Selections from “Sahih al-Bukhari,” Volume 1, Book 1 – Revelation, Part 1 of 2

Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, was born in 570 AD in Mecca, in what is now known as Saudi Arabia. His noble teachings, as recorded in the sacred Qur’an, live on in the hearts of people today, inspiring them toward a peaceful path to find the Most High. In addition to the Qur’an are the hadith or reports of the exemplary actions and sayings of the beloved Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him. “Ṣaḥiḥ al-Bukhari,” compiled by the devoted Persian scholar Muhammad al-Bukhari, is considered one of the most authentic hadith collections of Sunni Islam. We now invite you to listen to excerpts of the sacred book, “Sahih al-Bukhari.” Volume 1 Book 1 Revelation

“Al-Harith bin Hisham asked Allah's Apostle, ‘O Allah's Apostle! How is the Divine Inspiration revealed to you?’ Allah's Apostle replied, ‘Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of a bell. This form of Inspiration is the hardest of all, and then this state passes off after I have grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the Angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me, and I grasp whatever he says.’”

“The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's Apostle was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright daylight, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon Him.”

“While talking about the period of pause in revelation reporting, the Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him, spoke: ‘While I was walking, all of a sudden I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up and saw the same angel who had visited me at the cave of Hira' sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I got afraid of him and came back home and said, “Wrap me (in blankets).” And then Allah revealed the following Holy Verses (of Qu’ran): “O you (i.e., Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him)! wrapped up in garments!” Arise and warn (the people against Allah's Punishment), [...] up to “and desert the idols.” After this, the revelation started coming strongly, frequently and regularly.’”

“Heraclius said, ‘What does He order you to do?’ I said, ‘He tells us to worship Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to speak the truth, to be chaste and to keep good relations with our kith and kin.’”