Muhammad's first revelation

According to Islam, Muhammad's first revelation was the event in which Muhammad was visited by the archangel Gabriel in 610 CE, who revealed to him a verse from the Koran. The event took place in a cave called Hira, located on the mountain called Jabal an-Nour, near Makkah.

According to biographies of Muhammad, while on retreat in a mountain cave near Mecca (the cave of Hira), Gabriel appears before him and commands him to recite the first lines of chapter 96 of the Koran. Muhammad's experience is mentioned in the Koran 53:4–9:

Muhammad was born and raised in Makkah. When he was nearly 40, he used to spend many hours alone in prayer and speculating over the aspects of creation. He was concerned with the "ignorance of divine guidance" (Jahiliyyah), social unrest, injustice, widespread discrimination (particularly against women), fighting among tribes and abuse of tribal authorities prevalent in pre-Islamic Arabia. The moral degeneration of his fellow people, and his own quest for a true religion further lent fuel to this, with the result that he now began to withdraw periodically to a cave named Mount Hira, three miles north of Mecca, for contemplation and reflection. Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad during this period began to have dreams replete with spiritual significance which were fulfilled according to their true import; and this was the commencement of his divine revelation. This created inclination in him to engage himself in solitary worshipping.

According to mainstream Islamic tradition, during one such occasion while he was in contemplation, the archangel Gabriel appeared before him in the year 600 CE and said, "Read", upon which he replied, "I am unable to read". Thereupon the angel caught hold of him and embraced him heavily. This happened two more times after which the angel commanded Muhammad to recite the following verses:

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