In Islamic theology, the concept of Wahy (Revelation) is the bedrock of prophetic authority.
However, a profound contradiction arises when we compare the Quranic rules on gender with the narrative of Moses’ birth. The Quran explicitly restricts revelation to men, yet it uses the exact same technical term for the mother of Moses.
Premise 1: The Quran states that Divine Revelation (Wahy) is sent exclusively to men (Rijal).
Surah 12:109: "And We sent not before you except men to whom We revealed from among the people of cities."
Premise 2: The Quran states that the mother of Moses (a woman) received Divine Revelation (Wahy).
Surah 28:7: "And We inspired the mother of Moses, 'Suckle him; but when you fear for him, cast him into the river...'"
Conclusion: Either the Quran contradicts itself regarding the recipients of revelation, or the mother of Moses was a male prophet.
If the Wahy given to the mother of Moses was a true, infallible divine communication (as implied by the success of the mission), then she must be a Prophet.
The Conflict: This creates a direct contradiction with Surah An-Nahl (16:43): "And We sent not before you except men (إِلَّا رِجَالًا) to whom We revealed (نُوحِي)..." *
The Result: If a woman received Wahy, the Quranic claim that revelation is "except for men" is demonstrably false. The Arabic root و-ح-ي (W-H-Y) is used identically for both, leaving no linguistic room for a gender-based distinction in the text itself.
To avoid the first horn, Muslim scholars often claim this was merely Ilham (inspiration), similar to the "revelation" given to the bees.
Surah 16:68 says: "And your Lord inspired the bee..."
The Problem: If the mother of Moses received the same "instinctual" revelation as a bee, she had no Yaqeen (certainty). Throwing a baby into a river based on a "hunch" or a "bee-like instinct" is a criminal act of child endangerment.
The Theological Crisis: For the mother to be "righteous," she must have had Prophetic Certainty. If she had Prophetic Certainty, she received Wahy as a Prophet. If she didn't, Allah "inspired" her to perform a reckless act without the protection of the Prophetic office.
The dilemma is absolute:
If Awhayna in Surah 28:7 is the same as the Nuhi in Surah, 12:109, the Quran contradicts its "men only" rule.
If Awhayna in Surah 28:7 is the same as the Awha given to the bee in Surah, 16:68, then the mother of Moses was not acting on divine command, but on a subjective whim, which undermines the entire miracle of Moses’ preservation.
The Quranic author used a technical term for a Prophet to describe a woman, inadvertently breaking his own theological rule established elsewhere in the text.
This "Men Only" revelation rule is faces an even greater challenge as Maryam received a full-blown Angelic Visitation in Surah 19. Revelation involving angelic visitation (19:17) and divine election (3:42) is the definition of Prophethood in the Quran.