When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) reached forty and entered the cave of Hira, as per his blessed habit, an angel suddenly entered the cave and greeted him with salaam. The angel then said, “Read!” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied, “I am unable to read.” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) recounts, “Upon this, the angel embraced me so forcefully that there was no limit to my difficulty. He then released me saying, “Read!” Yet again, I responded:

ما أنا بقارئ

“I am unable to read.”