Prophet  Asleep When Received Quranic Revelations

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

وعلى آله واهل بيته  اجمعين

والعاقبة للمتقين

I have previously written a controversial piece on my belief that the Prophet Muhammad  was asleep in the Cave of Hira when he received his first Qur’anic revelation through the Angel Gabriel. Some may object to the idea that the Prophet  received Qur’anic revelations while in a state of sleep. Of course, the sleep of the Prophets is not like our sleep:

وَكَذَلِكَ الأَنْبِيَاءُ تَنَامُ أَعْيُنُهُمْ وَلاَ تَنَامُ قُلُوبُهُمْ

“Such are the Prophets; their eyes sleep but their hearts do not sleep.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

The Prophet  said to sayyidatuna A’isha^RA:

يَا عَائِشَةُ إِنَّ عَيْنَىَّ تَنَامَانِ وَلاَ يَنَامُ قَلْبِي

“O A’isha! Verily, my eyes sleep but my heart doesn’t sleep.” (ibid)

But those who insist it is impossible for the Prophet  to have received Qur’anic revelations while in a state of apparent sleep should consider the circumstances of the revelation of Surat al-Kawthar (the 108^th chapter of the Qur’an):

عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ بَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِنَا إِذْ أَغْفَى إِغْفَاءَةً ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مُتَبَسِّمًا فَقُلْنَا مَا أَضْحَكَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَىَّ آنِفًا سُورَةٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَرَأَ ‏"‏ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ‏{‏ إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ * فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ * إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الأَبْتَرُ‏}

Anas^RA narrated: While the Messenger of Allah  was among us one day, he took a nap, then he raised his head and was smiling. We said: “What has made you smile, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Just now a Sura was revealed to me,” and he recited: “In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Verily, We have granted you (O Prophet) al-Kawthar. Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice. For he who hates you, he will be cut off.” (Sahih Muslim)