Re-examining the Perspective of Traditionalists‏ ‏and Orientalists regarding Revelation Action and ‎Reaction

In the analysis of revelation action and reaction, there are three questions: How and at what stage of revelation have meanings been transformed into words? Was this done directly by God or Gabriel, or did the Prophet also play a role in this process? Was the process of transmission of revelation in the material world or the abstract world? This descriptive-analytical study re-examines the perspective of Traditionalists and Orientalists regarding the revelation action and reaction by using the role of communication patterns while analyzing the quality and manner of revelation communication. It considers the process of revelation to the Prophet in two different levels. In this way, first, the content and meanings were revealed by God (with or without the mediation of Gabriel) to the Prophet's heart, and then these meanings (Qul Thaqeel) were transformed into words that could be understood and received by the people with the supervision and help of Gabriel. IntroductionAmong the issues disputed by Muslim theorists and Orientalists regarding revelation is the way of revelation communication between God and the Prophet (PBUH), the transmission of Quranic verses to people, and the role of the Prophet (PBUH) in this connection. Throughout history, Muslim scholars and Orientalists have expressed different opinions about the quality of this relationship. Muslim traditionalists and a group of orientalists such as Lyman and Izutsu believe that in the process of revelation, both the word and the meaning were revealed by God to the Prophet with or without the mediation of Gabriel. Another group of Orientalists, such as Bell and Macquarie, believe that only the content of the revelation was transmitted to the Prophet, and then he himself put these concepts into words. The third group of Orientalists believe that both the concepts and words of revelations are from the Prophet himself. In this view, the role of the Prophet's action is very important, because he understood some concepts with experience, discovery, and intuition and then put them into words. This research, while examining different theories regarding the dialectic of revelation, using the role of communication patterns, examines the nature and extent of the Prophet's action and reaction regarding the subject of revelation. After drawing a communication model suitable for each of the theories, this research presents a new model using verses; a model that describes the role of the Prophet (PBUH) separately in the stage of receiving and transmission. Materials and MethodsThis research analyzes the quality and manner of revelation communication in a descriptive, critical, and analytical manner, using the role of communication patterns. In the communication model used in the research, the four elements of the sender, receiver, communication channel, and codes (communication codes) are considered as the main elements. The sender and receiver are two general concepts related to each other, which can be used in four different ways: coder and code reader, addresser and addressee, sender and receiver device (technical device or even human), and writer and reader (when the message is written). Communication codes are also a set or system of rules for communication between signs (signs of communication) and meanings. Also, every linguistic communication takes place through a special channel, which is the conduit for message transmission.Since revelation is also a linguistic communication, it has patterns in which communicative components can be found. The important point in examining the revelation relationship between God and the Prophet (the vertical level of revelation) is that revelation, in addition to the sender and receiver, has a different communication channel and type of communication code, and it cannot be material. On the other hand, revelation in this state is alive and oral. In this connection, the sender is God and the revelatory action takes place at His will. The recipient of revelation is the Prophet (PBUH). The communication channel is a special and unnatural channel (discounting the heart or tongue). In addition to these three elements, the codes that include the message itself and its context are also one of the pillars of revelation communication. Examining these elements in the theories proposed regarding the revelation dialectic helps us to achieve the correct pattern expressed by each theory. In this research, based on the opinion of Muslim traditionalists and orientalists, the four elements of communication patterns in three theories of orthographic revelation, content revelation, and intuitive revelation have been examined and finally, the research theory has been presented. Discussion and Funding By examining the verses related to the subject of revelation, it becomes clear that the types of communication codes in the subject of revelation in the verses of the Qur'an are expressed differently. Sometimes these codes are of words and language (Naml: 6; Shouri: 51); sometimes they convey a difficult and heavy meaning (Qul Thaqeel) (Muzmal: 5). Also, three different transmission channels for this communication have been mentioned in the Quran, which include the heart, tongue, and ear. By using these points, one can assume that the revelation to the Prophet occurred on two levels. In this way, at the first level, the content and concepts of the revelation were revealed by God (through or without Gabriel) to the Prophet's heart. At this level, the channel of transmission of revelation is the heart, and the type of communication codes is something beyond words because words are not transmitted in the abstract world. On the other hand, the heart, which is described in verses of the Qur'an as the channel of transmission of revelation, is not suitable for receiving vocabulary and language. In the second level of revelation, the meanings and concepts revealed to the Prophet's heart, which according to the Qur'an are heavy words, are transformed into words that can be understood and accepted by the people with the supervision and help of Gabriel. At this level, based on the verses of the Quran, the channel of revelation is the ear and the tongue, and the types of communication codes are those words that can be understood and learned by humans, and therefore, they are guidance for people. Conclusion and Results Referring to the Qur’anic verses, there are three communication channels for the transmission of a revelation: heart, ear, and tongue. Each of these channels can have its own communication codes. The codes of the ear and language channels are material and of the word and language and belong to the material world. On the other hand, the codes of the heart channel are non-material and belong to the world of matter. In other words, the whole process of revelation communication in the Qur'an is done at two different levels and in a non-linear way. At the initial level, immaterial communication is established in the abstract world between God and the Prophet (PBUH) where non-verbal messages (content) are transferred to the Prophet's heart through the channel of the heart (sometimes with Gabriel's mediation and sometimes without mediation). At the second level of revelation communication, these meanings and contents are transformed into words. The transmission is done in the material world by the Prophet (PBUH) with the help and direct supervision of Gabriel in transforming meanings (Qul Thaqeel) into words (Qul Yasir) so that words can be transmitted to the general public. This level of revelation is light and guidance for all people.