Topic: Wahi or Revelation:

Short Introduction:
Revelation means, to give news secretly, give a signal, convey a message, or another words something revealed
or disclosed not before realized, something that was hidden becomes known.
According to Shar’ia terminology Wahi is defined as "the divine Words that Almighty Allah revealed to bless
Ambiya (AS)."

Types of revelation:
There are two types of revelation for blessed Ambiya (AS) Wahi-e-Matlu & Wahi-e-Ghair Matlu.

1- Wahi-Matlu:
Whai-Matlu means the revelation which Almighty Allah has transmitted in His own words and speech to any of
the prophet’s through gerbil (AS), for example the text of Quran, It is essential that such revealed words should
be recited in the same accent and pronunciation as they were revealed. Thus even after 1443 years Quran has
remained unchanged.

2- Wahi-Ghair Matlu:
Wahi-Ghair matlu is the revelation which Allah projected in the heart of the Holy Prophet. These are not the
words of the Almighty Allah, but the Holy Prophet (PBUH) transmitted these revealed edicts ‫ أحكام‬to the people
in his own words, and that is called hatiths or Sunnah.

How did the revelation come down to Muhammad? (SAW)

There are some forms of the wahi and they are below:

1- In the form of true dreams:

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) would sometimes receive divine revelations of the Holy Qur’an in the form of true
dreams.
Umml Momenen Ayesha (RA) narrates that the beginning of Wahi, began in the form of true dreams.
Whenever the Holy Prophet (SAW) would saw a dream, it would become clear by the morning. (Bukhari)

ِ ‫الصالِحة فِي الن‬

َ‫ فَ َكا َن ال‬،‫َّوم‬
ْ ُّ ‫صلَّى اللهُ َعلَْي ِه َو َسلَّ َم ِم َن ال َو ْح ِي‬
ُ َ َّ ‫الرْؤيَا‬ ِ ُ ‫ئ بِ ِه رس‬
َ ‫ول اللَّه‬
ِ
ُ َ َ ‫ أ ََّو ُل َما بُد‬:‫ت‬ْ َ‫ين أَنَّ َها قَال‬ِ ِ ‫شةَ أُِم‬
َ ‫الم ْؤمن‬
ُ َ ِ‫َعائ‬
(‫ )صحيح البخاري‬،‫الص ْب ِح‬ ُّ ‫ت ِمثْ َل فَ لَ ِق‬ ِ
َ ‫يَ َرى ُرْؤيَا إ َّال َج‬
ْ ‫اء‬
2- Revelation revealed directly into the heart:
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) also received the revelation directly into the heart.
“Imaam Hakim” narrates that the Holy Prophet (SAW) stated: “Angel Gabriel conveyed a message into
my heart. “That no man can die until his ‘rizq’ or resources have been completed. So Man should fear Almighty
Allah and try all, means to achieve his resources. If there is a delay in receiving your due, then do not go astray
to achieve it for whatever you will receive will be through Allah and what he has already ordained”)‫(مقرر‬
‫الدنْيَا َحتَّى يَ ْستَ ْك ِم َل‬ُّ ‫ج ِم َن‬ ِ ‫َن أ‬ ِ ِ
َ َّ ‫الس ََل ُم أَلْ َقى في ُروع َي أ‬
َ ‫َح ًدا م ْن ُك ْم لَ ْن يَ ْخ ُر‬ َّ ‫يل َعلَْي ِه‬ ِ ٍ
َ ‫ إ َّن ج ْب ِر‬... ‫ رضي الله عنه‬،‫عن ابْ ِن َم ْسعُود‬
ُ‫ضلُه‬ْ َ‫ال ف‬ ُ َ‫ فَِإ َّن اللَّ َه َال يُن‬،‫صيَ ِة اللَّ ِه‬ِ ‫ فَ ََل يطْلُْبهُ بِم ْع‬،ُ‫استَ ْبطَأَ أَح ٌد ِم ْن ُكم ِرْزقَه‬ ِ ِ َ‫ وأَج ِملُوا فِي الطَّل‬،‫ فَاتَّ ُقوا اللَّهَ أَيُّها النَّاس‬،ُ‫ِرْزقَه‬
ْ ‫ فَِإن‬،‫ب‬ ْ َ ُ َ
َ َ ْ َ
)‫صيَ ٍة» (المستدرك على الصحيحين للحاكم‬ ِ ‫بِم ْع‬
َ
3- Revelation disclosed upon the sound of a bell:
The Holy Prophet (SAW) would hear the ringing of a bell or a musical sweet sound, which would be immediately
followed by divine revelation.
 According to Umm-ul Momneen Ayesha (RA) once the divine revelation began, Angel Gabriel (AS)
would come at various times with different verses of the Quran. According to her, the Holy Prophet (SAW)
himself stated that: “Sometimes wahi comes to me after a bell rings and that is a heavy time for me” (Bukhari).
َ ‫ َك ْي‬،‫ول اللَّ ِه‬
َ ِ‫ف يَأْت‬ َ ‫ فَ َق‬،‫صلَّى اللَّهُ َعلَْي ِه َو َسلَّ َم‬ ِ َ ‫ش ٍام سأ ََل رس‬ ِ َ ‫َن الْحا ِر‬ ِ َ ِ‫َعائ‬
‫يك ال َْو ْح ُي؟‬ َ ‫ يَا َر ُس‬:‫ال‬ َ ‫ول اللَّه‬ ُ َ َ َ ‫ث بْ َن ه‬ َ َّ ‫ أ‬،‫شةَ َرض َي اللَّهُ َع ْن َها‬
)‫ ومسلم حديث‬،‫… (البخاري‬.‫ َو ُه َو أَ َش ُّد َعلَ َّي‬،‫س‬ ِ ‫ْج َر‬ ِ ‫ «أَحيانًا يأْتِينِي ِمثْل صل‬:‫ال‬
َ ‫ْصلَة ال‬
َ َ َ َ َْ َ ‫فَ َق‬
This method of revelation appears to be the most difficult type for the Holy Prophet (SAW) to bear.
4- Revelation Brought by an Angel in the Form of a Man:
One of the most common ways of receiving revelation was through Angel Gabriel (AS). Angel Gabriel (AS) would
sometimes come to the Holy Prophet (SAW) in the form of a man.
Ummi Salma (RA) reported that: “once I saw Dhayat-ul- kalbie in front of the Prophet (SAW) talking to
him. The Prophet (SAW) then asked me: “Do you know this man?” I replied: That was “Dhayat-ul-Kalbie” By God
I thought it was him but the Prophet of God (SAW) later announced in his Kutbah it was the Angle Gabriel”
)‫ول…» (صحيح البخاري‬ ِ ‫ك رج ًَل فَي َك ِلمنِي فَأ‬
ُ ‫َعي َما يَ ُق‬ ِ ‫قال رسول الله صلى الله وسلم «وأَحيانًا ي تمث‬
ُ ُ ُ َ ُ َ‫المل‬ َ ‫َّل ل َي‬
ُ َ ََ َ ْ َ
5- Revelation through an Angel in his True Form:
Angel Gabriel also came to the Holy Prophet (SAW) in his actual angelic form.
Abdullah ibn Masood (RA) narrates that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “When I saw Angel Gabriel
he had 600 wings” (Bukhari)
ٍ َ‫ُّمائَ ِة َجن‬
(‫اح» )صحيح مسلم‬ ِ ‫َن النَّبِ َّي صلَّى اللهُ َعلَْي ِه وسلَّم رأَى ِج ْب ِريل لَهُ ِست‬
َ َ َ ََ َ
ٍ ‫عن ابن مسع‬
َّ ‫ «أ‬،‫ود‬ُْ َ ُْ
6- Revelation Directly from God:
Almighty Allah has directly communicated with some of His Prophets, with Prophet Musa (AS) at Mount Toor,
or Koh-e-Toor and with the Holy Prophet (SAW) on the occasion of Miraj. There, Almighty Allah gave divine
revelation to his Holy Prophet (SAW) concerning the obligatory prayers.
It is interesting to note how the differing methods of communication reach their climatic end with “Kalam Elahi”
Allah directly speaking to His beloved. Initially Allah Almighty becomes to His Prophet (SAW) gently through
dreams. Then revelation is communicated directly into his heart. Thereafter the Angel Gabriel (AS) comes with
revelation in the form of a man. As the Holy Prophet (SAW) draws closer and closer to Almighty Allah Angel
Gabriel (AS) is shown in his full glory to him. Finally Allah Almighty calls His beloved Prophet (SAW) to the
heavens and talks to him directly in the finale of the Miraj-un-Nabi.