✿ Response to Scientific Objections on Miracles ✿
Understanding Miracles in the Light of Modern Rationalism
In the modern era, rationalism has established human intellect and empirical experience as the ultimate criteria for testing all realities. As a result, religious beliefs—including core doctrines like Tawhid (Oneness of God), Prophethood, and the Afterlife—have come under scrutiny. Among these, the miracles of the Prophets have faced particular criticism.
Modern minds demand logical and scientific explanations for miracles, despite the fact that science has its own limitations and cannot unveil every mystery or truth. Due to this intellectual pressure, many Muslim youth fall into doubts. Some sincere believers, unable to adequately respond, are driven to compromise the foundational principles of their faith.
A miracle is an event that occurs contrary to the regular patterns of nature and human experience. It is presented in conjunction with a claim of Prophethood, and arises in circumstances where all human efforts fall short of producing a similar act.
➊ A miracle occurs through the direct intervention of Allah.
➋ It is presented as proof of the truthfulness of the claimant of Prophethood.
➌ It deviates from the general course of natural laws, but is not impossible.
➍ Miracles are not meant to prove God's existence, but rather to serve as a sign of the authenticity of the Messenger.
➎ While the character, ethics, and message of a Prophet are themselves strong proofs, some minds require additional signs. Thus, Allah manifests extraordinary occurrences through His Messengers.
In today's world, the scientific mindset tends to reject miracles outright by labeling them irrational or fictional. Some Muslim interpreters of the Qur’an, in their attempts to align religious texts with scientific principles, either denied the existence of miracles or interpreted them in ways that dilute their true significance.
To understand the flaw in this kind of thinking, consider the following analogy:
Suppose an alien arrives on Earth and observes traffic signals. It notices that when the red light turns on, vehicles stop, and when the green light appears, vehicles move. Based solely on this repeated observation, it concludes that the red and green lights cause the vehicles to stop or move.
Now, if a human tries to explain that these lights do not possess inherent power, but function within a human-designed system, the alien refuses to believe it. It considers its empirical observation as absolute truth and regards the human explanation as ignorance.
✧ This is precisely the case with those who treat scientific observations as final reality and hence reject miracles. The Prophetic message emphasizes that objects do not possess independent efficacy—their effects manifest only by the command of Allah.
Miracles manifest through the creative power of Allah, and they transcend worldly laws. Science, being limited to observable patterns, fails to grasp these extraordinary events.
✧ Miracles are evidence of both:
Denying miracles reflects nothing but the limitations of human intellect.
❖ In the face of modern rationalism, it is essential to recognize the boundaries of science and appreciate that religion operates within a broader metaphysical reality.
❖ Miracles are not irrational—they are simply beyond the scope of ordinary empirical understanding, and affirm the truthfulness of Allah's Messengers.
❖ Believers must avoid diluting or rejecting these signs in an attempt to conform to secular or scientific expectations. Instead, they should reaffirm their faith in Allah’s supreme will and power, which is not bound by the limited framework of human knowledge.
Understanding Miracles in the Light of Modern Rationalism
◈ Modern Rationalism and the Question of Miracles
In the modern era, rationalism has established human intellect and empirical experience as the ultimate criteria for testing all realities. As a result, religious beliefs—including core doctrines like Tawhid (Oneness of God), Prophethood, and the Afterlife—have come under scrutiny. Among these, the miracles of the Prophets have faced particular criticism.
Modern minds demand logical and scientific explanations for miracles, despite the fact that science has its own limitations and cannot unveil every mystery or truth. Due to this intellectual pressure, many Muslim youth fall into doubts. Some sincere believers, unable to adequately respond, are driven to compromise the foundational principles of their faith.
◈ Definition and Significance of Miracles
A miracle is an event that occurs contrary to the regular patterns of nature and human experience. It is presented in conjunction with a claim of Prophethood, and arises in circumstances where all human efforts fall short of producing a similar act.
◈ Essential Characteristics of Miracles
➊ A miracle occurs through the direct intervention of Allah.
➋ It is presented as proof of the truthfulness of the claimant of Prophethood.
➌ It deviates from the general course of natural laws, but is not impossible.
➍ Miracles are not meant to prove God's existence, but rather to serve as a sign of the authenticity of the Messenger.
➎ While the character, ethics, and message of a Prophet are themselves strong proofs, some minds require additional signs. Thus, Allah manifests extraordinary occurrences through His Messengers.
◈ Criticism from the Modern Scientific Mind
In today's world, the scientific mindset tends to reject miracles outright by labeling them irrational or fictional. Some Muslim interpreters of the Qur’an, in their attempts to align religious texts with scientific principles, either denied the existence of miracles or interpreted them in ways that dilute their true significance.
◈ The Misconception of Scientific Absolutism
To understand the flaw in this kind of thinking, consider the following analogy:
Suppose an alien arrives on Earth and observes traffic signals. It notices that when the red light turns on, vehicles stop, and when the green light appears, vehicles move. Based solely on this repeated observation, it concludes that the red and green lights cause the vehicles to stop or move.
Now, if a human tries to explain that these lights do not possess inherent power, but function within a human-designed system, the alien refuses to believe it. It considers its empirical observation as absolute truth and regards the human explanation as ignorance.
✧ This is precisely the case with those who treat scientific observations as final reality and hence reject miracles. The Prophetic message emphasizes that objects do not possess independent efficacy—their effects manifest only by the command of Allah.
◈ Divine Power and the Mystery of Miracles
Miracles manifest through the creative power of Allah, and they transcend worldly laws. Science, being limited to observable patterns, fails to grasp these extraordinary events.
✧ Miracles are evidence of both:
- Divine creative power, and
- The truthfulness of the Prophets.
Denying miracles reflects nothing but the limitations of human intellect.
✔ Conclusion
❖ In the face of modern rationalism, it is essential to recognize the boundaries of science and appreciate that religion operates within a broader metaphysical reality.
❖ Miracles are not irrational—they are simply beyond the scope of ordinary empirical understanding, and affirm the truthfulness of Allah's Messengers.
❖ Believers must avoid diluting or rejecting these signs in an attempt to conform to secular or scientific expectations. Instead, they should reaffirm their faith in Allah’s supreme will and power, which is not bound by the limited framework of human knowledge.
