THE FIRST VISIT TO THE FRIEND
VERSE NO.5-12
The general idea of the expounders of QurÌn is that the highly powerful angel who brought down the Message of God to our prophet was Gabriel, the arch angel of God. He usually used to appear to the prophet in the guise of a very handsome man.
GABRIEL appeared in his real form to our prophet only twice. The first time when he appeared in his real form to Mohammad was on the mountain of light, when he brought his first revelation or the Message of God (SUREH-96) beginning with, ``IQRAA=READ'' (READ IN THE NAME OF YOUR LORD).
The second occasion was at the prophet's ascension near SADRATOL-MONTAHA that the prophet saw him.
True that GABRIEL is an honoured, high rank, Arch-angel; but he was not the teacher of Mohammad (SA), the chosen prophet of God. He only handed over God's Message which the prophet conveyed to all mankind. It was only God Himself who taught His Messenger whatever he had to know; inspiration or otherwise.
The above verse(No.11) states:
``His heart did not deny whatever he saw.''
This implies that all that the prophet knew were innate knowledge and appeared to him by his inner insight and vision through the inspiration of his Lord.
In his ascension he went up and nearer to God, or God came down and nearer to him, that his spiritual distance with his beloved Lord was at two-bows or nearer.
Internal vision might be thought wisdom and reasoning or the facts of faith, and our prophet's vision was of the latter class.
Let us once again put an stress upon this fact that no one can ever see God with sense of sight or corporeal means. Only Pure and faithful hearts can apprehend Him through the facts of faith.