Islam & Miracles (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

The Nature and Importance of Miracles for Islam

The nature of miracles

• Miracles are amazing events that can’t be explained by the laws of science or nature

• For religious believers such as Muslims, miracles are evidence for the existence and power of God

• Therefore miracles are a type of revelation

The nature of miracles for Muslims

• Miracles are of key importance for Muslims and there are several examples in the Qur’an

  • The miracle of Musa (Moses) and the parting of the sea

    • This happened when he was leading the Israelites out of Egypt and away from the threat of the Fir’awn (Pharoah)

  • The miracle of Nuh (Noah) surviving the floods

  • The miracle of Muhammad (pbuh) being taken to meet Allah in the heavens (Al-Mi’raj) in the year 621

  • The miracle of the Qur’an being revealed to Muhammad (pbuh)

    • Many Muslims consider this the greatest miracle of all

    • It contains information that humans could not have known any other way at that time.

    • The Qur’an is seen as a miracle both in the nature of its revelation and in its content, with every verse (ayat) considered an individual miracle

    • The Qur’an is described as a ‘living miracle’ within its own content

The importance of miracles for Muslims

• Miracles lead Muslims to a greater faith in the existence of Allah, they are evidence:

  • that Allah is active in the world

  • that Allah cares for his creation and wants people to know him

  • of the power of Allah

  • that the prophets are telling the truth and shows their connection with Allah

Muslim Responses to Non-Religious Arguments About Miracles

• Non-religious people, including humanists and atheists, do not see miracles as supernatural or divine acts

  • They would say that miracles can be explained scientifically 

  • They are everyday events, but religious people choose to interpret them as miracles

  • Therefore miracles do not provide proof for the existence of Allah. They are interpreted differently by different people and so they are not conclusive proof of anything

• Muslims would respond that miracles are real and do prove Allah’s existence

  • Some of the events described in the Qur’an cannot be explained in any other way

  • For many Muslims, miracles strengthen their faith and prove the power of Allah

Divergent Understandings of What Miracles Show About the Nature of Allah

• A miracle is often described as a violation of the laws of nature

• However, since Allah created everything, including the laws of nature, these events show Allah’s power

  • They are a violation of the laws of nature, but not of the laws of God

• It can be hard for some Muslims to understand the nature of miracles because they have not experienced them personally

  • They have to believe in the truth of someone else’s experience instead

  • This means having a lot of faith in the person relating the experience

• Believing in miracles is also a matter of perspective

  • For example, if someone prays for a loved one to be healed of an illness and shortly afterward they recover, one person might claim that it is a miracle. Another would say it is a coincidence

• For some Muslims, miracles are less important as they can get to know the power of Allah by reading the teachings in the Qur’an and following the example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)