Then He said:

“Your companion is not mad; he saw him indeed upon the clear horizon. He is not stingy about the unseen, nor is this the word of an accursed devil. So where are you heading? It is nothing but a reminder to all created beings—for whoever among you wishes to be upright. Yet you do not will unless Allah, the Lord of all beings, so wills.” (al-Takwir 81:22-29)

That messenger is Gabriel, peace be upon him.

The Exalted One also said:

“Truly it is the word of a noble messenger. It is not the word of a poet—how little you believe—nor the word of a soothsayer—how little you take heed. It is a revelation from the Lord of all beings. Had he fabricated against Us any statements, We would have seized him by the right hand, then severed his life-vein, and none of you could have shielded him.” (al-Ḥaqqah 69:40-47)

This messenger is Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

As for the universal, creational sending that He has decreed and ordained—such as sending the winds or dispatching the devils—that is another category. He, Most High, said:

“Indeed We have sent the devils against the disbelievers, inciting them relentlessly.” (Maryam 19:83)

And He said:

“He is the One who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings before His mercy.” (al-Furqan 25:48)

To Allah belong both creation and command. Therefore the terms sending (irsal), dispatching (baʿth), willing (iradah), command (amr), permission (idhn), decree in writing (kitab), prohibition (tahrim), decree (qada), and speech (kalam) are divided into: created and commanded, cosmic (kawni) and religious (dini). We have already spoken of irsal.

As for baʿth, He, the Exalted, said:

“He is the One who has dispatched among the unlettered a messenger from among themselves, reciting His verses to them, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom.” (al-Jumuʿah 62:2)