Muhammad (s) Became Prophet From his childhood, Muhammad (s) was very
intelligent and modest.
His honesty, bravery, justice, patience, and friendship attracted everyone.
During his lifetime he never worshiped any idols and he never drank any alcohol.
He did not like noisy or crowded places.
Whenever he stayed alone, he was in deep thinking about Allah (swt)'s creation and he tried
to know about the creator of everything.
When Muhammad (s) 38 years old, he decided to spend more time alone in Mount Noor, or
another name was Mount Hira, which was two miles away from Makkah.
There was a cave in that mountain top, that was around 4 meters in length and one and
a half meter in width.
He spent his whole Ramadan in that cave for his deep thinking about who the real God was.
After Ramadan ended, he visited the Kabah first and he then went back home.
During the next year, he also spent the month of Ramadan in Cave Hira. Day by day he started
to go more often to the cave of Hira.
In the cave when his dry food was finished, he would go to his wife Khadija (pbuh), and
she would pack more dry food for him, then Muhammad (s) would go back to the quiet place,
which was cave Hira. 6 months before his prophet hood, Allah (swt) started to show him several
dreams, and later on those dreams would come true!
The fact that his dreams would all come true, was one of the signs of his prophet hood.
During that time he spent several day and night in that cave, and this habit of his
continued to happen until his 3rd year of Ramadan.
Animal: Why did he spend so much time alone in that cave?
Yusuf: It was Allah (swt)'s plan to prepare him for his prophet hood.
During the 3rd year of Ramadan in cave Hira, he was around 40 years old.
On the 21st of Ramadan just before sunrise, that was the day when Allah (swt) selected
him as the last and final prophet for all of mankind.
It was Monday, August 10 in the year of 610.
He was in deep thinking in his worship.
Suddenly Angel Jibrael, or in English, Gabriel (pbuh) came in front of Muhammad (s) and said
to him, "Read".
Muhammad (s) became very scared and replied that he cannot read.
Angel Jibrael (pbuh) held and pressed him very hard so that he could not breathe.
After that he released him and the angel asked him again to read.
Again Muhammad (s) replied that he cannot read.
The angel held him and pressed him again very hard and released him.
Then he asked Muhammad (s) to read.
Muhammad (s) again said he cannot read.
For the third time the Angel held and pressed him again very hard until he could not take
his breathe any more.
After releasing him, angel said, "read in the name of your lord and your creator, who
created everything in the Universe".
When the angel said these words to the prophet that was the moment when the Angel gave the
prophet the first five sentence of Surah Alaq.
And these were the first verses that had ever been revealed to prophet Muhammad (saw)
Animal: So why did the Angel hold and press him very hard when asking him the question?
Yusuf: That is what made him very unique and special.
His miracle was that he could easily memorize anything that Angel Jibrael (pbuh) would tell
him, word by word and letter by letter.
In Surah Nahl, verse 102, it explains to us that the Holy Spirit and angel Jibrael (pbuh)
are the same.
So after seeing the Holy Spirit, Muhammad (s) became very scared and his heart was beating
so fast and he was shaking so much.
He immediately returned home and asked his wife Khadija (pbuh) to hold and cover him
tightly.
When he calmed down, he told her everything that happened to him.
Khadija (pbuh) told him not to worry, she told him, Allah (swt) would protect him because
he was a very good person.
Then Khadija (pbuh) decided to take him to her very old cousin, Waraqa ibn Nawfal.
He did not worship any idols and he was a follower of prophet Jesus and his Holy Book,
the Bible.
After hearing Muhammad (s), Waraqa immediately realized the final and last prophet which
was mentioned in the Bible, in book Isaiah, chapter 29, verse 12.
(Isaiah, 29:12).
He also said that, it was the same Angel that Allah (swt) sent to Musa (pbuh) and he warned
Muhammad (s) that his own people will start to dislike him since he would be spreading
the truth to the world; and because of that, he would have to later on leave his city Mecca.
Muhammad (s) was very surprised to hear that.
Waraqa became sad that he could not help Muhammad (s) in his hard time because he was very old
and blind.
Unfortunately, a few days after that day, Warawa died.
Many days passed, and the Angel Jibreel (pbuh) did not return.
Muhammad (s) became very worried and sad.
But he still continued his deep thinking about Allah (swt).
One day after his prayer in the cave of Hira, he was walking towards his home.
Suddenly Angel Jibrael (pbuh) called Muhammad (s) by his name and gave him a good news that
he was the last prophet from Allah (swt).
Muhammad (s) was surprised and saw the Angel who was very, very big.
The prophet was very scared to see him like that and so he ran to his home.
Khadija (pbuh) held and covered him tightly with a blanket.
After he cooled down, Allah (swt) told him to remove the blanket and go to the people
to tell about Allah (swt)'s orders, and this was the first 5 sentences of Surah Mudassir.
And it was after this point which was the starting point of spreading Islam.
Animal: How did Allah (swt) send the verse of the Quran to prophet Muhammad (s)?
Yusuf: Allah (s) gave the Surah or Revelation to Muhammad (s) in 7 different ways.
1.
Through a dream.
2.
Angel Jibrael, or the Holy spirit (pbuh) who would come to Muhammad (s)'s heart and give
some sentences of the Quran. 3.
Angel Jibrael coming to the prophet as a human form.
4.
Angel Jibrael coming to Muhammad (s) with the bell or a ringing sound and this way was
very difficult for prophet.
5.
Sometimes Angel Jibrael came in his real form.
6.
When Allah (swt) took prophet Muhammad (s) to the heaven in Meraj, Allah (swt) gave some
revelation to Muhammad (s).
7.
In the Meraj, Allah (swt) talked to Muhammad (s) directly like when he talked
to prophet Musa (pbuh).