Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalam-o-alaikum,

I have heard the story of Angel Jibraeel (as) appearing and revealing the first 5 verses of Sura Iqra’ to the Prophet (sws) in the cave of Hira. The version of this story I am familiar with do not mention any piece of paper or anything else (a hologram, for example) shown by the angel to the Prophet and then asking "Read/recite!"---to which the Prophet answered "I cannot read".

If I ask someone to "read/recite", he is going to ask me "read/recite what?"

So my question is "Is there any critical piece of information missing in the story"?

I would appreciate your input into this inquiry.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Jibrael read recite or repeat first verses

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.3 Narrated by Aisha

The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's Messenger (saws) was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright daylight, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He (saws) used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship Allah continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He (saws) used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija (r.a.) to take his food likewise again, till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he (saws) was in the cave of Hira. The Angel Jibrael (a.s.) came to him and asked him to ‘read’. The Prophet (saws) replied, "I do not know how to read."

The Prophet (saws) added, "The Angel Jibrael (a.s.) caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, 'I do not know how to read.' Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read, but again I replied, 'I do not know how to read?' Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said:

1 ‘Read! In the name of thy Lord Who created

2 Created man out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood:

3 Read! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful

4 He Who taught (the use of) the pen

5 Taught man that which he knew not.’ (Surah 96 Al-Alaq verses 1-5)

Your Question: If I ask someone to "read/recite", he is going to ask me "read/recite what?" So my question is "Is there any critical piece of information missing in the story"? I would appreciate your input into this inquiry.

Firstly brother, the descent and arrival of the Noble Angel Jibrael (a.s.), the descent of the Revelations of Allah by Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.) unto Prophet Mohamed (saws), the exact condition, state, and the method of the Revelations, etc. are amongst the knowledge of the ‘unseen’….and for every type and manifestation of any matter of the ‘unseen’ we as believers, are obliged to rely only and I reiterate only on what is declared in Truth by Allah and His Messenger (saws).

Although there is absolutely no mention of any text or ‘hologram’ shown by Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.) to Prophet Mohamed (saws) during that eventful meeting in the cave of Hira, logic and intelligence dictates that indeed if the Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.) had commanded the Prophet (saws) to ‘read’ or ‘recite’…..the obvious reply of the Prophet (saws) would and should have been ‘read or recite “what”?”

And if no text or hologram was shown by Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.) to the Prophet (saws), and the intention of the mission was to deliver or make known to the Prophet (saws) the first five verses of the Divine Revelation, the command of Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.) would and should have been ‘repeat (what I say)’ instead of ‘read’!

The fact that it is recorded in the Sunnah that the reply of the Prophet (saws) was ‘I do not know how to read’, many amongst the scholars and jurists in Islam are of the opinion that indeed some sort of text or ‘hologram’ might have been shown to the Prophet (saws) by Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.) which prompted the Messenger of Allah (saws) to reply ‘I do not know how to read’. But because there is no specific mention or record of any ‘text’ or ‘hologram’ shown in the authentic and established Sunnah, one cannot say with absolute conviction that indeed something was shown by Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.) to the Noble Prophet (saws). And Allah Alone Knows Best.

We reiterate again brother, that the exact condition, nature and extent of whatever transpired on that eventful day in the cave of Hira between Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.) and the Noble Prophet Mohamed (saws) is from amongst the nature of the ‘unseen’, and for any information of the knowledge of the ‘unseen’, we as believers must trust and rely only on what is related in Truth in the Quran and the Sunnah alone.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan