According to tradition, Muhammad's first revelation began with verses from Al-Alaq. The opening five verses are traditionally associated with the first revelation delivered by the angel Gabriel while Muhammad was meditating in the Cave of Hira near Mecca.
Al-Alaq is the 96th chapter of the Quran and contains 19 verses. Its name is commonly translated as “The Clinging Clot” or “The Clinging Form,” referring to the word alaq in its opening passage. The first command is often rendered as “Read” or “Recite.”
The traditional account places this event around 610 CE, before Muhammad’s public preaching began. A common mix-up is Al-Fatiha, the Quran’s opening chapter in its present arrangement; it was not traditionally considered the first revelation. Another nuance is that only verses 1–5 of Al-Alaq are associated with the beginning of revelation, while the rest of the chapter is understood to have been revealed later.