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Magic, Miracles, and the Supernatural in the Qur'an: Difference between revisions

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Magic, Miracles, and the Supernatural in the Qur'an (view source)

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(→‎Anthropomorphisms of Allāh: Added a section on Divine Emotions)
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For in depth information about what happens during sleep aimed at the general reader, see Professor Matthew Walker's ''"Why we sleep: unlocking the power of sleep and dreams"''</ref>
For in depth information about what happens during sleep aimed at the general reader, see Professor Matthew Walker's ''"Why we sleep: unlocking the power of sleep and dreams"''</ref>
== Natural processes ascribed to God and magical properties assigned to inanimate objects ==
It could be argued that there is no randomness or natural law in the Qur'an, but rather every single thing including all causal events and interactions are not the results of material conditions and conjunctions, but rather determined by God/Allah's current will; an opinion argued by many Muslim theologians,<ref>Rudolph, Ulrich, 'Occasionalism', in Sabine Schmidtke (ed.), ''The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Theology'', Oxford Handbooks (2016; online edn, Oxford Academic, 3 Mar. 2014), <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199696703.013.39</nowiki>, accessed 28 Mar. 2025.</ref> such as al-Ghazālī who claims that God is the ultimate cause.<ref>[https://www.ghazali.org/articles/kamali.htm CAUSALITY AND DIVINE ACTION: THE ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE.] Mohammad Hashim Kamali. Ghazali.org</ref>
Decharneux (2023) highlights that God in the Qur'an is highly active in the cosmos, not just at the beginning of creation to set the world in place.{{Quote|Decharneux, Julien. De Gruyter. 2023. <i>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. 143).</i>|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.}}And similarly Sinai (2023).{{Quote|<i>allāh {{!}} God</i> Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (pp. 62-63). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.|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”).}}In similar fashion to the control seen in the doctrine of [[:en:Qur'an,_Hadith_and_Scholars:Predestination#Qur'an|Predestination in the Qur'an]], events aren't given a somewhat random cause and effect of individual people working within the laws of nature that have been set, but rather God interacts constantly. He (Allāh) 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}}. He is seen as deciding the outcome of battles {{Quran|36|74-75}} (which other gods cannot {{Quran|46|28}}) and working through believers to fight unbelievers {{Quran|8|17}}<ref>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.</ref>  and sending invisible angels to Muhammad {{Quran|3|123-126}}, {{Quran|33|9}}, {{Quran|9|26}} (cf: {{Quran|3|123-126}}) etc.
=== Natural processes explained by science as miracles ===
==== Wind & rain ====
Wind is seen as a sign of God {{Quran|35|9}} rather than from heat differences,<ref>[https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/wind/ Wind explained.] U.S Energy information Administration. Last reviewed December 2023. </ref> and God is said to bring down rain, rather than the natural process of water droplets<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/science/water-cycle Water Cycle Entry] - Britannica
[https://scijinks.gov/rain/ What Makes It Rain?] Water and Ice. NOAA SciJinks.gov </ref> 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}}). This is in line with the pre-Islamic Arabic poets worldview. <ref>See [https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:977914cb-d783-4949-aed4-f0b6c2eaa562/files/m34f1a166246ec073a79d42ea09d9cc1a Rain-Giver, Bone-Breaker, Score-Settler: Allāh in Pre-Quranic Poetry], ''pp. 15, pp.18, pp. 27-30: Chapter 6. Allāh as Creator and Provider of Rain.'' New Haven, Connecticut: American Oriental Society, 2019. Essay 15. Nicolai Sinai. </ref>
==== 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,<ref name=":0">[https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-overview Understanding Lightning Science.] Safety. National Weather Service.</ref> (i.e. explained by science), it is difficult to see why it would give people hope.
{{Quote|{{Quran|30|24}}|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}}
==== 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<ref>[https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/stem-explained/why-do-ships-float Why do ships float?] Amy McDonald. 2019. STEM Explained. Let's Talk Science</ref> (and essentially randomness of those who's boats do not work).
==== The baby's sex and Infertility ====
Allah is said to cause infertility, which we now know has many medical causes, some of which are preventable.<ref>[https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/infertility/symptoms-causes/syc-20354317 Infertility - Symptoms and causes.] Diseases & conditions. Mayo Clinic.org</ref> 
{{Quote|{{Quran|42|49-50}}|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.}}
==== The embryo's sex ====
{{Main|Embryology in the Quran}}
In the same verse as above {{Quran|42|49-50}} God is said to decide who is male and who is female, rather than the sex chromosome of the sperm cell that fertilizes the ovum.<ref>For a simple explanation, see: ''[https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/week2.html#:~:text=Every%20egg%20has%20an%20X,baby%20will%20be%20a%20boy. Pregnancy Calendar: Your Baby's Development] Kidshealth.org'' or ''Pampers: [https://www.pampers.co.uk/pregnancy/pregnancy-symptoms/article/what-determines-the-sex-of-a-baby At What Point is a Baby's Sex Determined? 2023.]''</ref> A sahih hadith clarifies that this is determined by whether the mother or father reaches sexual climax first.<ref>{{Bukhari|4|55|546}}</ref>
=== 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. 
{{Quote|{{Quran|13|13}}|<b>The Thunder celebrates His praise,</b> 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.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|22|18}}|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.}}
Even their shadows do somehow.
{{Quote|{{Quran|13|15}}|To Allah prostrates whoever there is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and their shadows at sunrise and sunset.}}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 God's 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.<ref>E.g. Al-Jalalayn on verse [https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/33.72 33:72]</ref>{{Quote|{{Quran|33|72}}|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.}}
=== Allah speaks to the heavens/skies and the earth and they respond ===
{{Quote|{{Quran|41|11}}|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.’"}}
=== Anthropomorphisms of Allāh ===
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.<ref>Holtzman, L. (2018). [https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Anthropomorphism_in_Islam/BPdJEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 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.''</ref>
==== Hands ====
Sinai (2023) notes the parallels with pre-Islamic and contemporary literature suggesting that these verses are to be taken literally.<ref><i>allāh {{!}} God</i> Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 73-74). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.
''...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.<sup>106</sup> 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).<sup>107</sup>''</ref>{{Quote|{{Quran|38|75}}|He said, ‘O Iblis! What keeps you from prostrating before that which I have created with <b>My [own] two hands?</b> Are you arrogant, or are you one of the exalted ones?’}}
{{Quote|<i>allāh {{!}} God</i> Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (pp. 73-74). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.|2=...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.<sup>106</sup> 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).<sup>107</sup>}}
==== Eyes ====
{{Quote|{{Quran|11|37}}|Build the ark before <b>Our eyes</b> and by Our revelation, and do not plead with Me for those who are wrongdoers: they shall indeed be drowned.’}}{{Quote|{{Quran|20|39}}|"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 <b>My eye.</b>}}{{Quote|{{Quran|52|48}}|So submit patiently to the judgement of your Lord, for indeed you fare before <b>Our eyes.</b> And celebrate the praise of your Lord when you rise [at dawn]}}
==== 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. {{Quote|<i>allāh {{!}} God</i> Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 74). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.|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),<sup>108</sup> 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).}}
==== Made of light/photons ====
God is described as being made of light, which we now know from modern science would essentially be saying he is made of photons.<ref>[https://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/what-is-a-photon?language_content_entity=und What is a photon?] Symmetry Magazine. Amanda Solliday and Kathryn Jepsen. 2021</ref>{{Quote|{{Quran|39|69}}|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.}}
Similarly in regards to light Sinai (2023) notes:
{{Quote|<i>allāh {{!}} God</i> Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 71). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.|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.}}
And:
{{Quote|<i>allāh {{!}} God</i> Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 69). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.|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.}}
==== Human emotions ====
'''Anger and wrath'''
God is said to have human emotions in the Qur'an such as anger (''ghadab'') (Q 1:7; cf. 4:93; 5:60; 7:71, 152; 8:16; 16:106; 20:81; 42:16; 48:6; 58:14; 60:13), and we see for example in Q 4:93,which deals with those who commit murder, we see that God does not simply send murderers to hell; he also grows angry with them.<ref>Reynolds, Gabriel Said. ''Allah: God in the Qur'an (p. 162).'' Yale University Press. Kindle Edition.</ref>{{Quote|{{Quran|4|93}}|Should anyone kill a believer intentionally, his requital shall be hell, to remain in it [forever]; <b>Allah shall be wrathful at him</b> and curse him and He shall prepare for him a great punishment.}}This anger frequently causes Allah to actively take vengeance on them.<ref>Reynolds, Gabriel Said. ''Allah: God in the Qur'an (p. 176-202). Chapter 8: The Avenger.''  Yale University Press. Kindle Edition.</ref>
'''Loving'''
{{Quran|60|8}} Durie (2018) notes that in contrast to the bible, the title ''al-wadūd'' “one who loves” is used of Allah only twice (Q85:14; Q11:90).<ref>''The Qurʾan and its Biblical Reflexes: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion. pp.107.'' Durie, Mark. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2018.</ref>
'''Not loving'''
Reynolds (2020) notes{{Quote|Reynolds, Gabriel Said. <i>Allah: God in the Qur'an (p. 167).</i> Yale University Press. Kindle Edition. |There are indeed those whom the God of the Qur’an does not love. “God does not love any sinful unbeliever” (Q 2:276). “God does not love the faithless” (Q 3:32; cf. 30:45).9 God also does not love the wrongdoers (Q 3:57, 140; 42:40), the transgressors (Q 2:190, 5:87, 7:55), the arrogant (Q 4:36, 16:23, 31:18, 57:23), the proud (Q 4:36, 31:18, 57:23), the wasteful (Q 6:141, 7:31), the treacherous (Q 8:58, 22:38), the corrupt (Q 5:64, 28:77), and the boastful (Q 28:76).}}'''Hating'''
{{Quran|40|10}} even speaks of God’s “hate” (maqt) of unbelievers.<ref>Reynolds, Gabriel Said. ''Allah: God in the Qur'an (pp. 167-168).'' Yale University Press. Kindle Edition.</ref>
'''Pleasure'''
Alongside other human emotions God can feel pleasure ({{Quran|98|8}}).
'''Other'''
Both God and Humans are said to have a sunnah<ref>See verses in the Qur'an in the Noun section of the root [https://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=snn ''sīn nūn nūn'' (س ن ن)] on Quran Corpus.</ref> or "customary way" of acting<ref>''The Qurʾan and its Biblical Reflexes: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion. pp.177.'' Durie, Mark.</ref> (e.g. {{Quran|35|43}}).


==Miracles and myths==
==Miracles and myths==
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Classical Islamic commentators explain this can include all kinds of things, including dead people (which in reality would have rotted and not necessarily be in the Earth itself), things to do with their crimes, treasure and metals, and others.<ref>See [https://quranx.com/tafsirs/99.2 commentaries on Quran 99:2]</ref>
Classical Islamic commentators explain this can include all kinds of things, including dead people (which in reality would have rotted and not necessarily be in the Earth itself), things to do with their crimes, treasure and metals, and others.<ref>See [https://quranx.com/tafsirs/99.2 commentaries on Quran 99:2]</ref>
{{Quote|{{Quran|99|2}}|And brings forth the earth its burdens,}}
{{Quote|{{Quran|99|2}}|And brings forth the earth its burdens,}}
== Natural processes ascribed to God and magical properties assigned to inanimate objects ==
It could be argued that there is no randomness or natural law in the Qur'an, but rather every single thing including all causal events and interactions are not the results of material conditions and conjunctions, but rather determined by God/Allah's current will; an opinion argued by many Muslim theologians,<ref>Rudolph, Ulrich, 'Occasionalism', in Sabine Schmidtke (ed.), ''The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Theology'', Oxford Handbooks (2016; online edn, Oxford Academic, 3 Mar. 2014), <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199696703.013.39</nowiki>, accessed 28 Mar. 2025.</ref> such as al-Ghazālī who claims that God is the ultimate cause.<ref>[https://www.ghazali.org/articles/kamali.htm CAUSALITY AND DIVINE ACTION: THE ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE.] Mohammad Hashim Kamali. Ghazali.org</ref>
Decharneux (2023) highlights that God in the Qur'an is highly active in the cosmos, not just at the beginning of creation to set the world in place.{{Quote|Decharneux, Julien. De Gruyter. 2023. <i>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. 143).</i>|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.}}And similarly Sinai (2023).{{Quote|<i>allāh {{!}} God</i> Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (pp. 62-63). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.|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”).}}In similar fashion to the control seen in the doctrine of [[:en:Qur'an,_Hadith_and_Scholars:Predestination#Qur'an|Predestination in the Qur'an]], events aren't given a somewhat random cause and effect of individual people working within the laws of nature that have been set, but rather God interacts constantly. He (Allāh) 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}}. He is seen as deciding the outcome of battles {{Quran|36|74-75}} (which other gods cannot {{Quran|46|28}}) and working through believers to fight unbelievers {{Quran|8|17}}<ref>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.</ref>  and sending invisible angels to Muhammad {{Quran|3|123-126}}, {{Quran|33|9}}, {{Quran|9|26}} (cf: {{Quran|3|123-126}}) etc.
=== Natural processes explained by science as miracles ===
==== Wind & rain ====
Wind is seen as a sign of God {{Quran|35|9}} rather than from heat differences,<ref>[https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/wind/ Wind explained.] U.S Energy information Administration. Last reviewed December 2023. </ref> and God is said to bring down rain, rather than the natural process of water droplets<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/science/water-cycle Water Cycle Entry] - Britannica
[https://scijinks.gov/rain/ What Makes It Rain?] Water and Ice. NOAA SciJinks.gov </ref> 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}}). This is in line with the pre-Islamic Arabic poets worldview. <ref>See [https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:977914cb-d783-4949-aed4-f0b6c2eaa562/files/m34f1a166246ec073a79d42ea09d9cc1a Rain-Giver, Bone-Breaker, Score-Settler: Allāh in Pre-Quranic Poetry], ''pp. 15, pp.18, pp. 27-30: Chapter 6. Allāh as Creator and Provider of Rain.'' New Haven, Connecticut: American Oriental Society, 2019. Essay 15. Nicolai Sinai. </ref>
==== 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,<ref name=":0">[https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-overview Understanding Lightning Science.] Safety. National Weather Service.</ref> (i.e. explained by science), it is difficult to see why it would give people hope.
{{Quote|{{Quran|30|24}}|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}}
==== 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<ref>[https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/stem-explained/why-do-ships-float Why do ships float?] Amy McDonald. 2019. STEM Explained. Let's Talk Science</ref> (and essentially randomness of those who's boats do not work).
==== The baby's sex and Infertility ====
Allah is said to cause infertility, which we now know has many medical causes, some of which are preventable.<ref>[https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/infertility/symptoms-causes/syc-20354317 Infertility - Symptoms and causes.] Diseases & conditions. Mayo Clinic.org</ref> 
{{Quote|{{Quran|42|49-50}}|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.}}
==== The embryo's sex ====
{{Main|Embryology in the Quran}}
In the same verse as above {{Quran|42|49-50}} God is said to decide who is male and who is female, rather than the sex chromosome of the sperm cell that fertilizes the ovum.<ref>For a simple explanation, see: ''[https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/week2.html#:~:text=Every%20egg%20has%20an%20X,baby%20will%20be%20a%20boy. Pregnancy Calendar: Your Baby's Development] Kidshealth.org'' or ''Pampers: [https://www.pampers.co.uk/pregnancy/pregnancy-symptoms/article/what-determines-the-sex-of-a-baby At What Point is a Baby's Sex Determined? 2023.]''</ref> A sahih hadith clarifies that this is determined by whether the mother or father reaches sexual climax first.<ref>{{Bukhari|4|55|546}}</ref>
=== 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. 
{{Quote|{{Quran|13|13}}|<b>The Thunder celebrates His praise,</b> 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.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|22|18}}|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.}}
Even their shadows do somehow.
{{Quote|{{Quran|13|15}}|To Allah prostrates whoever there is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and their shadows at sunrise and sunset.}}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 God's 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.<ref>E.g. Al-Jalalayn on verse [https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/33.72 33:72]</ref>{{Quote|{{Quran|33|72}}|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.}}
=== Allah speaks to the heavens/skies and the earth and they respond ===
{{Quote|{{Quran|41|11}}|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.’"}}
=== Anthropomorphisms of Allāh ===
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.<ref>Holtzman, L. (2018). [https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Anthropomorphism_in_Islam/BPdJEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 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.''</ref>
==== Hands ====
Sinai (2023) notes the parallels with pre-Islamic and contemporary literature suggesting that these verses are to be taken literally.<ref><i>allāh {{!}} God</i> Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 73-74). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.
''...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.<sup>106</sup> 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).<sup>107</sup>''</ref>{{Quote|{{Quran|38|75}}|He said, ‘O Iblis! What keeps you from prostrating before that which I have created with <b>My [own] two hands?</b> Are you arrogant, or are you one of the exalted ones?’}}
{{Quote|<i>allāh {{!}} God</i> Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (pp. 73-74). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.|2=...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.<sup>106</sup> 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).<sup>107</sup>}}
==== Eyes ====
{{Quote|{{Quran|11|37}}|Build the ark before <b>Our eyes</b> and by Our revelation, and do not plead with Me for those who are wrongdoers: they shall indeed be drowned.’}}{{Quote|{{Quran|20|39}}|"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 <b>My eye.</b>}}{{Quote|{{Quran|52|48}}|So submit patiently to the judgement of your Lord, for indeed you fare before <b>Our eyes.</b> And celebrate the praise of your Lord when you rise [at dawn]}}
==== 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. {{Quote|<i>allāh {{!}} God</i> Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 74). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.|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),<sup>108</sup> 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).}}
==== Made of light/photons ====
God is described as being made of light, which we now know from modern science would essentially be saying he is made of photons.<ref>[https://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/what-is-a-photon?language_content_entity=und What is a photon?] Symmetry Magazine. Amanda Solliday and Kathryn Jepsen. 2021</ref>{{Quote|{{Quran|39|69}}|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.}}
Similarly in regards to light Sinai (2023) notes:
{{Quote|<i>allāh {{!}} God</i> Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 71). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.|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.}}
And:
{{Quote|<i>allāh {{!}} God</i> Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 69). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.|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.}}
==== Human emotions ====
'''Anger and wrath'''
God is said to have human emotions in the Qur'an such as anger (''ghadab'') (Q 1:7; cf. 4:93; 5:60; 7:71, 152; 8:16; 16:106; 20:81; 42:16; 48:6; 58:14; 60:13), and we see for example in Q 4:93,which deals with those who commit murder, we see that God does not simply send murderers to hell; he also grows angry with them.<ref>Reynolds, Gabriel Said. ''Allah: God in the Qur'an (p. 162).'' Yale University Press. Kindle Edition.</ref>{{Quote|{{Quran|4|93}}|Should anyone kill a believer intentionally, his requital shall be hell, to remain in it [forever]; <b>Allah shall be wrathful at him</b> and curse him and He shall prepare for him a great punishment.}}This anger frequently causes Allah to actively take vengeance on them.<ref>Reynolds, Gabriel Said. ''Allah: God in the Qur'an (p. 176-202). Chapter 8: The Avenger.''  Yale University Press. Kindle Edition.</ref>
'''Loving'''
{{Quran|60|8}} Durie (2018) notes that in contrast to the bible, the title ''al-wadūd'' “one who loves” is used of Allah only twice (Q85:14; Q11:90).<ref>''The Qurʾan and its Biblical Reflexes: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion. pp.107.'' Durie, Mark. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2018.</ref>
'''Not loving'''
Reynolds (2020) notes{{Quote|Reynolds, Gabriel Said. <i>Allah: God in the Qur'an (p. 167).</i> Yale University Press. Kindle Edition. |There are indeed those whom the God of the Qur’an does not love. “God does not love any sinful unbeliever” (Q 2:276). “God does not love the faithless” (Q 3:32; cf. 30:45).9 God also does not love the wrongdoers (Q 3:57, 140; 42:40), the transgressors (Q 2:190, 5:87, 7:55), the arrogant (Q 4:36, 16:23, 31:18, 57:23), the proud (Q 4:36, 31:18, 57:23), the wasteful (Q 6:141, 7:31), the treacherous (Q 8:58, 22:38), the corrupt (Q 5:64, 28:77), and the boastful (Q 28:76).}}'''Hating'''
{{Quran|40|10}} even speaks of God’s “hate” (maqt) of unbelievers.<ref>Reynolds, Gabriel Said. ''Allah: God in the Qur'an (pp. 167-168).'' Yale University Press. Kindle Edition.</ref>
'''Pleasure'''
Alongside other human emotions God can feel pleasure ({{Quran|98|8}}).
'''Other'''
Both God and Humans are said to have a sunnah<ref>See verses in the Qur'an in the Noun section of the root [https://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=snn ''sīn nūn nūn'' (س ن ن)] on Quran Corpus.</ref> or "customary way" of acting<ref>''The Qurʾan and its Biblical Reflexes: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion. pp.177.'' Durie, Mark.</ref> (e.g. {{Quran|35|43}}).


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