Introduction<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The appointment of Muhammad (PBUH&HP), the Prophet of\nIslam and his selection as the Messenger of Allah (SWT), can be considered the\nmost significant event in the history of Islam. Descent of the Holy Quran began\nat this time. The word Bi’that means to be chosen and its expressional meaning\nis “being chosen by the Almighty Allah to guide people”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It can be concluded from the Islamic and historical texts\nthat the appointment of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) had been stated in\ndivine religions before his birth. Believers of other religions and several\nArab pagans had some previous acquaintance with the last prophet. Prophet Jesus\n(PBUH) has announced and foreshadowed in the New Testament the appearance of\nProphet Muhammad (PBUH&HP). Even in Old Testament, some of the specialties\nof the Prophet (PBUH&HP) and his followers had been mentioned. Thus\n“as the Holy Quran mentions” the scholars of other religions knew the\nProphet as well as their closest relatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to history, there were many people who had been\nwaiting for the appointment and appearance of the last prophet. Even some\ntribes had migrated to the Prophet’s (PBUH&HP) residence. A Christian\npriest whose name was “Bohayra”, was an example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The appointment of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) has had a\ngreat affect on the human guidance destiny. Due to the significance of this\nincidence; Allah (SWT) Himself looked after His Messenger and trained him for\nhis difficult future. So, it does not seem strange that he was innocent and\ninfallible before the appointment as a result of such divine training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam Ali (PBUH) said that: “The Allah had His greatest\nangle train the Prophet during all days and guided him to the ways of moral\nvirtues and greatness.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) suffered a lot from the\nignorance and corruption in the society at that time, especially in Mecca. In\norder to meditate and worship in privacy, he also secluded from people to a\ncave called “Haraa”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This seclusion was a basis for improving Prophet’s\n(PBUH&HP) morality, a premise for his appointment (Bi’that) and descent of\nrevelation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam Ali (PBUH), who was brought up by Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP), accompanied him during these seclusions as other cases in his\nlife. He used to take provisions, water, and food for Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the praying time came up, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP)\nreturned to Mecca and circumambulated Kaaba before going home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was until he reached forty. At that time the Prophet\n(PBUH&HP) was the meekest, the most superior and obedient person towards\nAllah (SWT). Therefore, Allah (SWT)\nappointed him as a prophet in order to guide human beings to worship Him and\nnot the idols, by means of the Holy Quran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Descent of the first revelation (Wahy)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shiites commentators believe that Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP) was appointed on 27th of Rajab, five years after the\nrehabilitation of Kaaba. He was forty years old at that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) had come to Haraa cave as\nusual to say prayers and meditate. On 27th of Rajab, Gabriel (one of the four\nsuperior angels who was ordered by Allah (SWT) to convey revelation to\nprophets) descended to him. Gabriel shook Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH&HP) arm\nand said: “O Muhammad! Read!” He replied:” What shall I\nread?” Gabriel recited the beginning verses of Chapter (Surah) al-Alaq: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful.\nRead in the name of your Lord who has created. Has created man from a leech\n[Spermatozoa]. Read and your Lord is the most honorable, who taught (to write)\nwith the pen; taught man what he knew not.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some great events happened at the time of Prophet Muhammad’s\n(PBUH&HP) appointment. For instance, a groan was heard. Imam Ali (PBUH)\nsays about that: “I heard Satan’s groan when the first revelation was\ndescended. I asked the Prophet: “What was that?” He answered:\n“it was Satan, who got disappointed by not being obeyed.” He also\nsaid: “You hear what I hear and see what ever I see; except you are not a\nprophet. You are my assistant and you will never leave the right way.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As mentioned before, Imam Ali (PBUH) accompanied Prophet\nMuhammad (PBUH&HP) in different cases such as his seclusion periods. This\nnarration, written in Nahj al-Balaghah, implies that he was with Prophet\nMuhammad (PBUH&HP) when revelation was descended for the first time. It is\ninferred through the history that he was the only person with Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP) at that time. Nobody else has claimed to be with Him then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel ascended after conveying revelation and accomplishing\nhis job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prophet (PBUH&HP) after receiving the first revelation<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prophet (PBUH&HP) was not an ordinary man; therefore he\nhad experienced some kind of revelations prior to his appointment. However, the\nsubject of the first revelation was completely different from the previous\nones. After receiving such revelation the Prophet’s (PBUH&HP) spiritual and\nphysical condition changed. The reason for such changes could be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Prophet felt dignity of Almighty Allah (SWT) more than\nbefore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. When Prophet (PBUH&HP) was appointed, he had\nbecome responsible for a great mission (Risalat). It should be noted that at\nthat time the Arabs were experiencing anarchy. Thus pagans would oppose him.\nThey would deny him and accuse him of improper things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nevertheless, Almighty Allah (SWT) verified His Messenger and\nmade Him ready for the great mission (Risalat).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Return from cave Haraa<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this revelation, Prophet (PBUH&HP) returned to His\nhome in Mecca. When he arrived home, he explained the story of his appointment\nto his wife. Khadijah (PBUH), who had recognized the Prophet’s (PBUH&HP)\ndignity and truthfulness for years, said: “By God, it is a long time that\nI have been waiting for this very day; and I was hoping that one day you would\nbecome the Leader and the Messenger of these people.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The descent of Chapter (Surah) al-Muddathir<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first days of\nProphet’s appointment, while he was resting, Gabriel descended and read the\nfirst verses of Chapter al-Muddathir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This Chapter of the Holy Quran contains verses, which say\nthat from then on, the Prophet had to pay all his attention to warn people to\nobey Allah (SWT). Therefore, the first verses of the Holy book of Islam were\nrevealed to Prophet and he was assigned to be the Messenger of Allah (SWT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First Muslims<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we said before, the Prophet (PBUH&HP) was always\naccompanied with Ali (PBUH), because Ali (PBUH) was very close to Him. When the\nfirst verses were revealed to Prophet (PBUH&HP) in cave Haraa, Ali (PBUH)\nwas there. He was the first person among all the people, men and women, who\nbelieved Prophet (PBUH&HP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through his sermons (Khotbe) in Nahj al-Balaghah, he repeated\nmany times:” I was born to worship one Allah and I was the first one who\nbelieved.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first woman, who converted to Islam, according to what\nall the Islamic historians say and used to say, was Khadijah (PBUH) because she\nwas the first person whom the Prophet (PBUH&HP) met after the appointment.\nMoreover, she had confessed His prophecy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After these two great persons, we can name Aboodhar Ghifaari\nas one of the first person that converted to Islam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After appointment<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the appointment, Gabriel descended. Bringing some water\nfrom the heavens, he taught ablution to the Prophet and taught him bending and\nprostration in prayer. Furthermore, Gabriel descended other commands gradually.\nThe Prophet (PBUH&HP) taught these commands to Muslims and they obeyed him.\nFor example, about prayer, Ali (PBUH) and Khadijah (PBUH) were the first people\nwho said their prayers behind the Prophet (PBUH&HP). They used to read\ntheir noon prayer beside Kaaba. However, most of time for safety reasons they\nhad to read it where they could not be observed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this period, the Prophet (PBUH&HP) gradually began his\nsecret invitation to Islam. This will be explained more in the following parts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Introduction The appointment of Muhammad (PBUH&HP), the Prophet of Islam and his selection as the Messenger of Allah (SWT), can be considered the most significant event in the history of Islam. Descent of the Holy Quran began at this time. The word Bi’that means to be chosen and its expressional meaning is “being chosen by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28246,28268],"tags":[17930,17745,17929,17744,17931,17751],"class_list":["post-3838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-beliefs","category-prophethood","tag-after-appointment","tag-beliefs","tag-first-muslims","tag-prophethood","tag-return-from-cave-hara","tag-the-appointment-of-the-prophet"],"yoast_head":"\n