"Recite in the Name of thy Lord Who created, created man from a blood clot. Recite! Thy Lord is most noble, Who taught by the Pen, taught man that which he knew not. Nay, truly man is rebellious in that he considers himself beyond need. Truly unto thy Lord is the return. Hast thou seen him who prohibits a slave when he prays? Hast thou seen if he does so out of guidance, or to enjoin reverence? Hast thou seen if he denied and turned away? Does he not know that God sees? Nay, but if he ceases not, We shall surely seize him by the forelock - a lying, iniquitous forelock. So let him call his cohorts. We shall call the guards of Hell. Nay! Obey him not! But prostrate and draw nigh."
Quran 96:1-18
My initial intention was to cull out a couple passages from this surah, and I'll definitely come back to it with that in mind. This is the 96th surah, al-Alaq, usually rendered as "The Blood Clot." While it is the 96th surah in the order of the Quran, it's actually the first one chronologically, which is what I'd like to focus on at this moment. Before Muhammad ever had his first revelation from God we know that he used to retreat to a cave in the hills outside Mecca to meditate. The story of the first revelation is well-known to all Muslims, but I thought I would share it here:
As Nasr recounts the story, "The Archangel [Gabriel] came to him while he was in the cave and said, 'Recite!' The Messenger of God said, 'I replied, "I am not a reciter,"' Then he said, 'So he seized me and pressed me until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said, "Recite!" So I replied, "I am not a reciter." Then he pressed me a second time until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said, "Recite!" So I replied, "I am not a reciter." Then he pressed me a third time until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me a third time until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said, "Recite in the Name thy Lord Who created" until he reached that which he knew not.'
"Then he [the Prophet} returned with those verses and with his heart trembling until he reached Khadijah and said, 'Cover me, cover me.' So they wrapped him up until his fear went away. Then he said to Khadijah, 'What is wrong with me?' and told her what had happened and said, 'I fear for my soul.' She replied, 'Never! By God, God will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your relatives, you speak the truth, you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your guests generously, and you help the deserving who are afflicted by misfortune.'"
It's a fascinating story, and provides a glimpse of the power/terror of God, but also of a very human Muhammad. Truthfully, how many of us would have responded any differently in that situation? Rather, we would have, like Muhammad, said something like, "I fear for my soul," or maybe in this more secular age we would have feared for our sanity. The exchange between Muhammad and Khadijah, the Prophet's first (and while she was alive, only) wife, plays in this narrative shows the crucial role she played both in his life and in the founding of the faith. Her description of Muhammad is also fascinating, not only because it shows that long before he was recognized as a prophet he was revered, and admired for these very human virtues: "You keep good relations with your relatives, you speak the truth, you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your guests generously . . ."
Quran 96:1-18
My initial intention was to cull out a couple passages from this surah, and I'll definitely come back to it with that in mind. This is the 96th surah, al-Alaq, usually rendered as "The Blood Clot." While it is the 96th surah in the order of the Quran, it's actually the first one chronologically, which is what I'd like to focus on at this moment. Before Muhammad ever had his first revelation from God we know that he used to retreat to a cave in the hills outside Mecca to meditate. The story of the first revelation is well-known to all Muslims, but I thought I would share it here:
As Nasr recounts the story, "The Archangel [Gabriel] came to him while he was in the cave and said, 'Recite!' The Messenger of God said, 'I replied, "I am not a reciter,"' Then he said, 'So he seized me and pressed me until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said, "Recite!" So I replied, "I am not a reciter." Then he pressed me a second time until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said, "Recite!" So I replied, "I am not a reciter." Then he pressed me a third time until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me a third time until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said, "Recite in the Name thy Lord Who created" until he reached that which he knew not.'
"Then he [the Prophet} returned with those verses and with his heart trembling until he reached Khadijah and said, 'Cover me, cover me.' So they wrapped him up until his fear went away. Then he said to Khadijah, 'What is wrong with me?' and told her what had happened and said, 'I fear for my soul.' She replied, 'Never! By God, God will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your relatives, you speak the truth, you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your guests generously, and you help the deserving who are afflicted by misfortune.'"
It's a fascinating story, and provides a glimpse of the power/terror of God, but also of a very human Muhammad. Truthfully, how many of us would have responded any differently in that situation? Rather, we would have, like Muhammad, said something like, "I fear for my soul," or maybe in this more secular age we would have feared for our sanity. The exchange between Muhammad and Khadijah, the Prophet's first (and while she was alive, only) wife, plays in this narrative shows the crucial role she played both in his life and in the founding of the faith. Her description of Muhammad is also fascinating, not only because it shows that long before he was recognized as a prophet he was revered, and admired for these very human virtues: "You keep good relations with your relatives, you speak the truth, you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your guests generously . . ."
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