۞ وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِن وَرَآئِ حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِىَ بِإِذْنِهِۦ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِىٌّ حَكِيمٌ 51
Translations
And it is not for any human being that Allāh should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a partition or that He sends a messenger [i.e., angel] to reveal, by His permission, what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High and Wise.
Transliteration
Wa mā kāna li-basharun an yukallimuhu Allāhu illā waḥyan aw min warā'i hijābin aw yursila rasūlan fayūḥī bi-idhnihi mā yashā'u. Innahu 'aliyyun ḥakīmun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the three methods by which Allah communicates with humans: through revelation (waḥy) to the heart, through speaking from behind a veil (as with Musa), or through sending a messenger (rasūl) who conveys divine messages. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note this ayah emphasizes that direct human-to-human dialogue with Allah is impossible; rather, Allah has established specific divine channels for revelation. The concluding attributes 'Aliyy (Most High) and Ḥakīm (All-Wise) underscore that Allah's methods of communication reflect His supreme knowledge and perfect wisdom.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Ash-Shuraa (a Meccan surah) within a passage addressing the nature of revelation and prophethood. It responds to the Meccan objections and questions about how Allah communicates with prophets, establishing the theological framework for understanding prophecy and divine guidance in Islam.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (3232) reports 'Ā'ishah asking the Prophet about the nature of revelation, to which he described it as a sound like the ringing of bells—illustrating the experiential reality of waḥy. Additionally, the account of Musa hearing Allah's speech from behind the veil is narrated in multiple hadith collections affirming the reality of this mode of divine communication.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims that while direct dialogue with Allah is not the appointed way for humanity, Allah has mercifully provided clear channels of guidance through His messengers and revelation. Understanding these divinely-ordained methods should increase our respect for the prophets and our reliance on the Quran and authentic Sunnah as our sources of spiritual truth.