The Miracles Granted to the Messengers

Allah enabled His messengers to perform miracles to protect them from
the unbelievers' and the hypocrites' traps, to bring people to faith,
and for other reasons. In the Qur'an He gives a detailed account of
the messengers' lives, the miracles He sent to support their message,
and the miracles He allowed them to perform. Our beloved Prophet
Muhammad (saas) and the Prophet Moses (as), the Prophet Abraham (as)
and the Prophet Jesus (as) were all blessed messengers to whom Allah
granted miracles.
For example, the trap set for the Prophet Abraham (as) was foiled by a miracle:
We said: "Fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham!" (Surat al-Anbiya': 69)
As a result, the unbelievers' trap was destroyed. We will now relate
some other miracles.
The miracles that 'the Prophet Jesus (as) showed his people:
Remember when Allah said: " O Jesus, son of Maryam, remember My
blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the
Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when
you were fully grown; and when I taught you the Book and Wisdom, and
the Torah and the Gospel; and when you created a bird-shape out of
clay by My permission, and then breathed into it and it became a bird
by My permission; and [when you] healed the blind and the leper by My
permission; and when you brought forth the dead by My permission; and
when I held back the tribe of Israel from you, when you brought them
the Clear Signs and the unbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing
but downright magic.'" (Surat al-Ma'idah: 110)
... as a messenger to the tribe of Israel, the Prophet Jesus (as)
saying: "I have brought you a sign from your Lord. I will create the
shape of a bird out of clay for you, breathe into it, and it will be a
bird, by Allah's permission. I will heal the blind and the leper, and
bring the dead to life, by Allah's permission. I will tell you what
you eat and what you store up in your homes. There is a sign for you
in that if you are believers." (Surah Al 'Imran: 49)
The Prophet Moses's (as) staff turned into a snake and swallowed those
produced by Pharaoh's magicians:
He [Pharaoh] said: "If you have come with a clear sign produce it, if
you are telling the truth." So he [Moses] threw down his staff and
there it was, unmistakably a snake. (Surat al-A'raf: 106-107)
Throw down what is in your right hand [O Moses]. It will swallow up
their handiwork, which is just a magician's trick. Magicians do not
prosper wherever they go. (Surah Ta Ha: 69)
The Prophet Moses (as) struck the sea with his staff and its waters parted:
And when the two hosts came into sight of one another, Moses's
companions exclaimed: "We will surely be overtaken!" Moses said:
"Never! My Lord is with me and will guide me." So We revealed to
Moses: "Strike the sea with your staff." And it split in two, each
part like a towering cliff. And We brought the others right up to it.
We rescued Moses and all those who were with him, and then drowned the
rest. (Surat al-Shu'ara': 61-66)
The birds that the Prophet Abraham (as) cut into pieces came back to him alive:
When Abraham said: "My Lord, show me how You bring the dead to life."
He asked: "Do you not then have belief?" Abraham replied: "Indeed I
do! But so that my heart may be at peace." He said: "Take four birds
and train them to yourself. Then put a part of them on each mountain
and call to them; they will come rushing to you. Know that Allah is
Almighty, All-Wise." (Surat al-Baqara: 260)
The Prophet Jonah's (as) was miraculously saved after being swallowed
by a whale:
Yunus was one of the Messengers. When he ran away to the fully laden
ship and cast lots and lost, then the fish devoured him and he was to
blame. Had he not been a person who glorified Allah, he would have
remained inside its belly until the Day of Resurrection. So We cast
him up onto the beach and he was sick. (Surat al-Saffat: 139-145)
The Prophet Zechariah. (as) was told he would have a child in his old age
"Still Life with Cheeses." Floris Van Dijck (1575-1651). Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Then and there Zechariah called on his Lord: "O Lord, grant me by Your
favor an upright child. You are the Hearer of Prayer." The angel
called out to him while he was standing in prayer in the upper room:
"Allah gives you the good news of John, who will come to confirm a
Word from Allah, and will be a leader and a celibate, a prophet and
one of the just." He asked: "My Lord, how can I possibly have a son
when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?" He replied: "It
will be so. Allah does whatever He wills." (Surah Al 'Imran: 38-40)
Many other miracles are informed in the Qur'an, all of which happen by
the will of Allah Who rules the universe and has infinite power. Every
miracle happens at Allah's command and in the way He wills:
We sent messengers before you and gave them wives and children. Nor
was any messenger able to bring a sign except by Allah's permission.
There is a prescribed limit to every term. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 38)
In Surat al-Ma'idah, it is reveaed that the Prophet Jesus (as)
performed miracles by Allah's permission:
Remember when Allah said: "O 'Jesus, son of Maryam, remember My
blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the
Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when
you were fully grown; and when I taught you the Book and Wisdom, and
the Torah and the Gospel; and when you created a bird-shape out of
clay by My permission, and then breathed into it and it became a bird
by My permission; and healed the blind and the leper by My permission;
and when you brought forth the dead by My permission; and when I held
back the tribe of Israel from you, when you brought them the clear
signs and the unbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing but
downright magic.'" (Surat al-Ma'ida: 110)
All of the messengers were blessed individuals who submitted
themselves to Allah. They had good moral characters and were examples
to the world. Like everyone else, they were helpless and needy in
Allah's sight. Allah, Who created the universe from nothing, has
absolute power and governance over all things, both living and
inanimate. The universe and all creatures in the heavens and on Earth
belong to Him, for He, the Lord of the universe, created them all.
Everything moves at His command and exists at His pleasure.
Allah feeds all living creatures, provides them with many blessings,
brings forth plants and creates their seasons, and brings darkness in
the evening and makes the sun a brilliant light. He created all human
beings who have ever lived and who are yet to live; all animate and
inanimate things owe their existence to Him, and every creature needs
Him. He has honored some individuals by choosing them to be His
messengers. They also stand in need of Him, act at His command, and
perform their miracles only by His will.
We are told in Surat al-Anbiya' of Allah's infinite power:
Everyone in the heavens and on Earth belongs to Him. Those in His
presence do not consider themselves too great to worship Him and do
not grow tired of it. They glorify Him night and day, never flagging.
Or have they taken deities out of the soil who can bring the dead to
life? If there had been any deities besides Allah in heaven or Earth,
they would both be ruined. Glory be to Allah, Lord of the Throne,
beyond what they describe! He will not be questioned about what He
does, but they will be questioned. Or have they taken other deities
besides Him? Say: "Produce your proof. This is the message of those
with me and the message of those before me." But most of them do not
know the truth, so they turn away. (Surat al-Anbiya': 19-24)
This book informs the reader about some of the Prophet Muhammad's
(saas) miracles. Allah made this blessed individual an example to all
people due to his goodness and deep faith, and his every word and
action. With Allah's permission, he performed miracles throughout his
life, some of which were witnessed only by the Companions and others
of which were seen by great numbers of unbelievers.
An account of some of these miracles has come down to us in the
Qur'an; we know of others through the hadiths and the various writings
of Islamic scholars. We intend to show the miraculous aspects of this
blessed person who was sent as a mercy to the world and to invite our
readers to take the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas) as
their guide.
As Allah says, He sent our Prophet (saas) as the last prophet to
humanity: "… the Messenger of Allah and the Final Seal of the
Prophets" (Surat al-Ahzab: 40). This blessed man delivered the final
revelation and serves as humanity's role model because of his
goodness, piety, and closeness to Allah. He is a friend of Allah, and
the friend and advocate of believers. Allah tells us that He entrusted
our Prophet (saas) with a great responsibility:
We will impose a weighty Word upon you. (Surat al-Muzzammil: 5)
With his powerful faith in Allah, the Prophet (saas) carried out his
responsibility perfectly by inviting humanity to follow the Way of
Allah and serving as their guide. The Revelation of the Qur'an
According to Islamic and historical texts, Allah bestowed prophethood
upon the Prophet Muhammad (saas) when he was forty years old. But even
before that time, certain miraculous events took place. For example,
his dreams came true. The hadiths say that these dreams lasted for
about six months. The eminent Islamic scholar Imam al-Bukhari relates:
The commencement of the Divine inspiration to the Messenger of Allah
was in the form of good righteous (true) dreams in his sleep. He never
had a dream but that it came true like bright daylight. 1
A copy of the Qur'an from 1790 CE (1205 AH) written in the Naskhi
style. Classic style layout, every page containing seventeen lines.
Ruled in gold, leather binding from the time. (Suleyman Tevfik)
The hadiths tell us that when he turned forty, he would often go by
himself to the Cave of Hira' (Ghar Hira) in Jabal al-Nur (the Mountain
of Light), which was located about twelve kilometers from Mecca.
During the Ramadan of his third annual retreat, Allah granted the
Prophet Muhammad (saas) the rank of prophet by sending Gabriel to
reveal some Qur'anic verses to him. The first revelation was given on
August 10, 610 CE (Monday night, 21 Ramadan).
This was certainly a wonderful grace from Allah. Our Prophet (saas)
was blessed; he was an able, good, and a man of deep faith; had a
degree of fear and respect toward Allah; and was worthy of this honor:
… but for a mercy from your Lord. His favor to you is indeed immense.
(Surat al-Isra': 87)
You did not expect to be given the Book. It is nothing but a mercy
from your Lord ... (Surat al-Qasas: 86)
The fact that his dreams came true is one proof that our dear Prophet
(saas) was chosen by Allah. Islamic scholars interpret this as meaning
that Allah prepared him for this great responsibility while he slept.
After these dreams, the Prophet (saas) received the first revelation
and was entrusted with guiding humanity to the true path. He continued
to do so, with great determination, until he died.
The hadiths relate the miraculous events that occurred before he
received the first revelation:
Aisha narrated: The first thing with which the revelation began for
the Messenger of Allah was correct dreams in sleep. He never saw a
dream but that it came like the breaking of the dawn. He used to go in
seclusion to (the cave of) Hira', where he used to worship (Allah
alone) continuously for many nights. He used to take provision with
him for that (stay) and then like-wise come back to Khadijah to take
his food again for another period. Then suddenly the Truth descended
upon him while he was in the cave of Hira'. The angel came to him and
asked him to read.
The Prophet replied: "I do not know how to read" (and added:) "The
angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not
bear it anymore. He then released me and again asked me to read, and I
replied: 'I do not know how to read,' whereupon he caught me again and
pressed me a second time until I could not bear it anymore. He then
released me and asked me again to read, but again I replied: 'I do not
know how to read (or, what shall I read?).' Thereupon he caught me for
the third time and pressed me and then released me and said: 'Read: In
the Name of your Lord, Who has created, has created humanity from a
[blood] clot. Read, and Your Lord is Most Generous, He Who taught
by the pen, taught man what he did not know.' (Surat al-'Alaq:
1-5)" Then Allah's Messenger returned with it… 2
We are told in the Qur'an about his conversation with Gabriel and the
revelation of the Qur'an to him. It is revealed in Surat al-Najm that
Gabriel taught the Qur'an to the Prophet (saas):
Your companion is not misguided or misled; nor does he speak from
whim. It is nothing but Revelation revealed, taught to him by one
immensely strong. (Surat al-Najm: 2-5)
We also learn of the wondrous events that occurred as Gabriel
transmitted the Qur'an to the Prophet (saas):
… possessing power and splendor. He [Gabriel] stood there stationary,
there on the highest horizon. Then he drew near and hung suspended. He
was two bow-lengths away or even closer. Then He [Allah] revealed to
His servant what He revealed. His [Muhammad's] heart did not lie about
what he saw. What! Do you dispute with him about what he saw? (Surat
al-Najm: 6-12)
It is also stated in several other verses that Gabriel, also called
the "Purest Spirit" or the "Faithful Spirit," delivered the
revelation:
It does not befit Allah to address any human being except by
inspiration, or from behind a veil, or He sends a messenger who then
reveals by His permission whatever He wills. He is indeed Most High,
All-Wise. (Surat al-Shura: 51)
Say: "Anyone who is Jibril's enemy should know that it was he who
brought it [the Qur'an] down upon your heart, by Allah's authority,
confirming what came before, and as guidance and good news for the
believers." (Surat al-Baqarah: 97)
Say: "The Purest Spirit has brought it down from your Lord with truth,
to make those who have faith firm, and as guidance and good news for
the Muslims." (Surat al-Nahl: 102)
Truly it is revelation sent down by the Lord of all the worlds. The
Faithful Spirit brought it down to your heart so you would be one of
the Warners. (Surat al-Shu'ara': 192-194)
There is a tradition that the revelations ceased for a while after the
first verses had been revealed. The hadiths tell us that when the
revelations resumed, the first verses he received were the opening
verses of Surat al-Muddaththir. After that, the Prophet (saas) assumed
his responsibility of proclaiming the revelation. Later, by a command
from Allah, he told people to have faith only in Allah and not to make
any creature His equal:
O you who are enveloped in your cloak, arise and warn. Magnify your
Lord. (Surat al-Muddaththir: 1-3)
It is also said in Surat al-Shura 194 that revelations were placed in
the Prophet's (saas) heart. In addition, Allah caused him to memorize
the Qur'an: "We will cause you to recite so that you do not forget"
(Surat al-A'la: 6). His ability to memorize the Qur'an in this way was
another one of his miracles.
The verses of the Qur'an were rooted in the Prophet's (saas) heart,
and he spent his whole life proclaiming them. In Surat al-A'la 8, "We
will ease you to the Easy Way,"Allah announced that He is the
Prophet's (saas) helper and will give him success. Allah tells us that
He is the blessed mesenger's constant Helper: "It is Our duty to help
the belivers" (Surat al-Rum: 47). He refreshed the Prophet's (saas)
heart and created marvellous things in his mind and memory. He tells
us that it is He Who enabled the Prophet (saas) to recite and remember
all of its verses:
Do not move your tongue trying to hasten it. Its collection and
recitation are Our affair. So when We recite it, follow its
recitation. Then its explanation is Our concern. (Surat al-Qiyamah:
16-19)
Clearly, Allah placed the Qur'an's verses in his memory in a special way:
High exalted be Allah, the King, the Real! Do not rush ahead with the
Qur'an before its revelation to you is complete, and say: "My Lord,
increase me in knowledge." (Surah Ta Ha: 114)
With his love and lively faith in Allah, our Prophet (saas) willingly
and wholeheartedly obeyed all of His commands. Allah made him powerful
and gave him success, granted him many blessings, and made him special
in both worlds.

The Miracles Of Our Prophet (saas)

Introduction
Throughout history, Allah sent messengers to all peoples, showing them
how to live a good life in this world and the next. We are told in the
Qur'an that this is a wonderful grace and mercy for all believers:
Allah showed great kindness to the believers when He sent a messenger
to them from among themselves to recite His signs to them, purify
them, and teach them the Book and Wisdom, even though before that they
were clearly misguided. (Surah Al 'Imran: 164)
We have only sent you as a mercy to all the worlds. (Surat al-Anbiya': 107)
These messengers were a grace to their communities, for they showed
their people the right path, helped them leave the darkness of
unbelief and enter into the light of belief, and proclaimed the
commands of our Lord, Who created the universe from nothing. They told
people that they could have contentment, peace, and security only by
living a good religious life. However, Allah also reveals that
"...most people have no faith" (Surat al-Ra'd: 1). Thus, few people
embraced faith and appreciated what a great mercy these messengers
were for them.
As revealed in the Qur'an, they sincerely desired that people should
come to faith: "But most people, for all your eagerness, are not
believers" (Surah Yusuf: 103). They called their people to truth so
that they could receive blessings in both worlds and live good and
happy lives. They asked no reward for this. Due to their sincere fear
of and respect for Allah and their superior moral character, the
messengers dedicated their honorable lives to this goal. All of the
ensuing difficulties and trials only increased their faith and
dedication. With Allah's help and support, they became examples of
courage; with His permission, they always prevailed. Our Lord says:
Allah has written: "I will be victorious, I and My messengers." Allah
is Most Strong, Almighty. (Surat al-Mujadalah: 21)
In return for their devotion, faithfulness, patience, sincerity, and
trust in Him, Allah imparted a sense of security and contentment to
their hearts, gave them material and spiritual strength, and destroyed
the unbelivers' traps:
We will certainly help Our messengers and those who believe both in
the life of this world and on the Day the witnesses appear. (Surah
Ghafir: 51)
O Messenger, transmit what has been sent down to you from your Lord.
If you do not, you will not have transmitted His message. Allah will
protect you from people. Allah does not guide the unbelievers. (Surat
al-Ma'idah: 67)
Allah tells us that He defended our Prophet (saas) against all of the
unbelievers' traps:
… when the unbelievers were plotting against you to imprison, kill, or
expel you: They were plotting and Allah was planning, but Allah is the
Best of Planners. (Surat al-Anfal: 30)
We learn from several verses that Allah protected His messengers in
every adversity and anxiety and from every trap. He increased His
blessings upon them, provided an escape from every difficulty,
increased their courage and strength, lightened their burdens, and
strengthened their resolve by reminding them of His mercy.
Our Lord supported some of His messengers by allowing them to perform
miracles. These great blessings from Allah had a strong effect on
people, strengthened the believers' resolve and faith, and caused many
unbelievers to embrace Islam.

Fathwa, - Can my aunty's husband (mothers brother in law) be my mehram?

Question:
I have been wanting to perform umrah for 2 years now, but due to
having no living father i don''t have a mehram. i have 2 brothers,
however one is not ready to go, nor can he get time off from
university and the other only did hajj in January, and can not afford
to go again.
So apart from them my last option is going along with my uncle and
aunty. However before getting my hopes up i would like to know is my
mother''s sister''s husband is a permissable mehram for umrah.
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum
Unlike the Hajj, which is obligatory on every Muslim, male and female,
who is able to perform it; the ''Umra is not obligatory. Rather it is
an emphasised sunna to perform it once in one''s lifetime. (Radd
al-Muhtar, 2:151, Bulaq ed.)
The scholars of the Hanafi school, as well as most other scholars from
all of the sunni schools of fiqh, deemed it impermissable for a woman
to go on a journey of more than fifty miles outside of one''s city
except with a mahram male, meaning either one''s husband or a male of
one''s unmarriageable kin. The Hanafis did not consider the Hajj to be
an exception to this. Since the husband of one's aunt is not a mahram
one may not travel with him to perform the Hajj, let alone an 'Umra.
The scholars of some other schools take a more leniant stance. In the
Shafi''i school a woman may travel without a mahram if the journey is
to fulfill an obligation such as the Hajj. The ''Umra is also
obligatory for the Shafi''is.

Fathwa, - Confusion on Limits to talking to the opposite sex

Question:
I have read up on talking to the opposite sex but have experienced
very different views on this matter. I wanted to know the exact rules
to conversing with a member of the oppposite sex, preferably supported
with quotes from the hadith/quran.
As it stands the situation is; i have met a brother and speak to him
on the intention of inshallah marriage, we regularly chat on msn in
order to get to know one another better. Could you please confirm if
this is allowed as we have heard that it is not allowed unless i have
asked permission from my Wali.
I also wanted to clarify whether it is permissable to talk on the
phone with one another (once again without permission from Wali) and
whether meeting up publicly is allowed (where ther would be many other
muslims present but not a mahram).
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Dear Sister,
I pray this message finds you well.
The Islamic paradigm for gender relations comes from the Qur''anic
verse, "The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another:
they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe
regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey God and His
Apostle. On them will God pour His mercy: for God is Exalted in power,
Wise." (Al-Tauba, 9:71).
Here, the word used for protectors is awliya''. This word connotes
friendship and cooperation on the basis of faith in Allah and His
Messenger, piety, and righteousness.
The Qur''an also gives us details on how to interact with each other.
For example,
"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard
their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah
is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing
women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that
they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must
ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over
their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands,
their fathers..." [Al-Nour, 24: 30-31]
Finally, here is an example of a pious young woman:
"Afterwards one of the (damsels) came (back) to him, walking
bashfully. She said: "My father invites thee that he may reward thee
for having watered (our flocks) for us..." [Al-Qasas, 28: 25]
Qur''an commentaries note that the young woman approaches Prophet
Musa, peace be upon him, to make her request. However, she does so
shyly. She speaks directly and courteously.
There are also hadiths on gender interaction, one of the most serious
of which is:
"When a man and woman are alone together, Satan is the third." [Tirmidhi]
Ibn ''Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported: I heard Allah''s
Messenger (may peace be upon him) delivering a sermon and making this
observation: "No person should be alone with a woman except when there
is a Mahram with her, and the woman should not undertake journey
except with a Mahram..." [Sahih Muslim, Book 7, Number 3110]
"Tirmidhi reports from al-Mughira that when he got engaged to a woman,
the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ''Look at her,
for it is likelier to last between you.''" [Reliance of the Traveller,
m2.2]
Please keep in mind that these are individual verses and hadiths.
There are many more texts that relate to gender interaction.
The best way to understand how to implement these texts is to look to
the example of the Prophet, peace be upon him, who was very respectful
and cautious in his interactions with the opposite sex. Consult
reliable scholars about the limits of gender interaction. There are a
lot of relevant articles available here at SunniPath. Additionally, I
recommend reading Reliance of the Traveller, a classical manual of
Sacred Law, particularly the chapter on marriage.
Here are some general guidelines to be aware of:
1.It is unlawful for you and the brother to be alone with each other.
You should always meet in the presence of your mahram, unmarriageable
male relative, such as your father, brother, grandfather, or uncle. If
you do not have a mahram, then he should meet you in the presence of
your mother. If none of these people are available, then you should
appoint a wali: an upright male member of the community.
2.Instant messaging is highly problematic and I would advise you to
leave it alone. Essentially, it is cyber khalwa, or seclusion. What
may start out as an innocent enough chat can turn into something else
if you are not extremely cautious. If you have a romantic interest in
one another, online chats should definitely be left alone. The
temptation for prospective couples to engage in romantic conversations
is heightened by the mere fact that there is no supervision.
3.It is crucial to get to know one another. However, this must be done
within certain limits. For example, it is fine for you to get to know
each other in the presence of family members. However, be cautious
about online chatting, as mentioned before. Also, be cautious about
unsupervised telephone conversations. In principle, there is nothing
wrong with talking on occasion, particularly if you have something
important to discuss. However, the limits of propriety must be
observed. If you talk on the phone, it should be with the permission
of your wali. Furthermore, you should avoid talking to him when you
are alone.
4.As far as meeting up in public places is concerned, once again be
cautious. It''s fine to give salaams and inquire about each other''s
health. What you do want to avoid is hanging out or anything that
gives the appearance of dating. On the other hand, if you are
accompanied by a mahram, then seeing the brother outside of the house
should not be an issue.
To sum up, just remember that getting to know the brother is
permissible. What is not permissible is being alone together,
flirting, or any type of physical contact.