❖ The Influence of Atheistic Science and the Misinterpretation of Miracles
The atheistic science of the 18th and 19th centuries, especially physics, had such a profound impact on global intellect that even many brilliant Muslim minds appeared submissive before it. Under this intellectual pressure, thinkers like Sir Syed Ahmad Khan began presenting material interpretations of Qur’anic miracles, stripping these miraculous events of their spiritual and supernatural essence.The primary reason behind this intellectual shift was the scientific claim that there exists a necessary connection between cause and effect — a relationship deemed unbreakable. However, this idea was not new; the Mu’tazilah had espoused similar reasoning and cast doubt on the reality of miracles. But it was Imam Al-Ghazali, in his masterpiece Tahāfut al-Falāsifah, who critically dismantled this claim, presenting arguments that remain a landmark in philosophical discourse. Centuries later, the Western philosopher David Hume offered a similar critique of the law of causality, nearly 800 years after Imam Al-Ghazali.
❖ Imam Al-Ghazali’s Perspective on Causality
In refuting the philosophers, Imam Al-Ghazali asserted that what we refer to as cause and effect is merely a sequential appearance of events. The belief that a cause necessarily produces an effect is a baseless notion. According to him, there is no intrinsic or necessary link between a cause and its effect.He explained that the connection we observe between two events is merely habitual — based on human experience. The association is not an objective truth, but a mental construct we use to make sense of sequences in the world.
❖ The Role of Divine Will (Qadar)
Imam Al-Ghazali further clarified that all events and actions occur due to Divine Decree (Taqdir). If one event follows another, it is only because Allah willed it in that specific sequence — not because of any inherent causation. Allah has the power to reverse this sequence: a person may feel full without eating, or may continue living even after decapitation — if Allah so wills.For example, philosophers claim that fire burns cotton, since they observe it happening consistently. But Imam Al-Ghazali argued that they possess no definitive proof that fire inherently burns. It is merely based on observation, and assumption, not on any absolute reality.
❖ Miracles and Divine Power
For Imam Al-Ghazali, miracles are manifestations of Divine Power. To deny miracles is essentially to limit Allah’s capability. The sequence of worldly events holds only as long as Allah wills, and whenever He wills, He may break that sequence — this is precisely what makes miracles possible.❖ The Mistake of Modernist Muslims
Unfortunately, modernist Muslim thinkers neither studied Islamic theology (ʿIlm al-Kalām) deeply nor fully understood Western philosophy. They offered flawed interpretations of the Qur’an, attempting to explain miracles through materialist lenses, thereby concealing their spiritual and supernatural essence. Unknowingly, they restricted Divine Power, despite being unaware of the implications of their reasoning.✿ Summary
❶ Under scientific influence, Muslims began offering material explanations for miracles, veiling their true nature.❷ Imam Al-Ghazali refuted the philosophy of cause and effect and linked the reality of miracles to Divine Will.
❸ Denying miracles equates to limiting Allah’s power.
❹ Modernist interpretations failed due to insufficient study of theology and philosophy, leading to misguided readings of the Qur'an.
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