Jibril (Gabriel) brings revelation (wahy) to the Prophet ﷺ in the Cave of Hira when he reached the age of forty
When the Prophet ﷺ reached forty years of age, Jibril (Gabriel) came to him with revelation (wahy) from his Lord while he was in the Cave of Hira. This was the beginning of prophethood, and the authority was confirmed.


لحظة نزول الوحي الأولى، وتفاصيل ما جرى بين جبريل والنبي ﷺ.
When the Prophet ﷺ reached forty years of age, Jibril (Gabriel) came to him with revelation (wahy) from his Lord while he was in the Cave of Hira. This was the beginning of prophethood, and the authority was confirmed.
It is the decisive starting point in the Prophetic Seerah. From it began the stage of the mission, followed by the call to Islam (da'wah), patience, and the Hijrah.
When he ﷺ reached the age of forty, Jibril (Gabriel) came to him with revelation (wahy) from his Lord while he was in the Cave of Hira.
صحيح البخاري - 3 جزء: 1 - صفحة: 7 باب بدء الوحي - باب كيف كان بدء الوحي إلى رسول الله حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ: "أَوَّلُ مَا بُدِئَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ الْوَحْيِ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ فِي النَّوْمِ، فَكَانَ لَا يَرَى رُؤْيَا إِلَّا جَاءَتْ مِثْلَ فَلَقِ الصُّبْحِ، ثُمَّ حُبِّبَ إِلَيْهِ الْخَلَاءُ وَكَانَ يَخْلُو بِغَارِ حِرَاءٍ، فَيَتَحَنَّثُ فِيهِ وَهُوَ التَّعَبُّدُ اللَّيَالِيَ ذَوَاتِ الْعَدَدِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْزِعَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ وَيَتَزَوَّدُ لِذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى خَدِيجَةَ فَيَتَزَوَّدُ لِمِثْلِهَا حَتَّى جَاءَهُ الْحَقُّ وَهُوَ فِي غَارِ حِرَاءٍ، فَجَاءَهُ الْمَلَكُ، فَقَالَ: اقْرَأْ، قَالَ: مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ، قَالَ: فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي، فَقَالَ: اقْرَأْ، قُلْتُ: مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ، فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّانِيَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي، فَقَالَ: اقْرَأْ، فَقُلْتُ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ، فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّالِثَةَ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ: اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ {1} خَلَقَ الإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ {2} اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الأَكْرَمُ {3}، فَرَجَعَ بِهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَرْجُفُ فُؤَادُهُ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَى خَدِيجَةَ بِنْتِ خُوَيْلِدٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا، فَقَالَ: زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي، فَزَمَّلُوهُ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الرَّوْعُ، فَقَالَ لِخَدِيجَةَ، وَأَخْبَرَهَا الْخَبَرَ: لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي، فَقَالَتْ خَدِيجَةُ: كَلَّا وَاللَّهِ مَا يُخْزِيكَ اللَّهُ أَبَدًا، إِنَّكَ لَتَصِلُ الرَّحِمَ، وَتَحْمِلُ الْكَلَّ، وَتَكْسِبُ الْمَعْدُومَ، وَتَقْرِي الضَّيْفَ، وَتُعِينُ عَلَى نَوَائِبِ الْحَقِّ، فَانْطَلَقَتْ بِهِ خَدِيجَةُ حَتَّى أَتَتْ بِهِ وَرَقَةَ بْنَ نَوْفَلِ بْنِ أَسَدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعُزَّى ابْنَ عَمِّ خَدِيجَةَ، وَكَانَ امْرَأً تَنَصَّرَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، وَكَانَ يَكْتُبُ الْكِتَابَ الْعِبْرَانِيَّ، فَيَكْتُبُ مِنَ الْإِنْجِيلِ بِالْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ، وَكَانَ شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا قَدْ عَمِيَ، فَقَالَتْ لَهُ خَدِيجَةُ: يَا ابْنَ عَمِّ، اسْمَعْ مِنَ ابْنِ أَخِيكَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ وَرَقَةُ: يَا ابْنَ أَخِي، مَاذَا تَرَى؟ فَأَخْبَرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَبَرَ مَا رَأَى، فَقَالَ لَهُ وَرَقَةُ: هَذَا النَّامُوسُ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى مُوسَى صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، يَا لَيْتَنِي فِيهَا جَذَعًا، لَيْتَنِي أَكُونُ حَيًّا إِذْ يُخْرِجُكَ قَوْمُكَ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَوَمُخْرِجِيَّ هُمْ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، لَمْ يَأْتِ رَجُلٌ قَطُّ بِمِثْلِ مَا جِئْتَ بِهِ إِلَّا عُودِيَ، وَإِنْ يُدْرِكْنِي يَوْمُكَ أَنْصُرْكَ نَصْرًا مُؤَزَّرًا، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنْشَبْ وَرَقَةُ أَنْ تُوُفِّيَ وَفَتَرَ الْوَحْيُ". قال ابن شهاب: وأخبرني أبو سلمة بن عبد الرحمن، أن جابر بن عبد الله الأنصاري قال وهو يحدث عن فترة الوحي، فقال في حديثه: "بَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِي إِذْ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَرَفَعْتُ بَصَرِي، فَإِذَا الْمَلَكُ الَّذِي جَاءَنِي بِحِرَاءٍ جَالِسٌ عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ، فَرُعِبْتُ مِنْهُ فَرَجَعْتُ، فَقُلْتُ: زَمِّلُونِي، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: يَأَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ {1} قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ {2}، فَحَمِيَ الْوَحْيُ وَتَتَابَعَ".
The Prophet ﷺ used to worship in the Cave of Hira. When he reached forty, Allah, the Most High honored him with Jibril's (Gabriel's) descent with revelation (wahy), and the stage of prophethood and the Message (risalah) began.
The Prophet ﷺ loved seclusion and would go to the Cave of Hira in Jabal an-Nur. He would stay there during the month of Ramadan, reflecting and worshipping. He was not at ease with the beliefs of his people.
Allah, the Most High prepared His Prophet ﷺ to bear the great Message (risalah) after a period of seclusion, worship, and reflection.
The Prophet ﷺ moved from a stage of preparation and worship in seclusion to a stage of prophethood, receiving revelation (wahy), and calling to Allah.
It is the beginning of the Prophetic biography in the sense of the mission and the Message.
With it, the call to Allah, the Most High, began.
It paved the way for a later shift in spiritual leadership in society.
It brought a shift from an environment of polytheism to a comprehensive reform project.
It shows the value of seclusion, worship, and reflection before carrying the trust.
It was the beginning of changing the face of the earth and reshaping the course of history.
It marks the starting point for all that followed in building the Ummah and the Message.
The recipient of revelation (wahy) and the one sent with the Message (risalah)
The one who descended with revelation (wahy) from Allah
Revelation from Allah is the foundation of guidance and prophethood.
Preparation for the Message comes through worship, reflection, and truthfulness.
Reform begins with correcting belief before any other change.
The Message will establish a new leadership based on revelation.
Disciplined seclusion may be a prelude to a great mission.
The Message began with a clear divine command, not human effort.
Revelation was the beginning of a comprehensive civilizational transformation.
Intellectual confusion and the absence of a moral compass before the way becomes clear.
Preparing for major tasks requires spiritual clarity and a clear method.
The importance of preparing leaders with knowledge, worship, and reflection before assigning responsibility.
True reform begins with a clear frame of reference and firm values.
To seek guidance and clarity before taking on major responsibilities.
The status of prophethood or revelation is not measured against the ordinary experiences of individuals.
The prophetic event was infallible divine revelation, while the contemporary reality is limited human effort.
Every successful reform project needs spiritual and intellectual preparation before it begins.