MUHAMMAD'S VIEW OP INSPIRATION. 61
The Jews have a saying that "all the prophets saw through a dark glass, but Moses through a clear one, " l and Muhammad says : 2 It was not granted to a man that God should speak unto him otherwise than in a vision or from behind a veil ; 3 an.d then he adds : 4 O r by the sending of a messenger to reveal by His permission that which He pleaseth. " This messenger is the Holy Spirit, 5 or simply the spirit, 6 like the spirit in the story of Micaiah's vision. 1 The Arabic commentators take this holy spirit to mean Gabriel, a view which is not unknown to the Jews, for
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2 Sura XLII, 50.
8 Commentators cite this verse as one in which the superiority of Moses is disputed ; thus Elpherar says :
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" The Jews said to Muh'ammad ; ' By God ! if thou art a prophet, dost thou speak with God and see Him as Moses spoke with Him and saw Him ? ' Then he said : ' Moses did not see God. ' And then came this verse : ' It was not granted to a man that God should speak to him, except in a vision, in a dream or through supernatural inspiration, or from behind a curtain, so that man hears His Yoice, but does not see Him ; He spoke thus to Moses also. ' "
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Suras LXXVIII. 38, XCVII. 4. 1 Kings, xxii. 21.
