66/1. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4980 — Gabriel and Divine Revelation
How the Divine Revelation used to be revealed and what was the first thing revealed
قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الأَمِينُ، الْقُرْآنُ أَمِينٌ عَلَى كُلِّ كِتَابٍ قَبْلَهُ.
Hadith About Gabriel and Divine Revelation
Sahih Bukhari : 4980
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4980
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعْتَمِرٌ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، قَالَ أُنْبِئْتُ أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ، أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَعِنْدَهُ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ فَجَعَلَ يَتَحَدَّثُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لأُمِّ سَلَمَةَ " مَنْ هَذَا ". أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ قَالَتْ هَذَا دِحْيَةُ. فَلَمَّا قَامَ قَالَتْ وَاللَّهِ مَا حَسِبْتُهُ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ حَتَّى سَمِعْتُ خُطْبَةَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُخْبِرُ خَبَرَ جِبْرِيلَ أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ، قَالَ أَبِي قُلْتُ لأَبِي عُثْمَانَ مِمَّنْ سَمِعْتَ هَذَا. قَالَ مِنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ.
Abu `Uthman Narrated from:
I was informed that Gabriel came to the Prophet (ﷺ) while Um Salama was with him. Gabriel started talking (to the Prophet). Then the Prophet (ﷺ) asked Um Salama, "Who is this?" She replied, "He is Dihya (al-Kalbi)." When Gabriel had left, Um Salama said, "By Allah, I did not take him for anybody other than him (i.e. Dihya) till I heard the sermon of the Prophet (ﷺ) wherein he informed about the news of Gabriel." The subnarrator asked Abu `Uthman: From whom have you heard that? Abu `Uthman said: From Usama bin Zaid.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4980In-book reference : Book 66, Hadith 2USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 61, Hadith 503
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4980
This Hadith teaches us about Gabriel and Divine Revelation in a very clear way. Gabriel came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم while Umm Salama was present, and he spoke with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Umm Salama thought the visitor was Dihya al-Kalbi because that was how he appeared to her. Later, when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gave a sermon and spoke about the news of Gabriel, she understood who the visitor really was. The core message is that revelation came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم through Gabriel, and sometimes people around him only understood the matter after the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم explained it. This Hadith about Gabriel also shows the care of narrators, as Abu Uthman clearly mentioned that he heard it from Usama bin Zaid.
What we learn from this hadith
- Gabriel came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and spoke with him.
- People present may not always know the unseen reality until the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم explains it.
- The narrator carefully named his source, showing care in reporting Hadith.
