It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting in the Cave of Hira when an angel came to him bringing a silk cloth on which was written: "Read in the name of your Lord who created" up to "what he did not know" [Surah al-Alaq: 1-5] .

(Imam al-Hakim says that) I heard Abu Ali al-Hafiz say: The mention of Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) in its chain is an error. Then he narrated it to us in mursal form through the chain of Muhammad bin Ishaq al-Thaqafi from Amr bin Dinar: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in the Cave of Hira," and then mentioned the hadith in the same way. All the narrators of the first, connected hadith are trustworthy, and I have built this book upon the principle that an addition from a trustworthy narrator is accepted. As for the prostration in "Read in the name of your Lord", Imam Muslim recorded it through the chain of Abu al-Tahir, from al-A'raj, from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "The obligatory ('aza'im) verses of prostration in the Qur'an are: 'Alif Lam Mim. The revelation' [Surah al-Sajdah: 1-2] , 'Ha Mim. The revelation', that is, the Sajdah [Surah Fussilat: 1-2] , Surah al-Najm, and 'Read in the name of your Lord who created' [Surah al-Alaq: 1] ." (Imam al-Hakim says:) And I am amazed at the one who narrates hadith to me and does not prostrate in the Mufassal surahs.