SOME OF THE MIRACLES OF
PROPHET MUHAMMAD
A number of miracles were bestowed upon and performed
by the Prophet Muhammad(SallAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) to establish the proof of
his prophethood. The greatest miracle bestowed upon him was the revelation of
the Qur'an. The Qur'an is miraculous in a number of aspects: Its linguistic
perfection and inimitability, its validation by recent historical,
archaeological, and scientific discoveries, its prophecies and so on. Unlike
the miracles of other prophets before him, the miracle of the Qur'an is
eternal. Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) also provided us
with a number of true prophecies.
Below are accounts of the some of the
other miracles of Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihi Wasallam). Before
reading these, it helps to know someth! ing about the Science of Traditions
(Arabic: Ahadith), an exacting and comprehensive system developed by early
Muslim scholars to verify the chain of transmission of these accounts, as well
as investigating the trustworthiness and capability of every narrator at every
level of the chain. This thorough authentication process ensures that these
accounts are real, validated narrations of the sayings, actions, and tacit
approvals of the Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihi Wasallam). The Traditions
mentioned below are all from Sahih al-Bukhari, the most authentic collection.
Splitting of the Moon
Food Multiplication
Water
Multiplication
Supplication for Rain
Lights to guide
Companions
Crying of the stem of the Date-palm Tree
Glorification of Allah by the Prophet's meals
The explusion of
a Christian liar's corpse by the Earth
The Speech of the Wolf
The Prophet's Night Journey to Jerusalem and Ascent to the Heavens
Splitting of the Moon - "The Hour has drawn near,
and the moon has been cleft asunder" [Qur'an 54:1]
Volume 6, Book 60,
Number 388:
Narrated Abdullah:
The moon was cleft asunder
while we were in the company of the Prophet, and it became two parts. The
Prophet said, Witness, witness (this miracle)."
Food Multiplication
Volume 4, Book 56,
Number 780:
Narrated Jabir:
My father had died in debt. So I
came to the Prophet and said, "My father (died) leaving unpaid debts, and I
have nothing except the yield of his date palms; and their yield for many
years will not cover his debts. So please come with me, so that the creditors
may not misbehave with me." The Prophet went round one of the heaps of dates
and invoked (Allah), and then did the same with another heap and sat on it and
said, "Measure (for them)." He paid them their rights and what remained was as
much as had been paid to them.
Water
Multiplication
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 779:
Narrated
'Abdullah:
We used to consider miracles as Allah's Blessings, but you
people consider them to be a warning. Once we were with Allah's Apostle on a
journey, and we ran short of water. He said, "Bring the water remaining with
you." The people brought a utensil containing a little water. He placed his
hand in it and said, "Come to the blessed water, and the Blessing is from
Allah." I saw the water flowing from among the fingers of Allah's Apostle ,
and no doubt, we heard the meal glorifying Allah, when it was being eaten (by
him).
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 777:
Narrated Al-Bara:
We were one-thousand-and-four-hundred persons on the day of
Al-Hudaibiya (Treaty), and (at) Al-Hudaibiya (there) was a well. We drew out
its water not leaving even a single drop. The Prophet sat at the edge of the
well and asked! for some water with which he rinsed his mouth and then he
threw it out into the well. We stayed for a short while and then drew water
from the well and quenched our thirst, and even our riding animals drank water
to their satisfaction.
Volume 1, Book 7, Number 340:
Narrated
'Imran:
Once we were traveling with the Prophet and we carried on
traveling till the last part of the night and then we (halted at a place) and
slept (deeply). There is nothing sweeter than sleep for a traveler in the last
part of the night. So it was only the heat of the sun that made us to wake up
and the first to wake up was so and so, then so and so and then so and so (the
narrator 'Auf said that Abu Raja' had told him their names but he had
forgotten them) and the fourth person to wake up was 'Umar bin Al-Khattab. And
whenever the Prophet used to sleep, nobody would wake up him till he himself
used to get up as we did not know what was happening (being revealed) to him
in his sleep. So, 'Umar got up and saw the condition of the people, and he was
a strict man, so he said, "Allahu Akbar" and raised his voice with Takbir, and
kept on saying loudly till the Prophet got up because of it. When he got up,
the people informed him about what had happened to them. He said, "There is no
harm (or it will not be harmful). Depart!" So they departed from that place,
and after covering some distance the Prophet stopped and asked for some water
to perform the ablution. So he performed the ablution and the call for the
prayer was pronounced and he led the people in prayer. After he finished from
the prayer, he saw a man sitting aloof who had not prayed with the people. He
asked, "O so and so! What has prevented you from praying with us?" He replied,
"I am Junub and there is no water. " The Prophet said, "Perform Tayammum with
(clean) earth and that is sufficient for you."
Then the Prophet
proceeded on and the people complained to him of thirst. Thereupon he got down
and called a person (the narrator 'Auf added that Abu Raja' had named him but
he had forgotten) and 'Ali, and ordered them to go and bring water. So they
went in search of water and met a woman who was sitting on her camel between
two bags of water. They asked, "Where can we find water?" She replied, "I was
there (at the place of water) this hour yesterday and my people are behind
me." They requested her to accompany them. She asked, "Where?" They said, "To
Allah's Apostle ." She said, "Do you mean the man who is called the Sabi,
(with a new religion)?" They replied, "Yes, the same person. So come along."
They brought her to the Prophet and narrated the whole story. He said, "Help
her to dismount." The Prophet asked for a pot, then he opened the mouths of
the bags and poured some water into the pot. Then he closed the big openings
of the bags and opened the small ones and the people were called upon to drink
and water their animals. So they all watered their animals and they (too) all
quenched their thirst and also gave water to others and last of all the
Prophet gave a pot full of water to the person who was Junub and told him to
pour it over his body. The woman was standing and watching all that which they
were doing with her water. By Allah, when her water bags were returned the
looked like as if they were more full (of water) than they had been before
(Miracle of Allah's Apostle) Then the Prophet ordered us to collect something
for her; so dates, flour and Sawiq were collected which amounted to a good
meal that was put in a piece of cloth. She was helped to ride on her camel and
that cloth full of food-stuff was also placed in front of her and then the
Prophet said to her, "We have not taken your water but Allah has given water
to us." She returned home late. Her relatives asked her: "O so and so what has
delayed you?" She said, "A strange thing! Two men met me and took me to the
man who is called the Sabi' and he did such and such a thing. By Allah, he is
either the greatest magician between this and this (gesturing with her index
and middle fingers raising them towards the sky indicating the heaven and the
earth) or he is Allah's true Apostle."
Afterwards the Muslims used to
attack the pagans around her abode but never touched her village. One day she
said to her people, "I think that these people leave you purposely. Have you
got any inclination to Islam?" They obeyed her and all of them embraced Islam.
Abu 'Abdultah said: The word Saba'a means "The one who has deserted
his old religion and embraced a new religion." Abul 'Ailya said, "The Sabis
are a sect of people of the Scripture who recite the Book of Psalms."
Supplication for Rain
Volume 8, Book 73,
Number 115:
Narrated Anas:
A man came to the Prophet on a
Friday while he (the Prophet) was delivering a sermon at Medina, and said,
"There is lack of rain, so please invoke your Lord to bless us with the rain."
The Prophet looked at the sky when no cloud could be detected. Then he invoked
Allah for rain. Clouds started gathering together and it rained till the
Medina valleys started flowing with water. It continued raining till the next
Friday. Then that man (or some other man) stood up while the Prophet was
delivering the Friday sermon, and said, "We are drowned; Please invoke your
Lord to withhold it (rain) from us" The Prophet smiled and said twice or
thrice, "O Allah! Please let it rain round about us and not upon us." The
clouds started dispersing over Medina to the right and to the left, and it
rained round about Medina and not upon Medina. Allah showed them (the people)
the miracle of His Prophet and His response to his invocation.
Lights to guide
Companions
Volume 1, Book 8, Number 454:
Narrated Anas
bin Malik:
Two of the companions of the Prophet departed from him on a
dark night and were led by two lights like lamps (going in front of them from
Allah as a miracle) lighting the way in front of them, and when they parted,
each of them was accompanied by one of these lights till he reached their
(respective) houses.
Crying of the stem of the Date-palm
Tree
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 783:
Narrated Ibn Umar:
The Prophet used to deliver his sermons while standing beside a trunk
of a datepalm. When he had the pulpit made, he used it instead. The trunk
started crying and the Prophet went to it, rubbing his hand over it (to stop
its crying).
Glorification of Allah by the Prophet's
meals
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 779:
Narrated
'Abdullah:
We used to consider miracles as Allah's Blessings, but you
people consider them to be a warning. Once we were with Allah's Apostle on a
journey, and we ran short of water. He said, "Bring the water remaining with
you." The people brought a utensil containing a little water. He placed his
hand in it and said, "Come to the blessed water, and the Blessing is from
Allah." I saw the water flowing from among the fingers of Allah's Apostle ,
and no doubt, we heard the meal glorifying Allah, when it was being eaten (by
him).
The explusion of a Christian liar's corpse by the
Earth
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 814:
Narrated Anas:
There was a Christian who embraced Islam and read Surat-al-Baqara and
Al-Imran, and he used to write (the revelations) for the Prophet. Later on he
returned to Christianity again and he used to say: "Muhammad knows nothing but
what I have written for him." Then Allah caused him to die, and the people
buried him, but in the morning they saw that the earth had thrown his body
out. They said, "This is the act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the
grave of our companion and took his body out of it because he had run away
from them." They again dug the grave deeply for him, but in the morning they
again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, "This is an act
of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and threw
his body outside it, for he had run away from them." They dug the grave for
him as deep as they could, but in the morning they again saw that the earth
had thrown his body out. So they believed that what had befallen him was not
done by human beings and had to leave him thrown (on the ground).
The Speech of the Wolf
Volume 3, Book 39,
Number 517:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "While a
man was riding a cow, it turned towards him and said, 'I have not been created
for this purpose (i.e. carrying), I have been created for sloughing." The
Prophet added, "I, Abu Bakr and 'Umar believe in the story." The Prophet went
on, "A wolf caught a sheep, and when the shepherd chased it, the wolf said,
'Who will be its guard on the day of wild beasts, when there will be no
shepherd for it except me?' "After narrating it, the Prophet said, "I, Abu
Bakr and 'Umar too believe it." Abu Salama (a sub-narrator) said, "Abu Bakr
and 'Umar were not present then." (It has been written that a wolf also spoke
to one of the companions of the Prophet near Medina as narrated in
Fatah-al-Bari:
Narrated Unais bin 'Amr: Ahban bin Aus said, "I was
amongst my sheep. Suddenly a wolf caught a sheep and I shouted at it. The wolf
sat on its tail and addressed me, saying, 'Who will look after it (i.e. the
sheep) when you will be busy and not able to look after it? Do you forbid me
the provision which Allah has provided me?' " Ahban added, "I clapped my hands
and said, 'By Allah, I have never seen anything more curious and wonderful
than this!' On that the wolf said, 'There is something (more curious) and
wonderful than this; that is, Allah's Apostle in those palm trees, inviting
people to Allah (i.e. Islam).' "Unais bin 'Amr further said, "Then Ahban went
to Allah's Apostle and informed him what happened and embraced Islam.)" palm
trees or other trees and share the fruits with me."
The Prophet's Night Journey to Jerusalem (Arabic: Israa)
and Ascent to the Heavens (Arabic: Miraj)
Volume 5, Book 58,
Number 228:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
Regarding the Statement of
Allah"
"And We granted the vision (Ascension to the heavens) which We
made you see (as an actual eye witness) was only made as a trial for the
people." (17.60)
Ibn Abbas added: The sights which Allah's Apostle was
shown on the Night Journey when he was taken to Bait-ulMaqdis (i.e. Jerusalem)
were actual sights, (not dreams). And the Cursed Tree (mentioned) in the Quran
is the tree of Zaqqum (itself) .
Volume 4, Book 54, Number 462:
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
The Prophet said, "On the night of my
Ascent to the Heaven, I saw Moses who was a tall brown curly-haired man as if
he was one of the men of Shan'awa tribe, and I saw Jesus, a man of medium
height and moderate complexion inclined to the red and white colors and of
lank hair. I also saw Malik, the gate-keeper of the (Hell) Fire and Ad-Dajjal
amongst the signs which Allah showed me." (The Prophet then recited the Holy
Verse): "So be not you in doubt of meeting him' when you met Moses during the
night of Mi'raj over the heavens" (32.23)
Narrated Anas and Abu Bakra:
"The Prophet said, "The angels will guard Medina from Ad-Dajjal (who will not
be able to enter the city of Medina)."
Volume 5, Book 58, Number 227:
Narrated Abbas bin Malik:
Malik bin Sasaa said that Allah's
Apostle described to them his Night Journey saying, "While I was lying in
Al-Hatim or Al-Hijr, suddenly someone came to me and cut my body open from
here to here." I asked Al-Jarud who was by my side, "What does he mean?" He
said, "It means from his throat to his pubic area," or said, "From the top of
the chest." The Prophet further said, "He then took out my heart. Then a gold
tray of Belief was brought to me and my heart was washed and was filled (with
Belief) and then returned to its original place. Then a white animal which was
smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey was brought to me." (On this
Al-Jarud asked, "Was it the Buraq, O Abu Hamza?" I (i.e. Anas) replied in the
affirmative). The Prophet said, "The animal's step (was so wide that it)
reached the farthest point within the reach of the animal's sight. I was
carried on it, and Gabriel set out with me till we reached the nearest heaven.
When he asked for the gate to be opened, it was asked, 'Who is it?'
Gabriel answered, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel
replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has Muhammad been called?' Gabriel replied
in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He ! is welcomed. What an excellent
visit his is!' The gate was opened, and when I went over the first heaven, I
saw Adam there. Gabriel said (to me). 'This is your father, Adam; pay him your
greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You
are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me
till we reached the second heaven. Gabriel asked for the gate to be opened. It
was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is
accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been
called?' Gabriel answered in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is
welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened.
When I
went over the second heaven, there I saw Yahya (i.e. John) and 'Isa (i.e.
Jesus) who were cousins of each other. Gabriel said (to me), 'These are John
and Jesus; pay them your greetings.' So I greeted them and both of them
returned my greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and
pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the third heaven and asked
for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied,
'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied,
'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the
affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed, what an excellent visit his
is!' The gate was opened, and when I went over the third heaven there I saw
Joseph. Gabriel said (to me), 'This is Joseph; pay him your greetings.' So I
greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O
pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fourth
heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel
replied, 'Gabriel' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied,
'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the
affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed, what an excel lent visit his
is!'
The gate was opened, and when I went over the fourth heaven,
there I saw Idris. Gabriel said (to me), 'This is Idris; pay him your
greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You
are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with
me to the fifth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who
is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked. 'Who is accompanying you?'
Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel
replied in the affirmative. Then it was said He is welcomed, what an excellent
visit his is! So when I went over the fifth heaven, there I saw Harun (i.e.
Aaron), Gabriel said, (to me). This is Aaron; pay him your greetings.' I
greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O
pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the sixth
heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked. 'Who is it?' Gabriel
replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied,
'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the
affirmative. It was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!'
When I went (over the sixth heaven), there I saw Moses. Gabriel said
(to me),' This is Moses; pay him your greeting. So I greeted him and he
returned the greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and
pious Prophet.' When I left him (i.e. Moses) he wept. Someone asked him, 'What
makes you weep?' Moses said, 'I weep because after me there has been sent (as
Prophet) a young man whose followers will enter Paradise in greater numbers
than my followers.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the seventh heaven and
asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied,
'Gabriel.' It was asked,' Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied,
'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the
affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his
is!'
So when I went (over the seventh heaven), there I saw Abraham.
Gabriel said (to me), 'This is your father; pay your greetings to him.' So I
greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O
pious son and pious Prophet.' Then I was made to ascend to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha
(i.e. the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary) Behold! Its fruits were like the
jars of Hajr (i.e. a place near Medina) and its leaves were as big as the ears
of elephants. Gabriel said, 'This is the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary) .
Behold ! There ran four rivers, two were hidden and two were visible, I asked,
'What are these two kinds of rivers, O Gabriel?' He replied,' As for the
hidden rivers, they are two rivers in Paradise and the visible rivers are the
Nile and the Euphrates.'
Then Al-Bait-ul-Ma'mur (i.e. the Sacred
House) was shown to me and a container ! full of wine and another full of milk
and a third full of honey were brought to me. I took the milk. Gabriel
remarked, 'This is the Islamic religion which you and your followers are
following.' Then the prayers were enjoined on me: They were fifty prayers a
day. When I returned, I passed by Moses who asked (me), 'What have you been
ordered to do?' I replied, 'I have been ordered to offer fifty prayers a day.'
Moses said, 'Your followers cannot bear fifty prayers a day, and by Allah, I
have tested people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel
(in vain). Go back to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your
followers' burden.' So I went back, and Allah reduced ten prayers for me. Then
again I came to Moses, but he repeated the same as he had said before. Then
again I went back to Allah and He reduced ten more prayers. When I came back
to Moses he said the same, I went back to Allah and He ordered me to observe
ten prayers a day. When I came back to Moses, he repeated the same advice, so
I went back to Allah and was ordered to observe five prayers a day.
When I came back to Moses, he said, 'What have you been ordered?' I
replied, 'I have been ordered to observe five prayers a day.' He said, 'Your
followers cannot bear five prayers a day, and no doubt, I have got an
experience of the people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani
Israel, so go back to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your
follower's burden.' I said, 'I have requested so much of my Lord that I feel
ashamed, but I am satisfied now and surrender to Allah's Order.' When I left,
I heard a voice saying, 'I have passed My Order and have lessened the burden
of My Worshipers."
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