What is the miracle in islam? What is the meaning to miracle?
In the dictionary, muʿjizah means “something incapacitating, irresistible, extraordinary, strange and bizarre”. As a term, “muʿjizah or miracle” refers to an extraordinary incident that Allah has created to confirm and support the person whom He has appointed as a prophet, and that people are unable to replicate. The miracle cannot be explained by positive science such as physics, chemistry, and biology. Otherwise, it would cease to be a miracle and would be considered a phenomenon. In the Qur’an, instead of the word muʿjizah, the words ‘ayah, bayyin, and burhān are used. A prophet, for it is deemed necessary at that time, displays a miracle as proof against those who deny him. Basically, it is Allah who creates the miracle through the hands of the prophet so as to support the claim of the prophet that is conveying His message. The greatest miracles carried out by the prophets were observed to be during very important historical events that turned the tide.
1) Major Miracles Given to Previous Prophets
- a) Abraham was thrown into the fire by Nimrod, the ruler of Babylon, and the fire did not burn him.[1]
- b) Saleh brought a camel at the request of the people of Thamud, but they slaughtered the camel despite his warnings, and Allah Almighty destroyed them with a terrible earthquake.[2]
- c) When Ya’qub’s son Yusuf, from whom he had been separated for many years, put his shirt on his father’s face, his eyes that had lost their sight were healed and Ya’qub was able to see again.[3]
- d) The staff in Moses’ hand turned into a snake and swallowed Pharaoh’s magicians’ ropes and sticks[4], when Moses put his hand in his bosom and pulled it out, his hand was completely white[5], and when the enemy nearly caught up with Moses and the Israelites, Moses put his staff in the sea and the sea split and the Israelites passed through safely, but it closed for the Pharaoh and his army who all drowned.[6]
- e) Solomon’s travels back and forth in one single day with the power over the wind that was given to him,[7] the transfer of the famous throne of Queen Balkis in Yemen to Jerusalem in the blink of an eye,[8] the talking bird,[9] and hearing the speech of the ant.[10]
- f) By Allah’s leave, Jesus made a bird out of mud, and when he blew on it, the bird came to life and flew away, Jesus resurrected the dead, cured those who were born blind and had leprosy,[11] had a table arrive from the heavens at the request of the apostles[12] and was informed about the things eaten and stored that were privately found in the houses of the people.[13]
2) Miracles Showing That Muhammad is a Prophet
- a) The greatest miracle of the Prophet is the Qur’an. This is because although the miracles of other prophets ended when their historical period passed, the miracle of the Qur’an will continue until the Day of Judgment. The Prophet said about these miracles: “There was no prophet among the prophets but was given miracles because of which people had security or had belief, but what I was given was the Divine Inspiration which Allah revealed to me. So I hope that my followers will be more than those of any other prophet on the Day of Resurrection.”[14] The Qur’an is a miracle both in word and meaning. It was revealed at a time when Arabic literature was at its peak, and in the Qur’an, they were challenged to make a similar script with content and style, but the astonishing expressions, eloquence, and clarity left the Arabs speechless. In short, all Arab writers and poets were helpless against the Qur’an.[15] The just and humble amongst them accepted Islam, believing the Qur’an to be the word of Allah.
- b) The Miracle of Mi‘rāj (Ascension). About a year and a half before the Migration to Medina, the Prophet made a night journey from Masjid al-Ḥarām in Mecca to al-Masjid al-Aqsā in Jerusalem in a very short part of the night and from there ascended to the heavens.[16]
- c) Splitting the moon into two parts.[17]
- d) The pebble’s conversation with the Prophet.[18]
- e) In the mosque of Medina, the palm log, on which the Prophet (saw) used to deliver his sermons, started to groan when the Prophet started to deliver his sermons by ascending a new pulpit built for him, and the log stopped when the Messenger of Allah touched it with his hand.[19]
- f) On the day of the Battle of Badr, before the Battle the Prophet informed his Companions about who of the enemy soldiers would die, even where and when they were going to die.[20]
- g) Announcement of the outcome of the Battle of Badr with the following verse was revealed in Mecca. “[Yet] the hosts [of those who deny the truth] shall be routed, and they shall turn their backs [in flight].”[21]
- h) During the conquest of Khaybar when a Jewish woman offered fried poisonous mutton to the Prophet in order to kill him, the meat itself informed him that it had been poisoned.[22]
- i) Announcement of the conquest of Mecca with the following verse that was revealed long before the conquest. “Verily He Who ordained the Qur’an for you will bring thee back to the Place of Return (Mecca).”[23]
[1] See al-Anbiya, 21: 58-69.[2] Al-Shuʿarā, 26: 141-158.[3] Yusuf, 12: 92-96.[4] Ṭa Ha, 20: 17-21, 65-70; Al-Aʿrāf, 7: 121-122, See106-120.[5] Ṭa Ha, 20: 22; Al-Naml, 27: 12; al-Qaṣaṣ, 28: 32.[6] Al-Shuʿarā, 26: 61-66.[7] Ṣād, 38: 35, 36; Saba, 34: 12.[8] Al-Naml, 27: 39, 40.[9] Al-Naml, 27: 20-28.[10] Al-Naml, 27: 18, 19.[11] Al-Mā’ida, 5: 110; Āl ʿImrān, 3: 49.[12] Al-Mā’ida, 5: 114, 115.[13] Āl ʿImrān, 3: 49.[14] Al-Bukhari, I’tisam, 1.[15] See al-’Isrā, 17: 88.[16] Al-’Isrā, 17: 1; al-Najm, 53: 13-18.[17] Al-Qamar, 54: 1; al-Bukhari, Manaqib, 27; Muslim, Munafiqūn, 8.[18] Muslim, Faḍā’il, 2.[19] Al-Bukhari, Manaqib, 25.20] Muslim, Jannah, 17.[21] Al-Qamar, 54: 45.[22] Al-Bukhari, Ṭibb, 55; Muslim, Salām, 18; Abu Dawūd, Diyāt, 6.[23] Al-Qaṣaṣ, 28: 85.
Source: Basic Islamic Principles (ʿilmi ḥāl) According to the Four Sunni Schools With Evidence From The Sources of Islamic Law, Prof. Hamdi Döndüren, Erkam Publications