<P> Muslims believe that Gabriel brought the word of God to Muhammad verbatim, without any alteration or change . The Quran emphasizes that Muhammad was required only to receive the sacred text and that he had no authority to change it (10.15). It is also believed that God did not make himself known through the revelations; it was his will that was revealed . There is nothing in the Quran that suggests that Muhammad saw God during his revelations . For Muhammad, the revelations were real and he believed the context was objective, but he was only able to describe the experience through metaphorical terms . </P> <P> When asked about the experience of revelation Muhammad reported, </P> <P> "sometimes it is revealed like the ringing of a bell . This form of inspiration is the hardest of them all and then it passes off after I have grasped what is inspired . Sometimes the Angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says ." </P> <P> At times, it was also reported that the experience was painful for Muhammad . For example, he had been heard saying, "Never once did I receive a revelation without thinking that my soul had been torn away from me ." </P>

Who was responsible for issuing the first authoritative edition of the quran