While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up, and there was the angel who had come to me at Hirā’
Narrator in the source: Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān reported that Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah al-Ansāri said: While narrating about the halt in revelation, he said in his Hadīth:
Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān reported that Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: While narrating about the halt in revelation, he said in his Hadīth: "While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up, and there was the angel who had come to me at Hirā’, sitting on a chair between the heaven and the earth. I was terrified of him, so I returned and said: Cover me! Then Allah Almighty revealed: {O you covered [in your cloak], arise and warn} [Surat al-Muddaththir: 1-2] until His saying: {and shun idol worshiping.} [Surat al-Muddaththir: 5] After that, the revelation became intense and continuous."- Grade in the source
- Authentic
- Reported by
- Agreed upon
- Source entry
- HadeethEnc · 66304 ↗
Original Arabic wording
عَنْ أبي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَنَّ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الأَنْصَارِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: وَهُوَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ فَتْرَةِ الوَحْيِ، فَقَالَ فِي حَدِيثِهِ: «بَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِي إِذْ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ، فَرَفَعْتُ بَصَرِي، فَإِذَا المَلَكُ الَّذِي جَاءَنِي بِحِرَاءٍ جَالِسٌ عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ، فَرُعِبْتُ مِنْهُ، فَرَجَعْتُ فَقُلْتُ: زَمِّلُونِي، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {يَا أَيُّهَا المُدَّثِّرُ1 قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ} [المدثر: 2] إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ} [المدثر: 5]. فَحَمِيَ الوَحْيُ وَتَتَابَعَ».Understand this hadith
The Prophet (ﷺ), while recounting the halt in revelation at the beginning of his mission, said: As I was walking through the alleys of Makkah, I suddenly heard a voice from the sky. I looked up, and there was the angel Jibrīl (Gabriel)—the same one who had come to me in the cave of Hirā’—sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I was filled with fear and dread of him, so I returned to my family and said: Wrap me in a cloak. So Allah Almighty revealed: {O you covered} in your cloak, {arise} to call people to the message, {and warn} those who have not yet believed in your message. {And your Lord}—your only true God—{proclaim His greatness} and praise and exalt Him. {And your garments} and clothes {purify them} and clean them from impurities. {And shun the filth}, i.e., the worship of idols and false gods, {and keep away from it} completely. After that, the revelation became strong and continuous.
Lessons from the hadith
- The revelation to the Prophet (ﷺ) ceased for a short period after the descent of Allah's word: {Read}.
- It is permissible for a person to speak about the hardships he experienced after they have passed, as an expression of gratitude to Allah Almighty.
- The first revelation after: {Read in the name of your Lord Who created} was Allah's saying: {O you covered [in your cloak]}.
- The grace of Allah Almighty upon His Prophet (ﷺ) is shown in that He continuously bestowed revelation upon him without interruption until the Prophet (ﷺ) departed from this world.
- The obligation to call to Allah Almighty, warning those who turn away, and giving glad tidings to those who obey.
- The obligation to purify one's clothes for prayer, as inferred from Allah's saying: {And purify your garments}.
- The obligation to believe in the angels and in what Allah has empowered them to do of tasks and other matters.
References (original Arabic)
صحيح البخاري (1/ 7-8) (4). صحيح مسلم (1/ 98) (161). البحر المحيط الثجاج في شرح صحيح الإمام مسلم بن الحجاج (4/ 430). إرشاد الساري لشرح صحيح البخاري (1/ 67).