Wahy’: The Divine Revelation

Allah ﷻ has sent human beings into this world as a matter of test, and in a return of this obligation, the rest of the creation has been placed at our service. We must now do two things: 
  1. Make the best of this world and the things created in it
  2. Keep the injunctions of Allah ﷻ in sight while using the world to our advantage and do nothing that goes against His pleasure

For these two functions, we need proper knowledge. There are three means by which we receive this knowledge: 
  1. Our senses (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands, feet, etc.): Knowledge gained through what we see, hear, experience etc.  
  2. Our mind and reasoning: For example, science, art, history, etc. 
  3. The Wahy’: The knowledge of things that we cannot get from our senses or mind and reasoning are bestowed upon us through wahy’. This includes knowledge of things like what manner of action will please Allah ﷻ and what will displease Him. 


Importance of Wahy’

Any person who believes in existence of Almighty God and has faith in his perfect power, understands that wahy’ is a rational and real need. Even small inventions of this world are launched with an instruction manual telling us how to use them. How then is it possible that The Most Knowledgeable and the Most Loving and Caring God would create us, send us here on a mission and then leave us off in total darkness without telling us why we came to this world and what our duties are! The answers to such questions come to us through wahy’ or divine revelation that descended upon God’s chosen servants or messengers/ prophets.  

What is Wahy’?

The Quran came to our beloved prophet ﷺ through the process of Wahy’. Wahy’ means to put something in the heart in a subtle way. Wahy’ came to the prophet ﷺ in several forms:
  1. Angel Gibreel AS would come to the prophet ﷺ in human form and present an ayah to the prophet ﷺ
  2. Allah ﷻ would talk to the prophet ﷺ in a veiled way 
  3. Prophet ﷺ would sometimes feel like a few bells were ringing but in that moment an angel would imprint the ayahs in his heart 
  4. In the dreams of the prophet ﷺ 

Allah ﷻ mentioned the forms of wahy’ in Surah Ash-Shuraa 42:51,

وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِن وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ
And it is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a partition or that He sends a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High and Wise.

When the first wahy’ was revealed to the prophet ﷺ, then he was in the cave of Hira. He was approximately forty years old and had already started practicing solitude for some time. On one of these occasions, the first wahy’ was revealed:

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ
Recite in the name of your Lord who created -