In Islam a miracle (mu’jizah) is an event beyond the normal course of nature that Allah grants a prophet as a sign of truthfulness. Muslims believe every prophet received such signs.
Sources and method. Written from the Muslim perspective and based on the Quran and the standard biographical and historical works (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Ibn Hisham, Ibn Kathir, al-Tabari). Where dates are approximate or scholars differ, we say so. Peace and blessings be upon the Prophet ﷺ.
The Quran: the lasting miracle
Earlier miracles ended with their time; the Quran remains. Muslims hold that its language, its message and its perfect preservation over fourteen centuries are signs. It challenges readers to produce anything like it:
وَإِن كُنتُمْ فِى رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا۟ بِسُورَةٍ مِّن مِّثْلِهِۦ وَٱدْعُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ ٢٣And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down [i.e., the Qur’ān] upon Our Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)], then produce a sūrah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses [i.e., supporters] other than Allāh, if you should be truthful.
اور اگر تم کو اس (کتاب) میں، جو ہم نے اپنے بندے (محمدﷺ عربی) پر نازل فرمائی ہے کچھ شک ہو تو اسی طرح کی ایک سورت تم بھی بنا لاؤ اور خدا کے سوا جو تمہارے مددگار ہوں ان کو بھی بلالو اگر تم سچے ہو
قُل لَّئِنِ ٱجْتَمَعَتِ ٱلْإِنسُ وَٱلْجِنُّ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يَأْتُوا۟ بِمِثْلِ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ لَا يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِۦ وَلَوْ كَانَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ ظَهِيرًا ٨٨Say, "If mankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Qur’ān, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants."
کہہ دو کہ اگر انسان اور جن اس بات پر مجتمع ہوں کہ اس قرآن جیسا بنا لائیں تو اس جیسا نہ لاسکیں گے اگرچہ وہ ایک دوسرے کو مددگار ہوں
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا ٱلذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَـٰفِظُونَ ٩Indeed, it is We who sent down the message [i.e., the Qur’ān], and indeed, We will be its guardian.
بےشک یہ (کتاب) نصیحت ہمیں نے اُتاری ہے اور ہم ہی اس کے نگہبان ہیں
Miracles of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
- Isra and Mi’raj. The night journey from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, and the ascension through the heavens, mentioned in Surah al-Isra and Surah al-Najm.
سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا ٱلَّذِى بَـٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ ١Exalted is He who took His Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)] by night from al-Masjid al-Ḥarām to al-Masjid al-Aqṣā, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
وہ (ذات) پاک ہے جو ایک رات اپنے بندے کو مسجدالحرام یعنی (خانہٴ کعبہ) سے مسجد اقصیٰ (یعنی بیت المقدس) تک جس کے گردا گرد ہم نے برکتیں رکھی ہیں لے گیا تاکہ ہم اسے اپنی (قدرت کی) نشانیاں دکھائیں۔ بےشک وہ سننے والا (اور) دیکھنے والا ہے
- The splitting of the moon. The Quran opens Surah al-Qamar with it (54:1), and it is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim from Anas, Ibn Mas’ud and others.
ٱقْتَرَبَتِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ وَٱنشَقَّ ٱلْقَمَرُ ١The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two].
قیامت قریب آ پہنچی اور چاند شق ہوگیا
- Water flowing from his fingers. Narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim: when the Companions had little water, water flowed from between his fingers and the army drank and made wudu.
- Food multiplied. At the digging of the Trench, Jabir ibn Abdullah prepared a small meal and the Prophet fed about a thousand people from it (Sahih al-Bukhari).
- The weeping palm trunk. The date-palm trunk he used to lean on while preaching cried when he moved to a new pulpit, and he comforted it (Sahih al-Bukhari).
- Healing. At Khaybar he applied his saliva to the eyes of Ali, who could not see, and he was cured (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim).
- Help at Badr. The Quran says Allah reinforced the believers with angels (8:9, 3:124–125).
- Foretelling. The Quran announced the Byzantine victory over the Persians within a few years (30:2–4), which came to pass.
غُلِبَتِ ٱلرُّومُ ٢The Byzantines have been defeated
(اہلِ ) روم مغلوب ہوگئے
فِىٓ أَدْنَى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَهُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ ٣In the nearest land. But they, after their defeat, will overcome
نزدیک کے ملک میں اور وہ مغلوب ہونے کے بعد عنقریب غالب آجائیں گے
فِى بِضْعِ سِنِينَ ۗ لِلَّهِ ٱلْأَمْرُ مِن قَبْلُ وَمِنۢ بَعْدُ ۚ وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٤Within three to nine years. To Allāh belongs the command [i.e., decree] before and after. And that day the believers will rejoice
چند ہی سال میں پہلے بھی اور پیچھے بھی خدا ہی کا حکم ہے اور اُس روز مومن خوش ہوجائیں گے
Miracles of earlier prophets in the Quran
| Prophet | Sign mentioned in the Quran |
|---|---|
| Ibrahim (Abraham) | The fire became cool and safe for him (21:69). |
| Musa (Moses) | The staff, the shining hand, and the sea split for him (20:17–22, 26:63). |
| Isa (Jesus) | Speaking in the cradle, healing the blind and the leper, raising the dead, all by Allah’s permission (3:49, 5:110). |
| Salih | The she-camel from the rock (7:73). |
| Dawud (David) and Sulayman (Solomon) | The mountains and birds glorified with Dawud; Sulayman was given command over the wind and understood the speech of birds (21:79, 27:16). |
| Yunus (Jonah) | Survived in the belly of the fish (37:139–144). |
| Yusuf (Joseph) | Interpretation of dreams (12:101). |
| Nuh (Noah) | The ark and the flood (11:37–48). |
The stories of the prophets are told throughout the Quran. Read Surah Yusuf in one sitting, “the best of stories”.
Read the full stories. Each prophet in the table above has a complete story with the Quran verses and hadith references: Stories of the Prophets.
