Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was 40-years-old when he received the first divine revelation. Entrusted with the task of sharing, teaching, and spreading the divine message to all humanity, he began exerting himself to his full capacity.
At the same time, numerous narrations address the fact that, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) would receive these revelations, it weighed heavily on him, creating exhaustion debilitating fatigue. It was not an easy task to receive that divine revelation.
Additional narrations also mention that the Prophet (peace be upon him), while preaching and teaching the messages he received, he was simultaneously dealing with backlash, denial, and accusations from some of his opponents in Makkah. Ultimately he became ill for a few days and was even unable to awaken at night for qiyam Tahajjud prayers.
Pause From Receiving Revelation
Other hadith also mention that, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) was already physically ill, Allah the Almighty allowed a few days to pass before delivering additional revelations, allowing for restoration of his health and be able to better his health.
During the period when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was recovering, a woman (the wife of Abu Lahab) came to him and said:
I see that ‘your Satan’ that has possessed you has left you! (Al-Bukhari)
She started taunting and mocking Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in his way. Of course, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) didn’t pay any attention to her, but he had developed such a longing for receiving the divine revelation.
A Chapter Revealed to Soothe Prophet Muhammad
At that particular time, Allah the Almighty sent down chapter 93, Surah Ad-Duhaa.
Allah says:
Wa Duhaa. (By the morning sunlight.) and the night when it falls still!” (Quran 93:1-2)
Duhaa is known as mid-morning, or around 9:00/10:00 AM when the sun has fully risen or is brilliant. Sometimes it’s the best weather of the entire day.
Allah the Almighty swears by the time of duha, the mid-morning, and He swears by the night when it fully sets in, and everything becomes calm and quiet. And then Allah the Almighty says:
Your Lord ˹O Prophet˺ has not abandoned you, nor has He become hateful ˹of you˺. (Quran 93:3)
The beauty of this merciful revelation is that it alleviated the stress Prophet Muhammad’s was under, in effect, telling him not to worry, or listen to those resisting his message.
Life is But a Station
Then Allah the Almighty says:
And the next life is certainly far better for you than this one. (Quran 93:4)
There is a remarkable story with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Ibn Mas’ud said:
One time when Prophet Muhammad laid down on the ground one time. When he sat up, the pebbles left a mark on his body. I started to rub the side of Prophet Muhammad to remove some of those pebbles and I said:
“O Messenger of Allah, please give us permission to put something soft on the ground for you so you can lay down on it.”
So, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
Why would I care anything about the dunya? My only relationship with the dunya is like somebody who was traveling and stopped under the shade of the tree and took a little bit of a break and then he got up and moved on.
And ˹surely˺ your Lord will give so much to you that you will be pleased. (Quran: 93:5)
The narrations mention that when Allah told Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),
“Your ummah will be forgiven and blessed, they will be the first of the followers and the nations to enter Paradise. And Allah will multiply their good deeds and forgive their sins.”
These words brought great joy to the heart of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Based on the video: Allah’s Promise to Prophet Muhammad (Stories of the Prophets)