The revelation from the perspective of Islam
The revelation in language
It is informing in secret that the matter is thrown into the soul in a secret way, or it is writing, or it is a gesture and a quick signal, and revelation in the linguistic sense has several types, which are as follows:
What is meant by revelation in legal terminology?
It is the word of God Almighty that He sends down to one of His prophets, and this is in the case that revelation means inspired. However, if revelation means inspiration, then it is for God Almighty to know, one of his prophets and informs him of a legal ruling or similar stories and news that were mentioned in the Holy Qur’an or the Sunnah of the Prophet, It is worth noting that the difference between the linguistic and conventional meaning of revelation is the same as the difference between general and specific, as revelation is a general language that includes all types of information in secret, revelation is a specific term that is limited to what God Almighty inform one of His prophets.
Some verses of the Qur’an that are related to the subject of revelation
Allah says
وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِن وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ)
And it is not for a human being that God should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a veil, or He sends a messenger and reveals by His permission whatever He wills.
Allah says
(وَأَوْحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلنَّحْلِ أَنِ ٱتَّخِذِى مِنَ ٱلْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ ٱلشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ)
(And your Lord inspired the bees to take from the mountains are houses, and from trees, and from what they erect.)
Allah says
وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ ۖ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحْزَنِي ۖ إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
And We inspired the mother of Moses to breastfeed him, If you fear for him, throw him into the river and do not be afraid or sad, we will return him to you and make him one of the messengers.
From these verses, without going into their interpretation, it appears to us that revelation comes in multiple ways, the bees came to him with inspiration casting into oneself, like Umm Musa, is not a prophet, according to scholars, In a way of speaking in awe or otherwise, God knows best.
The types of revelation
Innate inspiration
Such as the revelation to the mother of Moses - peace be upon him - where God Almighty said: (And We revealed to the mother of Moses to breastfeed him)
The Instinctive inspiration
Like the revelation of God Almighty to bees, where God Almighty said:
(وَأَوحى رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحلِ أَنِ اتَّخِذي مِنَ الجِبالِ بُيوتًا وَمِنَ الشَّجَرِ وَمِمّا يَعرِشونَ)
(And your Lord inspired the bees, “Take houses in the mountains and in the trees and in what they erect.”)
The quick reference
Like the revelation of Zechariah - peace be upon him - where God Almighty said: (So he came out to his people from the mihrab, So He revealed to them, “Say Subhanahu morning and evening.”
The Satan's whispering
Where God Almighty said: (Indeed, the devils inspire their friends to dispute with you.) God Almighty’s command to the angels: Where God Almighty said: (When your Lord revealed to the angels, “Indeed, I am with you, so strengthen those who believe.”)
God Almighty commanded the angels
Where God Almighty said
(إِذ يوحي رَبُّكَ إِلَى المَلائِكَةِ أَنّي مَعَكُم فَثَبِّتُوا الَّذينَ آمَنوا)
(When your Lord revealed to the angels, “Indeed, I am with you, so strengthen those who believe.”)
God Almighty's saying
(فَلَمَّا قَضَى مُوسَى الْأَجَلَ وَسَارَ بِأَهْلِهِ آنَسَ مِن جَانِبِ الطُّورِ نَارًا قَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ امْكُثُوا إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا لَّعَلِّي آتِيكُم مِّنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ أَوْ جَذْوَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَصْطَلُونَ* فَلَمَّا أَتَاهَا نُودِيَ مِن شَاطِئِ الْوَادِ الْأَيْمَنِ فِي الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ أَن يَا مُوسَى إِنِّي أَنَا اللَّـهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ* وَأَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ فَلَمَّا رَآهَا تَهْتَزُّ كَأَنَّهَا جَانٌّ وَلَّى مُدْبِرًا وَلَمْ يُعَقِّبْ يَا مُوسَى أَقْبِلْ وَلَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ الْآمِنِينَ)
(When Moses had fulfilled the term and was traveling with his family, he found that on the side of the Mount, A fire. He said to his family, “Remain still. I have witnessed a fire, perhaps I will bring you news from it, or an ember of fire, when he reached it, he was called from the right bank of the valley in the blessed spot of the tree, Indeed, O Moses, I am God, Lord of the worlds* And throw your staff, then when he saw it shaking as if it were a demon, he turned away, And he did not turn back. O Moses, come forward and do not be afraid, for you are among the believers.)
The revelation through a messenger
What is meant by the Messenger is Gabriel - peace be upon him - and he used to come in two cases: For both of them: Gabriel - peace be upon him - used to come in the form of a well-known person, He also included a picture of the companion Dihya al-Kalbi - may God be pleased with him - Or in the image of an unknown person. Second: Gabriel - peace be upon him - used to come in the image in which God Almighty created hi on it, and he came to the Messenger of God - may God bless him and grant him peace - in this state twice, One of them is in the first days of revelation, and the other is in the journey of Isra and Mi’raj.
Jingle the bell
Rather, he hears a noise and a clang, and an unusual spiritual state overwhelms him, until when the king fulfills his Lord’s message, he returns to his usual state.
Al - Salsalh: The clear sound of thunder with a reverberation.