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1. The three kinds of knowledge
| Knowledge | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Sense knowledge | Knowledge based on the senses. Given to every living thing, limited to what it needs |
| Reason (intellect) | Based on thinking together with sense knowledge – given to human beings |
| Revealed knowledge (wahy) | The highest knowledge, beyond both sense knowledge and reason |
The differences
- Sense knowledge and reason are built into the human being; they become sharper as a person grows.
- Wahy is not like this – it is not given to each person individually. It is given to prophets chosen from among people, and reaches everyone else when they convey it.
- Wahy guides the first two kinds of knowledge and leads a person to the truth.
- Revealed knowledge is given to help the human being, who has reason, to choose the right path.
2. The meaning of the word wahy
Linguistically
Wahy (وحي) = a sign, an inspiration, something arising in the mind, sending a message, speaking secretly.
The sense in which the Quran uses it
- Passing a message very quickly and very secretly, in a way others do not know and only the one addressed understands.
- The speech of Allah sent down from Allah to His messengers, very secretly and very quickly, in a way others do not perceive.
3. The two kinds of wahy
| Wahy matluww (وحي متلو) | Wahy ghayr matluww (وحي غير متلو) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Recited revelation | Unrecited revelation |
| How it came | Allah recited it to the messengers through Jibril (AS); they recited it to the people exactly as it was | Came to the messengers in various other ways |
| Preservation | People preserved it orally or in writing | — |
| Best example | The Quran | The hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ |
The special feature of the Quran
- The Quran recited to the Prophet ﷺ has been preserved exactly as it was, in memory and in writing, until today.
- This is a feature that other scriptures do not have.
Examples of wahy ghayr matluww
| Example | Explanation | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| True dreams | Ibrahim (AS) saw in a dream that he was sacrificing his son Isma'il (AS) | 37:102 |
| A voice from behind a veil | When Musa (AS) went to Mount Sinai (Tur Sina), Allah spoke to him as an unseen voice | 7:143, 20:11–13 |
| Signs (gestures) | Zakariyya (AS) taught his people by signs to glorify and praise Allah | 19:11 |
| The hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ | These are also regarded as wahy ghayr matluww | — |
4. Why is wahy necessary?
(1) To overcome one's desires
- Allah has placed the urge of desire (hawa) in human beings to test them.
- Desire overpowers reason and pulls a person towards worldly pleasures.
- Wahy gives clarity about good and evil, right and wrong → the one who trusts and follows it gradually overcomes his desires.
(2) To know what the senses cannot perceive
- Many things in the universe cannot be perceived by human senses; human sense knowledge is limited.
- Example: scientists say that some animals have sharper senses than humans.
- People who trusted only their senses believed the earth was flat, and even tried to kill the scientists who said it was round.
(3) To know the relationship between Allah and His creation
- As Allah's representative (khalifah) on earth, a human being needs wahy as the guide to know the relationship between Allah and His creation.
(4) To answer life's basic questions
Basic questions that arise in the human heart:
- Who am I?
- Where did I come from?
- Where am I going?
- What is the purpose of my birth?
- Without the help of wahy, sense knowledge or reason alone cannot give a definite answer to these.
- People who tried ended up saying: idols are gods; there is no God; humans came from monkeys.
- Examples: atheists, who deny God, and materialists, who deny the Hereafter.
Quick revision
- Knowledge is of 3 kinds: sense knowledge (all living things), reason (humans), wahy (through prophets).
- Wahy (linguistic) = a sign, inspiration, secret speech, a message.
- Wahy matluww = recited through Jibril → the Quran.
- Wahy ghayr matluww = not recited → true dreams (37:102), a voice from behind a veil (7:143, 20:11–13), signs (19:11), hadith.
- Why wahy is needed: to overcome desires, to know what is beyond the senses, to know the Allah–creation relationship, to answer questions like "Who am I?".