Context
Prophet Mohammad’s journey as a prophet began in the cave of Hira on the Mountain of Light (Jabal Al-Nour) near Mecca. While he was in deep contemplation, the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) appeared to him with the first verses of the Quran: "Read, ˹O Prophet,˺ in the Name of your Lord Who created— created humans from a clinging clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, Who taught by the pen— taught humanity what they knew not." (Qur’an 96:1-5). This moment marked the beginning of his mission as the final messenger of Allah, tasked with delivering the Quran to guide humanity.
Miracles
1. The Quran Itself as a Miracle:
The Quran is the greatest miracle of the Prophet Mohammad (ﷺ), unmatched in its eloquence, linguistic beauty, and profound guidance. Despite the literary excellence of the Arabs at the time, they could not produce even a single surah like it: "And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our servant, then produce a sûrah like it and call your helpers other than Allah, if what you say is true.”, “But if you are unable to do so—and you will never be able to do so—then fear the Fire fuelled with people and stones, which is prepared for the disbelievers."(Qur’an 2:23-24). The Quran is widely regarded as a miraculous text due to its unmatched linguistic structure, coherence, and everlasting nature, which continues to challenge and inspire humanity to this day (Ahmad, 2016).
2. The Splitting of the Moon:
Quraysh demanded a sign, and by Allah’s will, the Prophet pointed at the moon, causing it to split into two distinct halves: "The Hour has drawn near and the moon was split ˹in two˺. Yet, whenever they see a sign, they turn away,1 saying, “Same old magic!”" (Qur’an 54:1-2). This miracle demonstrated his truthfulness, though many disbelievers dismissed it as magic.
3. The Night Journey and Ascension (Isra and Mi'raj):
The Prophet was taken on a miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem (Isra) and then ascended to the heavens (Mi'raj), where he witnessed divine signs and received the command for prayer: "Glory be to the One Who took His servant ˹Muḥammad˺ by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We may show him some of Our signs.1 Indeed, He alone is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing." (Qur’an 17:1). This journey emphasized the spiritual and physical dimensions of his prophethood.
4. The Splitting of the Chest:
As a young child, the Prophet experienced a miraculous purification of his heart by angels, symbolizing his purity and preparedness for his divine mission: "Have We not uplifted your heart for you ˹O Prophet˺," (Qur’an 94:1).
