The Role of Prophet in Receiving Revelation, Based on Farabi, Mulla Sadra and Avicenna's View, and a Critique of Some Contemporary Intellectual's View

Muslim thinkers have scrutinized and analyzed the very important issue of revelation and how a prophet received it. Among them, Farabi is the first thinker who systematically analyzes revelation and prophethood. He provides an epistemological explanation for revelation and believes that prophet's acquired intellect receives revealed knowledge and forms realities and intelligible entities with the help of imaginal power, having transcended and attached to active intellect. Considering a role for intuitive power in the process of revelation and explaining the levels of intellects, Avicenna also believes that prophet receives intellectual realities and forms them with the help of imaginal power. Similarly, Mulla Sadra believes that active intellect actualizes potential intellect. He believes that the revealed are distinct form the unrevealed in terms of the quality of receiving intelligibles, their quantity and how they join to the origin of intelligibles. He uses intuitive power and sacred intellect to explain the distinction. These three philosophers believe that prophet is the "recipient" of revelation, who receives sciences through intellects and then without intermediary, having joined to or united with the invisible world.