Revelation (Wahy)

Verily all praise is due to Allah, we praise Him, we seek His assistance and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our selves and the evil consequence of our deeds. Whosoever Allah guides none can misguide, whosoever Allah misguides, none can guide.

I bear witness that nothing deserves to be worshipped except Allah, alone with no partners. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave-servant and Messenger.

This essay shall touch briefly on some issue of revelation in Islam. The primary aim of this essay is to mention some aspects of revelation that are not well known to many people. For example, not many Muslims know that the hadeeth is also a revelation from Allah. Another issue is that there are incidents that describe the Prophet having some sort of trance yet the wahy that is being revealed is not a part of Qur’an but a hadeeth. Lastly, the issue of preservation of the Qur’an mentioned both in a ‘recited’ form and as a book as well as the importance of knowing it.

Definition

Wahy as defined in Hans Wehr A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic means to inspire; to reveal[1].

Classical definition of the scholars however defined it as a rapid, secret communication, no matter how it was done.[2] It is also applies to the message itself being revealed.

The Qur’an mentions several usage of the word Wahy as the natural laws of nature[3] or instinctual animal habits[4], natural human habits (breastfeeding a baby)[5], Allah’s inspiration to human’s to do actions which are not instinctive such as Prophet Moosa’s mother casting him to the river[6], whisperings of devils[7], guidance to the angels from Allah[8], or the direct speech of Allah to angels[9], and finally the process of revelation of Allah’s commands to His Prophet (s.a.w.) as well as the revelation itself[10].


Description of Circumstances of Revelation

Below are just some ahadeeth that describes how the hadeeth is revealed to Prophet Muhammad in different occasions.

1. Wahy began with true dreams:

In a long hadeeth narrated by Aisha (r.a.):

The commencement (of the Divine Inspiration) to Allah’s Apostle was in the form of true dreams in his sleep, for he never had a dream but it turned out to be true and clear as the bright daylight.[11]

2. He used to move his tongue hastily

Initially the Prophet (s.a.w.) used to move his tongue hastily in order to retain the wahy. Ibn Abbas reported: regard to the words of Allah, Great and Glorious: "Move not thy tongue therewith" (75:16) that when Gabriel brought revelation to him (the Prophet) he moved his tongue and lips (with a view to committing it to memory instantly). This was something hard for him and it was visible (from his face). Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed this a "Move not thy tongue therewith to make haste (in memorizing it). Surely on us rests the collecting of it and the reciting of it" i.e. Verily it rests with Us that We would preserve it in your heart and (enable you) to recite it You would recite it when We would recite it and so follow its recitation, and He (Allah) said: "We revealed it, so listen to it attentively. Verily its exposition rests with us i.e. We would make it deliver by your tongue." So when Gabriel came to him (to the Holy Prophet), he kept silence, and when he went away he recited as Allah had promised him.[12]

2. His complexion would change once he receives revelation

'Ubada b. as-Samit reported that whenever Allah's Apostle (s.a.w.) received revelation, he felt its rigour and the complexion of his face changed.[13]

3. He would sweat even on a cold day

‘Aisha reported: When revelation descended upon Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.) even during the cold days, his forehead perspired. [14]

4. Once revelation descended while he was eating and holding a bone in his hand

‘Aisha reported that Sauda (Allah he pleated with her) went out (in the fields) in order to answer the call of nature even after the time when veil had been prescribed for women. She had been a bulky lady, significant in height amongst the women, and she could not conceal herself from him who had known her. ‘Umar b. Khattab saw her and said: Sauda, by Allah, you cannot conceal from us.

Therefore, be careful when you go out. She (Aisha) said: She turned back. Allah’s Messenger ( s.a.w.) was at that time in my house having his evening meal and there was a bone in his hand. She (Sauda) dines and said: Allah’s Messenger. I went out and ‘Umar said to me so and so. She (‘Aisha) reported: There came the revelation to him and then it was over; the bone was then in his hand and he had not thrown it and he said: ‘Permission has been granted to you that you may go out for your needs.”

When the Prophet died and the revelation ceased his companions would weep due to the cessation of revelation

Anas reported that after the death of Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.) Abu Bakr said to ‘Umar: Let us visit Umm Aiman as Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.) used to visit her. As we came to her, she wept. They (Abu Bakr and Umar) said to her: What makes you weep? What is in store (in the next world) for Allah’s-Messenger (s.a.w.) is better than (this worldly life). She said: I weep not because I am ignorant of the fact that what is in store for Allah’s Messenger ( s.a.w.) (in the next world) is better than (this world), but I weep because the revelation which came from the Heaven has ceased to come. This moved both of them to tears and they began to weep along with her. [15]

The Hadeeth is also a revelation from Allah

Although majority of Muslims recognize that the hadeeth is the second source of Islamic law, many don’t realize that the hadeeth is also a revelation from Allah.

The Qur’an contains both direct as well as indirect proofs that Allah communicated to His Messenger other than the Qur’an. As for the direct proof is Allah’s saying in Soorah an-Najm:

Allah the Exalted the Majestic says in the Quran: “By the star when it goes down (or vanishes). Your companion has neither gone astray nor has erred. Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.”[16]

Al-Hafidh Ibn Katheer says in his commentary regarding this Ayah (verse):

Allah The Exalted The Majestic said, “Nor does he speak of desire”, asserting that nothing the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, utters is of his own desire or wish, “It is only a revelation revealed” means he only conveys to the people what he was commanded to convey, in its entirety without addition or deletions. Imam Ahmad[17] recorded that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al Aas said:

‘I used to record everything I heard from the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alaihi wasallam so it would be preserved. The Quraish discouraged me from this saying, ‘You record everything you hear from the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alaihi wasallam, even though he is human and sometimes speaks when he is angry? I stopped recording the Ahadeeth for a while, but later mentioned what they said to the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alaihi wasallam, who said,

“Write! By He in Whose Hand is my soul, every word that comes out of me is the truth[18]

There are verses in the Qur’an that implies that Allah did communicate with the Prophet (s.a.w.) in a form of communication other than the Qur’an. In Soorah al Baqarah Allah mentioned the incident of changing the Qiblah:

The fools (pagans, hypocrites, and Jews) among the people will say, “What has turned them (Muslims) from their qiblah [prayer direction (towards Jerusalem)] to which they were used to face in prayer.” Say, “To Allah belong both, east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a Straight Way.”

Thus We have made you a Wasat (just) (and the best) nation, that you be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger be a witness over you. And We made the Qiblah (prayer direction towards Jerusalem) which you used to face, only to test those who followed the Messenger from those who would turn on their. Indeed it was great (heavy) except for those whom Allah guided. And Allah would never make your faith (prayers) to be lost (i.e. your prayers offered towards Jerusalem). Truly, Allah is full of kindness, the Most Merciful towards mankind. [19]

In this verse Allah is saying that the Muslims used to face Jerusalem as Qiblah when they pray. We all know that important part of worship such as the direction of the Qiblah must have been directed by Allah to His Messenger. Yet, there is no mention in the Qur’an saying that Allah instructed His Messenger to turn to Jerusalem. Therefore this communication from Allah to His Messenger happened only except through the hadeeth.

There are hadeeths that mention incidents of revelation that describe the Prophet (s.a.w.) having some kind of trances. Commonly when we say hadeeth of the Messenger, many of us think that it is only a saying of the Messenger without the trances that usually accompanies with the revelation of the Qur’an. However, Imam Muslim collected a hadeeth that describes an incident during Hajj when the Prophet was asked about wearing perfume while the Ihraam is already worn:

Safwan b. Ya’la b. Umayya reported that Yala used to say to ‘Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him): Would that I see revelation descending upon the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.). (Once) when the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) was in Ji’rana and there was a cloth which provided shade over him, and there were his Companions with him. Umar being one of them, there came a person with a cloak of wool on him daubed with perfume and he said: Messenger of Allah, what about the person who, entered upon the state of Ihram with a cloak after daubing it with perfume? The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) looked at him for a short while, and then became quiet, and revelation began descending upon him, and ‘Umar gestured (with his hand) to Ya’la b Umayya to come. Ya’la came and he entered his head (beneath the cloth and saw) the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) with his face red, and breathing with a snore. Then he felt relieved (of that burden) and he said: Where is the man who was just asking me about Umrah? The man was searched for and he was brought, and the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said: So far as the perfume is concerned, wash it three times, and remove the cloak too (as it was sewn) and do in ‘Umrah as you do in Hajj.[20]

The Qur’an is preserved as a Book (written) and as a Recital

The Qur’an is refers to itself sometimes as a kitaab.

"Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own (and indeed Allah answered their invocation by sending Muhammad Peace be upon him), who shall recite unto them Your Verses and instruct them in the book (this Qur'an) and Al-Hikmah (full knowledge of the Islamic laws and jurisprudence or wisdom or Prophethood, etc.), and sanctify them. Verily! You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise."[21]

And sometimes as Qur’an

The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). [22]

Perhaps the significance of this is that the Qur’an was preserved by two means: written and oral recitation. It was primarily and initially preserved orally, recited, memorized and passed on from one person to another, form one generation to the next. This method is still done today. That is why we can hear people say that if all the Mushafs were to be burned, Muslims would still be able to produce it exactly as it was due to the number of Muslims who have memorized it. The importance of this knowledge is that some enemies of Islam throw back to the Muslims that the compilation of the Qur’an was only done during the time of Abu Bakr. Thus they cast doubt on the preservation of the Qur’an. What they don’t realize is that the Qur’an was preserved orally and written Arabic of that time was not advanced enough in order to fully preserve it. When the vowel marks was invented, it was the memorization and oral recital that helped to finally preserve the Qur’an in written form exactly the same as its recited form.


Abu Khalid
Al Madzhar Ahmadul

[1] Hans Wehr. A dictionary of Modern Written Arabic pg. 1056
[2] Fath al Baari, 1/9 quoted in the Messengers and the Message by Dr. Umar al Ashqar pg. 91
[3] 41:12
[4] 16:38
[5] 28:7
[6] 28:7
[7] 6:121
[8] 8:12
[9] 2:30
[10] 53:3-4
[11] Sahih Bukhari. Book 1 Revelation. Hadeeth 003
[12] Sahih Muslim. Book 4 Prayer Hadeeth 900
[13] Ibid. Book 17 Punishment prescribed by Islam Hadeeth 4192
[14] Ibid. Book 30 The Excellent qualities of the Prophet. Hadeeth 5764
[15] Ibid. Book 31 The Merits of the Companions of the Prophet Hadeeth 6009
[16] 53:31-5
[17] Ahmad 2:162, Abu Dawud 4:60 as quoted in Tafsir ibn Katheer English Translation by Darussalam
[18] Tafsir Ibn Katheer (English Translation), Abridged, Vol. 9 Pp. 306-307
[19] 2:142-143
[20] Sahih Muslim Book 7 Pilgrimage Hadeeth 2656. Similar narrations can also be found in Abu Dawud book of Hajj.
[21] 2:129
[22] 2:185