Reading
the
Words
of
God

In Makkah Muhammad grew to be a man, well known for being wise and trustworthy.

He worked as a trader in fine cloth, perfumes and other goods,

and was married to a beautiful woman, Khadija, who loved him dearly.

But Muhammad was not happy with the way things were in Makkah.

The Ancient House built by Ibrahim and Isma'il as a centre for prayer to the One God was no longer used that way,

for the clans around Makkah all argued as to whose clan was the best, and which clan might be God's favourite.

When they could not agree, some clans decided that they should each have their own god,

not understanding that there really was only One.

To make matters worse, they even made statues of wood and stone that they prayed to,

and placed them around and inside the Ancient House of Ibrahim.

Then, to try to make these pretend gods notice them, people would do all sorts of strange things,

like take off all their clothes and dance around the House and its statues.

Muhammad did not like to pray at the Ancient House when people might think that he was praying to their false gods

and not the One God that he believed in.

Nor did he like the other things that went on in the market place that was next to the Ancient House,

where traders lied about the things that they sold, and cheated their customers.

Many of the people who lived in Makkah at the time behaved in ways that Muhammad did not like at all.

The strong were allowed to bully the weak and steal things without being punished.

People would get very drunk and sick and did not wash themselves, so they were very dirty and smelly.

In later years this time was known as the Time of Ignorance.

Whenever he could, Muhammad liked to get away from the dirt and noise of the city,

especially in the holy month of Ramadhan.

In this month he would walk about an hour away from Makkah to a hill known as Hira,

in which was a small cave where he could shelter from the sun and be alone to pray.

Here he would think about God and the world

and what humankind is here for.

Until one year, close to the end o Ramadhan,

a very strange and special thing happened to Muhammad in the cave.

For on that day Muhammad was sleeping in the cave

when he was woken by what seemed to be a man,

shining from within and appearing out of nowhere.

In fact, this vision was not a man but an angel,

the angel Jibril,

who spoke to Muhammad in a voice that was wondrous and terrifying.

And the Angel said "IQRA",

which in Arabic means "Read Aloud" "Recite" or just "Read".

But Muhammad had never learnt to read.

It was not a thing that many people in Makkah knew how to do in the Time of Ignorance.

So the frightened Muhammad said "I cannot read".

But the angel came closer and put his arms around Muhammad,

and squeezed him so hard that he could hardly breathe.

Then again he said "Read", but again the terrified Muhammad replied "I cannot read".

Again the angel squeezed him tight, and again repeated the one word "Read".

This time, afraid that the angel might squeeze him again, Muhammad said "What shall I read?",

and the words that he heard were so strange and beautiful

that they were written on his heart forever.

These words were the first words Muhammad spoke from the Qur'an,

and no English words can contain all their meanings

or sound so beautiful.

"Read in the Name of your Liege

[Hu] created

created humans from clotted blood

Read

and your Liege is most generous

[Hu] taught by the Pen,

taught humans what they did not know."

This was the start of what was to change the history of humankind forever.

The first words of the Message that God gave to Muhammad to read to humankind.