The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 1 of 4

IMAM ABW AL-FIDA' ISMA'IL IBN KATH~R 299
God.' This would relieve his distress and he would return down. And if the
revelation was again long in coming, he would feel and do the same. When he
would reach the mountain summit, Gabriel would appear and speak to him as
before."
In both the jahih collections there is a tradition from 'Ahd d-RazzBq, from
Ma'mar, from d-Zuhri, who said that he heard Abii Salama 'Abd al-Rabm~n
relate from Jxbir b. 'Abd All&, who said that he heard the Messenger of God
(SAAS) talking about the intermission in the revelation, say, "While I walked, I
heard a voice from heaven. I raised my sight towards the sky and there I saw the
angel who came to me in Hira), seated upon a throne amidst the sky. I knelt
down before him in fear, right down to the ground, then went to my family and
said, 'Wrap me up! Wrap me up!' And so God sent down, '0 YOU who are
wrapped up! Arise and give warning! And glorify your Lord! Purify your
garments! And shun idolatry!' (sarat al-Mudaththrr, LXXIV, v.1-5).
"He went on, 'And then the revelation became stronger and continued uninterrupted."'
The above verse was the lirst of the Qur'an sent down after the intermission
in revelation, thoilgh not the very lirst of all, which was the verse, "Read: in the
name of your Lord who created" (sayat al-'Alag, XCVI, v.1).
It is established on the authority of Jxbir that the lirst verse to be revealed was,
"0 you who are wrapped up." It is perhaps appropriate to interpret his words as
we have suggested, for in the sequence of what he states, there is evidence for
the angel having come down earlier, as he recognized him from earlier.
Moreover, in Jahir's words making reference to the "intermission in the reveIation",
there is a proof that revelation did precede this instance. But God knows
best.
It is established in both the jahih collections, from an account of 'Ali b.
al-Mubarak, as well as in the works of Muslim and al-AwzsCi, both of whom also
quote Y&ya b. Abn Kathir as having said, "I asked Aha Salama b. 'Abd
al-R&msn, 'Which part of the Qur'w was revealed before?' He replied, 'The
verse, "0 you who are wrapped up.""'
"I asked, 'And the verse, "Read in the name of your Lord who created?" He
replied, 'I asked Jxbir b. 'Abd Allah which verse of the Qur'm came earliest, and
he replied, "It was '0 you who are wrapped up.' So I asked him, 'What about
"Read in the name of your Lord who created?"' and he answered, 'The
Messenger of God (SAAS) said, "I spent a month in seclusion in Hira' and
when it was over I went down into the heart of the valley. I heard a voice calling
out to me and I looked ahead, behind me and to left and right, but I saw nothing.
Then I looked up at the sky and there he was, on a throne in the air. I was
seized by a trembling" -or he used the word ''anxiety" instead of the word "a
trembling" - and went on to Khadija. She ordered them and they wrapped me