As we have said before the Qura’n has not mentioned miracles in any special sense for other words like “Aayat” and “Baiyenato” and “Borhan” have used. These three words have other meanings also and miracle is one of them.

This has been used in many verses to describe the miracles and there are other verses with the same words that denote man’s attribute and capacity compared to the apostles of God. So the result is that these words prove the existence of miracles for the apostles as a proof of their ministry and mission the people’s demand for miracles.

 The first verse says

““He (the Pharaoh) said: “If you have come with a sign then show it if you are truthful.”

 We have read that the Pharaoh demanded to be shown an “AAYAT” or miracle which is the claim’s rightful proof and we also know that Moses had heartfully agreed to this demand. He was given two miracles.

These verses described the extra-ordinary events that are beyond human capacity and comprehension for they are a method of the enlightenment of the apostles.

They do not say that these things were manifest before the eyes of the Pharaoh but describe an established truth the conversion of the staff into a threatening snake, the shining of the hand of Moses when he took it out from under his arms. The word “Mubeen” or lighted also describes the same.

It is understood that these two miracles had two purposes; one was to put the fear into the disbelievers and the vain sinners as well as threaten them and to enjoin the believers closer to faith in the sense that kindness and severity are a great stimulus.

In the second verse we find the miracles of Jesus that have been described as “Aayat”. This was when Lady Mary was given the news of the birth of Jesus. God said;

 “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I will make a bird out of clay and breathe into it, and it shall become a flying bird by God’s permission, and I shall heal those born blind and the leper and will raise the dead to life by God’s permission, and I will declare to you what you eat and what you store in your houses. In this will be a sign for you if you are believers”

This verse describes all the miracles of Jesus like creating a living bird from clay; bestowing sight on a person born blind and curing a person of his skin disease which was impossible in those days and restoring life into the dead. All this was done by the permission of God and then he spoke about things that were hidden and unknown.

These four were not the only miracles of Jesus for there are other extra-ordinary events as described by the Qura’n. These were things like his speech from the manger and the coming of the food for his apostles because of his prayer for it.

It is agreed and known that God bestowed such miracles on Jesus because He wanted to spread the knowledge of medical science and to make mankind capable of eradicating diseases.

God bestowed these special miracles on Messiah so that the commoner as well as the elite could know about it and accept them and that his prominence was duly enhanced. (1)

It should also be noted that we can find a link or continuity between these miracles and this was a symbolic program for the Messiah. The people could discern his invitation, enjoinment and thoughts. This is one view and the other is that these resulted in people being cured of incurable diseases, the restoring of life into the dead, saving people from waywardness and guiding them. It was through this knowledge of the unseen that Jesus could instill the awareness of the divine light in the people’s hearts. This is why these physical miracles were bestowed on him.

It is true that a miracle has to be something abnormal or extra-ordinary so that every one in incapable of doing such things. It is especially for those who create conjectures about the birth of Jesus and impress the ignorant. God warned them twice not to claim godliness for Jesus or make him a partner of God. They should not believe that Jesus himself was capable of doing all this but that the miracles were bestowed by God.

The third verse tells us that Moses brought many extra-ordinary powers before the Pharaoh and his people (Or in other words he brought the Aayat) Most supporters of the Pharaoh did not believe in them for they said it was sorcery. God says:

“Whatever sign you bring to enchant us, we will not believe in you.” So we sent widespread calamities on them, the locusts and the lice, the frogs and the blood, yet they still behaved arrogantly, and so they became guilty.”

This strange event was an admonishment and miracle for them.

This is what we find in the connecting verses for they begged Moses to pray to God to lift the hardships from them when they were afflicted; and they proclaimed that they would believe if they were saved but when the afflictions were removed they would break their promises and thus deserved to be punished.

It is true that the people of the Pharaoh and the Israelis used to live together but it is no secret that the former deserved the punishments and their waywardness took them to brink of the river Nile were both the Israelis and they lived and it was because of their sins that the storm was sent.

The locust and other insects destroyed their vegetation and crops. The worse was the advent of the frogs that came out from the Nile and overwhelmed every household of the Copts and the Egyptians and did not leave until these people could not sleep; they spoil their food etc the water of the Nile became blood tainted.

But these hardships or what has been termed as “Almojizaatol Munabahat” (Miracles that admonish) and explained in the Torah in Exodus 7-10 could not kindle the belief in them.

It has been said that the advent of these 5 miracles was to inflict punishment in all spheres of life. The storm destroyed their lives. The locusts destroyed their vegetation and crops. The insects destroyed their crops and the frogs destroyed the peace in their lives. The blood stained water of the Nile became impossible for them to drink.

The fourth verse describes the miracles of other apostles of God. The Miracle of Hazrat Saleh has been called “Baiyenato” and “Aayat”. God says:

“O people worship God! You have no other God but Him. Indeed there has come to you a clear sign from your Lord, This she-camel is sign for you so let her graze on God’s earth, and do not harm her, lest a painful punishment may seize you.”

The word “Annaaqato” means a she camel and has mostly been used exclusively as “Naaqa Saleh” in the Qura’n. The verse describes the camel and gives its specifications which we should ponder upon because we do not know that she was extra-ordinary camel. It has been called “Baiyenato”. The verse has described it as “Naaqatolllah” the camel of God.

Why did God choose this miracle for Saleh? Some people say that this was because these people had desired such a miraculous camel.

We read in one hadith: “When God sent his apostle Saleh among the people who worshipped 70 different idols, he invited them to the truth for a long time and kept admonishing them but they did not pay heed to him. One day Saleh told them, “I put two things before you. You can ask me something so that I can ask God about it and He will fulfill it. Secondly I can ask you idols if you want and if they accept then I will leave you. You will accept my terms and I will accept yours.” They replied that he was just.

They fixed a day and then brought their Gods with them to the field of prayer. They called Saleh after they had finished their merriment and said:

“O Saleh! Ask our idols!” and he asked; there was no answer so he said, “I got no answer from your idols so you ask me and I will ask my God and he will accept your prayer” They said, “O Saleh! Bring out a camel from within this hill (which they pointed out to him) and we will confirm you (as an apostle) and believe in you. So Saleh did what they asked but they did not believe. (2)

The 5th verse also speaks about “Baiyenato” and here it speaks about the miracle of Noah. It was a manifest miracle. We have read (in the preceding verse) that he had answered to the polytheist saying

“O people! Do you think that if I have with me a clear sign from my Lord and that He has bestowed His mercy on me though it is obscured for you ( do you deny my invitation a second time) Shall We compel you to accept it even though you are averse to it?”

Most commentators have taken the word “Baiyenato” to mean miracle. According to Ibn Abbas it means a logical proof. But we should also consider the term “from my Lord” and this has been raised in to deny Noah and in cannot be considered anything but a miracle. Ibn Abbas too has taken it to mean a miracle.  (3)

We read some other explanation about this issue in the 6th verse. The word “Alborhan” refers to of the most famous miracles of Moses as we have read in the previous verse. They are the miracles of his staff turning into a serpent and the shining of his hands. God said:

“Cast your staff! Haven seen it but he turned in flight when he saw it moving and did not look back. (God said) “O Moses come back and do not fear for you are safe.” 32. “ Put you hand in you pocket and it shall come out shining without a blemish, and draw your hand close to your side to be free from fear; these are the signs from the Lord to the Pharaoh and his people”

According to Raghib in Mafuradat the word “Alborhan” means an established proof. Some have taken it to originally mean “Baraha Yabroho” or shining example or proof for it clarifies the meaning. It clarifies the words of the speaker and proves it and it is never vague.

Lisan-ol-Arab describes “Alborhan” as manifest proof which separates the truth from falsehood. So the commentators have taken the word to denote manifest and shining proof (4)

But the author of Ta-Tahqiq believes that he word “Al Borhan” has been used to denote a logical proof and it is beyond the purview of dictionaries.

It means that sentence is free from doubts and is not vague for it is complete and clear.

Anyway the word has been used in this verse for miracle. And it is a valid and clear proof of the claimant about prophethood and it is Moses in this case.

The 7th and final verse does not describe the event as “Aayat”, “Baiyenato”, or “Borhan” but has spoken about it as a proof and it has been confirmed by the words:

““ If men and Jinns come together to bring the like of this Qura’n they will not be able to do so even if some of them were to help the others.”

The purpose is that “The Miracle of the Qura’n” is nothing secret because this discussion has been under for this verse in volume 12 of Tafsir Amthal and will be discussed in the next volume of Nafahatol Qura’n with full details. The purpose is that the reality of it being a miracle is also a definite method of the awareness or enlightenment of the Prophets.

This is why we find Qura’n’s challenge to the opponents to bring ten similar verses as in verse 14 of Surah Huod:

“If then they do not answer you know then that the revelation is sent down with the knowledge of God and none has the right to be worshipped but He. Will you then be Muslims?”

1.This has come in the Hadith of Imam Reza as recorded in Behar-ol-Anwar vol.11 page 70

2. Tafsir Majmaul Bayan vol.4 page 441 (Excerpts)

3. “Shall we compel you” is a sentence in answer to “If it be that”

4. Tafsir Kabeer vol.24 page 238