The response to the claim that the first part of the Qur’an revealed to the Prophet - may God bless him and grant him peace - was a dream, as well as his - may God bless him and grant him peace - seeing Gabriel - peace be upon him - in the cave

 The claim that the first part of the Qur’an to be revealed to the Prophet - may God bless him and grant him peace - was a dream, and likewise his - may God bless him and grant him peace - vision of Gabriel - peace be upon him - in the cave (*) The content of the doubt: Some skeptics claim that the vision of the Prophet - may God bless him and grant him peace - of Gabriel - peace be upon him - in the cave was a dream, citing as evidence for that a narration by Ibn Ishaq that claims that the first part of the Qur’an to be revealed was a dream. They aim behind that to cast doubt on the fact that God - the Almighty - revealed to Muhammad - may God bless him and grant him peace - and to go to the conclusion that what he saw was nothing but a phantom that he imagined, so he thought it was revelation and considered himself a prophet, but they were visions that happened to him during his long seclusion and isolation in the Cave of Hira. The two aspects of refuting the doubt:

Revelation is of different types, some of which are dreams, some of which are inspiration that Allah casts into the heart of His Prophet, some of which are speech from Allah to His Prophet with words that he hears and understands their meaning, and some of which are through the trustworthy one of revelation, Gabriel - peace be upon him - and this is the most common type of revelation to our Messenger Muhammad - may God bless him and grant him peace - God Almighty said: “It is not for a human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a veil or by sending a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High, Most Wise (51)” (Ash-Shura).
Depicting revelation as a dream in a sleep contradicts what the Muslims have agreed upon , that the Prophet - may God bless him and grant him peace - saw the trustworthy one of revelation, Gabriel - peace be upon him - in the cave while awake and not in a dream . As for the narration of Ibn Ishaq that they used as evidence, it is interpreted - if it is correct - as meaning that what happened in the dream was before that a prelude to what happened while awake.

Details:
First. Different types of revelation:
Revelation has different types: Some of it is In a dream, that is , the Prophet - may God bless him and grant him peace - sees a vision in his sleep, and it comes true later in wakefulness, just as he saw it in his sleep, and what testifies to this is what was narrated on the authority of Aisha - may God be pleased with her - who said: “The first thing that the Messenger of God - may God bless him and grant him peace - began with was- From the revelation is the good vision in sleep, so he did not see a vision except that it came like the break of dawn, then seclusion became beloved to him, and he would seclude himself in the cave of Hira...” until she said: “Until the truth came to him while he was in the cave of Hira, so the angel came to him and said: Read... to the end of the hadith” [1] [2].
The vision of the prophets is true, and therefore the friend of the Most Merciful, Abraham - peace be upon him - hastened to slaughter his son when he saw in a dream that he was slaughtering him, and he considered this vision a divine command. God Almighty said about Abraham and his son, Ishmael, peace be upon them: “And when he reached with him the age of striving, he said, ‘O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you, so see what you think.’ He said, ‘O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if God wills , among the steadfast.’ (102) So when they had both submitted and he laid him down on his forehead, (103) And We called to him, ‘O Abraham, (104) You have fulfilled the vision. Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.’ (105)” (As-Saffat) [3]. The righteous vision was a prelude to revelation and an introduction to prophethood, making the Messenger psychologically prepared for the honor that awaited him. This vision was so true and clear that it could be fulfilled while awake, as he saw it in a dream, or that it could be expressed and be a sign of good and good tidings of guidance. This stage began six months before the encounter in the Cave of Hira, and continued for the rest of his life. Al-Sharif, and we do not know examples of visions before the prophethood, but the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah came with examples of visions that occurred after the prophethood, including for example: God Almighty said: “When God showed them to you in your dream as few. If He had shown them to you as many, you would have lost heart and would have disputed over the matter, but God saved. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts” (43) (Al-Anfal). In the Battle of Badr the Muslims faced the polytheists in the first decisive battle, and the polytheists were many times the number of Muslims. The vision of the Messenger - may God bless him and grant him peace - occurred during the battle, in which he saw the polytheists as a small number, so he informed his companions that day, saying: “This is the place where the people will be killed this evening.”[4] And that is divine good news so that determination is strengthened, will is strengthened, and courage increases[5]. On the authority of Ibn Umar - may God be pleased with them both - who said: I heard the Messenger of God - may God bless him and grant him peace - say: “While I was sleeping, a cup of milk was brought to me, so I drank from it until I could see the moisture coming out of my nails, then I gave the rest to Umar. They said: What did you interpret it, O Messenger of God? He said: Knowledge.”[6] Here the Messenger interpreted his vision, and interpreted the milk as knowledge in the abundance of benefit from them, and from that appears the virtue of Umar, for he is the Farooq whose Islam was a conquest, his migration was a victory, and his caliphate was a mercy.[7] These are some of the visions that the Prophet - may God bless him and grant him peace - saw and then they came true like the break of dawn . This does not mean that the revelation was a dream vision, but rather it was a divine revelation that Gabriel - peace be upon him - brought down to the Prophet - may God bless him and grant him peace - and the Companions sensed that, and saw signs of change on his face - may God bless him and grant him peace . And some revelations are inspirations that God bestows.








In the heart of his prophet, he finds in himself a necessary knowledge that this is from God Almighty, and this is what is meant by the inspiration[8] into the soul[9] mentioned in the hadith of the Messenger of God , may God bless him and grant him peace: “The trustworthy spirit inspired in my soul that no soul dies until it has received its provision[10] in full, so fear God and be fair in your request”[11].
Some of it is that which is spoken by God to His Prophet with words that he hears and understands their meaning, with his certainty that it is the word of God and not the word of anyone else, as God spoke to Moses - peace be upon him - when he went to the appointed time with his Lord who had set for him a period of forty nights, and in that God Almighty says: “And when Moses came to Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, ‘My Lord, show me [Yourself], that I may look at You.’ He said, ‘You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it remains in its place, then you will see Me.’” (Al-A’raf: 143), and He says in another verse: “And God spoke to Moses directly” (164) (An-Nisa). Some of it is through the trustworthy one, Gabriel - peace be upon him - and this is the most common type of revelation for our Messenger Muhammad - may God bless him and grant him peace - and for other messengers, and the entire Qur’an is of this type[12]. Secondly, the Prophet’s - may God bless him and grant him peace - vision of the trustworthy one , Gabriel - peace be upon him - in the cave was while he was awake and not asleep: It is established among historians of the pure biography that the revelation began with the speech of the Holy Spirit - Gabriel - peace be upon him - To the Prophet - may God bless him and grant him peace - in the cave, Dr. Muhammad Muhammad Abu Shabah says: “It was reported in the two Sahihs on the authority of Aisha - may God be pleased with her - who said: “The first thing that the Messenger of God - may God bless him and grant him peace - began with from revelation was a good vision in his sleep, so he would not see a vision except that it came like the break of dawn, then seclusion was made beloved to him, and he would seclude himself in the cave of Hira’ and seclude himself there for many nights before he went to his family, and he would provision himself for that, then he would return to Khadija and provision himself for the same, until the truth came to him while he was in the cave of Hira’, and the angel came to him and said: ‘Read,’ he said: ‘I cannot read,’ he said: ‘He took me and covered me until I was exhausted, then he released me and said: Read, so I said: I cannot read, so he took me and covered me a second time until I was exhausted, then he released me and said: Read, so I said: I cannot read, so he took me and covered me a third time, then he released me and said: )Read in the name of your Lord who created (1) He created man from a clot. (2) Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous. (3) Who taught by the pen. (4) He taught man that which he knew not. (5) ((The Clot)). So the Messenger of God - may God bless him and grant him peace - returned with it, his heart trembling, and he entered upon Khadija bint Khuwaylid - may God be pleased with her.


On her authority - he said: “Cover me, cover me,” until the fear left him, then he said to Khadija - and told her the news -: “I feared for myself,” so Khadija said: “No, by God, God will never disgrace you; you maintain kinship ties, bear burdens, support the needy, welcome the guest, and help in times of need.”[13]
However, there is a narration in the biography of Ibn Ishaq that states that the first conversation between Gabriel - peace be upon him - and the Prophet Muhammad - may God bless him and grant him peace - was a true vision in a dream; in the narration of Ibn Ishaq on the authority of Ubayd ibn Umair, without a chain of transmission: The Prophet - may God bless him and grant him peace - said: “Gabriel came to me while I was sleeping with a piece of brocade[14] in which there was a book, and he said: Read...” etc., so it appears from this that it was a dream[16] [17]. This narration contradicts the authentic narration narrated by Al-Bukhari about Gabriel descending with the surah aloud and publicly, and what Al-Bukhari narrated about the revelation of the verse Al-Muddaththir, on the authority of Jabir, on the authority of the Messenger of God , may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I raised my eyes and saw the angel who had come to me in Hira’ sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I was terrified by him, so I said: Cover me, cover me. Then God Almighty revealed : ‘ O you wrapped in your cloak (1), arise and warn (2) And your Lord glorify (3) And your garments purify (4) And uncleanliness avoid (5)’ (Al-Muddaththir). Then the revelation became intense[18] and continued.”[19] [20] What is relied upon is what is in the two Sahihs, and that this was while I was awake, not in a dream. If what Ibn Ishaq mentioned is confirmed, then what happened in the dream was before that, a prelude to what happened while I was awake.[21] Thus we come to a fixed fact that is consistent with all the narrations and meets with the minds, which is that the encounter with the Holy Spirit began in a dream, then Muhammad - may God bless him and grant him peace - composed the true dream vision, and it appears that in its clarity and plainness it resembles the vision of wakefulness; for it came like the break of dawn as the Mother of the Believers Aisha informed, until when the familiarity with the Holy Spirit and the soul being filled with spirituality came, the vision was in wakefulness; because that is a serious and great station, which souls cannot bear except after they are polished spiritually[22]. We do not know that anything from the Qur’an was revealed to the Messenger - may God bless him and grant him peace - in a dream or by inspiration, or by speaking from God without an intermediary. All we know of that is that the Messenger of God - may God bless him and grant him peace - would sometimes see a vision in his sleep, and then the Qur’an would come down to confirm it. It was also reported that - may God bless him and grant him peace - dozed off and saw the River of Kauthar that God had prepared for him in Paradise. When he woke up, the words of God Almighty were revealed to him : “Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar (1)” (al-Kawthar) to the end of the surah. What bears witness to the revelation of the entire Qur’an by means of Gabriel is God Almighty’s words in describing the Qur’an:




(192) The Holy Spirit has brought it down upon your heart (193) so that you may be among the warners (194) in a clear Arabic tongue (195) (Ash-Shu’ara’), and His saying, addressing His Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace: (Say: The Holy Spirit has brought it down from your Lord in truth to strengthen those who believe and as guidance and good tidings to the Muslims (102) (An-Nahl) [23].
As for how the revelation comes, the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, says : “ Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell [24], and that is the most difficult for me, then it leaves [25] me and I have understood what it says. And sometimes the angel appears to me as a man and speaks to me and I understand what he says” [26] [27].
So the revelation would come to the Prophet , may God bless him and grant him peace, like the ringing of a bell, and this state is the most difficult state of revelation. There is something in the noble hadiths that indicates this severity and describes what befalls the Prophet , may God bless him and grant him peace , at that time. In the hadith Aisha: “I saw the revelation descending upon him on a very cold day, and it would leave him and his forehead would be dripping with sweat[28]” [29].
The angel would also come to the Prophet - may God bless him and grant him peace - in the form of a man, and the angel’s ability to take on a human form is agreed upon by all religions. The angels came down to Abraham, peace be upon him, as an honored guest, and he presented them with a roasted calf, and he did not know that they were angels until they revealed to him the truth of their matter. The angels came to Lot - peace be upon him - in the form of young men. God Almighty said: “And when Our messengers came to Lot, he was distressed by them and felt straitened for them and said, ‘This is a difficult day.’” (77) (Hud), and God sent Gabriel - peace be upon him - to the Virgin Mary in the form of a normal human being to give her the good news of her selection and the selection of her child[30]. The Messenger - may God bless him and grant him peace - also saw the angel in his true form. After the first cave meeting between the Prophet - may God bless him and grant him peace - and Gabriel - peace be upon him - the revelation was interrupted for a period of time, then the situation became clear, and Gabriel - peace be upon him - appeared to the Messenger - may God bless him and grant him peace - in his angelic form, and the beginning of Surat Al-Muddaththir was revealed to him . It was narrated from the Prophet - may God bless him and grant him peace - that he said: “While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky, so I raised my eyes, and behold, the angel who had come to me in Hira was sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth, so I was terrified of him, so I returned and said: Cover me, cover me, so God Almighty revealed: ‘O you wrapped in garments (1) Arise and warn (2) And your Lord glorify (3) And your garments purify (4) And uncleanliness avoid (5)’ (Al-Muddaththir). Then the revelation became intense and continued.” [31]


After all these facts, is there any doubt that the Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) vision of Gabriel in the cave was awake and not in a dream?
Conclusion:
Revelation has different methods and various means, including: dream visions, direct teaching from angels in their human form, teaching by voice from angels in their luminous nature, teaching from angels in secret, and speaking from behind a veil. Dream visions are one of these different forms, and this is what happened with Abraham ( peace be upon him ) in his vision of slaughtering Ishmael ( peace be upon him). The Prophet’s ( peace and blessings of Allah be upon him
) vision of the trustworthy Gabriel ( peace be upon him ) in the cave was awake and not in a dream. The angel would come to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) like the ringing of a bell, and sometimes he would come to him in his angelic form, and other times he would come to him in the form of a man. The appearance of angels in human form is agreed upon by all religions.
The narration of Ibn Ishaq, which these people used as evidence that the vision was a dream, indicates that this was - in the dream - a preparation for what would happen in wakefulness, and it is proven that the visions of the prophets are true. (*) But Muhammad has no mourners, Dr. Ibrahim Awad, Dar Al Fikr Al Arabi, Cairo, 2nd ed., 2001. The Formation Period in the Life of the Truthful and Trustworthy, Khalil Abdul Karim, Merit for Publishing and Information, Egypt, 2001. [1]. Narrated by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih, Book of the Beginning of Revelation, Chapter on How the Beginning of Revelation to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace (3), and by Muslim in his Sahih, Book of Faith, Chapter on the Beginning of Revelation to the Messenger of God (422). [2]. Revelation and the Holy Qur’an, Dr. Muhammad Hussein Al-Dhahabi, Wahba Library, Egypt, 1st ed., 1406 AH/1986 AD, p. 8. [3]. Messengers and Messages, Dr. Omar Suleiman Al-Ashqar, Dar Al-Nafayes, Jordan, 1426 AH/2005 AD, pp. 58, 59. [4]. Authentic: It was narrated by Al-Bazzar in his Musnad, Musnad of Umar ibn Al-Khattab (222), and by Al-Nasa’i in his Sunan Al-Kubra, Book of Day and Night Actions, Chapter of Seeking Help When Meeting (10442), and it was authenticated by Al-Albani in Fiqh Al-Seerah (1/223). [5]. The Prophethood of Muhammad: Its Evidences and Characteristics, Dr. Muhammad Sayyid Ahmad Al-Maseer, Dar Al-I’tisam, Cairo, 1421 AH/2000 AD, pp. 169, 170. [6]. It was narrated by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih, Book of Knowledge, Chapter of the Excellence of Knowledge (82), and in other places, and by Muslim in his Sahih, Book of the Virtues of the Companions, Chapter of the Virtues of Umar (6341). [7]. The Prophethood of Muhammad: Its Evidences and Characteristics, Dr. Muhammad Sayyid Ahmad Al-Maseer, Dar Al-I’tisam, Cairo, 1421 AH/2000 AD, pp. 170, 171. [8]. Blowing: blowing. [9]. Al-Raw’: the soul. [10]. Tastawfi: completes. [11]. Sahih: It was included by Ibn Abi Shaybah in his Musannaf (7/79), No. (34332), and by Al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab Al-Iman (7/299), No. (10376), and it was authenticated by Al-Albani in As-Silsilah As-Sahihah (2866).

[12]. Revelation and the Holy Qur’an, Dr. Muhammad Hussein Al-Dhahabi, Wahba Library, Egypt, 1st ed., 1406 AH/1986 AD, pp. 8, 9.
[13]. Narrated by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih, Book of the Beginning of Revelation, Chapter: How the Beginning of Revelation to the Messenger of God , may God bless him and grant him peace (6581), and by Muslim in his Sahih, Book of Faith, Chapter: The Beginning of Revelation to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace (422).
[14]. Pattern: a type of rug.
[15]. Brocade: a type of clothing made of silk.
[16]. Sahih: Narrated by Muhammad bin Ishaq Al-Fakihi in Akhbar Makkah, Book of the Mention of Hira and its Merit, Chapter: There was nothing among creation more hateful to me than a poet (2354), and authenticated by Al-Albani in Sahih Al-Sirah Al-Nabawiyyah (1/87).
[17]. Al-Sirah Al-Nabawiyyah, Dr. Muhammad Muhammad Abu Shabah, Dar Al-Qalam, Damascus, 8th ed., 1427 AH/2006 AD, Vol. 1, pp. 261: 264, with modifications.
[18]. The revelation became frequent and increased.
[19]. Narrated by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih, Book of the Beginning of Revelation, Chapter on How the Revelation Began to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace (4), and by Muslim in his Sahih, Book of Faith, Chapter on the Beginning of Revelation to the Messenger of God (425).
[20]. The Prophetic Biography and the Delusions of Orientalists, Abdul Muttal Al-Jabry, Wahba Library, Cairo, 1st ed., 1408 AH/1998 AD, p. 79.
[21]. The Prophetic Biography, Dr. Muhammad Abu Shabah, Dar Al-Qalam, Damascus, 8th ed., 1427 AH/2006 AD, Vol. 1, p. 264.
[22]. The Seal of the Prophets, may God bless him and grant him peace , Imam Muhammad Abu Zahra, Dar Al-Fikr Al-Arabi, Cairo, 1425 AH/2004 AD, Vol. 1, p. 271.
[23]. Revelation and the Holy Qur’an, Dr. Muhammad Hussein Al-Dhahabi, Wahba Library, Egypt, 1st ed., 1406 AH/1986 AD, p. 9.
[24]. The ringing of a bell: what is meant by it: a loud sound.
[25]. Yafsam: goes away.
[26]. Narrated by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih, Book of the Beginning of Revelation, Chapter on How the Revelation Began to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace (2), and by Muslim in his Sahih, Book of Virtues, Chapter on the Prophet’s Sweat in the Cold and When Revelation Comes to Him (6205).
[27]. The Qur’anic Revelation from an Orientalist Perspective and Its Criticism, Dr. Mahmoud Madi, Dar Al-Da’wah, Cairo, 1416 AH/1996 AD, p. 50.
[28]. Yatfas: flows.
[29]. Narrated by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih, Book of the Beginning of Revelation, Chapter on How the Revelation Began to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace (2).
[30]. The Muhammadan Prophethood, Dr. Muhammad Ahmad Al-Masir, Dar Al-I’tisam, Cairo, 1421 AH/2000 AD, pp. 175: 177, with some modifications.
[31]. The Muhammadan Prophethood, Dr. Muhammad Ahmad Al-Masir, Dar Al-I’tisam, Cairo, 1421 AH/2000 AD, p. 186, with some modifications.