Types of Revelation to Prophet Muhammad (s)
Although the status of the Seal of the Prophets is higher than all other prophets, why did Allah the Almighty not address him directly, like Musa (peace be upon him), during the revelation of the Qur'anic verses, and instead appointed Gabriel to convey the message?
Various forms of revelation were sent to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and it was not limited to being conveyed only through Gabriel. At the beginning of prophethood, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was given the glad tidings of prophethood through a truthful dream, and Imam Ali (peace be upon him) also considers the dreams of prophets to be a form of revelation. The descent of Gabriel to the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the most well-known form of revelation, which is explicitly mentioned several times in the Qur'an. The third type of revelation to the Prophet (peace be upon him) was the direct communication from Allah without the mediation of angels. It has been narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) regarding the state of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that the state of unconsciousness that would overcome him during revelation was because there was no intermediary between him and Allah, and Allah would manifest Himself directly to him.
Types of Revelation to the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him)
Truthful Dreams
Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Qummi narrates that when Muhammad (peace be upon him) was 37 years old, he saw in a dream someone approaching him and addressing him, saying, "O Messenger of Allah!" Muhammad (peace be upon him) kept this event hidden for some time. Occasionally, while tending to the sheep of Abu Talib in the valleys, he would see someone addressing him as the Prophet of Allah. The Prophet asked, "Who are you?" The person replied, "I am Gabriel, sent by Allah to choose you as a Prophet."[1]
Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said regarding this: "A prophet is one who becomes aware of his prophethood through a dream, like the dream of Ibrahim and the dream of Muhammad (peace be upon him), who saw the preliminaries of his prophethood before the revelation, in a dream where Gabriel descended with the message of prophethood from Allah."[2]
The phrase "before the revelation" in the narration means that Muhammad (peace be upon him) had not yet been given the message he was to convey, meaning he had a spiritual connection with the divine realm but was not yet commanded to preach.
In any case, truthful dreams were a means of revelation to the Prophet. Ali (peace be upon him) said in this regard: "The dreams of the prophets are revelation."[3]
Revelation through Gabriel
The angel who descended to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and conveyed the revelation to him was Gabriel. Gabriel would transmit the words of Allah to the ears and heart of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and sometimes the Prophet would see him, while at other times he would not. As Allah says: ﴾The Trustworthy Spirit has brought it down, upon your heart, so that you may be one of the warners.﴿[4]
In the Holy Qur'an, numerous verses explicitly mention the descent of the Qur'an through Gabriel.
Direct Revelation without Intermediary
A portion of the revelation was delivered directly without the mediation of angels. The companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) narrated that during revelation, the Prophet would experience intense pain and a state resembling unconsciousness would overcome him. His head would drop, his complexion would change, and sweat would pour from his face. Those present would also be affected by this state, and their heads would drop as well. Allah the Almighty says: ﴾Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word.﴿[5]
In the book *Al-Tawhid* by Shaykh Saduq, it is narrated that someone asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), "What was the state of unconsciousness that would overcome the Prophet (peace be upon him) during revelation?" The Imam replied, "This occurred when there was no intermediary between him and Allah, and Allah would manifest Himself directly to him."[6]
Therefore, the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) experienced various forms of revelation, and in some cases, even when revelation was sent directly to him, that state of spiritual pressure would not occur.[7]
References
- ↑ Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir, *Bihar al-Anwar*, vol. 18, pp. 184 and 194.
- ↑ Kulayni, Muhammad ibn Ya'qub, *Usul al-Kafi*, vol. 1, p. 176; *Bihar al-Anwar*, vol. 18, p. 266.
- ↑ Tusi, *Amali*, p. 215; *Bihar al-Anwar*, vol. 11, p. 64.
- ↑ Ash-Shu'ara, 26:193–194.
- ↑ Al-Muzzammil, 73:5.
- ↑ Taheri, Habibullah, *Lessons from the Sciences of the Qur'an*, Tehran, First Edition, 1377 AH, vol. 1, pp. 251–258.
- ↑ Makarem Shirazi, Naser, *The Message of the Qur'an*, Qom, Matbu'ati Hadaf, First Edition, 1371 AH, vol. 7, p. 326.