Why Was the Prophet (PBUH) Not Given Miracles Like Those of Earlier Prophets?
لماذا لم يؤت النبي ﷺ معجزة كمعجزات سائر الأنبياء؟
The Divine Law of Allah the Almighty for the nations that were before the Islamic Ummah was that they would be destroyed if they did not believe in the Signs (miracles) they had asked for, as Allah the Almighty narrates: “They say, “Why has no ˹visible˺ angel come with him?” Had We sent down an angel, the matter would have certainly been settled ˹at once˺, and they would have never been given more time ˹to repent˺.”[Al-An’am 6: 8]
All the miracles of the Prophets, peace be upon them, who came before our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, were miracles sent with them for a specific time and place. Some of the people of those Prophets, saw them and believed in them, but there were people who did not believe in them even though they saw them as Allah the Almighty says: “They swear by Allah their most solemn oaths that if a sign were to come to them, they would certainly believe in it. Say, ˹O Prophet,˺”Signs are only with Allah.” What will make you ˹believers˺ realize that even if a sign were to come to them, they still would not believe? We turn their hearts and eyes away ˹from the truth˺ as they refused to believe at first, leaving them to wander blindly in their defiance.”[Al-An’am 6: 109-110]
Allah the Almighty granted our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, three types of miracles:
The first type of miracle: Miracles that were granted to him for a specific time and place, such as the splitting of the moon, the spring of water from under his fingers, the Isra’ and Mi’raj (The Night Journey), and the like. Those miracles were tangible; they could be seen with the naked eye.
The second type of miracle: A non-sensory miracle, which is the Noble Qur’an. It is a universal miracle that includes inimitability for all eras and places.
Allah the Almighty refers in the Qur’an to this fact in the Ayah, “Is it not enough for them that We have sent down to you the Book, ˹which is˺ recited to them. Surely in this ˹Quran˺ is a mercy and reminder for people who believe.”
It means that when they asked for a miracle to be sent to them, such as the stick of Moses, the she-camel of Salih, and the ability of Jesus to heal the sick. So, Allah the Almighty wonders: Are the Ayaat and miracles that are in the Qur’an not sufficient for them?
This point can be explained in many ways:
The first explanation: Every detail of the inimitability of the Noble Qur’an is a Sign that indicates the truthfulness of the Messenger, peace be upon him. The Ayaat of the Qur’an (which are Divine Signs) are close to 6,000, and every three Ayaat is a miraculous measure, so there are about 2,000 miracles, and this number of miracles was not sent to any of the Messengers of Allah, peace be upon him.
The second explanation: The Ayah refers to several miraculous features in the Noble Qur’an that are not comparable to any previous miracle, including the following:
It is “recited to them,” in the sense that as a Divine Book that has a miraculous nature is spread in different gatherings, horizons, and times, so people know its inimitability in every time and place. This is indicated in the present form of the verb: “which is recited,” as it indicates continuity.
The inimitability of the Qur’an is known by recitation, and that is more sublime than being seen with the eyes, because the recited is perceived by intellect and reason, which makes it more exalted than the tangible things since it addresses the mind. This is what makes the inimitability of the Noble Qur’an more appropriate for all ages.
His saying: “Surely in this ˹Quran˺ is a mercy” indicates that the recited Book includes what is a mercy to creation, as it includes the establishment of Shari’ah, which is mercy and righteousness for people in their worldly life. So the Qur’an is a miracle that indicates the truthfulness of the Messenger, peace be upon him, and a guide to believing in him, like other miracles that were sent to him. It is also legislation, knowledge and etiquette, so it is both legislation and inimitability, unlike the miracles of other prophets, peace be upon them, that only included inimitability.
His saying: “and reminder for people who believe.” indicates that the Qur’an includes moral lessons, warnings, information about the consequences of deeds, and preparations for the afterlife. It is a reminder of what is best for both abodes (the worldly life and the Hereafter). Thus, it is better than the miracles that preceded it (which were sent to the Prophets before Muhammad, peace be upon them), because they served as proofs of the truthfulness of the Prophets they were sent with.
The third type of miracles: They are manifested in the things the Prophet, peace be upon him, said would happen after his death, and people saw them with their own eyes.
This is one of the greatest miracles, and it is something that was not given to any of the Prophets before him. He told about the reconciliation between two great groups of Muslims, by Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib. “Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: ‘One day the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought Al-Hasan and took him up the pulpit with him and said: “This son of mine is a master and hopefully Allah will reconcile by means of him two groups of Muslims.”[Al-Bukhari]
The Hadith refers to the dispute that occurred between the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, after his death, peace be upon him, and it tells about the reconciliation between them by Al-Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him.
Another miracle is the one the Prophet, peace be upon him, mentioned about the fire in the land of Hijaz that throws light on the necks of camels in Busra Ash-Sham (in Syria) as reported in this Hadith: “Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The Hour will not be established until a fire comes out of the land of Hejaz and throws light on the necks of camels in Busra.” Scholars said that this happened in 654 AH. The people of Syria and of the other lands learned of it, and everyone around al-Madinah saw it. There are other examples like this scholars mentioned in the books of the noble traits of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Almost all the miracles that Allah the Almighty gave to the Prophets who were sent before our Prophet, peace be upon him, were given to him, and even he was granted more miracles than them all. For instance, Jesus, peace be upon him, used to heal the blind, the lepers, and the sick, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to recite a ruqyah to the sick and breathed on him, and the latter would be cured, by Allah’s Will. Furthermore, in his time, peace be upon him, the most successful plastic surgery in the history of mankind took place. The eye of Qatadah bin An-Nu’man came out, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, returned it back with his honorable hand to look more beautiful than the other eye. These are some of the miracles.
Note: The earlier published wording named him Thabit ibn al-Nu’man. In Ibn Ishaq’s account, quoted by Ibn Kathir in al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, it was the eye of Qatadah ibn al-Nu’man that was struck at Uhud until it fell onto his cheek; the Messenger of Allah put it back with his hand and it became the better of his two eyes. The name was corrected.
إن سنة الله في الأقوام الذين سبقوا أنهم إن لم يؤمنوا بالآيات التي اقترحوا فإن الله تعالى يهلكهم، كما قال تعالى: “وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ وَلَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا مَلَكًا لَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ ثُمَّ لَا يُنْظَرُونَ”
إن المعجزات التي أعطاها الله للأنبياء الذين سبقوا نبينا محمد ﷺ معجزات في زمان معين ومكان معين، آمن بها من رآها، وهناك من رآها ولم يؤمن بها، كما قال تعالى:” وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لَئِنْ جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ لَيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا الْآيَاتُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَا إِذَا جَاءَتْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ. وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَنَذَرُهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ”
قد أعطى الله تعالى نبينا محمد ﷺ ثلاثة أنواع من المعجزات:
النوع الأول: معجزات في زمان معين ومكان معين، مثل انشقاق القمر، ونبع الماء من تحت أصابعه، الإسراء والمعراج، ونحو ذلك-وتلك معجزة محسوسة ترى بالعين المجردة-.
النوع الثاني: معجزة معنوية، وهو القرآن الكريم، وتتميز هذه المعجزة بأنها باقية على مر الأزمان، وهي تشتمل على إعجاز لكل البلدان.
وقد أشار القرآن إلى تلك المعجزة في قول الله تعالى: “أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِهِمْ أَنَّا أَنْزَلْنا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتابَ يُتْلى عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لَرَحْمَةً وَذِكْرى لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ”
ومعناه أنهم لما طلبوا أن تنزل عليهم معجزة كعصا موسى وناقة صالح وكإبراء عيسى للمرضى، قال الله تعالى لهم: ألا يكفيهم من الآيات والمعجزات ما جاء به القرآن؟
وتوضيح ذلك من عدة أوجه:
إن كل مقدار من مقادير إعجازه آية على صدق الرسول ﷺ فإن آيات القرآن قريبًا من ستة آلاف آية، ومقدار كل ثلاث آيات مقدار معجز، فيحصل من القرآن مقدار ألفي معجزة وذلك لم يحصل لأحد من رسل الله.
الآية تشير إلى عدة مزايا إعجازية في القرآن الكريم لا تماثلها معجزة سابقة، ومن ذلك ما يلي:
أنه “يتلى عليهم” فهو يشير إلى انتشار إعجازه وعمومه في المجامع والآفاق والأزمان المختلفة، فيعرف إعجازه الناس في كل زمان ومكان، وهذا مستفاد من الفعل المضارع: “يتلى” فهو يدل على الاستمرار.
إن الإعجاز في القرآن يعرف بالتلاوة، وذلك أرفع من كونه يرى بالعين، لأن المتلو يدرك بالفكر والعقل، وذلك أجل من المرئية، لأنها تخاطب العقل، وذلك الإعجاز أنسب لكل العصور.
قوله: “إن في ذلك لرحمة” يشير إلى أن الكتاب المتلو مشتمل على ما هو رحمة للخلق، فهو يشتمل على إقامة الشريعة-وهي رحمة وصلاح للناس في دنياهم-فالقرآن مع كونه معجزة دالة على صدق الرسول ﷺ، ومرشدة إلى تصديقه مثل غيره من المعجزات، هو أيضا تشريع وعلم وآداب، فهو إذن تشريع وإعجاز، بخلاف المعجزات السابقة المتضمنة للإعجاز فقط.
قوله: “وذكرى” القرآن مشتمل على مواعظ ونذر وتعريف بعواقب الأعمال، وإعداد إلى الحياة الثانية، فهو تذكير بما فيه خير الدارين، وهو بذلك يكون أفضل من المعجزات التي سبقت، لأنها لا تفيد إلا أن الذي ظهرت على يده الآية صادقا.
النوع الثالث: من أنواع المعجزات ما أخبره عنه النبي ﷺ أنه سيقع بعد وفاته، ورآه الناس بأعينهم، فذلك من أعظم الإعجاز وهو مما لم يعط لأحد من الأنبياء قبله، فإنه أخبر عن الصلح بين طائفتين عظيمتين من المسلمين سيكون على يد الحسن بن علي بن أبي طالب فعن أبي بكرة رضي الله عنه قال:” رَأَيْتُ رَسولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ علَى المِنْبَرِ والحَسَنُ بنُ عَلِيٍّ إلى جَنْبِهِ، وهو يُقْبِلُ علَى النَّاسِ مَرَّةً وعليه أُخْرَى، ويقولُ: إنَّ ابْنِي هذا سَيِّدٌ، ولَعَلَّ اللَّهَ أنْ يُصْلِحَ به بيْنَ فِئَتَيْنِ عَظِيمَتَيْنِ مِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ” رواه البخاري.
فالحديث يشير إلى الخلاف الذي وقع بين الصحابة-رضي الله عنهم-بعد وفاته ﷺ، ويخبر عن وقوع الصلح بينهم، ويخبر أن الصلح سيكون على يد الحسن-رضي الله عنه-.
ومن ذلك أيضًا إخباره عن النار التي تشتعل في أرض الحجاز تضيء لها أعناق الإبل ببصرى الشام، كما في حديث أبي هريرة عند البخاري قال رسول الله ﷺ: ” لا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حتَّى تَخْرُجَ نارٌ مِن أرْضِ الحِجازِ تُضِيءُ أعْناقَ الإبِلِ ببُصْرَى”، وقد ذكر أهل العلم أن هذه العلامة قد ظهرت سنة(654هـ)، وعلم بها أهل الشام وسائر أهل الأمصار، ورآها كل من حول المدينة، ولهذا أشباه كثيرة جدًّا قد ذكرها العلماء في كتب تتحدث عن شمائل نبينا المصطفى محمد ﷺ.
لا تكاد تجد شيئًا من المعجزات آتاه الله للأنبياء قبل نبينا ﷺ، إلا وقد أعطي نبينا ﷺ مثله وزيادة، فقد كان عيسى يبرئ الأكمه والأبرص-يشفي المرضى- والنبي ﷺ، يقرأ على المريض بالرقية وينفث عليه فيبرأ بإذن الله، وفي زمنه ﷺ أنجح عملية تجميل حصلت في تاريخ البشرية، فقد فُقئت عين قتادة بن النعمان فردها النبي ﷺ بيده الشريفة فبدت أجمل من أختها، وهكذا سائر المعجزات.
ملاحظة: جاء في النص المنشور سابقا: (فقد فقأت عين ثابت بن النعمان)، والذي في رواية ابن إسحاق التي نقلها ابن كثير في البداية والنهاية عن يوم أحد: (وأصيبت يومئذ عين قتادة بن النعمان، حتى سقطت على وجنته، فردها رسول الله ﷺ بيده، فكانت أحسن عينيه)، فصُحح الاسم.
1. The Divine Sunnah Regarding Demanded Tangible Signs | سنة الله في إهلاك المكذبين بالآيات الحسية المقترحة
The polytheists asked him to turn al-Safa into gold. Ibn Kathir, on 17:59, cites Sa'id ibn Jubayr: Allah told the Prophet that if He did what they asked and they still did not believe, the punishment would come down, or if he wished, Allah would wait patiently with his people. The verse states the rule: "Nothing keeps Us from sending the ˹demanded˺ signs except that they had ˹already˺ been denied by earlier peoples. And We gave Thamûd the she-camel as a clear sign, but they wrongfully rejected it" (17:59).
وَمَا مَنَعَنَا أَن نُّرْسِلَ بِالْآيَاتِ إِلَّا أَن كَذَّبَ بِهَا الْأَوَّلُونَ (سورة الإسراء: 59)
سأل المشركون النبي ﷺ أن يجعل لهم الصفا ذهبا، ونقل ابن كثير عند الآية عن سعيد بن جبير أن الله أوحى إليه: إن شئت أن نفعل الذي قالوا فإن لم يؤمنوا نزل العذاب، وإن شئت أن نستأني بقومك استأنيت بهم. والآية تقرر هذه السنة: (وَمَا مَنَعَنَا أَن نُّرْسِلَ بِالْآيَاتِ إِلَّا أَن كَذَّبَ بِهَا الْأَوَّلُونَ).
2. The Prophet Chose Patience with His People | اختيار النبي ﷺ الإمهال لقومه
The Prophet chose patience. In Sa'id ibn Jubayr's report quoted by Ibn Kathir, he said: "My Lord, wait patiently with them," for once such a sign comes down there is no further respite.
فاختار النبي ﷺ الإمهال، ففي رواية سعيد بن جبير التي نقلها ابن كثير: «فإنه ليس بعد نزول الآية مناظرة»، فقال: «يا رب استأن بهم».
3. The Eternal Miracle: The Living Quran | المعجزة الكبرى الخالدة: القرآن الكريم المعجز
The Prophet said: "There was no prophet who was not given signs like which people believed, but what I have been given is revelation that Allah revealed to me, so I hope to have the most followers of them on the Day of Resurrection" (Sahih al-Bukhari 4981). The scholar adds that the Quran remains for every age and place, and Allah challenges humans and jinn to produce its equal (17:88).
قُل لَّئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَىٰ أَن يَأْتُوا بِمِثْلِ هَـٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ لَا يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ (سورة الإسراء: 88)
قال النبي ﷺ: «ما من الأنبياء نبي إلا أعطي ما مثله آمن عليه البشر، وإنما كان الذي أوتيت وحيا أوحاه الله إلي، فأرجو أن أكون أكثرهم تابعا يوم القيامة» (صحيح البخاري 4981). ويذكر الشيخ أن القرآن معجزة باقية على مر الأزمان، وقد تحدى الله الإنس والجن أن يأتوا بمثله.
4. Physical Miracles Granted to the Prophet | المعجزات الحسية الثابتة التي أيد الله بها نبيه
He was also given sensory miracles: the people of Mecca asked for a sign and he showed them the moon split (Sahih al-Bukhari 3637); water gushed from between his fingers at al-Hudaybiyah (3576); a little barley bread fed a crowd in the house of Abu Talhah, may Allah be pleased with him (3578); and the palm trunk he used to lean on while preaching cried out when he moved to the pulpit (3583).
اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ (سورة القمر: 1)
وأيد الله نبيه ﷺ بمعجزات حسية: سأله أهل مكة آية فأراهم انشقاق القمر (صحيح البخاري 3637)، ونبع الماء من بين أصابعه يوم الحديبية (3576)، وكفى خبز قليل من شعير جمعا من الناس في بيت أبي طلحة (3578)، وحن الجذع الذي كان يخطب إليه لما تحول إلى المنبر (3583).
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Why did Allah not send the specific physical signs demanded by the pagans?
Because earlier peoples denied the signs they had demanded (17:59), and when Allah offered him the choice, the Prophet ﷺ asked Him to wait patiently with his people (Sa'id ibn Jubayr, quoted by Ibn Kathir).
How does the Prophet's primary miracle differ from those of Moses and Jesus?
As the scholar explains, their miracles were seen at a particular time and place, while the Quran remains, and its inimitability is known in every age and place.
Did Prophet Muhammad perform any physical miracles?
Yes, including the splitting of the moon (Sahih al-Bukhari 3637), water springing from between his fingers (3576), and a little food feeding many (3578).
What did the Prophet hope to achieve through his eternal revelation?
He said that because what he was given is revelation, he hopes to have the most followers on the Day of Resurrection (Sahih al-Bukhari 4981).