Jabal al-Nour

Jabal al-Nour means 'The Mountain of Light.' It stands tall outside Makkah like a quiet giant, watching over the city for thousands of years. Near the very top there is a tiny cave called Cave Hira, just big enough for two people to sit inside.

Before he became a Prophet, Muhammad ﷺ loved to climb this mountain. The climb is steep and rocky and takes one to two hours — even strong grown-ups get tired! He went up there because the city was noisy and full of people worshipping idols, and he wanted to sit quietly and think about who really made the sun, the moon, and the stars.

He would bring a little food and water and stay in Cave Hira for many days, thinking and praying to the One True God. His wife Khadijah (RA) would lovingly prepare his food and sometimes climb up to bring him more.

Then one amazing night, when the Prophet ﷺ was 40 years old, the cave suddenly filled with light. The angel Jibreel appeared and hugged him tight, and said the very first word of the Qur'an: 'Iqra!' — which means 'Read!' The Prophet ﷺ was scared and ran home shaking, but Khadijah comforted him and told him Allah had chosen him for something great.

That single word 'Read' changed the whole world. It was the beginning of the Qur'an, the beginning of Islam, and a reminder for every child that learning is the very first gift Allah gave to us.