receive revelation on a bitterly cold day; when it ceased, his forehead would be streaming with sweat.”

He, peace and blessings be upon him, thus explained that the angel’s descent upon him sometimes takes place inwardly, with a sound like the ringing of a bell, and sometimes with the angel appearing in the form of a man who speaks to him. Thus Gabriel would come in the form of Dihyah al-Kalbī, just as he appeared to Mary as a man of perfect form, and just as the angels came to Abraham and Lot in human form, as Allah has related in several places. Allah has called both these forms of the angel’s conveying his message and speaking “revelation,” because of the concealment involved: when the recipient sees him, he needs to know that he is an angel; and when he comes with something like the ringing of a bell, the recipient needs to understand what the sound conveys.

The “third category” is speaking from behind a veil, as Allah spoke to Moses, peace be upon him. Hence Allah described this as “calling” and “private discourse.” The Exalted says:

“We called him from the right side of the Mount and brought him near for private discourse.”

The Exalted also says:

“When he came to it, he was called, ‘O Moses!’”

“Indeed, I am your Lord, so remove your sandals. You are in the sacred valley of Tuwā.”

“And I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed.”

This manner of speaking is particular to certain messengers, as the Exalted says:

“Those messengers—We favored some over others. Among them were those to whom Allah spoke.”

The Exalted also says:

“When Moses came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him.”

And after mentioning His revelation to the prophets, He says:

“And Allah spoke directly to Moses.”

Thus, whoever regards this as belonging to the first kind of revelation—as some adherents of philosophy maintain