The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 116
PREFACE ESSENCE OF ISLAM 115 AUTHOR'S MARGIN NOTE How does revelation origi- nate, and how does it then descend upon the Prophets? Meaning that: Nawās bin Sam'ān, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stated that when God Almighty desires to send down a revelation from Himself, He speaks out the same, the revelation being yet of a gen- eral nature and covered by a veil. This speech, whose meaning is still concealed, causes the heavens to shudder and its awe-inspiring words travel throughout the heavens. No one comprehends their meaning and every angel is atremble in fear of Almighty God. They expect something terrible to happen. They are stunned by the mighty voice and fall into prostration. The first angel to raise his head from prostration is Gabriel, peace and blessings be upon him. God Almighty explains to him all the details of the waḥy [revela- tion] and informs him of His will and purpose. Then Gabriel takes the waby to all the angels who are in different heavens, and each angel asks him what that dreadful sound was and what it meant. Gabriel answers them that this is a matter of truth, and that God Almighty is Exalted and most High. That is, this waḥy is among those truths that the Exalted and Great God has deemed appropriate to manifest. Then all the angels begin saying what Gabriel has said. Gabriel then conveys the waḥy to where he has been commanded to convey it, whether in heaven or on earth. AUTHOR'S MARGIN NOTE Refutation of the belief that Gabriel abandoned his heav- enly abode to reside physi- cally and permanently with the Messiah Now, from this hadith, it is learned that at the time of the descent of waḥy, Gabriel remains in the heavens. Then, as God Almighty has endowed his voice with strength and power, he delivers the waḥy to its destined place. In this context, believing that Gabriel migrated from the heavens in his original form to stay with Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā [Jesus] for thirty-three years, and that all the duties assigned to him in the heav- ens, which I have already mentioned, were left pending for those thir- ty-three years, is manifestly a false belief! Moreover, it necessarily