Misunderstanding in Miracles and Wonders
One back door of polytheism is the misunderstanding in miracles and wonders. When extraordinary acts occur through certain individuals, people initially think that these persons are not divine themselves but that they must possess attributes of Allah Almighty; otherwise, how could such acts, which are beyond human capability, occur through them? Gradually, this thought progresses through stages from gods and avatars until it ultimately reaches the status of a deity.
On this basis, Hazrat Isa (Jesus) was declared the son of Allah Almighty, and in this era, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is being associated with divine attributes.
Certainly, miracles are performed by the Prophets. This is among the characteristics of prophethood. The miracles of saints also hold their own truth, but there is no art that can be acquired through effort, as some experts in magic and mesmerism do; rather, it is purely divine support which Allah manifests through the hand of a Prophet or a saint according to necessity. Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi writes:
“A miracle is the same for everyone, and what is acquired through effort is mere showmanship, deceiving people.”
Thus, Allah Almighty supported His prophets with signs that had no connection to their acquired skills or effects, not even in those signs which occurred by their intentional actions according to Allah’s command. Have you not noticed how frightened Moses (peace be upon him) was when his staff turned into a living snake? He fled, and he could not return until Allah removed the fear from his heart.
(فَاَلْقٰىهَا فَاِذَا هِیَ حَیَّةٌ تَسْعٰى(20)قَالَ خُذْهَا وَ لَا تَخَفْٙ-سَنُعِیْدُهَا سِیْرَتَهَا الْاُوْلٰى(21))
“So he threw it down, and suddenly it became a snake, running swiftly. Allah said: ‘Seize it and fear not; We will return it to its former condition.'”
In the Battle of Badr, despite the Muslims’ small numbers and lack of resources, they were victorious because Allah helped them through angels, strengthened their hearts, humiliated the disbelievers, and instilled fear in their hearts.
When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came out of the tent after praying and threw a handful of soil towards the polytheists, it reached their faces, because a handful of soil cannot reach the eyes of a large army by human power; it was the power of Allah whose artistry this was.
(وَ مَا رَمَیْتَ اِذْ رَمَیْتَ وَ لٰـكِنَّ اللّٰهَ رَمٰىۚ)
“And (O Messenger!) you did not throw when you threw, but Allah threw.”
Among the common people, a false and corrupt belief arose regarding the Prophets that they had direct control over the universe. Consequently, the authors of the existing Gospel presented the miracles of Jesus (peace be upon him) in such a way that it created the belief in the hearts of Christians that the entire universe was under the power of Jesus (peace be upon him). And he controlled it as he wished. This is the cornerstone on which present-day Christianity is based, and as a result, the edifice of monotheism could not be maintained on it. The Holy Quran has made it clear with utmost intensity and insistence that miracles and signs do not manifest by the power and will of the Prophet, but by the power and will of Allah. Allah Almighty says:
(قُلْ اِنَّمَا الْاٰیٰتُ عِنْدَ اللّٰهِؕ)
“Say, ‘The signs are with Allah.'”
Dr. Luqman Salafi (may Allah preserve him), while explaining the above verse, writes?
“The polytheists of Mecca, insisting on their disbelief and polytheism, used to say that if Muhammad ﷺ is truthful in his claim of prophethood, then why has his Lord not given him any material signs like the previous prophets? So Allah responded to them through your ﷺ words that the owner of miracles is Allah; He gives them whenever and to whomever He wills, no one else has power over this. My task is only to clearly and explicitly convey Allah’s religion to the people.”
At another place, He said:
((وَ مَا كَانَ لِرَسُوْلٍ اَنْ یَّاْتِیَ بِاٰیَةٍ اِلَّا بِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِؕ))
“And no messenger had the power to bring a sign except by Allah’s permission.”
The congenital blind, the leper, and the dead were healed and brought back to life by the hand of Sayyiduna Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him). These miracles are mentioned in Surah
, where at the beginning they are called signs of Allah’s power. ( قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِآيَةٍ مِنْ رَّبِّكُمْ ) and at the end they are also called signs. ( إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً لَّكُمْ ) The term “Ayah” refers to a miracle, which is evidence of Allah’s ability and control beyond causes, and also proof of the truthfulness and prophethood of the Messenger. In this verse, (باذن الله) is mentioned twice. The mention of these miracles in
repeats (یاذنی) four times. (یاذنی) and (باذن الله) indicate the divine creative command of Allah, meaning all these acts were performed by Allah Himself through His creative command and (كُن فَيَكُونِی) power. Sayyiduna Isa (peace be upon him) was only the manifestation, the place of appearance, and because of being this manifestation, these miracles are attributed to Isa (peace be upon him). While interpreting the aforementioned verse of Surah Al-Ma’idah, Imam Razi writes in Tafsir Kabir:
((إِنَّمَا أَعَادَ بِإِذْنِي تَاكِيْدًا لِكَوْنِ ذَلِكَ وَاقِعًا بِقُدْرَةِ اللَّهِ وَتَخْلِيقِهِ لَا بِقُدْرَةِ عِيسَى وَإِيْجَادِهِ.))
The repetition of “Badhni” is for emphasis, because these acts were by the power and creation of Allah. They were not by the power or invention of Jesus (peace be upon him).
Elaborating on this, it is further stated:
((ذِكْرُ الْآذَانِ فِي هَذِهِ الْأَفَاعِيلِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ عَلَى إِضَافَةِ حَقِيقَةِ الْفِعْلِ إِلَى الله .))
“The mention of divine permission in these actions is because, in reality, these acts belong only to Allah.”
When people asked the Prophet ﷺ about the conditions of miracles, Allah Almighty instructed Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, in response to them:
((قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّیْ هَلْ كُنْتُ اِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُوْلًا))
“Say, ‘My Lord is free from all defects and imperfections; I am only a human being whom Allah has appointed as His Messenger.'”
How cruel it is that, like Christians, some Muslims have also been deceived by not understanding the true reality of miracles, thinking that miracles and supernatural acts are acquired skills like other talents, and that prophets and saints can show them whenever they wish, and even after death, miracles and supernatural acts continue to appear from them. Consequently, in the intermediate life, such an extent of “exaggeration” has been employed that, God forbid! it is even said that “the pure spouses are presented at the purified graves of the Prophets, peace be upon them, and they spend the night with them.”
These people believe that these elders, through their unseen intervention, remove their difficulties and bring them benefit. This intervention, separate from causes and effects, is called a miracle in their terminology. However, such intervention and control is exclusive to Allah Almighty. Although these people do not consider their idols as Lord, God, or Creator, this difference in names does not hold any significance in this matter, because words and names are terminological. The difference between Creator and creation, Lord and worshipped is that the Lord can harm whom He wills and benefit whom He wills; Allah Almighty is not bound by causes and effects. Rather, He uses the created causes when He wills, and acts without them when He wills. But the creation is not like this; it is entirely bound by causes and effects, which have been made subservient equally for all.
But people differ in their knowledge and practice just as their capacity differs in terms of intellect, senses, and faculties. Through knowledge and practice, humans have reached a stage of benefiting and avoiding harm that the people of earlier centuries and previous nations could not reach.
It is remembered that the purpose of the Prophets’ mission was only to show people the correct and straight path of divine knowledge and worship, so that their morals and habits could be corrected. Therefore, the worldly benefits should not be sought from the Prophets and their righteous successors and great saints, but should be obtained through causes. Apart from causes, there is no power except Allah Almighty that can be beneficial or harmful. The oppressors subjected some Prophets and saints to various hardships, to the extent that some were even killed:
(وَ یَقْتُلُوْنَ النَّبِیّٖنَ بِغَیْرِ حَقٍّۙ )
“And they wrongfully killed the Prophets.”
Even the prophets and saints could not remove this hardship from themselves, therefore the Holy Quran repeatedly denies that the things or people whom people have started or are worshipping, neither can they benefit themselves, nor do they have the power of intercession with Allah.
(وَ یَعْبُدُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ مَا لَا یَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ رِزْقًا مِّنَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ شَیْــٴًـا وَّ لَا یَسْتَطِیْعُوْنَ)
“And they worship besides Allah those who neither own any provision for them from the heavens and the earth nor do they have any power.”
