Two Types Of Revelation: The Spoken And The Unspoken
The Blessed Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم received two types of divine revelations. One is the spoken [matluww] and the second, the unspoken [ghair-matluww]. The spoken revelation is that which is recited [i.e., the Qur’an]; the unspoken revelation is that which is not recited [i.e., the aúódõth of the Blessed Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم]. An indication of the roots of the unspoken revelation can be found in the ayas of the Qur’an. Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم says in the Holy Qur’an:
And We appointed the qibla to which you were used only to test those who followed the Messenger from those who would turn on their heels.3
To gain a broader understanding of this aya, it is important that we look into its historical background.
Shortly after the migration to Madina, the Blessed Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the Sahaba رضي الله عنه) were told to pray towards Masjid al-Aqüó in Jerusalem. Masjid al-Aqüó became the qibla of the Muslims for seventeen months. After seventeen months, the order to pray towards Masjid al-Aqüó was abrogated and Muslims were ordered to pray towards Makka. This order was established through the following aya:
