Means of Revelation
Wahi, in the sense of revelation, refers to Allah’s guidance for people that was sent down via the prophets, who received it through one of the means mentioned in the following Quranic verse:
{It is not fitting for any man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal, with Allah’s permission, what Allah wills, for He is Most High, Most Wise. } (Ash-Shura 42:51)
From this verse, it is obvious that any prophet must have received the revelation through one of the following means:
1. Inspiration, for example, in a dream as that which Ibrahim received while asleep, to sacrifice his son.
2. Speech hidden away, as Allah spoke to Moses.
3. Words (speech) sent from Allah through a special messenger as the Angel Gabriel was sent to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). That is the common way of wahi.
The Quran Revealed to Muhammad
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the last of Allah’s messengers, received the revelation of the Quran through a special messenger sent by Allah for this purpose: the Angel Gabriel, who recited to him Allah’s exact words.
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The Descent of the Quran
According to many Muslim scholars like As-Suyuti on the basis of three reports from `Abdullah ibn `Abbas, in Al-Hakim, Al-Baihaqi, and An-Nasa’i, the Quran descended in two stages:
• From Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz (the Well-Preserved Tablet) to the lowest of the heavens (Bayt-ul-`Izzah) of the world, all together, on Laylat Al-Qadr (the Night of Power).
• From the heavens to earth in stages throughout the 23 years of Muhammad’s prophethood, starting on Laylat Al-Qadr of Ramadan, through Angel Gabriel.
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