FAQs & Fatwas • Islamic Studies

When the Prophet ﷺ would go to Mount Hira to meditate, how did he meditate?

by Suhaib Webb
March 7, 2007
1 min read

Answer:

In the third hadith found in Imam Bukhari’s Sahih we find the following narration from Aiesha (Allah be pleased with her): “The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah’s Messenger was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright day light, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family.”

Ibn Hajar (Allah have mercy on him) commented on this hadith saying that the word used for “Worship Allah alone,” (yatahanath) is actually a synonym for the word Yathanaf. This word literally means to be on the way of Ibrahim (Allah bless him and give him peace). In other words, the Prophet (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was worshipping Allah on the last remnants of the true Abrahamic faith that was left amongst his people.

We ask Allah to lighten our hearts and make us from those who drink from the Prophet’s hands–Allah bless him and give him peace.

http://www.themodernreligion.com/basic/history/OLD_PICS_quran.htm

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About the author

Suhaib Webb

Suhaib Webb is a contemporary American-Muslim educator, activist, and lecturer. His work bridges classical and contemporary Islamic thought, addressing issues of cultural, social and political relevance to Muslims in the West. After converting to Islam in 1992, Webb left his career in the music industry to pursue his passion in education. He earned a Bachelor’s in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and received intensive private training in the Islamic Sciences under a renowned Muslim Scholar of Senegalese descent. Webb was hired as the Imam at the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, where he gave khutbas (sermons), taught religious classes, and provided counselling to families and young people; he also served as an Imam and resident scholar in communities across the U.S.

From 2004-2010, Suhaib Webb studied at the world’s preeminent Islamic institution of learning, Al-Azhar University, in the College of Shari`ah. During this time, after several years of studying the Arabic Language and the Islamic legal tradition, he also served as the head of the English Translation Department at Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah.

Outside of his studies at Al-Azhar, Suhaib Webb completed the memorization of the Quran in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. He has been granted numerous traditional teaching licenses (ijazat), adhering to centuries-old Islamic scholarly practice of ensuring the highest standards of scholarship. Webb was named one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in 2010.

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2 Comments

  • Asalam’alaikum,
    ‘good dreams which come true like bright day light’ – subhanAllah. This makes sense to me. ‘Yatahanath’ = Yathanaf = following the Abrahamic way, alayhisalam, cool.

    I love this webbsite incredibly much. Alhamdulillah. -insert fields of du’a and wildflowers and praises here-.

    Respectfully,
    Zaufishan.

    Reply

  • I want to know how how the last prophet, prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) meditated by which actions did he meditate.

    Reply

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