Do the Messengers' miracles subject to reason?

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

Do the Messengers' miracles subject to reason?

Ahmad Muslim


Allah, the Lord of all the Worlds, created this world with His Power and managed its affairs by His Wisdom. "Allâh is He Who has created the heavens and the earth and sends down water (rain) from the sky, and thereby brought forth fruits as provision for you; and He has made the ships to be of service to you, that they may sail through the sea by His Command; and He has made rivers (also) to be of service to you. * And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses, to be of service to you; and He has made the night and the day, to be of service to you." [Surat Ibrahim: 32 - 33].
Despite these creatures being equal in perfection and precision, the Creator (Glory be to Him) chose from among them a type which He honored, glorified, and raised its status; that type was man. Allah (Glory be to Him) says in the Qur'an: "And indeed We have honored the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with At-Tayyibat (lawful good things), and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preference." [Surat Al Isra': 70]. The feature of honoring man is not the straightness of his body or his facial appearances, but the great favor which Allah instilled in him which is reason. However, this great favor is not enough in obtaining true happiness, therefore He sent the Messengers to man to warn him of the bad end and give him glad tidings of the reward so that no one could escape from punishment. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "Indeed We have sent Our Messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance (justice) that mankind may keep up justice." [Surat Al Hadid: 25].
Allah sent the Messengers (peace be upon them) and provided them with miracles that overmastered sound reason and forced it to admit its helplessness in bringing something of the like. So, Allah granted these miracles to His Messengers in the time of the challenge to confirm the truthfulness of His Messengers as if He says: My Servants have said the truth in all that they conveyed in My Name.
Each Messenger had a miracle from the same skill his people mastered but it excelled all their skills to prove that it came from Allah and humans cannot bring something of the like. Moreover, Allah made the final destination on the Day of Recompense is to Him, He says: "O man! Verily, you are returning towards your Lord with your deeds and actions (good or bad), a sure returning, so you will meet (i.e. the results of your deeds which you did)." [Surat Al Inshiqaq: 6].
Of the miracles of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) was his stick which he threw on the day of decoration [i.e., Friday when people wear their best clothes] when the sorcerers of the Pharaoh gathered along with the public and celebrities. The stick had turned into a huge snake that ate all the ropes and sticks which the sorcerers threw, then Moses and the audience thought them to be true snakes. Moses became afraid, but Allah comforted him with this saying: "We (Allah) said: Fear not! Surely, you will have the upper hand." [Surat Taha: 68] because you own the truth which they did not have. When he threw his stick and it ate all their moving sticks and ropes, the sorcerers were sure that the action was not done by Moses (peace be upon him) or even from man-made, but it was done by the action of the creator of man who is Able and Mighty. So, they believed in Allah, the Lord of the worlds, who created them all. When the Pharaoh threatened them by cutting their hands and legs, they did not pay attention to that threat saying: "They said: We prefer you not over the clear signs that have come to us, and to Him (Allah) Who created us. So decree whatever you desire to decree, for you can only decree (regarding) this life of the world. * Verily! We have believed in our Lord, that He may forgive us our faults, and the magic to which you did compel us. And Allah is better as regards reward in comparison to your [Fir'aun's (Pharaoh)] reward, and more lasting (as regards punishment in comparison to your punishment)." [Surat Taha: 72 - 73].
Indeed, the threat of cutting their hands and legs then crucifying them at the palm trees did not affect their faith because the sweetness of faith overpowered the bitterness of threat.
Of the miracles of Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) was the knowledge of animals' ********s. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "He inspected the birds, and said: What is the matter that I see not the hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees? * I will surely punish him with a severe torment, or slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear reason. * But the hoopoe stayed not long, he (came up and) said: I have grasped (the knowledge of a thing) which you have not grasped and I have come to you from Saba' (Sheba) with true news. * I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given all things that could be possessed by any ruler of the earth, and she has a great throne. * I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah, and Shaitan (Satan) has made their deeds fair-seeming to them, and has barred them from (Allah's) Way, so they have no guidance." [Surat An-Naml: 20 - 24].
Prophet Solomon understood the words of the hoopoe and said: "We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are (one) of the liars." [Surat An-Naml: 27]
Moreover, Solomon (peace be upon him) could understand the ******** of small creatures which people cannot hear their words. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Till, when they came to the valley of the ants, one of the ants said: O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Sulayman (Solomon) and his hosts crush you, while they perceive not. * So he [Sulayman (Solomon)] smiled, amused at her speech and said: My Lord! Inspire and bestow upon me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favors which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among Your righteous slaves." [Surat An-Naml: 18 - 19].
Of the miracles of Jesus (peace be upon him) was curing the blind and the leprous, and giving life to the dead by the will of Allah.
Of the miracles of the last Prophet (peace be upon him) was the split of the moon where the Qur'an recorded that phenomenon in Allah's Saying: "The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder (the people of Makkah requested Prophet Muhammad SAW to show them a miracle, so he showed them the splitting of the moon). * And if they see a sign, they turn away, and say: This is continuous magic. * They belied (the Verses of Allah, this Quran), and followed their own lusts. And every matter will be settled [according to the kind of deeds (for the doer of good deeds, his deeds will take him to Paradise, and similarly evil deeds will take their doers to Hell)]." [Surat Al Qamar: 1 - 3].
The miracle of splitting the moon was a sign that confirmed the truthfulness of Muhammad (peace be upon him), but the main miracle was the Glorious Qur'an in its words, Ayahs, and Surahs which Gabriel (peace be upon him) came with from Allah: "Which the trustworthy Ruh [Jibrael (Gabriel)] has brought down * Upon your heart (O Muhammad SAW) that you may be (one) of the warners, * In the plain Arabic ********." [Surat Ash-Shu`ara': 193 - 195].
The Qur'an is a cure for the diseases of societies: "And We send down from the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism and act on it), and it increases the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) nothing but loss." [Surat Al Isra': 82].
The Qur'an contains the truth and different kinds of guidance: "This Our Record speaks about you with truth. Verily, We were recording what you used to do (i.e. Our angels used to record your deeds)." [Surat Al Jathiyah: 29].
The Qur'an revives hearts and reasons and grants them good life instead of the bad one which they are living: "O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he (SAW) calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart (i.e. He prevents an evil person to decide anything). And verily to Him you shall (all) be gathered." [Surat Al Anfal: 24].
It is the miracle which eloquent could not imitate or bring something of the like even as the shortest of its Surah: "Say: If the mankind and the jinns were together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another." [Surat Al Isra': 88].
Truly, the Glorious Qur'an is the great miracle which the Messenger of Allah brought, and it is the everlasting miracle on earth until Allah inherits the earth and all that on it. Allah undertook to guard the Qur'an against error and corruption: "Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Quran) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)." [Surat Al Hijr: 9].
Those miracles of Allah's Messengers could not subject to reason in any way. Reasons, no matter their power, cleverness, and genius, are helpless to realize all facts. Allah had said the truth when He said: "And they ask you (O Muhammad SAW) concerning the Ruh (the Spirit)" [Surat Al Isra': 85].
As for true and much knowledge, it belongs only to Allah alone, and we only know few of it. It is true that reason longs for knowledge but it cannot take of it but a small part because if it had been capable of catching all knowledge, it would have realized its own reality and essence. Furthermore, reason dies when a person dies and feels sick when its owner feels sick, it is a great power but what is its essence? Is it the light which grasps things? The reality of reason is only known to Allah who knows the public and the secret. Miracles of Allah's Messengers cannot subject to reason because they are done by the creator of reasons, and the creation of Allah is incomparable to the making of humans because human actions subject to reasons and causes. Moreover, reason gains its experiences from the experiences of others and likewise inventions. As for miracles which we mentioned part of it, they are done by Allah to support His Messengers and prove their truthfulness; so whomever was guided will benefit Himself and whomever was misled will bring punishment upon himself.