Jabal al-Nour

Jabal an-Nour
Jabal al-Nour in Mecca.
Highest point
Elevation	642 m (2,106 ft)
Coordinates	21°27′29″N 39°51′41″E / 21.45806°N 39.86139°E / 21.45806; 39.86139Coordinates: 21°27′29″N 39°51′41″E / 21.45806°N 39.86139°E / 21.45806; 39.86139
Geography
Jabal al-Nour Location of Jabal al-Nour in Saudi Arabia
Location	Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Jabal an-Nour (also Jabal an-Nur or Jabal Nur), also translated from Arabic جبل النور as "The Mountain of Light" or "Hill of Illumination", is a mountain near Makkah in Saudi Arabia's Hejaz region. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Makkah. The mountain houses the famed Ghar Hira or Hira cave. The cave is quite small, four arm's length long by 1.75 arm's length wide. The mountain is barely 640 m tall. It does however, take two hours to make it to the cave and is extremely strenuous on the individual. However, the mount and the cave hold tremendous significance for Muslims throughout the world. The Islamic prophet Muhammad is said to have spent a great deal of time in the cave meditating and it is believed that he had received his first revelation from the archangel Gabriel, inside this cave from Allah.

Since this is where Muhammad is said to have received the first verses of the Quran, the mountain was given the title "Jabal-al-Nour". "Jabal" in Arabic means mountain and "Nour" or "Noor" means light or enlightenment. This experience is sometimes identified with the beginning of revelation; hence the present name. As for the exact date of the first revelation it can be seen through investigation to fix the time to Monday the 21st of Ramadan at night, i.e. August, 10, 610 C.E. or exactly 40 lunar years, 6 months and 12 days of age i.e., 39 Gregorian years, 3 months and 22 days. ..

Before Muhammad’s first revelation, he was said to have pleasant dreams. Among these dreams were signs that his Prophethood was starting to appear, and signs that the stones in Mecca would greet him with Salaam which is believed to have been proved true. These dreams lasted for six months. An increasing need for solitude led Mohammed to seek seclusion and meditation in the rocky hills which surrounded Mecca. There he would retreat to Hira Cave for one month, each year, engaging in tahannuth, which means self-justification for the purpose of the Quraysh to engage during Jahiliyyah. He would take provisions along with him during this retreat, and would feed the poor that would come to him. Then before returning home to his family for more provisions he would circumambulate the Kaaba seven times, or however many times Allah willed; then he would go home.