MIRACLES GIVEN TO PROPHET MUHAMMAD Part 1 Extracted from The Cure SAHIH-SHEFA by Supreme Justice Abulfadl Eyad, died (1123CE - Islamic Year 544H) Reported by Grand Muhaddith Habib Hafiz Abdullah Ben Sadek Revised by Muhaddith Abdullah Talidi An adaptation by Servant of Hadith, Shaykh Ahmad Darwish (Arabic) Khadeijah A. Stephens (English) Ayesha Nadriya (Indonesian) Copyright © 1984-2011 Allah.com Muhammad.com. All rights reserved. Terms of Service - Copyright/IP Policy – Guidelines The Miracles Given to Prophet Muhammad Together with his Special Characteristics This book was not compiled for the unfortunate who reject the Prophethood of our Beloved Prophet nor the blind, who challenge the validity of the miracles with which he was sent. If it were otherwise, then Judge Eyad says he would have to defend them, and establish their proofs. However, Judge Eyad sets out the preconditions of the miracles, the challenge with its definition, and the invalid statements of those who disclaim them. This book was written primarily for those who believe in the Religion of Prophet Muhammad answer his call, and bear witness to his prophethood, so that it increases their love for him, and affects their way of life, "so that they might add belief upon belief" (48:4). Our intention is to establish the bases of the Prophet's miracles, and well known signs so as to give the reader an insight to the immense value with which Allah has preferred Prophet Muhammad . The miracles and signs presented in this chapter are, in the transmission of hadith terminology, authentic. Added to this is additional information extracted from the famous references of the scholars of Islam. Those who are fair-minded will reflect upon the beautiful things recorded about the Prophet such as his praiseworthy style of life, his noble qualities, the evidence presented demonstrating his very high rank and his quotations, and the truth of his role. This in itself has been the cause for many to embrace Islam and follow him. Abdullah, Shalom's son, who was a Companion of the Prophet and before his conversion been a prominent Rabbi said, "When the Messenger of Allah came to Medina, I went to look at him. When I saw his face I recognized that it was not the face of a liar." The father of Rimtha At-Taymi tells us, "I went to see the Prophet with one of my sons, when he was pointed out to me and I saw him I said, 'This is indeed the Prophet of Allah." Imam Muslim and others reported, Dimad was among a delegation who went to visit the Prophet. The Prophet said to him, "Praise be to Allah! We praise Him and seek His help. No one can misguide whosoever Allah guides, and whosoever He misguides has no guide. I bear witness that there is no god except Allah alone without any associate, and that Muhammad is His worshiper and Messenger." Upon hearing these words, Dimad asked him to repeat them saying, "Your words have reached a depth in my heart, give me your hand, I will give you my allegiance." The Meaning of Prophethood and Messengership Dear reader, as one finds in cases with certain prophets, Allah can bring about direct knowledge about Himself, His Essence, His Names, His Attributes and all of His commands at the same time in the hearts of His worshipers without an intermediary, and one recalls the words of Allah that say, "It does not belong to any human that Allah should speak to him except by Revelation" (42:51). However, it is permitted that knowledge of such matters can reach them by means of an intermediary, if Allah wills, who transmits His words to them. The intermediary may or may not be human, as in the case of prophets they can be angels, or prophets to their nation. Intellectual proof dictates that it is permissible and not impossible. The messengers brought miracles to clearly show they are truthful and thereby necessitate their being confirmed in all they brought because miracles are, for the most part, accompanied by a challenge from the respective prophet. This is rooted in the words of Allah as if He said, "My worshiper has spoken the truth, therefore obey him and follow him." From this example we are made aware that Allah is in fact testifying to the truthfulness of the Prophet . To say more would be to go beyond the purpose of this book. Whosoever wishes to discover more details will find the subject covered in the Islamic references. The Arabic root word for prophet "naba'a", written with the letter "hamza" means "to give news, or to report". The meaning of this has been explained that Allah imparted knowledge of the Unseen to His prophets, and taught each one that he had become His prophet. With this knowledge they were themselves informed, and therefore able to inform and proclaim to others that which Allah had sent to them. Those who read it without the letter "hamza" explain it as derived from the root meaning "that which rises from the earth", which is an indication that prophets have a noble rank and exalted position with their Lord, and both these meanings are applicable to all of the prophets. The Arabic word for "messenger" is "ar-rasul", which means someone who is sent. By being sent he is commanded by Allah to convey the message entrusted to him to his people. "Ar-rasul" is a word derived from succession, in other words one who succeeded another. A messenger bears the obligation to convey the message entrusted to him and there is an obligation upon his people to accept and follow him just as it had been obligatory upon previous peoples to follow the messenger sent to them during their era. There is a difference of opinion about whether "prophet" and "messenger" are one of the same, or are different in their meaning. There are scholars who are of the opinion that they are the same and their root is from "news" and therefore this means "inform". Those who adhere to this opinion quote the verse, "Never have We sent a Messenger or a Prophet before you" (22:52). This verse affirms that both messenger and prophet are sent, thereby a Prophet is a Messenger and the Messenger is a Prophet. It has been said there is one matter in which they are different, however, both entail that of the rank of prophet, which is that they inform people of the Unseen and teach them about the rank of prophethood so that they are able to recognize their exalted rank and follow them. The difference of opinion arises in that a Messenger is entrusted with a message, which is the command to warn and teach, and the proof of this opinion is also extracted from the same verse because of the two titles being kept separate, and if they both bore the same meaning then the question is asked what is the point of repeating them? Those adhering to this opinion interpret the meaning of this verse as being, "Never have We sent a Messenger to a nation nor a Prophet before you, but when he hoped, satan tampered with his hope. But Allah supersedes the tampering of satan and confirms His verses. And Allah is the Knower, the Wise.” (22:52). Some say Messengers were those who brought a new Law and that those who did not were Prophets, but not Messengers. The consensus is that the authentic opinion is that all the Messengers were Prophets but not every Prophet was a Messenger. The first Messenger was Adam and the last Muhammad, peace be upon all of them. Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet informed his Companions that there were approximately 124,000 prophets of whom 313 were messengers. (Shaykh Darwish added: The Arabic word for revelation is "wahy", and its root mean "to hasten". When Allah sends words quickly to His Prophet it is called Revelation, and consists of three types. The first contains the challenge of the Koran which is the Word of Allah without human voicing and letters, the second is the Divine quotations which is the meaning from Allah expressed in the words of the Prophet in which he reports "As Allah said", the third is the Prophetic quotations which is inspiration to the Prophet in his own eloquent, unique words.) A further explanation of "revelation" is from the root word "al-waha" meaning "quickly". It can also mean secrecy, and because of this simple inspiration has been called revelation. This is that which He casts into the heart without an intermediary. Allah says, "We revealed this to Moses' mother" (28:7) – cast in her heart. Allah also says, "It does not belong to any human that Allah should speak to him except by Revelation" (42:52). Which means what Allah puts into the heart without any one between. The Meaning of Miracles One should understand that miracles given to a prophet are classified as being miracles, because they surpass the capability of any human endeavor; they are supernatural. On the other hand, there are things human beings have the potential of doing, but Allah prevents them from their doing, for example no created being is capable of composing the Koran. When the Prophet challenged those who belied him to produce something similar to the Koran, it was in order to demonstrate the incapacity of even the most eloquent of human beings. It is beyond the power of any created being to give life to the deceased, turn a staff into a serpent, bring the she-camel out of the rock, cause a tree to speak, water to flow from between the fingers or split the moon in half. Allah alone is the One capable of such things, and they are among the miracles given by Allah to His prophet's and are brought into being through their hands. The miracles became a challenge to the unbelievers to produce something similar but they failed. One should also be aware the miracles that appeared through the hand of Prophet Muhammad, and other prophets, peace be upon them, were proofs that they were prophets of Allah and signs of their truthfulness, also that they were people who would lead them to Allah. It is because Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger and the Seal of all the prophets, that he was given the most miracles and clearest signs and proofs. His miracles are too numerous to be counted. Each and every verse of the Koran is in itself a miracle, and no one has ever been able to meet the challenge of Allah to produce even a short chapter such as "Al Kawthar", nor yet a single verse similar to those of the Koran. This chapter also has other miraculous properties which we will address later. The miracles given to Prophet Muhammad are of two categories. The first comprises of those that are well known and transmitted through many hands such as the Koran. None can doubt or argue that the Prophet did not deliver it, and it is through him that it appeared, and also that he used it as a proof. As we mentioned earlier the Koran itself is a miracle and contains a multitude of miracles, and the fact that no one can imitate it is indisputable and proven by investigation as we will explain later. A scholar of Islam explained, "This principle is relevant to the signs and the surpassing of normal phenomena that occurred at the hands of the Prophet all of which attain an unquestionable level. Neither believer nor unbeliever disputed the occurrence that these extraordinary matters occurred at his hands. The claim of the unbelievers is that "they were not from Allah." The second consists of matters that do not reach the level of the Koran and this is in itself divided into two types. One is comprised of miracles that are very well-known and transmitted in the form of hadith, and the prophetic events (serah). These are miracles such as the water which flowed from his blessed fingers and a small amount of food becoming plentiful. Then, there are also matters which were made known to just a couple of people, consequently there are only a few transmitters and therefore not as well known or widely reported as the previous type, but they are proven to be authentic and compatible, and both are confirmation of miracles. As for the signs given to the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, which are very well known such as the event of the splitting in half of the moon, this great miracle is recorded in both the Koran and prophetic sayings. Unless there is absolute proof, the literal meaning should never be taken differently. Its occurrence is supported by authenticated reports transmitted from a variety of sources. Therefore one's criteria should be to uphold it, and not be way-laid by the foolishness of weak-minded persons ignorant of the Religion, nor yet should one consider the opinion of innovators who cast doubt in the hearts of believers, rather, one should turn away from such foolishness. The same applies to the miraculous events of the water that flowed from the Prophet's fingers, and the small amount of food becoming plentiful, both of which were witnessed and reported by numerous Companions. Many of the closest Companions also witnessed and reported the occurrence of miracles, for example, those that occurred during the digging of the Trench, Hudaybiyah, Tabuk, as well as during other encounters with the unbelievers. None of the Companions who transmitted these miracles were found to contradict one another either in what the Prophet said or did. Neither did they raise any objections to the statements attributed to them when they were transmitted later. Each of the Companions reported the miracles he witnessed. Their character was, if they heard something that was in general recognized, to speak up, and neither desire nor fear prevented them from doing so. Some reported the Prophetic Way, the Prophet' seerah and the words of the Koran. As for the weak or falsely attributed quotations purported to have been said by the Prophet these too are well documented together with the name of the originating liar and classified accordingly in the science of falsely attributed Prophetic sayings. (Praise be to Allah, I (Darwish) have been blessed to compile the largest collection of falsely attributed hadith which lists the name of each hadith liar. The false hadith are less than 1% of the total of all the authentic hadith.) There are some signs in the prophetic quotations which may have appeared as being somewhat obscure when first spoken. These quotations have been used by those who oppose Islam to undermine and weaken the strength of reports. However, with the passage of time, much to the disappointment of the opposition, these signs have become a reality. The same applies to the reports of the Prophet relating to the Unseen and his prophesy of events which were yet to be made manifest, they can no longer be used as a tool of the opposition. He, Judge Eyad, tells us that everything known to him is verifiable. He also says that should anyone claim these stories only reached us by the report of one person, then that claimant is not well versed in either the reports, transmissions or other sciences. As further proof he also informs us that whosoever studies the chains which link one transmitter to another of either the prophetic quotations or the history of the Prophet cannot fail to validate the reported miracles and it is by no means unlikely for a person to receive knowledge from numerous sources of transmitters. The Challenging Miracles of the Arabic Koran (Shaykh Darwish commented:The following demonstrate the challenge of the Arabic Koran. Because this book is presented for the English seeker, it follows that the Koranic texts have been rendered into English. It is important that one should be aware that he/she cannot even begin to savor the real taste of the compelling beauty of the Arabic Koran with all its facets, let alone its fineries because the English quotations merely endeavor to present an understanding of its meaning because even the most eloquent composition of the English language is not rich enough to do justice to the Words of Allah.) The Arabic Koran has numerous facets which are impossible to imitate. To illustrate the challenge of these aspects they have been placed in four categories. The first aspect illustrates the excellence of the composition of the Koran, the joining together of the structure of its words and the purity of its Arabic because its eloquence is far beyond the reach and capability of even the most adept tongue of any Arab. Allah blessed the Arab nation with a natural gift of language. At the time the Holy Koran was revealed, the Arabs had mastered its linguistic expressions. Its eloquence and exact meaning surpassed that of any nation and had at that time reached its pinnacle of excellence. The language had the capability of touching the very depths of one's heart. To the Arab it was a natural phenomena and part of their character. They wrote poetry that was powerful and arousing, sometimes it was used to praise, at others defame. Such poetry was used to present requests and their like, or to elevate or degrade a matter. Their mastery had reached such a high level that even the intelligent could be deceived, they also used it as a tool to heal longstanding tribal feuds, incite the coward to acts of bravery, persuade the miser to be generous, to make the imperfect perfect and debase society's elite so that they became of little standing. The Arabic language was most rich in expression among the Bedouin who used it in not only in a decisive, rational way but with a superb usage of clarity, and powerful manner. The town-dweller was also skilful in its eloquence, and able to express himself splendidly with just a few words. Both walks of life were capable of expressing matters in an effective and convincing manner that gave them the sharper edge and opened the way. Eloquence was the tool of their leadership, they were capable of speaking on both significant and insignificant subjects, they were indeed masters of expression and exercised words of rare usages. As for their prose and poetry there were many festivals to which people from distant areas would travel to contend or simply listen and enjoy. None but a Messenger from Allah could have caused their wonderment at the Koran's eloquent, truthful, purposeful composition. Allah says, "Falsehood does not come to it from before it or from behind it. It is a sending down from the One, the Wise, the Praised" (41:42). Both its verses and words are exact, distinguished and eloquent. The purity of the Arabic Koran surpasses every other form of Arabic with its conquering conciseness and challenge. In it one discovers the articulation of both concise and metaphorical verses, all of which vie with one another in beauty. One also finds in its conciseness, new expressions that outperform others in their clarity. The excellence of its composition is balanced by its conciseness, and its expressions convey numerous meanings. Arabs are peoples gifted with the greatest capacity of language. They produced not only the most illustrious orators, but most contests were in rhymed prose and poetry, as well as the greatest usage of rare words and expressions in their day-to-day language and a unique way in which to argue. These skilful people were challenged by the Prophet and he admonished them for more than twenty years. Of the stubborn unbelievers who refused to acknowledge the Koran was and still is far superior and surpasses the composition of all the greatest Arab orators Allah says and challenges, "Do they say, 'He has forged it?' Say, 'Compose one chapter like it, and call upon whom you will, other than Allah (to help you), if what you say is true!'" (10:38). And, "If you are in doubt of what We have sent down to Our worshiper (Prophet Muhammad), produce a chapter comparable to it. Call upon your helpers, other than Allah, to assist you, if you are true. But if you fail, as you are sure to fail then guard yourselves against the Fire whose fuel is people and stones, prepared for the unbelievers" (2:23-24). Also, "Say, 'If mankind and jinn combined together to produce the like of this Koran, they would never be able to produce one like it, not even if they were to help one another'" (17:88). And, "Then produce ten forged chapters like it" (11:13). It is much easier to take the words or ideas of another and present them as one's own rather than to originate. Writing something that is false or fabricated is much simpler, whereas when one strives to compose something that has a sound meaning it is difficult, hence the phrase, "So-and-so writes as he is told, but so-and so writes as he wants". Between the first and the second there is a huge gulf, and the first is better than the second. Prophet Muhammad always held the well-being of his nation at heart, and for their own good, he never gave up in his rebuke of those who refused to believe. He would rebuke and warn them in an unrebuttable, compelling manner. He continued to present to them the argument of faith, and so they increased them self in foolishness, self deception, trouble making, lying and fabrication, and many verses in the Koran speak of such. They simply deceived and deluded themselves, and forged, and it is because of this attitude they rejected the Words of Allah. Allah quotes the rebuke of the unbelievers, 'This is no more than traced sorcery; it is nothing but the word of a mortal!' (74:24-25) and "This is but a continuation of sorcery!" (54:2) And "a falsehood he has forged" (25:4). Or, "The tales of the ancient ones." (6:25) They lied and satisfied themselves in their self-deceit. Allah describes the unbelievers with their saying, "Our hearts are covered" (2:88). And, "Our hearts are veiled from that to which you call us, and in our ears there is heaviness, and between us and you is a veil" (41:5). And He refers to the contempt of the unbelievers who said, "Do not listen to this Koran, and talk idly about it so that you might be overcome" (41:26). The arrogant audacity of the unbelievers is recorded in the Koran when they claimed, "If we wished, we could speak its like" (8:31). Allah informs them "you are sure to fail" (2:24). All contenders were rendered completely powerless none were able to fulfill their self-assertive claim. During the life of Prophet Muhammad there was a liar called Musailamah, who laid claim to the prophethood. He attempted to compose verses to rival the Koran but his errors were obvious and thereby his status exposed, and Allah rendered his "fine" words to naught. Had it been otherwise people might not well have realized that the Koran is far above the eloquence of their own expression of pure Arabic. When the people heard the recitation of the Koran they either submitted to it, or were guided, or at least captivated by it. Commenting upon the superlative eloquence of the verse in Arabic that reads, "Allah orders justice, and good deeds and giving to one's kindred." (16:90), Waleed, Mughira's son said, "I swear by Allah it has both sweetness and grace. The least of it is abundant and the highest of it is fruitful, no human being could have said this." Abu Ubaid tells us that the eloquence of the verse, "Proclaim then what you are commanded" (15:94) penetrated the heart of a certain Bedouin whereupon he fell down prostrate and said, "I prostrated on account of its superlative Arabic." Upon another occasion another Bedouin heard the verse, "When they despaired of him, they went in private to confer together" (12:80), and said "I bear witness that no human is capable of these words!" A serving girl was heard speaking eloquently, whereupon Al-Asmay said, "By Allah, how eloquent you are!" The girl replied, "Is what I said considered eloquent after the Words of Allah, "We revealed this to Moses' mother, 'Suckle him, but when you fear for him cast him into the water. Neither fear, nor sorrow because We shall restore him to you and make him among the Messengers'" (28:7). This verse contains two commands, two prohibitions, and two pieces of good news coupled altogether. Also, the planning of Allah is made evident in this verse as the casting of Moses into the water turns to be instrumental in his safety. This challenge of the Arabic Koran is unique and incomparable. This is because firstly, it is a well established fact that it was revealed to the Prophet and it is he who delivered it. Secondly, with it the Prophet challenged the Arabs who were rendered incapable of responding to the challenge. Those Arabs skilful in the knowledge of the eloquence of Arabic and the techniques of rhetoric knew the Koran to be no less than miraculous. Whereas a person who was not adept in the art of the Arabic language was aware that the Koran was a miracle through the inability of the masters of the Arabic tongue to respond to its challenge and had affirmed that no human can imitate its eloquence. We have drawn your attention to many aspects, volumes could be written portraying just a fraction of its benefits, each phrase contains many degrees of meaning, and an overflow of knowledge. Even lengthy narrations about previous generations and nations merge into one another, they are a sign for one to reflect upon the cohesion of its words, its presentation and how its various facets are put in balance, such as one finds in the story of Prophet Joseph. Many of these stories occur in different chapters of the Koran, yet the phrasing varies so much that the story takes on a totally new light, which is part of its beauty. One is never averse to its constant repetition, nor yet disdainful to their hearing over and over again. The Miraculous Composition and Style of the Koran The composition and unique style of the Arabic Koran is yet another facet of the inability of mankind to imitate it. Its revelation presented a style of Arabic very different from the regular usage of Arabic not to mention the highly developed methods of composition, prose and poetry of the Arabs. One finds the divisions of its verses stop and finish whereas the words are woven through to the next, this finery neither existed before nor after its sending, and no one was and ever will be capable to produce anything like it. When the Arabs heard its recitation it they were mystified and their intelligence abandoned them and they surrendered to it. Simply, they had never heard anything so compelling in any form of Arabic either in prose, verse, rhymed prose or poetry. Waleed, Mughira's son, was very knowledgeable of the finer points of Arabic poetry. He had heard the Prophet speak upon several occasions, and was familiar with his rhetoric, but one day he happened to hear the recitation of the Koran by Prophet that convinced him that these were not, and could not be the words of a human being. Abu Jahl, the foremost enemy of the Prophet also heard the recitation and went to Waleed then proceeded to belie the Prophet whereupon Waleed said, "By Allah! None of you have a greater knowledgeable of poetry than I, his (usual) speech cannot be compared to that of the Koran!" As previously mentioned fairs were very well attended occasions and we relate the story of how when the time approached for the annual Koraysh fair many unbelievers became concerned about the effect the recitation of the Koran would have on its attendees. With this in mind the unbelievers met together to agree upon a statement they would all use against the Prophet and thereby be of the same voice. Waleed was among those present at the gathering and when it was suggested they say "He is a soothsayer," Waleed said, "By Allah, he is not a soothsayer! He neither mutters nor speaks in rhymed prose. Another suggested that they say, "He is mad, and possessed by jinn." Waleed retorted saying, "He is neither mad nor is he possessed by jinn, there is neither choking nor yet whispering in his voice." Then they suggested, "He is a poet" to which Waleed replied, "This is not so, we know poetry in all its forms and fineries, he is not a poet." Then they proposed saying, "He is a sorcerer" once again Waleed retorted, "He is not a sorcerer, there is neither blowing nor knots." Frustrated they exclaimed, "What then shall we say!" Waleed told them, "All what you have put forward is false. The closest statement you made is that he is a sorcerer, because magic is something that can come between a man and his son, between brothers, between a man and his wife and a man and his tribe." Undecided on what to say the unbelievers parted company and sat by the roadside to warn people. Thereafter Allah revealed about Waleed, "Leave Me alone with he whom I created" (74:11). On another occasion Utba, Rabi'a's son, who was well educated in the art of language, happened to hear the recitation of the Koran and declared, "People, you are aware that there is nothing I have not learned through its reading and saying. By Allah, I have now heard a form of speech, the like of which I have never heard before. It is neither poetry nor a spell, nor yet is it soothsaying." Abu Dharr, described his brother Anies' expertise as a poet saying, "By Allah, I have never heard of anyone more conversant with poetry than my brother Anies. He competed with twelve other poets during the "Time of Ignorance" of which I was one." Prior to the conversion of Abu Dharr, Anies traveled to Mecca and heard news of the Prophet and his teachings. Upon his return Abu Dharr asked what people said about the Prophet . Anies replied, "They say he is a poet, a soothsayer and a sorcerer, but I have heard soothsayers speak, and his words are unlike them. I compared him to the reciters of poetry and he is not like them. After what I have said no one should fall into error and refer to him as a poet as he is truthful, if they do so then surely they would be liars." These testimonies are but a few amongst the authentic transmissions. The Koran's miraculous uniqueness lies in not only its conciseness and eloquence but in its extraordinary style. The Koran constitutes a different type of challenge which the Arabs were unable to imitate as it was far beyond their ability to do so. The consensus of most scholars is that Koran is different from pure Arabic. Opinions vary in the way in which people are incapable of imitating the Koran. There are those who say it is because it is not within the capacity of humans on account of the strength of its clarity, composition, unique structure and style. Such matters are part of its miraculous nature which surpass the capability of any of creation to imitate, just as it is far beyond a created being to revive the dead, transform a staff into a serpent, or cause pebbles to exalt Allah. Another opinion is that of Shaykh Abul Hasan Al Ashari, who is of the opinion that it could be within the capacity of humans to do so if Allah supports them in its doing, but stresses the fact that Allah prevented them from achieving it and thereby rendered its imitation impossible. This opinion is upheld by several other scholars who base their opinion on two arguments. The first argument made is that it has already been established that the Arabs were incapable of doing so. The argument would not have been valid and held against them if it had not been within the power of created beings to achieve it. The second argument is the fact that they were challenged to try and imitate it. This challenge in itself proves their impotence more effectively and is a substantial factor for their being rebuked. It would not be justifiable to make the challenge if the challenged did not have the capacity to do so. This argument is an overwhelming, definitive argument. The unbelieving Arabs did not have the ability to imitate the Koran and were now forced to swallow their pride and drink from the cup of humility. Had it been in their power it would have been far easier for them to rise to the challenge and produce a verse or a chapter, had they done so their success would have been instant, a definitive victory would have been at their finger tips and their adversary silenced. Try as the Arabs might, even after they had summoned and exhausted all their skills, either individually or collectively, the greatest amongst them were impotent in their attempt to eclipse the Koran and extinguish its light. Despite the individual effort of the unbelievers, their number and combined efforts, they remained stupefied, unable to utter a single word, their senses dulled and their way blocked.