Then, the angel let go of him, saying, “Read.

Then, the angel let go of him, saying, “Read.” The Prophet, once more, answered, “I do not know how to read.” The angel again squeezed and ordered him to read. Once again, the Prophet replied that he could not read. On the third time, the pressure was so great on the Prophet’s body that he could tolerate no more. Then, the angel said, “Read in the name of your Lord Who created.” The Prophet returned home trembling all over. Going directly to Khadijah, he asked her to cover him.

As she did, his fear and anxiety went away. The Prophet then told Khadijah about what had happened and about his anxiety. At that time, she tried to ease him, saying, “I swear to God that He would never humiliate you since you have been kind to everybody; you have been helping the needy and hosting the guests.” Then, Khadijah accompanied him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal. He was a blind elderly man who had converted to Christianity and translated the Gospel into Hebrew.

Khadijah said, “It is prophethood, cousin! Listen to what he will tell you.” Waraqah asked Muhammad (s), “What do you see, my nephew?” The Prophet told him what had happened. Waraqah then said, “This is the same angel who had revealed to Moses. I wish I were young now. I wish I would be alive when your people would expel you.”[^14] Criticism As we have already said, this narration in this form is not acceptable.

The following reasons show that it lacks the required authenticity: (1) The narrator is `a’ishah who was born in the fourth (or fifth) year after prophethood.[^15] Therefore, she was not mature enough at that time to have reported this account and since she does not mention the name of the original narrator, her reporting lacks the required authenticity. (2) According to this narration, the angel of revelation forced Muhammad (s) to read while he was illiterate!

If we assume that Muhammad (s) had to read God's verses, a written plate, it is neither natural nor logical, since God and the angel knew that he was illiterate and he did not have the skill of reading. If it is meant that the Prophet had to repeat the verses after the angel, this should not have been very difficult for Muhammad (s) who was mentally mature and advanced at that age. (3) What is meant by the angel's persistence in putting pressure on the Prophet?

This is absurd when we realize that learning is a mental act; therefore, bodily pressure would not have any effect on it.