The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Messenger of Allah 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 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) Then Messenger of Allah 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." Khadija then accompanied him to (her cousin) Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin ʿAbdul ʿUzza 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. 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." Messenger of Allah 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 Messenger of Allah 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 ʿAbbas 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). (Using translation from Bukhārī 6982)  

أَوَّلُ مَا بُدِئَ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنَ الْوَحْيِ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّادِقَةُ يَرَاهَا فِي النَّوْمِ فَكَانَ لَا يَرَى رُؤْيَا إِلَّا جَاءَتْ مِثْلَ فَلَقِ الصُّبْحِ ثُمَّ حُبِّبَ لَهُ الْخَلَاءُ فَكَانَ يَأْتِي حِرَاءَ فَيَتَحَنَّثُ فِيهِ وَهُوَ التَّعَبُّدُ اللَّيَالِيَ ذَوَاتِ الْعِدَّةِ وَيَتَزَوَّدُ لِذَلِكَ ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى خَدِيجَةَ فَتُزَوِّدُهُ لِمِثْلِهَا حَتَّى فَجِئَهُ الْحَقُّ وَهُوَ فِي غَارِ حِرَاءَ فَجَاءَهُ الْمَلَكُ فِيهِ فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «فَقُلْتُ » مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ « قَالَ » فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ لِي اقْرَأْ فَقُلْتُ «مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ» فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّانِيَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ فَقُلْتُ «مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ» فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّالِثَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ {اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ} حَتَّى بَلَغَ {مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ} قَالَ فَرَجَعَ بِهَا تَرْجُفُ بَوَادِرُهُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى خَدِيجَةَ فَقَالَ «زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي» فَزَمَّلُوهُ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الرَّوْعُ  

[Machine] I asked Abu Salama which chapter of the Quran was revealed first? He said, "{O you who wraps himself [in clothing]}." I said, "I was informed that the first chapter revealed from the Quran was 'Recite in the name of your Lord who created'."  

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ أَيُّ الْقُرْآنِ أُنْزِلَ أَوَّلَ؟ قَالَ {يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ} قُلْتُ إِنِّي نُبِّئْتُ أَنَّ أَوَّلَ سُورَةٍ أُنْزِلَتْ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ {اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ}  

[Machine] I asked Abu Salama which chapter of the Quran was revealed first. He said, "O you who wraps himself [in clothing]!" I asked, "Or was it 'Recite'?" Then Abu Salama said, "I asked Jabir ibn Abdullah about that, and he said, 'O you who wraps himself [in clothing]!' I asked, 'Or was it 'Recite'?' He said, 'I inform you of what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ informed us. He said, 'I was near the Mount Hira for a month, and when I finished my stay, I descended and hid myself in the valley. Then I heard a voice calling me. I looked ahead, behind me, to my right, and to my left, but I did not see anyone. Then the voice called again, and I looked up to the sky. And behold, it was above the throne in the air. I was seized with severe trembling. I went to Khadijah and said to her, 'Cover me! Cover me!' So they covered me until the fear subsided. Then Allah revealed to me, 'O you who wraps himself [in clothing], arise and warn! And your Lord, exalt [i.e., praise] and purify your garments.'"  

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ أَيُّ الْقُرْآنِ أُنْزِلَ أَوَّلَ؟ قَالَ {يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ} قُلْتُ أَوِ {اقْرَأْ} فَقَالَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ سَأَلْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ {يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ} فَقُلْتُ أَوِ {اقْرَأْ} فَقَالَ إِنِّي أُحَدِّثُكُمْ مَا حَدَّثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ جَاوَرْتُ بِحِرَاءَ شَهْرًا فَلَمَّا قَضَيْتُ جِوَارِي نَزَلْتُ فَاسْتَبْطَنْتُ الْوَادِيَ فَنُودِيتُ فَنَظَرْتُ أَمَامِي وَخَلْفِي وَعَنْ يَمِينِي وَعَنْ شِمَالِي فَلَمْ أَرَ أَحَدًا ثُمَّ نُودِيتُ فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَإِذَا هُوَ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ فِي الْهَوَاءِ فَأَخَذَتْنِي رَجْفَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ فَأَتَيْتُ خَدِيجَةَ فَأَمَرْتُهُمْ فَدَثَّرُونِي ثُمَّ صَبُّوا عَلَيَّ الْمَاءَ وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ {يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ}  

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ said: "When Allah decrees a matter in the heavens, the angels beat their wings in submission to His command, sounding like a chain on a rock until, when fear is lifted from their hearts, they ask, 'What did your Lord say?' They reply, 'The truth, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.' Then, someone from far away listens to their conversation. Perhaps a shooting star may overtake him before he throws it down to the one below him, or perhaps the shooting star may not reach him until he throws it down to the one below him."  

النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ «إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ الْأَمْرَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ضَرَبَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ بِأَجْنِحَتِهَا خُضْعَانًا لِقَوْلِهِ كَأَنَّهُ سِلْسِلَةٌ عَلَى صَفْوَانٍ حَتَّى إِذَا فُزِّعَ عَنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ قَالُوا مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ؟ فَيَقُولُونَ قَالَ الْحَقَّ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ فَيَسْتَمِعُهَا مُسْتَرِقُ السَّمْعِ فَرُبَّمَا أَدْرَكَهُ الشِّهَابُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْمِيَ بِهَا إِلَى الَّذِي هُوَ أَسْفَلُ مِنْهُ وَرُبَّمَا لَمْ يُدْرِكْهُ الشِّهَابُ حَتَّى يَرْمِيَ بِهَا إِلَى الَّذِي هُوَ أَسْفَلُ مِنْهُ  

"When Allah, the exalted, speaks to send revelation, the inhabitants of heaven hear the clanging of a bell from the heavens like a chain being dragged across a rock, and they swoon. They continue to remain like that until Jibril comes to them. When he comes to them, they recover and say: 'O Jibril, what did your Lord say?' He would say: 'The truth,' and they would say: 'The truth, the truth.'" (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4738)  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا تَكَلَّمَ بِالْوَحْيِ سَمِعَ أَهْلُ السَّمَاءِ لِلسَّمَاءِ صَلْصَلَةً كَجَرِّ السِّلْسِلَةِ عَلَى الصَّفَا فَيُصْعَقُونَ فَلَا يَزَالُونَ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُمْ جِبْرِيلُ فَإِذَا جَاءَهُمْ فُزِّعَ عَنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَيَقُولُونَ يَا جِبْرِيلُ مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ الْحَقَّ فَيُنَادُونَ الْحَقَّ الْحَقَّ»  

Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: 'How does the Revelation come to you?' He said: 'Like the ringing of a bell, and this is the hardest on me. When it departs I remember what he said. And sometimes the Angel appears to me in the form of a man and speaks to me, and I remember what he said." Aishah said: "I saw him when the Revelation came to him on a very cold day, and his forhead was dripping with sweat." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 934)   

أَنَّ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْيُ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي فِي مِثْلِ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَيَّ فَيَنْفَصِمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ مَا قَالَ وَأَحْيَانًا يَتَمَثَّلُ لِيَ الْمَلَكُ رَجُلًا فَيُكَلِّمُنِي فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ»  

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ used to treat the severity of the revelation by moving his lips. Ibn Abbas said, "I move my lips like the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to move his lips, and Allah revealed {Do not move your tongue to hasten it. Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation.} He said, 'Its collection is in your heart, then recite it [from memory],' and He said, {So when We have recited it [through Gabriel], then follow its recitation.} He said, 'Listen to it and pay attention,' and He said, {Then indeed, upon Us is its clarification [to you].' Then it is upon Us [Allah] to make you recite it."  

فِي قَوْلِهِ {لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ} قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُعَالِجُ مِنَ التَّنْزِيلِ شِدَّةً كَانَ يُحَرِّكُ شَفَتَيْهِ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ «أَنَا أُحَرِّكُهُمَا كَمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُحَرِّكُهُمَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ {لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمَعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ} قَالَ جَمْعُهُ فِي صَدْرِكَ ثُمَّ تَقْرَؤُهُ {فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ} قَالَ فَاسْتَمِعْ لَهُ وَأَنْصِتْ {ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ} ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ تَقْرَأَهُ  

[Machine] I heard Al-Bara' saying, when this verse was revealed "Not equal are those believers who sit [at home] and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah," the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called Zaid and he came with a shoulder on which it was written. Ibn Umm Maktum complained of his disability's harm, so the verse "not [to be incurred] by those who have incurred [the obligation of] the discharge of a burden" was revealed.  

سَمِعْتُ الْبَرَاءَ يَقُولُ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ {لَا يَسْتَوِي الْقَاعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} دَعَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ زَيْدًا فَجَاءَ بِكَتِفٍ فَكَتَبَهَا فِيهِ فَشَكَا ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ ضَرَارَتَهُ فَنَزَلَتْ {غَيْرَ أُولِي الضَّرَرِ}  

[Machine] 'You have combined between the chapters Al-Anfal and Bara'ah. Bara'ah consists of a hundred verses, while Al-Anfal has fewer verses. So, have you combined them?'

Uthman replied, "Whenever a verse was revealed from the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would call someone to write it down and instruct them to place it in the Surah where it should be mentioned. Al-Anfal was revealed in Madinah, and Bara'ah was revealed towards the end of the Quran. However, the Prophet passed away without informing us where to place it. I found its content similar to the content of Surah Al-Anfal, so I combined them together. However, I didn't write the phrase 'Bismillah hir-Rahman ir-Rahim' between them, so I placed it in the seventh long Surah."  

أَنْ قَرَنْتُمْ بَيْنَ الْأَنْفَالِ وَبَرَاءَةَ وَبَرَاءَةُ مِنَ الْمِئِينَ وَالْأَنْفَالُ مِنَ الْمَثَانِي فَقَرَنْتُمْ بَيْنَهُمَا؟ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ كَانَ إِذَا نَزَلَتْ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ الْآيَةُ دَعَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بَعْضَ مَنْ يَكْتُبُ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ ضَعْهُ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَأُنْزِلَتِ الْأَنْفَالُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَبَرَاءَةُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ مِنْ آخِرِ الْقُرْآنِ فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ يُخْبِرْنَا أَيْنَ نَضَعُهَا فَوَجَدْتُ قِصَّتَهَا شَبِيهًا بِقِصَّةِ الْأَنْفَالِ فَقَرَنْتُ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَمْ نَكْتُبْ بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرَ «بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ» فَوَضَعْتُهَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطُّوَلِ  

[Machine] I heard him, so he said, "O Abu Bakr, how long did the revelation cease from the Prophet of Allah ﷺ before his death?" He said, "Nobody asked me about this since I was informed of it by Anas ibn Malik." Anas ibn Malik said, "He passed away from the world, and he was more frequent in receiving revelation than before."  

أَسْمَعُ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ كَمِ انْقَطَعَ الْوَحْيُ عَنْ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ؟ فَقَالَ مَا سَأَلَنِي عَنْ هَذَا أَحَدٌ مُذْ وَعَيْتُهَا مِنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ «لَقَدْ قُبِضَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَهُوَ* أَكْثَرُ مِمَّا كَانَ»  

[Machine] When the verse "The sitting ones among the believers are not equal" was revealed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Summon Zaid for me and let him bring the tablet and the inkpot or the shoulder blade and the inkpot." Then he said, "Write: 'The sitting ones among the believers and the fighters in the path of Allah are not equal.'" Amr ibn Um Maktum, who was blind, was behind the Prophet ﷺ , and he said, "O Messenger of Allah, what should I do, for I am a blind man?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "But those [women] who have no means to marry - for them is other than lawful [wedded] persons."  

لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ {لَا يَسْتَوِي الْقَاعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «ادْعُ لِي زَيْدًا وَيَجِيءُ مَعَهُ بِاللَّوْحِ وَالدَّوَاةِ أَوْ بِالْكَتِفِ وَالدَّوَاةِ» ثُمَّ قَالَ «اكْتُبْ لَا يَسْتَوِي الْقَاعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ» قَالَ وَخَلْفَ ظَهْرِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ عَمْرُو بْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ الْأَعْمَى قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَمَا تَأْمُرُنِي فَإِنِّي رَجُلٌ ضَرِيرُ الْبَصَرِ؟ قَالَ الْبَرَاءُ فَأُنْزِلَتْ مَكَانَهَا {غَيْرَ أُولِي الضَّرَرِ}  

"bring me a shoulder blade of a camel, or a tablet, and write: Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home)." [1] 'Amr bin Umm Maktum was behind him and he said: "Is there a concession for me?" Then the following was revealed: "Except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame)." [2] [1] An-Nisa' 4:95. [2] An-Nisa' 4:95. (Using translation from Nasāʾī 3101)   

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «إِيتُونِي بِالْكَتِفِ أَوِ اللَّوْحِ» فَكَتَبَ {لَا يَسْتَوِي الْقَاعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} وَعَمْرُو بْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ خَلْفَ ظَهْرِهِ فَقَالَ هَلْ لِي مِنْ رُخْصَةٍ؟ فَنَزَلَتْ {غَيْرَ أُولِي الضَّرَرِ}