Miracle of The Prophet

All the miracles, which were given to all the prophets, were time related. They cannot be seen by the present generation. For instance Moses was given the miracle of splitting the sea and transforming the stick into snake. During the period of Moses, magicians were the most powerful in their society, and Allah gave the miracle to Moses that overpowered the magicians of that period. Similarly, during the period of Jesus the physicians were powerful in the society, but they had no cure for blindness, leprosy and death. Jesus was given the miracle to cure the blind and the lepers and revive the dead and overpowered the physicians of his time. These are mentioned in the Quran and we do believe in them, yet we cannot see them happening now.

 

The Prophet peace be upon him was born at a time when literature was at a very high standard in the Arabian Society. Yet those poets and people well versed in the Arabic language who keenly tried their very best, could not produce a single verse as compared to the Quran that was revealed through the tongue of an illiterate person. This Quran is now in our hands and until today the challenge, to produce a single verse like it still remains unanswered.

 

When reading the Quran in Arabic, the feeling one has is different than reading it in any other language. As such the translation is not sufficient enough to convey the noble and lofty meanings of the Quran as it would in Arabic. Thus, the non-Arabic speakers will find it little bit difficult to appreciate and savor the linguistic miracle of the Quran. Yet, even today we find men moved to tears when listening to the verses of the Holy Quran in any language especially after they understand the meanings of the verses.

 

The linguistic Miracles of the Quran: We have mentioned previously that at the time the Quran was revealed Arabs were a nation with a pure language of high linguistic skill. They love to listen to poets as well as literature and prose. Among them were poets and eloquent speakers attesting that communication skill is part of their culture. The Quran was revealed in an exceptional form of fluency that overpowered those people, and it challenged them to produce one chapter equivalent to that of its content. The poets not only failed to meet the challenge, they could not even produce a single verse. This challenge will stay till the day of judgement. It is worth mentioning here that even though some of the Arabs did not believe that it was revealed from Allah, they still admitted that it was a unique book.

 

We can say that the eloquence of the Quran appears in the following areas:

 

Articulations of its words. Every word was situated in its proper place in such a way that no other word can be substituted instead.

 

Perfect, beautiful, and exquisite composition of the sentences.

 

Perfectly composed beautiful wordings consisting of correct and great meanings, prescribing the essential guidance to the human beings, inviting them to the worship of Allah and to be obedient to His commandments. They clarify the way of worship, Halal from Haraam, good morals against bad manners, information on decades of history, warning of the day of judgement etc.

 

A person who reads the Quran will never be bored in spite of reading it repeatedly. Every piece of literature without exceptional eloquence has a limit in enjoyment for the reader in terms of the number of times he reads it. A person can memorize the Quran when young or read it in his old age. Yet every time he reads it, he feels that he is reading it for the first time in his life, as the Quran gives out more meanings and explanations every time a person reads it. This is true whether a person reads it in its original form, which means in Arabic or in its translation.

 

The Quran gathers wide meaning in one single, short summarized form.

 

Verily Allah enjoins Al-adl (i.e. Justice and worshipping none but Allah alone Islamic monotheism) and Al-Ihsan (i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allah, totally for Allahs sake and in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet peace be upon him in a perfect manner), and giving (help) to kith and kin; and forbids Al-Fahsga (i.e. all evil deeds) and al-Munker (i.e. all that is prohibited by Islamic law) and al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression). He admonishes you, that you may take heed.

 

[Qur'an 16:90]

 

See how Allahs commands are given in this single verse, giving moral teachings prohibiting bad morals.

 

The other is when Allah said about Moses, commanding the mother of Moses to throw away the child in the water and the assurance that Allah will bring him back as the prophet to the people of Pharaoh.

 

So we sent this inspiration to the mother of Moses: suckle him (Moses), but when you fear for him, then cast him into the river and fear not, nor grieve. Verily, We shall bring him back to you, and shall make him one of (Our) Messengers.

 

[Qur'an 28:7]

 

This sentence contains two glad tidings, two commandments and assurances.

 

The Quran has wonderful and marvelous spiritual effect on everyone who hears it. The non-believers felt the fear and warnings seeping when they heard it recited unto them.

 

While reading the Quran, you will feel deep inside you that whoever said these verses has knowledge of what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, and knows about the previous nations, clearly describing what is in your soul. You will feel that He is the creator of this universe and He is talking to you. Should He, who created not know, and He is the most kind and courteous? You will feel that these words you are reading are very close to your nature signifying that such words cannot be man made.

 

Taking into account all the previous points, you realize that Allah has revealed His words to Muhammad peace be upon him who is an illiterate person. "Read" [Qur'an 29:48]. It is a sign of his Prophethood that he is an illiterate person. The knowledge he preached to his people, is not the kind of knowledge disseminated through reading and research. It is a knowledge that can only come from the creator of the universe.

 

These days we read a lot of books found in libraries around the world, talking about the Quran being revealed to this illiterate person.

 

If we deeply look into all these things together, we reach the conclusion that putting together all these things and arranging them in the proper order is beyond the reach of a human being. For this reason, those who reject the Quran said, that it is plain poetry. Some said it was magic and some said it was all about fables and legends, yet they could not even produce a single sentence as appearing in the Quran.

 

QUR'AN FORTELLING OF THE UNSEEN

 

During the time of the Prophet peace be upon him the two powerful empires in the known world were the Romans and the Persians who were worshiping the fire. Due to fluctuating chances, the Persians emerged more powerful and the Romans were defeated in several fronts. Nobody dared to suggest that the Romans, who lost JeruPeace Be Upon Himem to the Persians in 614/15 and whose kingdom had shrunk immensely, could fight against the Persians let alone defeat them. During this critical time, Surah Ar-Rome (30) Verses 2-6 were revealed wherein it was prophesied that the Romans will be victorious within three to nine years. The Makkan Arabs were hilarious at these revelations, but seven years later events turned out that the Roman defeated the Persians. What is equally stunning, the prophecy says, On that day the believers would also be victorious, and simultaneously the Muslims were celebrating over the Quraish in the Battle of Badr, as Hingora says,

 

Accordingly, this prophecy was exactly fulfilled when Heraclius defeated the Persian at the decisive battle of Issus in 633 C.E. Romans victoriously entered the heart of Persia in 624 C.E exactly in the same year the Muslims gained victory over the Meccan Pagans at Badr and the Believers rejoiced on that day as prophesied in the Quran.

 

Quran also foretold the victory over Makkah at a time when the hearts of the believers were gloomy, and even some of the prominent companions were in tears at the conclusion of Hudhaibiya agreement. The terms of the pact at first glance looked as if the Muslims have agreed to the dictates of the non-believers and they were all in grief. The Quran prophesied to strengthen the hearts of the Muslims:

 

Indeed Allah shall fulfill the true vision which He showed to His Messenger peace be upon him [i.e. the Prophet peace be upon him saw a dream that he has entered Makkah along with his companions, having their (head) hair shaved and cut short] in very truth. Certainly, you shall enter al Masjid al Haram; if Allah wills, secure (Some) having your heads shaved, and (some) having your hair cut short, having no fear. He knew what you knew not, and He granted besides that a near victory.

 

[Chapter Al-Fath: 48 Verse 27]

 

Another example appears in chapter 111:1-4 where Quran states explicitly that Abu Lahab, the uncle of the Prophet peace be upon him would die a disbeliever. Concerning Abu Lahab, Thomas Patrick Hughes writes:

 

He was the most bitter enemy of the Prophet peace be upon him, and opposed the establishment of Islam to the utmost of his power. When Muhammad peace be upon him received the command to admonish his relations, he them all together and told them he was a warner sent unto them before a grievous chastisement. Abu Lahab rejected his mission, and cried out, Mayest thou perish! Has thou called us together for this? and took up stone to cast at him whereupon the sixth sura of the Quran was produced.

 

Abu Lahab died as a disbeliever 11 years after the Quranic revelation. In view of the fact that he was Muhammads bitterest enemy, logic and experience suggest that it is unwise to make such a declaration, for Abu Lahab could have very easily disproved the Quran by pretending to believe. Why did Abu Lahab waste this golden opportunity? What made Muhammad peace be upon him so certain that even in ten years Abu Lahab would not exploit this tempting opportunity? At any rate experience does not include knowledge of the future.

 

EMBRACING ISLAM AFTER HEARING THE RECITATION OF THE QUR'AN

 

Quran has the unique ability to attract and influence the minds of any person who hears its recitation, especially upon those whose mother tongue is Arabic. The incidents of people who could not resist the melodious recitation of the Quran and its true meanings are numerous. They all ended up as Muslims. This is no exaggeration when we remember that Abu Jahl who insisted that the recitation of the Quran would influence the minds of youths, found out that he could not resist listening to it himself in secret.

 

Following are some of the true stories of people who became Muslims only on listening to its recitation:

 

1.THE MUSLIM ENVOY TO MADINAH

 

After the Pledge of Aqabah (in the form of an oath had been taken), the Prophet peace be upon him sent Musab bin Umair Aal-Abdari, the first Muslim ambassador to Yathrib (Madinah). His task was to teach the people there the doctrines of Islam, give them practical guidance and make attempts at propagating Islam among those who still professed polytheism. Asad bin Zurarah was the host to him in Madinah. So well prepared was the ground and so zealous was the propagation, that Islam spread rapidly from house to house and from tribe to tribe. There were various cheerful and promising aspects of success that characterized Musabs task. One day Musab and Asad were on their way to the habitations of Bani Abd Al-Ashhal and Bani Zafar, when they went into the premises of the latter clan. There they sat near a well conversing with some new converts. Sad bin Muadh and Usaid bin Hudair, chiefs of the two clans heard of this meeting, so Usaid approached the Muslims armed with his lance while the other Sad excused himself on grounds that Asad was his maternal cousin. Usaid came cursing and swearing and accused the two men of fooling the people weak of heart, and ordered that they stop it altogether. Musab calmly invited him to sit saying, If you are pleased with our talk, you can accept it; should you hold it in abhorrence, you could freely immunize yourself against what you hate. Thats fair, said Usaid, pierced his lance in the sand, listened to Musab and then heard some verses of the Noble Quran. His face showed satisfaction and pleasure before uttering any word of approval. He asked the two men about the procedures pertinent to embracing Islam. They told him to wash and clean himself, change his garment, bear witness to the Truth and then perform two Raka. He responded and did exactly what he was asked to do, and then said there was a man (Sad bin Muadh) whose people would never hold back if he followed Islam. He then left to see Sad and his people. Sad could immediately understand that Usaid had changed. To a question posed by Sad, Usaid said that two men were ready to comply with whatever orders they received. He then managed a certain situation that provided the two men with a chance to talk with Sad privately. The same thing with Usaid was repeated and Sad embraced Islam, and directly turned to his people swearing that he would never talk with them until they had believed in Allah and in His Messenger. Hardly did the evening of the day arrive when all the men and women of that sect of Arabs embraced Islam with the exception of one, Al-Usairim, who hung back until the Day of Uhud. On that day he embraced Islam and fought the polytheists but was eventually killed before observing any prostration in the prayer. The Prophet commented saying: He has done a little but his reward is great.

 

2. UMAR BIN AL-KHATTAB

 

One day, Umar bin Al-Khattab set out from his house, and headed for the Holy Sanctuary where he saw the Prophet peace be upon him offering prayer and overheard him reciting the Surah Al-Haqqah (Chapter 69 The Reality) of the Noble Quran. The Words of Allah appealed to him and touched the innermost crevices of his heart. He felt that they are derived from an unusual composition and he began to question his peoples allegation as regards the man-composed poetry or words of a soothsayer that they used to attach to the Noble Quran. The Prophet went on to recite:

 

That this is verily the word of an honored (i.e. Gabriel or Muhammad peace be upon him which he has brought from Allah). It is not the word of a poet; little is that you believe! Nor is it the word of a soothsayer (or a foreteller), little is that you remember! This is the Revelation sent down from the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).

 

[69:40-43]

 

At that very moment, Islam permeated his heart. However, the dark layer of pre-Islamic tendencies, the deep-seated traditional bigotry as well as the false pride in his forefathers overshadowed the essence of the great Truth that began to discover its way reluctantly into his heart. He, therefore, persisted in his atrocities against Islam and its adherents unmindful of the pure and innate feeling that lay behind the fragile cover of pre-Islamic ignorance and mentality. His sharp temper and excessive enmity towards the Prophet peace be upon him led him one day to leave his house, sword in hand, with the intention of killing the Prophet peace be upon him. He was in a fit of anger and was fretting and fuming. Nuaim bin Abdullah, a friend of Umar, met him accidentally half way. What had caused so much excitement in you and on whom was the fury to burst he inquired casually. Umar said furiously; To destroy the man Muhammad peace be upon him the apostate, who has shattered the unity of Quraish, found false and weaknesses in their religion, found folly with their wise men and blasphemed their gods. Umar, I am sure, your soul has deceived you, do you think that Banu Abd Munaf would let you walk on earth if you slain Muhammad peace be upon him? Why dont you take care of your own family first and set them right? Which of the folk of my house? asked Umar angrily. Your brother-in-law and your sister have apostatized (meaning to say: They have become followers of Muhammad peace be upon him and abandoned your religion.) Umar directed his footsteps to his sisters house. As he drew near, he heard the voice of Khabbab bin Aratt, who was reading the Quranic Chapter Ta-Ha (mystic letters, T.H.) to both of them. Khabbab, perceiving the sound of his footsteps retired to a closet. Fatimah, Umars sister, took hold of the leaf and hid it. But Umar had already heard the voice. What was the sound I have just heard? shouted the son of Khattab, entering angrily. Both his sister and her husband replied, You heard nothing. Nay, said he swearing fiercely, I have heard that you have apostatized. He plunged forward towards his brother-in-law and beat him severely, but Fatimah rushed to the rescue of her husband. Thereupon, Umar fell upon his sister and struck upon her head. The husband and wife could not contain themselves and cried aloud: Yes, we are Muslims, we believe in Allah and His Messenger Muhammad peace be upon him so do what you will. When Umar saw the face of his dear sister smeared with blood, he was softened and said: Let me see what you were reading, so that I may see what Muhammad peace be upon him has brought. Fatimah was satisfied with the assurance, but said: O brother, you are unclean on account of your idolatry, none but the pure may touch it. So go and wash first. He did so, and took the page and read the opening verses of the Chapter Ta-Ha until he reached:

 

Verily! I am Allah! La ilaha illa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I), so worship Me and offer prayers perfectly (Iqamat-as-Peace Be Upon Himat), for My Remembrance.

 

[Chapter 20: verse 14.]

 

Umar read the verses with great interest and was much entranced with them. How excellent it is, and how graceful! Please guide me to Muhammad peace be upon him. said he. And when he heard that, Khabbab came out of concealment and said, O Umar, I hope that Allah has answered the prayer of the Prophet peace be upon him, for I heard him say: O Allah! Strengthen Islam through either Umar bin Al-Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hasham. Umar then left for the house in Safa where Muhammad peace be upon him had been holding secret meetings along with his Companions and reached the place with the sword still swinging in his arm. He knocked at the door. The Companions of the Prophet peace be upon him turned to see who the intruder was. One of them peeped through a chink in the door and reeled back exclaiming: It is Umar with his sword. Hamzah, dispelling the fears of his friends, said: Let him in. As a friend he is welcome. As a foe, he will have his head cut off with his own sword. The Prophet asked his Companions to open the door. In came the son of Khattab. The Prophet advanced to receive the dreadful visitor, caught him by his garment and scabbard, and asked him the reason of his visit. At that Umar replied: O Messenger of Allah peace be upon him I come to you in order to believe in Allah and his Messenger and that which he has brought from his Lord. Filled with delight, Muhammad peace be upon him together with his Companions, cried aloud: Allahu Akbar (Allah is Great).

 

3. DHUMAD AL-AZDI

 

He came from Azd Shanua in Yemen, specialist in incantation. He arrived in Makkah to hear the fools there, say that Muhammad peace be upon him was out of his mind. He decided to practice his craft on the Prophet peace be upon him, who on seeing him said: Praise is to Allah, we entertain His praise and seek His help. Whomsoever Allah guides none will lead astray, and whomsoever Allah leads astray, none will guide. I testify there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. Dhumad heard the words and requested the Prophet peace be upon him to repeat them again, and he was granted his wish thrice. Here he said: I have heard the soothsayers, sorcerers and poets, but never have I experienced the sweetness of your words. He then gave a pledge of a sincere convert.

 

4. SWAID BIN SAMIT

 

He was an intelligent discreet poet from Yathrib (Madinah). During his stay in Makkah for pilgrimage (or lesser pilgrimage), he encountered the Prophet peace be upon him who invited him to embrace Islam. At this invitation, Swaid imparted to the Prophet some sound words from Luqmans wisdom. The Prophet approved of that wisdom but told the man that he had something far better. He recited some verses from the Quran, the man listened meditatively and the words appealed to his originally pure nature and accepted Islam as his faith at once. He was killed in the battle of Buath in the eleventh year of the Prophethood of Muhammad peace be upon him.

 

5. EYAS BIN MU'ADH

 

He was still in his youth from Aws tribe. He came as a member of a delegation seeking alliance with Quraish against another rival tribe dwelling in Madinah, Al-Khazraj. The Prophet met and advised them to follow a better course than what they had in mind. He introduced himself, told them about Islam, explained to them of his mission and recited some verses from the Noble Quran. Eyass heart immediately absorbed the Divine Message and agreed with the Prophet peace be upon him. Abul Haisar Anas bin Rafi a member of the delegation disapproved of the boys behavior and silenced him by hurling some dust into his face. The people then left Madinah after having failed in establishing alliance with Quraish. Shortly after arrival in Madinah, the boy breathed his last acclaiming Allahs Name and celebrating His Glory.

 

SOME SAYINGS ABOUT "THE NOBLE QUR'AN"

 

1. UTBAH SAYING'S ABOUT THE QUR'AN

 

One day Utbah bin Rabia, a chief among the Makkan Quraishi leaders was selected to offer some incentives to Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him in order to give up his new religion. He went to the Prophet peace be upon him and said, We have seen no other person who has brought a calamity to our nation as you have done. You have ridiculed our gods and our religion and denounced our forefathers and wise men with impiety and error. You have created strife among us, and estranged our relations. If you are doing all these things to gain wealth, we will collect and give you the greatest riches than any Quraishi ever possessed. If your ambition is for leadership, we will make you our king. If you are under the power of an evil spirit, we will call the best physician to cure you. We will do all these if you agree to stop proclaiming your new faith Have you said all? asked Muhammad peace be upon him and then hearing that all had been said, he spoke forth, and said:

 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. Ha-Mim. A revelation from Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. A Book whereof the verses are explained in detail - a Quran in Arabic for people who know. Giving glad tidings {of Paradise to the one who believes in the Oneness of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) and fears Allah much (performing all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)}, and warning (of punishment in the Hell-fire to the one who disbelieves in the Oneness of Allah), but most of them turn away, so they listen not. And they say, our hearts are under coverings (screened) from that to which you invite us

 

[Qur'an 41: 1-5]

 

The Messenger of Allah peace be upon him went on reciting the Chapter while Utbah sat listening attentively with his hand behind his back to support him. The Messenger reached the verse that required prostration and prostrated. After that, he turned to Utbah saying: Well Abu Al-Waleed! You have heard my reply, you are now free to do whatever you please. Utbah then returned to his company to apprise them of the Prophets attitude. When his compatriots saw him, they swore that he had returned to them with a countenance unlike the one he had before meeting the Prophet peace be upon him. He related to them the details of the talk he had and the reply he received, and added: I have never heard words similar to those he recited. They definitely relate neither to poetry nor to witchcraft nor are they derived from soothsaying. O people of Quraish! I request you to heed my advice and grant the man full freedom to pursue his goals, in which case you could safely detach yourselves from him. I swear that his words bear a supreme Message. Should the other Arabs rid you of him, they will then spare you the trouble. On the other hand if he ascends to power over the Arabs, then you will bask in his kingship and share with him in his might. These words of course fell on deaf ears and did not appeal to the infidels, who jeered at Utbah and claimed that the Prophet peace be upon him had bewitched him.

 

2. AL-WALEED BIN AL-MUGHERAH SAYING ABOUT THE QUR'AN

 

The proclamation of the call to Islam had only been a few months old when the season of pilgrimage was soon to come. The Quraish knew that Arab delegates were coming within a short time. They agreed that it was necessary to device a plan that was bound to keep the Arab pilgrims away from the new faith preached by Muhammad peace be upon him. They went to see Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah to discuss this issue who suggested that agree on a resolution that could enjoy the approval of all of them. However, they were at variance. Some suggested that they describe Muhammad peace be upon him as a soothsayer; but this suggestion was turned down on the grounds that his words were not so rhymed. Others proposed Majnun, i.e., possessed by jinn; this was also rejected because no insinuations peculiar to that state of mind were detected, they claimed. Why not say he is a poet? Some said. Here again they could not reach a common stand, alleging that his words were totally outside poetry. OK. Then let us accuse him of practicing witchcraft, was a fourth suggestion. Here also Al-Waleed showed some reluctance saying that the Prophet peace be upon him was known to have never involved himself in the practice of blowing on the knots and admitted that his speech was like a sweet tasting root and branch. He however, found that the most plausible charge to be leveled against Muhammad peace be upon him was witchcraft. The ungodly company agreed to propagate one uniform formula projecting that Muhammad peace be upon him was a magician so powerful and commanding in his art that he would successfully alienate sons from fathers, brothers from brothers, wife from her husband and man from his clan. It is noteworthy in this regard to say that Allah revealed sixteen verses as regards Al-Waleed and the cunning method he devised to misguide the people expected to arrive in Makkah for pilgrimage. Allah says:

 

Verily, he thought and plotted. So let him be cursed. How he plotted, and once more let him be cursed, how he plotted. Then he thought, then he frowned and he looked in a bad tempered way. Then he turned back and was proud. Then he said, This is nothing but magic from that of old; this is nothing but the word of human being.

 

[Qur'an 74:18-25]

 

3.THE STORY OF THE STAR

 

In Ramadan of the same year, the Prophet peace be upon him went into the Holy Sanctuary where there was a large host of Quraish polytheists, including some notables and celebrities. Suddenly he began reciting Sura An-Najm (Chapter 41 The Star). The awe-inspiring Words of Allah descended upon them and immediately stunned them. It was the first time for them to be shocked by the truthful revelation. It had formerly been the favorite trick of those people who wished to dishonor revelation, not only not to listen to it, but also to talk loudly and insolently when it was being read, so that even the other listeners may not be able to hear it. They used to think that they were drowning the voice of Allah; in fact, they were piling up misery for themselves, for Allahs Voice can never be silenced.

 

And those who disbelieve say, listen not to this Quran, and make noise in the midst of its (recitation) that you may overcome. Chapter 41: verse 26. When the fascinating Words of Allah came into direct contact with their hearts, they were bewitched and oblivious to the material world around them and were caught in a state of full consciousness to the Divine Words. The Prophet reached the last verse of the sura So fall you down in prostration to Allah and worship Him (Alone)

 

[Qur'an 53:62]

 

And went into prostration with the rest of the believers. The idolaters unconsciously and with full compliance with the command of
Allah, prostrated themselves in absolute submission. It was in fact the wonderful moment of the truth that penetrated through the hardened souls of the haughty. They were stunned when they realized that Allahs Words had conquered their hearts and made them to do the very thing that they had been trying hard to destroy and exterminate. Their co-polytheists who had not been present on the scene reproached and blamed them severely.