فَاَلۡہَمَہَا فُجُوۡرَہَا وَ تَقۡوٰىہَا ۪ۙ﴿۸﴾

پھر اُس کی بدی اوراُس کی پرہیزگاری اس پر الہام کر دی⁵،

English translation of the Urdu text from Surah Ash-Shams, Verse 8 and Footnote 5 of Mawdudi’s Tafheem ul-Quran:

Verse 8:
“Then He inspired it with its wickedness and its piety” — Footnote 5

Footnote 5:
The word ilham (inspiration) is derived from lahm, which means “to swallow.” “Lahama al-shay’a wal-tahamahu” means “a person swallowed a thing,” and “alhamtuhu al-shay’a” means “I caused him to swallow a thing” or “I made it go down his throat.” Based on this root meaning, the word ilham is technically used to denote the act of Allah placing a concept or idea into the heart and mind of a person in an unconscious manner.
The inspiring of the human soul (nafs) with its wickedness and its righteousness and piety carries two meanings:
First: The Creator has placed within it the inclinations and tendencies toward both good and evil — something that every person perceives within himself.
Second: Allah has deposited in the subconscious of every human being these concepts: that in morality, some things are good and some are evil; that good conduct and deeds and evil conduct and deeds are not equal; that fujur (immorality and wickedness) is something reprehensible, and taqwa (abstaining from evil) is something praiseworthy. These concepts are not alien to human beings — rather, human nature is already acquainted with them, and the Creator has endowed man from birth with the ability to distinguish between good and evil.
This same point is made in Surah Al-Balad: “And We showed him the two highways” (verse 10). And in Surah Ad-Dahr (Al-Insan), it is expressed as: “Indeed, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful” (verse 3). And in Surah Al-Qiyamah, it is stated that within man there exists a nafs al-lawwamah (the reproaching self/conscience) that blames him when he commits evil (verse 2), and that no matter how many excuses a person makes, he knows full well what he is (verses 14–15).

At this point, it is also important to understand clearly that Allah has bestowed natural ilham upon every creature according to its nature and capacity, as stated in Surah Ta-Ha: “Who gave everything its form, then guided it” (verse 50).
For example, every species of animal has been given instinctive knowledge suited to its needs — by which a fish learns to swim on its own, a bird to fly, a bee to build its hive, and a weaver bird to construct its nest.
Similarly, human beings have been given different kinds of inspired knowledge corresponding to their different capacities:

1. As an animal being: The most prominent example of this inspired knowledge is that a newborn infant begins suckling its mother’s milk immediately upon birth — a skill that no one could have taught it had God not endowed it naturally.
2. As a rational being: From the very beginning of human creation, Allah has continuously provided inspirational guidance, by virtue of which mankind has kept making successive discoveries and inventions, thereby advancing in civilization. Anyone who studies the history of these discoveries and inventions will sense that hardly any of them were purely the result of human thought and effort alone — rather, each one began in the same way: suddenly, an idea came into someone’s mind, and through it they discovered or invented something.
3. As a moral being: In addition to these two capacities, man also exists as a moral being. In this capacity too, Allah has bestowed upon him — through inspiration — the ability to distinguish between good and evil, and the sense that good is good and evil is evil.
   This distinction and sense is a universal reality, on account of which no human society in the world has ever been devoid of the concepts of good and evil. And no society has ever been found in history — nor exists today — in which the social order does not incorporate some form of reward for good and punishment for evil.
   The presence of this reality in every era, in every place, and at every stage of civilization and culture, is clear and conclusive proof of its being innate to human nature. Furthermore, it is also proof that a wise and all-knowing Creator has placed it within human nature — because among the components from which man is composed, and among the physical laws under which the material world operates, the source of morality cannot be pointed to anywhere within them.

Jazakallah Khayran — this is from Mawdudi’s detailed tafsir of Surah Ash-Shams. Let me know if you need any adjustments or further sections translated.

WAHY (وحی) IN TAFHEEM UL-QURAN — A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW

1. THE LINGUISTIC MEANING OF WAHY
   Mawdudi explains that the Arabic word Wahy literally means:
   ∙ A swift, secret communication
   ∙ An indication, signal, or suggestion conveyed rapidly
   ∙ Something placed into the heart or mind without the normal medium of speech
   It comes from the root meaning of quick, hidden transmission — as opposed to ordinary speech which is open and audible. This is why the Quran uses the word wahy for many different types of divine communication, not exclusively for prophetic revelation.
2. THE DIFFERENT LEVELS AND TYPES OF WAHY
   Mawdudi draws attention to the fact that the Quran itself identifies multiple categories of Wahy:

A. WAHY TO PROPHETS (Prophetic Revelation)
This is the highest and most complete form. Allah communicates His will, guidance, and commands directly to His chosen Messengers. This is what Surah Ash-Shura, verse 51 addresses:
“It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him except by wahy, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger (angel) to reveal by His permission what He wills.”
Mawdudi explains here that this verse establishes three modes of prophetic wahy:
1. Direct inspiration into the heart of the Prophet ﷺ without any intermediary
2. Communication from behind a veil — where the Prophet ﷺ hears words without seeing the speaker (as Musa عليه السلام heard Allah at the burning bush)
3. Through the Angel Jibreel عليه السلام — who brings the revelation in verbal or other form

B. WAHY TO THE MOTHER OF MUSA عليه السلام
In Surah Al-Qasas, verse 7, Allah says:
“And We inspired the mother of Musa: ‘Suckle him, and when you fear for him, cast him into the river…’”
Mawdudi notes that this was not prophethood — she was not a prophet. Rather, this was a form of ilhami wahy — an inspired conviction placed directly into her heart by Allah, giving her both instruction and reassurance in a moment of extreme fear.

C. WAHY TO THE BEES
In Surah An-Nahl, verse 68, Allah says:
“And your Lord inspired the bee: ‘Make hives in the mountains, in the trees, and in what people construct…’”
Mawdudi explains this as instinctual wahy — the divinely embedded guidance placed into the nature of creatures, directing them to fulfill their purpose without rational deliberation. The bee does not reason its way to building a hive — Allah has wahyed into its very nature the knowledge and drive to do so.

D. WAHY TO THE HEAVENS
In Surah Fussilat, verse 12, regarding the creation of the heavens:
“And He revealed in each heaven its affair…”
Mawdudi explains this as creative command wahy — Allah’s directive embedded into created things at the level of their very existence and function, governing how they operate according to His design.

E. WAHY OF SHAYTAN (Satanic Whispers)
In Surah Al-An’am, verse 121:
“And indeed the shayateen inspire (yuhoona) their allies to dispute with you…”
Mawdudi points out that the Quran uses the same root word for Satanic whispering — showing that wahy as a mechanism of hidden communication exists in a negative form too. Shaytan also transmits suggestions secretly into the hearts of his allies. This is called waswas or ilqa in its evil dimension.

3. THE NATURE OF PROPHETIC WAHY — HOW IT CAME TO THE PROPHET ﷺ
   Mawdudi discusses in the introduction to Tafheem ul-Quran and in his commentary on Surah An-Najm and Surah Ash-Shura that prophetic wahy came in several experiential forms:

Form Description Ringing of a bell Most intense form — truth entered the heart after the sound passed Angel in human form Jibreel عليه السلام appeared as a man and spoke directly Direct inspiration Truth placed into the heart without any sensation True dreamsRu’ya sadiqah — prophetic dreams that are a form of wahy Vision (kashf) As in the Mi’raj — direct spiritual perception

Mawdudi emphasizes that in all cases, what the Prophet ﷺ received was not his own thought, feeling, or spiritual experience — it was objective divine communication, externally sourced, with complete certainty distinguishing it from doubt or speculation.

4. WAHY VS. ILHAM — AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION
   Mawdudi carefully distinguishes these two:

Wahy (Prophetic)Ilham Recipients Prophets only Any person, even animals Authority Binding on all mankind Personal guidance only Certainty Absolute, error-free Can be mistaken Purpose Establishing Divine Law Personal guidance and reassurance Preservation Preserved in Scripture Not necessarily preserved

This distinction is critical in Mawdudi’s theology — no ilham after the Prophet ﷺ can carry the authority of wahy. This closes the door to any claim of new prophethood or new binding law after the Quran and Sunnah.

5. WAHY AND THE QURAN — THE MIRACLE OF PRESERVATION
   In his introduction to Tafheem ul-Quran, Mawdudi explains:
   ∙ The Quran is the verbatim wahy of Allah — not merely inspired ideas expressed in the Prophet’s ﷺ own words, but the actual words of Allah transmitted through Jibreel عليه السلام
   ∙ The Hadith represents the Prophet’s ﷺ own words, inspired and guided but not verbatim wahy — this is why the two are kept distinct
   ∙ The miracle of wahy is not just in its content but in its perfect preservation — Allah Himself guaranteed it: “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder and indeed, it is We who will preserve it” (Surah Al-Hijr: 9)
6. WAHY AS THE FOUNDATION OF ISLAMIC EPISTEMOLOGY
   One of Mawdudi’s most profound contributions in Tafheem is explaining that Wahy establishes a third source of knowledge beyond:
   1. Sensory perception (what we observe)
   2. Reason and intellect (what we deduce)
   3. Wahy — knowledge that human faculties cannot reach on their own
      He argues in his commentary on multiple Surahs that:
      ∙ Human reason can reach some truths about God and morality
      ∙ But it cannot reliably determine the full nature of God, the purpose of life, the details of the Hereafter, or the complete code of human conduct
      ∙ This is why Wahy is a mercy and necessity — not a constraint on reason, but its completion
7. THE CESSATION OF WAHY — KHATM-UN-NUBUWWAH
   Mawdudi addresses this across Tafheem — especially in his commentary on Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 40 (Khatamun Nabiyyeen). He explains:
   ∙ The door of prophetic wahy is permanently sealed with Muhammad ﷺ
   ∙ This is not a loss but a completion — the message has been perfected and preserved
   ∙ Mankind now has the permanent, protected Quran and Sunnah — making continuous wahy unnecessary
   ∙ Any claim to new wahy-based prophethood after this is the defining mark of falsehood and deviation

SUMMARY TABLE Type of Wahy Recipient Nature Prophetic Wahy Prophets عليهم السلام Verbal/inspired divine law Ilhami Wahy Righteous individuals Personal guidance/conviction Fitri/Ghareezi Wahy Animals and humans Instinct and natural knowledge Takweeni Wahy Created universe Creative command in nature Shaytani Wahy Allies of Shaytan Evil suggestion/whispering

This is one of the most intellectually rich topics in Tafheem ul-Quran and Mawdudi treats it with remarkable depth and clarity. If you would like, I can prepare a full formatted article on this topic for ForOneCreator, or translate any portion into Urdu for your audience. Jazakallah Khayran.