Compiled and Edited by Dr. Muhammad Ghitreef Shahbaz Nadwi
This is a section devoted to selected writings from classical and contemporary authors. Its aim is to present the intellectual legacy of both past and present before readers. It includes excerpts from the works of prominent scholars of earlier times as well as credible writings by modern authors. The views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editor or the institution.
The idea that the Prophet [pbuh] intended to commit suicide during the interval of revelation (zamanah-e-fatrah) is found in the most authentic hadith collection, Sahih al-Bukhari, and has therefore gained notoriety. At first glance, a person is startled and may think, “If it’s in Bukhari, then it must be true.” However, suicide is a grave sin, and the very notion that a prophet could have committed such an act is inconceivable.
ʿAllamah Meerthi’s research shows that this statement does not appear in any connected marfu hadith (i.e., traceable to the Prophet with an unbroken chain). Rather, it is an insertion by al-Zuhri, the narrator of the hadith. This belongs to Zuhri’s balaghat or mursal reports, which carry no value among scholars of hadith. He writes:
The story of the beginning of the Prophet’s [pbuh] prophethood and the descent of revelation was narrated by the Prophet himself. The first half of the story was transmitted by Umm al-Muʾmineen Aishah [ra], and the second half by Jabir b. ʿAbdullah al-Ansari [ra]. The narration of Aishah will be discussed in detail under the commentary of Surah al-ʿAlaq. Here, under Surah al-Muddaththir, only a summary is provided.
She states that prior to the descent of revelation, the Prophet [pbuh] developed a love for seclusion. He began retreating to a cave on Mount Hira to worship. He would take food and water from home, and once it ran out, he would return, stay a day or two, and go back with supplies for a week or two.
He [pbuh] described how one night an unusual figure appeared in the cave and said, “Read!” The Prophet replied, “I am not literate.” The figure seized him forcefully and released him, repeating “Read!” This happened three times. Finally, the figure recited:
“Read in the name of your Lord who created—created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen—taught man what he did not know” [Quran, 96:1–5].
These words flowed from the Prophet’s tongue. But he was terrified and rushed back home. Trembling, he said to Khadijah [ra], “Cover me.” Once calm, he told her the entire incident, saying, “I fear for my life.” She comforted him and then took him to her elderly, blind cousin, Waraqah b. Nawfal, who was a Christian and a scholar of the Torah and Gospel.
Upon hearing the account, Waraqah said, “Do not worry. What you saw was not a demon or jinn—it was the Namus (Archangel) who used to bring revelation to Moses. You will be commanded to convey God’s message. Your people will oppose you. If I live to see that time, I will support you.” Soon after, Waraqah passed away.
For some days after this incident, there was no revelation, nor did the Prophet see the angel again.
From this point, the narration continues with Jabir [ra], who reports that the Prophet [pbuh] once again returned to the cave of Hira to resume his devotional seclusion. When the retreat ended (al-Awzaʿi mentions it lasted a month), he came down from the mountain and entered the valley of Batn Nahlah. Suddenly, he heard a voice calling him. He looked around but saw nothing. Moving forward, he heard the call again. Still, no one was visible. When he raised his head toward the sky, he saw the same figure who had appeared to him in the cave, now seated between the heavens and the earth on a throne.
Overwhelmed by fear, the Prophet fell to the ground and, regaining consciousness, hurried home. Trembling, he said to Khadijah [ra], “Cover me, cover me, and pour cold water over me.” He was covered up, and then the revelation descended:
“O you who are wrapped up in your cloak, arise and warn…” [Quran, 74:1–2].
Allama Meerthi continues:
The hadith of Aishah [ra] was narrated by ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr and from him by al-Zuhri. The hadith of Jabir [ra] was transmitted by Abu Salamah b. ʿAbd al-Rahman b. ʿAwf, from whom both al-Zuhri and Yahya b. Abu Kathir heard it. By God’s grace, I have compiled the essence of both these transmissions.
Al-Zuhri was trustworthy and heard these narrations from credible transmitters: Aishah from ʿUrwah, and Jabir from Abu Salamah. Hence, both are authentic. However, al-Zuhri had a habit of occasionally reporting what he heard from untrustworthy sources—without naming them. He would say things like, “It has reached us,” or “We were told…” These are called balaghat al-Zuhri or mursalat al-Zuhri, which are deemed unreliable and baseless by hadith scholars. It is well known: “Mursalat al-Zuhri are like nothing. They are like the wind.”
Many of these mursal reports of al-Zuhri have been critiqued in Miftaḥ al-Quran. Among these dubious statements is the one he wrongly appended to Aishah’s narration after her words, “Then the revelation ceased for a time.” This is what al-Zuhri added:
“Until grief overtook the Prophet [pbuh]—as it reached us—that he several times intended to throw himself from the peaks of mountains. Whenever he would reach the top of a mountain to cast himself down, Gabriel would appear before him and say, ‘O Muḥammad! You are indeed the true Messenger of God.’ These words would soothe his heart, and he would return home. But when the interval of revelation became prolonged again, he would repeat this act. Upon climbing the mountain again, Gabriel would appear and say the same thing.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, 6581]
God knows best from whom al-Zuhri heard this nonsensical tale. And what compelled him to narrate it? Perhaps he was unaware of the Prophet’s own statement: “It is enough falsehood for a man to narrate everything he hears.”
This insertion by al-Zuhri contradicts the narration of Jabir [ra], which he himself transmitted from Abu Salamah. That hadith clearly states that during the interval of revelation, the Prophet [pbuh] did in fact see Gabriel repeatedly. Each time the grief of separation became unbearable and he climbed a mountain with the intent to throw himself down, Gabriel appeared and comforted him, saying, “O Muḥammad! You are truly the Messenger of God.”
However, the hadith of Jabir [ra] clearly establishes that the Prophet [pbuh] saw Gabriel only once after the encounter in the cave of Ḥiraʾ, and that was the day when the opening verses of Surah al-Muddaththir were revealed. He did not see Gabriel during the interval of revelation (fatrah). Had he already seen Gabriel repeatedly during that period, the Prophet would not have experienced such terror on the day of the revelation of Surah al-Muddaththir that he collapsed in fear upon seeing Gabriel again.
Al-Zuhri also failed to consider that if, after the first revelation “Read in the name of your Lord who created…”, there was a pause in revelation for a few days, this alone could not have caused such intense grief that would drive the Prophet [pbuh] to thoughts of suicide. That initial encounter in the cave had left him so overwhelmed with fear that he genuinely feared for his life. Moreover, in that meeting, Gabriel had neither introduced himself as a messenger of God nor informed the Prophet that he had been chosen as a prophet, nor explained that the words he conveyed were divine revelation. Had such matters been disclosed, the Prophet’s heart might have been stirred with longing and eagerness.
What, then, happened to al-Zuhri’s reasoning? Was he unaware that suicide is a grave sin (kabirah) in Islam, and even the intention of committing a sin is itself sinful? Attributing such an intention to a maʿṣum (infallible) prophet is absolutely impermissible. It is regrettable that such basic theological and legal principles did not occur to him. One must also ask: how could a tabiʿi like al-Zuhri have come to know of such alleged repeated attempts at suicide unless he had heard it from a Companion (sahabi) or read it in a written document authored by one? And how would any Companion know of it except if the Prophet [pbuh] himself had narrated it to them? Yet among the multitude of noble Companions [ra], not a single one ever reported such an incident. So, how could the unidentified person from whom al-Zuhri heard this have known about it? Why did al-Zuhri not ask him how he came to learn of such a thing?
In short, this statement attributed to al-Zuhri is both narratively unauthenticated and rationally rejected and incoherent. It is deeply unfortunate that Maulana Abu al-Aʿla Maududi fell into error by recording it in the introduction to his commentary on Surah al-Muddaththir as though it were an established and definitive historical event.
Maududi writes, citing Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, that Imam al-Zuhri elaborates on this event as follows: “For a period, the revelation to the Prophet [pbuh] ceased. During this time, he experienced such intense grief that on some occasions he would climb mountains with the intention of throwing himself off. But whenever he reached the peak of a mountain, Gabriel would appear and say, ‘You are truly the Messenger of Allah.’ These words would calm his heart and dispel his distress.” (Tafhim al-Quran, 6:138)
The exact wording from Tabari is: “Narrated to us by Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿla, who said: Thawr narrated from Maʿmar from al-Zuhri, who said: ‘Revelation ceased for a time from the Messenger of Allah [pbuh], and he became deeply grieved. He would often set out to the mountain peaks intending to throw himself down. Whenever he reached the summit, Gabriel would appear and say, ‘You are truly the Prophet of Allah,’ which would settle his heart and restore his composure.’”
This translation of Maududi’s is based on the above isnad from al-Tabari, and it is clear that this report is nothing more than a personal statement of al-Zuhri. It is not a connected marfuʿ hadith traceable to the Prophet [pbuh]. Nor does al-Zuhri cite any source for this claim. Therefore, it cannot be deemed reliable. The same ruling applies here: “Mursalat al-Zuhri shubhah la shayʾ — the mursal reports of al-Zuhri are akin to nothing.” “Marasil al-Zuhri ka al-riḥ — the mursal reports of al-Zuhri are like the wind, with no substance.” (Tafsir Miftah al-Quran, Surah al-Muddaththir, Volume 5, forthcoming)