everyone; otherwise it would not be called a miracle in the first place.
Anwar:All right. What if a person does perform a supernatural act but it is not corresponding to the claim?
Hasan:Very good question. In fact, Mosailama([6]) did that when he claimed to be a prophet. People asked him to do what the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) did when he spit in a well little with water and the water increased and was sweetened. When Mosailama did the same thing, it had a reversed effect; all the water boiled and nothing was left. He was proved a liar by the Almighty Allah. So, we understand here that a miracle has to fall in with the claim.
Anwar:May I add this to the definition?
Hasan:Yes, you may!
Anwar:I have more questions concerning miracles?
Hasan:And I have an appointment and I have got to go. We will continue tomorrow, Inshallah.
[6]Mosailama bin Habib: was one of a servies of men who claimeat to be a prophet around the as Mohammad (PBUT). He is viewed as a false prophet by traditional accounts, and frequently reffed to by the epithet "the liur" (Arabic: al-kaddab)
Symposium 31
What is the Difference Between
Miracle and Magic?
Anwar:Salam ‘Alaykom!
Hasan:‘Alaykom As-Salam Wa Rahmatollah Wa Barakatoh! You had questions.
Anwar:I wanted to know if performing miracles in conflict with the rule of cause and effect.
Hasan:No, and you might ask how a stick can possibly turn into a snake.
Anwar:This and other ones!
Hasan:We should not to mistake absolute absence of cause for absence of material cause. It is against the rule to say that something happened without being based on a certain cause. So, we have to say that there is cause
behind it but we have not seen or experienced it or science has not discovered it yet.
Anwar:So, what causes miracles?
Hasan:Everything said in this regard is related in a way or another to the Glorious Allah after all. The cause could be Allah Himself; a creature might perform a miracle being empowered by Allah.
Anwar:We know now the difference between a miracle and a special gift. But, what is the difference between miracle and magic?
Hasan:Here are the differences between miracles and magic:
· Magic can be learned but miracles cannot.
· Magic can be opposed but miracles cannot.
· Magic is not associated with challenge but miracles are.
· Magic is variably limited but miracles are not.
· Magic differs in purpose but miracles do not.
Anwar:Thank you very much. I have one more question!
Hasan:Ask whatever you like.
Anwar:How do miracles prove the truthfulness or the validity of Prophecy?
Hasan:The Glorious Allah is Just and far above injustice; He guides people and does not accept them going astray. Now, here comes the miracle as a form of Divine support for the claimer and as a proof for his connection to the Almighty Allah. A lot of people might deviate from what is right in case they follow a false claimer for prophethood. Consequently, it is far above the Most Gracious Allah to support a false claimer with miracles because this will lead to people going astray.
Anwar:Thus, we can conclude that every claimer for prophecy with a miracle is truthful prophet.
Hasan:Yes, exactly. I would like to add something here. Someone might ask us why miracles do not happen these days despite contemporary human craving for miracles in a time dazzling scientific advance. The answer would be the Noble Quran is, in fact, the last of all miracles because it is the miracle of the last of the Prophets (PBUH), and it is an eternal and timeless miracle.
Anwar:How is it an eternal miracle?
Hasan:The Almighty Allah, in the Noble Quran, challenges all mankind and over all times to come with such a miracle as His Holy Book, Quran:
(And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave, then produce a Sura or the like thereof, and call your witnesses beside Allah if ye are truthful.)2;23.
(Say: Verily, though mankind and the Jinn should assemble to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof though they were helpers one of another.)17;88.
These two Verses are clear cut evidence to this Divine challenge that no man or Jinn can ever make anything like the Noble Quran or any part of it.
Anwar:This is an excellent approach to proving a claim for prophethood. But, there are two more approaches to tackle.
Hasan:We will go through these approaches after a short break.
Symposium 32
Approaches to Proving Prophecy
Anwar:We are back again to continue our fruitful talk on approaches to proving claims for prophethood.
Hasan:We have already discussed the first approach to verifying that a claimer for prophethood is truthful, namely miracles. The second way or approach is attestation of a preceding prophet for the following prophet. Now that a person is proved to be truthful in regard to his prophecy, we know that he is infallible and impeccable, i.e. he does not commit sin, he does not lie, he does not forget, etc. As a result, when this prophet tells us about a prophet that is going to succeed him or come after him, we must take his words for granted.
Anwar:I got it.
Hasan:The third approach, as we know, is the evidence and proofs to the status of the claimer, his disciples and his ideology. Through these proofs, we know whether he is honest or dishonest in his claims. They are as the following:
· Disposition of the claimer: he has to be distinguished by high status, noble manners and free from any form of flaw or defect on the inside as well as outside.
· Content of the claim: the purpose or the content of his prophecy has to be corresponding to that of Divine acquaintances.
· Readiness to sacrifice himself and the people he loves for the sake of proving his prophecy.
· Tools of claim or prophethood: the means and tools used in spreading the instructions of the prophecy must be in agreement with human nature and righteousness.
· His believers: having believers specifically from people knowing him closely.
Anwar:It seems there is still so much to say on this third approach.
Hasan:but, this is sufficient on this regard.
Anwar:So, shall we move to the second issue on general prophecy.
Hasan:Do you mean attributions of prophets?
Anwar:Yes.
Hasan:All right. But, do you still have questions?
Anwar:No, I am looking forwards to talk about our next issue.
Hasan:Inshallah.