Inspirations may occur in many forms, ranging from a simple and common dream, telepathy, and vision, to more - elevated form of “Divine Revelation” called Wa ḥ y ( وحی ).  In the English language, the word “revelation” is used for all who reveal, being the journalists, politicians, writers, or All ā h (J.J.) !  Therefore, the Arabic term “waḥy” is used here for the specific meaning of “ Divine Revelation.”

كَذَالِكَ يُوحِى إِلَيْكَ وَ إِلىَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكَ، اللَّهُ الْعَزِيزُ الحَْكِيمُ .

  “Thus does[Allāh] send waḥy to you as [He did] to those before you, Allāh is Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom.”

  Sūrah Ash-Āshūrā (42), Āyah 3

إِنْ هُوَ إِلاّ وَحْىٌ يُوحَى .

“Verily, It is not but waḥy that is revealed.”

 Sūrah Al-Qamar (54), Āyah 4.

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكمُ‏ْ يُوحَىٰ إِلىَّ‏َّ أَنَّمَا إِلٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِد .

  “Say: Verily, I am a hu man being like you [but] i t has been “revealed” to me that your god is, certainly, One God.... ”

  Sūrah Al-kahf (18), Āyah 110.

قُلْ مَن كاَنَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبرِْيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَينْ‏َ يَدَيْهِ وَ هُدًى وَ بُشْرَىٰ‏ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ.

 “Say to whoever is an enemy of Gabriel that he is certainly the one who has brought down [the revelation] to your heart by the permission of All ā h , confirming what has been revealed before, and a [book of] guidance and glad tidings for the believers. ”

  Sūrah Al-Baqarah (2), Āyah 97.

  * وَ مَا كاَنَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكلَِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلاّ وَحْيًا أَوْ مِن وَرَاى حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولاً فَيُوحِىَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ إِنَّهُ عَلىٌ‏ٌٍّ حَكِيمٌ(51) وَ كَذَالِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِى مَا الْكِتَابُ وَ لا الاِيمَانُ وَ لاَكِن جَعَلْنَاهُ نُورًا نهَّْدِى بِهِ مَن نَّشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا وَ إِنَّكَ لَتهَْدِى إِلىٰ‏ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ(52)

  “51 - It is not fitting for a hu man being that Allāh should speak to him except by waḥy, or from behind a veil, or by sending of a Rasūl who reveals, with All ā h ’s permission, what He wishes.  He is, indeed, the Exalted, the Wise.  52 - And thus, We have revealed to you the Spirit of Our Dispensation.  You did not know what The Book was, and what The Faith was.  However, We have made It (the Qur ’an) a Light, wherewith We guide Our obedient, as We will.  And verily you do guide to the Straight Path.”

  Sūrah Ash-Shūrā (42), 51-52.

 Almighty Allāh tells us explicitly that there are three ways in which He bestows His Waḥy (Divine Revelation) on humankind.

Naturally, the more elevated a Messenger, the greater would be the value of the message, the quality of its reception and the impact of such a message.  In its perfect form, verbal or literal waḥy is transmitted in such a way that the actual words of Almighty Allāh are conveyed in human language, uttered by the human tongue.  This superior ‑ recited ‑ form of waḥy is only granted to the greater Prophets.

It is important to realise that not all inspirations or revelations are heavenly.  Satan, jinns, angels, and humankind may inspire people and reveal certain affairs.  This is how people are deceived by certain ominous visions and inspirations.  The safest revelation is that in which Allāh the Exalted sends a Select Angel to recite the waḥy personally to His Chosen Messenger.  The following is to show the nature of receiving waḥy (Divine Revelation) for the benefit of those who think they receive “Divine Revelation” left and right every day!

In the night of Mab ʿath [1] (Commissioning, Appointment, Assignment, Mission, Resurrection) when Prophet Muḥammad (ph&hp) , had gone to pray alone in a cave on Mount Ḥirā ’ (later called Mount Nūr), Gabriel (a.s.), the same angel of Almighty Allāh, who had appeared to Prophet Abraham (a.s.), and to ḥ a ḍ rat Maryam (Mary), the honourable mother of Prophet Jesus (a.s.), appeared to Prophet Muḥammad (ph&hp) who was then about forty years old.  Angel Gabriel (a.s.) asked him, in his mother tongue, with a mighty voice, surging like the waves of the ocean, “Recite aloud!”  In fear and un­easiness, Prophet Muḥammad (ph&hp) cried out “I am not learned!”  The angel repeated All ā h ’s Command, and elicited an identical response from Prophet Muḥammad (ph&hp).  Angel Gabriel (a.s.) embraced him hard, and commanded him the third time:

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ(1) خَلَقَ الإنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ(2) اقْرَأْ وَ رَبُّكَ الأكْرَمُ(3) الَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ(4) عَلَّمَ الإنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ(5).

“1 ‑ Recite!  In the name of your Lord, Who Created,  2 ‑ Created the humankind, out of a (mere) lump of congealed blood,  3 ‑ Recite!  And your Lord is the Bountiful, 4 ‑ Who taught by the Pen, 5 – He Taught the humanity that which they knew not...”

Sūrah Al-ʿAlaq (96), Āyāt 1-5.

After this waḥy, a great trembling came upon the most beloved prophet of All ā h (J.J.) .  Shattered and drained, he hastened home to his wife, grand Khadijah (a.s.), hoping to recuperate from this great shock.  She wrapped him in the thick cloak he used to use as a blanket, and helped him sleep.

These first five Āyāt of Sūrat al‑ ʿAlaq, the very first waḥy to the Last Prophet of All ā h (ph&hp) carry considerable significance, which is beyond the scope of this glossary.  However, the referral to the “Pen” as a symbol of the eternal plan of Allāh, the Omnipotent, should be mentioned briefly.  Many Divine words through numerous noble messengers have been lost, forgotten, distorted, altered, corrupted, or tampered with because they were not recorded early enough.  Islam, as the Perfect and Final stage of Almighty Allāh’s din , had to be provided with means of well-documented authentication so that the purity and the integrity of Exalted Allāh’s words should be safeguarded forever as a Book of Human Guidance.  This is why in the very first revelation the use of Pen is emphasised.