We know that Allah Almighty gave each prophet such miracles and arguments that would prompt people to believe. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There was no prophet among the prophets but was given miracles because of which people had security - or believed. But, what I was given was the revelation Allah sent down to me. So, I hope that I will have the most followers among them on the Day of Judgment." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (7274) and Muslim (152)]
We believe that Allah Almighty did not send any prophet without a miracle that indicated his truthfulness, whether we know it or not. A group of these miracles are mentioned in the noble Qur'an. We also know that there are numerous miracles with which Allah, Exalted be He, supported His past messengers and He did not mention them to us. Allah, Glorified be He, says: {But those who disbelieve and reject Our verses, they are the people of the Blazing Fire.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 10] He Almighty also says: {[Their] case is like that of the people of Pharaoh and those before them. They all rejected Our signs, so Allah seized them for their sins, for Allah is severe in punishment.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 11] And Allah Almighty sometimes mentions the clear signs and proofs, like in the verse that says: {And We sent Moses with Our signs and clear proof.} [Surat Hūd: 96] In another verse, He Almighty says: {Allah said: "We will strengthen you through your brother and give you both power, so they cannot harm you. With Our signs, you and your followers will prevail."} [Surat al-Qasas: 35] ‘Ikrimah said: "Sultan (power) in the Qur'an means: an argument." [Tafsīr At-Tabari (8/30) and (9/337)]
We know that the miracles and arguments with which Allah Almighty supported His messengers and prophets (peace be upon them) are too numerous. The greatest among these was the revelation they received from their Lord. Allah's revelation to His prophets and messengers could be without intermediary, like through a dream. For example, Allah Almighty says about Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him): {Then when he reached the age where he could work with him, Abraham said: "O my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you."} [Surat as-Sāffāt: 102] Or the messenger hears Allah's speech directly, yet from behind a veil. Allah Almighty says: {It is not for a human being that Allah should speak to him except through revelation or from behind a veil.} [Surat ash-Shūra: 51] An example is Allah's speech to Mūsa (peace be upon him). Allah, Exalted be He, says: {He said: "O Moses, I have chosen you above other people, by giving you My messages and speaking to you. So hold fast to what I have given you, and be of those who are grateful."} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 144] Or the angel speaks to him. Allah, the Exalted, says: {Or He sends an angel-messenger to reveal what He wills by His permission.} [Surat ash-Shūra: 51]
We know that one of the strongest proofs of their truthfulness is the monotheism they called to, which is settled in people's natural disposition and favored by their minds, and the useful knowledge, good deeds, guidance, and the true religion they came with. ‘Ubaydullāh ibn ‘Abdullāh related that ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) related to him: Abu Sufyān related to me that Heraclius said to him: "I asked you about what he commands you to do, and you claimed that he commands you to observe prayer, truthfulness and chastity, keep promises, and fulfill trusts. This is the character of a prophet." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (2681), Muslim (1773), and At-Tirmidhi (2717)]
When Ja‘far (may Allah be pleased with him) recited the first verses of Surat Mariyam to Negus, he remarked: "Indeed, these words and the words brought by Mūsa come out of the same lamp." [Narrated by Is'hāq ibn Rahwayh (1835), Ahmad (22498), Ibn Khuzaymah (2260), At-Tahāwi in Sharh Mushkil Al-Āthār (5598), and Abu Na‘īm in Al-Hilyah (1/115) and in Dalā’il An-Nubuwwah (194)]
Another proof is Allah's testimony for His messengers that they are on the true path and came with what is the truth. He, Exalted be He, says: {But Allah bears witness to what He has sent down to you, as He has sent it down with His knowledge, and the angels bear witness; but sufficient is Allah as a Witness.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 166] Allah Almighty also says: {Those who disbelieve say: "You are not a messenger." Say: "Allah is sufficient as a Witness between me and you, as well as those who have knowledge of the Scripture."} [Surat ar-Ra‘d: 43]
Among their greatest miracles is the revelation they received from their Lord, and the greatest revelation is the glorious Qur’an, which is the miracle of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). No human can produce the like of this revelation, for it is the speech of Allah Almighty, and it comprises information about the unseen, as well as guidance, light, mercy, and wisdom.
Among their clear signs are the intellectual arguments with which Allah Almighty provides His messengers and prophets (peace be upon them), confounding the disbelievers and eliminating their falsehood. For example, Allah, Glorified be He, says: {Have you not considered the one who argued with Abraham about his Lord, as Allah had given him kingship? When Abraham said: "My Lord is the One Who gives life and causes death." He said: "I give life and cause death." Abraham said: "It is Allah Who brings the sun from the east, so bring it from the west." Thus the disbeliever was dumbfounded, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 258] In other verses, Prophet Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) is quoted as saying: {Indeed, they are my enemies, except the Lord of the worlds, Who created me, so He guides me; and it is He Who provides me with food and drink; and when I am ill, He heals me; and He will cause me to die then bring me back to life; and I hope that He will forgive me my sins on the Day of Judgment.} [Surat ash-Shu‘arā': 77-82] Speaking to Pharaoh, Prophet Mūsa (peace be upon him) is quoted as saying: {Our Lord is the One Who gave everything its form then guided it.} [Surat Tāha: 50] Another one is the verse that says: {If there had been gods besides Allah in the heavens and earth, both realms would have fallen in disorder. Glory be to Allah – Lord of the Throne – far above what they ascribe [to Him].} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 22] In another verse, Allah Almighty says: {Allah has never begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what he had created, and each would have tried to gain supremacy over the other. Glory be to Allah far above what they ascribe to Him!} [Surat al-Mu’minūn: 91] The proofs are too many. We have mentioned some of them in the chapter of lordship and divinity. One of the most sublime signs is their informing about things related to the unseen, which Allah Almighty permitted them to tell about.
Among the previous prophets' amazing signs is that they, along with their followers, were saved from the evil plotting of their enemies, whereas the obstinate, arrogant disbelievers were destroyed. Moreover, Allah Almighty reminds those invited to the religion of what He did to the past nations and that His immutable law will surely come to pass. In the first verses of Surat al-Anbiyā’, He, Exalted be He, says: {Then We fulfilled Our promise to them: We saved them and those whom We willed, and destroyed those who transgressed all bounds.} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 9] Then, in its concluding verses, He Almighty says: {We have written in the Psalms after the Preserved Record, that the land will be inherited by My righteous slaves.} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 105] He, Exalted be He, also says: {But they rejected all of Our signs, so We seized them with the grip of the All-Mighty, Most Powerful. Are your disbelievers [O Makkans] superior than those, or have you been granted immunity in divine Scriptures?} [Surat al-Qamar: 42-43] And in Surat ash-Shu‘arā’, each time Allah Almighty mentions the salvation of the previous prophets (peace be upon them) and the destruction of their enemies, He follows that with the verse that reads: {Indeed, there is a sign in this, yet most of them would not believe.} [Surat ash-Shu‘arā’: 67] He Almighty also says: {But if they turn away, then say: "I warn you of a blast like the one that befell ‘Ād and Thamūd."} [Surat Fussilat: 13] And He, Glorified be He, says: {Have they not traveled through the land to see how was the end of those who came before them? They were more powerful than them, and they tilled the land and built it more than these people have ever built. Their messengers came to them with clear proofs. It was not Allah Who wronged them, but it was they who wronged themselves.} [Surat ar-Rūm: 9]
Among the signs proving their prophethood is their perfect character and noble manners and actions, as well as the truthfulness of their speech, which indicates they would never lie. About the people of Sālih (peace be upon him), Allah Almighty says: {They said: "O Sālih, we truly had hopes in you before this. Do you forbid us to worship what our fathers used to worship? We are in disturbing doubt about what you are calling us to."} [Surat Hūd: 62] Allah Almighty also says: {They said: "O Shu‘ayb, does your prayer command you that we should forsake what our forefathers worshiped, or that we should give up dealing with our wealth as we please? Indeed, you are such a forbearing and right-minded man!"} [Surat Hūd: 87]
Asking Abu Sufyān about our Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), Heraclius said: "And I asked you whether you used to accuse him of lying before he said what he said, and you replied in the negative. Indeed, he would not refrain from lying to people and then dare to lie about Allah!" [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (7) and Muslim (1773)]
Among the proofs is the successive transmission from generation to generation of their signs, and the knowledge, guidance, and the true religion they came with, in a way that shows it is impossible for people to have colluded to transmit something untrue.
Another proof is that they asked for no wage in return for their mission and did not seek authority. Allah Almighty informs that many of His prophets said to their people: {O my people, I ask you no reward for it. My reward is only with the One Who created me. Do you not then understand?} [Surat Hūd: 51]
Another proof is that the prophethood of the prophets would not be maligned except by ignorant people who did not consider the religion, knowledge, and guidance they brought, or by obstinate and arrogant ones. Allah, Exalted be He, says: {They denied them wrongfully and arrogantly, although their hearts were convinced that they were true.} [Surat an-Naml: 14] Allah Almighty also says: {We know well that what they say grieves you [O Prophet]. It is not you that they doubt, rather it is the verses of Allah that the wrongdoers deny.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 33]
Among them were material proofs that people could see with their own eyes, and their minds would submit to them, like the drowning of the people of Nūh (peace be upon him), the she-camel of Sālih (peace be upon him), Hūd's challenge to his people that they all plot against him, Ibrāhīm's salvation from the fire, and the miracles of Mūsa (peace be upon him), like the staff, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, the blood, the flood, and the drowning of Pharaoh and his people; the miracles of Dāwūd (David) (peace be upon him), like the mountains' glorification of Allah and making iron malleable for him; the miracles of Sulaymān (Solomon) (peace be upon him), like subjecting the winds and jinn to his command and his familiarity with the speech of birds; the miracles of the Messiah, like healing the lepers and the blind and bringing the dead to life, and making something from clay in the shape of a bird and breathing into it and turning it into a bird by Allah's permission; and the miracles of our Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), which are too numerous to be easily counted, like the splitting of the moon, the Isrā’ (night journey) and Mi‘rāj (ascension), the multiplication of food, the speech of animals, the glorification of Allah by pebbles, the trunk's longing for the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), and Allah's support to him against his enemies.
Among the signs is the condition of the prophet calling people to the true religion. People can distinguish between an honest person calling them to the truth and a liar calling them to falsehood. Hence, ‘Abdullāh ibn Salām said: "When the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) came to Madīnah, the people rushed to meet him, and it was said: ‘The Messenger of Allah has come!' I came with the people to see him, and when I saw his face clearly, I knew that his face was not the face of a liar." [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi (2485), Ibn Mājah (1334), Ibn Abi Shaybah (25898), Ahmad (23784), and ‘Abd ibn Humayd (496)] The list of their miracles and signs goes on.
Nothing of the prophets' miracles remains but the noble Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad's Sunnah, which are enduring, because both are revelation which Allah Almighty pledged to preserve. He, Exalted be He, says: {Indeed, it is We Who sent down the reminder and We are indeed its guardians.} [Surat al-Hijr: 9] They contain the strongest arguments and proofs of the truthfulness of the message and the truthfulness of the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).
We believe that Allah Almighty supports His messengers (peace be upon them), in accordance with His wisdom, through Shar‘i and cosmic signs and proofs; thereby, Allah guides whomever He wills by His grace and leads astray whomever He wills by His justice. However, the signs and miracles will only increase the obstinate in rejection and arrogance. Allah Almighty says: {We have explained things in various ways in this Qur’an, so that they may take heed, but it only increases them in aversion.} [Surat al-Isrā’: 41] Allah Almighty also says: {Your Lord’s revelation to you [O Prophet] will only increase them in transgression and disbelief.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 68] And He, Exalted be He, says: {They swore by Allah their most solemn oaths that if a warner came to them, they would surely be more guided than any other community. But when a warner came to them, it only added to their aversion.} [Surat Fātir: 42] Allah Almighty also says: {They swear by Allah their most solemn oaths that if a sign came to them, they would certainly believe in it. Say [O Prophet]: "Signs are only with Allah." How do you know that even if it came to them, they would still not believe?} [Surat al-An‘ām: 109] And He, Exalted be He, says: {We gave Thamūd the she-camel as a clear sign, but they wrongfully rejected her. We do not send signs except as a warning.} [Surat al-Isrā’: 59]
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The people of Makkah asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to turn Mount Safa into gold for them or to move the mountains away from them so that they could cultivate. It was said to him: "If you will, you can give them respite; and if you will, we will grant them their request, and then if they disbelieve, they will be destroyed as I destroyed those before them." He replied: "Rather, I will give them respite." Thereupon, Allah Almighty revealed the verse that says: {Nothing prevents Us from sending signs except that the earlier people denied them. We gave Thamūd the she-camel as a clear sign.} [Surat al-Isrā’: 59] [Narrated by Ahmad (2333), Al-Bazzār (5036), An-Nasā’i in Al-Kubra (11226), Al-Hākim (3437), and Al-Bayhaqi in Dalā’il An-Nubuwwah (605)]
We know that had Allah willed, He would have guided all humankind. He Almighty says: {If Allah had willed, He would have made all of you a single community [of believers], but He causes to stray whom He wills and guides whom He wills.} [Surat an-Nahl: 93] In another verse, Allah Almighty says: {If Allah had willed, He could have brought them all to guidance; so do not be of those who are ignorant.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 35]
We believe that the signs and proofs of prophethood that came with them and the miracles with which Allah Almighty provided them could not be done by false prophets, magicians, or impostors. Our Lord would not support a liar with a true proof or argument, for He is the All-Wise Lord in His Shariah and command, and His wisdom and immutable rules prevent this from happening. Allah, the Exalted, says: {If he had falsely attributed something to Us, We would have surely seized him by the right hand, then severed his aorta.} [Surat al-Hāqqah: 44-46]