Prophethood and Revelation

One of the most significant and common features of the prophets is that they receive revelation from Allah. This, at the same time, is a feature that distinguishes them from the other people. This situation is mentioned in a verse as follows: "Say, O [Muhammad], 'I am only a man like you to whom it has been revealed that your god is but one...'" (Fussilat, 41/6) Every prophet has received revelation from Allah. Thus, prophethood and revelation are two inseparable concepts. Receiving revelation is the common feature of all prophets. In a verse it is also stated: "Indeed, We have revealed to you, as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him. And we revealed to Abraham, Ismael, Ishaq, Yaqub, the Descendants, Jesus, Ayyub, Yunus, Haroon, and Sulayman, and to Dawud We gave the book [of Psalms]."  (Nisa, 4/163) The prophets fulfilled the communication between Allah and people by delivering the revelations they got from Allah to people.  The prophets received revelation by Allah, out of their will and in a way that could not be experienced by other people.

What makes prophethood important is that it establishes a communication between Allah and people. This communication is provided via revelations. Revelation is a special communication method chosen by Allah to convey His orders to His servants. 

Revelation, wahy in Arabic, has meanings such as "hidden speech, sending, ordering, sign, inspiration". Revelation means that Almighty Allah communicates what He wishes to His prophets in a way whose nature is unknown to us, a kind of secret and fast communication between Allah and His messenger, and what Allah sent down to the heart of His messenger. The revelation came to the prophets through angel as well as without an intermediary. Only the prophet who experienced it knows how the revelation is and its nature. However, the prophet, who is honored with revelation, finds knowledge and enlightenment within himself which he never doubts that it is from Allah. As it is in the example of revelation to the mothers of Prophet Musa and Isa, it is possible for Allah to reveal to those who are not prophets. But these are regarded as inspirations. Allah has revealed to His prophets with different means as through a true dream, angel of revelation, and without intermediary. Almighty Allah states the following regarding revelation in one verse: "And it is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a curtain. Or that He sends a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what He wills..." (Shuraa, 42/51)

True Dream: In the first period of the prophethood, revelation starts with a kind of practice, through the exact realization of dreams that the prophet had. It is said that all the dreams that the Messenger of Allah (saw) had at the beginning of the prophethood were realized exactly like the morning light. Other prophets also received revelations in this way. 

Revelation through Angel: It occurs when the angel of revelation Jibril (Gabriel) brings the revelation either by appearing to the prophet in his fundamental form or in the form of human (tamassul) or without being seen. 

Revelation without Intermediary: This type of revelation takes place in the way that Almighty Allah directly addresses the prophet from behind the curtain or creates some kind of knowledge in his mind (heart) to perceive the decree, order and prohibition He wishes. The revelations Prophet Musa received on the Mount Tur, and the Prophet Muhammad (saw) on the event of Mi'raj are of this type.  (Topaloğlu, Bekir vd., İslam’da İman Esasları, p. 301)