Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Dr. Abou El Fadl discusses the very first revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad. The episode delves into the initial reports of revelation and the context in which the Prophet received the revelation. What was the emphasis of the first revelation? What are the commonalities in the early chapters of the Qur’an? Answers to these questions and more, in this episode.
0:00 – Intro
1:00 – Khadijah’s pre-Islamic belief system
5:20 – From hermeticism to prophecy
7:35 – Encounter with Gabriel (Ja’far al-Sadiq)
11:00 – Waraqa bin Nawfal, mythical topoi
15:00 – Marry for piety & ethics, not social stature
17:16 – Emulating Khadijah
20:20 – Cherif’s Khutbah on generational trauma and grief
20:55 – Why study Prophet’s life?
22:55 – “I don’t read” report; “What shall I read?”
25:30 – First to accept Islam?
26:30 – ‘Ali raised by the Prophet & his role
29:24 – Very first Muslims, not limited to Banu Hashim
33:33 – First revelation, recite!
39:20 – Ethic of aiding the needy
42:00 – Early surahs in first couple years
43:20 – Prayer before prayer
47:40 – Tolerating the Hanif, hating the Muslim
50:00 – Instructions of early surahs
52:30 – ‘Aisha: early convert
53:48 – Issue of counting age
56:40 – Ahistorical claim about ‘Aisha’s age
1:00:00 – How the Prophet began is how he ended
1:02:00 – Abrogation is imperial logic
1:03:50 – Imperial telling of history
1:05:00 – Islamophobia
1:06:00 - Preview
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The Prophet's Pulpit Trilogy ~ amzn.to/40PBtnt
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~ Spotify & Supercast ~
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🎥 Full list of our recorded khutbahs and their transcripts ~ bit.ly/usulikhutbahs
📰 The full list of articles referenced in this Khutbah can be found at usulinews.org
Dr. Abou El Fadl discusses the very first revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad. The episode delves into the initial reports of revelation and the context in which the Prophet received the revelation. What was the emphasis of the first revelation? What are the commonalities in the early chapters of the Qur’an? Answers to these questions and more, in this episode.
0:00 – Intro
1:00 – Khadijah’s pre-Islamic belief system
5:20 – From hermeticism to prophecy
7:35 – Encounter with Gabriel (Ja’far al-Sadiq)
11:00 – Waraqa bin Nawfal, mythical topoi
15:00 – Marry for piety & ethics, not social stature
17:16 – Emulating Khadijah
20:20 – Cherif’s Khutbah on generational trauma and grief
20:55 – Why study Prophet’s life?
22:55 – “I don’t read” report; “What shall I read?”
25:30 – First to accept Islam?
26:30 – ‘Ali raised by the Prophet & his role
29:24 – Very first Muslims, not limited to Banu Hashim
33:33 – First revelation, recite!
39:20 – Ethic of aiding the needy
42:00 – Early surahs in first couple years
43:20 – Prayer before prayer
47:40 – Tolerating the Hanif, hating the Muslim
50:00 – Instructions of early surahs
52:30 – ‘Aisha: early convert
53:48 – Issue of counting age
56:40 – Ahistorical claim about ‘Aisha’s age
1:00:00 – How the Prophet began is how he ended
1:02:00 – Abrogation is imperial logic
1:03:50 – Imperial telling of history
1:05:00 – Islamophobia
1:06:00 - Preview
NEW EPISODES EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY
Instagram ~ @usuliinstitute
Twitter ~ @usuliinstitute
Facebook ~ facebook.com/usuliinstitute
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER (scroll to the bottom)
usuli.org
📚 Usuli Press - Check out our publications on the current state of the Muslim world
The Prophet's Pulpit Trilogy ~ amzn.to/40PBtnt
The Palestine Sermons ~ amzn.to/3AOxXiu
~ Spotify & Supercast ~
https://usuli.supercast.com!
🎥 Full list of our recorded khutbahs and their transcripts ~ bit.ly/usulikhutbahs
📰 The full list of articles referenced in this Khutbah can be found at usulinews.org
