It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, who says: In the blessed era of the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, we used to avoid talking too much with our wives and laughing openly, out of fear that the Holy Qur'an might be revealed about us. When the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, passed away, then we began to speak openly.

Narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she says: The beginning of revelation to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was in the form of true dreams during sleep. Whatever dream he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw, it would come true like the break of dawn. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) began to prefer seclusion and would go to the Cave of Hira and worship there for several nights, taking provisions for those days. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) would return to Sayyida Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) and take provisions again for as many days, until suddenly the truth came to him (peace and blessings be upon him) one day while he was in the Cave of Hira. The angel came to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "Read." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I am not one who reads." So he took hold of me and pressed me so hard that I felt great difficulty, then he released me and said: "Read." I said: "I am not one who reads." He took hold of me again and pressed me until I felt great difficulty, then he released me and said again: "Read." I said: "I am not one who reads." He took hold of me and pressed me a third time until I felt great difficulty, then he said: {اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّکَ الَّذِیْ خَلَقَ … … مَا لَمْ یَعْلَمْ} Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) returned home, while the flesh of his shoulders was trembling. He (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Sayyida Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) and said: "Cover me!" So they covered him until his fear subsided. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Khadijah! What has happened to me?" Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) narrated the whole incident to her and said: "I fear for myself." But she said: "Never! Be happy. By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you, for you maintain ties of kinship, speak the truth, bear the burdens of others, host guests, and help in matters of truth." Then she took him (peace and blessings be upon him) to Waraqah bin Nawfal, who was the son of her paternal uncle and had adopted Christianity during the time of ignorance. Since he could write in Arabic, he used to write the Gospel in Arabic. He was an old man and had become blind. Sayyida Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) said to him: "O son of my uncle! Listen to your nephew." Waraqah said: "Nephew! What do you see?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) narrated everything in detail. Waraqah said: "This is the same Namus (angel) who was sent down to Musa (peace be upon him). Would that I were strong when your people will drive you out." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Will they drive me out?" Waraqah said: "Yes, no man has ever come with what you have brought except that he was opposed, and if I live to see that day, I will support you strongly." But soon after, Waraqah passed away and the revelation ceased. Now the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was grieved, and indeed it reached us that his grief became so intense that he (peace and blessings be upon him) several times intended to throw himself from the tops of mountains. Whenever he (peace and blessings be upon him) climbed to the top of a mountain to throw himself down, Jibreel (peace be upon him) would appear before him and say: "O Muhammad! Indeed, you are truly the Messenger of Allah." At this, his (peace and blessings be upon him) heart would become calm and his soul would be at peace, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) would return. When the period would become prolonged and the revelation would remain suspended, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would do the same again, and when he reached the top of the mountain, Jibreel (peace be upon him) would appear to him and repeat the same words as before.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I secluded myself in the Cave of Hira for a month. When I completed this period and descended to the open area of the valley, I was called. I looked ahead, behind, to my right and to my left, but I saw nothing. Then I was called again. I looked in the same way, but could not see anyone. Then I was called again. This time, when I raised my head, I saw that the angel was sitting on a throne in the air. In another narration: He was sitting on a throne between the heaven and the earth. This caused me to tremble severely. I went to Khadijah and said: Cover me with a blanket. So they covered me with a blanket and poured water over me. Then Allah the Exalted revealed these verses: {یَا أَ یُّھَا الْمُدَّثِّرْ قُمْ فَأَ نْذِرْ وَرَبَّکَ فَکَبِّرْ وَثِیَابَکَ فَطَھِّرْ} O you who wraps himself [in a cloak] , arise and warn, and magnify your Lord, and purify your garments.

(Second chain) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Then the revelation stopped, so one day I was walking when I heard a voice from the sky. When I looked up, I saw that the same angel who had come to me in the cave of Hira was now sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I began to tremble with fear of him, until I bent towards the ground. Then I came to my family and said: Cover me with a blanket, cover me with a blanket, cover me with a blanket. So they covered me with a sheet. Then Allah Almighty revealed the verses: {یَا أَ یُّھَا الْمُدَّثِّرْ قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ وَرَبَّکَ فَکَبِّرْ وَثِیَابَکَ فَطَھِّرْ وَالرُّجْزَ فَاہْجُرْ} O you who are wrapped in a blanket, arise and warn, and magnify your Lord, and purify your garments, and shun uncleanliness. Abu Salamah said: By uncleanliness is meant idols. After that, the revelation began to come frequently and in abundance.

Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Jibril (peace be upon him) said: O Muhammad! Recite the Noble Qur’an according to one mode of recitation. In another narration, it is stated: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jibril and Mika’il came to me, Jibril said to me: Recite the Noble Qur’an on one mode of recitation, but Mika’il said to you (peace and blessings be upon him): Ask for more allowance. So you (peace and blessings be upon him) requested for more allowance, then Jibril said: Recite it on two modes of recitation, but Mika’il again said: Ask for more, so you (peace and blessings be upon him) demanded further allowance, until it reached seven modes of recitation. Then they said: Each mode is sufficient and complete, as long as you do not end an ayah of punishment with an ayah of mercy, nor an ayah of mercy with an ayah of punishment. This matter of recitation is just like these words: ta‘ala and aqbil, halumma and idhhab, and asri‘ and i‘jal.

Sayyiduna Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The Noble Qur’an has been revealed upon seven modes of recitation; whichever mode you recite with, you will be reciting correctly. Do not dispute regarding it, for disputing about the Noble Qur’an is disbelief.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: I recited a verse and Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) also recited a verse, but his verse was different from mine. So I came to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: Did you not teach me such and such verse in this way? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Why not. Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Did you not teach me this in such and such way? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Both of you have recited correctly. I (Ubayy) said: How can both be correct? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) struck his hand on my chest and said: O Ubayy! The Qur'an was taught to me and it was said: upon one or two recitations? The angel who was with me said: upon two recitations. I said: upon two recitations. But then he said: upon two recitations or three? The angel who was with me said: upon three recitations. I said: upon three recitations, until it reached seven recitations, each one satisfactory and sufficient. If you say غَفُورًا رَحِیمًا (Most Forgiving, Most Merciful), or you say سَمِیعًا عَلِیمًا (All-Hearing, All-Knowing), or you say عَلِیمًا سَمِیعًا (All-Knowing, All-Hearing), then Allah is just as He is. In another narration it is mentioned: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) struck my chest and said: O Allah! Remove doubt from Ubayy. Ubayy says: I became drenched in sweat and my stomach was filled with fear. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Ubayy! Two angels came to me, one of them said: Recite the Qur'an upon one recitation, the other said: Increase it, I also said: Increase it, he said: Recite upon four recitations, the other said: Increase it more, I also said: Increase it for me, he said: Recite upon five recitations, the other said: Increase it more, I also said: Increase it more, recite upon six recitations, the other said: Increase it more, he said: Recite upon seven recitations.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I met Jibreel (peace be upon him) at the place of Ahjar al-Mara, and I said: O Jibreel! I have been sent as a Prophet to an unlettered nation, among whom are men, women, slaves, maidservants, and extremely old people who have never read any writing. He said: The Noble Qur’an has been revealed upon seven modes of recitation.

(Second chain) The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) met Jibreel (peace be upon him) at the place of Ahjar al-Mara. Jibreel (peace be upon him) said: Your Ummah can recite the Noble Qur’an in seven modes of recitation. Whoever has recited in one mode, let him continue to recite according to his knowledge and not stop. The wording of Ibn Mahdi’s narration is as follows: Jibreel (peace be upon him) said: Indeed, there are weak people in your Ummah, so whoever recites in one mode, let him not turn away from it out of disinterest and go towards another mode.

Sayyiduna Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) met Jibreel (peace be upon him) at Ahjaz al-Mara. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Jibreel (peace be upon him): "I have been sent to an unlettered nation, among whom are many elderly men and women, and slaves as well." He (Jibreel) said: "Come, command them to recite the Noble Qur'an upon seven modes of recitation."