In the month of Ramadan, approximately 610 AD, Muhammad is meditating alone in the cave of Hira when the angel Jibril (Gabriel) appears and commands him to ‘Read!’ (Iqra — the first word of the Quran, 96:1). The first five verses revealed are Surah Al-Alaq: ‘Read in the name of your Lord who created — created man from a clot. Read, and your Lord is most Generous — who taught by the pen — taught man what he did not know.’ Muhammad returns home terrified, wrapped in a cloak, and Khadijah comforts him. She consults her cousin Waraqa ibn Nawfal — the Hanif with Christian learning — who identifies the experience as identical to the revelation given to Moses and declares Muhammad a prophet. The revelations continue over 23 years, constituting the Quran. The initial period in Mecca (~610–622 AD) focuses on monotheism, the Day of Judgment, and care for the poor; the Medinan period adds community law and governance.