Islamic Studies MCQs – Page 32 (Q311-320)

'Jabal an-Nur' means 'Mountain of Light,' a name reflecting the profound spiritual significance of the event that occurred there when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received the first revelation of the Quran in the nearby Cave of Hira. The name captures the transformative nature of the revelation that began at this site, illuminating the start of Islam as a revealed religion after centuries of pre-Islamic Arabian polytheism. Located near Makkah, the mountain remains one of the most historically significant sites in Islam, closely associated with the beginning of the Prophet's ﷺ prophethood around 610 CE. Millions of visitors to Makkah today continue to visit the area, though it is not part of the formal rites of Hajj or Umrah.

Cave Hira is located near Makkah, situated on Jabal al-Nur, a mountain a short distance from the city where Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would retreat for solitary reflection in the years before his prophethood began. It was here, around 610 CE, that the Angel Jibreel (AS) delivered the first verses of the Quran, beginning with the command 'Iqra' ('Read'). This event marked the formal start of the Prophet's ﷺ prophetic mission at age forty, initiating twenty-three years of continuous revelation that would become the complete Quran. Makkah's significance as the birthplace of Islam is further reinforced by its role in housing the Kaaba, the direction all Muslims face in prayer.

Waraqah ibn Nawfal confirmed to Khadijah (RA) that the revelation received by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was genuine prophethood, drawing on his knowledge as a learned Christian scholar familiar with the earlier scriptures and the descriptions of prophethood found within them. Waraqah was Khadijah's (RA) elderly cousin, and after hearing an account of the Prophet's ﷺ experience in the Cave of Hira, he recognized the signs as matching those of previous prophets, telling him that he would likely face rejection and persecution from his own people, just as earlier prophets had. Waraqah passed away shortly afterward, but his early confirmation provided crucial reassurance to both the Prophet ﷺ and Khadijah (RA) during this pivotal and uncertain moment.

The Prophet's ﷺ prophethood lasted a total of 23 years, beginning with the first revelation in the Cave of Hira around 610 CE when he was forty years old, and continuing until shortly before his death in 632 CE at age 63. This period is traditionally divided into two phases: roughly thirteen years spent preaching in Makkah, facing significant persecution, followed by about ten years in Madinah after the Hijrah in 622 CE, during which the Muslim community grew into an organized state. This 23-year span saw the gradual revelation of the entire Quran, along with the establishment of Islamic law, worship practices, and the early Muslim community structure.

The Prophet's ﷺ prophethood included 13 years spent in Makkah, from the first revelation around 610 CE until his migration (Hijrah) to Madinah in 622 CE. During this Makkan period, revelation focused primarily on foundational matters of faith, including the oneness of Allah, prophethood, resurrection, and moral accountability, while the small Muslim community faced escalating persecution from the Quraysh. This period included significant hardships, such as the boycott of Banu Hashim and the Year of Sorrow following the deaths of Khadijah (RA) and Abu Talib. The Makkan period concluded with the migration to Madinah, opening a new phase of the Prophet's ﷺ mission focused on building a functioning Muslim community and state.

The Prophet's ﷺ prophethood included 10 years spent in Madinah, following his migration (Hijrah) there in 622 CE until his death in 632 CE. This period saw the establishment of the first organized Muslim community and state, the revelation of detailed legal and social guidance addressed in the Madani Surahs, and several significant military engagements, including the Battles of Badr, Uhud, and the Trench. The Madinan period also included the eventual peaceful conquest of Makkah in 630 CE and the Farewell Pilgrimage shortly before his death. This decade transformed a small, persecuted community into a unified and organized Islamic state across much of the Arabian Peninsula.

Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ first wife was Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, whom he married at about twenty-five years of age after she employed him to lead a successful trading caravan to Syria and was impressed by his honesty and character. Their marriage remained monogamous for approximately twenty-five years, until her death around 619 CE, and she became the first person to believe in his prophethood when revelation began. Khadijah (RA) bore him several children, including his beloved daughter Fatimah (RA), and provided essential emotional and financial support throughout the difficult early years of his mission. She is remembered as one of the most honored women in Islamic history.

The year known as 'Aam-ul-Huzn' (the Year of Sorrow) takes its name from the deaths of Khadijah and Abu Talib, both occurring around 619 CE within a short span of time, depriving Prophet Muhammad ﷺ of his most devoted wife and his most powerful protector in Makkah within the same difficult period. Khadijah (RA) had provided unwavering emotional and financial support since the earliest days of his prophethood, while Abu Talib's status as a respected Quraysh leader had shielded him from the worst persecution by hostile clan leaders. Following these losses, opposition to the Prophet ﷺ intensified significantly, prompting him to seek support outside Makkah, including his difficult journey to Ta'if shortly afterward.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ traveled to Ta'if seeking support shortly after the death of Abu Talib, hoping the city's leaders might offer protection and a receptive audience for his message following the loss of his uncle's protection in Makkah. Instead, the people of Ta'if rejected him harshly, reportedly inciting local youths to pelt him with stones as he left the city, leaving him injured and in deep distress. Despite this painful rejection, Islamic tradition recounts that he prayed for the guidance of the people of Ta'if rather than their destruction, reflecting his characteristic patience and mercy even toward those who mistreated him. He found some relief on his return journey through the hospitality of Utbah and Shaybah, who sent him grapes and a Christian servant named Addas, who accepted Islam after meeting him.

The Prophet's ﷺ night journey from Makkah to Jerusalem is called the Isra, a miraculous journey described in Islamic tradition as occurring in a single night, during which he was transported from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. This event is referenced in the opening verse of Surah Al-Isra in the Quran and is closely linked to the subsequent Mi'raj, his ascension through the heavens from Jerusalem. The Isra and Mi'raj together are regarded as among the most significant miraculous events in the Prophet's ﷺ life, occurring during a particularly difficult period following the Year of Sorrow. The event is commemorated annually by many Muslims on the 27th of Rajab.