Chapter 10: The Miracles Of Allah's Saints
The universe created has been created upon the foundation of a minute and subtle order and according to the law of reason, cause and motives. The Almighty, All Powerful and All Wise Allah has set the order of creations in a manner that no creation and being, from the great superb galaxies to the smallest part of the universe, can deviate from that system. All are subdued and vanquished by the system, laws, causes and motives which Allah has set up.
But it is not such as the Jews said that Allah, by creating this system has tied up His hands and Himself got subdued to it and cannot dissolve it. Instead, Allah is Omnipotent and Almighty over all things. He is also powerful to get all the system dispersed and dissolved with its causes and motives. Behind the obvious and apparent causes and motives exists His unlimited and boundless power so that, all the things are under its dominance.
The miracles, which the Prophet's brought about all along the length of human history and which were according and proportional to the conditions of their addressees (people of their ages) and performed deeds out of the range of reasons and causes, is one of the instances where He showed and revealed His power. Apart from proving the Prophethood of the Prophets, He proved the rulership of His omnipotence in the world of causes and reasons.
Beside the miracles or the Prophets, Allah has sometimes shown extraordinary events at the hands of His saints and given them the power to perform works out of the parameter of causes and reasons. Conventionally, their works are known as karamat (wonders).
The wonders exhibited by the Saints of Allah take place as an effect or faith, piety and perseverance or obligatory and supererogatory prayers by which a servant reaches the station of Allah's proximity and which makes him the beloved one of Allah. When a person gets access to this station his eyes, ears and limbs all perform Allah's deeds. Please concentrate upon the following hadith.
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله إن الله قال: …ما يزال عبدي يتقرب الى بالنوافل حتى احبه فاذا احببته كنت سمعه الذي يسمع به وبصره الذي يبصر به ويده التي يبطش بها ورجله التي يمشي بها.
The Prophet of Allah (S) said:
Allah says my servant always keeps getting closer to me by offering supererogatory prayers till such extent that I love him and while I love him, I become his ear with which he bears and become his eye with which he sees and become his hand with which he works and become his legs with which he walks. 1
The Holy Qur'an having described the specimens of Prophets Miracles has also narrated a few dimensions of the wonders and extraordinary works of the Saints of Allah.
The story of Asif Ibn Barkhia, who was minister of Hazrat Suleman (‘a) is described as under:
قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ
He said: O chiefs! Which of you can bring to me her throne before they come to me in submission? (27:38).
قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ مَقَامِكَ ۖ وَإِنِّي عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌ
One audacious among the jinn said: I will bring it to you before you rise up from your place; and most surely, I am strong (and) trusty for it. (27:39).
قَالَ الَّذِي عِنْدَهُ عِلْمٌ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ ۚ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ مُسْتَقِرًّا عِنْدَهُ قَالَ هَٰذَا مِنْ فَضْلِ رَبِّي لِيَبْلُوَنِي أَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ ۖ وَمَنْ شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّي غَنِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ
One who had the knowledge of the Book said: I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye. Then when he saw it settled beside him, he said: This is of the grace of my Lord that He may try me whether I am grateful or ungrateful; and whoever is grateful, he is grateful only for his own soul, and whoever is ungrateful, then surely my Lord is Self-sufficient, Honoured. (27:40)
The Story Of Mariam (‘A)
The Story Of Mariam (‘A) The Mother Of Christ ‘Isa (Jesus) (‘A)
كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا رِزْقًا قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَا قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
Zakariya entered the sanctuary to (see) her, he found with her food. He said: O Marium! whence comes this to you? She said: It is from Allah. Surely Allah gives to whom He pleases without measure. (3:37)
فَحَمَلَتْهُ فَانْتَبَذَتْ بِهِ مَكَانًا قَصِيًّا
So, she conceived him; then withdrew herself with him to a remote place. (19:22)
فَأَجَاءَهَا الْمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ يَا لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَٰذَا وَكُنْتُ نَسْيًا مَنْسِيًّا
And the throes (of childbirth) compelled her to betake herself to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: Oh, would that I had died before this, and had been a thing quite forgotten! (19:23)
فَنَادَاهَا مِنْ تَحْتِهَا أَلَّا تَحْزَنِي قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّا
Then (the child) called out to her from beneath her: Grieve not, surely your Lord has made a stream to flow beneath you (19:24)
وَهُزِّي إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسَاقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا
And shake towards you the trunk of the palm tree, it will drop on you fresh ripe dates (19:25)
فَكُلِي وَاشْرَبِي وَقَرِّي عَيْنًا ۖ فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ أَحَدًا فَقُولِي إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ صَوْمًا فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ الْيَوْمَ إِنْسِيًّا
So eat and drink and refresh the eye. Then if you see any mortal, say: Surely, I have vowed a fast to the Beneficent Allah, so I shall not speak to any man today (19:26)
فَأَتَتْ بِهِ قَوْمَهَا تَحْمِلُهُ ۖ قَالُوا يَا مَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْئًا فَرِيًّا
And she came to her people with him, carrying him (with her). They said: O Marium! surely you have done a strange thing (19:27)
The Story Of Men Of The Cave
أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ آيَاتِنَا عَجَبًا
Or, do you think that the Fellows of the Cave and the Inscription were of Our wonderful signs? (18:9)
إِذْ أَوَى الْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى الْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
When the youths sought refuge in the cave, they said: Our Lord! grant us mercy from Thee, and provide for us a right course in our affair (18:10)
فَضَرَبْنَا عَلَىٰ آذَانِهِمْ فِي الْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدًا
So We prevented them from hearing in the cave for a number of years (18:11)
ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ أَيُّ الْحِزْبَيْنِ أَحْصَىٰ لِمَا لَبِثُوا أَمَدًا
Then We raised them up that We might know which of the two parties was best able to compute the time for which they remained (18:12)
Similarly, many more examples of wonders of Allah's Saints and the great companions of the Prophet (S) have been described in the hadith and the traditions, of which we quote a few
ان عمرو بن الجموح وعبد الله بن عمرو الأنصاريين ثم السلميين كانا قد حفر السيل قبرهما وكان قبرهما مما يلي السيل وكانا في قبر واحد وهما ممن استشهد يوم أحد فحفر عنهما ليغيرا من مكانهما فوجدا لم يتغيرا كأنهما ماتا بالأمس وكان احدهما قد جرح فوضع يده على جرحه فدفن وهو كذلك فاميطت يده عن حرحه ثم الأسلت فرجعت كما كانت. وكان بين أحد وبين يوم حفر عنهما ست وأربعون سنة.
Once the graves of Amro Ibn Jamooh and Abdullah Ibn Amro both of whom were Ansars (the helpers) and salmis, were washed of by the flood, since, their graves were situated on the course of it. Both of them were buried in the same one grave. Both were martyred in the battle of Uhud.
Thus, their graves were opened apart so as to get them shifted to another spot. They discovered their bodies in an unchanged condition as If they had died just yesterday.
One of them had a wound upon which he had laid his hand, and was buried in the same condition. They picked his hand off it. (The blood started gushing of the body). Thus, they put his hand back on his place. The situation reversed to the previous one. A gap period of forty six years existed between the battle of Uhud and the occasion of their graves being opened apart. 2
عن زادان ان علياً حدّث فكذّبه رجل فقال له علي: ادعو اليك ان كنت كاذبا. قال: ادع. فدعا عليه فلم يبرح حتى ذهب بصره.
Zadan say one day Ali Ibn Abi Talib (‘a) narrated a hadith and a man contradicted him. So Ali (‘a) said to him: If you be a liar 1 curse you. The man said: Do curse me''. Ali (‘a) did cure him. A little while after the man got blind. 3
عن محمد بن شرحبيل قال: اقتبض انسان من تراب قبر سعد بن معاذ ففتحها فإذا هي مسك قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: سبحان الله سبحان الله حتى عرف ذلك في وجهه.
Muhammad Ibn Sharjeel says: A man picked up a handful of dust from the grave of Saad Ibn Maaz. When he opened his fist, he saw that the dust had changed into musk. The Prophet (S) said Glory be to Allah, Glory be to Allah;' His face showed amazement. 4
عن عائشة قالت: لمّا مات النجاشي كنا نتحدث أنه لا يزال يرى على قبره نور.
Aeysha says: When Najashi (King of Habasha [Eihopia]) passed away we used to tell each other, a light can always be seen gleaming and shinning over his grave. 5
عن سعيد بن عبد العزيز قال: لما كان أيام الحرة لم يؤذن في مسجد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: ثلاثا ولم يقم ولم يبرح سعيد بن المسيّب من المسجد وكان لا يعرف وقت الصلاة إلا بهمهمة يسمعها من قبر النبي صلى الله عليه وآله.
Saeed Ibn Abdul Aziz says: In the event of Harra the azaan (call for prayers) were not performed for a period or three days and so were the collective prayers not offered. Saeed Ibn Musayyab had not moved out of the mosque and so he did not distinguish the times of the prayers except for a sound or uproar which be would hear from the Prophet's (S) grave at the prayer times. 6
عن سعيد بن جبير قال: مات ابن عباس بالطائف فشهدت جنازته فجاء طير لم على خلقته ودخل في نعشه فنظرنا وتأملنا هل يخرج فلم ير أنه خرج من نعشه.
Saeed Ibn Jabeer says: Ibn Abbas died inTaif and I joined his funeral march. Thus, a bird came flying, the kind of which was unseen before, and entered his coffin. He waited for the bird to get out of the hier coffin, but it did not. 7
عن ابن عباس عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله قال ان جعفر مرّ مع جبرائيل وميكائيل له جناحان عوضه الله من يديه فسلم ثم أخبرني كيف كان أمره حيث لقى المشركين.
Ibn Abbas narrated from the Prophet (S) that he said: Ja’far Ibn Abl Talib moved along with Gabriel (‘a) and Mikail (‘a) and he had two wings which Allah gave him in exchange for his two hands (cut down in Moota battle) and be informed me about what had occurred to him when he met the polytheists. 8
عن أبي هريرة قال: كان الحسن عند النبي صلى الله عليه وآله في ليلة ظلماء وكان يحبه حباً شديداً فقال: اذهب إلى أمي. فقلت: اذهب معه يا رسول الله؟ قال: لا فجاءت برقة من السماء فمشى في ضوئها حتى بلغ امه.
Abu Huraira says: On one dark night, Imam Hasan (‘a) was present with the Prophet and the Prophet loved him very much Hasan (‘a) said: I want to go to my mother. I said: O Prophet of Allah (S) shall I accompany him. He said no. Then a light descended from the sky which led Hasan (‘a) to her mother. 9
عن الزهري قال: لما قتل الحسين بن علي لم يرفع حجر بيت المقدس الا وجد تحته دم عيط.
Zahri narrates: When Husayn Ibn Ali (‘a) was martyred no stone was up lifted in the Bait ul-Muqaddas (Jerusalem) except that fresh blood was round beneath it. 10
عن حاجب عبيد الله بن زياد قال: دخلت القصر خلف عبيد الله بن زياد حين قتل الحسين فاضطرم في وجهه نارا فقال هكذا بكمه على وجهه فقال: هل رأيت؟ قلت: نعم فأمرني أن أكتم ذلك.
The guard of Obaidullah Ibn Ziad say: On the day when Husayn (‘a) was killed (martyred) I went after Obaidullah Ibn Ziad into the palace. There was a fire lit upon his face. He added: He had held his cuffs over is race. So he said: Did you see it. I said: yes. He ordered me to keep it secret. 11
We have plenty number of such specimens in the books of hadiths and history. The collection of Qur'anic verses and traditions presented proves this fact that Allah, on account of special favours which He does to His Saints and pious servants, sometimes brings about extraordinary events at their bands and for their sake and announces the honour, dignity, grace and greatness of His Saint.
In the same way as miracle is the proof of righteousness of the Prophets, generosities too are the sign of greatness and grace of the Saints of Allah.
- 1. Sahih Bukhari. 8, p. 189.
- 2. Moota Malik p. 384.
- 3. Majma ul-Zawaid, vol. 9, p. 116.
- 4. Kanz al-’Ummal vol. 13, p. 412.
- 5. Al Asaba Vol. 1, p. 117.
- 6. Sannan Adarmi vol. 1, p. 44.
- 7. Mustadrak Hakim vol. 3, p. 543.
- 8. Majma ul-Awaid vol 9, p. 272.
- 9. Hayat us Sahab vol. 3, p. 618.
- 10. al majam al Kabeer Tabrani vol. 3, p. 120.
- 11. Majma uz Zawaid, vol. 9, p. 196.