Milestone·Prophetic era
First Revelation in the Cave of Hira
- Date
- August 610 CE13 BH1,416 years ago
- Place
- Cave of Hira, near Mecca
- People
- Prophet Muhammad, Jibril
In Ramadan, when Prophet Muhammad was about 40, he was meditating in the Cave of Hira on Mount Nur near Mecca. According to Islamic tradition, the angel Jibril came to him and asked him to read. The first verses were the opening of Surah Al-Alaq (96:1-5). Most sources date the event to 610 CE, but the exact day is not known. The revelation continued for about 23 years.
Why it matters
It began the Prophet's mission and the revelation of the Quran, which continued for about 23 years.