While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up, and there was the angel who had come to me at Hirā’

Explanation

The Prophet (ﷺ), while recounting the halt in revelation at the beginning of his mission, said: As I was walking through the alleys of Makkah, I suddenly heard a voice from the sky. I looked up, and there was the angel Jibrīl (Gabriel)—the same one who had come to me in the cave of Hirā’—sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I was filled with fear and dread of him, so I returned to my family and said: Wrap me in a cloak. So Allah Almighty revealed: {O you covered} in your cloak, {arise} to call people to the message, {and warn} those who have not yet believed in your message. {And your Lord}—your only true God—{proclaim His greatness} and praise and exalt Him. {And your garments} and clothes {purify them} and clean them from impurities. {And shun the filth}, i.e., the worship of idols and false gods, {and keep away from it} completely. After that, the revelation became strong and continuous.

Benefits

• The revelation to the Prophet (ﷺ) ceased for a short period after the descent of Allah's word: {Read}.
• It is permissible for a person to speak about the hardships he experienced after they have passed, as an expression of gratitude to Allah Almighty.
• The first revelation after: {Read in the name of your Lord Who created} was Allah's saying: {O you covered [in your cloak]}.
• The grace of Allah Almighty upon His Prophet (ﷺ) is shown in that He continuously bestowed revelation upon him without interruption until the Prophet (ﷺ) departed from this world.
• The obligation to call to Allah Almighty, warning those who turn away, and giving glad tidings to those who obey.
• The obligation to purify one's clothes for prayer, as inferred from Allah's saying: {And purify your garments}.
• The obligation to believe in the angels and in what Allah has empowered them to do of tasks and other matters.

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