Islamic view of miracles
Encyclopedia
Miracle in the Qur'an
can be defined as a supernatural intervention in the life of human beings. According to this definition, miracle
s are present "in a threefold sense: in sacred history
, in connection with the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
himself and in relation to revelation." The Qur'an does not use the technical Arabic
word for miracle (Muʿd̲j̲iza) literally meaning "that by means of which [the Prophet] confounds, overwhelms, his opponents". It rather uses the term Ayah
(literally meaning sign
). The term Ayah is used in the Qur'an in the above mentioned threefold sense: it refers to the "verses" of the Qur'an (believed to be the divine speech in human language
; presented by Muhammad as his chief miracle); as well as to miracles of it and the signs( particularly those of creation).
In order to defend the possibility of miracles and God's
omnipotence
against the encroachment of the independent secondary causes, medieval Muslim theologians
rejected the idea of cause and effect
in essence, but accepted it as something that facilitates humankind's investigation and comprehension of natural processes. They argued that the nature was composed of uniform atoms that were "re-created" at every instant by God. Thus if the soil was to fall, God would have to create and re-create the accident of heaviness for as long as the soil was to fall. For Muslim
theologians, the laws of nature were only the customary sequence of apparent causes: customs of God.
(Adem
) as he was not supposed to convince anybody. Sura
(verse) 11 (Hūd
) and 23 (Al-Mu’minoon) mention miracles of Noah
(Nuh), "The oven (tannur) out of which the water burst and announced the flood". Hud
, the first of five Arabian
prophets of the Qur'an, prophet for the ancient tribe of [[ʿĀd]] does not have any particular miracle (thus according to historian Denis Gril prefiguring Muhammad). See sura 7 (Al-A'raf
) for his response when he was rebuked for not producing a miracle.
. However, Muslim tradition credits Muhammad with several supernatural events. For example, many Muslim commentators and some western scholars have interpreted the sura 54 (Al-Qamar
) to refer to Muhammad splitting the Moon
in view of the Quraysh when they had begun to persecute his followers. This tradition has inspired many Muslim poets
, especially in India
.
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
can be defined as a supernatural intervention in the life of human beings. According to this definition, miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s are present "in a threefold sense: in sacred history
Sacred history
The term sacred history is sometimes used in theology for the parts of the Torah narrative on the boundary of historicity, especially the Moses and Exodus stories which can be argued to have a remote historical nucleus without any positive evidence to the effect.In a wider sense, the term is used...
, in connection with the Islamic prophet
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
himself and in relation to revelation." The Qur'an does not use the technical Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
word for miracle (Muʿd̲j̲iza) literally meaning "that by means of which [the Prophet] confounds, overwhelms, his opponents". It rather uses the term Ayah
Ayah
Ayah or Aayah is the Arabic word for sign or proof:"These are the Ayat of Allah, which We recite to you with truth...
(literally meaning sign
Omen
An omen is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change...
). The term Ayah is used in the Qur'an in the above mentioned threefold sense: it refers to the "verses" of the Qur'an (believed to be the divine speech in human language
Natural language
In the philosophy of language, a natural language is any language which arises in an unpremeditated fashion as the result of the innate facility for language possessed by the human intellect. A natural language is typically used for communication, and may be spoken, signed, or written...
; presented by Muhammad as his chief miracle); as well as to miracles of it and the signs( particularly those of creation).
In order to defend the possibility of miracles and God's
God in Islam
In Islamic theology, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently One , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic...
omnipotence
Omnipotence
Omnipotence is unlimited power. Monotheistic religions generally attribute omnipotence to only the deity of whichever faith is being addressed...
against the encroachment of the independent secondary causes, medieval Muslim theologians
Islamic theology
Islamic theology is a branch of Islamic studies regarding the beliefs associated with the Islamic faith. Any religious belief system, or creed, can be considered an example of aqidah. However, this term has taken a significant technical usage in Islamic history and theology, denoting those...
rejected the idea of cause and effect
Causality
Causality is the relationship between an event and a second event , where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first....
in essence, but accepted it as something that facilitates humankind's investigation and comprehension of natural processes. They argued that the nature was composed of uniform atoms that were "re-created" at every instant by God. Thus if the soil was to fall, God would have to create and re-create the accident of heaviness for as long as the soil was to fall. For Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
theologians, the laws of nature were only the customary sequence of apparent causes: customs of God.
Definition
A systematic definition of miracles performed by apostles can be found in the work of the Muslim scholar al-Īd̲j̲ī Mawāḳif, historian A.J. Wensinck states. The main purpose of miracle is to prove the sincerity of the apostle and has to satisfy the following conditions:- It must be performed by God
- "It must be contrary to the usual course of things"
- It should be impossible to contradict it
- "It must happen at the hands of him who claims to be an apostle
- "It must be in conformity with his announcement of it, and the miracle itself must not be a disavowal of his claim"
- "It must follow on his claim"
Sacred history
The Qur'an does not mention any miracle for AdamAdam
Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
(Adem
Islamic view of Adam
Adam is one of the most important figures in the history of the Islamic faith, as he is believed by most Muslims to have been the first human being and the first prophet. Adam's role as the father of the human race is looked upon by Muslims with reverence, who also venerate his wife, Eve, as the...
) as he was not supposed to convince anybody. Sura
Sura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
(verse) 11 (Hūd
Hud (sura)
Sura Hud is the 11th chapter of the Qur'an with 123 verses. It is a Makkan sura.-Contents and themes:...
) and 23 (Al-Mu’minoon) mention miracles of Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
(Nuh), "The oven (tannur) out of which the water burst and announced the flood". Hud
Hud (prophet)
Hud is the name of a prophet of ancient Arabia, who is mentioned in the Qur'an. The eleventh chapter of the Qur'an, Hud, is named after him, though the narrative of Hud comprises only a small portion of the chapter.-Historical context:...
, the first of five Arabian
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
prophets of the Qur'an, prophet for the ancient tribe of [[ʿĀd]] does not have any particular miracle (thus according to historian Denis Gril prefiguring Muhammad). See sura 7 (Al-A'raf
Al-A'raf
Sura Al-A'raf is the seventh chapter of the Qur'an, with 206 verses. It is a Meccan sura. Its final verse, verse 206, requires a sajdah, or prostration.-Verses:...
) for his response when he was rebuked for not producing a miracle.
Muhammad
According to historian Denis Gril, the Qur'an does not overtly describe Muhammad performing miracles. The supreme miracle of Muhammad is finally identified with the Qur’an itselfQur'an and miracles
Muslims consider the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, as the word of God and a miracle. The Qur'an claims that it has been created miraculously as a revelation from Allah , as a perfect copy of what was written in heaven and existed there from all eternity. Therefore the verses of the book are...
. However, Muslim tradition credits Muhammad with several supernatural events. For example, many Muslim commentators and some western scholars have interpreted the sura 54 (Al-Qamar
Al-Qamar
Surat Al-Qamar is the 54th sura of the Quran with 55 ayat. Some verses refer to the Splitting of the moon. "Qamar" , meaning "'Moon" in Arabic, is also a common name among Muslims.-Arabic Text:...
) to refer to Muhammad splitting the Moon
Splitting of the moon
The splitting of the moon was a miracle performed by Muhammad in Islamic tradition. The incident is mentioned in Muslim traditions as the context of revelation for the Qur'anic verse where some Muslim commentators accept the historicity of the miracle and some reject it..Early traditions...
in view of the Quraysh when they had begun to persecute his followers. This tradition has inspired many Muslim poets
Islamic poetry
Islamic poetry is poetry written by Muslims on the topic of Islam. Islamic poetry has been written in many languages.-Islamic poetry in different languages:* Arabic poetry* Bengali poetry* Persian poetry* Punjabi poetry* Turkish poetry* Urdu poetry...
, especially in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.