Some of the Miracles of Muhammad(P)
A
number of miracles were bestowed upon and performed by the Prophet Muhammad(P) 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(P) also
provided us with a number of true
prophecies.
Below
are accounts of the some of the other miracles of Prophet Muhammad(P)
. Before reading these, it helps to know something 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(P). The Traditions mentioned
below are all from Sahih al-Bukhari, the most
authentic collection.
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)."
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.
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."
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
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 expulsion 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).
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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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