The Mirror of Knowledge

The Mirror of Knowledge

The Meaning of Revelation in the Qur’an with an Emphasis on the Consciousness of All Beings

Document Type : Scientific-research

Authors
Islamic Azad University
10.48308/jipt.2026.242925.1725
Abstract
In traditional Islamic theology, the concept of revelation is typically restricted exclusively to prophets. However, the Quran applies this concept to ordinary people, bees, the cosmos, satanic whispers, and human communication. This article investigates whether these diverse usages share a unified semantic core rather than being mere homonyms or scattered metaphors. Using a conceptual and exegetical method drawing on lexical and philosophical sources, the study identifies three core components: communicating meaning, rapidity, and hiddenness. Consequently, revelation is defined as the rapid, hidden casting of meaning or command into a receptive entity according to its ontological rank. To preserve the unique authority of prophetic legislation, the article carefully distinguishes between legislative, inspirational, ontological, and metaphorical uses of this concept. Ultimately, it concludes that the structural unity of revelation does not imply identical consciousness across all beings. Instead, it represents a profound Quranic and philosophical framework describing the graded, hierarchical modes through which meaning and divine command are continuously imparted throughout the entirety of the created cosmos.
Keywords


Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 July 2026