How about the Qur'an's predictions with respect to its being a miracle?
• The news which the Qur’an gives concerning the past
Although as unanimously agreed, it was communicated by an unlettered,
trustworthy one, the wise Qur’an mentions in a solemn, powerful manner, the
important experiences of the Prophets from the time of Adam to the Time of
Happiness, and the main aspects of their mission. The information it gives
about those important past events usually coincide with the commonly agreed
descriptions of the previous Scriptures, while it corrects the points on
which their corrupted forms disagree. This means that the Qur’an has an
all-seeing vision penetrating the whole of the past better than the previous
Scriptures. The information the Qur’an gives about the past is not something
rational, but it may be traditional. Tradition is usually particular to
lettered persons, whereas, as unanimously agreed by friend and foe alike,
the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was completely
unlettered (and, what is more, there was no one in his environment to tell
him about the past). While the stories of the previous Prophets are mostly
mentioned in the suras that were revealed in Makka, there was no one in
Makka who knew about them. Furthermore, traditions are partly founded on
hearsay and usually, far from giving exact information, true and false are
mixed up in them. But the Qur’an speaks about past events in such a manner
that it describes them as if seeing them: it gives an eye-witness account.
It extracts the kernel of a long series of events and presents its argument
through that kernel. The extracts, summaries and indications in the Qur’an
therefore demonstrate that the One Who presents them is actually seeing all
the past in all its dimensions. For just as a substantial summary or a fine
extract or a telling example shows the skill or expert knowledge of one in a
certain field, so too, the chief points and main themes the Qur’an chooses
out of certain events demonstrate that the One Who chooses them, has an
all-encompassing knowledge of the whole of the events and is describing
them—if one may so express it— with an extraordinary skill.
• The predictions of the Qur’an
.There are many categories of predictions. One category is particular to
men of sainthood and spiritual unveiling. For instance, Muhy al-Din ibn al-‘Arabi
found many predictions in sura al-Rum, beginning with, Alif Lam Mim. The
Romans have been vanquished (30.1-2). Imam Rabbani discovered the signs of
many future events in the muqatta’at, the individual, disjunct letters at
the beginning of certain suras. In fact, for the scholars studying the inner
aspects and esoteric meanings of the Qur’an and of creation, the Qur’an is
full of predictions from beginning to the end. However, I will only point to
the category which everyone can see. Of many varieties of this category, I
will concentrate on only one and be content with mentioning some examples,
without going into detail.
► The wise Qur’an says to the noble Messenger of God, upon him be peace
and blessings:
• So be you patient: surely God’s promise is true. (30:60)
• You shall enter the Holy Mosque, if God wills, in
security, your heads shaved, your hair cut short, not fearing. (48:27)
• It is He who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and
the religion of truth, that He may uplift it above every religion. (48:28)
• The Romans have been vanquished in the nearer part of the
land; and, after their vanquishing, they shall be the victors in a few
years. To God belongs the Command. (30:3-4)
• So you shall see, and they will see, which of you is the
demented. (68:5-6)
• Or do they say, ‘He is a a poet for whom we await what
fate will bring. Say: ‘Await! I shall be waiting with you.’ (52:30-31)
• God will protect you from men. (5:67)
• If you are in doubt concerning that We have sent down on
Our servant, then bring a sura like it, and call your witnesses, helpers,
apart from God, if you are truthful. If you do not —and you will never do
it—then fear the fire... (2:23–4)
• Say: ‘If the Last Abode with God is yours exclusively, and
not for other people, then long for death—if you speak truly.’ But they will
never long for it. (2:95)
• We shall show them Our signs in the outer world and in
themselves, till it is clear to them that it is the truth. (41:53)
• Say: ‘If men and jinn banded together to produce the like
of this Qur’an, they would never produce its like, not though they backed
one another.’ (17:88)
• God will assuredly bring a people He loves, and who love
Him, humble towards the believers, mighty and dignified against unbelievers,
men who struggle in the path of God, not fearing the reproach of any
reproached. (5:54)
• Say: ‘All praise be to God. He shall show you His signs
and you will recognize them.’ (27:93)
• Say: ‘He is the All-Merciful. We believe in Him, and in
Him we put all our trust. Assuredly, you will soon know who is in manifest
error.’ (67:29)
• God has promised those of you who believe and do righteous
deeds that He will surely make you successors in the land, even as He made
those who were before them successors, and that He will surely establish
their religion for them that He has approved for them, and will bring them,
after their fear, into security. (24:55)
All of the predictions made in the verses above came true. Therefore, if
a person who was subject to the severest criticisms and objections, in whom
even a single fault was certain to lead to the failure of his cause, makes
predictions so unhesitatingly and confidently of himself and in so serious a
manner, it shows without doubt that he speaks not of himself but of what he
receives from his Eternal Teacher.
Is the Qur’an also a miracle with respect to the information it gives
about the Unseen, Divine truths, the realities pertaining to the Hereafter;
and truths of creation?
The Qur’an’s explanations of Divine truths and its statements about the
realities of creation which solve the mystery of creation and disclose the
meaning of the universe, are among the most important news or information it
gives concerning the Unseen. For it is beyond the mental capacity of man to
advance in a straight direction amidst the paths of misguidance and reach
those truths or realities of the Unseen. The deep, endless disagreements
between schools of philosophy and scientists show explicitly that even the
greatest geniuses of science and philosophy are unable to find out even the
least of those truths by unaided reasoning. With souls purified, hearts
refined, spirits evolved, and intellects perfected by the Qur’an, mankind
was able to perceive and accept those truths and realities, and then could
not help but remark: May God bless the Qur’an!
As for the events, states, conditions, and stages of the Hereafter,
including the life of the grave, no human mind can discover and perceive
them by itself. However, it can penetrate and comprehend them in the light
of the Qur’an as if seeing and observing them plainly. You may refer to The
Tenth Word where we have elaborated how right and true are the Qur’an’s
explanations of that Unseen world of the Hereafter. |
