Miracles in the Present Age

Bismillahi Arrahmani Arraheem

Assala'atu wa sala'am alaika ya Rasoolullah

(Blessings and Peace upon you O Messenger of Allah)

If you are reading this you might be wandering why I am giving my sala'am to the Holy Prophet; isn't he supposed to have passed away, and being dead how can he hear or know it? It is true that everyone must taste the bitter water of death, and so did our beloved master (sallallahu alaihi wa sala'am). However, this death is very short, and he is now alive in his grave, able to hear those who visit him. He even offers his sala'at in the grave. How is this possible, and doesn't it contradict the teachings of Islam? By all means no! Firstly the Holy Quran enjoins upon us to send blessings and salutations to the Messenger of Allah:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.

(Al-Ahzab 33:56)

This is truly one of my favourite verses, as it clearly shows the need for the Mumineen (Believers) to constantly send darood shareef, salawat, and sala'am upon the Holy Messenger (alaihi sala'atu wa sala'am), which constitutes an integral part of our faith. The Holy Quran says that those who are slain in the cause of Allah are not dead, but rather they are alive:

وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ لِمَنْ يُقْتَلُ فِي سَبيلِ اللّهِ أَمْوَاتٌ بَلْ أَحْيَاء وَلَكِن لاَّ تَشْعُرُونَ

And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah. "They are dead." Nay, they are living, though ye perceive (it) not.

(Al-Baqarah 2:154)

If even ordinary human beings are martyred and are considered to be alive, what than of the Prophets, whose status is so much higher? The following hadith will clarify why giving of sala'am to the Nabi (alaihi sala'atu wa sala'am) is important, especially on Fridays (which is today):

Among the most excellent of your days is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he died, on it the last trumpet will be blown, and on it the shout will be made, so invoke more blessings on me that day, for your blessings will be submitted to me. The people asked: Apostle of Allah, how can it be that our blessings will be submitted to you while your body is decayed? He replied: Allah, the Exalted, has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of Prophets.

(Sunan Abu Dawud: Kitabus Sala'at)

The fact that the bodies of the Anbiya (alaihimus sala'am) do not decay or rot, but are kept alive in their graves until the Day of Judgment is unquestionably a great miracle. The subject of this entry is miracles in the present age. As a Muslim, I very strongly believe in miracles, and am against the heretic belief of some Muslims that a miracle is simply an unknown law of nature which dazzles the human eye. The spiritual ancestors of these "doubters", when they witnessed a Heavenly miracle, used to accuse the Prophets of sorcery (or witchcraft), of which our Prophet Muhammad (alaihi sala'atu wa sala'am) was no exception. Miracles are the work of Allah, manifested through His chosen ones. Allah is the one who created and set in operation the laws which govern our universe, and He alone has the authority and power to defy that same law. Miracles should thus be distinguished from witchcraft (sihr), because witchcraft is not something unique or special, and those who witness it should not be amazed or in awe, unlike the witnessing of a true miracle. Once in the presence of the Holy Prophet (alaihi sala'atu wa sala'am), and some other people, two men from the East began to speak in a strange and dazzling eloquence, so our Prophet (alaihi sala'atu wa sala'am) used the opportunity to explain:

Some eloquence is sorcery.

(Muwatta of Imam Malik)

Consequently, the practice of a few radical Christian sects, such as the Pentecostals, of speaking in "tongues" in order to dazzle people, cloacked as a genuine religious experience, is perhaps a good example of sorcery which these misguided and astray people resort to.

Returning to the subject of miracles in the present age, many of you may be wandering how this is possible, since only Prophet's could show miracles. This is similar to the situation of revelation in that miracles are not restricted to only Prophets. In the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (alaihi sala'atu wa sala'am), his own companions used to perform astonishing and marvelous miracles:

Some of the companions of the Prophet passed by some people staying at a place where there was water, and one of those people had been stung by a scorpion. A man from those staying near the water, came and said to the companions of the Prophet, "Is there anyone among you who can do Ruqya as near the water there is a person who has been stung by a scorpion." So one of the Prophet's companions went to him and recited Surat-al-Fatiha for a sheep as his fees. The patient got cured and the man brought the sheep to his companions who disliked that and said, "You have taken wages for reciting Allah's Book." When they arrived at Medina, they said, ' O Allah's Apostle! (This person) has taken wages for reciting Allah's Book" On that Allah's Apostle said, "You are most entitled to take wages for doing a Ruqya with Allah's Book."

(Sahih Bukhari: Kitabut Tib'a)

The hadith establishes, among other things, that non-Prophets can also do miracles, especially faith healings by using the Holy Quran, and Surah ash-Shifa (Surah al-Fatiha) especially, as an incantation. This episode also shows that our Holy Prophet (alaihi sala'atu wa sala'am) approved of people taking wages in return for these faith healings and other beneficial miracles.

The miracles of non-Prophets and the Awliya (Saints) are known as karamat. Many of the extraordinary Saints of the past performed special miracles which were bestowed upon them by the power of Allah. It is a well known historical fact that many of the eminent saints of this ummah, such as Hadhrat Ghaus-ul-Azam Abdul Qadir Jilani (rahmatullah alaih), Hadhrat Ghareeb Nawaz Moinuddin Hasan Chishti (rahmatullah alaih), and a multitude of others were bestowed countless miracles, including even the raising of the dead back to life. Regarding the present age, or modern history, those who were in the company of the twentieth century exemplary saints and scholars, 'Ala Hadhrat Imam Ahmad Ridha Khan Barailwi (rahmatullah alaih) and Hadhrat Peer Mehr Ali Shah Golarvi (rahmatullah alaih), also witnessed extraordinary miracles.

In the latter days, which we are living in, we are about to enter a new era of miracles. It it of utmost importance that the Muslims of this age understand the reality of miracles.