Islamic view of miracles

A systematic definition of miracles performed by apostles can be found in the work of the Muslim scholar al-Īd̲j̲ī Mawāḳif, historian A.J. Wensinck states.[5] The main purpose of miracle is to prove the sincerity of the apostle and has to satisfy the following conditions:[5]

1. It must be performed by God
2. "It must be contrary to the usual course of things"
3. It should be impossible to contradict it
4. "It must happen at the hands of him who claims to be an apostle
5. "It must be in conformity with his announcement of it, and the miracle itself must not be a disavowal of his claim"
6. "It must follow on his claim"[5]

Belief in that which is transmitted by mutawatir are obligatory to believe in for Sunni Muslims. Rejection of that which is mutawatir is cause for leaving Islam according to consensus of Sunni scholars. The Qur'an is transmitted by mutawatir and therefore every verse must be believed in, including every reference to a miracle of any prophet. Additionally, there are several hadith reports which convey miracles of the prophet Muhammad which are also transmitted by mutawatir. Such hadiths and miracles must also be fully believed in for one to be a Muslim. However, rejecting an ahad, or solitary, narration is only sinful (fisq) and not disbelief.[6][7][8][9]

Miracles are split up into Karamat and Mu'jizat, the former are given by God to saints and the latter are given by God exclusively to prophets. In Al-Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah, upon which there is consensus, we find two points on this: "We do not prefer any of the saints of this nation over any of the prophets, upon them be peace. We say that a single prophet is better than all the saints put together. We have faith in what has come of their miracles (karamat) and what has been authenticated in their narrations from trustworthy narrators."[10]

In order to defend the possibility of miracles and God's omnipotence against the encroachment of the independent secondary causes, medieval Muslim theologians rejected the idea of cause and effect in essence, but accepted it as something that facilitates humankind's investigation and comprehension of natural processes. They argued that the nature was composed of uniform atoms that were "re-created" at every instant by God. Thus if the soil was to fall, God would have to create and re-create the accident of heaviness for as long as the soil was to fall. For Muslim theologians, the laws of nature were only the customary sequence of apparent causes: customs of God.[11]

Islam teaches that miracles – i.e. a supernatural interventions in the life of human beings – are present in the Quran "in a threefold sense: in sacred history, in connection with the Islamic prophet Muhammad himself and in relation to revelation."[1]

In the Qur'an, the term Ayah is used to refer to miracles -- cosmic phenomena for example are ayat takwiniyyah -- particularly miracles of creation.[12] But it is also used to mean "evidence," "sign", "Quranic verse", (religious obligations are ayat taklifiyyah). In Islam in general ayah is often used to a mean Quranic verse, but there is overlap in meaning: ayat/verses are believed to be the divine speech in human language presented by Muhammad as his chief miracle,[1] and miracles are a "sign" (ayah) of God and of Muhammad's prophethood. [5]

The Qur'an does not overtly describe Muhammad performing miracles, according to historian Denis Gril, and the supreme miracle of Muhammad is finally identified with the Qur'an itself.[1] At least one scholar (Sunni scholar Muhammad Asad) states that Muhammad performed no miracles other than to bring the Quran to humanity,[19] and other scholars (Cyril Glasse, Marcia Hermansen) downplay miracles of Muhammad, stating "they play no role in Islamic theology",[20] or "play less of an evidentiary role than in some other religions".[21]

However, Muslim tradition (hadith) credits Muhammad with several supernatural events.[5] For example, many Muslim commentators and some western scholars have interpreted the sura 54 (Al-Qamar)[22] to refer to Muhammad splitting the Moon in view of the Quraysh when they had begun to persecute his followers.[1][23] This tradition has inspired many Muslim poets.[24]

• Glossary of Islam
• Index of Islam-related articles
• Challenge of the Quran
• Isra and Mi'raj
• Miracles of Jesus
• Miracles of Gautama Buddha
• Miracles of Muhammad
• Imitation & Occasionalism

• The Physical Miracles of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ - Yaqeen Institute academic article
• The International Commission on Scientific Signs in the Qur'an and the Sunnah
• Quran and Science website
• The Scientific Miracles of the Holy Quran
• The Miracles of The Qu'ran - Muhammad Mitwalli ash-Sha’rawi
• Dr. Zaghloul El-Naggar website
• The Inimitable Qur'an
• Istanbul Quran Research Association (IQRA)
• Quran Miracles Encyclopedia
• The Miracles of Al Qur’an and Modern Science

• Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God (2 vols.), Edited by C. Fitzpatrick and A. Walker, Santa Barbara, ABC-CLIO, 2014. ISBN 1610691776
• Dashti, `Ali (1994). Twenty Three Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammad (PDF). Retrieved 10 April 2019.