The Obvious Existence of God

 

From the moment man opens his eyes to this world a great order surrounds him.  He needs oxygen to survive; it is interesting that the atmosphere of the planet on which he lives provides more than just the adequate amount of oxygen he needs.  This way, he breathes without difficulty.  For the existence of life on this planet, the existence of a source of heat is essential.  In response to this need, the sun is located at just the right distance to emit the exact amount of heat and energy human life needs.  Man needs nourishment to survive; every corner of the world abounds in astonishingly diversified provisions.  Likewise, man needs water; surprisingly, three-fourths of the planet is covered with water.  Man needs shelter; in this world of ours, there is land on which it is suitable to build and all sorts of materials with which to make shelters.

These are only a few among billions of details making life possible on earth.  In brief, man lives on a planet perfectly designed for his survival.  This is certainly a planet “created for human beings”, as God said in the Quran:

“Do you not see that God has subjected for you all that is in the Heavens and all that is on the Earth, and has completed and perfected His Bounties upon you, [both] apparent and hidden?...” (Quran 31:20)

A person’s interpretation of the world rests on “acquired methods of thought.” That is, he thinks in the way he has been taught, or, less kindly, the way in which he is indoctrinated.  Under this misguidance, he often dismisses all the aforementioned as “trivial realities.” However, if he does not side-step the matter, and start questioning the conditions making our existence possible, he will surely step out of the boundaries of habitual thinking and start to think:

How does the atmosphere serve as a protective ceiling for the earth?

How does each one of the billions of cells in the human body know and perform its individual tasks?

How does this extraordinary ecological balance exist on earth?

A person seeking answers to these questions surely proceeds on the right path.  He does not remain insensitive to things happening around him, and doesn’t plead ignorance about the extraordinary nature of the world.  A person who asks questions, who reflects on and gives answers to these questions will realize that, on every inch of the planet, a plan and an order reigns:

How did the flawless order in the whole universe come into being?

Who provided the delicate balances in the world?

How did living beings, incredibly diversified in nature, emerge?

Keeping oneself occupied with relentless research to answer these questions results in a clear awareness that everything in the universe, its order, each living being and structure is a component of a plan, a product of design.  Every detail: the excellent structure of an insect’s wing, the system enabling a tree to carry tons of water to its topmost branches, the order of planets, and the ratio of gases in the atmosphere; all are unique examples of perfection.

In every detail of the infinitely varied world, man finds his Creator.  God, the owner of everything in the whole universe, introduces Himself to man through the flawless design of His creation.  Everything surrounding us, the birds in flight, our beating hearts, the birth of a child or the existence of the sun in the sky, manifest the power of God and His creation.  And what man must do is understand this fact.

These purposes owe their existence to the fact that everything has been created.  An intelligent person notices that planning, design and wisdom exist in every detail of the infinitely varied world.  This draws him to recognition of the Creator.

So you need never plead ignorance that all living beings, living or non-living, show the existence and greatness of God, look at the things around you.  Strive to show appreciation in the best manner for the eternal greatness of God.  For the existence of God is obvious, and ignoring it would only be the beginning of the greatest damage we could ever do to ourselves.  That is simply because God is in no need of anything.  He is the One Who shows His greatness in all things and in all ways.

God is the owner of everything, from the heavens to the earth.  We learn the attributes of God from the Quran:

“God!  There is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sufficient.  He is not subject to drowsiness or sleep.  Everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him.  Who can intercede with Him except by His permission?  He knows what is before them and what is behind them but they cannot grasp any of His knowledge save what He wills.  His Footstool encompasses the heavens and the earth and their preservation does not tire Him.  He is the Most High, the Magnificent.” (Quran 2:255)

- islamreligion.com

Meet the Prophet Muhammad

 

"I began to look at him and at the moon, he was wearing a red mantle, and he appeared to be more beautiful than the moon to me." (Al-Tirmidhi)

This is how Jabir ibn Samura described the Last of the Prophets, the Chief of the Pious, the Prince of the Believers, the Chosen One of the Most Merciful – Muhammad, the Messenger of God.

He had a pleasant face that was round, white, and fair.  His hair fell to his ear lobes.  His beard was thick and black.  When he was pleased, his face would light up.  His laugh was no more than smiling.  His eyes were blackish, and his eyelashes were long.  His long eyebrows were curved.  When the eyes of Abdullah ibn Salam, the chief rabbi of Medina, fell on his face, he declared that such a noble face could not be the face of a liar!

He was of medium height, neither tall nor short.  He walked inclining forward.  He wore tanned leather sandals.  His pants would reach to the middle of his shin or sometimes just above his ankles.

On his back, towards the left shoulder was the ‘Seal of Prophethood’. It was the size of a pigeon’s egg with spots like moles on it.  His palms were described to be softer than the brocade of silk.

He was recognized by his fragrance when he approached from a distance.  Drops of his perspiration were described to be like pearls.  His companions collected his sweat to mix with their perfumes which made them even more fragrant!

Islamic doctrine holds if someone has been blessed with the vision of the Prophet in a dream as described, then indeed they have seen him.

He would keep silent for long periods of time and was the most dignified when silent.

When he spoke, he uttered nothing but the truth in a voice pleasing to the ears.  He did not speak rapidly as many people do today; rather he spoke in a clear speech so that those who sat with him could remember it.  His speech was described to be such that anyone who wished to count his words could have done so easily.  His companions described him to be neither vulgar nor indecent.  He neither cursed people, nor abused them.  He merely reprimanded by saying:

"What is the matter with such and such people" (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

The most hateful conduct to him was lying.  Sometimes he used to repeat himself twice or even thrice to enable the listeners to understand him well.  He would give short sermons.  While delivering the sermons his eyes would become red, his voice would rise, and his emotions become visible as if he were warning of an imminent assault from an enemy.

He led a simple life without any extravagance or lavishness.  He put the worldly life behind his back and turned away from it.  He considered it to be a prison, not Paradise!  Had he wished, he could have had anything he desired, for the keys of its treasures were presented to him, but he refused to accept them.  He did not exchange his share of the life to come with the worldly life.  He knew that it is a corridor, not a permanent residence.  He understood fully well that it is a transit station, not a leisure park.  He took it for its real worth - a summer cloud that would soon disperse.

Yet God says He enriched him from poverty:

"Did He not find you poor and enrich you?" (Quran 93:8)

Aisha, his wife, said:

"A month would pass while the family of Muhammad would not light fire in their homes.  They subsisted on two things - dates and water.  Some residents of Medina who were his neighbors would send milk from their sheep, which he would drink and then give to his family." (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

She said the family of Muhammad never ate wheat bread to their satisfaction for three consecutive days from the time of his arrival at Medina until he passed away, about 10 years!

With all this, he would stand up in the middle of the night to offer his gratitude to his Lord in prayer.  He would pray for so long that his feet would swell!  When his wives would ask why he worshipped God so much, his only response would be:

"Shall I not be a thankful servant of God?" (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

Omar, one of his companions, remembering the days he passed in hunger said that sometimes the Prophet did not even have inferior quality of dates to satisfy his hunger!

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, another companion and eye-witness, says that once, when Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, awoke from sleep, the marks of the mat made out of date palm leaves on which he used to sleep were etched on his body.  Abdullah complained:

"My father and mother be ransomed for you!  Why did you not let us prepare something (softer) for you from which you could protect yourself?"

He replied:

"I have nothing to do with this world.  I am in this world like a rider who stops under the shade of the tree for a short time and, after taking rest, he resumes his journey again, leaving the tree behind." (Al-Tirmidhi)

Various conquerors in the annals of history are known for spilling rivers of blood and erecting pyramids of skulls.  Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, is known for his forgiveness.  He never took revenge from anyone who wronged him to the point that he never struck anybody with his hand, neither a woman nor a servant, unless he was fighting in battle. His forgiveness could be seen on the day he entered Mecca as a conqueror after eight years of exile.

He forgave those who persecuted him, and forced him and his family in exile for three years in rugged mountains, who had accused him of being a lunatic, a poet, or one possessed.  He pardoned Abu Sufyan, one of the most evil of people who plotted to persecute him day and night, along with his wife, Hind, who mutilated the dead body of the Prophet’s Muslim uncle and ate the raw liver after ordering Wahshi, a  fierce slave known for his fighting skills,  to kill him, which later led them to accept Islam. Who else could be on such an exalted standard of character but the noblest and most truthful Messenger of God?

Wahshi, who used to live in Mecca, won his freedom from Hind for the service of killing the uncle of the Prophet.  When Islam gained dominance in Mecca, Wahshi ran away from Mecca to Taif.  Eventually Taif also succumbed to the Muslims.  He was told Muhammad would forgive anyone who accepted Islam.  Even though the crime was so great, Wahshi gathered his courage and came to the Prophet of Mercy and announced his Islam, and Muhammad forgave him.

His forgiveness even extended to Habbar ibn Aswad.  When Zaynab, the Prophet’s daughter, was migrating from Mecca to Medina, the Meccans tried to stop her, Habbar was one of them.  He made the Prophet’s pregnant daughter fall from her camel.  As a result, she lost her baby.  Running away from the guilt of his crime, Habbar fled to Iran, but God turned his heart towards the Prophet.  So he came to the Prophet’s court, acknowledged his guilt, bore the testimony of faith, and was forgiven by the Prophet!

Muhammad performed physical miracles with God’s permission.  He split the moon into two halves by merely pointing his finger at it.  In a mystical journey known as Mi’raaj, he traveled in one night from Mecca to Jerusalem on a heavenly mount, al-Buraq, led all the Prophets in prayer, and then ascended beyond the seven heavens to meet his Lord.  He cured the sick and the blind; demons would leave the possessed by his command, water flowed from his fingers, and his food would glorify God.

Yet he was the most humble of men.  He sat on the ground, ate on the ground, and slept on the ground.  A companion narrated that if a stranger were to enter a gathering where he was present, he would not be able to differentiate the Prophet from his companions due to his humbleness.  Anas, his servant, swore that in his nine years of service, the noble Prophet never chastised him or blamed him for anything.  Those around him described Muhammad to be so humble that even a little girl could hold his hand and take him wherever she wished.  He used to come to the weak among the Muslims in order to visit the sick and attend their funeral processions.  He used to stay at the back of the caravan to aid the weak and pray for them.  He would not hesitate to walk with a widow or a poor person until he had accomplished for them what they needed.  He responded to the invitation of even slaves, eating nothing more than barley bread with them.

He was the best of men to his wives.  Aisha, his wife, described how humble he was:

"He used to remain busy serving and helping his household, and when the time for prayer came he would perform ablution and go for prayer.  He would patch his own sandals and sew his own garments.  He was an ordinary human being, searching his clothes for lice, milking his sheep, and doing his own chores." (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

Indeed he was the best of all people to his family.  His personality was such that people were not driven away from him!

Such was the noble Prophet of God who we must love more than our own selves and whom God has described as:

"Indeed in the Messenger of God you have a good example to follow…" (Quran 33:21)

- islamreligion.com

“God is beautiful and He loves beauty”

 Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "God is beautiful and He loves beauty."[1]

Some people who seek to be pious tend to underrate the value of beauty.  They fail to recognize that beauty is an Islamic value.  God intended for His Creation to contain beauty. 

God says: "And He created the cattle for you; you have in them warm clothing and (many) advantages, and of them do you eat.  And you have a sense of pride and beauty in them as you drive them home in the evening, and as you lead them forth to pasture in the morning." (Quran 16:5-6)

He says: "And (He has created) horses, mules, and donkeys, for you to ride and use as an ornament for show; and He has created (other) things of which you have no knowledge." (Quran 16:8)

Elsewhere in the Quran, God speaks about the beauty of the heavens, the stars, of gardens and myriad other things. 

Beauty stands in opposition to ugliness.  God is beautiful in His essence, in His names and attributes, and in His actions.  This is why the greatest of all pleasures in Paradise is to look upon God’s countenance.  God says: "That day will faces be resplendent, looking to their Lord" (Quran 75:22-2)

God refers to His names as being beautiful: "God’s are the most beautiful names." (Quran 7:180)

Likewise, His actions are beautiful.  They are always within the context of His beneficence and grace, or His justice and wisdom.  His actions are never in vain, never unjust, and never superfluous.  "Perfected is the Word of your Lord in truth and justice." (Quran 6:115)

God created everything with proficiency and He created the human being in the best of forms. 

The beauty that exists in Creation – on land and at sea and in the heavens – attests to God’s beauty as well as His power.  He who created beauty is most entitled to beauty.  And indeed Paradise is adorned with beauty beyond imagining. 

God’s beauty is also beyond our imagining.  Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, beseeched God with the following prayer: "I am unable to extol all of Your praises.  You are as You have extolled Yourself."[2]

Prophet Muhammad also said: "His is a veil of light.  If He were to remove it, the glory of His countenance would ignite everything of Creation as He looks upon it."[3]

Our faith in God’s beauty strengthens our connection with our Lord.  It increases our love for Him and our longing to return to Him.  Prophet Muhammad used to offer the following prayer: "I ask of You the joy of looking on Your noble countenance and of my longing to be with You."[4]

Our faith in God’s beauty should also encourage us to concern ourselves with our appearance, dress, and decorum, as well as with the beauty of our words and deeds.  This is something that God wants from us. 

Someone once approached the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, and asked: "What if someone likes that his clothing and his shoes are beautiful?" The Prophet replied: "God loves to see the affects of His grace upon His servant."[5]

The Prophet’s Companions, following the example that the Prophet set for them, took care of their appearance. 

When the Prophet said: "God is beautiful and He loves beauty," this means that God blesses us for the beauty that we bring about through our good efforts.  He loves beauty in us, just as He loves us to be possessed with knowledge, generosity, clemency and purity. 

We have already mentioned that beauty is among the purposes of God’s Creation. 

God says: "Is not He (best) Who created the heavens and the Earth, and sends down for you water from the sky wherewith We cause to spring forth beautiful orchards, which you could not (otherwise) have grown the trees thereof?" (Quran 27:60)

"Surely We have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment for it, so that We may try them (as to) which of them is best in deed." (Quran 18:7)

"Know you (all), that the life of this world is but play, amusement, and embellishment." (Quran 57:20)

God had given His prophet Joseph (peace be upon him) half of all human beauty.[6] Likewise, Prophet Muhammad was blessed with a bright complexion and a handsome face, not to mention the beauty of his character as seen in his politeness, humility, patience, kindness and forbearance even with those who actively opposed him and the religion of Islam.

-islamreligion.com

---

Footnotes:

[1]Saheeh Muslim

[2]Saheeh Muslim

[3]Saheeh Muslim

[4]Sunan al-Nasai

[5]Sunan al-Tirmidhi

[6]Saheeh Muslim

Prophet Muhammad’s Last Sermon: A Final Admonition

 

Beloved Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia circa 570 C.E.  He is an example for all of humanity.  He was a remarkable man at all times.  He excelled in all walks of life by being a prophet, ruler, orator, soldier, husband, friend, father, uncle, nephew, and a grandfather.  He was a man of love, patience, courage, wisdom, generosity, intelligence and magnitude who inspired millions of lives throughout the world.

God says in the Quran that he was sent as a mercy for the people of the world.

"We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples." (Quran 21:107)

His Prophetic Mission began at the age of forty, circa 610 C.E., and continued until 632 C.E.  From the path of ignorance, mankind was lead to the straight path and was blessed with the guidance of God.

Shortly before his death, Prophet Muhammad delivered a sermon during the Hajj, which came to be known as his "Final Sermon".  This final sermon was not only a reminder to his followers, but also an important admonition.  The final sermon confirms the end of his Prophetic Mission.

Year 10 A.H.  of the Islamic Calendar is considered to be one of the most significant years for three reasons.  Firstly, this was the year when the Prophet delivered his Last Sermon during his farewell pilgrimage to Mecca.  Secondly, this was the year where a number of deputations came to the Prophet to announce their Islam as well as their tribes.  Thirdly, it was the golden period of Islam when multitudes of people embraced the faith by accepting the message of the Prophet.

Prophet Muhammad undertook his farewell pilgrimage in the year 10 A.H.  His farewell pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the most significant historical events in the minds of Muslims, for it was the first and last pilgrimage made by Prophet Muhammad, as well as being the model for performing the fifth pillar of Islam, the Hajj.

Prophet Muhammad’s final sermon was delivered during the Hajj of the year 632 C.E., the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th month of the lunar year, at Arafat, the most blessed day of the year.  There were countless Muslims present with the Prophet during his last pilgrimage when he delivered his last Sermon.

The Final Sermon:

After praising, and thanking God, the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said "O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again.  Therefore, listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust.  Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners.  Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you.  Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds.  God has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived.  Your capital, however, is yours to keep.  You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity.  God has Judged that there shall be no interest, and that all the interest due to Al-Abbas ibn Abd’el Muttalib shall henceforth be waived...

Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion.  He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you.  Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under a trust from God and with His permission.  If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness.  Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers.  And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship God, perform your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan, and offer Zakat.  Perform Hajj if you have the means.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve.  An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; a white has no superiority over a black, nor does a black have any superiority over a white; [none have superiority over another] except by piety and good action.  Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.  Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly.  Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before God and answer for your deeds.  So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me, and no new faith will be born.  Reason well, therefore, O people, and understand words which I convey to you.  I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah, and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and it may be that the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly.  Be my witness, O God, that I have conveyed your message to your people."

Thus the beloved Prophet completed his Final Sermon, and upon it, near the summit of Arafat, the revelation came down:

"…This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My Grace upon you, and have chosen Islam for you as your religion…" (Quran 5:3)

Even today the Last Sermon of Prophet Muhammad is passed to every Muslim in every corner of the world through all possible means of communication.  Muslims are reminded about it in mosques and in lectures.  Indeed the meanings found in this sermon are indeed astounding, touching upon some of the most important rights God has over humanity, and humanity has over each other.  Though the Prophet’s soul has left this world, his words are still living in our hearts.

- islamreligion.com

The Nature of Revelation?

 

Revelation is where God imparts whatever knowledge He wills to those whom He chooses to receive it.  God gives this knowledge to them in order for them to convey it to whomever else He wishes.

All the Messengers of God experienced revelation.  God says:

“Verily, We have sent Revelation to you (O Muhammad) as We have sent Revelation to Noah and the prophets who came after him.  We had sent revelation to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Tribes, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon.  And to David We gave the Psalms.  And Messengers We have told you about before, and Messengers We have not told you about – and to Moses We spoke directly.” (Quran 4:163)

The possibility of divine revelation cannot be denied by anyone who believes in the existence of God and in His omnipotence.  God maintains His creation in any manner that pleases Him.  The connection between the Creator and his Creation is by way of His Messengers, and these Messengers only know what God wants from them by way of revelation, either directly or indirectly.  The rational mind cannot dismiss the possibility of revelation, since nothing is difficult for the all-powerful Creator.

The Nature of Revelation

Revelation is not a personal experience that a Prophet brings forth from within himself.  It is not a spiritual state that a person can attain by doing certain meditations or spiritual exercises.  Quite the contrary, revelation is a communication between two beings: one that speaks, commands, and gives, and another who is addressed, commanded, and receives.  Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him – as with every Prophet – never confused himself with the One who gave the revelation to him.  As a human being, he felt his weakness before God, feared God’s wrath if he should disobey, and hoped for God’s mercy.

He sought help from God, submitted to what he was commanded to do, and was on occasion even sternly reprimanded by God.  The Prophet admitted his absolute inability to alter even one word of God’s Book.  God says:

“And when Our clear signs are recited to them, those who hope not for a meeting with Us say: ‘Bring a Quran other than this or change it.’  Say (O Muhammad): ‘It is not for me to change it of my own accord.  I only follow what is revealed to me.  I fear, if I were to disobey my Lord, the punishment of an awful day.’  Say: ‘If God had willed, I would not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you.  I have lived with you a whole lifetime before it came to me.  Have you no sense?’” (Quran 10:15-16)

This should make perfectly clear the difference between the essence, attributes, and ways of the Creator and those of His Creation.

The Prophet took great care to maintain a distinction between his own speech (the Hadeeth) and the direct speech of God, though both were the result of revelation.  For this reason, in the early period of revelation, he used to prohibit anything that he uttered to be written down except for the Quran.  This preserved for the Quran its distinctiveness as being the very word of God, unmixed with the speech of people.

The Prophet would also make a distinction in his own speech between his own opinions and what came from God as revelation. 

He said: “I am only a human being like yourselves.  Opinions can be right or wrong.  But, when I say to you that God said something, then know that I will never attribute something false to God.”

The Prophet had no hand in the revelation that he received.  Revelation is a force external to the being of the Prophet.  He was not able to manipulate it in any way.  This is supported by the fact that certain crises would befall the Prophet or one of those around him that required an immediate solution, but he found no verse of Quran to recite to the people.  He had to remain silent and wait, sometimes in desperation, until God, in His wisdom, revealed what was needed.

A good example of this is the time when Aishah, the wife of the Prophet was accused of adultery by some of the hypocrites, though she was innocent.  People began to say things that were painful for the Prophet until his heart was about to burst.  He was unable to prohibit this.  All he could say was:

“O Aishah, I have heard this or that.  If you are innocent, then God will show your innocence, and if you fell into sin, then seek God’s forgiveness.”

A whole month passed like this before the revelation came down declaring Aishah’s innocence and exonerating the household of the Prophet.

In brief, revelation has nothing to do with the choices and wishes of the one who receives it.  It is an unusual, external occurrence.  It is a force of knowledge, because it gives knowledge.  It is free from error.  It comes only with the truth and guides only to what is right.

How revelation comes to the angels and to the Messengers

In the Quran it is mentioned that God speaks to the angels.  God says:

“And (remember) when your Lord revealed to the angels: ‘Verily I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed’…” (Quran 8:12)

Revelation to the angels happens by God speaking to them and the angels hearing from Him.

Revelation comes to God’s human Messengers either directly or through an intermediary.  In the case of an intermediary, it is the angel Gabriel who brings the revelation.  There are two ways that this occurs:

1.    The angel would come to him with a voice like the clanging of a bell.  This is the severest way revelation would come to the Messenger.  Such a harsh sound demands the full attention of the one being addressed with it.  When the revelation came in this manner, it was extremely demanding upon all of the Messenger’s faculties.

2.    The angel would come to him in the form of a man.  This was easier than the previous way, since the form of the angelic Messenger was familiar to the human Messenger and easier to relate to.

Both of these ways are mentioned by the Prophet in his answer to al-Haarith b. Hishaam when he asked how the revelation came to him.  God’s Messenger said:

“Sometimes he comes to me like the clanging of a bell, and this is the most difficult for me.  It weighs upon me and I commit to memory what he says.  And sometimes the angel comes to me in the form of a man and speaks to me and I commit to memory what he says.”

Revelation without an intermediary happens in two ways:

1.    A good dream: Aishah relates:

“It began as a good dream during sleep.  He would not have a dream except that it would come as clear as day.”

This was to prepare God’s Messenger to receive revelation while awake.  The whole Quran was revealed while the Prophet was awake.

The story of Abraham when he was commanded to sacrifice his son demonstrates how a dream can be revelation that must be acted upon.  God says:

“So We gave him glad tidings of a forbearing boy.  And when he was old enough to walk with him, he said: ‘My son, I have seen in a dream that I am sacrificing you.  So look, what do you think?’  He said: ‘O my father, do what you are commanded.  By God’s will, you shall find me to be among those who are patient.’  Then, when they had both submitted themselves and he had laid him prone on his forehead, We called out to him: ‘O Abraham, you have fulfilled the dream.’  Thus do We reward the righteous.  That was indeed a manifest trial.  And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.  And We left for him a goodly remembrance for later generations.  Peace be upon Abraham!  Thus indeed do We reward the righteous.  Verily, he was one of Our believing servants.” (Quran 37:101-111)

If that dream had not been revelation that had to be obeyed, Abraham would never have gone forward to sacrifice his son, but in fact he almost did so.  He was only stopped because God commanded him to stop and ordered him to sacrifice something else instead.

The good dream is not only for the Prophets.  It remains for the believers, even though it is not revelation.  God’s Messenger said:

“Nothing remains of prophecy except for glad tidings.”  When he was asked what these glad tidings were, he said: “Dreams.”

2.    God speaking directly from behind a barrier: This happened to Prophet Moses.  God says:

“When Moses came to Our appointed meeting, his Lord spoke to him…” (Quran 7:143)

God also says:

“…And God spoke to Moses directly.” (Quran 4:164)

This also happened to Prophet Muhammad on the night of his Journey and Ascension when he was taken up into the heavens and his Lord spoke to him.

All of these ways of receiving revelation are mentioned in the Quran.  God says:

“It is not for a human being that God should speak to him except as revelation or from behind a barrier, or by sending a Messenger who reveals by His leave whatever He wishes.  Verily, He is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” (Quran 42:51)

- islamreligion.com

Prophecies of the Quran Addressed to Muhammad

 

Entering Mecca’s Grand Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram)

In the sixth year after the Prophet was forced to migrate from Mecca to Medina, he saw himself visiting Mecca and performing pilgrimage in a vision mentioned in the Quran:

"Certainly has God showed to His Messenger the vision (i.e. dream) in truth.  You will surely enter al-Haram mosque, if God wills, in safety, with your heads shaved and [hair] shortened[1], not fearing [anyone].  He knew what you did not know and has arranged before that a conquest near [at hand]." (Quran 48:27)

God made three promises:

(a)  Muhammad would enter into Mecca’s Grand Mosque.

(b)  Muhammad would enter in a state of security.

(c)  Muhammad and his companions would get to perform pilgrimage and fulfill its rituals.

Ignoring the hostility of Meccans, Prophet Muhammad gathered his companions and embarked on a peaceful journey to Mecca.  But the Meccans continued to be hostile and he was forced to return to Medina.  The vision remained unfulfilled; however, an important treaty was signed between the Prophet and the Meccans, which would prove of great significance.  It is due to this treaty that Muhammad performed a peaceful pilgrimage with his companions the very next year.  The vision had found its fulfillment.[2]

The Quranic Prophecy; ‘The Unbelievers Will Lose’

Muslims were subject to severe persecution in Mecca at the hand of pagans.  At one time they were boycotted for three years, and the perpetual shortage of food sometimes bordered on famine.[3]  Any talk of victory was unimaginable.  Despite all odds, God prophesized in Mecca:

"[The pagans’] assembly will be defeated, and they shall turn their backs [in flight]!." (Quran 54:45)

The Arabic verb yuhzamu is preceded by sa (an Arabic prefix denoting the future tense), making it a distinct prophecy awaiting fulfillment in future.  And so it was in the holy month of Ramadan, two years after the Prophet’s migration from Mecca to Medina that the Meccans were defeated in the Battle of Badr and forced to retreat.[4]  Umar, the second caliph of the Muslims after the Prophet, used to say that they did not know how the Quranic prophecy would be fulfilled until they themselves witnessed it coming true at the famous battle of Badr! (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

The Quranic Prophecy; ‘Believers Will Get Political Authority’

Despite severe oppression at the hands of Meccans, Muslims were given good news fromGod:

"God has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me.  But whoever disbelieves after that - then those are the defiantly disobedient." (Quran 24:55)

How such a promise from Almighty God would be fulfilled to the oppressed, brutalized Muslims in Mecca was impossible to imagine at the time it was made.  It was  fulfilled, nevertheless.  Indeed, God made Muslims secure and gave them political sway in a matter of years.

"And Our word [decree] has already preceded for Our slaves, the messengers, [that] indeed, they would be those given victory." (Quran 37:171-172)

At first, the Muslims established their own state, by the invitation of the people of Medina, when God commanded they migrate there from Mecca.  Then, within the lifetime of the Prophet, that state expanded to hold sway over the whole of the Arabian Peninsula, from the Gulf of Aqaba and the Arabian Gulf to the Arabian Sea in the south, including the place from whence the Muslims had been driven out (Mecca itself).  This decree was ongoing, for the expansion of the Muslim political and religious dominion did not stop at the Arabian Peninsula.  History gives a living testimony that the Muslims addressed by these verses ruled the lands of the former Persian and Roman empires, an expansion that amazed and won admiration of world historians.  In the words of Encyclopedia Britannica:

"Within 12 years after Muhammad’s death, the armies of Islam took possession of Syria, Iraq, Persia, Armenia, Egypt, and Cyrenaica (in modern Libya)."[5]

The Quran’s Prophecy Regarding the Hypocrites and the Tribe of Banu Nadhir

God says in the Quran:

"Surely, if they are expelled, never will they (hypocrites) go out with them, and if they are attacked, they will never help them.  And if they do help them, they (hypocrites) will turn their backs, so they will not be victorious." (Quran 59:12)

Pickthall

(For) indeed if they are driven out they go not out with them, and indeed if they are attacked they help them not, and indeed if they had helped them they would have turned and fled, and then they would not have been victorious.

"Have you not observed how those who are hypocrites, tell their brothers (i.e. associates) among the People of the Scripture who disbelieved, ‘If you are expelled, we will surely also leave with you, and we will never anyone against you; and if you are attacked (i.e. by the Muslim militia), we will surely aid you.’  But God bears witness that they are liars.  If they (i.e. the Jews) are expelled, they (i.e. the hypocrites) will not leave with them, and if they are fought, they will not aid them.  And [even] if they were to aid them, they will surely turn their backs; then they will not be aided." (Quran 59:11-12)

The prophecy was fulfilled when the Banu Nadhir were expelled in August 625 CE from Medina; the hypocrites did not accompany them or come to their aid.[6]

The Quranic Prophecies concerning Future Confrontations

"They will not harm you except for [some] annoyance.  And if they fight you, they will show you their backs (i.e., flee); then they will not be aided." (Quran 3:111)

"And if those (Meccans) who disbelieve were to fight you, they would certainly turn their backs (i.e., flee).  Then they would not find a protector or a helper." (Quran 48:22)

Historically, after these verses were revealed, the unbelievers in the Arabian Peninsula were never able to withstand the Muslims again.[7]

We see from the prophecies discussed in these articles that the claim many detractors of Muhammad’s Prophethood are utterly unfounded.  They have based their criticism on the challenge to show that what Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, foretold, if anything, and what came true of his foretelling.[8]  Demonstrably, he did prophesize, with God’s guidance, and demonstrably, what he was directed to tell us did actually occur.  Therefore, by the criterion of the detractors, Muhammad was the Messenger of God, and the last of the prophets to be sent, by both his statements in the Sunnah (narrations from his life) and the word of the Quran.

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]Some of the rites of Hajj.

[2]See ‘Mercy For the Worlds,’ by Qazi Suliman Mansoorpuri, vol.1, p. 212 and ‘Madinan Society At The Time Of The Prophet,’ by Dr. Akram Diya al Umari, vol. 2, p. 139.

[3]‘Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources’ by Martin Lings, p. 89.

[4]‘Mercy For the Worlds,’ by Qazi Suliman Mansoorpuri, vol. 3 p. 299 ‘Madinan Society At The Time Of The Prophet,’ by Dr. Akram Diya al Umari, vol. 2, p. 37.

[5]"arts, Islamic." Encyclopædia Britannica from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-13813)

[6]‘Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources’ by Martin Lings, p. 204.  ‘Mercy For the Worlds,’ by Qazi Suliman Mansoorpuri, vol. 3 p. 302.

[7]‘Risala Khatim al-Nabiyeen Muhammad,’ by Dr. Thamir Ghisyan.

[8]You may say in your heart, ‘How will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’  When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken.  The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. (The Bible, New American Standard Version, Deuteronomy 18:21-22)