or by sending a messenger—either Gabriel or another of the angels—“so that he reveals, by His permission, whatever He wills”: that messenger reveals to the one to whom he is sent, by Allah’s permission, whatever He wills.

Nafi read “or He sends a messenger,” with the lām in the nominative, as a new independent clause, and “so he reveals” with the final yā’ unvowelled. The others read the lām and the yā’ in the accusative, coordinated with the syntactical position of “revelation,” since its meaning is: It is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revealing to him or by sending a messenger. “Indeed, He is Most High, All-Wise.”