Allah The Almighty supported His Prophets with miracles, which are extraordinary events that are usually of the same nature that the people of that particular prophet excelled at. For instance, the people of Prophet Moosa excelled at magic, so the miracle of Prophet Moosa was that he threw his staff and it turned to a serpent. Likewise, the people of Prophet ‘Eesa excelled at medicine, so Prophet ‘Eesa cured the blind and the leper, and gave life to the dead by the permission of Allah The Almighty. The Arabs excelled at poetry and rhetoric and therefore Allah The Almighty sent them the Quran and it was a miracle that they were not even able to compose one Soorah (Chapter) like it.
Below are some of the miracles of the Prophets, may Allah exalt their mention:
The miracle of Salih
Allah The Almighty sent Prophet Saalih to his people to call them to worship Allah The Almighty alone, and not to associate any partners with Him. They asked him to bring them proof of what he was saying, so Allah The Almighty supported him with the miracle of the she-camel. He made a unique she-camel emerge from between the mountain rocks. Some of them believed him, but the majority of them disbelieved and intended to kill the she-camel. Prophet Salih warned them saying (what means): {And to the Thamud [We sent] their brother Salih. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. This is the she-camel of Allah [sent] to you as a sign. So leave her to eat within Allah's land and do not touch her with harm, lest there seize you a painful punishment.} [Quran 7:73]
The miracle of Ibraheem (Abraham)
Ibraheem rejected the practices of his people. They worshipped idols that could neither harm nor benefit them. One day, he destroyed the idols without anyone seeing him. When his people came to know that it was Ibraheem who had done that, they prepared a huge fire and threw him into it. However, the fire did not burn Ibraheem and did not affect him at all, as Allah The Almighty ordered it not to burn him. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {They said, "Burn him and support your gods - if you are to act. "Allah Said, "O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham." And they intended for him harm, but We Made them the greatest losers.} [Quran 21:68-70]
The miracle of Moosa (Moses)
Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And what is that in your right hand, O Moses?"He said, "It is my staff; I lean upon it, and I bring down leaves for my sheep and I have therein other uses." [Allah] said, "Throw it down, O Moses." So he threw it down, and thereupon it was a snake, moving swiftly.} [Quran 20:17-20] The staff was one of the miracles given to Prophet Moosa . By that staff, he defeated the magicians of Pharaoh, extracted water from rock and turned the sea into land by the permission of Allah The Almighty so that He would save the believers and punish the disbelievers.
The miracles of ‘Eesa
The miracle of Prophet ‘Eesa was that he cured the blind and the leper, and gave life to the dead by the permission of Allah The Almighty. He would design the form of a bird from clay, breathe into itand it became a bird by the permission of Allah The Almighty. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], 'Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah. And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead - by permission of Allah. And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.} [Quran 3:49]
Another miracle of Prophet ‘Eesa was the table that was sent down from heaven with food. His people wanted him to ask Allah The Almighty to send down a table spread with food so that their faith would increase. They urged him to supplicate His Lord to do so, and he warned them, but they insisted, so Allah The Almighty sent down the table so that it would be a miracle of Prophet ‘Eesa . Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {[And remember] when the disciples said, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, can your Lord send down to us a table [spread with food] from the heaven? [Jesus] said," Fear Allah, if you should be believers."They said, "We wish to eat from it and let our hearts be reassured and know that you have been truthful to us and be among its witnesses."Said Jesus, the son of Mary, "O Allah, our Lord, send down to us a table [spread with food] from the heaven to be for us a festival for the first of us and the last of us and a sign from You. And provide for us, and You are the best of providers. "Allah said, "Indeed, I will send it down to you, but whoever disbelieves afterwards from among you - then indeed will I punish him with a punishment by which I have not punished anyone among the Worlds."} [Quran 5: 112-115]
The Holy Quran
The Holy Quran is the Divine Book - the miracle revealed to Muhammad from Allah.
As Muslims, we say: “There is nothing worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.” The Quran is a book that could not have been compiled by any human being, nor could it have been revealed by anyone but Allah. Therefore, anyone who alleges that Muhammad produced the Quran is attributing divinity to him, refusing to acknowledge him as a Prophet and is virtually describing him as ‘God’. Allah states in the Quran (what means): "And you did not recite before it [i.e., the Quran] any scripture, nor did you inscribe one with your right hand. Then [i.e., otherwise] the falsifiers would have had cause for doubt." [Quran 29:48]
Muhammad was unlettered. He never went to school and could not read or write; in fact, there was no school in his town at that time. Furthermore, the country he was born in had not known much of civilisation or progress. How, then, could such a person produce a work like the Holy Quran? He came from a village surrounded by dark mountains and the wilderness of the desert – a remote place, unheard of at that time. No one in that village had any knowledge of the philosophy of Greece and Rome, or of the literature of India and Persia. It was a village, devoid of any academic tradition and activity. There was no one there with even a minimum level of education and knowledge.
The Holy Quran excels in both its literary values and its unique treatment of law. It contains an entire legal system which is perfect in every detail. As for the theology therein, and the knowledge of the unseen, it gives information which is not known to anyone - information which the human intellect is unable to perceive. It reveals laws and phenomena on the subject of nature which were previously unknown, and not only during the time of the Prophet - some of these laws were discovered thirteen hundred years later, while others still remain undiscovered.
The Holy Quran challenges all humanity. Humanity and jinn are asked to produce ten chapters, or at least one, like the chapters of the Holy Quran, but they failed to produce even one chapter, as Allah Almighty Says (what means): "Or do they say: 'He [i.e., Muhammad] invented it.?' Say: 'Then bring ten chapters like it that have been invented and call upon [for assistance] whomever you can besides Allah, if you should be truthful.'" [Quran 11:13]
There are more facts and information that still remain undiscovered, yet are written about in the Holy Quran. Every now and then scholars extract new information from it, and contribute to human knowledge in general and to the better understanding of Islam in particular.
Faith in other revealed books
Muslims believe in the Holy Quran and all the other revealed Books mentioned in it. These are: the Scrolls (of Ibraaheem may Allah exalt his mention), the Psalms (revealed to Prophet Daawood may Allah exalt his mention), the Torah (revealed to Moosa may Allah exalt his mention) and the Gospel (revealed to 'Eesaa may Allah exalt his mention).
The Holy Quran was revealed to confirm the true and original message, as well as to expose the distortions made to the earlier messages; Allah Says (what means): “And We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book [i.e., the Quran] in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it. …” [Quran 5:48]
We therefore believe in the other revealed books where they tie in with what is said in the Holy Quran but reject all that is contrary to it.
1- The Scrolls of Ibraaheem
Allah informs us about what is mentioned in the Scrolls of Ibraaheem and is repeated in the Scrolls of Moosaa may Allah exalt his mention; Allah, the Most Exalted, Says (what means): “That no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.”[Quran 53:38]
The Quran refers to the Scrolls of Ibraaheem may Allah exalt his mention in the verse (which means): "But you prefer the worldly life, while the Hereafter is better and more lasting. Indeed, this is in the former scriptures, the scriptures of Ibraaheem and Moosaa.”[Quran 87:16-18]
2- The Psalms (Zaboor)
Allah Says (what means): “…And to Daawood We gave the book [of Psalms].” [Quran 4:163]
It was mentioned in the Psalms that the righteous will inherit the earth. Allah Almighty Says in the Holy Quran (what means): “And We have already written in the book [of Psalms] after the [previous] mention [i.e., the Torah] that the righteous will inherit the earth.” [Quran 21:105]
The earth in this verse may perhaps mean Paradise, as is understood from another verse (which means): "And they will say: 'Praise to Allah, who has fulfilled for us His promise and made us inherit the earth [so] we may settle in Paradise wherever we will. And excellent is the reward of [righteous] workers.'” [Quran 39:74]
3- The Torah
The Torah is also a book revealed by Allah. It contained guidance for people as well as Divine commandments; Allah Says (what means): “But how is it that they come to you for judgement while they have the Torah, in which is the judgement of Allah?...” [Quran 5:43]
He Almighty also Says (what means): “Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light.”[Quran 5:44]
And among the Divine commandments it contained were, as Allah informs us in the Quran (what means): “And We ordained for them therein [i.e., in that Torah]: a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, and an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds is legal retribution …” [Quran 5:45]
The Torah also contained glad tidings about the coming of our Prophet Muhammad . Allah Says (what means): "Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written [i.e., mentioned] in what they have of the Torah…" [Quran: 7:157]
The Torah described the believers, as Allah gave reference in the Quran Saying (what means): “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful amongst themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark [i.e., sign] is on their faces [i.e., foreheads] from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah...” [Quran 48:29]
4- The Injeel (Gospel)
Regarding the Injeel, Allah Says (what means): “…And We gave him [i.e., 'Eesaa Son of Maryam] the Gospel, in which was guidance and light and confirming that which preceded it of the Torah…” [Quran 5:46]
Allah also confirms that the Injeel contained Divine Laws by Saying (what means): “And let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein.” [Quran 5:47]
We are also informed that the Injeel comprises the amended laws of the Torah; Allah Says (what means): “And [I have come] confirming what was before me of the Torah and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you…" [Quran 3:50]
The Injeel, like the Torah, conveyed glad tidings of the advent of Muhammad and a description of the believers. Thus, we believe in all the books that the Almighty has revealed and we respect all the prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, and believe that the only one of all Divine Books that remained preserved in its original form is the Quran.
