In many religious movements, information about their beliefs is revealed through special revelation, which shapes them drastically. Examples of these would be Mormonism, Christianity and Islam. Those who adhere to the religion assume the special revelations originates from God, using that to support its legitimacy.

A special revelation takes place when God makes himself known through direct and personal experiences. This can take many forms, though this essay will be focusing primarily on angelic visitations as special revelations, where God makes his will known by sending a herald of His-an angel-who confers with the individual for whom the revelation is meant, telling them the words God put in his/her mouth.

This could be in the form of a vision, where the angel is not physically there, but the person can still see them. It can also be in physical form, where the angel is in the room together with the person receiving the revelation.

Going back to the religions of Mormonism, Christianity and Islam, how can they be sure that their special revelation truly originates from God? How can they know that the person who received the revelation was actually visited by a messenger from God, and not a completely different entity, like the devil himself or a demon?

This essay will focus on both the Christian and Muslim religion. Both Christianity and Islam have Old Testament Judaism as base-which Islam refers to as ‘Abrahamic roots’¹. Islam utilises the gospels² in the New Testament in its belief as well, acknowledging it as a special revelation from God to people in written form which he revealed to Jesus, whom they believe was not the Son of God, but a prophet. They, however, believe that since it’s revelation, the original version of the Injil has been lost.

Specifically, this essay will evaluate the initial special revelation that inaugurated the Muslim belief and compare it to similar special revelations in the Old and New Testament. By comparing them, I want to answer the question:

Particularly in the case of Islam, how do we know a special revelation truly came from God?

The First Wahi³

Muhammed, c. 570 AD-June 8, 632, was an orphan living in Makkah. He was a wealthy man and was married to Khadija.

Makkah was important at the time, mainly due to the Ka’bah being there. The Ka’bah was a temple meant for the worship of Allah⁴, but at the time of the first Wahi⁵, which is what the Muslims call the first revelation of Jibra’il⁶ to Muhammed, there were 360 idols in the Ka’bah. For Muhammed, who believed there was only one god, this was a great offence and it disgusted him to no end.

Every year in the month of Ramadan, there would be a festival at the Ka’bah, called the Laylatul Qad’r⁷. During that night, people would worship all sorts of gods at this temple.

Muhammed, being a monotheist, hated this, and during this time would seclude himself to a nearby cave, so that he wouldn’t have to hear the partying and could spend time with Allah.

One night, while Muhammed was praying, the angel Jibra’il appeared to him in physical form. ‘Iqra!’ commanded Jibra’il, which means ‘Read!’ in Arabic. ‘Ma ana bi qari,’ Muhammed answered, which means: ‘I can’t read.’ in Arabic. Muhammed had never had the pleasure of schooling, so was illiterate.

When Jibra’il received this response, he ‘pressed me [that is Muhammed], till I was hard pressed’⁸. Whether Jibra’il was choking Muhammed out, or hugging him so fiercely Muhammed had a problem with breathing is a highly debated subject. For the time being, let’s just keep it on what we can know for certain: Jibra’il held Muhammed firmly in one way or another, making it hard for the latter to breath.

This happened twice more, until Jibra’il said, after pressing Muhammed hard a third time ‘ Recite in the name of your Lord Who created, created man from a clot of blood. Recite. And your most bountiful Lord is He Who taught the use of pen, taught man what he knew not’⁹. After this, Muhammed fled the cave, trembling in great fear and went back to his wife.

They covered him in blankets until he was no longer scared. When he had calmed down again, he relayed what happened, saying ‘I fear for myself’. His wife comforted him, telling him to be happy, because Allah would never put Muhammed to shame, seeing as how much of an upstanding citizen he was (taking care of his family and the poor etc.).

Muhammed’s wife took him to see her cousin, Waraqa ibn Nauful, who was a devout Christian and was translating the Injil¹⁰. He immediately recognised the entity that had visited Muhammed as the angel Gabriel. Then stated he wished he were a young man at the moment, so that he could witness Muhammed being driven out of the city by his own people. Muhammed, surprised at this statement, questioned if they would truly drive him out.

Waraqa replied: ‘Yes. Never came a man with a like of what you have brought but met hostilities. If I see your day I shall help you wholeheartedly’¹¹

Note that some parts of this passage are highlighted, which is for latter reference, since special attention will be put on those parts.

Jewish and Christian Special Revelations brought by Gabriel

For comparison purposes, let’s take a quick detour to examine some more special revelations, which, according to the Bible, were given to certain people by the angel Gabriel, whom the Muslims call Jibra’il.

Daniel

In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar Daniel got a vision, in which a goat smote a ram. When he was pondering the meaning of the vision, the angel Gabriel appeared to him (Daniel 8:15-27; KJV):

And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.
Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.
The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

Note how I highlighted some parts of this passage. For now, that is unimportant, but it will be relevant later on. I will do the same with the upcoming passages.

Zechariah Father of John the Baptist

Luke 1:5 – 24, 57-64 (KJV)

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
[..] Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

Mary Mother of Jesus

Luke 1:26-38 (KJV)

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Is Gabriel/Jibra’il Evil/Unfair?

When looking at all these revelations, there are certain things that strike us as odd-that which I highlighted. When Jibra’il appeared to Muhammed he chocked/hugged him so hard that Muhammed could hardly breathe. When Daniel had talked to him, he fainted and was sick for several days. When Zechariah questioned the revelation, he was struck mute. It seems like only Mary had no negative repercussions from Gabriel’s visit-sans the fall-out with Joseph who thought she had committed adultery. However, just like Zechariah, she questioned how what Gabriel had told her could be so. Why then was he struck mute, and was she “let off the hook”? Was Gabriel unfair?

Are all of these instances righteous? Was Gabriel right to strike Zechariah mute? Was it Gabriel’s fault that Daniel fell sick? Was Jibra’il acting fair when he throttled/hugged Muhammed?

Only if we have answers to these questions, can we know for sure that these special revelations came from God, since God is love and is righteous. For Gabriel was supposed to represent God, who is love and righteousness, and if Gabriel acted wrong, either God is evil, or he was not representing God at all. And since we know that God is good, only the second option is viable.

Daniel’s Defence Cascade

Daniel received his vision from chapter eight around 551 BC¹². The prophesy he saw stretched from the Medo-Persian era, through the persecution of God’s people all the way to the Antichrist.

The vision Daniel saw showed him many jarring things: the desecration of the Temple; slaughter of many Jews; the end of time as well as the spiritual warfare behind the wars waging between earthly empires. For any person, this would be a lot to take in, but for Daniel, it might be arguably worse than for others.

Daniel was very devoted to the restoration of his people out of exile, in which they found themselves at the time. As shown in Daniel 9:2-3 (KJV):

In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

Here we can see the despair that seizes Daniel when he realises the exile will last 70 years, and how he immediately seeks God out in his prayers. He was very devoted to his people, and for such a person seeing a vision in which they would be massacred would be a heavy hit to their psyche.

According to the research paper from 2015 by Kozlowska et al¹³, Daniel’s reaction to the vision-fainting and becoming sick for several days-is a very normal psychophysiological response.

Their research showed that, when exposed to a threat, a human goes through the Defense Cascade. The Defence Cascade is a series of six stages in which a person reacts to stress.

The first stage is arousal, where your heart rate and respiration skyrocket. After that comes the flight or fight response, where the person in question decided whether they will run from the threat or stay and fight it. In Daniel’s case, as seen in verse 17, he responded with fear, and froze, entering the third stage where one freezes and puts the flight or fight response on hold.

Daniel 8:17 (KJV):

when he¹⁴ came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.

The freezing phase is quickly followed by tonic immobility, which causes the human to disassociate. We see this happen to Daniel in verse 18. Gabriel however, helps Daniel out of it, anchoring him:

Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.

Once the person has gone through the tonic immobility, they enter the collapsed immobility phase. This happens to Daniel after the vision. In this phase, extreme parasympathetic activation-which is a network of nerves that relax your body of a period of long stress-causes one to faint.

After the collapsed immobility phase, as we see with Daniel, one enters the last stage of the Defence Cascade, which is the quiescent immobility phase where a person becomes sick as their mind and soul try to repair the damage they have undergone. We see these last two stages happen in verse 27 of chapter 8 (KJV):

And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

When look at Daniel’s reaction to the appearance of Gabriel and the vision, it becomes apparent that it was not Gabriel that made him dissociate, faint or become sick, but it was actually a very normal human response to a short period of time during which one encounters high levels of stress.

Gabriel was not to blame for Daniel’s physical reaction to the revelation.

Zechariah and Mary’s Questions

Now with Zechariah, he wasn’t struck mute due to a normal human reaction to high levels of stress. He was struck mute by Gabriel in Luke 1:19-20 (KJV) where it says:

And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

This raises the question, why was Zechariah struck mute, while Mary wasn’t? Looking at these two side by side, it becomes evident that Gabriel wasn’t treating Zechariah unfairly, but exactly as the situation called for.

Let’s look at Zechariah’s and Mary’s questions side by side. Zechariah asked in verse 19:

[…],Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

Whereas Mary asked in verse 34:

How will this be,” […], “since I am a virgin?

There is a subtle but important difference between the two. Zechariah was essentially asking Gabriel: How can I trust you? His only basis of doubt is his and his wife’s old age. Earlier in the Bible, we see Sarah (Abraham’s wife) bearing a child at an old age as well. Zechariah would have known this piece of history, so he should have been aware that God was capable of doing such things. He was questioning Gabriel from a place of mistrust and doubt.

Mary on the other hand, was asking how it was possible since she was a virgin. What Gabriel said to her must have been confusing, since she had never lain with a man before. How could she bear a child? Once it is explained to her, she accepts what the Lord says with no further questioning.

Zechariah knew of the story of Abraham-most Israel’s at the time would have most likely known, since from out of Abraham the Jews came-whereas there had never been an instance in Jewish history before where a virgin came with child.

Another thing to be considered was that Zechariah had been praying for a child, which Mary had not been doing. Then, once Zechariah was told he would get the child he had prayed for, he doubted this very proclamation!

The location played a significant role as well. Zechariah was in the temple, the house of the Lord, while Mary was in Nazareth-where the temple is not situated. Zechariah, being in the house of God, was approached by a messenger of God, and still questioned the message, while it should have been obvious by the location alone that it came from God, since the temple was holy.
Lastly, we see how the Lord looks at people in 1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV):

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

God does not look at what is on the outside, but what is inside. He could see Zechariah’s inner thoughts and also those of Mary. He knew from where the questions came and Gabriel was allowed to react according to what was to be seen in their hearts.

Muhammed and the Triple Embrace

With Muhammed we hit a wall. First of all, the Qur’an is very unclear as to what happened between him and Jibra’il. There is a large scaled debate on whether Jibra’il choked him; hugged him tightly so he would know what he saw was true or pressed wisdom into him physically.

The first opinion is usually held by non-muslims, while the rest are held by the Muslim community. To be noted is that among Muslims there is large debate on this subject, though they all conclude that Allah knows best, so it was for the best.

Pressing for wisdom

Looking at these various declarations, it strikes many as rather odd. Why, if in the book of Daniel-referred to by Muslims as Daniyal and whom is accepted as a righteous person and prophet by them-and in the gospel of Luke (part of the Injeel), Gabriel didn’t need to physically touch the ones he was conferring with to make them remember, did he do so with Muhammed?

Of course, he touched Daniel, but that was to ground and steady him, not to push wisdom into his chest.

It seems as if, when looking at Daniyal and the Injil, during Muhammed’s time, Jibra’il suddenly needed to make it clear the person he was appearing to was not hallucinating by hard pressing them.

Why would that be necessary when before he was perfectly capable of bringing across a message without needing to touch the recipients? Did Jibra’il lose his power of clear speech? Did he become worse at communicating?

Furthermore, why did he have to do it thrice? He was supposedly there on an errand from Allah. If he was there under Allah’s jurisdiction, wouldn’t Allah have given him enough power so that he only needed to press Muhammed once for the latter to gain wisdom?

When comparing this course of action to previous appearances of Gabriel, it seems like we are faced with a completely different person. Not only due to the physical interaction where he pressed wisdom into Muhammed’s bosom, but also due to his overall actions, though I will focus on that a bit later.

Pressing for Remembrance

Taking into consideration that Muslims have differing views on this, let’s look at another interpretation of the text, which is that Jibra’il hard pressed Muhammed so that Muhammed would remember what happened and would know that what he saw was true, and not some random fever dream.

Once again, just like with the above interpretation, this seems contrary to who Gabriel is in the Bible. Mary was perfectly capable of remembering that she would give birth to the Son of the Most High; Zechariah would not easily forget his old wife would bear a son whom they should name John who would have the Holy Spirit upon him and lastly Daniel was capable as well of remembering what he heard and saw, having even written it down in the book of Daniel!

They didn’t need to be hugged aggressively thrice to remember this: seeing an angel was notable enough to remember that it happened. It wasn’t like they put the keys to their house down on the dresser. They saw a mighty angel. He was so scary to see that they all became fearful. Seeing an angel is not like placing your keys on your dresser, it is a far more gripping moment which you do not simply forget.

Since the above two instances are contrary to Gabriel’s character from the Injil and the book of Daniyal, we are left with the last: choking. This is believed by many non-muslims, who think Jibra’il choked Muhammed. This however, seems really illogical, since this characteristic is even further away from the Gabriel in the Bible than ever.

Which is exactly the point.

Many non-muslims don’t think that Jibra’il was in fact Gabriel from the Bible, but rather a demon or the devil himself posing as an angel. This is by far the most logical and easily supported claim. To understand it though, we must first look at the overall behaviour of both Gabriel and Jibra’il, not only at the physical repercussions of their appearance on mankind.

Analysis of Behavioural Patterns

When looking at Gabriel and Jibra’il, we see a great difference between their actions and words, supporting the claims that Jibra’il was not in fact Gabriel, but a different entity entirely.

Greeting and clear communication

Let’s start by looking at how Gabriel and Jibra’il greet the people they are appearing to. Jibra’il appears to Muhammed and says: ‘Read!’, whereas, when Gabriel appears in the Bible, he says more than just one word:

To Daniel, Gabriel spoke, saying: Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.

At that moment, Daniel disassociated from fear, and Gabriel grounded him again, helping him stand. After that, he continued by introducing what he was about to explain to Daniel, saying:

Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.

Gabriel made it clear to Daniel what was going to happen, taking his time to make sure Daniel would understand what sort of explanation was to follow. He didn’t command Daniel around, he spoke to him like one man would talk to another, explaining his message clearly.

When Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, the latter became fearful, but Gabriel reassured him, saying:

Fear not, Zacharias: for they prayer is heard […]

Gabriel reassured Zechariah, who was fearful upon seeing such a powerful and holy being as Gabriel. Right after he explained his presence, just like he had done with Daniel, ensuring the recipient of his message got the introduction so that they could know what to expect. Only after reassuring Zechariah and making sure the latter knew what was going on, did he bring across his message.

Finally, we have Gabriel’s appearance to Mary mother of Jesus. He greeted her, saying:

Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

Mary, upon seeing him and hearing him refer to her as favoured and blessed was confused and scared. Once again, Gabriel reassured the person he was talking with, saying:

Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

After this he continues to relay his message, just as he did with Zechariah. Not before he had greeted the people he was sent to talk to on behalf of God and not before reassuring them did Gabriel continue with his message.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have Jibra’il. He did not greet Muhammed, he did not offer words of comfort when Muhammed was scared. He commanded: Read! Not once did he give the introduction to what he would tell Muhammed and not once did he comfort Muhammed or explain why he was appearing. He came, he commanded, and he hard pressed Muhammed, skipping basic decency entirely.

Mutual Respect born from Servitude

Where Gabriel treated those with whom he was talking properly, Jibra’il treated Muhammed like a servant who should obey his every whim. Apart from the fact that Jibra’il seemed rather rude, we must also look at it from the Biblical perspective, which offers us answers as to the dynamic between mankind and the angels.

In Hebrews 1:14 (KJV), where the author rhetorically questions in regards to angels:

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

The Greek word¹⁵ for ministering-leitourgos (pronounced: lay-tourg-os’)-meant a worshipper (of God) or a benefactor (of man). This means that angels, who are ministering spirits according to Hebrews 1:14, worship God and are benefactors of man-meaning someone or something that provides help or advantage.

Looking at Gabriel, we see this definition return. As ministering spirits, angels serve mankind in several ways: they are sent by God to answer prayers like Gabriel when he came to Zechariah, answering his and his wife’s prayers. Sometimes angels are sent to help prophets understand their visions, like with Zechariah. Other times they are sent to give people a message from God, like when Gabriel appeared to Mary.

Throughout this all, with Gabriel and other angels who appear in the Bible, we see how there is mutual respect between the angel and the human they are interacting with. The angels help humans, and the humans in turn, respect those who serve them, since those who serve will be great in the kingdom of God. As it is stated in Matthew 20:26-27 (KJV):

[…] but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant

All of this we can recognise in the Bible when Gabriel communicates with humans. He respects them and helps them, and in turn they show him reverence as well. However, when we look at Jibra’il, this pattern is abruptly broken.

He does not greet Muhammed. He does not explain his presence. He uses one word, a command: ‘Recite’ or ‘Read’ (depends on how it is translated). Muhammed, instead of being reassured by Jibra’il like Gabriel reassured Mary, Zechariah and Daniel, is physically pressed. Though it is unclear what this pressing in question is, it is clear Muhammed did not enjoy it. Muhammed was not reassured after the vision, nor did he know what message Jibra’il was even conferring. He was just mortally afraid.

Jibra’il does not help Muhammed and Muhammed does not look upon Gabriel as a wonderful being sent to him by God like Mary, Zechariah and Daniel looked upon him. All he feels when he stands face to face with Jibra’il is a very justified sense of fear for which no reassurance is ever offered.

God’s Herald

The Hebrew word for angel is ‘Malach’, which means messenger. As we have seen in the case of Gabriel, he also served mankind by bringing them messages from God. As Psalm 103:20 (KJV) states:

Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

Throughout history, it is has been accepted that messengers represent the one who sends them, since it is their word that they are communicating to others. This means that angels represent God when they convey messages to humans. Gabriel therefore, when telling Mary, Zechariah and Daniel the messages God had for them, was representing God.

As a representative of God, he should act as God wishes. This means that whatever the angel does, they should make sure God would agree with this action. When looking at all that Gabriel does, we can find no fault in it, for he is representing God and doing as God wishes.

When looking at Jibra’il, he acts in a way that the God of the Bible would not agree with. God would not hurt those for whom he has a hopeful message. Did Gabriel slam Mary into a wall so that she would remember what was told her? Did he choke Zechariah out to grant him wisdom? Did he kick Daniel when he was already faint from fear?

Of course he didn’t, because he was acting as God would want him to act. Jibra’il however, did not act all as God would like him to act.

Jibra’il: Enemy of God

Now it’s finally time to look at all that Jibra’il did and said, comparing it to what we know of God, and discerning whether or not this special revelation truly came from the God who we know from the Old and New Testament.

Only if all that Jibra’il did aligns with what God would have wanted him to do, can we say that he was in fact sent by God. If what he did does not reflect God’s own actions or words, there can be no other conclusion than that Jibra’il was not acting on orders of God, but was a messenger from a completely different being.

We looked at the difference between Gabriel’s greeting and communication with those he was visiting as compared to that of Jibra’il. Where Gabriel made sure to reassure those who were scared at seeing him, Jibra’il did no such thing. Where Gabriel made it clear from the get-go why he was appearing to Mary, Zechariah and Daniel, Jibra’il had no such compunction. Where Gabriel treated the humans he was interacting with respectfully, Jibra’il treated Muhammed as a person he could command to do anything.

Gabriel took the time to explain things, while Jibra’il repeated the same word thrice: ‘Read’ or ‘Recite’. Where Gabriel, when Mary asked how she could become with child, explained it to her, Jibra’il pressed Muhammed hard when he answered that he could not read.

Where Gabriel appeared as a powerful being, who inspired fear into those who saw him, but quickly expelled that by reassuring them, Jibra’il inspired fear in Muhammed and did nothing to reassure the latter. Gabriel was acting out of love. Jibra’il seemed to be acting out of malice.

When comparing these two we see a major difference. Gabriel acted out of love. He made that which he was communicating clear. He reassured those who became frightened by him. He helped Daniel when he was too weak to stand. He perfectly reflected God in his appearances. Not surprising, since he, according to Luke 1:19 (KJV) stands in the presence of God:

[…] I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee,

Meanwhile, when we look at Jibra’il, it becomes clear he couldn’t stand further away from God’s presence. He does not speak out of love to Muhammed. He hurts Muhammed-whatever explanation there is, it is generally accepted that Jibra’il pressing Muhammed was not a nice experience for him-and only gives him a single worded command. He does not make clear why he is there until the very end. He does not quell Muhammed’s fears but plays into them by pressing him. In all his actions he does not once mirror the God he supposedly serves.

If Jibra’il was a messenger from God, he would have reflected him. Jibra’il however, seems to reflect that absolute opposite of God.

For evaluating whether or not a special revelation is from God, the messenger must reflect the one who sent them. Gabriel reflects God. Jibra’il does not reflect God.

The most likely explanation therefore, for the actions of Jibra’il compared to those of Gabriel and of God, is that Jibra’il was in fact not Gabriel from the Old and New Testament. He wasn’t even an angel. In 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 (KJV), Paul writes:

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

It seems to me, and many others, that Jibra’il was a demon, or Satan himself, coming to Muhammed to create a false belief. Posing as the God Muhammed had already heard of, so that Jibra’il’s words would be accepted as true.

By doing this Jibra’il created a religion entirely averse to Christianity and Judaism, dragging many away from the true God, convincing them to serve a fake one named Allah, who is the exact opposite of the God of the Bible.

An Islamic Dilemma

One would think my point has now been made. By comparing Jibra’il to scripture, which the Muslims accept as true, I have laid down an irrefutable argument. Sadly, this assumption is incorrect.

When pointing to Biblical passages refuting certain topics found in the Qur’an, many Muslims would point out the Bible we have nowadays is no longer reliable, since over time it has been corrupted immensely.

They claim that the Bible was down orally for many centuries before finally being put to paper during/after the Babylonian Exile. Therefore, the earlier scriptures were corrupted because people remembered wrong. Later on, the gospels-or the Injil as the Muslims refer to it-was copied many times, which would have led to lots of errors. Therefore, the things the Bible says about Gabriel for example, is no longer correct, since the original meaning was lost in translation and flawed copies.

First off, I’d like to point out that there are two differing views on when the Bible was put on paper/papyrus/mud tablets. What the Muslims are referring to here is JEDP theory, which is accepted by many Christian scholars. The JEDP theory-also referred to as the Documentary Hypothesis-states that the Torah was written by five different authors during the Babylonian exile. According to this hypothesis they invented a history for the Israelites to boost morale during their time in Babylon. This theory has been the common consensus view among scholars for quite some time.

There is, however, another viewpoint one can take: the Toledoth theory. This states that the Torah was written quite quickly after the events it details took place.

This theory explains that Genesis 1 through Genesis 2:3 were written by God. To be distinguished by the fact that when God is mentioned, he is called “Elohim”. After Genesis 2:3, God starts being referred to as ‘YHWH’, suggesting a different author took over writing the history of Genesis. After that, every time someone dies, it is said at what age they got children, how long after that they continued living, and how old they were when they died.

The Toledoth theory states that each person wrote about their own life, and then one of their children, after their parents’ death, wrote the ending piece (about how old they were when they bore children etc.) then started detailing their own life.

If this theory is correct, the Bible was put to (most likely) mud tablets rather quickly, and Moses merely compiled the pieces of scripture meticulously passed down.

Turning to physical evidence, we have the Ketef Hinnom Scrolls, discovered in 1980, discovered in southwest Jerusalem during an excavation directed by Prof. Gabriel Barkay. When conservators from the Israel Museum opened the metal scrolls, they found verses from the Torah preserved in them. These passages are known today as Numbers 6 and Deuteronomy 7.

These verses paralleled perfectly to the Hebrew Torah, being almost exactly the same in wording, grammar, punctuation and formulation of the sentences. The scrolls were dated based on the script found in them and the artefacts found around them to the late-seventh/early-sixth century BC, making them the oldest preserved texts from the Bible and dating from BEFORE the Babylonian exile.

How was it possible that that which was passed down orally and never written down until after or during the Babylonian exile, was found and dated back to before it? Simply put, it’s because the Torah was not written until during or after the Babylonian exile, but around the times that these things happened. This already refutes the Muslim claim that there would be error in the Bible due to it being told to others orally.

Another point to be made, are the Dead Sea Scrolls. They reflect the modern day Bible almost perfectly, proving that the Biblical texts weren’t altered by poor copying errors, but essentially stayed the same throughout the centuries.

On the topic of error, we must also look at the Qur’an, which was first passed down orally, though this did not stop people from putting them to paper as well. Forty years after the first Wahi, they were finally collected and put into one form of the Qur’an. However, there were 7 vastly different versions of the Qur’an, of which bits and pieces were chosen. Looking at this, it seems like the Qur’an might just be more unreliable than the Bible could ever be.

Furthermore, if the Qur’an is the word of Allah and is true, we must also look at what it says about the Bible. One text especially catches ones eye, to be found in Qur’an 6:115, where it is stated:

The Word of your Lord has been perfected in truth and justice. None can change His Words. And He is the All-Hearing, All- Knowing

The Muslims believe that the original Tawrat, Zabur and Injil were God’s word. How then can they claim that it was corrupted over the years if their own Qur’an states the exact opposite?

For if they claim that the Bible was corrupted, they are essentially saying the Qu’ran is wrong, and if they say the Bible has not been corrupted, they would still be saying the Qu’ran isn’t true, since the Bible refutes it on many different topics. Thus they have created for themselves a never-ending loop in which the conclusion will always be that the Bible is true and the Qu’ran false.

This argument therefore-that the Bible was corrupted and therefore can no longer be used as a trustworthy source of information-is void and is disproved by the Muslim’s Qur’an.

Conclusion

To determine whether or not a special revelation comes from God, we must look at whether it agrees with what God has done in the past and what God’s word says about it. We must look at the messenger, in our case the angel Gabriel and the being Jibra’il, and consider their job and position.

Angels worshippers and messengers of God, perfectly representing him who sends them serve mankind, helping them when they fall and explaining that which needs elaboration, always acting out of the love one can see in God. Gabriel perfectly encapsulates this definition, Jibra’il did not. Therefore, Jibra’il couldn’t possibly be a messenger from God, nor an angel. Jibra’il was not sent to Muhammed by God, and was there on his own volition (as the devil) or on the orders of the devil (as a demon).

The belief the Muslims hold onto is false, born of a message brought by one who did not love nor care for Muhammed. It was born out of a deep hatred towards mankind which the devil and his demons possess.

When looking at special revelations, we must always remember to compare it to the source of truth, which is God’s word, and to be found in the Bible. If they do not compare properly, that which is revealed is not from God. This does not only apply to special revelations that kickstarted religions such as Islam, but also special revelations in day to day life people claim to have experienced. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 (KJV):

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil

Appendix A: Sahih Muslim 160a, Book 1, Hadith 308

A’isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), reported:

The first (form) with which was started the revelation to the Messenger of Allah was the true vision in sleep. And he did not see any vision but it came like the bright gleam of dawn. Thenceforth solitude became dear to him and he used to seclude himself in the cave of Hira’, where he would engage in tahannuth (and that is a worship for a number of nights) before returning to his family and getting provisions again for this purpose. He would then return to Khadija and take provisions for a like period, till Truth came upon him while he was in the cave of Hira’. There came to him the angel and said: Recite, to which he replied: I am not lettered. He took hold of me [the Apostle said] and pressed me, till I was hard pressed; thereafter he let me off and said: Recite. I said: I am not lettered. He then again took hold of me and pressed me for the second time till I was hard pressed and then let me off and said: Recite, to which I replied: I am not lettered. He took hold of me and pressed me for the third time, till I was hard pressed and then let me go and said: Recite in the name of your Lord Who created, created man from a clot of blood. Recite. And your most bountiful Lord is He Who taught the use of pen, taught man what he knew not (al-Qur’an, xcvi. 1-4). Then the Prophet returned therewith, his heart was trembling, and he went to Khadija and said: Wrap me up, wrap me up! So they wrapped him till the fear had left him. He then said to Khadija: O Khadija! what has happened to me? and he informed her of the happening, saying: I fear for myself. She replied: It can’t be. Be happy. I swear by Allah that He shall never humiliate you. By Allah, you join ties of relationship, you speak the truth, you bear people’s burden, you help the destitute, you entertain guests, and you help against the vicissitudes which affect people. Khadija then took him to Waraqa b. Naufal b. Asad b. ‘Abd al-‘Uzza, and he was the son of Khadija’s uncle, i. e., the brother of her father. And he was the man who had embraced Christianity in the Days of Ignorance (i. e. before Islam) and he used to write books in Arabic and, therefore, wrote Injil in Arabic as God willed that he should write. He was very old and had become blind Khadija said to him: O uncle! listen to the son of your brother. Waraqa b. Naufal said: O my nephew! what did you see? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), then, informed him what he had seen, and Waraqa said to him: It is namus that God sent down to Musa. Would that I were then (during your prophetic career) a young man. Would that I might be alive when your people would expel you! The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Will they drive me out? Waraqa said: Yes. Never came a man with a like of what you have brought but met hostilities. If I see your day I shall help you wholeheartedly.

Appendix B: Bibliography

Anonymous Christian Missionary amongst Muslims (4^th of October, 2020) The Qur’an Testifies that the Bible is the Word of God. Retrieved the 29^th of July 2026, from: https://nocousinsleft.com/2020/10/04/the-quran-testifies-that-the-bible-is-the-word-of-god/

Armstrong Institute Staff (the 24^th of June 2018) Ketef Hinnom Scrolls. Retrieved the 4^th of August 2026, from: https://armstronginstitute.org/45-ketef-hinnom-scrolls

Bible Hub (n.d) Why was Daniel unwell after his vision? Retrieved the 31^st of July 2026, from: https://biblehub.com/q/Why_was_Daniel_unwell_after_his_vision.htm

Bible Hub (n.d.) 3011. leitourgus. Retrieved the 4^th of August 2026, from: https://biblehub.com/greek/3011.htm

Cleveland Clinic (the 6^th of June 2022) Parasympathetic Nervous System (PSNS). Retrieved the 31^st of July 2026, from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23266-parasympathetic-nervous-system-psns

de Clairvaux, H. (the 21^st of January 2025) Who is the Archangel Gabriel? The Devine Messenger and Herald of the Annunciation. Retrieved the 4^th of August 2026, from: https://jesuschrist.pictures/blog/archangel-gabriel-divine-messages/?srsltid=AfmBOoqCpYPhfG4_oWuWAq7Grb2g-3d0OOpYKkCcSqdKBaWFdUVIQqVG

Ehrman, B. D. (the 2^nd of May 2017) Was the Bible Changed? A Distinguished Scholar Explains. Retrieved the 4^th of August 2026, from: https://aboutislam.net/reading-islam/understanding-islam/was-the-bible-changed-a-distinguished-bible-scholar-explains/

Groseclose, W. (the 21^st of April,2008) Forms of Special Revelation. Retrieved the 29^th of July 2026, from: https://preacherwin.com/2008/04/21/forms-of-special-revelation/

Got Questions (n.d.) In what ways are angels and humans different? Retrieved the 29^th of July 2026, from: https://www.gotquestions.org/angels-humans-different.html

Got Questions (n.d.) What is the documentary hypothesis? Retrieved the 28^th of August 2026, from: https://www.gotquestions.org/documentary-hypothesis.html

Got Questions (n.d.) What is the purpose of angels? Retrieved the 4^th of August 2026, from: https://www.gotquestions.org/purpose-of-angels.html

Gravitter, K. (the 11^th of May 2025) The Bible Was Not Always What It Is: A Timeline of Changes Through History. Retrieved the 4^th of August 2026, from: https://medium.com/@gravitterkaya/the-bible-was-not-always-what-it-is-a-timeline-of-changes-through-history-08f306f7fde7

International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (2023) A message from an Angel. Retrieved the 4^th of August 2026, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pODCevTSXNQ

Kosloski, P. (the 13^th of July 2022, updated the 19^th of March 2025) How many times does Gabriel appear in the Bible? Retrieved the 29^th of July 2026, from: https://aleteia.org/2022/07/13/how-many-times-does-gabriel-appear-in-the-bible/

Kozlowska, K. et al. (the 8^th of July 2015) Fear and the Defence Cascade: Clinical Implications and Management. Retrieved the 31^st of July 2026, from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4495877/

Longacre, D. (the 29^th of April 2023) Was the New Testament Written in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek? Retrieved the 4^th of August 2026, from: https://www.logos.com/grow/min-was-the-new-testament-written-in-hebrew-aramaic-or-greek/

Leithart, P. (the 5^th of September 2017) Toledoth and the Structure of Genesis. Retrieved the 4^th of August 2026, from: https://theopolisinstitute.com/toledoth-and-the-structure-of-genesis/

Meyers, A. (the 3^rd of February 2020) THE BIBLE HAS BEEN CHANGED: HOW TO RESPOND TO OUR MUSLIM FRIENDS. Retrieved the 4^th of August 2026, from: https://www.everywhere2everywhere.org/articles/the-bible-has-been-changed-how-to-respond-to-our-muslim-friends

Nelson (2021) What does it mean that angels are ministering spirits? | GotQuestions.org. Retrieved the 4^th of August 2026, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS86LUErW1A

Omar, A. R. (1990) IBN HAZM ON THE DOCTRINE OF TAHRÍF. Retrieved the 29^th of July 2026, from: https://open.uct.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/0cd80963-75fe-4501-990d-c950928458f2/content

Rahman, M. (September 2025) The Nature of Wahi in Islam and Judaism: A Comparitive Review. Retrieved the 29^th of July 2026, from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/395872336_The_Nature_of_Wahi_in_Islam_and_Judaism_A_Comparative_Review

Storms, S. (the 6^th of January, 2020) Dreams, Visions, Angelic Visitations, and Revelation. Retrieved the 29^th of July 2026, from: https://www.samstorms.org/enjoying-god-blog/post/dreams-visions-angelic-visitations-and-revelation

Shah, Z. H. (the 17^th of August, 2025) The Quaranic Injil and the New Testament Gospels-A Historical, Philosophical & Theological Commentary. Retrieved the 29^th of July 2026, from: https://thequran.love/2025/08/17/the-quranic-injil-and-the-new-testament-gospels-a-historical-philosophical-theological-commentary/

TrueTube (the 18^th of January,2017) How Islam Began-In Ten Minutes. Retrieved the 28^th of July 2026, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDxKxnVZtgo

Von Denffer, A. (n.d.) How the Revelation Came to Prophet Muhammed. Retrieved the 28^th of July 2026, from: https://islamonline.net/en/how-the-revelation-came-to-prophet-muhammad/

Footnotes

1. Also referred to by Islam as the Tawrat (which refers to the books of law, which are the first five books of the Old Testament in the Bible) and the Zabur (which refers to the Psalms).

2. Which they refer to as the Injil. Alt spellings: Injīl; Insjeel and Injeel

3. As detailed in Sahih Muslim; Book 1, Hadith 308, or chapter 73. Full text to be found in Appendix A. For readability purposes I summarised it here.

4. Meaning: the god or lord

5. Arabic for ‘Revelation’. Alt spellings: Wahee; Wahy

6. Arabic name for the angel Gabriel from the Bible

7. Meaning: Night of power

8. Direct quotation from Sahih al-Bukhari: Book 1, Hadith 308 (English Translation with Arabic translation parallel to it)

9. Ibid

10. Arabic word for the gospels as found in the New Testament of the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)

11. Direct quotation from Sahih al-Bukhari: Book 1, Hadith 308 (English Translation with Arabic translation parallel to it)

12. According to young earth timeline

13. K. Kozlowska, et all Fear and Defence Cascade: Clinical Implications and Management

14. He being Gabriel

15. Many scholars believe that the New Testament book of Hebrews was originally written in Greek.

Critical Evaluation of Special Revelation: God or Ghoul

Apologeet.nl

Table of contents

Introduction

The First Wahi³