THE GOAL OF INITIATION and guidance is revelation. Already in the previous chapters reference has been made to traditions describing the actual beginning of Muḥammad's prophetic revelations. We have seen that in some versions the event is linked to the opening of Muhammad's breast (Chapter 3). Some models of the same scene recur in the story of guidance (Chapter 4). The present chapter is dedicated to a more concentrated study of additional versions of the beginning of Muḥammad's prophetic revelations. This moment has drawn the attention of numerous Islamicists, but all have tried to unveil the factual background of the story, not the textual history of the story itself.

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The moment of first revelation, which is so crucial in stories about many prophets, is attached with no less importance when retold about Muḥammad. It contains the usual components, such as visions of voices and light, startling ap- pearance of a supernatural figure (mostly an angel), the inexperienced prophet's fear, address of the angel, etc. These elements were built into the private case of Muḥammad, the prophet that emerged in Mecca. His story is set, of course, in a Meccan scene, and the plot revolves round two figures of his closest family- his first wife Khadija, and her cousin Waraqa ibn Nawfal, an Arabian Christian scholar. The latter is mentioned in the sources alongside Zayd ibn ‘Amr and other ḥanīfs who abandoned Meccan polytheism and searched for the true religion of Abraham. His role links the story to the theme of biblical attestation (Chapter 1); his knowledge of the sacred scriptures enables him to assert that the first vision experienced by Muḥammad is indeed a genuine prophetic one, and that Muḥammad is indeed the prophet referred to in the biblical annunciations. In fact, Waraqa plays the same role of attestation on an earlier occasion as well, just before Khadija decides to marry Muḥammad. On that instance he recites some poetic verses in which he states his belief in the Prophet. Khadija's role in the story of revelation is to give the startled Muhammad moral assistance and provide the link between him and Waraqa, thus making it possible for the attestation to take place. Indeed, the meeting between the Prophet and Waraqa marks the culmination of the events described in the story.