In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Divine Wisdom and Differences Between the Miracles of the Prophets
Just as people differ from each other in knowledge, morality, and other related things, likewise the miracles of the prophets are different for each community. With this in mind, for some people a miracle will be seen as a sign from Allah, and will convince them to become a believer; whereas for some others that same miracle will cause doubt and questions.
During the time of Prophet Moses (PBUH) for example, magic and sorcery was a common and ordinary practice for the people of Egypt. People would simply learn and teach each other. Therefore the Egyptians had become an expert in differentiating between what was magic and what was miracle and related to God. It was on this base that by Allah?s command, Prophet Musa (PBUH) performed the miracle of cane: the cane which turned into a snake to swallow the canes and ropes of the magicians, and then return to its former situation as a cane. The people of that era fully understood that the action of Prophet Musa (PBUH) was something out of their capability. This fact convinced the magicians that his act was a miracle from divine will, and thus they all became believers.
In the era of Prophet Jesus (PBUH) scholars and experts in medicine emerged in the colonies of Greece, such as Palestine and Syria. Science and the knowledge of medicine became the topic mostly discussed about. Even in the New Testament, there is a detailed instruction for curing baldness, leprosy, and skin diseases in chapters 13 and 14. Curing diseases was considered to be one of the duties of the priests. The people of that time would believe that gaining health after diseases is because of the existence of the priests and their spiritual effects. Therefore because of this background, the miracle of Prophet Jesus (PBUH) was curing the sick people. Since, the people of that era knew the abilities of ordinary men and priests in curing the patients; they could simply recognize the miraculous ways a sick was cured by divine power.
The knowledge of the Arabs, who were the first community invited to Islam, was limited to their own culture and language. They were unaware of the scientific progresses of the world. They used to consider any science other than their own literature as sorcery or as a skill of people from far away.
But they were experts in the Arab literature, and had considerable progresses in the science of eloquence. These progresses reached its extremes at the time of Prophet Muhammad?s (PBUH&HP) invitation to Islam. The Arabs would hold gatherings to express with pride the great abilities and advances in their language.
The Arabs knew fluency and eloquence well enough to recognize the quality of human works exactly. Each of them had the ability to judge about the eloquence and fluency of a work to recognize whether it was divine or non-divine.
This situation of the Arab community called for the holy Quran to be the main miracle of the Prophet of Islam, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) - the selected one among all the messengers - and the basis in his great mission of prophecy. The supernatural fluency and eloquence of the holy Quran was the best proof for the Arabs, because they were not able to compose a book like that or even a small chapter (Surah) like its chapters. The Arabs, who were experts in the Arabic language and in its eloquence and fluency, recognized this book a miracle. Furthermore, the non-Arabs were much clearly unable to compose a book or chapter like that of the holy Quran.
Based on this and many other reasoning, the Holy Book of Islam-the Quran- is found as a miracle. This miracle first invited the Arabs to Islam, and it naturally led to other nations. With the miracle of the Holy Quran, the purpose and philosophy of miracles was completed.
(Selection taken from the preface of noble ?Interpretation of Ala? al-Rahman?, by Sheikh Muhammad Jawad Balaghi, with a few changes)
On behalf of Roshd website, we congratulate all Muslims -especially you dear friend- on the 27th of Rajab, for the start of the descent of the holy Quran on the final Prophet of Islam, and the anniversary of the beginning of the public prophetic mission of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP).
Has the time of miracles ended? Will we no longer witness any miracles? Why and how is the holy Quran a miracle? Can we observe a divine miracle in this era with our eyes? On this auspicious occasion we would like to invite you dear friend to read an article entitled as ?The Holy Quran, the Eternal Miracle? available on the website. We will be eagerly waiting for your comments and suggestions. (You may click here to have access to the article.)
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