The Miracles of Muhammed
Back ( by Bob Pulliam)
From the beginning of time, one of the hall-marks of a prophet was the signs he worked to prove that his message was of God. Take Moses, for example: "suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice...?" (Ex 4:1ff) How could Moses prove that God had spoken to him?... "Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign." (v8).
Any prophet can be judged by the signs which are given him by Deity. This is true of Joseph Smith, Oral Roberts, or Muhammad. Did Muhammad word any miracles? The Muslim community will tell you that he did. Let's evaluate that claim.
Muhammad, Miracles and the Quran...Did Muhammad work a lot of miracles like Bible prophets or Jesus? Read these passages from the Quran. All quotes are taken from the King Fahd Holy Quran, which is an authorized Islamic translation of the Quran.
Sura 6:35 "If their spurning is hard on thee, yet if thou wert able to seek a tunnel in the ground or a ladder to the skies and bring them a sign, (What good?). If it were Allah's Will, He could gather them together unto true guidance: So be not thou amongst those who are swayed by ignorance (and Impatience)!"
Sura 6:109 "They swear their strongest oaths by Allah, that if a (special) Sign came to them, by it they would believe. Say: 'Certainly (all) Signs are in the power of Allah: but what will make you (Muslims) realise that (even) if (special) Signs came, they will not believe.'"?
Sura 13:7 "And the Unbelievers say: 'Why is not a Sign sent down to him from his Lord?' But thou art truly a warner, and to every people a guide."
Sura 17:90-92 "They say: 'We shall not believe in thee, until thou cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth, or (until) thou have a garden of date trees and vines, and cause rivers to gush forth in their midst, carrying abundant water; or thou cause the sky to fall in pieces, as thou sayest (will happen), against us; or thou bring Allah and the angels before (us) face to face;"
Sura 28:48 "But (now), when the truth has come to them from Ourselves, they say, 'Why are not (Signs) sent to him, like those which were sent to Moses?' Do they not then reject (The Signs) which were formerly Sent to Moses?..." (Note that Muhammad is saying that since they reject him they are rejecting the signs to Moses)...
The Quran itself is claimed as a sign to the people:
Sura 29:47-51 "And thus (it is) that We have sent down the Book to thee. So the People of the Book believe therein, as also do some of these (Pagan Arabs); and none but Unbelievers reject Our Signs. And thou wast not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (Able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: in that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted. Nay, here are Signs self-evident in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge: and none but the unjust reject Our Signs. Yet they say: 'Why are not Signs sent down to him from his Lord?' Say: 'The Signs are indeed with Allah: and I am indeed a clear Warner.'"
Regarding this section: "In the Quran, as said in verse 49, are Signs which should carry conviction to all honest hearts. And yet the Unbelievers ask for Signs! They mean some special kinds of Signs or Miracles, such as their own foolish minds dictate. Everything is possible for Allah, but Allah is not going to humour the follies of men or listen to their disingenuous demands. he has sent a Messenger to explain His Signs clearly, and to warn them of the consequences of rejection. Is it not enough?" (comment on Sura 29:50, King Fahd Holy Quran)
A later sign claimed by Muhammad was the Battle of Badr... Here is the claim made in the Quran:
Sura 3:13 "There has already been for you a Sign in the two armies that met (in combat): one was fighting in the Cause of Allah, the other resisting Allah; these saw with their own eyes twice their number. But Allah doth support with His aid whom He pleaseth. In this is a lesson for such as have eyes to see."
Details of this battle are slow in coming from those who claim it's testimony. However, the details are very telling.
The Battle of Badr...The Quraysh army was a band of merchants and owners of wares who had a stake in the caravans that crossed Muhammad's path. The strong young men who owned nothing were not interested in the battle. The band of over one thousand went forth in luxury, with slave girls to entertain, and a confidence that their vast number would scare Muhammad's band. The two forces met at the wells of Badr; and the battle commenced in the traditional manner. We are commonly led to believe that the two forces fought en masse. But such was not the case. The traditional manner was for three champions from each side to go forth and meet, head to head.
Several such confrontations took place until it was clear that the army of Muhammad was much more skilled in desert fighting than the Quraysh merchantmen. At this point Muhammad gave a signal and his band attacked the enemy. Having already lost their best men, and seeing the display of blood before them, the Quraysh were inclined to retreat. These events are chronicled in Mohammed, by Essad Bey (Longmans, Green & Co, NY), 1936, pp188-195.
Miracles Attributed to Muhammad...The Hadith has much to say about Muhammad working miracles. It is quite strange that the Quran is filled with the fact that Muhammad was not working sign, but tradition ascribes many wonderful feats to him. Here are a few miracles found in Hadith (The Translation of the Meaning of Sahih Al-Bukhari (Kazi Publications, Lahore, Pakistan, 1979))
A Palm tree that cried like a baby because he used a pulpit to preach, rather than the palm tree's shade (v2, #41; v4, #773-776).
Muhammad multiplied bread to feed a number of people as Jesus did (v4, #778, 781).
Foods would shout and glorify Allah as Muhammad ate them (v4, #779).
Muhammad ended a drought by praying to Allah for rain (v2, #55).
Muhammad healed a broken leg by rubbing it (v5, #371).
These and many other miracles are recorded in Hadith. In fact, the Hadith is the only place to find a record of these miracles. If you like what the Hadith says on the miracles of Muhammad, you should also consult it on other subjects:
On Women:
(v2, #541) "O Women! I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you."
(v3, #826) "The Prophet said, 'Isn't the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?' The women said, 'Yes.' He said, 'This is because of the deficiency of a woman's mind'"
(v1, ch57, #215) "The Prophet then added, 'Yes! (they are being tortured for a major sin). Indeed, one of them never saved himself from being soiled with his urine'"
Rules for Urination and Defecation:
Must not face Mecca (v1, #146f & 150f)
Must not use right hand (v1, 155f)
Must wash private parts afterward (v1, #152ff & 157)
If you cannot accept these last statements of Hadith; then you cannot accept the miracles of Muhammad contained in Hadith! If you accept the miracles of Muhammad, then you must accept these absurd statements from Hadith!
Conclusion...Muhammad never worked any miracles to verify his message as being from deity. A comparison of the Quran and Hadith gives us a clear picture of where these miracles originated. At the same time, the Quran do uphold the miracles worked by Bible prophets. The Bible was confirmed with signs; the Quran was not.
Note: The Author of this article is Evangelist for the Fry Road Church of Christ in Texas
From the beginning of time, one of the hall-marks of a prophet was the signs he worked to prove that his message was of God. Take Moses, for example: "suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice...?" (Ex 4:1ff) How could Moses prove that God had spoken to him?... "Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign." (v8).
Any prophet can be judged by the signs which are given him by Deity. This is true of Joseph Smith, Oral Roberts, or Muhammad. Did Muhammad word any miracles? The Muslim community will tell you that he did. Let's evaluate that claim.
Muhammad, Miracles and the Quran...Did Muhammad work a lot of miracles like Bible prophets or Jesus? Read these passages from the Quran. All quotes are taken from the King Fahd Holy Quran, which is an authorized Islamic translation of the Quran.
Sura 6:35 "If their spurning is hard on thee, yet if thou wert able to seek a tunnel in the ground or a ladder to the skies and bring them a sign, (What good?). If it were Allah's Will, He could gather them together unto true guidance: So be not thou amongst those who are swayed by ignorance (and Impatience)!"
Sura 6:109 "They swear their strongest oaths by Allah, that if a (special) Sign came to them, by it they would believe. Say: 'Certainly (all) Signs are in the power of Allah: but what will make you (Muslims) realise that (even) if (special) Signs came, they will not believe.'"?
Sura 13:7 "And the Unbelievers say: 'Why is not a Sign sent down to him from his Lord?' But thou art truly a warner, and to every people a guide."
Sura 17:90-92 "They say: 'We shall not believe in thee, until thou cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth, or (until) thou have a garden of date trees and vines, and cause rivers to gush forth in their midst, carrying abundant water; or thou cause the sky to fall in pieces, as thou sayest (will happen), against us; or thou bring Allah and the angels before (us) face to face;"
Sura 28:48 "But (now), when the truth has come to them from Ourselves, they say, 'Why are not (Signs) sent to him, like those which were sent to Moses?' Do they not then reject (The Signs) which were formerly Sent to Moses?..." (Note that Muhammad is saying that since they reject him they are rejecting the signs to Moses)...
The Quran itself is claimed as a sign to the people:
Sura 29:47-51 "And thus (it is) that We have sent down the Book to thee. So the People of the Book believe therein, as also do some of these (Pagan Arabs); and none but Unbelievers reject Our Signs. And thou wast not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (Able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: in that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted. Nay, here are Signs self-evident in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge: and none but the unjust reject Our Signs. Yet they say: 'Why are not Signs sent down to him from his Lord?' Say: 'The Signs are indeed with Allah: and I am indeed a clear Warner.'"
Regarding this section: "In the Quran, as said in verse 49, are Signs which should carry conviction to all honest hearts. And yet the Unbelievers ask for Signs! They mean some special kinds of Signs or Miracles, such as their own foolish minds dictate. Everything is possible for Allah, but Allah is not going to humour the follies of men or listen to their disingenuous demands. he has sent a Messenger to explain His Signs clearly, and to warn them of the consequences of rejection. Is it not enough?" (comment on Sura 29:50, King Fahd Holy Quran)
A later sign claimed by Muhammad was the Battle of Badr... Here is the claim made in the Quran:
Sura 3:13 "There has already been for you a Sign in the two armies that met (in combat): one was fighting in the Cause of Allah, the other resisting Allah; these saw with their own eyes twice their number. But Allah doth support with His aid whom He pleaseth. In this is a lesson for such as have eyes to see."
Details of this battle are slow in coming from those who claim it's testimony. However, the details are very telling.
The Battle of Badr...The Quraysh army was a band of merchants and owners of wares who had a stake in the caravans that crossed Muhammad's path. The strong young men who owned nothing were not interested in the battle. The band of over one thousand went forth in luxury, with slave girls to entertain, and a confidence that their vast number would scare Muhammad's band. The two forces met at the wells of Badr; and the battle commenced in the traditional manner. We are commonly led to believe that the two forces fought en masse. But such was not the case. The traditional manner was for three champions from each side to go forth and meet, head to head.
Several such confrontations took place until it was clear that the army of Muhammad was much more skilled in desert fighting than the Quraysh merchantmen. At this point Muhammad gave a signal and his band attacked the enemy. Having already lost their best men, and seeing the display of blood before them, the Quraysh were inclined to retreat. These events are chronicled in Mohammed, by Essad Bey (Longmans, Green & Co, NY), 1936, pp188-195.
Miracles Attributed to Muhammad...The Hadith has much to say about Muhammad working miracles. It is quite strange that the Quran is filled with the fact that Muhammad was not working sign, but tradition ascribes many wonderful feats to him. Here are a few miracles found in Hadith (The Translation of the Meaning of Sahih Al-Bukhari (Kazi Publications, Lahore, Pakistan, 1979))
A Palm tree that cried like a baby because he used a pulpit to preach, rather than the palm tree's shade (v2, #41; v4, #773-776).
Muhammad multiplied bread to feed a number of people as Jesus did (v4, #778, 781).
Foods would shout and glorify Allah as Muhammad ate them (v4, #779).
Muhammad ended a drought by praying to Allah for rain (v2, #55).
Muhammad healed a broken leg by rubbing it (v5, #371).
These and many other miracles are recorded in Hadith. In fact, the Hadith is the only place to find a record of these miracles. If you like what the Hadith says on the miracles of Muhammad, you should also consult it on other subjects:
On Women:
(v2, #541) "O Women! I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you."
(v3, #826) "The Prophet said, 'Isn't the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?' The women said, 'Yes.' He said, 'This is because of the deficiency of a woman's mind'"
(v1, ch57, #215) "The Prophet then added, 'Yes! (they are being tortured for a major sin). Indeed, one of them never saved himself from being soiled with his urine'"
Rules for Urination and Defecation:
Must not face Mecca (v1, #146f & 150f)
Must not use right hand (v1, 155f)
Must wash private parts afterward (v1, #152ff & 157)
If you cannot accept these last statements of Hadith; then you cannot accept the miracles of Muhammad contained in Hadith! If you accept the miracles of Muhammad, then you must accept these absurd statements from Hadith!
Conclusion...Muhammad never worked any miracles to verify his message as being from deity. A comparison of the Quran and Hadith gives us a clear picture of where these miracles originated. At the same time, the Quran do uphold the miracles worked by Bible prophets. The Bible was confirmed with signs; the Quran was not.
Note: The Author of this article is Evangelist for the Fry Road Church of Christ in Texas