Some of the Miracles of Muhammad(P)
A number of miracles were bestowed upon and performed by the Prophet
Muhammad(P) to establish the proof of his prophethood. The greatest miracle
bestowed upon him was the revelation of the Qur'an. The Qur'an is miraculous in
a number of aspects: Its linguistic perfection and inimitability, its
validation by recent historical, archaeological, and scientific discoveries,
its prophecies and so on. Unlike the miracles of other prophets before him, the
miracle of the Qur'an is eternal. Prophet Muhammad(P) also provided us with a
number of true prophecies.
Below are accounts of the some of the other miracles of Prophet Muhammad(P) .
Before reading these, it helps to know something about the Science of
Traditions (Arabic: Ahadith), an exacting and comprehensive system developed by
early Muslim scholars to verify the chain of transmission of these accounts, as
well as investigating the trustworthiness and capability of every narrator at
every level of the chain. This thorough authentication process ensures that
these accounts are real, validated narrations of the sayings, actions, and
tacit approvals of the Prophet Muhammad(P). The Traditions mentioned below are
all from Sahih al-Bukhari, the most authentic collection.
Splitting of the Moon
Food Multiplication
Water Multiplication
Supplication for Rain
Lights to guide Companions
Crying of the stem of the Date-palm Tree
Glorification of Allah by the Prophet's meals
The explusion of a Christian liar's corpse by the Earth
The Speech of the Wolf
The Prophet's Night Journey to Jerusalem and Ascent to the Heavens
Splitting of the Moon - "The Hour has drawn near, and the
moon has been cleft asunder" [Qur'an 54:1]
Volume 6, Book 60, Number 388:
Narrated Abdullah:
The moon was cleft asunder while we were in the company of the Prophet, and it
became two parts. The Prophet said, Witness, witness (this miracle)."
Food Multiplication
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 780:
Narrated Jabir:
My father had died in debt. So I came to the Prophet and said, "My father
(died) leaving unpaid debts, and I have nothing except the yield of his date
palms; and their yield for many years will not cover his debts. So please come
with me, so that the creditors may not misbehave with me." The Prophet
went round one of the heaps of dates and invoked (Allah), and then did the same
with another heap and sat on it and said, "Measure (for them)." He
paid them their rights and what remained was as much as had been paid to them.
Water Multiplication
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 779:
Narrated 'Abdullah:
We used to consider miracles as Allah's Blessings, but you people consider them
to be a warning. Once we were with Allah's Apostle on a journey, and we ran
short of water. He said, "Bring the water remaining with you." The
people brought a utensil containing a little water. He placed his hand in it
and said, "Come to the blessed water, and the Blessing is from
Allah." I saw the water flowing from among the fingers of Allah's Apostle
, and no doubt, we heard the meal glorifying Allah, when it was being eaten (by
him).
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 777:
Narrated Al-Bara:
We were one-thousand-and-four-hundred persons on the day of Al-Hudaibiya
(Treaty), and (at) Al-Hudaibiya (there) was a well. We drew out its water not
leaving even a single drop. The Prophet sat at the edge of the well and asked
for some water with which he rinsed his mouth and then he threw it out into the
well. We stayed for a short while and then drew water from the well and
quenched our thirst, and even our riding animals drank water to their
satisfaction.
Volume 1, Book 7, Number 340:
Narrated 'Imran:
Once we were traveling with the Prophet and we carried on traveling till the
last part of the night and then we (halted at a place) and slept (deeply).
There is nothing sweeter than sleep for a traveler in the last part of the
night. So it was only the heat of the sun that made us to wake up and the first
to wake up was so and so, then so and so and then so and so (the narrator 'Auf
said that Abu Raja' had told him their names but he had forgotten them) and the
fourth person to wake up was 'Umar bin Al-Khattab. And whenever the Prophet
used to sleep, nobody would wake up him till he himself used to get up as we
did not know what was happening (being revealed) to him in his sleep. So, 'Umar
got up and saw the condition of the people, and he was a strict man, so he
said, "Allahu Akbar" and raised his voice with Takbir, and kept on
saying loudly till the Prophet got up because of it. When he got up, the people
informed him about what had happened to them. He said, "There is no harm
(or it will not be harmful). Depart!" So they departed from that place,
and after covering some distance the Prophet stopped and asked for some water to
perform the ablution. So he performed the ablution and the call for the prayer
was pronounced and he led the people in prayer. After he finished from the
prayer, he saw a man sitting aloof who had not prayed with the people. He
asked, "O so and so! What has prevented you from praying with us?" He
replied, "I am Junub and there is no water. " The Prophet said,
"Perform Tayammum with (clean) earth and that is sufficient for you."
Then the Prophet proceeded on and the people complained to him of thirst. Thereupon
he got down and called a person (the narrator 'Auf added that Abu Raja' had
named him but he had forgotten) and 'Ali, and ordered them to go and bring
water. So they went in search of water and met a woman who was sitting on her
camel between two bags of water. They asked, "Where can we find
water?" She replied, "I was there (at the place of water) this hour
yesterday and my people are behind me." They requested her to accompany
them. She asked, "Where?" They said, "To Allah's Apostle ."
She said, "Do you mean the man who is called the Sabi, (with a new
religion)?" They replied, "Yes, the same person. So come along."
They brought her to the Prophet and narrated the whole story. He said,
"Help her to dismount." The Prophet asked for a pot, then he opened
the mouths of the bags and poured some water into the pot. Then he closed the
big openings of the bags and opened the small ones and the people were called
upon to drink and water their animals. So they all watered their animals and
they (too) all quenched their thirst and also gave water to others and last of
all the Prophet gave a pot full of water to the person who was Junub and told
him to pour it over his body. The woman was standing and watching all that
which they were doing with her water. By Allah, when her water bags were
returned the looked like as if they were more full (of water) than they had
been before (Miracle of Allah's Apostle) Then the Prophet ordered us to collect
something for her; so dates, flour and Sawiq were collected which amounted to a
good meal that was put in a piece of cloth. She was helped to ride on her camel
and that cloth full of food-stuff was also placed in front of her and then the
Prophet said to her, "We have not taken your water but Allah has given
water to us." She returned home late. Her relatives asked her: "O so
and so what has delayed you?" She said, "A strange thing! Two men met
me and took me to the man who is called the Sabi' and he did such and such a
thing. By Allah, he is either the greatest magician between this and this
(gesturing with her index and middle fingers raising them towards the sky
indicating the heaven and the earth) or he is Allah's true Apostle."
Afterwards the Muslims used to attack the pagans around her abode but never
touched her village. One day she said to her people, "I think that these
people leave you purposely. Have you got any inclination to Islam?" They
obeyed her and all of them embraced Islam.
Abu 'Abdultah said: The word Saba'a means "The one who has deserted his
old religion and embraced a new religion." Abul 'Ailya said, "The
Sabis are a sect of people of the Scripture who recite the Book of
Psalms."
Supplication for Rain
Volume 8, Book 73, Number 115:
Narrated Anas:
A man came to the Prophet on a Friday while he (the Prophet) was delivering a
sermon at Medina, and said, "There is lack of rain, so please invoke your
Lord to bless us with the rain." The Prophet looked at the sky when no
cloud could be detected. Then he invoked Allah for rain. Clouds started
gathering together and it rained till the Medina valleys started flowing with
water. It continued raining till the next Friday. Then that man (or some other
man) stood up while the Prophet was delivering the Friday sermon, and said,
"We are drowned; Please invoke your Lord to withhold it (rain) from
us" The Prophet smiled and said twice or thrice, "O Allah! Please let
it rain round about us and not upon us." The clouds started dispersing
over Medina to the right and to the left, and it rained round about Medina and
not upon Medina. Allah showed them (the people) the miracle of His Prophet and
His response to his invocation.
Lights to guide Companions
Volume 1, Book 8, Number 454:
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Two of the companions of the Prophet departed from him on a dark night and were
led by two lights like lamps (going in front of them from Allah as a miracle)
lighting the way in front of them, and when they parted, each of them was
accompanied by one of these lights till he reached their (respective) houses.
Crying of the stem of the Date-palm Tree
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 783:
Narrated Ibn Umar:
The Prophet used to deliver his sermons while standing beside a trunk of a
datepalm. When he had the pulpit made, he used it instead. The trunk started
crying and the Prophet went to it, rubbing his hand over it (to stop its
crying).
Glorification of Allah by the Prophet's meals
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 779:
Narrated 'Abdullah:
We used to consider miracles as Allah's Blessings, but you people consider them
to be a warning. Once we were with Allah's Apostle on a journey, and we ran
short of water. He said, "Bring the water remaining with you." The
people brought a utensil containing a little water. He placed his hand in it
and said, "Come to the blessed water, and the Blessing is from
Allah." I saw the water flowing from among the fingers of Allah's Apostle
, and no doubt, we heard the meal glorifying Allah, when it was being eaten (by
him).
The explusion of a Christian liar's corpse by the Earth
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 814:
Narrated Anas:
There was a Christian who embraced Islam and read Surat-al-Baqara and Al-Imran,
and he used to write (the revelations) for the Prophet. Later on he returned to
Christianity again and he used to say: "Muhammad knows nothing but what I
have written for him." Then Allah caused him to die, and the people buried
him, but in the morning they saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They
said, "This is the act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave
of our companion and took his body out of it because he had run away from
them." They again dug the grave deeply for him, but in the morning they
again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, "This is an
act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and
threw his body outside it, for he had run away from them." They dug the
grave for him as deep as they could, but in the morning they again saw that the
earth had thrown his body out. So they believed that what had befallen him was
not done by human beings and had to leave him thrown (on the ground).
The Speech of the Wolf
Volume 3, Book 39, Number 517:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "While a man was riding a cow, it turned towards him and
said, 'I have not been created for this purpose (i.e. carrying), I have been
created for sloughing." The Prophet added, "I, Abu Bakr and 'Umar
believe in the story." The Prophet went on, "A wolf caught a sheep,
and when the shepherd chased it, the wolf said, 'Who will be its guard on the
day of wild beasts, when there will be no shepherd for it except me?'
"After narrating it, the Prophet said, "I, Abu Bakr and 'Umar too
believe it." Abu Salama (a sub-narrator) said, "Abu Bakr and 'Umar
were not present then." (It has been written that a wolf also spoke to one
of the companions of the Prophet near Medina as narrated in Fatah-al-Bari:
Narrated Unais bin 'Amr: Ahban bin Aus said, "I was amongst my sheep.
Suddenly a wolf caught a sheep and I shouted at it. The wolf sat on its tail
and addressed me, saying, 'Who will look after it (i.e. the sheep) when you
will be busy and not able to look after it? Do you forbid me the provision
which Allah has provided me?' " Ahban added, "I clapped my hands and
said, 'By Allah, I have never seen anything more curious and wonderful than
this!' On that the wolf said, 'There is something (more curious) and wonderful
than this; that is, Allah's Apostle in those palm trees, inviting people to
Allah (i.e. Islam).' "Unais bin 'Amr further said, "Then Ahban went
to Allah's Apostle and informed him what happened and embraced Islam.)"
palm trees or other trees and share the fruits with me."
The Prophet's Night Journey to Jerusalem (Arabic: Israa) and
Ascent to the Heavens (Arabic: Miraj)
Volume 5, Book 58, Number 228:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
Regarding the Statement of Allah"
"And We granted the vision (Ascension to the heavens) which We made you
see (as an actual eye witness) was only made as a trial for the people."
(17.60)
Ibn Abbas added: The sights which Allah's Apostle was shown on the Night
Journey when he was taken to Bait-ulMaqdis (i.e. Jerusalem) were actual sights,
(not dreams). And the Cursed Tree (mentioned) in the Quran is the tree of
Zaqqum (itself) .
Volume 4, Book 54, Number 462:
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
The Prophet said, "On the night of my Ascent to the Heaven, I saw Moses
who was a tall brown curly-haired man as if he was one of the men of Shan'awa
tribe, and I saw Jesus, a man of medium height and moderate complexion inclined
to the red and white colors and of lank hair. I also saw Malik, the gate-keeper
of the (Hell) Fire and Ad-Dajjal amongst the signs which Allah showed me."
(The Prophet then recited the Holy Verse): "So be not you in doubt of
meeting him' when you met Moses during the night of Mi'raj over the
heavens" (32.23)
Narrated Anas and Abu Bakra: "The Prophet said, "The angels will
guard Medina from Ad-Dajjal (who will not be able to enter the city of
Medina)."
Volume 5, Book 58, Number 227:
Narrated Abbas bin Malik:
Malik bin Sasaa said that Allah's Apostle described to them his Night Journey
saying, "While I was lying in Al-Hatim or Al-Hijr, suddenly someone came
to me and cut my body open from here to here." I asked Al-Jarud who was by
my side, "What does he mean?" He said, "It means from his throat
to his pubic area," or said, "From the top of the chest." The
Prophet further said, "He then took out my heart. Then a gold tray of
Belief was brought to me and my heart was washed and was filled (with Belief)
and then returned to its original place. Then a white animal which was smaller
than a mule and bigger than a donkey was brought to me." (On this Al-Jarud
asked, "Was it the Buraq, O Abu Hamza?" I (i.e. Anas) replied in the
affirmative). The Prophet said, "The animal's step (was so wide that it)
reached the farthest point within the reach of the animal's sight. I was
carried on it, and Gabriel set out with me till we reached the nearest heaven.
When he asked for the gate to be opened, it was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered,
'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied,
'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has Muhammad been called?' Gabriel replied in the
affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his
is!' The gate was opened, and when I went over the first heaven, I saw Adam
there. Gabriel said (to me). 'This is your father, Adam; pay him your
greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You
are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me
till we reached the second heaven. Gabriel asked for the gate to be opened. It
was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is
accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been
called?' Gabriel answered in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is
welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened.
When I went over the second heaven, there I saw Yahya (i.e. John) and 'Isa
(i.e. Jesus) who were cousins of each other. Gabriel said (to me), 'These are
John and Jesus; pay them your greetings.' So I greeted them and both of them
returned my greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and
pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the third heaven and asked for
its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.'
It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was
asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was
said, 'He is welcomed, what an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened,
and when I went over the third heaven there I saw Joseph. Gabriel said (to me),
'This is Joseph; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the
greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.'
Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fourth heaven and asked for its gate to be
opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel' It was asked,
'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he
been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is
welcomed, what an excel lent visit his is!'
The gate was opened, and when I went over the fourth heaven, there I saw Idris.
Gabriel said (to me), 'This is Idris; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him
and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother
and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fifth heaven and asked
for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied,
'Gabriel.' It was asked. 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied,
'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the
affirmative. Then it was said He is welcomed, what an excellent visit his is!
So when I went over the fifth heaven, there I saw Harun (i.e. Aaron), Gabriel
said, (to me). This is Aaron; pay him your greetings.' I greeted him and he
returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and
pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the sixth heaven and asked for
its gate to be opened. It was asked. 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.'
It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was
asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. It was said,
'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!'
When I went (over the sixth heaven), there I saw Moses. Gabriel said (to me),'
This is Moses; pay him your greeting. So I greeted him and he returned the
greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious
Prophet.' When I left him (i.e. Moses) he wept. Someone asked him, 'What makes
you weep?' Moses said, 'I weep because after me there has been sent (as
Prophet) a young man whose followers will enter Paradise in greater numbers
than my followers.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the seventh heaven and
asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied,
'Gabriel.' It was asked,' Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied,
'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the
affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his
is!'
So when I went (over the seventh heaven), there I saw Abraham. Gabriel said (to
me), 'This is your father; pay your greetings to him.' So I greeted him and he
returned the greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious son and pious
Prophet.' Then I was made to ascend to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha (i.e. the Lote Tree of
the utmost boundary) Behold! Its fruits were like the jars of Hajr (i.e. a
place near Medina) and its leaves were as big as the ears of elephants. Gabriel
said, 'This is the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary) . Behold ! There ran four
rivers, two were hidden and two were visible, I asked, 'What are these two
kinds of rivers, O Gabriel?' He replied,' As for the hidden rivers, they are
two rivers in Paradise and the visible rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates.'
Then Al-Bait-ul-Ma'mur (i.e. the Sacred House) was shown to me and a container
full of wine and another full of milk and a third full of honey were brought to
me. I took the milk. Gabriel remarked, 'This is the Islamic religion which you
and your followers are following.' Then the prayers were enjoined on me: They
were fifty prayers a day. When I returned, I passed by Moses who asked (me),
'What have you been ordered to do?' I replied, 'I have been ordered to offer
fifty prayers a day.' Moses said, 'Your followers cannot bear fifty prayers a
day, and by Allah, I have tested people before you, and I have tried my level
best with Bani Israel (in vain). Go back to your Lord and ask for reduction to
lessen your followers' burden.' So I went back, and Allah reduced ten prayers
for me. Then again I came to Moses, but he repeated the same as he had said
before. Then again I went back to Allah and He reduced ten more prayers. When I
came back to Moses he said the same, I went back to Allah and He ordered me to
observe ten prayers a day. When I came back to Moses, he repeated the same
advice, so I went back to Allah and was ordered to observe five prayers a day.
When I came back to Moses, he said, 'What have you been ordered?' I replied, 'I
have been ordered to observe five prayers a day.' He said, 'Your followers
cannot bear five prayers a day, and no doubt, I have got an experience of the
people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel, so go back
to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your follower's burden.' I said,
'I have requested so much of my Lord that I feel ashamed, but I am satisfied
now and surrender to Allah's Order.' When I left, I heard a voice saying, 'I
have passed My Order and have lessened the burden of My Worshipers."