بَابُ الْمَبْعَثِ وَبَدْءِ الْوَحْيِThe Prophetic Mission and the Beginning of Revelation

¹ His statement: “was sent”: in the passive, meaning he was made a messenger to creation. His statement: “at the age of forty”: meaning upon completing this period. At-Tibi said: The lam denotes time. His statement: “passed away at the age of sixty-three”: this is the correct view. It is also said sixty-five, as will come from Ibn Abbas, including the years of birth and death. It is also said sixty, as will come from Anas, excluding fractions. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “stayed in Makkah for fifteen years”: including the years of birth and migration. His statement: “hearing a sound”: meaning Jibril’s voice. His statement: “seeing a light”: meaning a great radiance in dark nights. His statement: “for seven years”: At-Tibi said: It means he saw signs of prophethood for seven years as mere light without seeing an angel, which is the meaning of “without seeing anything” except the light. They said: The wisdom in seeing only light without the angel was to familiarize him with the light first, dispelling his fear, as seeing an angel might cause shock or loss of composure due to its gravity. Ibn Al-Malik aptly said: The secret is that an angel is accompanied by divine light and lordly radiance, so seeing him initially might overwhelm human capacity, possibly causing fainting. Thus, he was first familiarized with the light, then visited by the angel. It is possible that “light” refers to the expansion of his heart before revelation, called light, completed at forty to prepare him as a mediator between Allah and His creation. His statement: “for eight years receiving revelation”: meaning in Makkah. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

³ His statement: “at the age of sixty”: At-Tibi said: “At the age of sixty” is figurative, meaning the end, like saying “the head of a verse” for its end. They call the end of something its head, as it begins something else, like another verse or matter. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “Abu Bakr at sixty-three”: his caliphate lasted two years and four months. His statement: “Umar at sixty-three”: Mishkat’s author said: He was stabbed by Abu Lu’lu’ah, the slave of Al-Mughira ibn Shu’ba, in Madinah on Wednesday, four days before the end of Dhul-Hijjah, year 23. He was buried on Sunday, the tenth of Muharram, year 24, aged sixty-three, the most accurate report. His caliphate lasted ten and a half years. As for Uthman, he was buried on Saturday night in Al-Baqi, aged eighty-two. It is also said eighty-eight or otherwise. His caliphate lasted twelve years. As for Ali, he was appointed caliph on the day Uthman departed from this world, Friday, eighteen days into Dhul-Hijjah, year 35. He was struck by Abdur-Rahman ibn Muljam Al-Muradi in Kufa on Friday morning, seventeen days into Ramadan, year 40, and departed from this world three nights later, buried at dawn, aged sixty-three. It is also said sixty-five, seventy, or fifty-eight. His caliphate lasted four years, nine months, and some days. Perhaps Anas did not mention Ali, as he was still alive, or his age was not confirmed to him. Allah knows best. At-Tirmidhi narrated from Jarir, from Mu’awiya, who said in a sermon: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) returned to his Lord at sixty-three, as did Abu Bakr and Umar, and I am sixty-three,” meaning he expected to depart from this world at that age to align with them. In Jami’ Al-Usul: Mu’awiya was sixty-three when narrating this but did not depart then, living to seventy-eight. Mirk said: He wished but did not attain his desire, departing near eighty. I say: He achieved the reward of alignment despite living longer, as a believer’s intention is better than his deed. His statement: “Muhammad ibn Ismail Al-Bukhari said: ‘Sixty-three’”: in the genitive as a quotation, meaning the narration of sixty-three is more common. Imam Ahmad also favored this narration. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was born in the Year of the Elephant, as is well-known, and Qadi Iyad claimed consensus on this. They agreed he was born on a Monday in Rabi’ Al-Awwal, differing on whether it was the second, eighth, or tenth. He returned to his Lord on Monday, the twelfth of Rabi’ Al-Awwal, in the forenoon, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ Her statement: “from the revelation”: “from” indicates partiality, not explanation, as some said, meaning the first type of revelation. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² Her statement: “but that it came”: meaning the dream’s interpretation and meaning came like the break of dawn, i.e., its interpretation appeared clearly without confusion. “Break of dawn” refers to its light. Qadi Iyad said: “Break” means dawn, but as it is used in this sense and others, like “Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn” [Al-Falaq: 1], it was specified for clarity, like saying “the eye of the thing” or “the soul of the thing.” In Nawawi’s commentary on Muslim: They said: It began with dreams to avoid startling him with the angel or explicit prophethood suddenly, which human strength might not bear. It started with signs of honor and true dreams for familiarity. I say: This aligns with the gradual nature of religious and worldly matters. (As stated in Al-Lama’at and Al-Mirqat)

³ Her statement: “solitude was made dear to him”: with an extended alif, meaning seclusion. Nawawi said: Seclusion is the way of the righteous and knowledgeable worshipers of Allah. Al-Khattabi said: Solitude was made dear to him because it frees the heart, aids reflection, detaches from human habits, humbles the heart, and focuses resolve. Opinions differ on whether solitude or socializing is better, but the correct view is that each is best in its proper context with its conditions. His statement: “Hira”: with a kasra on the ha, light ra, and extended alif, a mountain three miles from Makkah, to the left of one heading to Mina. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

⁴ His statement: “engaging in worship”: meaning “tahannuth” is worship. This explanation is either from Aisha or Az-Zuhri, inserted into the Hadith. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

⁵ His statement: “several nights”: relates to “engaging in worship,” not “worship.” It means he worshiped during those nights, and “nights” includes their days by predominance, as nights are more suitable for seclusion. “Several” indicates a limited number, as in Allah’s statement: “a few dirhams” [Yusuf: 20]. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

⁶ His statement: “before returning to his family”: “returning” means longing or inclining. Hence, it is said: “returning” is like “coming back” in meaning and form. His statement: “taking provisions”: in the nominative, meaning he came to his family and took provisions. “For that”: for worship during those nights. His statement: “for the same”: for similar nights. It implies that taking provisions does not negate reliance and trust. The essence is that he continued this cycle of going and returning. His statement: “until the truth came to him”: meaning the command of truth, i.e., revelation. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

⁷ His statement: “I am not a reader”: scholars suggest that “I am not a reader” has the same meaning each time. It is possible that in the first instance, “ma” is negative; in the second, interrogative, with the ba extra or in the Egyptian dialect, meaning “What am I to read?” In the third, “ma” is a relative pronoun, the subject, with its predicate omitted, meaning “What I am to read, what is it?” The difference is that the first is a question of denial, and this is a question for clarification. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

⁸ His statement: “pressed me”: with a ghayn and stressed ta, meaning squeezed, embraced, or pressed me. His statement: “until I was exhausted”: Nawawi said: “Exhausted” can have an open or closed jim, meaning the utmost effort or hardship. The dal can be accusative or nominative. If accusative, Jibril reached exhaustion; if nominative, exhaustion reached its limit in me. Both aspects are mentioned by the author of At-Tahrir. (As stated in Al-Lama’at and Al-Mirqat)

⁹ His statement: “returned with it”: meaning the Prophet returned with the verses. His statement: “informing her of the event”: meaning the event described, a parenthetical state between the statement and its content, “I feared.” In Nawawi’s commentary on Muslim: Qadi Iyad said: This does not mean doubt in what Allah gave him, but he may have feared he could not withstand this matter or bear the burdens of revelation, risking his soul. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹⁰ Her statement: “bear the burdens”: meaning what one cannot manage alone, sometimes called heavy. It means you bear the burdens of others, including spending on the weak, orphans, widows, and dependents, men and women. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹¹ Her statement: “earn for the destitute”: meaning you acquire wealth for good or give to the needy, as the poor are destitute in themselves or in the eyes of the wealthy. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹² Her statement: “assist in calamities of truth”: meaning events decreed by the Truth upon creation. It is said: “Calamities” is the plural of calamity, an event, attributed to the Truth because it may be for good or evil. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹³ Her statement: “listen to your nephew”: figuratively, like saying “O brother of the Arabs.” The commentator said: She said this out of respect, not literally. His statement: “Would that I were young in this time”: meaning during the days of prophethood. His statement: “young”: with an open jim and dhal, meaning strong and youthful, so I could support you fully, like a young horse in its third year. “Young” originally applies to animals, used here metaphorically, with an implied “I were.” His statement: “would that I were alive”: even if not strong. His statement: “Will they expel me”: a question for clarification, expressing astonishment at this boldness to affirm the intent. His statement: “strongly”: with a stressed zay, meaning with great strength, from “strength.” I say: Hence Allah’s statement: “Strengthen my strength with him” [Taha: 31]. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹⁴ His statement: “as we were told”: meaning from narrations indicating his sadness, parenthetical between the verb and its accusative object, “grief,” with a damma then sukun, or both open, meaning great grief characterized by “he went” in the morning. “From it”: due to the grief or the pause in revelation. His statement: “to throw himself”: meaning to fall. His statement: “reached”: meaning arrived. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹⁵ His statement: “The chosen opinion among us is no”: In Radd Al-Muhtar: He attributed in At-Taqrir Al-Akmali to our scholars that before his mission, in the state of prophethood, he was not part of any prophet’s nation. In An-Nahr, it is attributed to the majority. The scholar Ibn Al-Humam in At-Tahrir chose that he worshiped according to established Sharia, not specifically, and was not from their people. Al-Asqalani said: His manner of worship is not explicitly stated, but Ubayd ibn Umair’s narration in Ibn Ishaq says he fed whoever came to him from the polytheists. Some scholars said he worshiped through reflection, as mentioned by As-Suyuti in his notes on Muslim. In At-Tahrir by Ibn Al-Humam: The chosen view is that he worshiped before his mission, some say by Noah’s Sharia, others Ibrahim, Moses, or Eesa (Jesus). The Malikis and Al-Amidi rejected this, and Al-Ghazali was undecided about worship according to prior Sharia. In the commentary on At-Tahrir: Imam Al-Haramayn, Al-Mazari, and others said this issue has no bearing on principles or branches, but is like narrated histories, with no legal ruling attached.

¹ His statement: “about the pause in revelation”: meaning its interruption for days, then its continuous resumption. His statement: “I was terrified”: with a damma on the jim, kasra on the hamza, and sukun on the tha, meaning I was frightened and afraid. His statement: “fell”: with an open waw, meaning I fell or descended. His statement: “arise and warn”: meaning inform people by warning of punishment and giving glad tidings to believers of rewards, using “warn” to suffice due to the prevalence of disbelievers and evildoers. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “a month”: implies that the pause lasted a month. His statement: “my retreat”: with a kasra on the jim, meaning my seclusion or retreat. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² His statement: “I raised my head and saw something”: It was previously narrated from Jabir that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) speak about the pause in revelation, saying: “While I was walking, I heard a sound from the sky, raised my gaze, and saw the angel who came to me in Hira…” This clearly refers to the relative first. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

³ His statement: “Read is the true first”: Hence, some scholars said: The claim that “O you who are cloaked” was the first is weak. The correct view is that “Read in the name of your Lord” was the absolute first, as stated in Aisha’s Hadith. “O you who are cloaked” was revealed after the pause, as clarified in Az-Zuhri’s narration from Jabir, supported by his statement: “He spoke about the pause in revelation,” until he said: “Then Allah revealed: ‘O you who are cloaked’.” Nawawi said: The claim of some commentators that Al-Fatiha was the first is invalid. There is discussion, as it could mean the first complete chapter, or the first in Madinah if considered Madinahn, or the first after Read and O you who are cloaked, making its primacy relative. This is supported by his statement: “This was before prayer was made obligatory,” meaning before prayer, whose validity or perfection depends on reciting Al-Fatiha. Allah knows best. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, etc.”: At-Turubishti said: This Hadith is misused by the misguided to mislead the masses and cast doubt, but it is a clear truth and a radiant light from a blessed tree, almost glowing without being touched by fire. Only those blinded in heart err in it. The essence is that the Prophet (ﷺ) was appointed to convey, entrusted with the Book, unveiled hidden knowledge, and privileged with intimate communion. He shared with the community according to their capacity. When asked about revelation, a profound and unfamiliar matter, he used examples from the tangible world to explain the unseen. As the Companion asked about the nature of revelation, a complex issue, he likened it to a rapid sound heard but not understood, indicating that its messages reach the heart in majesty and grandeur. The awe of the address seizes the heart, and he feels the weight of the words without grasping them fully. When it subsides, he finds the revealed words settled in his soul, as if heard. This is the meaning of “it ceases, and I retain.” “Ceases” means the distress of revelation lifts, likened to fever leaving the sick or rain stopping. This type of revelation resembles what is revealed to angels, as narrated by Abu Huraira from the Prophet (ﷺ): “When Allah decrees a matter in the heavens, the angels beat their wings in submission to His command, like a chain on a rock. When fear is lifted from their hearts, they say, ‘What did your Lord say?’ They say, ‘The truth, and He is the Most High, the Great’ [Saba: 23].” This Hadith from Aisha states that revelation came in two forms, the first harder, as it transitioned him from human nature to angelic states, like revelation to angels, as in Abu Huraira’s Hadith, which is sound. The other form, where the angel appears as a man, was easier. At-Tibi said: It is possible there was a real sound containing meanings, overwhelming the soul due to its unfamiliarity, but the heart, suited to it, absorbs its meaning. When the sound subsides, the soul awakens, receiving from the heart what was conveyed, retaining it. The nature of this is a secret beyond human comprehension. In Nawawi’s commentary on Muslim: Qadi Iyad said: Such matters are taken at face value. Their nature and form are known only to Allah and those He informs among His angels and messengers. Only those weak in insight and faith reinterpret or reject their apparent meaning, as they are supported by Sharia and reason does not negate them. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “he was distressed”: Distress and anxiety refer to sorrow that seizes the soul. It is said: Sorrow distressed him. His statement: “When it was lifted”: This is the well-known wording in the texts, interpreted to mean the revelation was lifted from him. In some copies of Muslim, it is “cleared” with a jeem, and in others, “it became clear.” The meaning is that the revelation was removed from him and ceased. In a narration in Sharh As-Sunnah: “When it ceased.” It is said: The correct wording is “When it was lifted from him,” as stated by As-Sayyid. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “emerging”: meaning appearing. His statement: “from the side of this mountain”: meaning from its direction. His statement: “before a severe punishment”: referring to punishment either in this world or the Hereafter. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “its dung”: meaning the excrement still in the stomach, as stated in As-Sahih. The pronoun refers to the camel, which, though applicable to both male and female, is grammatically feminine. It is said: This is a camel, even if referring to a male. His statement: “and its afterbirth”: with an open seen and light lam, meaning the thin skin enveloping the newborn when it emerges from its mother’s womb. His statement: “to Fatimah”: who was young, born when he was forty-one, as stated in Al-Mawahib. His statement: “cursing them”: meaning she insulted and cursed them, and they remained silent due to her youth. This may be why others did not dare to do this, fearing it might spark a conflict leading to tribal fighting. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² His statement: “When he finished his prayer”: In Nawawi’s commentary on Muslim: If it is asked how he continued praying with impurity on his back, Qadi Iyad answered that it was not impure, as dung and bodily moisture are pure, and only blood is impure, which is Malik’s view and those who agree with him, that the excrement of animals whose meat is eaten is pure. Our view and Abu Hanifa’s is that it is impure. Qadi Iyad’s statement is weak because the afterbirth inherently includes impurity, as it is inseparable from blood, which predominates, and because it is the slaughter of idol-worshippers. I say: This assumes it was slaughtered; otherwise, a dead animal is unanimously impure. Nawawi overlooked the explicit mention of blood in the Hadith, clinging to the idea that the afterbirth is generally inseparable from blood. Then he said: The satisfactory answer is that he did not know what was placed on his back, so he continued prostrating, presuming purity. I say: This is countered by the fact that Jibril would have informed him, as prayer with impurity is invalid, and such matters require clarification. The correct answer is as stated in Sharh As-Sunnah: This act occurred before the prohibition of dung, blood, and the slaughter of idol-worshippers, so it did not invalidate the prayer, just as wine touched their clothes before its prohibition. At-Tibi said: His remaining in that state was likely to intensify his complaint and demonstrate what Allah’s enemies did to His Messenger (ﷺ), so they would be seized severely, which is why he repeated the supplication three times. (As stated in Al-Mirqat and Al-Lama’at)

³ His statement: “By Allah, I saw them slain”: Al-Asqalani said: The inclusion of Umarah among those mentioned is problematic, as he was not killed at Badr; rather, chroniclers stated he died in Abyssinia. The answer is that Ibn Mas’ud’s statement applies to the majority, supported by the fact that Uqbah ibn Abi Mu’ayt was killed as a captive after the return from Badr, and Umayyah ibn Khalaf was not thrown into the well whole but dismembered. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

⁴ His statement: “And the people of the well were followed with a curse”: Al-Asqalani said: The phrase “were followed” may be part of the earlier supplication, indicating a great sign of prophethood. Alternatively, it could have been said after they were thrown into the well. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

In Al-Mirqat: If it is asked how he continued praying with impurity on his back, we say: This act of theirs occurred before the prohibition of things like dung, blood, and the slaughter of idol-worshippers, so it did not invalidate the prayer, just as wine would touch their clothes before its prohibition.

¹ His statement: “I have endured”: meaning what was harder than the day of Uhud, and I endured what I endured from your people, with the vague object omitted to allow full comprehension. His statement: “the hardest I endured from them was the day of Al-Aqabah”: The commentator said: “Hardest” is the predicate of “was,” and “what I endured from them” is the subject in the nominative, with “the day of Al-Aqabah” as a temporal adverb for “endured.” The meaning is: What I endured from them was on the day of Al-Aqabah. His statement: “Ibn Abd Yalil”: He was a prominent figure among the people of Ta’if. His statement: “So I set out, grieved”: a circumstantial clause inserted between the verb and its object, “aimless,” meaning I went grieving in my direction. At-Tibi said: Meaning I set out bewildered, wandering, not knowing where to go due to the intensity of that sorrow and the weight of that grief. His statement: “Qarn Ath-Tha’alib”: “Qarn” is a mountain, and Qarn Ath-Tha’alib is a specific mountain between Makkah and Ta’if. His statement: “shading me”: meaning more than usual. His statement: “to obey your command”: meaning concerning your matter. His statement: “the two mountains”: two mountains, one toward Makkah and another toward Mina, treated as one, as the commentator noted. His statement: “Rather”: meaning I do not want that, even though they deserve it for their disbelief, but rather I hope, etc. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “his front tooth”: with an open ra and light ta, on the pattern of “eighth,” referring to the tooth between the incisor and canine, and the broken front tooth was the lower one on the right side. His statement: “wiping”: with a damma on the lam, meaning removing. Az-Zuhri said: On the day of Uhud, the Messenger of Allah’s (ﷺ) face was struck with a sword seventy times, but Allah protected him from all their harm, as mentioned by As-Suyuti in his notes on Bukhari. Perhaps this reflects his sharing in the ordeal of the seventy martyrs, but Allah protected him, as He said: And Allah will protect you from the people [Al-Ma’idah: 67]. Some effects, like the wound and broken tooth, occurred to fulfill reward and merit. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “pointing to his front tooth”: a circumstantial clause for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), with “he said” explaining the object of “harm.” His statement: “Allah’s anger intensifies against a man, etc.”: The omission of a conjunction between the two clauses may indicate they are two separate Hadiths combined by the narrator, supported by the repetition of “Allah’s anger intensifies,” or to emphasize that each independently deserves what was mentioned, dispelling any notion of shared responsibility. The word “or” was not used to avoid implying doubt. The one killed by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was Ubayy ibn Khalaf. Nawawi said: His statement: “in the cause of Allah” excludes those killed in legal punishment or retribution, as one killed in the cause of Allah intends harm to him. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)