Zafir Ahmad, Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre
The Quran is an everlasting miracle unlike any that previous prophets before Prophet Muhammadsa ever brought forth. For a Muslim, viewing the Quran as an eternal miracle is not a significant challenge. However, a secular, irreligious person might have different criteria for what constitutes a miracle. Therefore, the Quran offers something at every level of human understanding, something that different individuals can recognise as a miracle.
The Promised Messiahas discussed the multiple dimensions of the Quranic miracle in his book “Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya.” Mentioning four, He writes:
“معجزات اور خوارق قرآنی چار قسم پر ہیں (۱) معجزات عقلیہ (۲) معجزات علمیہ (۳) معجزات برکات روحانیه (۴) معجزات تصرفات خارجیہ”
“The miracles and extraordinary signs of the Holy Quran are of four types: (1) Miracles related to intellect; (2) Miracles related to knowledge; (3) Miracles related to spiritual blessings; and (4) Miracles related to external causes.” (Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, p. 60, footnote)
Three of these four dimensions of the Quranic miracle are accessible to human understanding. The Promised Messiahas further explains:
“نمبر اول ، دو و تین کے معجزات خواص ذاتیہ قرآن شریف میں سے ہیں اور نہایت عالی شان اور بدیہی الثبوت ہیں جن کو ہر یک زمانہ میں ہر یک شخص تازہ بتازہ طور پر چشم دید ماجرا کی طرح دریافت کر سکتا ہے لیکن نمبر چار کے معجزات یعنی تصرفات خارجیہ یہ بیرونی خوارق ہیں جن کو قرآن شریف سے کچھ ذاتی تعلق نہیں”
“The first three are miracles of the inherent qualities of the Holy Quran. They are grand miracles, and are manifestly evident. These can be witnessed as fresh and visible realities in every era. However, the fourth type of miracles, i.e., those related to external causes, are extrinsic miracles, which are not inherently connected to the Holy Quran.” (Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, p. 60, footnote)
The intellectual, scientific, and spiritual miracles are within the scope of human capabilities to comprehend. However, the miracle that arises through external influences manifests solely through the omnipotence and will of God, with no human influence over this type of miracle. This raises the question of how these four types of miracles are to be understood.
Before addressing this question, I would like to briefly explain the reason why these four types of miracles are mentioned. Miracles in Islam serve various roles. The human mind cannot fully grasp God. Miracles are meant to present the power of God to humanity, making it clear that a superhuman phenomenon can only be caused by a superhuman being, namely, God. Mere belief in God does not elevate a person to a level of certainty about the divine existence. To attain certainty in the existence of God, belief must be accompanied by miracles.
Moreover, miracles play a crucial role in the authenticity of a divine prophet. True prophethood requires miracles so that a prophet can be recognized as a true prophet. Every prophet came with various miracles that confirmed his prophethood, demonstrating to people that this person is a messenger of a superhuman being. The reason for the types of Quranic miracles lies in the fact that the achievements explored by humans reveal the hidden knowledge that was sent down in the Quran 1,400 years ago. This is a miracle characterized by an act that is impossible for a human to accomplish.
Now, I would like to provide an example to illustrate each of the four types of miracles. The first miracle, which pertains to intellect, was discussed by the Promised Messiahas as follows:
“ایک عقلی [دروازہ ہے] یعنے خدائے تعالیٰ کی ہستی اور خالقیت اور اس کی توحید اور قدرت اور رحم اور قیومی اور مجازات وغیرہ صفات کی شناخت کے لئے جہاں تک علوم عقلیہ کا تعلق ہے استدلالی طریق کو کامل طور پر استعمال کیا ہے اور اس استدلال کے ضمن میں صناعت منطق و علم بلاغت و فصاحت و علوم طبعی و طبابت و هیئت و هندسه و دقائق فلسفیه و طریق جدل و مناظرہ وغیرہ تمام علوم کو نہایت لطیف و موزوں طور پر بیان کیا ہے جس سے اکثر دقیق مسائل کا بیچ کھلتا ہے۔ پس یہ طرز بیان جو فوق العادت ہے از قسم اعجاز عقلی ہے”
“One is [the door] of reason. The way of reasoning has been perfectly employed [in the Holy Quran] for the recognition of the existence of God, His attributes of Creation, Unity, Power, Compassion, Self-Subsistence, Master of the Day of Judgment, etc. In this context, the arts of logic, rhetoric, eloquence, natural sciences, medicine, astronomy, geometry, insightful philosophy, dialectics, and debate have been presented in the most subtle and appropriate manner, solving many complex problems. These methods are extraordinary and are indeed miracles of reason.” (Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, p. 72, footnote)
This statement asserts that the Holy Quran employs logical reasoning to recognize the existence of God and His attributes, such as creation, unity, power, mercy, and self-sustenance. It is remarkable that this logical reasoning in the Quran is flawless and utilises the aforementioned disciplines for the exalted purpose that no human had previously undertaken. The miracle lies in the fact that the Quran’s statements about the existence of God and His attributes are so comprehensive that they cannot be surpassed. No one can present a new argument that the Quran has not already included.
For instance, the Quran invites us to observe creation and search for any flaws or inconsistencies. It argues that none will be found, pointing to a perfect Creator: “No incongruity can you see in the creation of the Gracious God. Then look again: Do you see any flaw? Yes, look again, and yet again, your sight will return to you confused and fatigued.” (Surah al-Mulk, Ch.67: V.4-5) This is an example of how the Quran seeks to prove the existence and perfection of God through observation and logical deduction.
Now, I would like to mention the second gate of the Quranic miracle. The Promised Messiahas writes the following:
“پھر علاوه اس کے قرآن شریف نے تائید دین میں اور اور علوم سے بھی اعجازی طور پر خدمت لی ہے اور منطق اور طبعی اور فلسفہ اور هیئت اور علم نفس اور طبابت اور علم هندسه اور علم بلاغت و فصاحت وغیرہ علوم کے وسائل سے علم دین کا سمجھانا اور ذہن نشین کرنا یا اس کا تفهیم درجہ بدرجہ آسان کر دینا یا اس پر کوئی برهان قائم کرنا یا اس سے کسی نادان کا اعتراض اٹھانا مد نظر رکھا ہے غرض طفیلی طور پر یہ سب علوم خدمت دین کے لئے بطور خارق عادت قرآن شریف میں اس عجیب طرز سے بھرے ہوئے ہیں جن سے ہر ایک درجہ کا ذہن فائده اٹھا سکتا ہے”
“In this regard, it [the Quran] has untilised logic, physics, philosophy, astronomy, psychology, medicine, mathematics, and rhetoric for the elucidation and explanation of the knowledge of faith, to facilitate its understanding, to establish a conclusion, or to refute the objections of some ignorant individuals. In short, all these subjects are presented in the Holy Quran in an extraordinary manner for the service of faith, so that every level of intellect can benefit from them.” (Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, p. 75, footnote)
The miracle in this domain lies in the fact that the cognitive achievements sought by humans and the knowledge gained from various scientific disciplines do not contradict what Allah has laid out in the Quran. Instead, these sciences aid in the understanding of divine teachings and serve as tools for reflecting on the nature of God. That is to say, the sciences of logic, physics, philosophy, astronomy, psychology, medicine, mathematics, and rhetoric are means to better perceive religious matters. Islam calls upon people to reflect in these areas of knowledge.
Islam encourages believers to seek knowledge. God made the recognition of Him obligatory through the acquisition of knowledge.
إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ
“Only those of His servants who possess knowledge fear Allah.” (Surah Fatir, Ch.35: V.29)
Faith combined with worldly knowledge strengthens the belief in God. Everything that God revealed in the Quran 1400 years ago is corroborated by modern scientific discoveries. Certainly, I would exceed the scope of my article if I were to mention the Quranic miracles in every field of science. I recommend readers to refer to the book by the Promised Messiahas titled “Purani Tahreerain” (Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2), where he uses the science of logic to provide evidence regarding the existence of God.
Certainly, the question arises that a person cannot master or even encompass all sciences. So why does the Quran make use of all these scientific disciplines? The Promised Messiahas provided the following answer to this question:
“جس سے ہر یک درجہ کا ذہن فائده اٹھا سکتا ہے”
“Thus, every level of intellect can benefit from them.” (Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, p. 75, footnote)
Certainly, a person cannot master all sciences in depth at the same time. However, the diversity of human intellect necessitates that the Quran presents scientific miracles for every type of human understanding.
Regarding the third type of Quranic miracle, we should understand that it is a spiritual miracle. The Promised Messiahas writes:
“تیسرا دروازہ معرفت الہی کا جو قرآن شریف میں اللہ جل شانہ نے اپنی عنایت خاص سے کھول رکھا ہے برکات روحانیہ ہیں جس کو اعجاز تاثیری کہنا چاہیے۔”
“The third gateway to the recognition of the Divine that has been opened in the Holy Quran by Allah the Exalted, through His special grace, is the door of spiritual blessings, which can be referred to as its miracle of effect.” (Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, p. 76, footnote)
This spiritual miracle can still be observed and experienced both collectively and individually. Historically, it was clearly manifested during the era of Prophet Muhammadsa. He came to an uneducated people—a nation that enslaved the weak and glorified the esteemed, where the worship of idols was as normal as breathing. The life of the Arabs at that time was so primitive that indulgence in sexual immorality, drinking, gambling, and other vices was commonplace. Theft, murder, and other crimes were not considered sinful. Yet, within a short period, the Arabs embraced Islam and underwent profound spiritual transformations. Their hearts were changed by the spiritual power of the divine Qur’anic word and the company of the Prophetsa. They were willing to give up their homeland, their loved ones, their honour, and their comfort to gain the pleasure of Allah. Where did this change come from? This transformation was brought about by the powerful effect of the divine word and the holy influence of the Prophet, which led this nation from darkness into light—a miracle unmatched by any other book in the world.
All three of these mentioned miracles have a direct connection with the Quran and are tied to the intensity of human effort. The fourth miracle, however, has no direct connection to the Quran but is dependent on the will of God. The Quran, however, opens the way for this type of miracle in its own manner. God has shown miracles, such as the miracle of the “splitting of the moon”, and He is capable of showing such miracles. But these miracles cannot be summoned by human effort; only God knows how and when He will show a miracle. The Promised Messiahas said:
“اصل خوبی اور حسن و جمال قرآن شریف کا پہلے تینوں قسم کے معجزات سے وابستہ ہے بلکہ ہر ایک کلام الہی کا یہی نشان اعظم ہے کہ یہ تینوں قسم کے معجزات کسی قدر اس میں پائے جائیں اور قرآن شریف میں تو یہ ہر سہ قسم کے اعجاز اعلیٰ و اکمل و اتم طور پر پائے جاتے ہیں اور انہیں کو قرآن شریف اپنی بے مثل و مانند ہونے کے اثبات میں بار بار پیش کرتا ہے۔”
“The true excellence and beauty of the Holy Quran is associated with the first three types of miracles. Indeed, this is the great sign of all Divine words that these three types of miracles are found within them to some degree. In the Holy Quran, these three types of miracles are found in the highest, most perfect, and most complete form, and the Holy Quran repeatedly presents them as proof of its uniqueness and unparalleled nature.” (Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, p. 60, footnote)