What Is Revelation, and How Did It Come to the Prophet?

Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

What is revelation, and how did it come to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.

Definition of Revelation (Wahy)

Revelation (wahy) is Allah’s (Most High) communication to those He has chosen among His servants, conveying to them the guidance and knowledge He wishes to impart in an unusual manner for human beings

The Beginning of Revelation to the Prophet

As for how the revelation came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), ‘Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) explained:

“The beginning of the revelation to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) was through good dreams during sleep. He did not see any dream except that it came true like the bright light of dawn. Then, seclusion was made beloved to him. He would seclude himself in the cave of Hira, where he would engage in devotions for several nights before returning to his family and preparing for a similar stay. This continued until the Truth came to him while he was in the cave of Hira.

The Angel came to him and said, ‘Read!’ He said, ‘I am not a reader.’ The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘The Angel took hold of me and pressed me until it reached the limit of my endurance, then he released me and said, “Read!” I said, “I am not a reader.” So, he took hold of me and pressed me a second time until it reached the limit of my endurance, then he released me and said, “Read!” I said, “I am not a reader.” Then he took hold of me and pressed me a third time until it reached the limit of my endurance, then he released me and said: “Read, (O Prophet,) in the Name of your Lord Who created—created humans from a clinging clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous.” [Quran, 96:1-3]” [Bukhari]

The Methods of Revelation to the Prophet

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) also mentioned some of the ways revelation would come to him when Harith Ibn Hisham asked him, “How does revelation come to you?” He replied, “Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, and that is the most difficult for me. Then, when it ceases, I grasp what has been said. At other times, the Angel comes to me in the form of a man, and I grasp what he says.” [Muslim]

Summary of Revelation Methods in the Quran

As Allah (Most High) explained the methods of revelation to His Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) in a summarized form, He mentioned three specific ways:

“It is not (possible) for a human being to have Allah communicate with them, except through inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger-angel to reveal whatever He wills by His permission. He is surely Most High, All-Wise.” [Quran, 42:51]

Ranks of Revelation According to Scholars

These are:

1. True Dreams

As previously mentioned in the narration of ‘Aisha (Allah be pleased with her).

2. Direct Inspiration Without Being Seen

The Angel coming to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and inspiring him directly into his heart without being seen, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) mentioned,

“The Trustworthy Spirit (Gabriel) has breathed into my heart that no soul will die until it has received its provision in full, so seek it beautifully.” [Musnad Shafi‘i]

3. The Angel in Human Form

The Angel appearing in the form of a man, speaking to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), who then comprehends what he says.

This occurred in the well-known hadith of Gabriel when he came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) to ask him about Islam, faith, excellence, and the Hour. [Bukhari]

4. The Angel’s Voice Without Being Seen

The Angel coming to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in his angelic form and revealing to him, where the Prophet hears the revelation but does not see the Angel. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) described this as being like the ringing of a bell, as mentioned in the earlier narration of Harith Ibn Hisham.

Note: These four methods are encompassed in the verse: “or by sending a messenger-angel to reveal whatever He wills by His permission.” [Quran, 42:51]

5. The Angel in His Original Form

The Angel Gabriel appearing to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in his original, magnificent form in which he was created and revealing what Allah (Most High) willed. This happened to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) twice—once on earth and once in the heavens during the Night of Ascension (Mi‘raj) at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, as Allah (Most High) says: “And he certainly saw that (angel descend) a second time at the Lote Tree of the most extreme limit (in the seventh heaven).” [Quran, 53:13-14]

6. Direct Speech from Allah (Most High)

Allah (Most High) speaking directly to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) from behind a veil. This occurred during the Night of Ascension when the prayers were enjoined, and it was proclaimed, “I have ordained My obligation and lightened it for My servants.” [Bukhari] [Zurqani, Manahil al-‘Irfan; ‘Itr, ‘Ulum al-Quran]

Conclusion

The revelation in all its forms is a profound matter that requires one to transcend the boundaries of the material world and the seen realm to fully comprehend it. Otherwise, one might fall into the errors of those who deny revelation, describing it as a nervous disorder, a communication with jinn, a form of madness, or what they call “psychological revelation.”

May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.

[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa

Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.

He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.

He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.

Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.