CHAPTER II The beginning Of The Revelation

CHAPTER II

THE BEGINNING OF THE REVELATION

         Before becoming a prophet, Muhammad usually spent one month every year in a cave in the top of a mountain near Mecca. There he meditated and thought about religion of Abraham. This was done by him because he refused to accept the beliefs of the people of Mecca who worshipped idols. This continued for a number of years. When he was forty years of age the Archangel Gabriel came to him and convinced him.

        It was clear that he was a prophet from God. He received the first revelation after becoming a prophet. The first revelation said :


 اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ، خَلَقَ الْأِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ، اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ، الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ، عَلَّمَ الْأِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

       “Read in the name of the Lord who created.

       Created man from a blood clot.

       Read; thy Lord is most beneficial. He taught by pen. Taught man what he knew not”

       When the prophet received this revelation from God and when he became sure, then he began to call people to accept the new religion. The new religion was based on the oneness of God-worshipping only Allah and giving up the worship of idols. About three years after Prophet received the first revelation he was told, “Warn your close relatives”.

       He started to speak to his close friends and his family. Khadija, his wife, was the first woman to accept Islam, and Abu Bakar the first man. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, his cousin was the first boy to accept Islam. The number started to increase slowly through the personal contact of the prophet and his close friend, Abu Bakar, but when he received the verse mentioned, this was the sign for him to inform all the people of Mecca of his cause.