Claim: Allah stopped speaking after the death of Waraqa ibn Nawfal.

 Claim: Allah stopped speaking after the death of Waraqa ibn Nawfal.

In early Islamic sources, Waraqa ibn Nawfal—Khadijah’s cousin and a learned Christian—played a decisive role at the beginning of Muhammad’s prophetic experience. After the first alleged revelation in the cave of Hira, Muhammad was frightened and confused. Khadijah took him to Waraqa, who interpreted the experience and reassured him by identifying the being encountered as the same spirit who came to Moses.

Significantly, shortly after Waraqa’s death, the Islamic sources themselves record a complete cessation of revelation (fatrat al-wahy). During this period, Muhammad received no messages, became deeply distressed, and even contemplated suicide according to early reports. Revelation only resumed later, without Waraqa’s presence.

Theological and Historical Implication

From a critical perspective, this raises a serious question:

• If Allah is eternal, omniscient, and independent, why would divine communication cease immediately after the death of a human interpreter?

• Why would “revelation” require reassurance, explanation, and validation from a Christian figure before continuing?

The pause after Waraqa’s death strongly suggests that the early formation and continuation of the message was dependent on human mediation, rather than on a consistently self-authenticating divine source.

Contrast with Biblical Revelation

In contrast, the Bible presents God as continuously speaking across generations—before, during, and after prophets—without dependence on a single human validator:

“The word of the LORD endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

Biblical revelation does not collapse or pause because a single counselor or interpreter dies; it is grounded in God’s unchanging nature, not human scaffolding.

Conclusion

The historical silence following Waraqa’s death is not a minor detail. It challenges the claim of uninterrupted, self-sustaining divine revelation and points instead to human influence at the foundation of early Islam.