Before the revelation descended upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, signs of prophethood began to appear, preparing him for this momentous event. The first indication was his truthful dreams. Among the signs were:
- The Prophet’s ﷺ love for solitude.
- Stones and trees greeting him with peace.
- Hearing a voice and seeing light.
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The Prophet’s ﷺ Love for Solitude
As the time of revelation neared, when the Prophet ﷺ approached the age of 40, Allah placed a love for solitude in his heart. Nothing was dearer to him than being alone in the small cave of Hira, located on Mount Noor near Mecca. There, he would spend days in devotion, sometimes for ten nights, sometimes more, and up to a month at times. After returning home briefly, he would replenish his supplies and head back for another period of retreat.
This practice continued until the revelation came to him during one of these retreats.
A narration from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) states:
"The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ was in the form of good dreams, which came true like bright daylight... Then solitude was made beloved to him, and he used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira to engage in worship for several nights before returning home to take provision for another stay."
(Sahih Bukhari 3, Sahih Muslim 160)
After completing his retreat, the Prophet ﷺ would first visit the Kaaba, performing tawaf (circumambulation) seven times or as much as Allah willed, before returning to his home. This continued for three years until the revelation began.
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Stones and Trees Greeting the Prophet ﷺ
When Allah chose to honor the Prophet ﷺ and prepare him for prophethood, he would retreat far from the sight of people into the valleys and hills of Mecca. Every stone and tree he passed would greet him with:
"Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah."
The Prophet ﷺ would turn around, looking in all directions, yet he would see only stones and trees.
The Prophet ﷺ narrated:
"I still recognize a stone in Mecca that used to greet me before I was sent as a Prophet. I can still recognize it now."
(Sahih Muslim 2277)
Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
"I was with the Prophet ﷺ in Mecca, and as we walked, no tree or mountain we passed failed to greet him with 'Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah.'"
(Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3954, Al-Mustadrak 4296)
Imam Al-Suhayli commented in Ar-Rawd Al-Unuf:
"It is most apparent that this greeting was real, with Allah enabling the stones and trees to speak as He allowed the tree trunk that groaned in longing for the Prophet ﷺ."
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Hearing Voices and Seeing Light
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
"The Prophet ﷺ spent 15 years in Mecca, hearing voices and seeing light for seven years without encountering anything tangible, and receiving revelation for the remaining eight years."
(Sahih Muslim 2353)
Qadi Iyad explained:
"He would hear the voices of angels and see their lights. Eventually, he saw Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) with his eyes and conversed with him regarding Allah’s revelation.[1] "
The Prophet ﷺ once said to Khadijah:
"I see light and hear voices, and I fear I might be possessed."
Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) responded:
"Allah will never disgrace you, O son of Abdullah!"
She took him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, who told her:
"If what he says is true, then he is the bearer of a divine secret like the one given to Moses. If I live until his time of Prophethood, I will support him and believe in him."
[1] Sharh An-Nawawi ala Muslim (15/104)
