The Cave
- philhoraia
- May 3, 2022
- 5 min read
We are told that the founder of Islam had an encounter inside a cave. We read in Al-Bukhari:
"The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was in the form of good righteous (true) dreams in his sleep. He never had a dream but that it came true like bright day light. He used to go in seclusion (the cave of) Hira where he used to worship(Allah Alone) continuously for many (days) nights. He used to take with him the journey food for that (stay) and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again for another period to stay, till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him in it and asked him to read."
The commencement of his 'divine inspiration' was in the form of dreams? Was he a 'prophet' before his encounter in the cave? When he would go to this cave, what deity or deities did he worship? The words "Allah alone" are an interpolation.
From an article:
From the Book "Musnad Ahmad" written by Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal
Narrated by Abdullah, narrated by his father, narrated by Abu Usama Hamad Ibn Usama, narrated by Hisham Ibn Urwah, narrated from his father who related that a neighbor of Khadija bint Khuwaylid heard the prophet says, "O Khadija! By Allah I do not worship Al-Lat nor Al-Uzza. By Allah I do not worship (them) at all." Khadija replied, "Leave Al-Lat and leave Al-Uzza."
He (the neighbor) said this was their idol which they used to worship after which they would lay down to sleep. Muhammad's Idolatry Revisited [Part 2] Bold mine.
"[T]ill suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira." Al-Haqq (The Truth) is a 'name' given to Allah. Yes, it does then speak of an angel, but that doesn't necessarily exclude its being Allah that assaulted him. The word 'angel' simply means 'messenger', and in S 19:19 we read: He [Allah's spirit] said: I am only a messenger of your lord’s that I may give you a pure boy.
"The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "I do not know how to read." (The Prophet (ﷺ) added), "The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it anymore. He then released me and again asked me to read, and I replied, "I do not know how to read," whereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it anymore. He then released me and asked me again 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 Most Generous...up to..... ..that which he knew not." (96.15)"
Another version can be read in the Sirah. From an article:
… When it was the night on which God honoured him with his mission and showed mercy on His servants thereby, Gabriel brought him the command of God. ‘He came to me,’ said the apostle of God, ‘while I was asleep, with a coverlet brocade whereon was some writing, and said, "Read!" I said, "What shall I read?" He pressed me with IT so tightly that I thought it was death; then he let me go and said, "Read!" I said, "What shall I read?" He pressed me with IT again so that I thought it was death; then he let me go and said "Read!" I said, "What shall I read?" He pressed me with IT the third time so that I thought it was death and said, "Read!" I said, "What then shall I read?" – and this I said only to deliver myself from him, lest he should do the same to me again… So I read it, and he departed from me. And I awoke from my sleep, and it was as though these words were written on my heart…’ (The Life of Muhammad, A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah, with introduction and notes by Alfred Guillaume [Karachi Oxford University Press, Karachi, Tenth Impression 1995], p. 106; bold, capital and italic emphasis ours) To Read or Recite? That is the Question!
"Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) returned with the Inspiration, his neck muscles twitching with terror till he entered upon Khadija and said, "Cover me! Cover me!" They covered him till his fear was over and then he said, "O Khadija, what is wrong with me?" Then he told her everything that had happened and said, 'I fear that something may happen to me." Khadija said, 'Never! But have the glad tidings, for by Allah, Allah will never disgrace you as you keep good reactions with your Kith and kin, speak the truth, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guest generously and assist the deserving, calamityafflicted ones.""
This encounter with what was supposedly the angel Gabriel was an unpleasant one. It would seem that he suspected a jinni behind this encounter.
"Khadija then accompanied him to (her cousin) Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin `Abdul `Uzza bin Qusai. Waraqa was the son of her paternal uncle, i.e., her father's brother, who during the Pre-Islamic Period became a Christian and used to write the Arabic writing and used to write of the Gospels in Arabic as much as Allah wished him to write."
What 'Gospel' was it that he was translating? Might this have been a pseudo-gospel?
" He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to him, "O my cousin! Listen to the story of your nephew." Waraqa asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" The Prophet (ﷺ) described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, "This is the same Namus (i.e., Gabriel, the Angel who keeps the secrets) 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."" Namus means 'law'. That in brackets is an interpolation.
"Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked, "Will they turn me out?" Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said: "Never did a man come with something similar to what you have brought but was treated with hostility. 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 and the Prophet (ﷺ) 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 Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in truth" whereupon his heart would become quiet and he would calm down and would return home. And whenever the period of the coming of the inspiration used to become long, he would do as before, but when he used to reach the top of a mountain, Gabriel would appear before him and say to him what he had said before. (Ibn `Abbas said regarding the meaning of: 'He it is that Cleaves the daybreak (from the darkness)' (6.96) that Al-Asbah. means the light of the sun during the day and the light of the moon at night)." https://sunnah.com/bukhari/91/1
We are told that he repeatedly tried to commit suicide. Was he trying to provoke an appearance by his assailant when his 'revelations' dried up?
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