It was a quiet night in Ramadan, over 1,400 years ago. A man sits alone in a cave of Hira in Mount Noor on the outskirts of Makkah. He is lost in thoughts; trying to connect the dots. The stars are faintly glowing high above the vast desert of Arabia. This man is none other than our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He doesn’t know it yet, but his life—and the entire world around him is about to change forever.
This is the story of the first revelation of the Quran, a moment that forever tied Ramadan to the Quran. Why is Ramadan called the month of the Quran? Let’s rewind to that night, when the first verse Iqra (“Read”), echoed through the silence of the desert. In the name of Allah we begin.
How was the Quran Revealed?
There are two aspects of the revelation of the Quran:
- Muhammad ﷺ receiving it through Jibril (AS)
- The descent of the entire Quran
Our beloved Prophet ﷺ received the Quran in chunks throughout the 23 years of his prophethood. Jibril (AS) brought portions of the Quran based on different circumstances. Allah Himself clarified this in the Quran, saying:
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ جُمْلَةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِۦ فُؤَادَكَ ۖ وَرَتَّلْنَـٰهُ تَرْتِيلًۭا ٣٢
Meaning: “The disbelievers say, “Why has the Qur’ān not been revealed to him all at once?” (It has been sent down) in this way (i.e. in parts) so that We make your heart firm, and We revealed it little by little.” [Surah Al Furqan, 25 : 32]
Allah also says in the Quran:
وَقُرْءَانًۭا فَرَقْنَـٰهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ مُكْثٍۢ وَنَزَّلْنَـٰهُ تَنزِيلًۭا ١٠٦
Meaning: “We have divided the Qur’ān in portions, so that you may recite it to the people gradually, and We have revealed it little by little.” [Surah Al Isra, 17 : 106]
These verses confirm that the Quran was sent to our beloved Prophet ﷺ in stages.
Regarding the descent of the Quran, we find the full story in a hadith. According to the narration of Ibn Abbas (R), Allah at once descended the entire Quran from a place named Lawh-Al-Mahfuz to a place called Baitul Izzah in the first heaven. From there, Jibril (AS) gradually brought down the verses over 23 years of the Prophet’s ﷺ mission. This grand event took place on a blessed night in Ramadan named Laylatul Qadr.
The First Revelation of the Quran
The moment when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received the first revelation is recorded in detail in a long and well-known hadith narrated by Aisha (R). She narrated:
“The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright daylight, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go into seclusion in the cave of Hira ,where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food likewise again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet ﷺ replied, “I do not know how to read.” The Prophet ﷺ added, “The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, ‘I do not know how to read.’ Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, ‘I do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?’ Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said(the revelation of the first five Ayats of Surah Al Alaq):
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ
Recite in the name of your Lord Who created
خَلَقَ الإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
Created man from a clot of blood
اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الأَكْرَمُ
Recite. And your most bountiful Lord
الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ
He (is) Who taught the use of pen
عَلَّمَ الإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
Taught man what he knew not.
[Surah Al Alaq, 96 : 1-5]
Then Allah’s Messenger ﷺ returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwailid and said, “Cover me! Cover me!” They covered him till his fear was over and after that he told her everything that had happened and said, “I fear that something may happen to me.” Khadija replied, “Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones.” Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin ‘Abdul ‘Uzza, who, during the pre-Islamic Period, became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, “Listen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!” Waraqa asked, “O my nephew! What have you seen?” Allah’s Messenger ﷺ described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, “This is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Jibril) whom Allah had sent to Musa (AS). I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out.” Allah’s Messenger ﷺ asked, “Will they drive me out?” Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, “Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly.” But after a few days, Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while.
[Sahih Al Bukhari: 3]
Key takeaways from this Hadith:
- Before the first revelation, the Prophet ﷺ had true dreams that would come to pass in the daytime.
- He preferred solitude in the cave of Hira, dedicating himself to worship of Allah.
- As the first revelation, Jibril (AS) brought down the first five verses of Surah Al Alaq.
- Waraqa bin Nawfal recognized this event as divine and similar to what happened to previous prophets.
- Waraqa warned the Prophet ﷺ that his people would eventually turn against him and drive him out of Makkah.
The First Revelation of Quran in Ramadan
It is clear that the Quran was revealed in Ramadan. Allah says:
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚ
Meaning: “The month of Ramaḍān [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’ān, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.” [Surah Al Baqarah, 2 : 185]
The hadith of Ibn Abbas (R.) confirms that the Quran was sent down in one night from Lawh-Al-Mahfuz to the first heaven and then revealed gradually over 23 years. That is the night of Lailatul Qadr. Ibn Abbas (R.) narrated:
أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ الْقُرْآنَ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً مِنَ اللَّوْحِ الْمَحْفُوظِ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْعِزَّةِ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا، ثُمَّ نَزَلَ مُفَصَّلًا بِحَسَبِ الْوَقَائِعِ فِي ثَلَاثٍ وَعِشْرِينَ سَنَةً عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
Meaning: “Allah revealed the Qur’an all at once from the Lawh Al Mahfuz (preserved tablet) to the Baitul Izzah (House of Honour) in the lowest heaven, then it was revealed in detail according to events over twenty-three years to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.” [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surah Al Qadr: 1]
Ibn Hisham (RA.) confirms in his Seerah that the incident of the revelation of the first 5 verses of Surah al Alaq occurred in Ramadan as well. [The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah by A.Guillaume: P-155]
Allamah Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri (R.) also confirms this in his Seerah. [Ar Rahikul Makhtum: P-66]
This is why Ramadan is the month of the Quran—because it was in this month when the Quran was sent down to the first heaven and our beloved Messenger ﷺ received the first revelation, marking the beginning of a message that would change the course of history forever.
FAQs
Q. How old was the Messenger of Allah when he received the first revelation?
Ans. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was around 40 years old when he received the first revelation.
Q. How many months did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ see dreams that would later come true before the first revelation?
Ans. The Messenger of Allah saw dreams that would come to fruition for 6 consecutive months before he received the first revelation.
Q. In which year did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ receive the first revelation?
Ans. Prophet ﷺ received the first revelation on 10 August, 610 AD. In the Arabic calendar the date was the 21st of Ramadan. [Ar Rahiqul Makhtum: P-66]
Conclusion
That night in cave Hira didn’t just mark the first revelation of the Quran—it ignited a light that will guide mankind till the end of time. Ramadan isn’t just about fasting; it’s about the Quran’s living legacy. When we ask, “Why is Ramadan called the month of the Quran?” the answer lies in that first “Iqra” and the pursuit of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ who carried this message for all of us.
This Ramadan, as you open the Quran, just remember that you are holding the very words of Allah that descended from the heavens to a man who changed the course of history. Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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