0

Is there any physical description of the Prophet while the Qur’an was being revealed to him? I mean his body posture, eyes open or closed, etc. Were there multiple witnesses with him when he was in the “trances”?

All I have found so far is:

A'isha:

" وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْيَوْمِ الشَّدِيدِ الْبَرْدِ فَيُفْصِمُ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّ جَبِينَهُ لَيَتَفَصَّدُ عَرَقًا"

‏"I saw it coming down on him on an intensely cold day, and when it had left him his forehead was dripping with sweat."

[Muwatta Malik]

And:

“One day the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sitting amongst us that he dozed off. He then raised his head smilingly. We said: What makes you smile. Messenger of Allah? He said: A Sura has just been revealed to me, and then recited: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Verily We have given thee Kauthar (fount of abundance).” ... (sahih Muslim)

As-Suyuti in his itqan explained that what seemed to be a nap or a doz off for the sahaba or more exactly for Anas (who apparently saw this the first time), was apparently the kind of absence or state of absence that our Prophet experienced after a revelation based on ahadith like in sahih Muslim and sahih al-Bukhari (where this state was called الْبُرَحَاءِ).

1 Answer 1

1

'A'isha reported that Harith b. Hisham asked Allah's Apostle (ﷺ): How does the the wahi (inspiration) come to you? He said: At times it comes to me like the ringing of a bell and that is most severe for me and when it is over I retain that (what I had received in the form of wahi), and at times an Angel in the form of a human being comes to me (and speaks) and I retain whatever he speaks.

Sahih Muslim 2333b

'Ubida b. Samit reported that when wahi (inspiration) descended upon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), he felt a burden on that account and the colour of his face underwent a change.

Sahih Muslim 2334‏

'Ubida b. Samit reported that when wahi descended upon Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), he lowered his head and so lowered his Companions their heads, and when (this state) was over, he raised his head.

Sahih Muslim 2335

If you want to know more about Prophet Muhammad, I recommend you to read Syamail Muhammadiyah. The English version name is "The Book of Virtues".

3
  • Thanks! I didn’t have those.
    – user354948
    Mar 26 at 0:39
  • You're Welcome. You can read them here, sunnah.com/muslim/43 Mar 26 at 0:43
  • Sadly I can’t read Arabic, are these translations of high quality?
    – user354948
    Mar 26 at 0:46

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .