The state of the revelation of the word of God, and the state of the heart of an individual to receive this revelation, can only be truly fathomed by one who has experienced it. However, a brief illustration as mentioned in the Holy Qur’ān and Ḥadīth are written below:
In the Holy Qur’ān, Allāh the Exalted states:
Meaning, “And it is not for a man that Allāh should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a veil or by sending a messenger to reveal by His command what He pleases. Surely He is High, Wise.”1
In this verse of the Holy Qur’ān, Allāh has mentioned three methods of divine communication:
وحی [Revelation]: In other words, direct communication by words, which can have two cases:
a) That the words of Allāh the Exalted directly reach the ears of an individual. This form of revelation is usually the most awe-inspiring and magnificent.
b) That the words of Allāh the Exalted are brought to the tongue of an individual. Both of these cases are referred to as Waḥī in Islāmic phraseology.
مِنْ وَّرَآئِ حِجَابٍ [From behind a veil]: In other words, the order of Allāh is brought to an individual by means of a written document before the eyes, a vision, dream, or heart-felt revelation, etc.
یُرْسِلَ رَسُوْلاً [By sending a messenger]: In other words, if an angel, etc., comes before an individual from Allāh the Exalted, and speaks to him on behalf of Allāh the Exalted.
Similarly, in accordance to this, there is a narration in Ḥadīth, by Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishahra that one time, an individual inquired of the Holy Prophetsa that O Messenger of Allāh, how does revelation come to you? Upon this the Holy Prophetsa responded:
اَحْیَانًا یَاٴْتِیْنِیْ مِثْلَ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرْسِ وَ ھُوَ اَشَدُّہٗ عَلَیَّ فَیَفْصِمُ عَنِّیْ وَ قَدْ وَعِیْتُ عَنْهُ مَا قَالَ وَ اَحْیَانًا یَتَمَثَّلُ لِیَ الْمَلِكُ رَجُلاً فَیُكَلِّمُنِیْ فَاَعِیْ مَا یَقُوْلُ
Meaning, “At times, revelation comes to me like the ringing of a bell (so that an alarm can make me attentive in the likeness of a telephone), and this form of revelation (due to being the direct revelation of God’s words) is hardest upon me. Then, after I have firmly preserved His words, this sound leaves me. At times, an Angel comes to me in the form of a man and speaks to me. As such, I preserve his words as well.”2
The case of ‘from behind a veil’ has not been mentioned in this Ḥadīth, the reason being that this case, which is generally based on visions, etc., is a relatively normal case. People are often aware of the reality of its various levels, in comparison to the other two cases, the sphere of which is generally confined to messengers and exclusive people.
From the above mentioned references, it is found that there are three main types of divine revelation. However, these three types are then further divided into subordinate categories, a general illustration of which can be comprehended in the following cases:
Communication through revelation, in other words, direct communication through words, which can have two cases:
a) For the words of God to reach human ears, which can occur in many different ways.
b) Through the Divine power of God, for His words to be instituted upon the tongue of an individual. These two cases are possible both in a state of wakefulness and sleep.
Communication by means of a messenger, in other words, for an Angel, etc., to manifest itself before an individual and speak as per the will of God. This can also occur in many forms, and is possible in both a state of wakefulness and sleep.
Communication behind a veil, in other words, Allāh does not communicate directly, nor is the direct means of an Angel utilized. Rather, from behind a veil, Allāh the Exalted expresses His will in some form or another. There can be many forms of this case. For example:
a) كشف or ‘a vision’, in other words, in a state of complete wakefulness or whilst half asleep, for an illustration to be shown by the divine power of God, whether that illustration be an actual depiction or symbolic. This case occurs in a state of wakefulness and is possible both in a state where one is still connected to his physical senses or disconnected. In other words, it so happens that sometimes the physical senses are functioning, and in this very state, with an arousal of certain inner senses, an illustration is brought before the eyes. However, at times, for a split-second the physical senses are disconnected, and they give way to the inner-senses completely.
b) رؤیا or ‘a dream’, the sensation of which most people are familiar to, which is shown in a state of sleep, and usually requires an interpretation.
c) For a written document to come before the eyes, which is possible both in a state of wakefulness and sleep.
In addition to the above mentioned cases, there is something known as Waḥī-e-Khafī as well, which means, for God the Almighty to instill something in the heart of an individual. However, to comprehend this requires special experience.
This is only a general and brief outline, for in actuality, the types of divine revelation are many, and numerous types are often gathered at one time as well.3
With regards to the condition of the Holy Prophetsa, when revelation was being sent upon him, Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishahra states:
لَقَدْ رَاٴَیْتُهٗ یَنْزِلُ عَلَیْهِ الْوَحْیُ فِی الْیَوْمِ الشَّدِیْدِ الْبَرْدِ فَیَفْصِمُ عَنْهُ وَ اِنَّ جَبِیْنَهٗ لَیَتَفَصَّدُ عَرْقًا
Meaning, “At times, I have seen that it would be an extremely cold day, but when revelation was sent to the Holy Prophetsa, his forehead would sweat profusely.”4
Then, Zaid bin Thābitra, who was the scribe of the Holy Prophetsa narrates:
اَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ عَلیٰ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَفَخْذُہٗ عَلیٰ فَخْذِیْ فَثَقُلَتْ عَلَیَّ حَتّٰی خِفْتُ اَنْ قَرَضَ فَخْذِیْ ثُمَّ سُرِیَ عَنْهُ
Meaning, “On one occasion, the thigh of the Holy Prophetsa was upon my thigh, and a state of revelation overtook him. During this time, the thigh of the Holy Prophetsa felt so heavy that I began to fear that my thigh might break under its pressure. Then this state of the Holy Prophetsa passed.”5
From this, it is apparent that when revelation is sent down, since the spiritual senses are greatly strengthened, for this reason, the physical faculties of man are generally suspended, and the body is left in the state of a lifeless being.
At this instance, the elucidation of a doubt is also necessary, which tends to give way in the hearts of various unacquainted and simple-minded people that how is it that God speaks? In other words, does God speak a language? In this regard, it should be remembered that the powers of every being are expressed as per its qualities and attributes. Since the being of Allāh the Exalted is extraordinarily sublime, immaterial, infinite, and most hidden, He cannot be fathomed at all as per the circumstances of man, who is material, formed and limited. Hence, it would be very ignorant to think that since man requires a piece of flesh to speak, so does God. The fact of the matter is that just as God employs the rest of his infinite powers, He speaks in the same way, but without a physical tongue. He listens as well, but without physical ears and sees, but without physical eyes. No doubt, it is not above the comprehension of man to perceive His being, but indeed, it is above the comprehension of man to understand the depths of His being. Just look at the record-player, does it also have a tongue by which it speaks, like human beings? Therefore, when such a prominent difference exists between creatures and trivial objects, then how ignorant of a deed is it to examine a Creator and Master, the First and the Last, Eternal and Everlasting, Sublime, Infinite, and Omnipotent Being such as God, upon the precepts of man.
1 Ash-Shūrā (42:52)
2 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābu Bad’il-Waḥī, Bābu Kayfa kāna Bada’ul-Waḥyi ilā Rasūlillāhisa, Ḥadīth No. 2
3 In this regard, if one wishes to learn the ideologies of early scholars, then refer to Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Muḥammad bin ‘Abdul-Bāqī Az-Zarqānī, Bābu Marātabil-Waḥī, Volume 1, pp. 420-443, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) - (Author)
4 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābu Bad’il-Waḥī, Bābu Kayfa kāna Bada’ul-Waḥyi ilā Rasūlillāhisa, Ḥadīth No. 2
5 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tafsīr, Bābu “Lā Yastawil-Qā‘idūna minal-Mu’minīn......”, Ḥadīth No. 4592