The Holy Prophet (sa) – Part VIII
The Promised Messiah (as) wrote over 80 books in Arabic, Urdu, and Persian. Excerpts of his collected works have been translated into English and organised by topic.
The Review of Religions is pleased to present these excerpts as part of a monthly feature. In this issue, the Promised Messiah (as) elucidates the miracles of the Holy Prophet (sa), and why his legacy still lives on.
This is the eighth part of a multipart series.
Extracts from The Essence of Islam –Vol. I. pp. 273-282.
More than three thousand miracles were shown by our lord and master, the Holy Prophet (sa), and his prophecies were numberless; but it is not necessary for us to put forward those miracles which were shown in the past. One grand miracle of the Holy Prophet (sa) is that the revelation vouchsafed to all other prophets has been cut off, and their miracles have been left behind, and their followers are empty-handed and are left only with old stories; but the revelation vouchsafed to the Holy Prophet (sa) has not been cut off, nor have his miracles been cut off, but are always displayed through his perfect followers who are honoured with obeying him. On this account, the religion of Islam is a living religion, and its God is a Living God. In this age also this servant of the Lord of Honour is present. Thousands of signs in support of the Messenger of Allah and the Book of Allah have been shown by me, and I am almost daily honoured with the converse of God Almighty.
—Chashma-e-Masihi, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 20, pp. 350-351
When a person arrives at this exalted stage of meeting with God, he sometimes performs acts which appear to be beyond human power and have the colour of divine power. For instance, during the battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet (sa) threw a handful of gravel at the opposing force not accompanied by any prayer, but with his own spiritual power, which affected the opposing force in such an extraordinary manner that everyone’s eyes were struck by the gravel and they were rendered sightless and began to run around in confusion and helplessness. This miracle is referred to in the verse:
[1] وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ رَمَىٰ
‘When you threw the handful of pebbles, it was not you who did throw, but it was Allah Who threw’; meaning that it was divine power that was working behind the scenes, and it did that which was not within human power.
In the same way, another miracle of the Holy Prophet (sa) which was the splitting of the moon, was displayed by divine power. It was not accompanied by any prayer, as it happened merely by his pointing at the moon with his finger, which was filled with divine power. There are many other miracles which the Holy Prophet (sa) worked purely with his power and which were not accompanied by any prayer. On many occasions, he multiplied water so much by dipping his fingers into a cup of water that the whole host and their camels and horses drank of it and yet the original quantity of the water was not diminished. On many occasions, by putting his hand upon three or four loaves of bread, he satisfied the hunger of thousands. On some occasions, he blessed a small quantity of milk with his lips, and a company of people drank from it and were filled. On some occasions, by adding his saliva into a well of brackish water, he rendered it sweet. On some occasions, he healed severely wounded people of their injuries by placing his hands upon them. On some occasions, he replaced the eyeballs of people which had fallen out in consequence of some injury received in battle and healed them with the blessings of his hand. In this way, he did many other things by his personal power, behind which worked divine power.
If the Brahmus and the philosophers and the followers of nature of today refuse to accept these miracles, they are to be excused, for they cannot recognise the station at which a human being is endowed with divine power by way of reflection. If they laugh at these things, they are also to be excused, for they have not progressed beyond their childish condition and have not reached any degree of spiritual maturity. Their condition is far from perfect, and they are happy that they should die in that imperfect condition.
But one pities the Christians, who having heard of some similar, but of a lower degree of, events in the life of Jesus (as), put them forward as an argument in support of the divinity of Jesus (as) and allege that the reviving of the dead by Jesus (as) and the healing of paralytics and lepers by him was by his own power and not by any prayer, and that this is proof that he was truly the son of God and even God himself. It is a pity that they are unaware that if a human being could become God by performing such exploits, then our lord and master, the Holy Prophet (sa), was much more entitled to such divinity, for he performed mightier miracles than were displayed by Jesus (as). Not only did the Holy Prophet (sa) work these extraordinary miracles himself, but he left a legacy of a long series of them among his followers till the Day of Judgement, which has been in evidence always in all ages and will continue to be in evidence till the end of the world. The impress of divine power which has been experienced by holy souls among the Muslims is difficult to match from among other people. Then what folly is it to believe in someone as God or as the son of God, on account of these extraordinary events? If a man can become God by performing such exploits, there would be no end to the number of gods!
—A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 5, pp. 65-67
We wish to point out that the miracle of the splitting of the moon is not an event that the Muslims put forth as proof of the truth of Islam and as a principal argument in support of the truth of the Holy Qur’an. Out of thousands of internal and external miracles and signs, this was also a natural sign, which is supported by historical proof. If overlooking clear proofs, we are to suppose that this miracle has not been established, and if we are to interpret the relevant verse of the Holy Qur’an as the Christians or the followers of nature, or those who repudiate external events interpret it…it would do no harm to Islam. The truth is that the word of God has wholly relieved the Muslims of the need of relying upon other miracles. It is not only a miracle in itself, but on account of its blessings and lights, it produces miracles.
The Holy Qur’an comprises in itself such perfect qualities that it is in no need of extraordinary miracles. The presence of external miracles adds nothing to it, and their absence would disclose no defect in it. The beauty of the Qur’an is not decked out with the ornaments of external miracles. It comprises in itself thousands of strange and wonderful miracles which can be witnessed by the people of every age. It is not necessary to refer only to the past. The Qur’an is such a beautiful beloved that everything derives ornamentation from it, and it is not dependent upon anything else for its own ornamentation.
ہمہ خوبان عالم را بزیور ہا بیارانید تو سیمیں تن چناں خوبی کہ زیور ہا بیارائی [2]
Those who doubt the miracle of the splitting of the moon have only one objection to make, and that too a false one, that the splitting of the moon is contrary to the law of nature. The naturalists contend that by exercising his reason, man can find out nothing but nature and its laws. That is to say, the observation of the universe indicates that everything material and non-material by which we are surrounded is part of a wonderful system for its existence and continuance and for its effect. This system is inherent in everything and never departs from anything. Whatever nature has designed will happen without fail in the same way. We accept all that, but does it prove that divine laws are limited only to our present observation and experience and that there is nothing more left? To believe that divine power is unlimited is of the essence of the divine system; it ensures that the door of intellectual progress should always remain open. What a mistake it is to put forward the proposition that whatever is beyond our understanding or observation is outside the law of nature! Once we admit that the laws of nature are unending and unlimited, we cannot, in principle, reject anything new because it seems to be beyond our reason. We should assess the matter on its proof or lack of proof. If it is proved, we should enter it in the list of the laws of nature, and if it is not proved, we should confine ourselves to affirming that it is not proved. We would not be entitled to say that it is outside the law of nature. To hold anything as being beyond the law of nature, it is necessary that we should encompass all divine laws which are eternal as within a circle, and our intellect should fully comprehend all that God’s Power has revealed from the beginning up to now and that He will reveal through Eternity…
In any event, if we believe that the powers of God Almighty are unlimited, then it would be madness to hope to encompass all His powers. For if they can be confined within the measure of our observation, then how would they be unlimited and unending? In such case, we are not only confronted with the difficulty that our finite and incomplete experience should comprehend all the powers of the Eternal God, but there would arise a much greater difficulty that by limiting His powers He Himself would also be limited and we would be affirming that we have discovered all the reality of God Almighty and that we have arrived at its depth and bottom. Such an assumption would be disrespectful and destructive of faith and would amount to a total denial of God.
—Surmah Chashm Arya Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 2, pp. 60-65
I enquire that if the Holy Prophet (sa) who had announced his claim that the moon had been split by the pointing of his finger and that the disbelievers had witnessed it with their own eyes, though they called it sorcery, was not true in his claim, then why did his opponents keep silent and why did they not call the Holy Prophet (sa) to account that he had not split the moon and that they had not called anything sorcery, nor refused to accept anything that had happened as an event? Why did they remain silent and keep their mouths shut till they had passed away from this world? Does not their silence, which was inconsistent with their opposition and with their eagerness to contend against and question everything, certify that they were held back from speaking by some severe obstruction? What could that obstruction be except that the event was true?
This miracle occurred in Makkah when the Muslims were very weak and helpless. It is a matter of surprise that the sons or grandsons of the opponents of the Holy Prophet (sa) also did not utter anything in contradiction of the event, for if the claim of the Holy Prophet (sa) was mere falsehood and had received great publicity, they should have written and published books in exposing it. When the Muslims continued to bear witness to it openly before thousands of people, and their evidence is found recorded in the books of that time and hundreds of thousands of Christians, Arabs, Jews, and Magians, etc. did not dare to contradict it, it is clear proof that the opponents had witnessed the splitting of the moon and that there was no room left for contradiction…
We would like to add that the event of the splitting of the moon is recorded in the reliable books of the Hindus. Biyas Ji has recorded in the Mahabhartah that in his time the moon had been split into two and had again come together. He attributed this, without any proof, to Biswamtar as his miracle…It seems that this event was well known among the Hindus even at the time of the writing of the history of Farishtah, whose author has recorded in his eleventh discourse, on the authority of the Hindus, that the Raja of Dharka, which was a town situated on river Phanbal in Malwa and is perhaps now known as Dhara Nagri, was sitting on the roof of his palace and he saw that the moon had suddenly split into two and had then come together. On investigation, the Raja discovered that it was a miracle of the Arabian Prophet (sa), and he became a Muslim.
—Surmah Chashm Arya, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 2, pp. 122-127
The miracles and signs that were bestowed by God Almighty on our lord and master, the Holy Prophet (sa) were not confined to his time, but will continue till the Day of Judgement. In the past ages, no prophet was included among the followers of another prophet, though he helped the faith of the previous prophet and believed in him, but the Holy Prophet (sa) has been bestowed this special honour that he is Khatam-ul-Anbiya’; one, because he achieved the climax of all the excellences of prophethood; and, secondly, because there will be no prophet after him who would bring a new law nor any prophet who is not his follower. Everyone who is honoured with converse with the Divine, achieves it through his grace and through his mediation and is known as his follower and not as a direct prophet. He has been accepted to such a degree that today, a minimum of 200 million people of every rank are Muslims and stand before him as his servants. Great and powerful kings who conquered a portion of the world fell at his feet like humble slaves. Even today, Muslim kings regard themselves as his humble servants and descend from their thrones at the mention of his name.
It is worthy of consideration whether this glory, this splendour, these thousands of heavenly signs and divine blessings can be bestowed upon a false one. We take great pride in the fact that the Holy Prophet (sa), to whom we have attached ourselves, was bestowed great grace by God. He is not God, but through him we have seen God. His religion, which has come to us, is a mirror of divine powers. Had it not been for Islam, it would have been difficult in this age to appreciate what prophethood is and whether miracles are possible and whether they are part of the law of nature. This puzzle was resolved by the eternal grace of that prophet, and it is due to him that we are not mere storytellers like other people, but enjoy the support of God’s light and His heavenly help. We are unable to express adequately our gratitude that God Who is hidden from others, and the inner power which is beyond the concept of others, and the Lord of Glory, have been disclosed to us by the Holy Prophet (sa).
—Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 23, pp. 380-381
The Holy Prophet (sa) Alone is the Living Prophet
The miracles that were performed by all the other prophets came to an end with them, but the miracles of our Holy Prophet (sa) are fresh and alive in every age. Those miracles being alive and not having succumbed to death are proof that the Holy Prophet (sa) is alone the Living Prophet and that true life is that which has been bestowed on him and not upon any other. His teaching is a living teaching because its fruits and blessings are experienced today as they were experienced 1,300 years before. We have before us no other teaching by acting on which a person might claim that he has been bestowed its fruits, blessings, and graces and that he has become a sign of God. By the grace of God Almighty, we find the fruits and blessings of the Holy Qur’an present among us, and we still find those graces and signs which are bestowed in consequence of true obedience to the Holy Prophet (sa).
Thus has God Almighty established this movement so that it should be a living witness to the truth of Islam, and should prove that those blessings and signs which had appeared 1,300 years ago have appeared in this age also through perfect obedience to the Holy Prophet (sa). Hundreds of signs have so far been displayed. We have invited the leaders of all peoples and all religions that they should exhibit the signs of their truth in opposition to us, but there is not one of them who can put forth a practical sample of the truth of his religion.
—Malfuzat, Vol. III, p. 38
ENDNOTES
1.The Holy Qur’an, 8:18.
2. Ornaments adorn all the beauties in the world; But you are so beautiful that you beautify the ornaments themselves. [Publisher]
