Prophet Muhammad's Biography; (Part 8)

Interruption of Revelation

Ibn Sa‘d reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas that the Revelation paused for a few days.[Fath Al-Bari 1/27,12/360].


After careful study, this seems to be the most possible. Meanwhile, the Prophet [Pbuh], was caught in a sort of depression coupled with astonishment and perplexity. Al-Bukhari reported:

The Divine inspiration paused for a while and the Prophet [Pbuh] became so sad, as we have heard, that he intended several times to throw himself from the tops of high mountains, and every time he went up the top of a mountain in order to throw himself down, Gabriel would appear before him and say:

"O Muhammad! You are indeed God's Messenger in truth,"

whereupon his heart would become quiet and he would calm down and return home. Whenever the period of the coming of the Revelation used to become long, he would do as before, but Gabriel would appear again before him and say to him what he had said before. [Bukhari 2/340] {mospagebreak}

Once more, Gabriel brings God's Revelation


Ibn Hajar said:

That [the pause of God's revelation for a few days] was to relieve the Messenger of God [Pbuh] of the fear he experienced and to make him long for the Revelation. When the shades of puzzle receded, the flags of truth were raised, the Messenger of God [Pbuh] knew for sure that he had become the Messenger of the Great Lord. He was also certain that what had come to him was no more than the ambassador of inspiration. His waiting and longing for the coming of the revelation constituted a good reason for his steadfastness and self-possession on the arrival of God's inspiration, Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Jabir bin ‘Abdullah that he had heard the Messenger of God [Pbuh] speak about the period of pause as follows:


"While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up, and surely enough, it was the same angel who had visited me in the cave of Hira'. He was sitting on a chair between the earth and the sky. I was very afraid of him and knelt on the ground. I went home saying: ‘Cover me ..., Cover me ...'. God revealed to me the verses:

‘O you [Muhammad [Pbuh]] enveloped [in garments]! Arise and warn! And your Lord [God] magnify! And your garments purify! And keep away from Ar-Rujz [the idols]!'" [ 74:1-5] 

After that the revelation started coming strongly, frequently and regularly. [Bukhari, The Book of Tafseer, 2/733]

Conveying and Warning was the first of his duties as Allah said:

            

"Arise and warn" [74:2]

Meaning he is to warn the people against the punishment of Allah if they do not revert from tyranny, deviation and worship of other than Allah and associating others with Him, His Attributes, His Rights and what He does.

Adhering to the commands of Allah Himself was the other duty as Allah said:

"And Your Lord (Allah) magnify" [74:3]

Meaning, revere Him alone, without partners.

"And your  garments purify" [74:4]

Purification of filth of any kind, of associating partners with Allah and repulsive deed and behaviors.

"And keep away from Arujz (the idols)" [74:5]

Meaning, stay away from the causes of Allah's wrath, by abiding in obedience and refraining from acts of disobedience.

 "And give not a thing in order to have more" [74:6]

 Meaning, do not behave kindly to people merely for reward from them or some portion of benefit in this life.

"And be patient for the sake of your Lord" [74:7]

This indicates the harms to expect from his people when religious separation begins, when he calling them to Allah alone and warning the against His punishment and force.

Some details pertinent to the successive stages of Revelation

The First: The period of true vision. It was the starting point of the Revelation to the Messenger of God [Pbuh].

The Second: What the angel invisibly cast in the Prophet's mind and heart. The Messenger of God [Pbuh] said: "The Spirit revealed to me ‘No soul will perish until it exhausts its due course, so fear God and gently request Him. Never get so impatient to the verge of disobedience of God. What God has can never be acquired but through obedience to Him.'"

The Third: The angel used to visit the Messenger of God [Pbuh] in the form of a human being and would speak to him directly. This would enable him to fully understand what the angel said. The angel was sometimes seen in this form by the Prophet's Companions.

The Fourth: The angel came to him like the toll of a bell and this was the most difficult form because the angel used to seize him tightly and sweat would stream from his forehead even on the coldest day. If the Prophet [Pbuh] was on his camel, the camel would not withstand the weight, so it would immediately kneel down on the ground. Once the Messenger of God [Pbuh] had such a revelation when he was sitting and his thigh was on Zaid's, Zaid felt the pressure had almost injured his thigh.

The Fifth: The Prophet [Pbuh] saw the angel in his actual form. The angel would reveal to him what God had ordered him to reveal. This, as mentioned in [Qur'ân], in Sûrah An-Najm [Chapter 53 - The Star], happened twice.

The Sixth: What God Himself revealed to him in heaven i.e. when he ascended to heaven and received God's behest of Salât [prayer].

The Seventh: God's Words to His Messenger [Pbuh] at first hand without the mediation of an angel. It was a privilege granted to Moses and clearly attested in the Qur'ân, as it is attested to our Prophet [Pbuh] in the Sûrah Al-Isrâ' [Chapter 17 - The Journey by Night] of the Qur'ân.  

*Some religious scholars added a controversial eighth stage in which they state that God spoke to the Prophet [Pbuh] directly without a curtain in between. This issue remains however unconfirmed. [Zad Al-Ma'ad 1/18]

Reference: Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum's Book The Sealed Nectar.


Till next time (inshaalah)


Salaam!