Page 82 - Tafsir of surat at tawba repentance

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WAHY: DIVINE REVELATION

T term “wahy” in Arabic means a swift and or secretive transfer of
he
1
information. It has been used in the Qur’aan as it was used by Arabs in the
past to refer to a wide variety of methods by which the transfer of
information has taken place.

1. The Qur’aan sometimes uses wahy to mean instinctual animal habits. An
example of this use can be seen in the case of bees mentioned in the following
verse:

̍yf¤±9$# z`ÏBur $Y?qã‹ç/ ÉA$t6Ågø:$# z`ÏB “ɋσªB$# Èbr& È@øtª[“$# ’n<Î) y7•/u‘ 4‘ym÷rr&ur )

( ÇÏÑÈ tbqä©Ì÷ètƒ $£JÏBur

“And your Lord inspired the bee by wahy (awhaa) to make its home in
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the mountains, trees, and what (men) build.”

The bee instinctually builds its hives in appropriate places and according to
particular patterns as a result of divine commands secretly written in the cells of
its minute brain.

1
See the definitions of Ibn Faaris and ar-Raaghib al-Isfahaanee quoted in Lamahaat fee ‘Uloom
al-Qur’aan, p. 43.
2
Soorah an-Nahl (16):68.

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