Which Prophet spoke to Allah and saw Allah?

[Heba E. Husseyn]

 




Moses spoke to Allah Almighty directly when Allah commanded him to go to Pharoah with His Message

From the information Allah has given to us in the Glorious Quran, we understand that Moses was the only Prophet who spoke to Allah directly regarding his mission.  Other Prophets received revelations from Allah Almighty through angel Gabriel or were inspired by Allah Almighty for performing their necessary duties. 

"Then, when Moses had fulfilled the term, and was travelling with his housefolk, he saw in the distance a fire and said unto his housefolk: Bide you (here). Indeed! I see in the distance a fire; peradventure I shall bring you tidings thence, or a brand from the fire that you may warm yourselves.  28:29  (Al-Qasas)

And when he reached it, he was called from the right side of the valley in the blessed field, from the tree: O Musa! Indeed! I, even I, am Allah, the Rab of the Worlds;  (28:30 (Al-Qasas)

Throw down your staff. And when he saw it writhing as it had been a demon, he turned to flee headlong, (and it was said unto him): O Musa! Draw nigh and fear not. Indeed! you are of those who are secure."  28:31  (Al-Qasas)

Thrust your hand into the bosom of your robe it will come forth white without hurt. And guard your heart from fear. Then these shall be two proofs from your Rab unto Pharaoh and his chiefs. Lo! they are evil-living folk.  28:32  (Al-Qasas)

Same event is also mentioned in Verses 9 to 24 of the 20th Surah, Ta Ha, in slightly different words and with a few more details.   In Surah Ta Ha, Allah refers to this place where Allah spoke to Moses as the holy valley of Tuwa and commanded Moses to remove his shoes.  In both Surah Al-Qasas and Surah Ta Ha, Prophet Musa requests Allah to send Haroon with him because  Haroon was more fluent and articulate in speech.   Haroon (Aaron) was Prophet Musa's brother, and also a Prophet.  Reference Verse 20:30 onward, and Verse 28:34-35.


Musa (Moses) requesting Allah Almighty to show His glory to him

"And when Musa came to Our appointed tryst and his Rab had spoken unto him, he said: My Rab! Show me (Your Self), that I may gaze upon You. He said: you will not see Me, but gaze upon the mountain! If it stand still in its place, then you will see Me. And when his Rab revealed (His) glory to the mountain He sent it crashing down. And Musa fell down senseless. And when he woke he said: Glory unto You! I turn unto You repentant, and I am the first of (true) believers."  7:143 (Al-Araf)

Musa requested Allah Almighty to reveal His glory to him when he (Musa) had gone in seclusion to receive the Scripture (Torah or Ten Commandments) after leaving the people in the care of his brother, Haroon (Aaron), after the Exodus. 

Whether Musa received the Scripture directly from Allah, in the same way as Allah had spoken to him or whether the Scripture was delivered to Musa from Allah Almighty through the angel is something that cannot be confirmed.  I haven't found any information in the Quran to confirm the exact method in which Allah had decided to send the Scripture to Moses.   Only Allah Almighty would know that best.

[Zainab_M]

This is a beautiful piece you've written sister.  People often get confused between the events when Prophet Musa spoke to Allah and saw Allah.  And right, we don't know if Torah was given to Prophet Musa directly or through angel Gabriel as was the Noble Quran to Prophet Muhammad (S).  Only Allah knows it.  But we do know that the Torah was given to Prophet Musa within a much shorter period than the Quran.  It was given to Prophet Musa during those 40 nights of solitude when he left the israelites in the custody of his brother, Aaron, after bringing them across the sea and defeating Pharoah (Exodus).  It also reminds me of the recent post on Mt. Sinai.  Some say that Prophet Musa spent those 40 nights of solitude at Mt. Sinai.  But only Allah has the correct information.  We are also not sure whether Prophet Musa went alone or was accompanied by a few of his close companions.  This too is best known to Allah.

As-salaam Alaikum and JazekAllah Khair, sister. 

[Ruhi_Rose]

Whether Musa received the Scripture directly from Allah, in the same way as Allah had spoken to him or whether the Scripture was delivered to Musa from Allah Almighty through the angel is something that cannot be confirmed.  I haven't found any information in the Quran to confirm the exact method which Allah had decided to send the Scripture to Moses.   Only Allah Almighty would know that best.

Sis, just wanna bring up Verse 28:46. 

"And you were not beside the Mount when We did call; but (the knowledge of it is) a mercy from your Rab that you may warn a folk unto whom no warner came before you, that haply they may give heed." 28:46

In this verse Allah indicates that He called out to Prophet Moses when Moses was beside the Mount.  Could this be a reference that Allah gave the Torah directly to Moses instead of sending or revealing it through the angel?

[Zainab_M]

Sis, just wanna bring up Verse 28:46. 

""And you were not beside the Mount when We did call; but (the knowledge of it is) a mercy from your Rab that you may warn a folk unto whom no warner came before you, that haply they may give heed." 28:46" 28:46

In this verse Allah indicates that He called out to Prophet Moses when Moses was beside the Mount.  Could this be a reference that Allah gave the Torah directly to Moses instead of sending or revealing it through the angel?

Salaam sis.  It could perhaps be a reference but it cannot be taken as a confirmation of it.  In Verse 28:46 Allah does explicitly mention that He called out to Moses when Moses reached the Mount.  At the same time, we must also keep in mind that Moses' period of solitude in this place lasted for 40 nights.  We cannot be sure when during this stretch of 40 nights Allah gave the Torah to Moses and whether it was given directly to Moses or revealed to him through the angel.   

[Ruhi_Rose]

hummm,, ok I get your point.  So that would mean, we are sure that the Quran was revealed through angel Jibril to Prophet Muhammad (S), but regarding all other original Divine messages received by other Prophets like the books of Abraham, David, Jesus son of Virgin Mary etc. could have been directly given to them like the Torah to Moses or could have been revealed through the angel as to Prophet Muhammad, right?

[Zainab_M]

No, first of all, as sister Heba described, we cannot be sure if Torah was given directly to Moses or whether it was revealed through angel Jibril.  Only Allah knows that best.   But even if it was given directly, it was a special case.  For further analysis, let's check some of the verses of the Quran.  

"And it was not (vouchsafed) to any mortal that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by revelation or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a messenger to reveal what He will by His leave. Indeed! He is Exalted, Wise."  42:51

Thus, three methods of communication are mentioned by Allah:

1)  by revelation (this would probably mean through direct Divine inspiration).
2)  from behind a veil (this would probably mean hearing the voice of Allah from the unseen.
3)  and, sending a messenger (angel) to reveal His Message by His command.

I would surmise that in the case of Prophet Moses (pbuh), it was communication method number 2.  In the case of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) it was definitely communication method number 3.  Similarly, for other Prophets, it was apparently one of these methods.  

However, we think that method number 2 (speaking directly from the unseen) was only in the case of Moses.  Reference Verses 4:163-164.

163) "Lo! We inspire thee (Muhammad) as We inspired Noah and the prophets after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as we imparted unto David the Psalms;
164) And messengers We have mentioned unto thee before and messengers We have not mentioned unto thee; and Allah spake directly unto Moses;"

In the above verses Allah mentions about several other Prophets and clearly states that He spoke directly to Moses.  This quite obviously carries the meaning that other Prophets did not speak directly to Allah.  Only Moses did.   Therefore, the Books received by other Messengers might have been either through communication method number 1 or 3.

But this is only my reflection on the basis of my understanding of the Quran.  The actual facts are known to Allah alone.

[N. Truth Seeker]

Very interesting read from the contributions of sisters Heba and Zeynab.  And that verse which sister Zeynab has quoted, verse 42:51, is really an important one and you have studied it very correctly.  

"And it was not (vouchsafed) to any mortal that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by revelation or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a messenger to reveal what He will by His leave. Indeed! He is Exalted, Wise."  42:51

Thus as you rightly analysed that as:

1)  by revelation (this would probably mean through direct Divine inspiration).
2)  from behind a veil (this would probably mean hearing the voice of Allah from the unseen.
3)  and, sending a messenger (angel) to reveal His Message by His command.

'Revelation' denotes the Arabic term 'wahi' the lexical meaning of which is 'secret and swift instruction.'  This means when a Prophet is inspired directly by Allah either with a thought / ideology or shown a vision.  Maybe it can also include a significant or unusual vision seen in a dream.  

I would interpret this method No.1 of Divine inspiration conveyed to the Prophets from Allah mainly consisting of Divine instructions given to the Prophets concerning their mission.   The Hadith followers have apparently used this method of inspiration to justify their so-called Hadith Qudsi which is supposed to be a set of alleged narrations of Allah to the Prophet outside the Quran comprising of information for the people.  This definitely cannot be accepted.  Any Divine Message meant for entire humanity MUST be contained within the Quran as Allah has asserted that the Quran is complete and has instructed us not to follow anything of which we have no knowledge (or that which is not warranted by the Quran).  Since majority of Hadith Qudsis contain extra-Quranic contents, therefore to claim these to be Divine inspirations would be a transgression.  

It's also important to add a bit on method No.3.  Even though this method of Divine communication is very simple to understand, yet people have misinterpreted it.  The correct and established meaning of this method refers to angels bringing messages to the Prophets from Allah Almighty.  Additionally some imams in their writings claim that it also includes the preachings of Prophets to their people.  This interpretation is totally wrong.  The  preachings of Prophets to their community are simply the interaction between the Prophets and their people, not "wahi" or "revelation" from Allah.  The very wording of the verse quoted above explains it.  The words of the Quran, fa-yuhiya biidhni-hi ma yasha'u (then He reveals by His Command whatever He wills) clearly indicates and asserts that this refers to the interaction strictly between Allah and His Prophets, and in this method of communication, as also stated in the Verse, the revelation is sent through an angel.  "sends a messenger" means sending the message through a messenger.  The word "messenger" in the Quran is used for angels as well as Prophets.  The angels carry the Divine Messages from Allah to the Prophets, and the Prophets forward the Divine Messages to the people.  Thus, both angels and Prophets perform the task of messengers at the orders of Allah Almighty.

[Zainab_M]

Thanks for the additional input, br. TS.  I never knew that some people think the preachings of Prophets to be "revelations."  How could anyone have such bizarre ideas?  Is there any hadith or fatwa to this affect?

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Thanks so much for the appreciation brother TS and for the additional info.  Neither did i know about Prophetical preachings being misconstrued as "wahi" or "revelations."  As sister Zeynab asked, I would also be interested to know if there's any man-written work that's  source of this incorrect notion.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Sisters Zeynab and Ruhi ,, many thanks for your further analysis and query    You folks always make the thread so productive and educational. 

God bless.

[Ruhi_Rose]

From the information Allah has given to us in the Glorious Quran, we understand that Moses was the only Prophet who spoke to Allah directly regarding his mission.  Other Prophets received revelations from Allah Almighty through angel Gabriel or were inspired by Allah Almighty for performing their necessary duties. 

Sister Heba, just wanted to bring this to light.  I'm reading Surah Al-Baqrah at present.  I quote a portion of Verse 2:253.

"Of those messengers, some of whom We have caused to excel others, and of whom there are some unto whom Allah spoke, while some of them He exalted (above others) in degree; and We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of Allah's sovereignty) and We supported him with the holy Spirit."

The underlined words indicate that Allah spoke to a number of Prophets and Moses (pbuh) was one of them, right?  It means, Moses wasn't the only one who, by the Will of Allah, spoke directly to Allah but that Moses was one of the Prophets who was granted this privilege. 

Similarly, I think we can also conclude that just as the Message of Allah (Quran) was sent to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through angel Gabriel, Prophet Essa, son of virgin Maryam (pb on them), also communicated with Allah through angel Gabriel.

This means Prophets Muhammad and Essa son of virgin Maryam did not speak to Allah directly, but Moses did and apparently some others too but Allah has not mentioned the particulars of those others.

[muslima]

 


Jazak Allah kahir ,Throughout very educational one mashallah, here is a question  would like to know ,

Genral debate Question ! , Did Allah spoke directly to Adam first or only with prophet Musa pbuh ?

And messengers We have mentioned unto thee before and messengers We have not mentioned unto thee; and Allah spake directly unto Moses; 4:164


verse quoted  by sis ruhi and smillar question ! 2:253   Among them were those to whom Allah spoke,

Q:  It means, Moses wasn't the only one who, by the Will of Allah, spoke directly to Allah but that Moses was one of the Prophets who was granted this privilege. 



Q: So it is possible because Adam was the first human and prophet to whom Allah spoke directly , Adam (pbuh) might saw Allah too ?

bases ! Teaching of Adam (pbuh)
 


Allah said  "He taught Adam all the names of everything. 2:31 . After Adam had learned the names of all things,Allah presented him(Adam ,pbuh) to the angels and  Allah said to Adam  !

O Adam! Inform them of their names,  2:33


what's ur opinion ? how would u explain it 2:33

[N. Truth Seeker]

Walaikum As-Salam sister Muslima.   
Yes, Allah spoke to Adam when HE taught Adam the names of different things and commanded him to repeat it before the angels.  Almighty Allah also spoke to Adam, and apparently spoke to Adam's wife as well, when Allah prohibited them to eat from the forbidden tree.  And yes, Adam was the first Prophet. 

But when Almighty Allah spoke to Adam, it was outside the realm of earthly world.  There is no evidence in the Quran stating that Allah spoke to Adam in this world after he was banished from Paradise.  It's in this world that the test of Faith, that is, Faith in the unseen is the most vital concept to the extent that those who fail this test and refuse Faith in earthly life will not qualify for forgiveness in the Hereafter.  However, in the case of Prophet Moses, Almighty Allah decided to grant him this privilege of talking directly to HIM while Moses was still in this world.  Normally, according to the standard Law of Allah, HE never shows such a Divine portent from Himself to anyone.  But in the case of Moses, Allah made an exception.  Probably Moses' faith was already very strong and he didn't need to be tested.  So Allah revealed  His glory to Moses only to further pacify his heart.   And Allah knows best.

[muslima]

 Mashaallah bro well explained , i appreciate Ur very insightful view,  thanks for response bro , now all clear ,  get it  Alhamdulillah,   Jazak Allah kahir