Explanation of the Book: The Beginning of Revelation, Faith, and Knowledge-01a

The reader: Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us, saying: Al-Layth narrated to us from 'Aqil from Ibn Shihab from Urwah ibn al-Zubayr from Aisha, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), that she said: أول ما بدئ به رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم 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 صلى الله عليه وسلم يرجف فؤاده ، فدخل على خديجة بنت خويلد رضي الله عنها ... The first thing with which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was initiated regarding revelation was the true vision in sleep, so he did not see a vision except that it came like the breaking of the dawn. Then seclusion was made attractive to him, and he would seclude himself in the cave of Hira and would perform i'tikaf in it—and that is worship—for nights with a number, before he would return to his family, and he would provision himself for that, then he would return to Khadijah and provision himself for the like of it, until the truth came to him while he was in the cave of Hira. So the angel came to him and said: "Read." He said: "I am not a reader." He said: "So he took me and squeezed me until he reached my limit, then he released me and said: 'Read.' I said: 'I am not a reader.' So he took me and squeezed me the second time until he reached my limit, then he released me and said: 'Read.' I said: 'I am not a reader.' So he took me and squeezed me the third time, then he released me and said: 'Read in the name of your Lord who created. He created man from a clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous.' So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) returned with it, his heart trembling, and he entered upon Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be pleased with her) and said: "Cover me, cover me." So they covered him until the fear left him. Then he said to Khadijah and told her the news: "I feared for myself." Khadijah said: "No, by Allah, Allah will not disgrace you forever. Indeed, you maintain family ties, you carry the burden, you provide for the needy....

The Shaykh : This hadith is long; we will take it part by part. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said: It is known that she did not witness that time. So do we say that this hadith of hers is a mursal (a report missing the Companion link), a mursal of a Companion, or do we say that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) narrated it to her?
Yes, the second one, the second is closer. It is permissible that she narrated it from someone else from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but considering her connection to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his love for her, we attribute it to him having narrated it to her.
, meaning a clear, manifest sign, coming on its day or after its day, according to what he saw. The important thing is that it comes clear like the breaking of the dawn.
, meaning Allah made it attractive to the soul of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to seclude himself away from people. So he chose the Cave of Hira, which is in the mountain known to the right of the one entering Mecca via al-Sharai', and it is at the peak of the mountain, far away, and its path is difficult. Some of the brothers said that the mere seclusion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in this place is considered a sign, due to its difficulty, the difficulty of reaching it, and the hardship of getting to it. And yet, he remains alone on the peak of this mountain, between the peaks of the mountains. There is no doubt that this is aid from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). So he would seclude himself in the Cave of Hira.
, the scholars said that his statement: "and that is worship," is an insertion from the words of al-Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him), because the origin of "yatahanath" (to perform acts of worship) occurs in "hanath" (sin), and "hanath" is sin. Therefore, al-Zuhri needed to explain it. "Tahannuth" is used for being free from "hanath," and thus its meaning is worship, because being free from "hanath" means being free from sin, which means worship. As for the origin of "hanath," it is sin. So in its origin, it is sin, but the meaning of "yatahanath" is to worship.
So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would stay for nights whose number is known, then return to his family and provision himself, until the truth, meaning revelation, came to him while he was in the Cave of Hira (peace and blessings be upon him). And the rest will come, if Allah wills.
The reader: Al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Chapter
Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us, saying: Al-Layth narrated to us from 'Aqil from Ibn Shihab from Urwah ibn al-Zubayr from Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, that she said: أول ما بدئ به رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم 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 صلى الله عليه وسلم 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 ، قالت خديجة : كلا والله ما يخزيك الله أبدًا إنك لتصل الرحم وتحمل الكل ، وتكسب المعدوم The first thing with which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was initiated regarding revelation was the true vision in sleep, so he did not see a vision except that it came like the breaking of the dawn. Then seclusion was made attractive to him, and he would seclude himself in the cave of Hira and would perform i'tikaf in it—and that is worship—for nights with a number, before he would return to his family, and he would provision himself for that, then he would return to Khadijah and provision himself for the like of it, until the truth came to him while he was in the cave of Hira. So the angel came to him and said: "Read." He said: "I am not a reader." He said: "So he took me and squeezed me until he reached my limit, then he released me and said: 'Read.' I said: 'I am not a reader.' So he took me and squeezed me the second time until he reached my limit, then he released me and said: 'Read.' I said: 'I am not a reader.' So he took me and squeezed me the third time, then he released me and said: 'Read in the name of your Lord who created. He created man from a clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous.' So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) returned with it, his heart trembling, and he entered upon Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be pleased with her) and said: "Cover me, cover me." So they covered him until the fear left him. Then he said to Khadijah and told her the news: "I feared for myself." Khadijah said: "No, by Allah, Allah will not disgrace you forever. Indeed, you maintain family ties, you carry the burden, you provide for the needy.

The Shaykh : I say we will take it piece by piece. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that she said: , and here this hadith poses a difficulty for the person: is it a mursal of a Companion or not? This is because Aisha was not present, or was not present when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was first initiated regarding revelation, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married her when she was six years old, and consummated the marriage with her in Medina when she was nine years old. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) entered Medina in the fourteenth year of the mission, is that not so?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : He remained in Mecca for thirteen years, then he migrated. So on this basis, when did the revelation begin?

The questioner : Before she was born.

The Shaykh : Before she was born. So do we say this is from the mursal of a Companion, or do we say it is connected?
We say it is connected, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) must have narrated it to her, because she was his wife, and because she was with him day and night, so he must have narrated it to her. For this reason, the scholars in the terminology of hadith attributed the mursal of a Companion to being connected, and that it is not broken, due to the possibility that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) narrated it to them. This is known in the case of Aisha, but in the case of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, we know that his mursal is broken, and that there is an intermediary between him and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), because Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr was born during the Farewell Pilgrimage, and it is not possible for him to understand and distinguish and carry from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in that state, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) died months after the Farewell Pilgrimage.
And on this basis, we say that the mursal of the Companions, if it is something that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) could have narrated to him, is connected, because the original state is the absence of tadlis (concealment of a defect in a chain) from the Companions due to the apparent justice of their character and their distance from tadlis. Like whom?

The questioner : Aisha.

The Shaykh : The hadith of Aisha, the hadith of Abu Hurayrah before he embraced Islam, the hadith of Ibn Abbas if it occurred in a state where it is not possible for him to carry it, and so on. And if it is something that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) could not have narrated to him, then it is broken. But the scholars said that due to our trust in the Companions, it has the ruling of being connected. It has the ruling of being connected. Like whom? The hadith of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).
She said: , and this from Aisha is evidence that the true dream in sleep is a type of revelation, because , and this indicates that the true dream is a type of revelation. And it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) that it is: .
, meaning it came clear and manifest, and was hastened, meaning it comes quickly like the breaking of the dawn.
, and that was due to his dislike of what the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance were upon of morals, etiquettes, and misguided acts of worship. "He loved seclusion" means that he would seclude himself with his soul. So he chose (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) the farthest place from people and the most difficult to ascend, which is the Cave of Hira, the mountain known to the right of the one entering Mecca from the eastern side. Its path is rough, long, and the ascent is difficult. But Allah supports His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to prepare him for revelation, with physical strength and courage of the heart. Otherwise, who would sleep on the tops of these mountains alone, in the moonlit and dark nights, unless Allah (Mighty and Majestic) supported him (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) with what He supported him with.
And his statement , and the phrase "and that is worship," they said it is from the words of al-Zuhri, so it is an insertion. Insertion is when the narrator includes in the text something that is not part of it. Is the original state insertion or its absence?

The questioner : Its absence.

The Shaykh : The absence of insertion, but insertion is known by indications or by the hadith coming from another source, where the insertion is explicitly stated or something similar. And his statement: , he (may Allah have mercy on him) only needed to explain it with "worship" because it is an explanation by the opposite, since the known meaning of "tahannuth" is falling into "hanath," and "hanath" is sin, as He (the Exalted) said: So when a person hears "tahannuth," he says: its meaning is to sin. But what is intended is being free from "hanath," which is worship. But how did he worship? Was it by inspiration, or by what remained of the laws of Ismail among the Arabs, or by the fitrah (the innate natural disposition)?
All of these are possibilities, but there is no doubt that he (may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) felt in this place his closeness to Allah and his nearness to Him by what Allah inspired him of laws, or by what remained of the law of Ismail, or by the fitrah. The important thing is that he worshipped.
That is: he returns , meaning he takes provisions for this, because he is a human being who needs to eat and drink, so he provisions himself. He says: That is: for nights like those .
If I were to ask you, which of the covenants is the one in the King?

The questioner : The mental one.

The Shaykh : The mental one, yes, because it had not been mentioned before, and it is not suitable for the present covenant, so it is for the mental covenant, and that is Jibril (peace and blessings be upon him), , and he did not say, "I will not read," , that is: attributed to the readers, meaning I am not among those who read. And he told the truth (peace and blessings be upon him), because he was among the unlettered, and he was described as the unlettered Prophet, , meaning he squeezed me and embraced me with a tight embrace , the capacity, meaning he squeezed me with a strong squeeze, .
And in His saying: and , what indicates that the Messenger did not tell Aisha about it, yes, فأخذني فغطني الثاني حتى بلغ مني الجهد ثم أرسلني فقال : اقرأ ، فقلت : ما أنا بقارئ ، فأخذني فغطني الثالثة ثم أرسلني فقال : اقرأ باسم ربك الذي خلق . So he took me and squeezed me the second time until I reached the limit of my strength, then he released me and said: Read. I said: I am not a reader. So he took me and squeezed me the third time, then he released me and said: Read in the name of your Lord who created., and this is the first verse revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and in it is evidence that the Basmala is not part of the surah, because it was not mentioned here, just as it was not mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah: .
, all these verses, and pay attention to these great verses, so He began with creation and lordship, and mentioned the origin of the son of Adam, that he is from a clot without mentioning the drop, because the substance of life is blood, which is in the clot, then He moved to the great, immense favor of Allah upon the servant, the greatest, immense favor , and this is a great blessing, that Allah taught you with the pen and taught you what you were not able to learn, and in this is an indication that what was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) will be preserved, and that one of the means of its preservation is, what? Knowledge of the pen, meaning knowledge of writing.
, between fear and astonishment, what was revealed to him? And if Allah had not secured his heart, the matter would have been more severe than this. This strange angel came down to him and covered him with this great covering, then He revealed to him these great verses, he read them to him, , and it reached her that it was her husband, and he told her the news , that is: he covered her with the covering, , meaning the fear , did he fear death or did he fear death and something else?
The apparent second option, he feared for his own life, he feared for his own sanity, he feared for himself from madness, everything is possible, because this is a strange matter, yes.