One Night, Alone in the Dark...

"Iqra!" Commanded a voice out of nowhere: "Read!"

The sudden appearance of a Creature of Light startled Muhammad out of his deep sleep. He had come to his lonely mountain cave to think about the meaning of his life when suddenly he was faced with something so fantastic he couldn't move or scarcely breath. He was flozen in place! "I can't read!" He muttered to the strange presence which seemed to circle near him.

The Angel than wrapped itself around Muhammad's body and almost squeezed the deepest breath out of him, commanding him to read. Muhammad protested again, so the Angel repeated the strange embrace a third time and commanded once more, "Read." Muhammad cried out, "What should I read?"

Then the Angel began to recite, "Read in the Name of your Lord Who created humans from a clinging (embryo). Read, for your Lord is Generous. He is the One Who taught people with the pen, taught them things they didn't know before."

Muhammad rushed out of the cave flustered and frightened. He ran back down the mountain as fast as he could! All he wanted to do was to get home, to get away from this strange sensation that he didn't understand. Then, as he paused for breath, he looked up at the horizon and saw the most incredible sight of his life.

There, filling the space between the Earth and the sky, was the same Angel who confronted him in the cave! Muhammad turned around and again - there was the Angel, larger than the mountains and staring at him, saying his name was Jibra'il. He couldn't take the supernatural vision and turned and ran straight back to his home in Mecca without stopping.

When he plunged through the front door of his house, he fell into the arms of his beloved wife, Khadijah. She held her husband tightly as he shook with fear. She wondered frantically what was happening.

"Cover me! Cover me!" he cried. So Khadijah took him to their bedroom and covered him with a sheet. She watched over him the whole night, sometimes holding his hands, other times wiping his moistened brow. What could have happened? What could she do? She would know soon.

Later that night, when Muhammad wondered aloud if trouble was coming for him, Khadijah, who knew him to be a man of integrity, comforted him and explained that Allah would never let anything evil befall him. He was honest and charitable and upright. If something was to come, it surely wasn't going to be bad.

After some time, the Angel, whose name was Jibra'il, came again to Muhammad. This time he was more prepared for the unworldly experience, and when the Angel finished speaking, Muhammad memorized the revelation, or Wahy, from Allah.

"You wrapped up in sheets! Stand (in prayer) at night, but not all night, maybe half, or little less or more. Recite the Qur'an in slow, measured tones. Soon We (Allah) will give you a heavy Message. Truly, getting up late at night is powerful for controlling (one's soul) and the best for forming words (of prayer and praise). (73:1-6)

Muhammad had been a simple man in a remote and dusty trading town. Now he was about to embark on a mission which would change the face of the world forever. Little did he know what hardships and adventures lay ahead.