Short Summary
At the age of 40, alone in a cave above Makkah, Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) received the first words of the Quran from the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) (Peace Be Upon Him). What followed was 23 years of prophethood — years of rejection, persecution, migration, and ultimately the spread of Islam across Arabia and beyond. This is the mission that changed the world.
Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Age at first revelation | Approximately 40 years old |
| Location | Cave of Hira, Jabal al-Nur, above Makkah |
| First revelation | Quran 96:1-5 (Surah Al-Alaq) |
| First believer | Khadijah (رضي الله عنها), his wife |
| Years in Makkah (after revelation) | Approximately 13 years |
| The Hijra | 622 CE — migration to Madinah; marks Year 1 of Islamic calendar |
| Length of prophethood | Approximately 23 years |
| Final year | 632 CE — the Farewell Pilgrimage and his death |
The Night Everything Changed
It was during one of his regular retreats to the Cave of Hira when the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) (Peace Be Upon Him) appeared to Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him). The angel commanded him: "Iqra!" — Read! or Recite!
Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) replied that he could not read. Jibril (Peace Be Upon Him) embraced him — described in the narrations as a powerful, pressing embrace — and commanded him again. This happened three times. Then came the first words of the Quran ever revealed to humanity:
ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
“Read in the name of your Lord who created — created man from a clinging substance. Read, and your Lord is the most Generous — who taught by the pen — taught man that which he knew not.”
Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) was shaken. He descended the mountain trembling and returned home to Khadijah (رضي الله عنها).
The Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) came home to Khadijah trembling and said: "Cover me! Cover me!" She covered him until his fear was gone, then he told her what had happened. He said: "I fear for myself." Khadijah replied: "Never! By ALLAH, ALLAH will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your relatives, you help those who are in need, you are generous to your guests, and you assist those who have been afflicted by calamities."
Khadijah (رضي الله عنها) was the first to believe. She did not hesitate. She reassured him, took him to her cousin Waraqa ibn Nawfal — a scholar of the earlier scriptures — who confirmed that what had come to Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) was the same angel who had come to Musa (Moses) (Peace Be Upon Him). Then she declared her belief in him and in his message.
This moment is deeply significant. The first believer in Islam was not a man of political power or tribal strength — it was a woman who knew her husband better than anyone else in the world, and she had no doubt.
The revelation that came to Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) was not something he had sought, prepared, or invented. ALLAH describes it:
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا ۚ مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِى مَا ٱلْكِتَٰبُ وَلَا ٱلْإِيمَٰنُ وَلَٰكِن جَعَلْنَٰهُ نُورًا نَّهْدِى بِهِۦ مَن نَّشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا
“And thus We revealed to you a spirit of Our command. You did not know what is the Book or what is faith, but We made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants.”
The Beginning of Public Preaching
After the initial revelation and a period of pause (fatrah), the revelations resumed and Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) was commanded to call people to Islam openly. This was the same call that ALLAH had sent through every prophet and messenger before him:
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّٰغُوتَ
“And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, saying: Worship ALLAH and avoid all false objects of worship.”
For the first three years, the call was private and cautious. Then came the command to make it public:
فَٱصْدَعْ بِمَا تُؤْمَرُ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
“Then declare what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists.”
When Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) climbed a hill and called out to the Quraysh, asking them: "If I told you that an army was approaching on the other side of this mountain, would you believe me?" They said yes — they knew him as Al-Amin. He then said: "I am a warner to you before a severe punishment." His uncle Abu Lahab replied with hostility, and the revelation of Surah Al-Masad (Chapter 111) followed.
The core message was simple: there is no god worthy of worship but ALLAH. Abandon the idols. Treat the poor with justice. Do not bury your daughters. Live in accordance with what ALLAH has revealed.
For Makkah's elite, this was a direct threat to their power, their economy, their idols, and their social order.
Years of Persecution in Makkah
The Quraysh's response was fierce. The early Muslims — especially those without tribal protection, the poor, the freed slaves — suffered severely. Bilal ibn Rabah (رضي الله عنه), a formerly enslaved man from Abyssinia, was dragged into the desert sun and had boulders placed on his chest to force him to renounce Islam. He said only: "Ahad! Ahad!" — One! One! — testifying to ALLAH's oneness.
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (رضي الله عنه) purchased Bilal (رضي الله عنه) from his enslaver and freed him. The early Muslim community developed tactics of emigration, patience, and solidarity.
The First Emigration
Before the Hijra to Madinah, a group of early Muslims emigrated to Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia), whose Christian king, the Negus, protected them when the Quraysh demanded their return. The Negus heard the Muslims recite verses about Isa (Jesus) (Peace Be Upon Him) from Surah Maryam and reportedly wept, acknowledging that the difference between his understanding of Jesus and Islam's was "no greater than this line" — pointing to a thin mark on the ground.
The Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) himself was protected from physical harm during this period by his uncle Abu Talib's tribal standing — though Abu Talib never accepted Islam. When Abu Talib and Khadijah (رضي الله عنها) both died in the same year (often called the Year of Sorrow), Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) lost his two greatest sources of protection and personal support in one devastating blow.
He attempted to find support in the city of Ta'if, but the people there rejected him, mocked him, and sent their youth to throw stones at him until he bled. He returned to Makkah under the protection of a tribal ally, without finding what he had sought.
Yet he never abandoned his mission.
The Hijra: Migration to Madinah (622 CE)
The people of Yathrib (later renamed Madinah al-Munawwarah — "The Radiant City") had heard of Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) through traders and pilgrims. Delegations from their city met him during the pilgrimage season and pledged their support. ALLAH gave permission to migrate.
The Hijra — the migration of the Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) and his Companions from Makkah to Madinah — took place in 622 CE. This event is so significant that the Islamic calendar begins from it. Not from his birth. Not from the first revelation. But from the Hijra — the moment the Muslim community established itself as a cohesive society with a home.
The migration was dangerous. The Quraysh had plotted to assassinate the Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) on the night he left. He departed with his closest companion, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (رضي الله عنه), hiding for three days in the Cave of Thawr before continuing to Madinah. ALLAH protected them:
إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ثَانِىَ ٱثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِى ٱلْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَا
“If you do not aid him — ALLAH has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion: Do not grieve; indeed ALLAH is with us.”
Building the First Muslim Community in Madinah
The Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) arrived in Madinah to a joyous reception. He established the first mosque — the Prophet's Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi) — with his own hands alongside his Companions. He forged the brotherhood (Muakhah) between the Madinan Muslims (Ansar — the Helpers) and the Makkan emigrants (Muhajirun), pairing each emigrant with a local family who shared everything with them.
He also drafted the Charter of Madinah — an agreement between Muslims, Jewish tribes, and other communities that established rights, responsibilities, and mutual defense.
The Madinan period saw the revelation of the majority of the Quran's legal and social guidance: prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, charity, marriage, inheritance, justice, and governance. Islam was no longer just a personal faith — it was a complete way of life for a growing community.
His Mission: Mercy and Final Prophethood
The message Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) brought was not his own. ALLAH affirms this directly:
وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْىٌ يُوحَىٰ
“He does not speak from his own desire. It is nothing but revelation revealed.”
The Quran states his mission with crystalline clarity:
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ
“And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.”
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ إِلَّا كَآفَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
“And We have not sent you except comprehensively to all people as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. But most of the people do not know.”
مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَآ أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of ALLAH and the Seal of the Prophets.”
قُلْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا
“Say: O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of ALLAH to you all.”
He is the final prophet. The chain of prophethood that began with Adam (Peace Be Upon Him) and passed through Idris (Enoch) (Peace Be Upon Him), Nuh (Noah) (Peace Be Upon Him), Ibrahim (Abraham) (Peace Be Upon Him), Musa (Moses) (Peace Be Upon Him), Isa (Jesus) (Peace Be Upon Him), and many others (Peace Be Upon Them All) — ended with Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him). No prophet comes after him. The Quran is the final scripture, and his Sunnah is the final practical guide.
Why His Prophethood Matters: The Shahada
To become Muslim — and to remain Muslim — one must believe in Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) as the final messenger of ALLAH. This is the second half of the Shahada, the testimony of faith:
"Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasul ALLAH" "I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of ALLAH."
This is not merely a historical claim. It means:
- He genuinely received revelation from ALLAH.
- His Quran is authentic and unchanged.
- His Sunnah is a valid guide for all Muslims.
- No prophet, scripture, or religious authority supersedes him.
Lessons for Today
1. The first response to truth is often rejection. The people of Makkah knew Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) as Al-Amin for 40 years, yet many rejected his message for reasons of pride, economics, and tribal loyalty. The pattern repeats throughout human history: truth is not always accepted simply because it is true.
2. Hijra — migration for one's faith — can be the greatest act of commitment. The Companions left their homes, wealth, and families because ALLAH commanded it. The willingness to sacrifice worldly comfort for one's convictions is a principle the Quran honors and the Seerah exemplifies.
3. Building community requires deliberate structure. The Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) did not simply gather followers — he built institutions: the mosque, the brotherhood, the charter of rights. Faith without community structure is fragile.
4. Mercy is the hallmark of the prophetic mission. ALLAH's description of his mission — mercy to the worlds — is not limited to Muslims. His mercy was for all people, all animals, all of creation.
Common Questions
The Quran does not detail the full divine wisdom behind ALLAH's choice of prophets. What is clear is that ALLAH chooses from among people He knows will carry the trust: "ALLAH is most knowing of where He places His message" (Quran 6:124). Muhammad's ﷺ life before prophethood — his honesty, his compassion, his spiritual sensitivity — was the preparation. ALLAH does not choose arbitrarily.
Yes. The primary and greatest miracle of Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) is the Quran itself — a book that fourteen centuries of human effort have failed to imitate or surpass. The Quran explicitly challenges humanity to produce even one chapter like it (Quran 2:23). Additionally, the Seerah and authenticated hadith record other miracles: the splitting of the moon (Quran 54:1), food multiplying in times of scarcity, water flowing from his hands, trees and stones greeting him, and others.
The second caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) established the Islamic calendar during his caliphate by consensus with the Companions. The Hijra was chosen because it marked the establishment of the first Muslim community — a society living under divine guidance. It was not a personal milestone but a civilizational one: the birth of a community, not merely the birth of a man.
There is no authentic narration indicating that Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) anticipated prophethood before it came. His shock and fear at the first revelation — reported authentically — indicate genuine surprise. The retreats to Cave Hira were spiritual seeking, not preparation for a known event. This is significant: someone fabricating a religious claim typically announces it with confidence, not terror.
Key Takeaways
- The first revelation came to Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) in Cave Hira at approximately age 40 — the first verses of Quran 96:1-5.
- Khadijah (رضي الله عنها) was the first believer in Islam, supporting him without hesitation from the very first moment.
- Thirteen years of preaching in Makkah brought persecution, not acceptance — but also a community of unwavering believers.
- The Hijra to Madinah in 622 CE marks Year 1 of the Islamic calendar and the establishment of the first Muslim community.
- The Quran identifies him as mercy to the worlds (21:107) and the final prophet (33:40) — the seal of a chain of prophethood stretching back to Adam (Peace Be Upon Him).
- Believing in his prophethood is the second half of the Shahada and an essential pillar of Islamic faith.
Related Topics
- The Early Life of Muhammad ﷺ
- The Character of Muhammad ﷺ
- The Final Years of Muhammad ﷺ
- The Quran: An Introduction
- The Shahada: The Testimony of Faith
References
- The Quran: Surah Al-Alaq (96:1-5), Surah Al-Anbiya (21:107), Surah Al-Ahzab (33:40), Surah At-Tawbah (9:40)
- Sahih Bukhari — Hadith of the first revelation
- Ibn Hisham, Al-Sirah Al-Nabawiyyah — primary Seerah source
- Safi ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar)
- Martin Lings, Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources