Miracles of Muhammad
The Islamic prophet Muhammad is reported to have performed during his lifetime, miracles, or supernatural acts, according to the Quran, hadith, and biographies of him. Almost all the miracles come from the hadith as the vast majority are either not mentioned or what makes them miraculous is not mentioned in the Quran. Muhammad's miracles encompass a broad range, such as the multiplication of food, manifestation of water, hidden knowledge, prophesies, healing, punishment, and power over nature.
According to historian Denis Gril, the Quran does not overtly describe Muhammad performing miracles, and in several verses describes the Quran itself as Muhammad's miracle. However, several miracles are reported in the Quran and miracles "appear early and often in the hadith" and the hadiths are indispensable in elucidating Muhammad's miracles!
List of miracles
At least according to Kenneth L. Woodward and Abu Ibraheem, Muhammad is believed to have performed numerous miracles during his life.- Quran - The revelation of the Quran is considered by Muslims to be Muhammad's greatest miracle and a miracle for all times, unlike the miracles of other prophets, which were confined to being witnessed in their own lifetimes.
- Splitting of the moon
- Isra and Mi'raj
- The events which occurred during his Hegira :
- *He caused blindness to Qurashite warriors after assembling at his door to assassinate him. He sprinkled a handful of dust on their heads as he recited verses from surah: Ya Sin and went away without being seen by them.
- *It was then that Allah gave permission to Muhammad to migrate. -
- *When Muhammad and Abu Bakr migrated to Medina, Suraqa bin Malik pursued them. When they realized they were discovered, Muhammad looked at Suraqa so his horse sank into the earth. Suraqa then begged Muhammad to rescue him, and Muhammad prayed to Allah for him; hence he was saved.
- Prophecies made by him. This includes:
- *Muhammad telling his companion and son-in-law Uthman, that a calamity would befall him, which would be followed with his entering paradise; this eventuated during Uthman's Caliphate.
- *He told his companion, Ammar ibn Yasir, that the unjust party would kill him; this eventuated during the First Fitna.
- *He predicted to Suraqa bin Malik that he would wear the bracelets of Kosroe.
- *He said that Allah would make peace between two large Muslim groups through his grandson Hasan ibn Ali; this eventuated with the Hasan–Muawiya treaty.
- *He said that a man who was apparently fighting for the Muslim cause would actually be of the people of Hell; this was proven when the man committed suicide in order to remove his suffering following a wound in battle.
- *He said that he would kill one of the enemies of the Muslims, Ubay ibn Khalaf, which he achieved at the Battle of Uhud.
- *Before the Battle of Badr, he showed exactly where each of the enemy chiefs would be killed; they all died in the exact locations stated.
- *He said that his daughter Fatimah would be the first of his family to die after him; which eventuated.
- On several occasions he provided food and water supernaturally.
- He quenched the thirst of thousands of his soldiers during the Battle of Tabouk and enabled them to use water for ablution after causing water to pour forth.
- He caused two trees to move at his command.
- He caused a well to swell with water after he rinsed his mouth with some water and then threw it out into the well. This was during the event of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, enabling his followers with him to drink and use the water for ablution.
- He threw a handful of dust at some of the enemy during the Battle of Hunain, causing them to be blinded. This miracle is mentioned in the Quran, Sura Al-Anfal, Verse 17.
- He caused Abdullah ibn Masud to convert to Islam after he made a barren ewe, which produced no milk, to produce milk.
- He spit into Ali's sick eye, during the Battle of Khaybar, and it became healthy.
- His companions would hear the food before him praising Allah.
- He caused it to rain during a drought in Medina.
- His prayers were instantly answered.
- Stones and trees used to greet him before and during his prophethood.
- He used to understand the language of animals.
- He comforted a palm tree that was crying and upset after he stopped leaning on it during his sermons.
- He had The Seal of Prophethood between his shoulders, specifically on the end of his left shoulder blade, It is depicted as a mole, in size compared to the egg of a partridge or to a pigeon's egg and its color was the same as that of Muhammad's body. It is believed that each prophet sent by Allah had this Seal on a certain part of his body.
- It is reported, that Muhammad did not cast a shadow, interpreted as a sign of his "light".
- When Muhammad ascended Mount Uhud and he was accompanied by Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman. The mountain shook beneath them. Muhammad then hit it with his foot and said, "O Uhud ! Be firm, for upon you there is none but a Prophet, a supporter of truth and two martyrs.
- The same event occurred on Jabal al-Nour in Mecca.
- Muhammad used to hear the voices of persons who were being tortured in their graves.
- When Abu Jahl was going to trample Muhammad's neck or smear his face with dust as he was engaged in prayer, Abu Jahl came near him but turned upon his heels and tried to repulse something with his hands. It was said to him: What is the matter with you? He said: There is between me and him a ditch of fire and terror and wings. Thereupon Muhammad said: If he were to come near me the angels would have torn him to pieces.
- He used to speak to the dead and hear them. It has also occurred with the bodies of the enemy chiefs after the Battle of Badr in the presence of his companions.
- He used to heal the sick and cure the blind by only touching the patient.
- According to Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari, Muhammad's success and victory against his enemies was one of his miracles. Similarly, many modern Muslim historians believe Muhammad's greatest miracles were his worldly accomplishments, in a short time span, in various fields and "the transformation of the Arabs from marauding bands of nomads into world conquerors."
- The day Muhammad came to Medina, everything there became illuminated, and the day he died, everything in Medina became dark.
Disagreement
"In many places the Qur'an stresses the fact that the Prophet Muhammad, despite his being the last and greatest of God's apostles, was not empowered to perform miracles similar to those with which the earlier prophets are said to have reinforced their verbal messages. His only miracle was and is the Qur'an itself - a message perfect in its lucidity and ethical comprehensiveness, destined for all times and all stages of human development, addressed not merely to the feelings but also to the minds of men, open to everyone, whatever his race or social environment, and bound to remain unchanged forever…"
Examples of verses where Muhammad's adversaries call on him to perform miracles without him responding with what they wanted include:
- -- "Why does a sign not come to us?'"
- -- "'Why has no sign been sent down upon him from his Lord?' Say: 'Surely God is able to send down a sign, but most of them know not.'"
- "'Why has a sign not been sent down upon him from his Lord?'"
- -- "The unbelievers say, 'Why has a sign not been sent down upon him from his Lord?' Thou art ONLY a warner, and a guide to every people."