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Magic, Miracles, and the Supernatural in the Quran

While miracles by definition are supposed to defy the laws of nature and scientific explanation, the examples of myths and legends briefly listed in this section illustrate the pre-scientific worldview with which the Quran was composed. Being a product of late antiquity, superstitious beliefs like jinn living among us and black magic are large part of the Qur'an, as well as the idea of God controlling everything rather than scientific laws, and all even intimate things worshipping God. These are listed here,

(as opposed to natural laws making paths somewhat random in how peopel are effected than part of a masterplan).

Magic

Creatures

The existence and attributes of Jinn

Main Article: Jinn

The Quran, Hadith and Sira all support the existence of supernatural, generally invisible creatures known as Jinn (جن‎ ǧinn, singular جني ǧinnī ; variant spelling djinn) living among us. In the Qur'an, satan/devil(s) are also jinn (Quran 18:50), which like humans are sent prophets and have (at least some, see Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Predestination) free-will and will be judged accordingly alongside mankind (Quran 6:130). They can interact with us (Quran 6:128) and even possess humans (Quran 2:275) (which the main article elaborates on), and cause people to forget things (Quran 18:63). As well as create buildings/structures (Quran 34:12-13). There is no evidence that these exist.

Say, [O Muhammad], "It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an.
Quran 72:1

El-Zein (2009) notes the Qur’an mentions only three terms related to the species of jinn: the generic “jinn,” marid, and ‘ifrit. However, Arabic and Islamic literature provides extended descriptions of them as sub-types of jinn (and others not specifically mentioned in the Qur'an).[1]

THE ‘IFRIT The term ‘ifrit is mentioned only once in the Qur’an, when the prophet king Solomon asked for the throne of the Queen of Sheba to be brought to him. One ‘ifrit from among the jinn consented to fulfill his request: “An ‘ifrit of the jinn said, ‘I will bring it to thee, before thou risest from thy place; I have strength for it and I am trusty” (Qur’an 27:39). The term ‘ifrit often presents a problem for the scholars trying to classify the jinn. Many commentators on the verse cited above maintain the word ‘ifrit is an adjective referring to a specific powerful jinni rather than a separate and distinct type among the jinn. Later the word came to describe any powerful and cunning man; in which case, it could refer to dark powers within the human psyche.17
THE MARID In the Qur’an, the marid is an unruly force always striving to predict the future by means of astrological hearsay. The term marid is mentioned only once in the Qur’an in the following verse “We have adorned the lower heaven with the adornment of the stars and to preserve against every [rebel satan (shaytan marid)]; they listen not to the High Council, for they are pelted from every side” (Qur’an 37:7–8). This kind of jinn is mostly found in popular medieval literature, in particular in the stories of The Nights dealing with Solomon. Finally, as with the term ‘ifrit, the term marid could also be applied to humans. Used as an adjective, it denotes a rebellious man.18
El-Zein, Amira. Islam, Arabs, and the Intelligent World of the Jinn (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East) (p. 142). Syracuse University Press. Kindle Edition.

Iblis/Satan/The Devil

Main Article: Iblis (Satan)

The Qur'an contains the well-known supernatural character of Satan (with a capital "S"), or "The Devil", (al-shayṭān); also called Iblīs, who tempts unbelievers into disobedience against god, furthering them in their sin, and generally causing evil on Earth.[2] Similar to later traditions on the book of Genesis (originally the serpent who tempts Eve to eat the fruit in the garden of Eden is not identified with Satan, only in the approximately 4 centuries preceding to the Common Era, known as the intertestamental period does this appear),[3] he originally lives in paradise. After refusing to obey God’s command to prostrate (sajada) himself to the newly created Adam, Iblīs is expelled from God’s retinue and subsequently retaliates against his nemesis Adam by persuading him and Eve to eat from the forbidden tree (e.g., Q 2:34–39, 7:11–25, and 20:115–124.[4]  Quran 2:34-39, Quran 7:11-25 and Quran 20:115-124.

There are however some differences with Christian-Judeo beliefs, such as him being an evil jinn rather than a 'fallen' angel. Along with him the term for satans/devils (al-shayāṭīn), “the devils”, which usually refer to evil jinn in the Qur'an.[2] While this is a specific devil who takes on a more defined role in the Qur'an.

This Iblīs is in line with late-antique beliefs, with the devil is in some sense to be envisaged as the chief of the evil demons.[5] Sinai (2023) notes for example one verse mentions Iblīs’s “offspring” (dhurriyyah, Q 18:50),Quran 18:50 raising the possibility that the descendants in question are to be identified with wicked demons, and Q 26:95 Quran 26:95 speaks of the “hosts (junūd) of Iblīs” being cast into hell, especially since these hosts are mentioned in addition to “those who have gone astray” (al-ghāwūn) Quran 26:94Q29:94, who would seem to refer to human sinners, the “hosts of Iblīs” are probably to be understood as the latter’s demonic minions.[5]

The existence and attributes of angels

Similarly to Judeo-Christian literature, the Quran, Hadith and Sira affirms the existence of angels, traditionally said to be made from light as mentioned in Islamic tradition (such as Sahih Muslim 42:7134),[6] while other have asserted they are made from fire like jinn based on (see: Quran 38:73-76 and Quran 7:11-12),[7] before humans (Quran 2:30).

They are also God's messengers like humans (Quran 22:75), with generally a humanoid shape,[8] and have at least either two, three or four (pairs of) wings.

All praise belongs to Allah, originator of the heavens and the earth, maker of the angels [His] messengers, possessing wings, two, three or four [of them]... He adds to the creation whatever He wishes. Indeed Allah has power over all things.
Quran 35:1

They are said to hold God’s throne (in the heavens) Quran 69:17 and some stand around it (Quran 40:7). Eight angels will carry the throne of God on Judgement Day(Quran 69:17). Two write down everyone's deeds for judgment day Quran 50:17-21, hovering above people and write down their deeds Quran 82:10-12. They also ask forgiveness for the faithful on Earth (Quran 42:5), help fight with believers against non-believers (Quran 8:12) chastise unbelievers (Quran 8:50). As well as blow the trumpets on judgement day[9] in e.g. Quran 6:73 Quran 18:99

They praise and worship God constantly,[10] e.g. Quran 13:13, Quran 7:206, Quran 21:19, Quran 40:7, Quran 41:38, Quran 42:5, Quran 69:17 and carry out his divine will - and unlike biblical angels, do not seem to be able to disobey god.[11]

Quran 72:8-9 describes the firmament as being guarded by watchful protectors [ḥaras], who are undoubtedly angels.[12] They play an active role in the cosmos by thwarting spying jinn/devils who attempt to eavesdrop on divine decrees from the 'exalted assembly' (see: Shooting Stars in the Quran). These intruders are repelled by stars or meteors (Quran 15:16-18, Quran 37:6-10, Quran 67:5, Quran 72:8-9.

There is no evidence that these exist.

Cherubs

The Qur'an mentions 'al-muqarrabūn' [Those close to god]. The traditional view of 'al-muqarrabūn' is often a rank of angels.[13] Some academics have suggested these are cherubs, which have existed in some classical Islamic cosmologies, such as the famous philosopher Ibn Sīnā's (often known as Avicenna in the West).[14]

As for the cherubs, they are designated by the name al-muqarrabūn in a few passages:
By no means! Surely the book of the pious is indeed in ‘Illiyīn. And what will make you know what ‘Illiyīn is? A written book. The ones brought near bear witness to it [yashhadu-hu l-muqarrabūna]. (Q 83:18 – 21)
Despite the rather cryptic character of these verses, we see here the motif already studied of angels “witnessing” celestial phenomena. In another passage, Jesus and the angels are also called al-muqarrabūn (“the ones brought near”; Q 4:172). This designation is very odd, especially ascribed to Jesus. The word muqarrabūn sounds like a deformation of the Hebrew or Syriac word for “cherubs”, kerūbīm/krūbē. The name kerūbīm in the Bible is an Assyrian loanword and designates “those who pray” but the root KRB is not used otherwise in the Bible. The cherubs are specifically said to support God’s throne in the Bible (1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 1 Ch 13:6; 2 K 19:15; Is 37:16; Ps 80:2, 90:1).713 In light of this function, the Qur’ān seems to distort the original Semitic root KRB into QRB so as to give a new meaning to these angels’ name. The cherubs are now muqarrabūn, “the ones close to God”.
Decharneux, Julien. Creation and Contemplation: The Cosmology of the Qur'ān and Its Late Antique Background (Studies in the History and Culture of the Middle East Book 47) (pp. 306-307). De Gruyter. Kindle Edition.

Houri's (Heavenly Virgins)

Main Article: Houri (Heavenly Virgin)

There are allegedly heavenly maidens to service righteous men in paradise. No equivalent male version exists for women (or homosexuals).

And [for them are] fair women with large, [beautiful] eyes,
Quran 56:22
and maidens with swelling breasts, like of age,
Quran 78:33

Giants

They said, "O Musa! Indeed, in it (are) people (of) tyrannical strength and indeed, we never will enter it until they leave from it, and if they leave [from] it then certainly we (will) enter (it)." Then out spake two of those who feared (their Lord, men) unto whom Allah had been gracious: Enter in upon them by the gate, for if ye enter by it, lo! ye will be victorious. So put your trust (in Allah) if ye are indeed believers. They said: O, Moses! We will never enter (the land) while they are in it. So go thou and thy Lord and fight! We will sit here.”
Quran 5:22-24

According to many prominent tafsirs these powerful people were giants.[15] There is no evidence that these existed, or an explanation of where they would have come from.

Gog and Magog (Yājūj and Mājūj)

Main article: Historical Errors in the Quran - Massive wall of iron

The Qur'an relates a story where a servant of Allah (Dhul-Qarnayn) traps "Gog and Maggog" behind an iron wall where they will remain until judgment day (essentially making them creatures that live a beyond human lifespan, if not immortal), where they will then swarm the Earth. Most scholars say they are humans, for example Ibn Kathir says they are also descents of Noah through his son Yafith (Japheth), who was the father of the Turks; Turk referring to the group of them who were left behind the barrier which was built by Dhul-Qarnayn.[16] Though others such as al-Idrisi (d. 1165) say they are monsters, with some 120 cubits high and the same length wide among other non-human descriptions.[17] However regardless if they are monsters or humans they are still mythical as clearly they would have been found if trapped behind a giant wall until judgement day given we have explored all the land on Earth.

They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"
Quran 18:94
Until when [the dam of] Gog and Magog has been opened and they, from every elevation, descend
Quran 21:96

Buraq, the winged horse

Main Article: Buraq

While it took one week to travel from Mecca to Jerusalem (the location of the alleged 'farthest Mosque') by camel, Islamic scripture states that a magical winged horse, called the Buraq, transported Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem in a matter of minutes. Creatures like the Buraq were common characters in near-East myths.[18]

Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things).
Quran 17:1

The existence of magic and sorcerers

Main article: Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Witchcraft and the Occult

No evidence has ever proven that magic is real. However, Quran 113:4 ("evil of those who blow on knots") is reported in commentaries as referring to those who practice magic.[19] Knots were commonly associated with magic in antiquity.[20] The next verse, Quran 113:5 ("evil of the envious when he envies), is said to refer to a superstitious belief known as 'The Evil Eye', a physical and mental supernatural condition that affects those who envy. For further explanation see the main article.

1. Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn

2. From the evil of what He has created
3. And from the evil of the utterly dark night when it comes
4. And from the evil of those who blow on knots

5. And from the evil of the envious when he envies
Quran 113:1-5

At least once, humans are taught magic by satans (believed to be jinn) and angels (Harut and Marut are named in this verse):

and they follow what the Satans recited over Solomon's kingdom. Solomon disbelieved not, but the Satans disbelieved, teaching the people sorcery, and that which was sent down upon Babylon's two angels, Harut and Marut; they taught not any man, without they said, 'We are but a temptation; do not disbelieve.' From them they learned how they might divide a man and his wife, yet they did not hurt any man thereby, save by the leave of God, and they learned what hurt them, and did not profit them, knowing well that whoso buys it shall have no share in the world to come; evil then was that they sold themselves for, if they had but known.
Quran 2:102

The Holy Spirit (Rūḥ al-qudus)

Main Article: Jibreel (Gabriel) and al-Ruh al-Qudus (the Holy Spirit) in the Qur'an

The holy spirit in the Qur'an is presented sometimes as an angel or quasi-angelic intermediary or agent of God.[21] Other times as a vivifying or fortifying principle emanating from God.[22] Other times it is more complex to classify.[23]

And We did certainly give Moses the Torah and followed up after him with messengers. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Pure Spirit. But is it [not] that every time a messenger came to you, [O Children of Israel], with what your souls did not desire, you were arrogant? And a party [of messengers] you denied and another party you killed.
Quran 2:87
And [the example of] Mary, the daughter of ʿImrān, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel [i.e., Gabriel], and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.
Quran 66:12

Sacred geography

Sacred (ḥaram)[24] geography is in Qur'anic theology, currently in Mecca, the Ka'ba. The sacred house referred to as the sacred mosque/place of worship (al-masjidi al-ḥarāmi) E.g. Quran 17:1 or the sacred house al-bayta al-haram Quran 5:2

Allah has made the Ka‘bah, the Sacred House, standing for the people and [has sanctified] the sacred months and the sacrificial animals and the garlands [by which they are identified]. That is so you may know that Allah knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth and that Allah is Knowing of all things.
Quran 5:97

Similarly Jerusalem temple referred to as the furthest mosque (al-masjidi al-aqṣā), which although not directly called in the Qur'an it is implied at least was sacred, and later tradition was undecided on the matter.[25]

Immaculate is He who carried His servant on a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose environs We have blessed, that We might show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing.
Quran 17:1

Israel is described as the holy land (al-arḍa al-muqadasata) by Moses.[26]

O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has ordained for you, and do not turn your backs, or you will become losers.’
Quran 5:21

And a sacred valley (see also: Quran 79:16).

Indeed, I am your Lord, so remove your sandals. Indeed, you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa.
Quran 20:12

There is no evidence they are more sacred or special than anywhere else on Earth, therefore this is another superstition.

Sacred months

Main article: Pre-Islamic Arab Religion in Islam - The Four Sacred Months

The Quran contains a mention of four sacred (ḥurum)[27] months. These are the lunar-based months Dhul Qadha, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab, from Arabic pagan beliefs (see main article). Again there is no evidence they are more sacred or different to any other months.

Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah since the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four months are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous [who fear Him]. Indeed, the postponing [sacred months] is an increase in disbelief by which those who have disbelieved are led [further] astray. They make it lawful one year and unlawful another year to correspond to the number made unlawful by Allah and [thus] make lawful what Allah has made unlawful.
Quran 9:36-37
And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Quran 9:5

And similarly Ramaḍān is the month of fasting.

Permitted to you, upon the night of the Fast, is to go in to your wives; -- they are a vestment for you, and you are a vestment for them. God knows that you have been betraying yourselves, and has turned to you and pardoned you. So now lie with them, and seek what God has prescribed for you. And eat and drink, until the white thread shows clearly to you from the black thread at the dawn; then complete the Fast unto the night, and do not lie with them while you cleave to the mosques. Those are God's bounds; keep well within them. So God makes clear His signs to men; haply they will be godfearing.
Quran 2:187

Tree of immortality

In jannah where Adam lives, there is a tree of immortality Adam is tempted by Satan to eat from.

Then Satan whispered to him; he said, "O Adam, shall I direct you to the tree of eternity and possession that will not deteriorate?"
Quran 20:120

Miracles and myths

Miracles and myths, often taken via prophets but other times directly by Allah are listed below. Many are absurd and contradict science.

Prophet Miracles

Noah (Nūḥ)

Lived to be 950+ years old

Noah is said to be be at least 950 years old, with many traditional Islamic commentators taking this to mean he was preaching for this long until the flood came, and was therefore older in total (many exegetes for example say he was granted prophethood at age 40),[28] and we are not told how long he lives after these events, but this could easily push him to be over a 1,000 years old in total. No human can live this long. Interestingly none of his companions mention this, seem to think this is strange or a reason to believe his prophethood in the Qur'anic story.

Certainly We sent Noah to his people, and he remained with them for a thousand-less-fifty years. Then the flood overtook them while they were wrongdoers.
Quran 29:14

Adam (ʾĀdam)

Adam is not said to have performed any miracles directly (or through Allah) in the Qur'an, though he was magically created from clay rather than evolving.[29] And the holy spirit was made to create him (e.g. Quran 15:29, Quran 32:6-9 and Quran 38:72). And lived in paradise amoung the angels (and at least one jinn who turned into 'the devil') "Allah placed Adam in a paradisical Garden. After Adam sinned by eating from the forbidden tree (Tree of Immortality) after God forbade him from doing so, so paradise was declined to him and he was sent down to live on Earth."

Eve (Ḥawwā')

Though not mentioned by name in the Qur'an, the mate miraculously created from Adam is interpreted as Eve, and named in the hadith and commentaries. No miracles are directly attributed to her either, but she origionally lived in jannah (paradise), and is also miraculously created, as Shock (2006) notes "the early commentators report that she was created from the lowest of Adam’s ribs (qusayra) — which is sometimes also understood as the shortest rib."[30]

O mankind! Be wary of your Lord who created you from a single soul, and created its mate from it, and from the two of them scattered numerous men and women. Be wary of Allah, in whose Name you adjure one another and [of severing ties with] blood relations. Indeed Allah is watchful over you.
Quran 4:1

Abraham (Ibrahim)

Magically cooling fire

Abraham is thrown into a fire that magically cools for him and burns only his chains.[31]

We said, ‘O fire! Be cool and safe for Abraham!’
Quran 21:69

Cut up birds and bring them back to life

And when Abraham said, ‘My Lord! Show me how You revive the dead,’ He said, ‘Do you not believe?’ He said, ‘Yes indeed, but in order that my heart may be at rest.’ He said, ‘Catch four of the birds. Then cut them into pieces, and place a part of them on every mountain, then call them; they will come to you hastening. And know that Allah is all-mighty and all-wise.’
Quran 2:260

Shown the universe

And thus did We show Abraham the realm of the heavens and the earth that he would be among the certain [in faith].
Quran 6:75

Gives Abraham and his old wife a child

“There came Our messengers to Abraham with glad tidings. They said, ‘Peace!’ He answered, ‘Peace!’ and hastened to entertain them with a roasted calf. But when he saw their hands went not towards the (meal), he felt some mistrust of them, and conceived a fear of them. They said: ‘Fear not: we have been sent against the people of Lut.’ And his wife was standing (there), and she laughed, but We gave her glad tidings of Isaac, and after him, of Jacob. She said, ‘Alas for me! shall I bear a child, seeing I am an old woman, and my husband here is an old man? That would indeed be a wonderful thing!’ They said, ‘Dost thou wonder at Allah’s decree? The grace of Allah and His blessings on you, O, ye people of the house! For He is indeed worthy of all praise, full of all glory!’”
Quran 11:69-73

Ishmael (ʾIsmāʿīl)

Abel (Hābīl) and Cane (Qābīl)

A raven sent from God shows Abel where to bury his brother Cain.

Then Allah sent a crow, exploring in the ground, to show him how to bury the corpse of his brother. He said, ‘Woe to me! Am I unable to be [even] like this crow and bury my brother’s corpse?’ Thus he became regretful.
Quran 5:31

Jonah (Yunus)

Living inside a big fish

The Quran presents a version of the Biblical tale in which Jonah is swallowed by a whale ('the big Fish') and then lives in the whale for some time while praying. Scientific research, however, suggests that a person could not persist long inside a whale's digestive tract and, if not crushed by the whale or by water pressure, would almost immediately suffocate.

Then the big Fish did swallow him, and he had done acts worthy of blame. Had it not been that he (repented and) glorified Allah, He would certainly have remained inside the Fish till the Day of Resurrection. But We cast him forth, on the naked shore in a state of sickness
Quran 37:142

Joseph (Yūsuf)

Dream interpreting

Birds are seen in a dream which Joseph interprets in reality.

There entered the prison two youths along with him. One of them said, ‘I dreamt that I am pressing grapes.’ The other said, ‘I dreamt that I am carrying bread on my head from which the birds are eating.’ ‘Inform us of its interpretation,’ [they said], ‘for indeed we see you to be a virtuous man.’ He said, ‘Before the meals you are served come to you I will inform you of its interpretation. That is among things my Lord has taught me. Indeed, I renounce the creed of the people who have no faith in Allah and who [also] disbelieve in the Hereafter... ...O my prison mates! As for one of you, he will serve wine to his master, and as for the other, he will be crucified and vultures will eat from his head. The matter about which you inquire has been decided.’
Quran 12:36-41

A shirt regains his sons sight

Here, Jacob (Ya'qūb) (Joseph's son e.g. Quran 12:80) is blind and when Joseph has him brought to Egypt for their reunion, he tells his brothers to place the shirt on Jacob's face, by which he regains his sight.[32]

Take this shirt of mine, and cast it upon my father’s face; he will regain his sight, and bring me all your folks.’ As the caravan set off, their father said, ‘I sense the scent of Joseph, if you will not consider me a dotard.’ They said, ‘By God, you persist in your inveterate error.’ When the bearer of good news arrived, he cast it on his face, and he regained his sight. He said, ‘Did I not tell you, ‘‘I know from Allah what you do not know?’’ ’
Quran 12:93-96

Jobe (Ayyūb)

Though he doesn't seem to perform any miracles directly like Jesus or Moses in the Qur'an, Allah instructs him to strike the ground with his foot, and a spring of water emerges, which heals him in Qur'an 38:42. This might be considered a divine blessing or sign rather than a miracle performed by Jobe himself.

[We told him:] ‘Stamp your foot on the ground; this [ensuing spring] will be a cooling bath and drink.’
Quran 38:42

Moses (Mūsā)

Sea split in half

The Quran present a version of the Biblical story where Moses splits the sea and crosses it with the Israelites. There is no historical or other evidence that such an event occurred.

And remember We divided the sea for you and saved you and drowned Pharaoh's people within your very sight.
Quran 2:50

Stick turned serpent

The Quran states that Moses' staff transformed into a serpent.

Then (Moses) threw his rod, and behold! it was a serpent, plain (for all to see)!
Quran 7:107

Plagues of Egypt

So We sent against them a flood and locusts, lice, frogs and blood, as distinct signs. But they acted arrogantly, and they were a guilty lot.
Quran 7:133

Mountain lifted up and dropped in front of him (from Allah)

When Moses arrived at Our tryst and his Lord spoke to him, he said, ‘My Lord, show [Yourself] to me, that I may look at You!’ He said, ‘You shall not see Me. But look at the mountain: if it abides in its place, then you will see Me.’ So when his Lord disclosed Himself to the mountain, He levelled it, and Moses fell down swooning. When he recovered, he said, ‘Immaculate are You! I turn to You in penitence, and I am the first of the faithful.’
Quran 7:143
And when We took a pledge from you, and raised the Mount above you, [declaring], ‘Hold on with power to what We have given you and remember that which is in it so that you may be Godwary.’
Quran 2:63

Moses's magic white hand

‘Insert your hand into your shirt. It will emerge white and bright, without any fault—among nine signs meant for Pharaoh and his people. Indeed they are a transgressing lot.’
Quran 27:12

12 Springs from a rock

And when Moses prayed for water for his people, We said, ‘Strike the rock with your staff.’ Thereat twelve fountains gushed forth from it; every tribe came to know its drinking-place. ‘Eat and drink of Allah’s provision, and do not act wickedly on the earth, causing corruption.’
Quran 12:60

Dead fish (for food) comes back to life at the junction of the two seas

Main Article: A Barrier Between Two Seas and the Cosmic Ocean

Moses's dead fish comes back to life at the junction of the two seas, showing a huge parallel with late antique Christian? literature

So when they reached the confluence between them, they forgot their fish, which found its way into the sea, sneaking away. Then when they had passed beyond he said to his boy, "Bring us our morning meal. Certainly we have suffered in our journey this, fatigue." He said, 'What thinkest thou? When we took refuge in the rock, then I forgot the fish-and it was Satan himself that made me forget it so that I should not remember it -- and so it took its way into the sea in a manner marvellous.'
Quran 18:61-63

Mooing statue

The Qur'an describes a statue of a calf that was capable of mooing.

So he brought forth for them a calf, a (mere) body, which had a mooing sound, so they said: This is your god and the god of Musa, but he forgot.
Quran 20:88

Testimony of a dead man by slapping a cow

The Quran states that Allah instructed a group of people to strike a murdered man with a piece of a heifer (young female cow that has not yet borne a calf) in order to temporarily resurrect him and discover the identity of the murderer.

And We said: Smite him with some of it. Thus Allah bringeth the dead to life and showeth you His portents so that ye may understand.
Quran 2:73

Korah (Qārūn) swallowed

Korah indeed belonged to the people of Moses, but he bullied them. We had given him so much treasures that their chests indeed proved heavy for a band of stalwarts. When his people said to him, ‘Do not boast! Indeed Allah does not like the boasters. Seek the abode of the Hereafter by means of what Allah has given you, while not forgetting your share of this world. Be good [to others] just as Allah has been good to you, and do not try to cause corruption in the land. Indeed Allah does not like the agents of corruption.’... ...So We caused the earth to swallow him and his house, and he had no party that might protect him from Allah, nor could he rescue himself. By dawn those who longed to be in his place the day before were saying, ‘Don’t you see that Allah expands the provision for whomever He wishes of His servants, and tightens it? Had Allah not shown us favour, He might have made the earth swallow us too. Don’t you see that the faithless do not prosper?’
Quran 28:76-82

David (Dāwūd)

Understanding birds

Solomon inherited from David, and he said, ‘O people! We have been taught the speech of the birds, and we have been given out of everything. Indeed this is a manifest advantage.’
Quran 27:16

Mountains and birds sing psalms

The Qur'an states that hills and birds would sing the psalms with David.

And assuredly We gave David grace from Us, (saying): O ye hills and birds, echo his psalms of praise! And We made the iron supple unto him
Quran 34:10

Allah making iron soft for David

Certainly We gave David our grace: ‘O mountains and birds, chime in with him!’ And We made iron soft for him.
Quran 34:10

Solomon (Sulaymān)

Solomon's Army of jinn and birds (controlling them)

A story in the Qur'an, drawing on Jewish folklore, states that Solomon commanded a massive army comprised of 'Jinns and men and birds'. Solomon is described as speaking with a Hoopoe bird and thereafter desiring to execute the bird when it is tardy to his assembly. The Hoopoe bird, it is then revealed, was only delayed because it had been spying on a beautiful female ruler, Queen Sheba, who Solomon subsequently insists is misguided and must be conquered. At this point, Solomon assigns a Jinn from his assembly the task of stealing Queen Sheba's magnificent throne. There is, however, no scientific evidence that Jinn exist, that birds can be commanded as soldiers, or that birds can engage in elaborate conversations with humans.

And Solomon was David's heir. He said: "O ye people! We have been taught the speech of birds, and on us has been bestowed (a little) of all things: this is indeed Grace manifest (from Allah.)And before Solomon were marshalled his hosts― of Jinns and men and birds, and they were all kept in order and ranks.
Quran 27:16-17
And he took a muster of the Birds; and he said: "Why is it I see not the Hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees? I will certainly punish him with a severe Penalty, or execute him, unless he bring me a clear reason (for absence). But the Hoopoe tarried not far: he (came up and) said: "I have compassed (territory) which thou hast not compassed, and I have come to thee from Saba with tidings true. I found (there) a woman ruling over them and provided with every requisite; and she has a magnificent throne.
Quran 27:20-23

Fountain of bronze

And We caused a fount of (molten) brass to flow for him, and there were jinns that worked in front of him, by the Leave of his Lord, and whosoever of them turned aside from Our Command, We shall cause him to taste of the torment of the blazing Fire.
Quran 34:12

Solomon speaks to an ant

Solomon understands the speech of an ant advising caution to his fellows

When they came to the Valley of Ants, an ant said, ‘O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Solomon and his hosts should trample on you while they are unaware.’
Quran 27:18

Solomons dead body doesn't decompose properly

When We decreed death for him, nothing apprised them of his death except a worm which gnawed away at his staff. And when he fell down, [the humans] realized that had the jinn known the Unseen, they would not have remained in a humiliating torment.
Quran 34:14

Manipulating the wind

The Quran says that Solomon had the power to control the wind and traditional sources elaborate that Solomon could use this wind to fly upon a gigantic wooden carpet to wherever he pleased.

Then We subjected the wind to his power, to flow gently to his order, Whithersoever he willed
Quran 38:36
A flying carpet made from wood, on top of which he could carry everything in his kingdom including chairs, to wherever Solomon wants to go, whilst flocks of birds would fly over to give shade
Tafsir Ibn-Kathir on 21:81

Zechariah (Zakariyā)

Cures his wife barreness

This produces John the Baptist (Yaḥyā) in the Qur'an.

“And (remember) Zakariya, when he cried to his Lord: ‘O, my Lord! leave me not childless, and Thou art the best of inheritors.’ So We responded to him, and We granted him Yahya, We cured his wife’s (barrenness) for him. These (three) were ever quick in emulation in good works; they used to call on Us with love and reverence, and humble themselves before Us.”
Quran 21:89-90

Jesus (ʿĪsā)

Main Article: Isa al-Masih (Jesus Christ)

Born from Mary (Mariam) who was a virgin

Like the bible, and other pagan mythologies,[33] Jesus is also born from a virgin. Provided by the holy spirit (al-Ruh al-Qudus), usually taken as a reference the angel Gabriel here. Given he is not the son of God, it is unclear what the purpose of this is.

Thus did she seclude herself from them, whereupon We sent to her Our Spirit and he became incarnate for her as a well-proportioned human. She said, ‘I seek the protection of the All-beneficent from you, should you be Godwary!’ He said, ‘I am only a messenger of your Lord that I may give you a pure son.’ She said, ‘How shall I have a child seeing that no human being has ever touched me, nor have I been unchaste?’ He said, ‘So shall it be. Your Lord says, ‘‘It is simple for Me.’’ And so that We may make him a sign for mankind and a mercy from Us, and it is a matter [already] decided.’
Quran 19:17-21
And the example of Maryam the daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity – We therefore breathed into her a Spirit from Ourselves – and she testified for the Words of her Lord and His Books, and was among the obedient.
Quran 66:12

Jesus talking from his Cradle

(And remember) when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a word from him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (unto Allah). He will speak unto mankind in his cradle and in his manhood, and he is of the righteous.
Quran 3:45-46

Supernatural food

The Qur'an states that Jesus received a feast sent down from heaven.

Jesus, son of Mary, said: O Allah, Lord of us! Send down for us a table spread with food from heaven, that it may be a feast for us, for the first of us and for the last of us, and a sign from Thee. Give us sustenance, for Thou art the Best of Sustainers. Allah said: Lo! I send it down for you. And whoso disbelieveth of you afterward, him surely will I punish with a punishment wherewith I have not punished any of (My) creatures.
Quran 5:114-115

Magically curing the Blind and Lepersy affected

and [he will be] an apostle to the Children of Israel, [and he will declare,] “I have certainly brought you a sign from your Lord: I will create for you the form of a bird out of clay, then I will breathe into it, and it will become a bird by Allah’s leave. I heal the blind and the leper and I revive the dead by Allah’s leave. I will tell you what you have eaten and what you have stored in your houses. There is indeed a sign in that for you, should you be faithful.
Quran 3:49

Raising the dead

See above Quran 3:49

Clay birds becoming alive

See above Quran 3:49

Luqman (Luq'mān)

Given special wisdom

Luq'mān - believed to be a common pre-Islamic sage, though his identity is disputed,[34] and may simply be an amalgamation of different characters, as local Arabian tales are brought into salvation history.[35]

In the Qur'an God gives him a special widsom (al-ḥik'mata)[36] although most agree that he was still not a prophet.[34]

And We had certainly given Luqman wisdom [and said], "Be grateful to Allah." And whoever is grateful is grateful for [the benefit of] himself. And whoever denies [His favor] - then indeed, Allah is Free of need and Praiseworthy. And [mention, O Muhammad], when Luqman said to his son while he was instructing him, "O my son, do not associate [anything] with Allah. Indeed, association [with him] is great injustice."
Quran 31:12-13

Saleh (Ṣāliḥ)

The She-Camel of Saleh (Ṣāliḥ)

A camel appears to the people of Thamūd from a rock after the unbelieving people ask for a sign Salih is a prophet.[37]

And to [the people of] Thamud [We sent] Salih, their brother. He said, ‘O my people, worship Allah! You have no other god besides Him. There has certainly come to you a manifest proof from your Lord. This she-camel of Allah is a sign for you. Let her alone to graze [freely] in Allah’s land, and do not cause her any harm, for then you shall be seized by a painful punishment.
Quran 7:73

Allah Miracles - Misc.

Speaking body parts

The Quran states that human organs will, on the Day of Judgement, testify against their own persons.

On the Day when their tongues, their hands, and their feet will bear witness against them as to their actions.
Quran 24:24

Army of magic birds attacking Abraha's army

Main article: Historical Errors in the Quran - Surah of the elephant

Talk of interpretation of words issue or not? Link to explanation of event such as tafsir.

Have you not regarded how your Lord dealt with the army of the elephants?
Did He not make their stratagems go awry,
and send against them flocks of birds
hurling against them stones of baked clay
Then He made them like straw eaten up.
Quran 105:1-5

Jews transformed into pigs and apes as a punishment

The Qur'an records a miraculous event where Sabbath breakers are transformed into apes.

And well ye knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath: We said to them: "Be ye apes, despised and rejected."
Quran 2:65
When they defied [the command pertaining to] what they were forbidden from, We said to them, ‘Be you spurned apes.’
Quran 7:166
Say, ‘Shall I inform you concerning something worse than that as a requital from Allah? Those whom Allah has cursed and with whom He is wrathful, and turned some of whom into apes and swine, and worshippers of fake deities! Such are in a worse situation and more astray from the right way.’
Quran 5:60

Vivifying Rainfall and Resurrection

Rainfall is literally seen as bringing dead back to life, a common belief in antiquity.[38] Hence the Qur'an repeatedly asserts that just as rainfall revives a barren land, people will likewise be resurrected. However, this is a non-sequitur fallacy now we can explain the natural process rather than simply magic through God, so as the revival of plant life is a natural process, human resurrection is not, making the comparison logically unsound.

It is Allah Who sends forth the Winds, so that they raise up the Clouds, and We drive them to a land that is dead, and revive the earth therewith after its death: even so (will be) the Resurrection!
Quran 35:9
That sends down (from time to time) rain from the sky in due measure;- and We raise to life therewith a land that is dead; even so will ye be raised (from the dead);
Quran 43:11
And among His Signs in this: thou seest the earth barren and desolate; but when We send down rain to it, it is stirred to life and yields increase. Truly, He Who gives life to the (dead) earth can surely give life to (men) who are dead. For He has power over all things.
Quran 41:39

A man is killed for 100 years then resurrected

Or him who came upon a township as it lay fallen on its trellises. He said, ‘How will Allah revive this after its death?!’ So Allah made him die for a hundred years, then He resurrected him. He said, ‘How long did you remain?’ Said he, ‘I have remained a day or part of a day.’ He said, ‘No, you have remained a hundred years. Now look at your food and drink which have not rotted! Then look at your donkey! [This was done] that We may make you a sign for mankind. And now look at its bones, how We raise them up and clothe them with flesh!’ When it became evident to him, he said, ‘I know that Allah has power over all things.’
Quran 2:259
As is his donkey

See above Quran 2:259

And his food is kept from rotting

See above Quran 2:259

Seven people are kept sleeping for three-hundred and nine years

Main Article: Seven Sleepers of Ephesus in the Quran
So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years, and (some) add nine (more).
Quran 18:25

And a dog keeps watch over them, presumably given a supernatural lifespan.

You will suppose them to be awake, although they are asleep. We turn them to the right and to the left, and their dog [lies] stretching its forelegs at the threshold. If you come upon them, you will surely turn to flee from them, and you will surely be filled with a terror of them.
Quran 18:18

The Earth will throw out things on judgement day

Islamic Commentaries explain this can include all kinds of things, including dead people (which in reality would have rotted and not necessarily be in the Earth (citation)), things to do with their crimes, treasure and metals, and others.[39]

And brings forth the earth its burdens,
Quran 99:2

Punishment narrative miracles/destructions

Main: Historical Errors in the Quran - Supernatural destruction of cities

Listed in Devlin Stewarts articles; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382862079_Signs_for_Those_Who_Can_Decipher_Them_Ancient_Ruins_in_the_Quran

Or just lead to historical errors page? Historical errors page: In the Qur'an, the people of Thamud are killed instantly by an earthquake Quran 7:78 or thunderous blast Quran 11:67, Quran 41:13-17, Quran 51:44, Quran 69:5. The people of A'ad are killed by a fierce wind that blew for 7 days Quran 41:13-16, Quran 46:24-35, Quran 51:41, Quran 69:6-7. The people of Midian (Midyan) are killed overnight by an earthquake Quran 7:91, Quran 29:36. The towns of Lot (Lut) are destroyed by a storm of stones from the sky Quran 54:32, Quran 29:34. The actual locations of these towns or tribes is unknown. Midian in particular was a wide geographical desert region rather than a particular location or city, which makes archaeological investigation difficult.

  • Thamud - Thunderbolt Quran 7:78
  • Thamud - a thunderous blast Quran 11:67, Quran 41:13-17, Quran 51:44, Quran 69:5
  • Midyan - Earthquake - Quran 7:91, Quran 29:36-37
  • 'The cry'
  • 'Ad - Hurricane for 7 days - Quran 41:13-16, Quran 46:24-35, Quran 51:41, Quran 69:6-7
  • Flood - Noah 37:82, 54:11-12, 11:40, 23:27
  • People of Phoarah/Egypt - Sea split - Moses Quran 10:90, 2:50, 28:40, 17:103, 43:55
  • Lot - turned upside down and stones sent from the sky - Quran 11:82-32, Quran 54:32-34, Quran 29:34

Explain narrative - get quote from Marshall or Durie.

Or just keep solely to myths and link to the Chronology page where it can be discussed in more detail / broken down into early/late middle Meccan periods?

Quotes from other scholars

If Muhammad again and again holds before the eyes of his Meccan fellow people the fate of earlier nations as a warning example … the intention can only have been to threaten them with a similar fate, referring to a punishment on Earth and not only in the Hereafter. (Horovitz 1926, p.30) There is no doubt that Muhammad proclaimed the imminence of a special and particular judgement upon the Meccans. (Bell 1926, p.121)
Marshall, David. God, Muhammad and the Unbelievers (p. 53). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition.

(early Meccan period quote

The first point to make is simply the observation that by the end of the earliest Meccan period the Qurʾan has repeatedly narrated accounts of past acts of divine punishment in this world, which it makes clear are meant to serve as a warning to the unbelievers in Mecca. On the slender evidence available in this period it is difficult to prove that these passages implied a threat to the Meccans in this life rather than on the Last Day, but prima facie that would seem to be their message. At 79:25 we have already seen how the Qurʾan distinguishes between God’s eschatological and this-worldly punishment of unbelievers, a distinction which recurs later (e.g. 32:21; 39:26). This indicates that, although they are related, the two types of punishment are not identical. It would thus seem natural to assume that when the Qurʾan warns the Meccan unbelievers with accounts of divine punishment in this world, the primary reference is to the possibility of the recurrence of the same kind of this-worldly punishment, an event within a human history which continues thereafter, rather than the eschatological culmination of that history.
Marshall, David. God, Muhammad and the Unbelievers (pp. 49-50). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition.

Main academic works on this inc Marshall, David. God, Muhammad and the Unbelievers, Durie, Mark. Biblical Reflexes in the Qur'an: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion Chapters 2 & 3.

89:6–14 Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with ʿĀd, Iram of the pillars, the like of which was never created in the land, and Thamūd who hollowed the rocks in the valley, and Pharaoh, he of the tent-pegs, who all were insolent in the land and worked much corruption therein? Your Lord unloosed on them a scourge of punishment; surely your Lord is ever on the watch.
Quran 89:6-14
53:50–4 [God] destroyed ʿĀd, the ancient, and Thamūd, and he did not spare them, and the people of Noah before - they did exceeding evil and were insolent - and the subverted city he also overthrew, so that there covered it that which covered.
Quran 53:50-54
It would appear from the audience’s reaction that these were well-known stories, and indeed all are either famous Biblical narratives (Noah and the Flood, Abraham the religious reformer, Moses and Pharaoh, Lot and licentiousness) or Arabian traditions that had already achieved, judging from the allusions to them in pre-Islamic Arabic poetry, legendary status. In the Quran all are constrained into one genre, the punishment story, and adduced as examples of how God vents his wrath upon those who fail to heed his warnings.
Hoyland, Robert G.. Arabia and the Arabs: From the Bronze Age to the Coming of Islam (Peoples of the Ancient World) (p. 223). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition.

Threatened to Mecca as well

But if they [the unbelievers] turn away, then say, ‘I warn you of a thunderbolt like to the thunderbolt of ʿĀd and Thamūd.’
Quran 41:13

Natural law in the Quran - natural processes attributed to God and magic properties to natural things/inanimate objects

It could be argued that there is no randomness or natural law in the Qur'an, but rather every single thing is determined and given by God/Allah. For example the famous Muslim theologian and philosopher Al-Ghazali, in his work entitled “On Power,” argues that all of the events that occur in this world, whether sensed or not, are caused by one being: Allah (hereafter referred to as “god”). He even goes so far as to suggest that there is no true connection between what people would traditionally call causes and effects.[40] https://www.ghazali.org/articles/gz-theo-nkm.pdf

God is active in the Cosmos & continuous creation

The text repeatedly ascribes to God the cosmic role of sustaining the world. God continuously provides humans with food and necessary supplies (e. g. Q 6:96, 7:9, 26:75, 28:57, 29:60, 30:40, 34:24, 36:71 – 73). He is also responsible for the regularity of astral motions in the sky (e. g. Q 7:54, 13:2, 14:33, 16:12, 29:61, 31:29, 35:13, 39:5), for the succession of day and night (e. g. Q 14:33, 16:12), as well as any other things that allow humans to live on a daily basis. All these passages show that the Qur’ān grants to the theme of the creatio continua (“continuous creation”; i. e. maintenance of the universe) a prominent place within the overall Qur’ānic cosmological discourse. This is hardly surprising given the natural theological system described in the first chapter. God’s creatorship is observable in the cycles and the regularity of the world.
Decharneux, Julien. De Gruyter. 2023. Creation and Contemplation: The Cosmology of the Qur'ān and Its Late Antique Background (Studies in the History and Culture of the Middle East Book 47) (Kindle Edition. pp. 203-204).

He is seen as deciding the outcome of battles Quran 36:74-75, and other gods cannot Quran 46:28 and working through believers to fight unbelievers Quran 8:17[41] and sending invisible angels to Muhammad Quran 3:123-126, Quran 33:9, Quran 9:26 (cf: Quran 3:123-126).

He regulates affairs from the heaven to the earth Quran 32:5, gives favour to people Quran 16:53 and chooses when they die Quran 32:11, as with every nation Quran 7:34 and thing Quran 6:67.

Not random cause and effect;

Main Article: Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Predestination

Battles above“They have taken gods other than He, in order that they be given victory, but they are not able to give them victory.” (36: 74-75) - also loses battles to

Similarly: “Why did those whom they had chosen for gods as a way of approach (unto God) not help them? Nay, but they did fail them utterly. And that was their lie, and what they used to invent.” (46: 28)

Bestows favours: “And whatever favour is (bestowed) on you it is from God.” (16: 53)

Regulates all affaris: “He regulates affairs from the heaven to the earth.” (32: 5) Quran 32:5

“Say: the angel of death, who is given charge of you, shall cause you to die.” (32: 11) Quran 32:11


Makes female & male: scientific error? :makes barren “He creates whatever He wants and bestows female to whomever He wants and bestows male to whomever He wants. Or He mingles them, males and females, and He makes barren whom He pleases. Lo! He is Knower, Powerful.” (42: 49-50)

Even after having been fully set up, the natural realm is thus in no way causally independent of its creator, whom Q 55:29 describes as incessantly busy (kulla yawmin huwa fī shaʾn, “everyday he is engaged in something”).
Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (pp. 62-63). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.
Punishes towns that aren't grateful to him in general

“And Allah sets forth a parable: (Consider) a town safe and secure to which its means of subsistence come in abundance from every quarter; but it became ungrateful to Allah’s favors, therefore Allah made it to taste the utmost degree of hunger and fear because of what they wrought.” (16: 112)

Natural scientifically explained processes as miracles

Wind & rain

Wind is seen as a sign of God Quran 35:9 rather than from heat differences,[42] and God is said to bring down rain, rather than the natural process of water droplets[43] condensing onto one another within a cloud, causing the droplets to grow - which when these water droplets get too heavy to stay suspended in the cloud, they fall to Earth as rain (cf: Quran 43:11).

Lightning

The Qur'an states that lighting is a sign shown by god for fear (khawfan) and hope (waṭamaʿan), however now we know that lightening is simply an electrical phenomena caused by negative and positive charges in clouds or between the cloud and the ground build up and suddenly discharge, creating a bright flash,[44] (i.e. explained by science), it is difficult to see why it would give people hope.

And among His Signs, He shows you the lightning, by way both of fear and of hope, and He sends down rain from the sky and with it gives life to the earth after it is dead
Quran 30:24

Ships sailing

Allah causes ships to stay afloat (and presumably sink) (Quran 55:24, Quran 17:70, Quran 17:66) rather than the scientific principle of buoyancy[45] (and essentially randomness of those who's boats do not work).

Inanimate objects and animals worship God

Inanimate objects that do not have a consciousness like those with complex brains, so are not capable of worshipping anything.

The Thunder celebrates His praise, and the angels [too], in awe of Him, and He releases the thunderbolts and strikes with them whomever He wishes. Yet they dispute concerning Allah, though He is great in might.
Quran 13:13
Have you not regarded that whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth prostrates to Allah, as well as the sun, the moon, and the stars, the mountains, the trees, and the animals and many humans? And many have come to deserve the punishment. Whomever Allah humiliates will find no one who may bring him honour. Indeed Allah does whatever He wishes.
Quran 22:18

Even their shadows do somehow.

To Allah prostrates whoever there is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and their shadows at sunrise and sunset.
Quran 13:15

Everything in the cosmos (presumably covering the vast amounts of near-empty space and elements) worships and prostrates before him, as does every animal and angel, all allegedly fearing God (Quran 16:49-50, Quran 22:18), including the birds, which do so while flying (Quran 24:41), and trees (Quran 55:6).

Inanimate objects refused the task of being Gods followers, but humans accepted

It is hard to know what was meant by this or why Allah would offer an inanimate object with no biology for consciousness that he already knew couldn't answer the task, nor how they refused it. Some classical Islamic commentaries say they could speak at the time.[46]Ibn Kathir doesn't mention that but took it literally).

It is hard to see why humans would accept this task with the risk of hell being involved, given our natural propensity for risk aversion as a species.[47]

Indeed We presented the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to undertake it and were apprehensive of it; but man undertook it. Indeed he is most unjust and ignorant.
Quran 33:72

Allah speaks to the heavens/skies and the earth and they respond

The sky cannot speak (nor was it ever made of 'smoke').

Then He turned towards the heaven when it was smoke, saying to it and to the earth, ‘Submit, willingly or unwillingly.’ They both responded, ‘We submit willingly.’"
Quran 41:11
  • Moreover, all the creatures in heaven or on earth, as a sign of their devotion to the creator, perform this act directly or by means of their shadows (Q 7:206; 13:15; 16:4.8-9; 22:18; 55:6). Quran 7:206, Quran 13:15 (shadows inc), Quran 16:4-9 (check),
  • Wind by allah - pre-Islamic allah poetry parallel in Sinai paper?
  • Mountains and earth couldn't deal with task of being human? Worshipping or something they were asked? Quran 33:72
  • he animals (every dabba, Q 16:49; 22:18) Quran 16:49 Quran 22:18worship God by prostrating themselves, including the birds, which do so while flying (Q 24:41). Quran 24:41

Quran 9:26 (angels you can't see help) “You did not kill them, but God killed them, and you didn’t shoot the arrows when you shot, but God shot them.” Quran 8:17

“Allah had helped you at Badr, when ye were a contemptible little force; then fear Allah, that you may show your gratitude. Remember, you said to the Faithful, ‘Is it not enough for you that Allah should help you with three thousand angels, sent down?’ Nay, but if you remain firm, and act aright, even if the enemy should rush here on you suddenly, your Lord would help you with five thousand angels, making a terrific onslaught. Allah made it but a message of hope for you, and an assurance to your hearts. There is no help except from Allah. The Exalted, the Wise.” (3: 123-126)

(It is) God who sends the winds, and it stirs up a cloud, and We drive it to some barren land, and by means of it give the earth life after its death. So (too) is the raising up. (Q 35:9)

  • ships that drown
  • Birds held up by God & parallel

Anthropomorphisms of Allah

Allah is not a totally transcendent God, as he is described as having human features in several verses in the Qur'an. Many hadith also support this view.[48]

Hands

He said, ‘O Iblis! What keeps you from prostrating before that which I have created with My [own] two hands? Are you arrogant, or are you one of the exalted ones?’
Quran 38:75

Sinai (2023) writes in regards to the literalism of the verses.

...in Q 38:75 God upbraids Iblīs for failing to “prostrate to what I have created with my hands,” bi-yadayya. As recognised by al-Ashʿarī (Gimaret 1990, 326), the point of God’s statement here is presumably to highlight a trait of Adam that endows him with peculiar dignity and elevates him over Iblīs—namely, the fact that God has formed Adam in a more intimate fashion than other creatures. Hence, although the Qur’anic God is perfectly capable of creating by verbal fiat, as maintained in places like Q 2:117 and 3:47 (when God “decides on [creating] something, he merely says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is,” idhā qaḍā amran fa-innamā yaqūlu lahu kun fa-yakūn), he can also create in what is literally a hands-on manner, by making use of his own limbs.106 In passing, one may note that the claim that humans were fashioned manually has pre-Qur’anic parallels that lend further support to taking it quite literally. According to Aphrahat, Adam alone was created by God’s own hands while everything else was created by God’s word (Demonstrations 13:11 = Parisot 1894, 563–566, identified in BEQ 46). The same idea is developed at length by Jacob of Sarug (Mathews 2020, 46–51, ll. 2157–2194): whereas all other creatures were brought into existence by a divine “signal” (remzā; cf. Decharneux 2019, 244–245), Adam was uniquely created by God’s hands (l. 2169)—an instance of divine self-abasement that prefigures the incarnation of Christ (ll. 2189–2194). The Cave of Treasures also reports that Adam was shaped by God’s “holy hands” (Ri 1987, ch. 2:12; see Zellentin 2017, 109).107
Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (pp. 73-74). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.

Eyes

Build the ark before Our eyes and by Our revelation, and do not plead with Me for those who are wrongdoers: they shall indeed be drowned.’
Quran 11:37
"That cast him in the chest then cast it in the river, then let cast it the river on the bank; will take him an enemy to Me, and an enemy to him." And I cast over you love from Me, and that you may be brought up under My eye.
Quran 20:39
So submit patiently to the judgement of your Lord, for indeed you fare before Our eyes. And celebrate the praise of your Lord when you rise [at dawn]
Quran 52:48

Sitting upright

Further adding to the special aspect, Sinai (2023) writes, these anthropomorphisms are further bolstered as literal with him "sitting" on a throne, which angels will carry specifically in the sky, most likely the highest one; i.e. part of the cosmos rather than a separate supernatural "universe" or in a state of indescribable non spatial existence.

Qur’an quite literally understands God to possess a countenance, sensory percipience, and limbs capable of touching, grasping, or imparting movement that the Islamic scripture employs various idioms and formulae involving these features. After all, there is no Qur’anic equivalent to Ephrem’s caveat that God only “put on the names of body parts”—i.e., speaks of himself in anthropomorphic and anthropopathic language—due to the weakness of human understanding (Beck 1955, no. 31:1–4). The Qur’anic God, therefore, is not merely a body but also, at least in some sense, an anthropomorphic body: he is endowed with a face, he is empirically receptive to worldly occurrences (rather than just knowing about them), and he can directly, with his own body, manipulate objects in the world. That the divine body has a fundamentally humanoid shape is further accentuated by the use of the verb istawā, “to stand up straight” or “to sit upright,” which is applied both to God, indicating the modality of his being located on the throne (Q 7:54, 10:3, 13:2, 20:5, 25:59, 32:4, 57:4),108 and to humans, who are described as “sitting upright” in a boat or on the back of a mount (Q 23:28, 43:13; see CDKA 142).
allāh | God Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 74). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.

Made of light/photons

God is described as being made of light, essentially modern science tells us he is made of photons.[49]

And (will) shine the earth with (the) light (of) its Lord and (will) be placed the Record and (will) be brought the Prophets and the witnesses, and it (will) be judged between them in truth, and they will not be wronged.
Quran 39:69

Similarly in regards to light Sinai (2023) notes:

Nonetheless, with regard to Q 39:69 it seems more likely that the verse speaks of literal light, given that the same context also mentions the blowing of the eschatological trumpet (v. 68) and the display of the celestial register of deeds in preparation for the judgement (v. 69). But if reference is to concrete light rather than to the metaphorical light of divine guidance, then it stands to reason that this is light emitted by God, who arrives in order to judge humans and other moral agents.
Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 71). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.

And:

The obvious reading of the material just surveyed is that the Qur’an considers God to be at least in principle visible and to be spatially located. The Qur’anic God cannot, therefore, be immaterial in any strict sense.
Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 69). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.

External Links

References

  1. ↑ El-Zein, Amira. Islam, Arabs, and the Intelligent World of the Jinn (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East) (p. 139). Syracuse University Press. Kindle Edition.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 shayṭān | devil al-shayṭān | the devil, Satan Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 451). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.
  3. ↑ Wray, T. J.; Mobley, Gregory. The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots (pp. 68-70, Chapters 5 & 6). St. Martin's Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
  4. ↑ shayṭān | devil al-shayṭān | the devil, Satan Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 453). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ibid. Kindle Edition. pp. 459
  6. ↑ Angels in Islam. Of what are the Angels created? Islam Q&A. 2000
  7. ↑ El-Zein, Amira. Islam, Arabs, and the Intelligent World of the Jinn (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East) (Kindle Edition. pp. 44-46 ). Syracuse University Press.
  8. ↑ malak | angel; angels. Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 632). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition. Despite their wings and their potential invisibility, the default appearance of angels on earth is humanoid: “had we made him”—namely, the Qur’anic Messenger—“an angel, we would have made him a man (rajul),” i.e., endowed him with the appearance of an ordinary human, Q 6:9 affirms. Perhaps one is to understand that angels can exist in two different states of aggregation, as it were: a celestial one involving wings and invisibility to the human eye, and a state of manifestation to humans, in which they appear by and large like humans themselves (see also Burge 2012, 57). It is worth highlighting that Q 6:9, by virtue of employing the word rajul, additionally implies that angels are male. This corresponds to Biblical assumptions (e.g., Matt 16:5) and helps make sense of the Qur’anic polemic against belief in female angels (Q 17:40, 37:149–153, 43:16–19, 53:27–28; see also DTEK 102). A particular aspect of the angels’ humanoid appearance—namely, their possession of hands—is corroborated by Q 6:93, according to which the angels “stretch out their hands” for the wrongdoers when these latter are in the throes of death (DTEK 121). Moreover, it must be on account of the angels’ anthropomorphic appearance that Abraham initially mistook the divinely sent “messengers” (rusul) dispatched to him for ordinary humans, only realising their supernatural—i.e., angelic—status when his guests declined the food offered to them (Q 11:69–70 and 51:26–28; see below and Sinai 2020a, 282–283).26 The generally humanoid shape of Qur’anic angels also emerges from the fact that the female friends of Joseph’s Egyptian mistress so admire him that they exclaim, “This is no human but a noble angel!” (Q 12:31).
  9. ↑ What is meant by the blowing of the Trumpet? Islam Q&A. 2003.
  10. ↑ Decharneux, Julien. Creation and Contemplation: The Cosmology of the Qur'ān and Its Late Antique Background (Studies in the History and Culture of the Middle East Book 47) (p. 311). De Gruyter. Kindle Edition.
  11. ↑ Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 633). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition. ...“do as they are commanded” (Q 16:50, 66:6: yafʿalūna mā yuʾmarūn; see also 21:27: wa-hum bi-amrihi yaʿmalūn),30 “do not disobey God” (Q 66:6: lā yaʿṣūna llāha), and “do not deem themselves above serving him” (Q 7:206, 21:19: lā yastakbirūna ʿan ʿibādatihi; see also 16:49: wa-hum lā yastakbirūn)...
  12. ↑ Decharneux, Julien. Creation and Contemplation: The Cosmology of the Qur'ān and Its Late Antique Background (Studies in the History and Culture of the Middle East Book 47) (Kindle Edition. pp. 313). De Gruyter.
  13. ↑ The Ocean of the Qur'an: Q 83:21
  14. ↑ Stephen Burge. "Angels (malāʾika)." 4.3 Angels in classical emanationist cosmologies In St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology, edited by Brendan N. Wolfe et al. University of St Andrews. Article published August 29, 2024. https://www.saet.ac.uk/Islam/Angels. Journal TSAQAFAH Divine Emanation As Cosmic Origin: Ibn Sînâ and His Critics pp 334. Syamsuddin Arif* Institut Studi Islam Darussalam (ISID)
  15. ↑ E.g. Tafsir Al-Jalalayn on Verse 5:22 and others.
  16. ↑ Ibn Kathir (d 1373.) Commentary on Verse 21:96 (95-97)
  17. ↑ van Donzel, Emeri; Schmidt, Andrea. Gog and Magog in Early Eastern Christian and Islamic Sources: Sallam's Quest for Alexander's Wall. Leiden: Brill. pp. 91-92. ISBN 9789004174160, 2010. The full book and their analysis of the journey taken by Sallam can be read on the Internet Archive linked here. (page 110 of 229 the PDF)
  18. ↑ E.g. Adnan Qureshi, Christmas in North Korea, Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2020, pp. 141-142: Chollima joins the other mythical flying horses such as the horses of Eos, Helios, Apollo, Sol Invictus, and Pegasus (in Greek mythology), al-Buraq (a winged horse in Islamic tradition), Haizum (a heavenly winged horse, ridden by Gabriel according to Islamic tradition), Ponkhiraj (a flying horse from Bangladesh), and the wind horse (in Mongolian, ancient Turkish, and Tibetan traditions). & khosravi, M., taheri, A. (2018). 'A Comparative Study on the Image of “Buraq” in the Islamic Art with some Motifs of the Luristan Bronze', Journal of Archaeological Studies, 10(2), pp. 67-81. doi: 10.22059/jarcs.2018.226529.142389
  19. ↑ Tafsirs for Quran 113:4
  20. ↑ Day, C. L. (1950). Knots and Knot Lore. Western Folklore, 9(3), 229–256
  21. ↑ rūḥ | spirit rūḥ al-qudus | the holy spirit Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 355). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.
  22. ↑ Ibid. pp. 357
  23. ↑ Ibid. pp. 360
  24. ↑ ḥā rā mīm (ح ر م) Lane's Lexicon - Quranic Research ḥaram Lane's Lexicon Book 1 page 553 & 554
  25. ↑ Neuwirth, Angelika. (2003). From the Sacred Mosque to the Remote Temple: Sūrat al-Isrā' between Text and Commentary. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195137279.003.0025.
  26. ↑ qāf dāl sīn (ق د س) Lane's Lexicon - Quran research muqadasata - Lane's Lexicon Book 1 page 2497
  27. ↑ ḥā rā mīm (ح ر م) Lane's Lexicon - Quranic Research ḥurumun Lane's Lexicon Book 1 page 555
  28. ↑ See commentaries from Islamic scholars on Q29:14
  29. ↑ McAuliffe, J. D. (Eds.). (01 Jan. 2001). "Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān". In Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. Retrieved Mar 8, 2025, from https://brill.com/view/serial/ENQU Page 24. Adam and Eve. Read for free on internet archive, page (62/3956) of the PDF The Quran mentions several materials from which Adam was created, i.e. earth or dust (twrab, Q 3:59), clay (tan, Q7:12; see cLAy), and sticky clay or mud (tin lazib). More specifically, it is described as “clay from fetid foul mud” (salsal min hama’ masnin) and “clay like earthenware,” 1.e. baked or dry clay (salsal ka-l-fakhkhar). These terms are commonly interpreted as describing the different states of a single material.
  30. ↑ McAuliffe, J. D. (Eds.). (01 Jan. 2001). "Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān". In Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. Retrieved Mar 8, 2025, from https://brill.com/view/serial/ENQU Page 24. Adam and Eve. Read for free on internet archive, page (62/3956) of the PDF
  31. ↑ Tafsir al-Jalalayn on verse 21:69
  32. ↑ A Place Between Two Places: The Quranic Barzakh. George Archer. 2020. Gorgias Press LLC
  33. ↑ Virgin Birth: It’s Pagan, Guys. Get Over It. PhD Richard Carrier. 2016.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Encyclopedia of the Qur'an. pp. 242-243. A.H.M. Zahniser. 2021. Pages (1458-1460/3956) of free book on Intranet Archive
  35. ↑ E.g. the destruction of Thamūd, see: Sinai, Nicolai. “Religious Poetry from the Quranic Milieu: Umayya b. Abī l-Ṣalt on the Fate of the Thamūd.” Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 74, no. 3 (2011): 397–416. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0041977X11000309.
  36. ↑ ḥā kāf mīm (ح ك م) root on Qur'anic Research.net See: Lane's Lexicon classical Arabic dictionary Book 1 pp.617 & pp.618
  37. ↑ See commentaries on verse 7:73
  38. ↑ Tesei, Tommaso. Some Cosmological Notions from Late Antiquity in Q 18:60–65: The Quran in Light of Its Cultural Context. pp28. Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 135, no. 1, American Oriental Society, 2015, pp. 19–32, https://doi.org/10.7817/jameroriesoci.135.1.19. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7817/jameroriesoci.135.1.19
  39. ↑ See commentaries on Quran 99:2
  40. ↑ Garber, Christopher P. (2016) "Al-Ghazali on Causation, Omnipotence, and Human Freedom," Quaerens Deum: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal for Philosophy of Religion: Vol. 2 : Iss. 1 , Article 4. Available at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/lujpr/vol2/iss1/ Edward Omar Moad. “Al-Ghazali on Power, Causation, and ‘Acquisition.’” Philosophy East and West, vol. 57, no. 1, 2007, pp. 1–13. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4488073. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
  41. ↑ Durie, Mark. The Qur’an and Its Biblical Reflexes: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion. 2.4 An Act of God by Human Hands (p. 58-59) (Kindle Edition pp. 165-166) Lexington Books. 2018.
  42. ↑ Wind explained. U.S Energy information Administration. Last reviewed December 2023.
  43. ↑ Water Cycle Entry - Britannica What Makes It Rain? Water and Ice. NOAA SciJinks.gov
  44. ↑ Understanding Lightning Science. Safety. National Weather Service.
  45. ↑ Why do ships float? Amy McDonald. 2019. STEM Explained. Let's Talk Science
  46. ↑ E.g. Al-Jalalayn on verse 33:72
  47. ↑ Kahneman, Daniel, and Amos Tversky. “Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk.” Econometrica, vol. 47, no. 2, 1979, pp. 263–91. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1914185. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025. See also: Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Chapter 26: Prospect Theory.
  48. ↑ Holtzman, L. (2018). Anthropomorphism in Islam: The Challenge of Traditionalism (700-1350). United Kingdom: Edinburgh University Press. See many examples and debates around their authenticity in early Islam in Chapters 1, 2 and 3.
  49. ↑ What is a photon? Symmetry Magazine. Amanda Solliday and Kathryn Jepsen. 2021
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