Chapter Two: The Miraculous Nature of the Prophetic Traditions

 Chapter Two: The Miraculous Nature of the Prophetic Traditions
Section One: The Linguistic Miracle of the Prophetic Traditions
Section Two: A Classification of the Miracles of Prophet –peace be upon him–Muhammad
Section Three: Examples of the Miracles of Prophet –peace be upon him–Muhammad

Section One: The Linguistic Miracle of the Prophetic Traditions
Everything that can be said regarding the miraculous nature of the Quran, in terms of its information, historical accounts, prophecies, knowledge, wisdom, rulings, laws, legislation, and the like, can also be said regarding the Prophetic traditions, because, just like the Quran, Prophetic traditions are also revelation from Allah. Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– did not speak of his own desire, but rather he was inspired by divine revelation, as has preceded. In this section, the focus will be on the wording and style of the Prophetic traditions. Are the Prophetic traditions the same as the Quran in this regard? The answer to this question is that although the speech of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– was superbly eloquent and unsurpassable by any human being, it is still incomparable to the eloquence of the noble Quran.

The difference between the eloquence of the Quran and the eloquence of the Prophetic traditions is clear to people who are endowed with sound natural dispositions, especially those who have studied rhetoric and are able to distinguish between different styles and levels of eloquence. The distinct difference between the Quran and the Prophetic traditions is one of the clearest proofs that the noble Quran is a divine book which was revealed from above the heavens and not the work of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him–, as is claimed by those who deny Allah’s signs.(1175)

Many scholars have realised the eloquence of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– was from the greatest signs of his prophecy. The famous judge and jurist ‘Iyadh –may Allah have mercy upon him– writes:
“Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– reached the pinnacle of eloquence and articulacy. Fluency came naturally to him and his speech was marked with brevity, purity and accuracy. He spoke with great wisdom and used concise expressions with comprehensive meanings effortlessly.”(1176)

The great litterateur, Mustafa Sadiq ar–Rafi’i –may Allah have mercy upon him– writes regarding the eloquence of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him–:
“This is the human eloquence that captivated the souls of people. Due to its perfection and effortless flow, it seems as if it was premeditated, although it was not. The Prophetic words emanated from a heart in constant contact with its Creator and were uttered by a tongue which recited the truths of the Quran. Thus, even if they were not revelation themselves, they were linked to it, and even if they were not evidenced by revelation, they themselves were proof of revelation. Perfectly arranged and free of defects or imperfections, there is no distinction between them as they are all of equal excellence. Their conciseness and benefit are comparable to the beats of a heart, and their excellence and cohesion are a reflection of the soul of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him–. When delivering an admonition, their heartfelt nature was discernible by all, and when delivering a piece of wisdom, it was as if they were an embodiment of the mind. Sometimes their softness would cause eyes to shed tears, while other times their seriousness would cause eyes to weep blood.”(1177)

He proceeds to discuss some elements of the eloquence and articulateness of the Prophetic traditions by writing:
“The eloquence of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– is one of his traits which cannot be attributed to normal causes, because although the Arabs were masters of language and oration, they worked hard and made a conscious effort to perfect their speeches, and thus their mastery was the result of preparation and practice by way of which they honed their linguistic prowess, despite which they still made mistakes and slips of the tongue, and their speech nevertheless contained occasional contradictions, redundancies and could sometimes have been better worded or expressed. Moreover, they learnt from each other and shared their linguistic knowledge among themselves. Meanings cause words to be purposeful and speech to be coherent and their impact is proportional to the depth of meaning and the way they are delivered.

The Messenger –peace be upon him–of Allah –peace be upon him– was the most eloquent of the Arabs, yet his speech was not artificial, exaggerated or embellished, nor did his words exceed the meanings he intended to convey. His speech was devoid of flaws, it remained unaffected by suddenness, always retaining its style, such that one could not reproach it from any angle whatsoever.

Moreover, the meanings of the speech of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– were inspired by prophecy and were the product of great wisdom, intellect and other influences which meant it surpassed all human standards of eloquence, oration and articulacy.”(1178)

The great scholar, Muhammad Al–Khidr Husayn, explains some aspects of the prophetic eloquence in these words:
“Whoever reads the admonitions, letters, discourses and verdicts of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– and studies the benefits, parables and metaphors they comprise, will recognise their eloquence and clarity exceeds the speech of any orator or rhetorician.”(1179)

He adds:
“In truth, the purity of the language of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– and his clarity of speech are perceived by those who are acquainted with the various categories of Prophetic narrations. Only then does a person perceive the spontaneity and unforced nature of his speech and discover expressions which fill the heart with emotion. Those who are unsatisfied by reading the collections of Prophetic narrations may wish to consult the dictionaries of hadith terminology, which would quickly enable them to recognise the eloquence and wisdom of his words.

There are people who have insight into certain aspects of life but whose wisdom is deficient regarding other aspects. However, Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– was of equal wisdom in all spheres of life, relating both to personal and social life, which he expressed using sublime words and amazing descriptions.”(1180)

Muhammad Al–Khidr Husayn goes on to mention further manifestations of the eloquence of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him–:
“Some people speak with great eloquence and clarity when addressing an audience but are less successful at conveying relatively simple meanings to small groups or to individuals, contrary to the Prophetic speech, which maintained the same level of eloquence regardless of addressee or subject matter.”(1181)

From the manifestations of the eloquence of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– is that he would adapt his style according to the different situations he faced, and he would employ various methods to influence his audience, long before such methods were discovered by communication studies. If a person were to try and study these methods, they would discover unimaginable benefits relating to presentation skills, influencing people, opening and delivering of speeches, engaging an audience, elocution and articulation. Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “The Messenger –peace be upon him–of Allah spoke in a clear manner such that anyone who listened to him could understand.”(1182)

Abu Dawud references a narration on the authority of Jabir –may Allah be pleased with him– that he said:
“The Messenger –peace be upon him–of Allah –peace be upon him– spoke clearly or leisurely.”(1183) In a variant narration referenced by At–Tirmidhi, it mentions: “He would speak so clearly and unmistakeably that those around him would memorise whatever he said.”(1184)

The eloquence of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– is further indicated by his use of comparisons, parables, analogies and complementary gestures, et cetera.(1185)

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(1175) See: ‘I’jaz al–Quran’ (pp. 364 and 366) & ‘Muhammadun Rasulullahi wa Khaatam an–Nabiyyin – al–Mawsu’ah al–Kamilah’ of Shaikh Muhammad al–Khidr Husayn (3/183).

(1176) See: ‘ash–Shifa’ (1/95–6) & ‘A’lam an–Nubuwwah’ of al–Mawardi (p. 266).

(1177) See: ‘I’jaz al–Quran wal–Balaghah an–Nabawiyyah’ (p. 279) & ‘I’jaz al–Quran’ (p. 364).

(1178) See: ‘I’jaz al–Quran wal–Balaghah an–Nabawiyyah’ (pp. 281–2).

(1179) See: ‘Muhammadun Rasulullahi wa Khatam an–Nabiyyin’ (p. 179).

(1180) See: ‘Muhammadun Rasulullahi wa Khaatam an–Nabiyyin’ (pp. 179–80).

(1181) See: ‘Muhammadun Rasulullahi wa Khaatam an–Nabiyyin’ (pp. 181).

(1182) Reported by Abu Dawud (no. 4839) and graded by al–Albani as ‘good’ in ‘Sahih al–Jami’’ (no. 4826).

(1183) Reported by Abu Dawud (no. 4838) and graded as ‘good’ by al–Albani in ‘Sahih al–Jami’’ (no. 4823).

(1184) Reported by at–Tirmidhi (no. 3639) who said regarding it: “This narration is good and is only known through az–Zuhri.”

(1185) For further detail, see: ‘al–Hiwar fi as–Sirah an–Nabawiyyah’ of Muhammad al–Hamad (pp. 127–60).

Section Two: A Classification of the Miracles of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– & How They Are Proven
Firstly: A Classification of the Miracles of Prophet –peace be upon him–Muhammad
The miracles of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– can be categorised in various ways.

Some scholars organise them into the following two categories:
1. Physical miracles, which can be further broken down into the following three types:
(a) Miracles not specific to the person of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him–, but which Allah enabled him to perform.

(b) Miracles specific to the person of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him–, such as the Seal of Prophethood that was between his shoulders, as well as his appearance and other physical attributes, all of which were proof of his prophecy.

(c) Miracles of the character of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him–, such as truthfulness, trustworthiness, and courage, to mention but a few traits of his miraculous character.

2. Abstract miracles, which can be further broken down into the following six types:
(a) Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– was of a tribe unknown for knowledge and he did not travel except for two journeys to the Levant, nor was he the student of anyone. This makes it impossible for him to have falsely claimed prophecy of his own accord.

(b) He spent the first forty years of his life without a mention of prophecy, which would customarily be associated with the enthusiasm and vigour of youth.

(c) The many harms and much intolerance he endured in the course of transmitting the message of Islam could not have been endured by any ordinary human being, but in spite of all this, he remained certain and did not falter or lose confidence.

(d) All of his invocations were answered by Allah the Almighty.

(e) The Quran, which was the greatest miracle he was granted, as has been mentioned previously.

(f) His eloquence and purity of language, discussion of which has preceded.

(g) The many announcements of his coming in the previous divine books, some of which shall follow in the next section.

(h) The unseen events of the past, present and future which he accurately described further demonstrate that he was a Prophet –peace be upon him–sent by Allah the Almighty.(1186)

There are other classifications of the miracles of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him–, based on various considerations, such as the classification of Ibn Taymiyyah –may Allah have mercy upon him–, who categorised the miracles of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– according to ability, action and influence in the following way:
1. Celestial miracles, such as the splitting of the moon and the guarding of the heavens with meteors during his prophecy.

2. Climatic miracles, such as his invocation of Allah to cause rainfall and his invocation of Allah to cause rainfall to cease.

3. His influence on humans, jinn and animals.

4. His influence on trees and wood.

5. His influence on water, food and fruit, which would multiply and increase extraordinarily due to his blessings.

6. His influence on stones and their subjugation to him, such as in the narration referenced by Al–Bukhari in his authentic collection of Prophetic traditions, on the authority of Anas –may Allah be pleased with him– who said: “Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– climbed Mount Uhud along with Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman. The mountain shook beneath them, so the Prophet –peace be upon him– said to it: “Be still!” He then stamped on it with his foot and said: “For there is not upon you except a prophet, a truthful person and two martyrs.”(1187)

7. The support of the angels of Allah.

Allah the Almighty says:
(إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَبَّكُمْ فَاسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّي مُمِدُّكُم بِأَلْف مِّنَ الْمَلَآئِكَةِ مُرْدِفِينَ)
Sura al–Anfal; (8):9
(Meaning: Remember when you asked help of your Lord, and He answered you: “Indeed, I will reinforce you with a thousand angels in succession.”)

8. Protection granted to him by Allah from his enemies and his infallibility.

9. The fulfilment of his invocations.

This is the classification of Shaikhul–Islam Ibn Taymiyyah –may Allah have mercy upon him– in his book ‘Al–Jawab As–Sahih’, which he explains in great detail and provides examples and evidences for.(1188) Some of these miracles have already been mentioned, while others shall be mentioned in what follows.

Secondly: How the Miracles of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– are Proven
The various miracles of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– were not established merely by hearsay or by weak or fabricated reports, but through methods of narration which constitute certain knowledge.

Shaikhul–Islam Ibn Taymiyyah –may Allah have mercy upon him– mentions six main methods of transmission and explains each of them in turn.

They can be summarised as follows:
1. The transmission of such miracles by such great numbers of ordinary people who related these miraculous events, it became common knowledge and was impossible for them to have agreed upon a lie.

2. The widespread transmission of such miracles between Islamic scholars throughout the ages.

3. The multitude of narrations describing the prophetic miracles with different expressions, but which are unanimous in their meaning. Although the wordings of the narrators may differ, the sheer number of narrators all retelling the same events makes it inconceivable that they could have agreed upon an untruth.

4. Large numbers of people who witnessed and were convinced by certain miracles.

5. Widespread acceptance and transmission of certain types of miracles between scholars of various disciplines.

6. Scholarly works on the topic of prophetic miracles.(1189)

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(1186) See: ‘al–Jawab as–Sahih Liman Baddala Din al–Masih’ of Ibn Taymiyyah (1/399); ‘Ethar al–Haq’ of Ibn al–Murtada al–Yamani (pp. 79–85) & ‘Tanqih al–Abhath Lil–Milal ath–Thalath’ of Ibn Kammunah (pp. 130).

(1187) Reported by al–Bukhari (no. 3675).

(1188) See: ‘al–Jawab as–Sahih’ (6/159–323).

(1189)  For further detail, see: ‘al–Jawab as–Sahih’ (6/234–523).

Section Three: Examples of the Miracles of Prophet –peace be upon him–Muhammad
Allah the Almighty caused various miraculous events to take place at the hands of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him–, which, when a seeker of truth contemplates them, are testimonies from Allah proving the truthfulness of His Messenger –peace be upon him–. Some scholars have enumerated Prophet –peace be upon him–Muhammad’s miracles to exceed one thousand and entire works have been devoted to the topic, which explain and clarify such miracles.(1190)

Undoubtedly, there is no greater miracle or sign that was granted to any of the prophets than the noble Quran, which was revealed upon Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– and shall remain unaltered until the Day of Resurrection.

Allah the Almighty says:
(وَإِنَّهُۥ لَكِتَابٌ عَزِيزٞ ٤١ لَّا يَأْتِيهِ الْبَاطِلُ مِنۢ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلَا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ تَنزِيلٞ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيد)
Sura Fussilat; (41):41–2
(Meaning: And indeed, it is a mighty Book. Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it; a revelation from a Lord Who is All–Wise and praiseworthy.)(1191)

Discussion regarding the Quran and its miraculous nature has preceded in the previous chapter.

In addition to this miracle, there are many other miracles which Allah caused at the hands of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– which include:
1. The miraculous splitting of the moon is from the greatest observable miracles proving the veracity of the prophecy of Muhammad –peace be upon him–. This miracle occurred as a result of the pagans asking Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– for a sign, following which the moon split into two halves.

Allah the Almighty mentions this event in the Quran, in His saying:
(اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ ١ وَإِن يَرَوْاْ ءَايَةً يُعْرِضُواْ وَيَقُولُواْ سِحْرٞ مُّسْتَمِرّٞ)
Sura al–Qamar; (54):1–2
(Meaning: The Hour drew nigh, and the moon was rent in twain. Yet, whenever they see a sign, they turn away, saying: “Same old magic!”)

Ibn Taymiyyah –may Allah have mercy upon him– writes:
“Allah mentioned the nearness of the Day of Resurrection and made the splitting of the moon a sign of its coming, as opposed to other celestial bodies, because the moon is closer to the earth than the sun and other stars. Moreover, its luminosity meant that its splitting was clearly witnessable by all people.”(1192)

He adds:
“Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– would read this chapter(1193) of the Quran in the presence of large congregations such as the Friday Prayer and the two Eid’s, so that people would hear the signs of his prophecy and take heed. This particular miracle is acknowledged by everyone without exception, which means it was common knowledge to the people.”(1194)

Muslim references a narration in his authentic collection of Prophetic traditions, wherein ‘Umar bin Al–Khattab –may Allah be pleased with him– asked Abu Waqid Al–Laythi: “What did the Messenger –peace be upon him–of Allah –peace be upon him– used to recite on the days of Eid Al–Adha (Festival of the Sacrifice) and Eid Al–Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast)?” Abu Waqid replied: “He used to recite Chapter 50, Qaf, and Chapter 54, The Moon.”(1195)

Ibn Taymiyyah –may Allah have mercy upon him– wrote in commentary of this tradition:
“It goes without saying that if it did not split, the believers themselves would have hastened to refute such a claim, never mind the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Equally, it is also well–known that Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– was the most ardent of people in wanting others to believe and follow him, and thus, had the moon not split, he would not have announced it to the people, nor would he have referred to it as one of his signs.”(1196)

Al–Bukhari references a narration in his authentic collection of Prophetic traditions, on the authority of Anas –may Allah be pleased with him– that the people of Makkah asked Allah’s Messenger –peace be upon him– to show them a sign, so he showed them the splitting of the moon into two distinctive parts, between which they saw Mount Hira.”(1197)

Furthermore, Jubayr bin Mut’im gives the following account of the moon splitting:
“The moon split when I was in Makkah; one half was above this mountain and the other half above that mountain. The people said: ‘Muhammad has bewitched us’, to which a man replied: ‘Even if he has bewitched you, it is impossible he could have bewitched everybody.”(1198)

Ibn Mas’ud –may Allah be pleased with him– relates that when the disbelievers of the Quraysh tribe, who were the inhabitants of Makkah, saw the moon had split into two halves, they said:
“This must be sorcery. Let us ask the travellers if they witnessed the same as we did to ascertain the truth, otherwise it is certainly sorcery.” He continues: “So the travellers from various places were asked regarding the event, all of whom replied they had seen the same as the Meccans.”(1199)

Ibn Kathir –may Allah have mercy upon him– wrote regarding this sign, after mentioning many proofs of its occurrence:
“This sign was witnessed in many different locations. It is said that it was recorded in India and known as the ‘Night of the Moon Splitting’ and that a building was erected that night.”(1200)

Regarding the fact this sign was not observed by some people, he writes:
“This miracle probably took place on a winter night when most people were indoors, or the weather was cloudy in many parts of the world.”(1201)

The foregoing has been a brief overview of the miraculous splitting of the moon.(1202)

2. The miraculous Night Journey, which refers to the journey of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him–from The Great Mosque of Makkah to Al–Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem where he led all of the prophets in prayer.

Allah the Almighty says:
(سُبْحَانَ الَّذِيٓ أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَاتِنَآ)
Sura al–Isra•; (17):1
(Meaning: Glorified and Exalted be He Who took His servant for a journey by night from The Great Mosque in Makkah to the farthest mosque in Jerusalem, whose surrounding We have blessed, in order that We might show him of Our signs. Verily, He is the All–Hearing, the All–Seeing.)

Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– then ascended through the heavens and saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord, such as angel Gabriel in his true form and the Lote tree at the utmost boundary of the seventh heaven.

After transcending the seventh heaven, Allah the Almighty addressed him directly and drew him close, as described by the following verses:
(أَفَتُمَارُونَهُۥ عَلَى مَا يَرَى ١٢ وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى ١٣ عِندَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنتَهَى ١٤ عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوَىٓ ١٥ إِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَى ١٦ مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَى ١٧ لَقَدْ رَأَى مِنْ ءَايَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَىٓ)
Sura an–Najm; (53):12–18
(Meaning: So, will you dispute with him concerning what he saw? And he certainly saw him (i.e. angel Gabriel) in another descent – at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary. Near which is the Garden of Abode. When there covered the Lote Tree that which covered it. His eye did not waver, nor did it stray. He certainly saw of the greatest signs of his Lord.)

The people of the Quraysh tribe found this story of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– regarding the Night Journey unbelievable since, at that time, it would take a caravan weeks to travel to Jerusalem and back, and so they could not fathom how a man could accomplish such a journey in less than one night. This was something extraordinary at that time and remains so even today. However, when one recalls that it was Allah the Almighty Who facilitated such a journey and that He has full ability over everything, such an amazing event is fully conceivable.(1203)

3. Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– caused food to increase miraculously on various occasions.

Anas –may Allah be pleased with him– narrates that Abu Talhah said to Umm Sulaym:
“I sensed some feebleness in the voice of Allah’s Messenger –peace be upon him– which I know is due to hunger, so do you have anything with you?” She replied: “Yes” and presented some barley loaves wrapped in a veil of hers which she concealed under my outer garment, covering me with a part of it. She then sent me to Allah’s Messenger –peace be upon him–, so I set out and found him with some people in the mosque. I drew close, upon which Allah’s Messenger –peace be upon him– said to me: “Did Abu Talhah send you?” I replied: “Yes.” He said: “With food?” I replied: “Yes.” Allah’s Messenger –peace be upon him–e then instructed those in his company to accompany him, so I preceded them to Abu Talhah and informed him of their coming. Abu Talhah said to Umm Sulaym: “Allah’s Messenger –peace be upon him–e is coming with people and we do not have enough to feed them.” She replied: “Allah and His Messenger –peace be upon him–know best.” Abu Talhah went out to greet the Messenger –peace be upon him–of Allah –peace be upon him– and brought him inside. The Messenger –peace be upon him–of Allah –peace be upon him– then said: “O Umm Sulaym, bring forth what you have.” So, she brought the bread which Allah’s Messenger –peace be upon him–commanded to be broken into small pieces and emptied out the remaining ghee from a leather container she had to accompany the bread. The Messenger –peace be upon him–of Allah then made an invocation and said: “Let ten guests eat.” They ate their fill and left, upon which Allah’s Messenger:–peace be upon him– said: “Let another ten guests eat.” Again, they ate their fill and left, upon which Allah’s Messenger –peace be upon him–instructed a further ten guests to eat their fill. This continued until everyone of the seventy or eighty people had eaten their fill.”

A variant narration mentions:
“Then Allah’s Messenger –peace be upon him– ate, along with Abu Talhah, Umm Sulaym and Anas, and there was still some left over which we gifted to the neighbours.”(1204)

4. Water flowed from between the fingers of Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– and he caused it to miraculously increase on numerous occasions.

Jabir bin ‘Abdillah –may Allah be pleased with him– recounts one such instance in the following words:
“The people were thirsty on the day of Hudaybiyyah, so they gathered around Allah’s Messenger –peace be upon him–who was performing ablution from a utensil he had with him. They complained to him about not having any water to drink or to perform ablution with, so he placed his hand in the utensil and water started to gush from between his fingers as if from a spring, enabling us all to drink and perform ablution.” Jabir was asked: “How many of you were there?” He replied: “Even if there was a hundred thousand of us, it would have sufficed us, but on that day, we were fifteen hundred in number.”(1205)

5. Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– would heal the sick by the permission of Allah:
For example, he healed the broken leg of a man, as Al–Bara• bin ‘Aazib relates: “The Prophet –peace be upon him– sent a group of men to assassinate Abu Raafi’, so ‘Abdullah bin ‘Ateek entered his house while he was asleep at night and killed him. ‘Abdullah bin ‘Ateek recounts: ‘I plunged the sword into his stomach until it protruded from his back and I knew then that I had killed him. I came out, opening door after door until I reached some stairs and I fell into a moonlit night, breaking my shin. I tied it with my turban and after joining my companions, we went back to Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– and informed him of what had happened. He said to me: “Show me your leg”, so I showed it to him. After he wiped it, it was as if I never felt any pain in it at all.’”(1206)

By the permission of Allah, Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– also cured the eye of ‘Ali bin Abi Talib. Sahl bin Sa’d narrates that Allah’s Messenger –peace be upon him– addressed the people on the day of Khaybar, saying: “Tomorrow I will give the banner to someone whom Allah shall grant victory at the hands of, one who loves Allah and His Messenger –peace be upon him–and is likewise loved by Allah and His Messenger.” In the morning, the people hastened to the Messenger –peace be upon him–of Allah –peace be upon him–, all wishing to be given the banner. He asked: “Where is ‘Ali bin Abi Talib?” They replied: “He is suffering from an ailment in his eyes, O Messenger –peace be upon him–of Allah.” He instructed ‘Ali to be brought to him, and when he came, the Messenger –peace be upon him–of Allah spat in his eyes and he was instantly cured, as if he did not have anything wrong with his eyes to begin with. He then presented ‘Ali with the banner. ‘Ali said: “O Messenger –peace be upon him–of Allah, shall I fight them until they become like us?” Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– replied: “Proceed cautiously until you reach their territory; thereafter, invite them to Islam and inform them what is obligatory upon them regarding Allah’s rights, for, by Allah, if Allah guides even one person through you, that is better for you than possessing red camels.”(1207) Red camels were the most coveted type of camels and were highly sought after by the Arabs.

6. Rocks would greet Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him–, as occurs in the narration referenced by Muslim in his authentic collection of Prophetic traditions, on the authority of Jabir bin Samurah that Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– said: “I still know of a rock in Makkah which used to greet me before I received prophecy.”(1208)

7. Trees and mountains would greet Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him–. ‘Ali bin Abi Talib –may Allah be pleased with him– narrates that when he was with the Prophet –peace be upon him– in the suburbs of Makkah, they did not pass any tree or mountain except that it greeted Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him– by saying: “Peace be unto you, O Messenger –peace be upon him–of Allah.”(1209)

These are just some of the many examples of miracles performed by Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him–. Anyone wishing to know more should return to the books on the topic of the prophetic miracles, such as ‘Dala•il an–Nubuwwah (The Signs of Prophethood)’ of Abu Zur’ah Ar–Razi, ‘Dala•il An–Nubuwwah (The Signs of Prophethood)’ of Abu Ash–Shaykh Al–Asbahani, ‘Dala•il An–Nubuwwah (The Signs of Prophethood)’ of Abu Nu’aym Al–Asbahani, ‘Dala•il An–Nubuwwah (The Signs of Prophethood)’ of Al–Bayhaqi, ‘Dala•il An–Nubuwwah (The Signs of Prophethood)’ of Ibn Abi Ad–Dunya, among many others, not to mention the Prophetic biographies and the authentic collections of Prophetic traditions which also mention his miracles.(1210)

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(1190) See: ‘al–Jawab as–Sahih Liman Baddala Din al–Masih’ of Ibn Taymiyyah (1/399) & ‘ar–Rusul war–Risalat’ (p. 131).

(1191) See: ‘I’jaz al–Quran’ of al–Baqillani (pp. 27–36).

(1192) See: ‘al–Jawab as–Sahih’ (6/160).

(1193) i.e. Chapter 54, The Moon, whose beginning mentions the miraculous splitting of the moon.

(1194) See: ‘al–Jawab as–Sahih’ (6/160).

(1195) Reported by Muslim (no. 891).

(1196) See: ‘al–Jawab as–Sahih’ (6/160–1).

(1197) Reported by al–Bukhari (no. 3868).

(1198) Reported by at–Tirmidhi (no. 3289).

(1199) Reported by al–Bayhaqi in ‘Dala•il an–Nubuwwah’ (2/265 and 266–7) & by Abu Nu’aym in ‘ad–Dala•il’ (1/369–70).

(1200) See: ‘al–Bidayah wan–Nihayah’ (4/299).

(1201) See: ‘al–Bidayah wan–Nihayah’ (4/299).

(1202) For further detail, see: ‘al–Jawab as–Sahih’ (6/159–64) & ‘al–Bidayah wan–Nihayah’ (4/293–304).

(1203) For further detail regarding the Night Journey, see: ‘Sahih al–Bukhari’ (nos. 3207, 3886 and 3887); ‘Sahih Muslim’ (nos. 163, 170, 172, 174); ‘al–Jawab as–Sahih’ (6/165–82); ‘al–Bidayah wan–Nihayah’ (4/269–92) & ‘ar–Rusul war–Risalat’ (p. 134).

(1204) Reported by al–Bukhari (no. 3578 and 5381) & Muslim. (no. 2040).

(1205) Reported by al–Bukhari (no. 4012).

(1206) Reported by al–Bukhari (no. 4031).

(1207) Reported by al–Bukhari (no. 4210) & Muslim (no. 2406).

(1208) Reported by Muslim (no. 2277).

(1209) Reported by at–Tirmidhi (no. 3626) who declared it to be ‘strange’. Also reported by al–Hakim in ‘al–Mustadrak’ (2/620) who commented on it, saying: ‘This narration has an authentic chain of narration, however it was not reported by the two canonical collections of Prophetic traditions’, and adh–Dhahabi agreed with him.

(1210) See: ‘al–Jawab as–Sahih’ (pp. 6/159–523).