Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book of Revelation, Hadith No. 1 - 6
Volume 1, Book 1, Number 1 :
Narrated by 'Umar bin Al-Khattab
I heard Allah's Apostle saying,
"The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get
the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly
benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated
for."
Volume 1, Book 1, Number 2 :
Narrated by 'Aisha
(the mother of the faithful
believers) Al-Harith bin Hisham asked Allah's Apostle "O Allah's Apostle!
How is the Divine Inspiration revealed to you?" Allah's Apostle replied,
"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. Sometimes the Angel comes in the form of a man and
talks to me and I grasp whatever he says." 'Aisha added: Verily I saw the
Prophet being inspired Divinely on a very cold day and noticed the Sweat
dropping from his forehead (as the Inspiration was over).
Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3 :
Narrated by 'Aisha
(the mother of the faithful
believers) The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's Apostle was in
the form of good dreams which came true like bright day light, and then the
love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave
of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days
before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food
for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food
like-wise again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the
cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied,
"I do not know how to read. The Prophet added, "The angel 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 (or what shall I read)?' Thereupon he
caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said,
'Read in the name of your Lord, who has created (all that exists) has created
man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous." (96.1, 96.2,
96.3) Then Allah's Apostle returned with the Inspiration and with his heart
beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwailid and said, "Cover
me! Cover me!" They covered him till his fear was over and after that he
told her everything that had happened and said, "I fear that something may
happen to me." Khadija replied, "Never! By Allah, Allah will never
disgrace you. You keep good relations with your Kith and kin, help the poor and
the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving
calamity-afflicted ones." Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin
Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin 'Abdul 'Uzza, who, during the PreIslamic Period
became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would
write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an
old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, "Listen to the
story of your nephew, O my cousin!" Waraqa asked, "O my nephew! What
have you seen?" Allah's Apostle described whatever he had seen. Waraqa
said, "This is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Gabriel) whom
Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when
your people would turn you out." Allah's Apostle asked, "Will they
drive me out?" Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone
(man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with
hostility; and if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned
out then I would support you strongly." But after a few days Waraqa died
and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while. Narrated Jabir bin
'Abdullah Al-Ansari while talking about the period of pause in revelation
reporting the speech of the Prophet "While I was walking, all of a sudden
I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up and saw the same angel who had
visited me at the cave of Hira' sitting on a chair between the sky and the
earth. I got afraid of him and came back home and said, 'Wrap me (in
blankets).' And then Allah revealed the following Holy Verses (of Quran): 'O
you (i.e. Muhammad)! wrapped up in garments!' Arise and warn (the people
against Allah's Punishment),... up to 'and desert the idols.' (74.1-5) After
this the revelation started coming strongly, frequently and regularly."
Volume 1, Book 1, Number 4 :
Narrated by Said bin Jubair
Ibn 'Abbas in the explanation of the
Statement of Allah. 'Move not your tongue concerning (the Quran) to make haste
therewith." (75.16) Said "Allah's Apostle used to bear the revelation
with great trouble and used to move his lips (quickly) with the Inspiration."
Ibn 'Abbas moved his lips saying, "I am moving my lips in front of you as
Allah's Apostle used to move his." Said moved his lips saying: "I am
moving my lips, as I saw Ibn 'Abbas moving his." Ibn 'Abbas added,
"So Allah revealed 'Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur'an) to make
haste therewith. It is for us to collect it and to give you (O Muhammad) the
ability to recite it (the Qur'an) (75.16-17) which means that Allah will make
him (the Prophet ) remember the portion of the Qur'an which was revealed at
that time by heart and recite it. The Statement of Allah: And 'When we have
recited it to you (O Muhammad through Gabriel) then you follow its (Qur'an)
recital' (75.18) means 'listen to it and be silent.' Then it is for Us (Allah)
to make It clear to you' (75.19) means 'Then it is (for Allah) to make you
recite it (and its meaning will be clear by itself through your tongue).
Afterwards, Allah's Apostle used to listen to Gabriel whenever he came and
after his departure he used to recite it as Gabriel had recited it."
Volume 1, Book 1, Number 5 :
Narrated by Ibn 'Abbas
Allah's Apostle was the most
generous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the
month of Ramadan when Gabriel met him. Gabriel used to meet him every night of
Ramadan to teach him the Qur'an. Allah's Apostle was the most generous person,
even more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind (in readiness and haste
to do charitable deeds).
Volume 1, Book 1, Number 6 :
Narrated by 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas
Abu Sufyan bin Harb informed me that
Heraclius had sent a messenger to him while he had been accompanying a caravan
from Quraish. They were merchants doing business in Sham (Syria, Palestine,
Lebanon and Jordan), at the time when Allah's Apostle had truce with Abu Sufyan
and Quraish infidels. So Abu Sufyan and his companions went to Heraclius at
Ilya (Jerusalem). Heraclius called them in the court and he had all the senior
Roman dignitaries around him. He called for his translator who, translating
Heraclius's question said to them, "Who amongst you is closely related to
that man who claims to be a Prophet?" Abu Sufyan replied, "I am the
nearest relative to him (amongst the group)." Heraclius said, "Bring
him (Abu Sufyan) close to me and make his companions stand behind him."
Abu Sufyan added, Heraclius told his translator to tell my companions that he
wanted to put some questions to me regarding that man (The Prophet) and that if
I told a lie they (my companions) should contradict me." Abu Sufyan added,
"By Allah! Had I not been afraid of my companions labeling me a liar, I
would not have spoken the truth about the Prophet. The first question he asked
me about him was: 'What is his family status amongst you?' I replied, 'He
belongs to a good (noble) family amongst us.' Heraclius further asked, 'Has
anybody amongst you ever claimed the same (i.e. to be a Prophet) before him?' I
replied, 'No.' He said, 'Was anybody amongst his ancestors a king?' I replied,
'No.' Heraclius asked, 'Do the nobles or the poor follow him?' I replied, 'It
is the poor who follow him.' He said, 'Are his followers increasing decreasing
(day by day)?' I replied, 'They are increasing.' He then asked, 'Does anybody
amongst those who embrace his religion become displeased and renounce the
religion afterwards?' I replied, 'No.' Heraclius said, 'Have you ever accused
him of telling lies before his claim (to be a Prophet)?' I replied, 'No. '
Heraclius said, 'Does he break his promises?' I replied, 'No. We are at truce
with him but we do not know what he will do in it.' I could not find
opportunity to say anything against him except that. Heraclius asked, 'Have you
ever had a war with him?' I replied, 'Yes.' Then he said, 'What was the outcome
of the battles?' I replied, 'Sometimes he was victorious and sometimes we.'
Heraclius said, 'What does he order you to do?' I said, 'He tells us to worship
Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to
renounce all that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to speak the
truth, to be chaste and to keep good relations with our Kith and kin.'
Heraclius asked the translator to convey to me the following, I asked you about
his family and your reply was that he belonged to a very noble family. In fact
all the Apostles come from noble families amongst their respective peoples. I
questioned you whether anybody else amongst you claimed such a thing, your
reply was in the negative. If the answer had been in the affirmative, I would
have thought that this man was following the previous man's statement. Then I
asked you whether anyone of his ancestors was a king. Your reply was in the
negative, and if it had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this
man wanted to take back his ancestral kingdom. I further asked whether he was
ever accused of telling lies before he said what he said, and your reply was in
the negative. So I wondered how a person who does not tell a lie about others
could ever tell a lie about Allah. I, then asked you whether the rich people
followed him or the poor. You replied that it was the poor who followed him.
And in fact all the Apostle have been followed by this very class of people.
Then I asked you whether his followers were increasing or decreasing. You
replied that they were increasing, and in fact this is the way of true faith,
till it is complete in all respects. I further asked you whether there was
anybody, who, after embracing his religion, became displeased and discarded his
religion. Your reply was in the negative, and in fact this is (the sign of)
true faith, when its delight enters the hearts and mixes with them completely.
I asked you whether he had ever betrayed. You replied in the negative and
likewise the Apostles never betray. Then I asked you what he ordered you to do.
You replied that he ordered you to worship Allah and Allah alone and not to
worship any thing along with Him and forbade you to worship idols and ordered
you to pray, to speak the truth and to be chaste. If what you have said is
true, he will very soon occupy this place underneath my feet and I knew it
(from the scriptures) that he was going to appear but I did not know that he
would be from you, and if I could reach him definitely, I would go immediately
to meet him and if I were with him, I would certainly wash his feet.' Heraclius
then asked for the letter addressed by Allah's Apostle which was delivered by
Dihya to the Governor of Busra, who forwarded it to Heraclius to read. The
contents of the letter were as follows: "In the name of Allah the
Beneficent, the Merciful (This letter is) from Muhammad the slave of Allah and
His Apostle to Heraclius the ruler of Byzantine. Peace be upon him, who follows
the right path. Furthermore I invite you to Islam, and if you become a Muslim
you will be safe, and Allah will double your reward, and if you reject this
invitation of Islam you will be committing a sin by misguiding your Arisiyin
(peasants). (And I recite to you Allah's Statement:) 'O people of the
scripture! Come to a word common to you and us that we worship none but Allah
and that we associate nothing in worship with Him, and that none of us shall
take others as Lords beside Allah. Then, if they turn away, say: Bear witness
that we are Muslims (those who have surrendered to Allah).' (3:64). Abu Sufyan
then added, "When Heraclius had finished his speech and had read the
letter, there was a great hue and cry in the Royal Court. So we were turned out
of the court. I told my companions that the question of Ibn-Abi-Kabsha) (the
Prophet Muhammad) has become so prominent that even the King of Bani Al-Asfar
(Byzantine) is afraid of him. Then I started to become sure that he (the
Prophet) would be the conqueror in the near future till I embraced Islam (i.e.
Allah guided me to it)." The sub narrator adds, "Ibn An-Natur was the
Governor of llya' (Jerusalem) and Heraclius was the head of the Christians of
Sham. Ibn An-Natur narrates that once while Heraclius was visiting ilya'
(Jerusalem), he got up in the morning with a sad mood. Some of his priests
asked him why he was in that mood? Heraclius was a foreteller and an
astrologer. He replied, 'At night when I looked at the stars, I saw that the
leader of those who practice circumcision had appeared (become the conqueror).
Who are they who practice circumcision?' The people replied, 'Except the Jews
nobody practices circumcision, so you should not be afraid of them (Jews).
'Just Issue orders to kill every Jew present in the country.' While they were
discussing it, a messenger sent by the king of Ghassan to convey the news of
Allah's Apostle to Heraclius was brought in. Having heard the news, he
(Heraclius) ordered the people to go and see whether the messenger of Ghassan
was circumcised. The people, after seeing him, told Heraclius that he was
circumcised. Heraclius then asked him about the Arabs. The messenger replied,
'Arabs also practice circumcision.' (After hearing that) Heraclius remarked
that sovereignty of the 'Arabs had appeared. Heraclius then wrote a letter to
his friend in Rome who was as good as Heraclius in knowledge. Heraclius then
left for Homs. (a town in Syrian and stayed there till he received the reply of
his letter from his friend who agreed with him in his opinion about the
emergence of the Prophet and the fact that he was a Prophet. On that Heraclius
invited all the heads of the Byzantines to assemble in his palace at Homs. When
they assembled, he ordered that all the doors of his palace be closed. Then he
came out and said, 'O Byzantines! If success is your desire and if you seek
right guidance and want your empire to remain then give a pledge of allegiance
to this Prophet (i.e. embrace Islam).' (On hearing the views of Heraclius) the
people ran towards the gates of the palace like onagers but found the doors
closed. Heraclius realized their hatred towards Islam and when he lost the hope
of their embracing Islam, he ordered that they should be brought back in
audience. (When they returned) he said, 'What already said was just to test the
strength of your conviction and I have seen it.' The people prostrated before
him and became pleased with him, and this was the end of Heraclius's story (in
connection with his faith).
