God speaks to human beings in three ways
The Qur`ān provides detail as to how revelation, in the sense of communication, comes from God to human beings; that is, the types of communication that occur between God and people. One important verse explains this as follows:
It is not fitting for a Man that God should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with God’s permission what God wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise.
Many verses in the Qur`ān have a direct bearing on the issue of revelation. Often the terms associated with revelation are used in the sense of transmitting a message either from God to human beings or from God to non-human beings. These usages indicate that revelation or inspiration (waḥy) is not strictly limited to a relationship between God and His prophets. In fact, there are several forms of revelation or inspiration mentioned in the Qur`ān: to inanimate objects; to animals; to human beings in general, such as the mother of Moses; to prophets in particular, such as Jesus; and to angels. The Qur`ān uses the word waḥy and its variants on a number of occasions that span both the Meccan and Medinan periods.
The first method of speech mentioned in the above verse, waḥy, is the most direct mode of
communication; it comes directly from God to the person intended, without voice or messenger. The person who receives it ‘understands’ that it is from God.
