)1 ,Q;~ ~ ~i .j1; ~1.j1; l$;J1 ~j ~~ i)1 fr
".."...,~
~
11
11",
.,r"
--
",J
57 L \~, ~;J L: :, <, 'i11 ~ !/f))..J,iJL ~ l$jJl~;
't ~ r-' ~ ~ '>{oj,; ,~
"Readin the name ofyourLordandCherisher, who created. Created man,
out of aleech-like clot. Proclaim!AndyourLordisMostBount:jjUl. He Who
taught (the use qf) the Pen. Taught man thatwhich heknew not."
This was the firstdescent of the wahy (c.?J: revelation),the very beginning
of the Qur'an. -
And so, unexpectedly at the age of forty,Allah summoned Muhammad
with a simple message, sharply outlined and crystal clear: ~ illl ~l.Jl '1
ill\ JY'.J ('There is no god except Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger').
And with this he was given a living eternal miracle, something to satisfy
the intellect, capture the heart, and give rebirth to stifled souls: the Holy
Qur'an,

52 Ibn J:Iajar, Fathul Ban, i:19; al-Bukhari, SaI;z!;, Bad) al-WaJ:.1y:2.
53 Muslim, Sa!;z!;, Fac.la'il:2, p. 1782.
54 'Urwah b. az-Zubair, al-Maghiizl, compiled by M.M. al-A'zami, Maktab at-Tarbiya
al-'Arabia Liduwal al-Khalij, 1st edition, Riyad, 1401 (1981), p. 100.
55 Ibn Hajar; Fathul Ban, i:23.
56 Sura 96, see al-Bukhari, Sa!;z!;, Bad' al-Wahv
57 Qur'an 96:1-5.