Jabal al-Nour and the Cave of Hira

The cave where the first revelation came to the Prophet ﷺ: the opening verses of Surah al-Alaq.

History and Seerah

Perched near the peak of Jabal al-Nour, this small natural cave was where Prophet Muhammad ﷺ engaged in solitary contemplation (Tahannuth) away from pagan idolatry. In Ramadan of the year 610 CE, Archangel Jibril (Gabriel) appeared with the opening revelation of the Quran: 'Read in the name of your Lord who created' (Surah al-Alaq 96:1-5).

Visitor tips

The climb is steep and takes 1 to 2 hours. Go early in the morning with water. Climbing it is not a ritual.