Neno "wahy" katika lugha ya Kiarabu lina maana ya kupitisha taarifa kwa haraka na/au kwa siri.1 Limetumika katika Qur'aan kama ilivyokuwa ikitumiwa na Waarabu zamani kurejelea njia mbalimbali ambazo taarifa zimewahi kupitishwa.

The term “wahy” in Arabic means a swift and or secretive transfer of information.1 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. Qur'ani wakati mwingine hutumia neno *wahy* kumaanisha tabia za asili za wanyama. Mfano wa matumizi haya unaonekana katika kisa cha nyuki kilichotajwa katika aya ifuatayo:

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:

Nyuki kwa silika yake hujenga mizinga yake mahali panapofaa na kwa mifumo maalum, kutokana na amri za Mwenyezi Mungu zilizoandikwa kwa siri katika seli za ubongo wake mdogo sana.

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.

2. Neno "wahy" pia hutumika katika Qur’aan kumaanisha silika za asili za kibinadamu ambazo Allaah amewawekea binadamu. Kwa mfano, Allaah ametumia neno hilo kumrejelea mama yake Nabii Muusa kama ifuatavyo:

2. Wahy is also used in the Qur’aan to mean natural human instincts that Allaah has placed in humans. For example, Allaah uses it in reference to Prophet Moosaa’s mother as follows:

Silika ya kimama ya kumnyonyesha mtoto ni matokeo ya taarifa ambayo imewasilishwa kwenye jeni za kila mwanamke kwa njia isiyojulikana kwa mwanadamu.

The motherly instinct of suckling her child is a result of information which has been communicated to the genes of every female in a way unknown to man.

3. Katika kukamilisha aya iliyotangulia, Allah anataja kipengele kingine cha wahy: ni ufunuo wa Allah kwa wanadamu wa kufanya vitendo ambavyo si vya kawaida (silika).

3. In the completion of the previous verse, Allaah refers to another aspect of wahy: Allaah’s inspiration to humans to do actions which are not instinctive.

Hii wakati mwingine huitwa angavu; mtu hupata hisia kali kwamba kitendo fulani ndicho kitendo sahihi cha kufanya, ijapokuwa huenda kusiwe na ushahidi wowote wa kimantiki unaothibitisha hilo.

This is sometimes called intuition; a person gets a strong feeling that a certain action is the right thing to do, even though there may not be any logical evidence for it.

4. Lakini ni lazima kuwa makini katika kutofautisha vyanzo vya sauti mbalimbali za ndani, kwa sababu mashetani nao wana uwezo wa kupandikiza mawazo katika nyoyo za wanadamu. Wakati mwingine Qur-aan hutumia neno "wahy" kumaanisha minong'ono na msukumo wa mashetani. Aya ifuatayo ni mfano mzuri wa aina hii ya matumizi:

4. One must be careful, to distinguish between the sources of various inner voices, however, because devils also have the ability to inspire suggestions in human hearts. Occasionally, the Qur’aan refers to the whispering and prodding of the devils as wahy. The following verse is a good example of this type of use:

Wahy ambao kwao mawazo ya kishetani huingizwa katika akili za binadamu pia hujulikana kama minong'ono katika Qur'aan, kutokana na asili yake ya siri na chanzo chake kilichofichika. Kwa sababu hizohizo imeitwa "wahy."

The wahy by which devilish thoughts are inserted into the human minds is also referred to as whispering in the Qur’aan, due to its secretive nature and hidden source. For the same reasons it has been called “wahy.”

5. Wakati mwingine neno *wahy* hutumika kumaanisha mawasiliano kwa ishara za haraka na za siri. Kwa mfano, Allah alisema kuhusu Nabii Zakaria:

5. Sometimes wahy is used to mean communication by rapid, subtle gestures. For example, Allaah said about the Prophet Zakareeyaa,

Hiyo ni kusema, aliwahimiza wamwabudu Allah mara nyingi zaidi na kwa bidii zaidi.

That is, he urged them to worship Allaah more often and more fervently.

6. Allah hutumia neno wahy kurejelea mchakato ambao kwao Yeye huwapa amri malaika zake, kama inavyoonyeshwa katika mfano ufuatao:

6. Allaah uses the term wahy to refer to the process by which He gives commands to his angels, as is illustrated in the following example:

Mahali pengine katika Qur'ani na hadithi za Mtume (ﷺ), mawasiliano ya Allah na malaika Wake yanatajwa kama usemi wa moja kwa moja. Aya ifuatayo ni mfano kutoka katika Qur'ani:

Elsewhere in the Qur’aan and hadeeths of the Prophet (r), Allaah’s communication with His angels is referred to as direct speech. The following verse is an example from the Qur’aan:

Mtume (ﷺ) ameripotiwa kusema,

The Prophet (ﷺ) was reported to have said,

Kwa hiyo, imehitimishwa kwamba amri za Allaah kwa Malaika hupitishwa kwa Allaah kusema nao moja kwa moja. Kutokana na hayo hapo juu ni wazi kwamba neno "wahy" hutumiwa kumaanisha si tu mchakato wa ufunuo, bali pia ufunuo wenyewe.

Hence, it has been concluded that Allaah’s commands to the angels are transmitted by Allaah speaking directly to them. From the above it is clear that wahy is used to mean not only the process of revelation, but also the revelation itself.

7. Mchakato wa kuteremshwa kwa amri za Allah kwa Nabii Wake ﷺ, pamoja na wahyi wenyewe, pia hutajwa katika Qur'ani kwa neno wahyi. Mfano mzuri wa matumizi haya ni katika aya ifuatayo:

7. The process of revelation of Allaah’s commands to His Prophet (r), as well as the revelation itself, is also referred to in the Qur’aan as wahy. A good example of this use is in the following verse:

Katika istilahi ya Shari'ah, wahy hufafanuliwa kama mchakato ambao neno la Allah hufunuliwa kwa mmoja wa manabii Wake. Pia hutumiwa kwa neno halisi la Allah lililofunuliwa kwa mmoja wa manabii Wake.

In the terminology of the Sharee‘ah, wahy is defined as the process by which Allaah’s word is revealed to one of His prophets. It is also used for the actual word of Allaah which has been revealed to one of His prophets.