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Level 9 :: Lesson 22

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Miracles of Prophet Muhammad (part 1 of 2)

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Description: Two lessons will explain the nature of miracles and some of the miracles performed by Prophet Muhammad.

Published on 11 Jan 2016 - Last modified on 25 Jun 2019

Printed: 146 - Emailed: 1 - Viewed: 14,542 (daily average: 5)

Objectives

·To learn about why prophets are given miracles by Allah.

·To appreciate that the Quran is a miracle.

·To learn the four aspects of how the Quran is a miracle.

A miracle is what proves the claim of a prophet of Allah. A number of miracles were performed by Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon him, to establish the proof of his prophethood.

The Prophet of Islam said,

”Every prophet was given ‘signs’ because of which people believed in him. Indeed, I have been given the Divine Revelation that Allah has inspired to me. So, I hope to have the most followers of all the prophets on the Day of Resurrection.”[1]

The Miracle of the Quran

Briefly, the miracle of the Quran is in the following aspects:

A. Miracle of the Language

B. Miracle of Future Prophecies

C. Miracle of Internal Consistency

A. Miracle of the Language

The supremacy of Quran’s language cannot be fully conveyed or understood in another language because English lacks parallels and the sophistication of classical Arabic. It is precisely for this reason that a translation of the Quran is not the Quran itself. A translation conveys the meaning to some extent, but can never duplicate the linguistic supremacy of the original Quran. Hence, we are forced to limit our discussion to a few aspects only.

·Inimitability of words & meaning

All Arabic grammar, jurisprudence, wisdom, and philology is based on the Quran. For example, post-Islamic poets would borrow words of the Quran to make their works potent because the Quran was considered rhetorically unsurpassable. The depth, wisdom, and beauty of its content cannot be matched. The difference can be seen by anyone who compares the content of biblical and other religious texts with that of the Quran.

·Inimitability of style (aslub)

The Quran does not follow the rules of poetic rhymes of ancient Arabs, yet the ecstasy it produces is sweeter than poetry. The secret lies in the harmony produced by the arrangement of the words.

When ordinary human beings repeat something, it loses strength and effect. On the other hand, Quranic repetition is equally forceful and meaningful without losing its sweetness.

B. Miracle of Future Prophecies

The Quran made many prophecies that came true. We will limit ourselves to three in this discussion.

The first two prophecies are noteworthy: unlike any other world scripture, the Quran prophesizes its own preservation under divine care.

·Protection of Quran from corruption

The Quran makes a claim no other religious text makes: Allah will keep it safe from textual alteration. Allah says,

“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an and indeed, We will guard it [from corruption].” (Quran 15: 9)

·Ease of Memorizing Quran

Allah has made the Quran easy to memorize,

“And in truth We have made the Quran easy to remember; who, then, is willing to take it to heart?” (Quran 54: 17)

The ease with which the Quran is memorized is inimitable. There is not a single scripture or religious text in the world that is as easy to memorize; even non-Arabs commit it to memory easily.

Not only the words of the Quran have been preserved, but the original sounds of those words have been preserved as well. No other religious text has been preserved in a similar manner – a claim any objective reader can verify for themselves. Thus, the Quran stands inimitable in its mode of preservation over the centuries as prophesizedand promised by Allah Himself.

·Twofold Prophecy

Before the rise of Islam, the Romans and the Persians were two competing superpowers. Romans were led by Heraclius (610–641 CE), a Christian Emperor, whereas the Persians were Zoroastrians led by Khosrow Parviz (reigned 590–628 CE), under whom the empire achieved its greatest expansion.

In 614 the Persians conquered Syria and Palestine, taking Jerusalem and what was believed to be Christ’s Cross, and in 619 occupied Egypt and Libya. In an effort to placate the Avars, Heraclius met them at Thracian Heraclea (617 or 619). They sought to capture him, and he rode madly back to Constantinople, hotly pursued.[2]

The Muslims were grieved by the Roman defeat as they felt spiritually closer to Christian Rome than Zoroastrian Persia, but the Meccans were naturally joyed by the victory of pagan Persia. To Meccans, the Roman humiliation was a sinister omen of Muslim defeat at pagan hands. At the time Allah’s prophecy comforted the faithful,

"The Romans have been defeated - in a land close by; but they, (even) after (this) defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious- within ten years. With Allah is the Decision, in the past and in the future. And on that day shall the believers rejoice with the help of Allah. He helps whom He will, and He is the Mighty, the Most-Merciful.’ (Quran 30: 2-4)

The Quran made a prophecy of two victories:

(i) Future Roman victory within ten years over Persians, something unimaginable at the time.

(ii) Joy of the faithful on their own victory over the pagans.

And so it happened.

In the words of an Indian scholar,

‘…a single line of prophecy was related to four nations and the fate of two great empires. All this proves Holy Quran being the Book of Allah.’

C. Miracle of Internal Consistency

Allah presents internal consistency of the Quran as proof of its divine origin,

“Then do they not reflect upon the Quran? If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.” (Quran 4:82)

A person who is familiar with internal inconsistencies within the Bible, for example, can appreciate the full thrust of this argument. Unlike other religious texts, the Quran’s teachings on Allah, prophet hood, Moses, Jesus, evil, Satan, and afterlife are harmonic and internally consistent.

Footnotes:

[1] Saheeh Al-Bukhari

[2] http://www.britannica.com/biography/Heraclius-Byzantine-emperor

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