بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ
والصلاة والسلام على نبيه الكريم
Over five years ago I published an article on this blog commenting on the two Ayats:
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الۡمُزَّمِّلُ
O you wrapped up in your mantle
(Surah 73:1)
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الۡمُدَّثِّرُ
O you wrapped up in your garment
(Surah 74:1)
I explained that they indicate that the most holy Prophet Muhammad (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) would cover himself and envelop himself in his mantle or in a garment when he was in a state of prophesying, receiving divine revelation. This fact is made clear in certain narrations. Sayyidatuna Khawlah (radi Allahu anha), who was the servant of the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) working domestic duties in his home, narrates:
أَنَّ جِرْوًا دَخَلَ الْبَيْتَ وَدَخَلَ تَحْتَ السَّرِيرِ وَمَاتَ فَمَكَثَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيَّامًا لَا يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ الْوَحْيُ فَقَالَ يَا خَوْلَةُ مَا حَدَثَ فِي بَيْتِ رَسُولِ اللهِ جِبْرِيلُ لَا يَأْتِينِي فَهَلْ حَدَثَ فِي بَيْتِ رَسُولِ اللهِ حَدَثٌ فَقُلْتُ وَاللهِ مَا أَتَى عَلَيْنَا يَوْمٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ يَوْمِنَا فَأَخَذَ بُرْدَهُ فَلَبِسَهُ وَخَرَجَ فَقُلْتُ لَوْ هَيَّأْتُ الْبَيْتَ وكَنَسْتَهُ فَأَهْوَيْتُ بِالْمِكْنَسَةِ تَحْتَ السَّرِيرِ فَإِذَا شَيْءٌ ثَقِيلٌ فَلَمْ أَزَلْ حَتَّى أَخْرَجْتُهُ فَإِذَا بِجِرْوٍ مَيِّتٍ فَأَخَذْتُهُ بِيَدِي فَأَلْقَيْتُهُ خَلْفَ الدَّارِ فَجَاءَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ تَرْعَدُ لَحْيَيْهِ وَكَانَ إِذَا أَتَاهُ الْوَحْيُ أَخَذَتْهُ الرِّعْدَةُ فَقَالَ يَا خَوْلَةُ دَثِّريني فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ وَالضُّحَى وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَى مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَى
Once a puppy entered the house and went under the (Prophet’s) bed where it died. For a number of days the revelation ceased upon the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam), so he said to her: “O Khawlah, what has happened in the house of the Apostle of God? Gabriel is not coming to me. So something has happened in the house of the Apostle of God.” She said: “By Allah, no day better than our day has come upon us.” So he took his cloak, wore it and left. She said: “Let me prepare the house and sweep it. I took a broom to sweep under the bed and saw something heavy. So I did not stop until I removed it and it was a dead puppy. So I took it with my hand and threw it behind the house. The Prophet of God came, his beard shaking, and when the Revelation came to him he was seized with trembling.” He said: “O Khawlah, cover me (with a garment)” and Allah sent down “By the brightness of the forenoon. And by the night when it becomes still. Your Lord has not forsaken you nor is He displeased” (Mu’jam al-Kabir; v.24, p.249, #636)
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إِنَّا لاَ نَدْخُلُ بَيْتًا فِيهِ صُورَةٌ وَلاَ كَلْبٌ
“We do not enter a house wherein is an image or a dog”
(Sahih al-Bukhari)
The narration of sayyidatuna Khawlah (radi Allahu anha) also mentions that the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) would also be overtaken by trembling or shaking when he received divine revelation:
إِذَا أَتَاهُ الْوَحْيُ أَخَذَتْهُ الرِّعْدَةُ
Some Christian polemicists, like Sam Shamoun, have objected to the phenomenon of trembling and shaking experienced by our Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) when receiving the divine Revelation. But according to the Book of Job, Job (Ayyub), peace be upon him, experienced a revelation and vision and mentions that it caused him to tremble and shake:
פַּ֣חַד קְ֭רָאַנִי וּרְעָדָ֑ה וְרֹ֖ב עַצְמֹותַ֣י הִפְחִֽיד
Fear and trembling came upon me, causing all my bones to quake with fright
(Job, chapter 4, verse 14)
Similarly, it is mentioned in the Torah that when the Lord manifested His glory upon Mount Sinai, everyone present in the camp trembled, and in fact the mountain itself began to tremble (Exodus, chapter 19, verses 16 & 18; Exodus, chapter 20, verse 18)
Allah Most High says:
لَوۡ اَنۡزَلۡنَا ہٰذَا الۡقُرۡاٰنَ عَلٰی جَبَلٍ لَّرَاَیۡتَہٗ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنۡ خَشۡیَۃِ اللّٰہِ
If We had sent down this Quran on a mountain you would certainly have seen it humbled and rent asunder for fear of Allah
(Surah 59, Ayah 21)
Therefore, when the Quran and the Revelation would descend upon the pure heart of the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) it becomes clear to us why he would be overtaken by trembling. According to the Psalms: “So tremble, and sin no more” (Psalm 4), “Bow down to the Lord majestic in holiness; tremble in His presence, all the earth!” (Psalm 96) “The Lord, enthroned on cherubim, is king, peoples tremble, the earth quakes” (Psalm 99) “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob” (Psalm 114) “My flesh trembles in fear of You” (Psalm 119, v.120)
The main religious sect of Jews call themselves Haredim, meaning “the trembling ones”.
According to the Christian New Testament, when the Lord spoke to Moses, saying “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” “Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look” (Acts of the Apostles; ch.7, v.32) Paul says: “Do not be arrogant, but tremble” (Romans, ch.11, v.20)
Returning to the main topic of this article, it is mentioned in the narration of sayyidatuna Khawlah (radi Allahu anha), as has already preceded, that the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) told her to bring something to cover him with at the instance he was receiving divine Revelation. This is also well known that the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) told sayyidatuna umm al-Mu’minin Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) to likewise cover him after the Angel Gabriel manifested himself to him for the first time in the Cave of Hira.
It is narrated that when the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) was in al-Ji’ranah, a man came to him to ask him for a judgment concerning his Umrah:
وَأُنْزِلَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْوَحْىُ فَسُتِرَ بِثَوْبٍ
The Revelation came down upon the Prophet, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, and he was concealed in a garment. A man named Umayyah (radi Allahu anhu), who is the narrator, was present and was curious. He wanted to see the state of the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) whilst he was receiving the Revelation. Sayyidina Umar al-Faruq (radi Allahu anhu) then lifted a corner of the cloth with which the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) had covered himself for Umayyah to peak inside and witness what was happening. He says:
فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ لَهُ غَطِيطٌ كَغَطِيطِ الْبَكْرِ
“So I looked toward him and he was (lightly) snoring, like the snoring of a young camel” (Sahih Muslim)
The narration and observation of the narrator indicates that while in a state of receiving the Wahi, the Prophet, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, was in a sort of unconscious state.
In another version of this Hadith it is mentioned:
فَسَكَتَ عَنْهُ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ عُمَرُ يَسْتُرُهُ إِذَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ الْوَحْىُ يُظِلُّهُ
That when the man asked his question to the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam), he remained silent for a while, not replying at first. This meant he was first waiting and actually receiving the Revelation so that he could answer the question. Sayyidina Umar al-Faruq (radi Allahu anhu), being aware of this, would conceal the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam), and this was his regular practice when the Prophet would be receiving the divine Revelation. He would cover the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) with a garment in such a way as to shade him (Sahih Muslim).
Another practice of the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) when he would receive the Revelation was to lower his head:
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ الْوَحْىُ نَكَسَ رَأْسَهُ وَنَكَسَ أَصْحَابُهُ رُءُوسَهُمْ فَلَمَّا أُتْلِيَ عَنْهُ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ
The Prophet sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, when the Revelation would descend upon him, would lower his head, and his Companions would lower their heads, then when it was over he would raise his head (Sahih Muslim)
This Hadith is significant in that it demonstrates the meticulousness of the Sahabah (radi Allahu anhum) in emulating the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) in his every action. It also indicates that although the divine Revelation was descending only upon the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam), because they were Believers and in his proximity during that state they could also sense the spiritual presence of the Sakinah and the Angel. They would also lower their head for the same reason the Prophet did so, out of veneration for the experience and what was occurring to the Prophet in the world of the unseen, perhaps out of eagerness that they too should experience something of which their Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) would experience. The saints and mystics of this Ummah also have a tendency of keeping their heads lowered out of humility, and also for the fact that they experience Ilham and Kashf, or are in a state eagerly awaiting inspirations and visions. Sayyidina Umar al-Faruq (radi Allahu anhu), who is the Muhaddath of this Ummah, meaning the one who frequently experienced divine inspiration despite not being a Prophet, was apparently someone who was often in the company of the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) when he would receive divine Revelation as has already preceded. He would perform certain tasks at that time, with or without prompting from the Prophet, such as covering him with a garment. He (radi Allahu anhu) was therefore an authority on the reality of divine Revelation to the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) as he, to an extent, would take partake in that experience, and therefore was blessed with the rank of being a Muhaddath. He (radi Allahu anhu) narrates:
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا نَزَلَ عَلَيْهِ الْوَحْىُ سُمِعَ عِنْدَ وَجْهِهِ كَدَوِيِّ النَّحْلِ
When the Revelation would descend upon the Prophet, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, a sound like that of honeybees could be heard near his face (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi)
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