The reason for this is that speaking and addressing others have various levels and degrees. Likewise, conveying another’s speech takes different forms and has different characteristics. Some people grasp only certain degrees and characteristics, perhaps grasping only the lowest and then denying the highest. Thus they come to believe in part of the message and disbelieve in another part. Each of the two groups affirms what it has grasped while denying the truth held by the other.

Allah has explained this in His Book and in the Sunnah of His Messenger. He, the Exalted, says:

“It is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger who reveals, by His permission, whatever He wills.”

He, the Exalted, also says:

“Indeed, We have revealed to you as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him. And We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Tribes, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon; and We gave David the Psalms.”

“And messengers We have already told you about, and messengers We have not told you about. And Allah spoke to Moses directly.”

And He says:

“Those messengers—We favored some of them over others. Among them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in rank. And We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Holy Spirit.”

In this verse, He singles out some of them as those to whom He spoke. In the other verse, He explicitly states that He spoke to Moses directly. Reports abound that Moses was singled out for being spoken to. Thus, this speaking by which Moses was distinguished above Noah, Jesus, and others like them is not