Page:Thomas Patrick Hughes - Notes on Muhammadanism - 2ed. (1877).djvu/38

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THE QURAN.
17

to him and said, 'Read' (iqaráa); but the Prophet said, 'I am not a reader.' And the Prophet related, that he (i. e. the angel) took hold of me and squeezed me as much as I could bear, and he then let me go and said again, 'Read!' And I said, 'I am not a reader.' Then he took hold of me a second time, and squeezed me as much as I could bear, and then let me go, and said 'Read!' And I said, 'I am not a reader.' Then he took hold of me a third time and squeezed me as much as I could bear, and said:—

"'Read! in the name of thy Lord who created;
Created man from a clot of blood in the womb.
"'Read! for thy Lord is the most beneficent,
He hath taught men the use of the pen;
He hath taught man that which he knoweth not.'[1]

"Then the Prophet repeated the words himself, and with his heart trembling he returned (i.e. from Hiráa to Mecca) to Khadíjah, and


    word Malak, Gabriel, instead of Angel, and most of our English authors have quoted the tradition from his book.

  1. Súra-i-Alaq (xcvi.), the first five verses. The other verses of the chapter are of a later date.