Revelation began in the cave of Hira nearly forty lunar years before the Hijra.

The evidence

1. The chain of transmitters — passage/muwatta-1-016

   1. person/malik-ibn-anas
   2. person/nafi-al-madani

   A Muwatta hadith with its isnad.

2. chronicle — event/first-revelation

   The record of the first revelation — the night of power in the cave of Hira.

3. object — place/mecca

   Mecca and its surroundings — where revelation began.