I heard Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrates for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration will be for what he emigrated for. [1] [1:1-O.B.]

Al-Harith bin Hishâm asked Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) " O Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ)! How is the Divine Inspiration revealed to you?" Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, "Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of a bell, this form of Inspiration is the hardest of all and then this state passes off after I have grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says."

Aisha added: Verily, I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) being inspired (divinely) and (noticed) the sweat dropping from his forehead on a very cold day as the Inspiration was over. [1:2-0.B.]

The commencement of the (Divine) Inspiration to Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) was in the form of righteous good (true) dreams which came true like bright daylight, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allâh Alone) continuously for many nights before returning to (or his desire to see) his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food likewise again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hirâ '. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "I do not know how to read."

The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "Then the angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, 'I do not know how to read '. Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me 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 the Most Generous." (V. 96:1-3)

Then Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwailid and said, "Cover me ! Cover me ! " They covered him till his fear was over and after that he told Khadija everything that had happened (and said), "I fear that something may happen to me." Khadija replied, "Never ! By Allâh, Allâh will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones." Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin ' Abdul Uzza, who, during the Period of Ignorance became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allâh wished him to write. 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? Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) described whatever he had seen.

Waraqa said, "This is the same one [who keeps the secrets i.e. angel Jibrael (Gabriel)] whom Allâh had sent to Mûsa (Moses). I wish I were young and could live upto the time when your people would turn you out. Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) asked, "Will they drive me out? He replied in the affirmative and said, Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought, was treated with hostility; and 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. [1:3 (A)-O.B.]

Narrated Jâbir bin 'Abdullâh Al-Ansâri while talking about the period of pause in revelation, reported the speech of the Prophet (ﷺ): " While I was walking, all of a sudden I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up and saw the same angel, who had visited me at the cave of Ḥira, sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I got scared of him and came back home and said, 'Wrap me (in blankets). And then Allâh jw revealed the following Holy Verses (of the Qur'ân):

'O you (i.e. Muḥammad)! Enveloped (in garments) ! Arise and warn '.... upto... ' and keep away from Ar-Rujz (the idols) ! ' (V. 74:1-5).

After this, the revelation started coming strongly and frequently in succession one after the other." [1:3 (B)-O.B.]

in the explanation of the Statement of Allâh: "Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur'ân, O Muḥammad to make haste therewith." (V. 75:16) said, Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) used to bear the revelation with great stress and hardness, and used to move his lips (quickly with the Inspiration)." Ibn 'Abbâs moved his lips saying, "I am moving my lips (in front of you) as Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) used to move his." So Allâh revealed, "Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur'ân O Muḥammad) to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you (O Muḥammad) the ability to recite it (the Qur'ân) " (V. 75:16,17,) [which means that Allâh will make him (the Prophet (ﷺ) remember the portion of the Qur'ân which was revealed at that time by heart (and recite it)]. The Statements of Allâh: " And when We have recited it to you [O Muḥammad through Jibrael (Gabriel)] then follow you its (the Qur'ân's) recital " (V. 75:18) (means ' listen to it and be silent ')." Then it is for Us (Allâh) to make it clear to you (V. 75:19) means then it is (for Allâh) to make you recite it (and its meaning will be clear by itself through your tongue). Afterwards, Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) used to listen to Jibrael (Gabriel) whenever he came and after his departure he used to recite it as Jibrael (Gabriel) had recited it. [1:4-O.B.]

Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) was the most generous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramaḍân when Jibrael (Gabriel) met him. He [Jibrael (Gabriel)] used to meet him every night of Ramaḍân to teach him the Qur'ân. Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) was the most generous person, even more generous than the fair winds [sent (by Allah) with glad tidings (rain) in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds]. [1:5-0.B.]

Sufyân bin Ḥarb informed me that Heraclius had sent a Messenger (ﷺ) to him while he had been accompanying a caravan from Quraish. They were merchants doing business in Shâm (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan), at the time when Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) had truce with Abu Sufyân and Quraish infidels. So Abu Sufyân and his companions went to Heraclius at 'Ilyâ' (Jerusalem). Heraclius called them in the court and he had all the senior Roman dignitaries around him. He called for his translator who, translating Heraclius ' question said to them, "Who amongst you is closely related to the man who claims to be a Prophet (ﷺ)?" Sufyân replied, "I am the nearest relative to him (amongst the group)."

Heraclius said, "Bring him (Abu Sufyân) close to me and make his companions stand near behind him." (Sufyân added), Heraclius told his translator to tell my companions that he wanted to put some questions to me regarding that man (the Prophet ﷺ) and that if I told a lie they (my companions) should contradict me. ' (Abu Sufyân added), "By Allâh ! Had I not been ashamed of my companions labelling me a liar, I would not have spoken the truth about the Prophet (ﷺ) The first question he asked me about him was: ' What is his family status amongst you? I replied, He belongs to a good (noble) family amongst us. ' (Heraclius) further asked, 'Has anybody else amongst you ever claimed the same (i.e. to be a Prophet ﷺ) before his (claim)? ' I replied, 'No.'

Heraclius asked, 'Was anybody amongst his ancestors a king?" I replied, 'No. ' Heraclius asked, 'Do the nobles or the poor follow him? ' I replied, 'It is the poor who follow him. ' He said, 'Are his followers increasing or decreasing (day by day)? ' I replied, 'They are increasing. ' He then asked, 'Does anybody amongst those who embrace his religion become displeased and renounce the religion afterwards? ' I replied, 'No. ' Heraclius said, 'Have you ever accused him of telling lies before his claim (to be a Prophet ﷺ)? ' I replied, 'No '. Heraclius said, 'Does he ever betray or prove treacherous to his covenants? I replied, 'No. We are at truce with him but we do not know what he will do in it.' I could not find an opportunity to say anything against him except that word. Heraclius asked, 'Have you ever had a war with him? ' I replied, 'Yes. ' Then he said, 'What was the outcome of the battles? ' I replied, 'Sometimes he was victorious and sometimes we.'

Heraclius said, 'What does he order you to do? ' I said, He tells us to worship Allâh Alone, and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to speak the truth, to be chaste and to keep good relations with our kith and kin. ' Heraclius asked the translator to convey to me the following, 'I asked you about his family and your reply was that he belonged to a very noble family. In fact all the Messenger's come from noble families amongst their respective peoples.

I questioned you whether anybody else amongst you claimed such a thing, your reply was in the negative. If the answer had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man was following the previous man's statement. Then I asked you whether anyone of his ancestors was a king. Your reply was in the negative, and if it had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man wanted to take back his ancestral kingdom. I further asked whether he was ever accused of telling lies before he said what he said, and your reply was in the negative. So I wondered how a person who does not tell a lie about others could ever tell a lie about Allâh. I, then asked you whether the rich people followed him or the poor. You replied that it was the poor who followed him. And in fact these (poor always) are the followers of the Messenger's.

Then I asked you whether his followers were increasing or decreasing. You replied that they were increasing, and in fact this is the way of true faith, till it is complete in all respects. I further asked you whether there was anybody, who, after embracing his religion, became displeased and discarded his religion. Your reply was in the negative, and in fact this is (the sign of) true faith, when its delight enters the hearts and mixes with them completely. I asked you whether he had ever betrayed. You replied in the negative and likewise the Messenger's never betray. Then I asked you what he ordered you to do. You replied that he ordered you to worship Allâh (and Allâh Alone) and not to worship anything along with Him and forbade you to worship idols and ordered you to pray, to speak the truth and to be chaste. If what you have said is true, he will very soon occupy this place [which is underneath my feet (now) and I knew it (from the Scriptures)] that he was going to appear but I did not know that he would be from you, and if I am sure [1] to reach him, I would go immediately to meet him and if I were with him, I would certainly wash his feet. ' Heraclius then asked for the letter addressed by Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) which was delivered by Diḥya to the governor of Busra, who forwarded it to Heraclius to read.

The contents of the letter were as follows: In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful (This letter is) from Muḥammad, the slave of Allâh and His Messenger (ﷺ) to Heraclius, the ruler of Byzantines. Peace be upon him, who follows the Right Path. Then after: I invite you to Islâm, and if you become a Muslim you will be safe, and Allâh will double your reward, and if you reject this invitation of Islâm you will be committing a sin (by misguiding your) ' Arisiyin (peasants). And (I recite to you Allâh's Statement:) O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) ! Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allâh and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords beside Allâh. Then, if they turn away, say: Bear witness that we are Muslims." (V. 3:64).

Abu Sufyan then added, "When Heraclius had finished his speech and had read the letter, there was a great hue and cry in the royal court. So we were turned out of the court. I told my companions that the question of Ibn Abi Kabsha [2] (Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ) has become so prominent that even the king of Bani Al-Asfar (Byzantines) is afraid of him. Thenceforth I became sure that he (the Prophet ﷺ) would be the conqueror in the near future till I embraced Islâm (i.e. Allâh guided me to it)." (The subnarrator adds) Ibn An-was the governor of ' Ilya ' (Jerusalem) and Heraclius was the head of the Christians of Shâm. Ibn An-narrates that once while Heraclius was visiting ' Ilya ' (Jerusalem), he got up in the morning with a sad mood. Some of his priests asked him why he was in that mood? Heraclius was a foreteller and an astrologer. He replied, "At night when I looked at the stars, I saw that the leader of those who practice circumcision had appeared (become the conqueror), (and asked) who are they who practice circumcision?" The people replied, "Except the Jews, nobody practices circumcision, so you should not be afraid of them (Jews). Just issue orders to kill every Jew present in the country." While they were discussing it, a Messenger (ﷺ) sent by the king of Ghassân to convey the news of Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) to Heraclius was brought in. Having heard the news, he (Heraclius) ordered the people to go and see whether (the Messenger (ﷺ) of Ghassân) was circumcised. The people, after seeing him, told Heraclius that he was circumcised. Heraclius then asked him about the Arabs.

The Messenger (ﷺ) replied, "Arabs also practice circumcision." (After hearing that) Heraclius remarked that sovereignty of this nation (Arabs) had appeared. Heraclius then wrote a letter to his friend in Rome who was as good as Heraclius in knowledge. Heraclius then left for Homs (a town in Syria) and stayed there till he received the reply of his letter from his friend who agreed with him in his opinion about the emergence of the Prophet (ﷺ) and the fact that he is indeed a Prophet (ﷺ).

On that Heraclius invited all the heads of the Byzantines to assemble in his palace at Homs. When they assembled, he ordered that all the doors of his palace be closed. Then he came out and said, "O Byzantines ! If success is your desire and if you seek right guidance and want your empire to remain then give the Bai'a (pledge) to this Prophet (ﷺ) (i.e embrace Islam)." (On hearing the views of Heraclius) the people ran towards the gates of the palace like onagers but found the doors closed. Heraclius realised their hatred towards Islâm and when he lost the hope of their embracing Islâm, (he ordered): " Bring them back to me. ' (When they returned) he said, "What I already said was just to test the strength of your conviction and I have seen it." The people prostrated before him and became pleased with him, and this was the end of Heraclius ' story (in connection with his faith). [1:6-O.B.]