Tirmidhi Book 49, Hadith 3632

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاق بْنُ مُوسَى الْأَنْصَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاق، حَدَّثَنِي الزُّهْرِيُّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ:‏‏‏‏ أَوَّلُ مَا ابْتُدِئَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ النُّبُوَّةِ حِينَ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ كَرَامَتَهُ وَرَحْمَةَ الْعِبَادِ بِهِ أَنْ لَا يَرَى شَيْئًا إِلَّا جَاءَتْ،‏‏‏‏ مِثْلَ فَلَقِ الصُّبْحِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَمَكَثَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَمْكُثَ،‏‏‏‏ وَحُبِّبَ إِلَيْهِ الْخَلْوَةُ،‏‏‏‏ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْءٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَنْ يَخْلُوَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى:‏‏‏‏ هَذَا حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ.

Narrated 'Aishah: The first of what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) initiated with of Prophethood, when Allah wanted to honor him and grant His mercy upon His creatures, was that he would not see anything (in a dream) except that it would occur like the break of dawn. So he continued upon that for as long as Allah willed for him to continue, and seclusion was made beloved to him, such that there was not anything more beloved to him than being alone.