Moses Heard the Speech of Allah

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

Salutations and peace upon you, my master, Apostle of Allah

Allah, holy and exalted is He, spoke directly to Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, without the intermediation of an Angel, as He says:

وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَىٰ تَكْلِيمًا

And Allah spoke to Moses with direct speech

(Surah 4, Ayah 164)

فَلَمَّا أَتَاهَا نُودِيَ مِن شَاطِئِ الْوَادِ الْأَيْمَنِ فِي الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ أَن يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنِّي أَنَا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ

So when he came to it he was called from the right side of the valley in a blessed spot from the tree, "O Moses, I am I, Allah, Lord of the worlds."

(Surah 28, Ayah 30)

And Moses heard the speech of Allah that was revealed to him through wahi:

وَأَنَا اخْتَرْتُكَ فَاسْتَمِعْ لِمَا يُوحَىٰ

And I have chosen you, so listen to that which is inspired to you

(Surah 20, Ayah 13)

The speaking of Allah to Moses through the burning bush is that form of divine speech which a mortal may hear which is termed "from behind a veil" in the Holy Quran:

أَوْ مِن وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ

Or from behind a veil

(Surah 42, Ayah 51)

I believe that Prophet Moses heard the divine speech of Allah at the burning bush, but we cannot comprehend its reality. Just as it is not necessary that Allah's speech consist of sound, it is not necessary that for Moses to have heard Allah's speech he had to have heard an audible voice or sound. Therefore, it is wrong for people to say that Moses did not hear the speech of God, but only heard a created voice expressing the divine speech. Although I do not like him, the misguided Abdullah al-Harari, founder of the Association for Islamic Charitable Projects (AICP) was correct when he said:

ذكر التفتازاني في شرحه على هذه العقيدة أن قولنا لموسى كليمُ الله ليس لأنه سمع الكلام الذاتي إنما معناه سمع صوتا دالًّا على كلام الله تعالى بغير واسطة ملك أو غيره لذلك سُمي كليمَ الله

وهذا غير مستحسن وذكر أنه لا يجوز أن يُسمع ما ليس بصوت وينقلُ هذا عن الماتريدي وينسبه إليه لكن الماتريدي لا يقول إن الكلامَ الذاتي الذي هو غير صوت لا يصح أن يُسمع أما فيما يتعلق بموسى فيحتمل أنه وُجِد ذلك في بعض عبارات الماتريدي فشهروا عنه هذا القول ونحن نقول سماعُ ما ليس بحرف ولا صوت جائزٌ ممكنٌ فكما أنه يصح أن يُسمع الحرف والصوت كذلك يصح سماع الكلام الذي ليس بحرف ولا صوت إذا أزال الله المانعَ من العبد

"Al-Taftazani, in his commentary on this creed [al-Nasafiyyah], stated that when we call Moses the one who spoke with Allah [Kalim Allah] it is not because he heard the divine speech itself, but rather because he heard a voice indicating the speech of Allah Almighty without the mediation of an Angel or anyone else. Therefore, he was called one who spoke with Allah [Kalim Allah]. This is not sound, and he [al-Taftazani] mentioned that it is not permissible to hear what is not a sound. He quotes this from al-Maturidi and attributes it to him. However, al-Maturidi does not say that the divine speech, which is not a sound, cannot be heard. As for what is related about Moses, it is possible that this was found in some of al-Maturidi's statements, and they popularized this statement to him. We say that hearing what is neither a letter nor a sound is permissible and possible. Just as it is possible to hear a letter or a sound, it is also possible to hear speech that is neither a letter nor a sound if Allah removes the impediment from the servant." (al-Matalib al-Wafiyyah Sharh al-Aqidat al-Nasafiyyah, p.120)