then the Children of Israel would rank one degree higher than Muhammad. Likewise, whoever says that He conveyed the meanings to Gabriel and that Gabriel expressed them in Arabic speech necessarily implies that Gabriel received them by inspiration—a kind of inspiration granted even to individual believers.

As Allah, Most High, says:

“And when I inspired the disciples: ‘Believe in Me and in My Messenger.’”

And He says:

“We inspired the mother of Moses: ‘Suckle him.’”

He also revealed to the other prophets. Thus, this revelation received by individual prophets and believers would be superior to Muhammad’s receiving the Quran from Gabriel, since Gabriel, who taught it to Muhammad, would be on the same footing as any one of them.

For this reason, Ibn ʿArabī claimed that the Seal of the Saints is superior to the Seal of the Prophets, saying:

“Because he receives from the very source from which the angel who conveys revelation to the Messenger receives.”

He thus made his own reception and that of the angel who came to the Messenger derive from a single source, and claimed that his receiving from Allah was superior to the Messenger’s receiving the Quran. It is well known that this is among the gravest forms of disbelief, and that the view under discussion is of the same kind.

Furthermore, Allah, Most High, says:

“We have revealed to you as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him, and We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes,”

up to His words:

“And Allah spoke to Moses directly.”

He thus favoured Moses, by speaking to him, over others to whom He gave revelation. This indicates several things: that Allah speaks to His servant with a kind of speech beyond the revelation that is distinguished from this particular form of speech; for