CAVE HIRA

Done By: Aatika Ehsan

Class: 3 Jupiter

Contents:
Introduction
Appearance
First Revelation

Introduction
 The Cave of Hira (a small cave, a little less than 4 meters in length
and a little more than one and a half meters in width) is situated on
the mountain, Jabal al-Noor (the Mountain of Light). The mountain
and its cave hold tremendous significance for Muslims throughout
the world, as the Islamic Prophet (Muhammad (SAW)) is said to
have spent a great deal of time in the cave meditating, and it is
widely believed that it was here that he received his first revelation
during the month of Ramadan in 610 CE, which consisted of the
first five ayats of Surah Al-Alaq from the angel Jibreel. It is one of
the most popular tourist attractions in Makkah. The mountain itself
is barely 640 m (2,100 ft) tall; nonetheless one to two hours are
needed to hike to the cave. Its 1750 steps to the top, which can take
anywhere between 25 minutes to 1hour and 30 minutes.

Appearance
 One physical feature that differentiates Jabal al-Noor from other
mountains and hills is its unusual summit, which makes it look as if
two mountains are on top of each other. The top of this mountain in
the mountainous desert is one of the loneliest of places. However,
the cave within, which faces the direction of the Kaaba, is even
more isolated. While standing in the courtyard back then, people
could only look over the surrounding rocks. Nowadays, people can
see the surrounding rocks as well as buildings that are hundreds of
meters below and hundreds of meters to many kilometers away.
Hira is both without water or vegetation other than a few thorns.
Hira is higher than Thabir and is crowned by a steep and slippery
peek, which Muhammad with some companions once climbed.