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The Islamic Concept of Miracles | The Evidence Course | Session 5 / Part 1 (2021-09-29) ​

Description ​

Session 5 Part 1

In an age of information overload and widespread pseudo-intellectualism, understanding the core foundations of Islam is as essential as ever.

This course comprehensively deconstructs the skeletal structure of prevalent ideologies and concepts such as atheism, scientism, materialism, secularism, and skepticism, in light of an all-encompassing intellectually robust Islamic worldview.

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The Hosts: ----------------------| Jake Brancatella, The Muslim Metaphysician

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Yusuf Ponders, The Pondering Soul

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Sharif

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Abdulrahman

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Summary of The Islamic Concept of Miracles | The Evidence Course | Session 5 / Part 1 ​

This summary is AI generated - there may be inaccuracies. *

00:00:00 - 00:15:00 ​

discusses the Islamic concept of miracles, which refers to an inimitable act that cannot be explained by human beings or nature. The evidence for these miracles comes from the prophets and messengers sent by God, whose evidence cannot be replicated. When individuals witness one of these miracles, they are fully aware that it is not something that can be done by human beings alone.

**00:00:00

  • Discusses the various filters that we use when assessing whether or not a person is from the creator. He goes on to explain that if a person presents evidence that is beyond what humans are capable of producing, then we can know that they are from the creator. In this case, the sign would be the fact that the person brought something that no human could produce.
  • **00:05:00
  • Discusses the Islamic concept of miracles, which refers to an inimitable act that cannot be explained by human beings or nature. The evidence for these miracles comes from the prophets and messengers sent by God, whose evidence cannot be replicated. When individuals witness one of these miracles, they are fully aware that it is not something that can be done by human beings alone. If a new medication is discovered and put under a patent for 10 years to prevent other companies from reverse engineering it, this is an example of how the concept of miracles is applied in the real world.
  • **00:10:00 ** The Islamic concept of miracles is explained as is the case with Prophet Muhammad's encounter with magicians. Musa al-Islam accepted a challenge to show his miracles to Pharaoh, and when the magicians failed to produce the same effects, Pharaoh realized it was a miracle.
  • **00:15:00
  • Discusses the Islamic concept of miracles, discussing how magicians can recognize a non-naturalistic event as a miracle. It goes on to discuss the evidence for the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad, focusing on the textual evidence in the Quran. Finally, it discusses how today's miracles might be tested and judged according to the same principles.

Full transcript with timestamps: CLICK TO EXPAND

0:00:14 so now we're going into really the the0:00:16 heart of the matter in terms of about0:00:19 guidance from the creator0:00:20 i section five and this is where we're0:00:23 going to start to look at the miracle or0:00:25 what we understand as the more jesus of0:00:27 the prophet sallallahu alaihi in order0:00:29 to prove the prophethood0:00:32 but as i'm speaking i want you to0:00:33 imagine that you're watching this video0:00:36 and suddenly you hear the knocking on0:00:38 the door0:00:39 and you think well who's that0:00:41 so you walk towards the door you open0:00:43 the door and you have somebody there0:00:45 who's claiming that he's received0:00:47 revelation and guidance from the creator0:00:49 you've already accepted that the creator0:00:51 exists you've already accepted that we0:00:53 have this innate nature that seeks out0:00:54 the guidance from the creator and0:00:56 therefore this is a person now has said0:00:59 he's got that guidance would we accept0:01:01 it0:01:02 obviously not0:01:04 we would naturally ask the question0:01:07 where's your evidence where's your proof0:01:09 and we would have certain filters as0:01:11 well0:01:12 in order to understand whether this0:01:14 person is actually giving us revelation0:01:18 from the creator0:01:19 and why do we why do i say we have these0:01:21 filters because some people say oh you0:01:23 know what it's so difficult to go out0:01:26 there and work out which religion is0:01:27 correct because there's so many0:01:29 religions out there do i have to study0:01:30 every single religion in order to know0:01:33 you know which one is from the guidance0:01:34 from the creator but we've already got0:01:36 filters0:01:37 the first one is that if the religion0:01:40 doesn't refer back to a creator like0:01:42 maybe buddhism0:01:44 then we know that that's incorrect0:01:45 because there is a creator and therefore0:01:47 this creator is the one whom we seek to0:01:49 worship0:01:50 similarly0:01:51 if there's a a religion that claims to0:01:54 be guidance from0:01:56 the divine but believes in multiple gods0:01:59 you can say well that's incorrect that's0:02:01 irrational because there must be only0:02:03 one creator and that is uh the necessary0:02:06 independent being allah0:02:08 so we can negate that0:02:10 similarly if somebody turns around and0:02:12 he starts to describe the creator or0:02:14 talks about the creator as human being0:02:16 or having human features or features of0:02:19 creation i features of limited0:02:21 contingent0:02:22 limited contingent possible beings then0:02:24 we can discount this particular religion0:02:28 so we're only actually left with maybe0:02:30 one or two0:02:32 and obviously from this perspective we0:02:34 are looking at the belief in0:02:37 islam and what what it what it0:02:39 how do we establish that but imagine if0:02:41 this person knocked on the door so he he0:02:44 goes through our filters he believes0:02:46 that there is a creator he believes that0:02:47 there's one creator he believes that the0:02:49 creator is different to creation and is0:02:53 you know beyond limitations and0:02:56 therefore independent eternal and he0:02:58 still claims0:02:59 that he's got the guidance would we0:03:01 accept it0:03:02 no the next question would naturally0:03:04 remain0:03:06 where's your evidence where's your proof0:03:09 where's the sign or the evidence for us0:03:12 to know that what you're saying is0:03:14 actually from the creator0:03:16 and so we have to ask ourselves the0:03:18 question0:03:19 what in this situation would constitute0:03:21 proof what would constitute evidence0:03:23 that a person's claim to receive message0:03:26 from the divine from the creator from0:03:28 allah0:03:30 is actually a true evidence0:03:34 and0:03:36 really what we understand0:03:38 that the only way that we could work out0:03:40 whether this person is really truly from0:03:42 the creator really truly from any the uh0:03:47 you know receiving a message or evidence0:03:49 from the creator from allah0:03:51 then as a result we would seek out the0:03:53 only way we'd do that is we would seek0:03:55 out some sign or evidence that only the0:03:58 creator himself0:04:00 allah0:04:02 could produce0:04:04 so it would be something that would be0:04:05 beyond what human beings could do so if0:04:08 a person turns around and said my sign0:04:10 or my evidence that i am from the0:04:11 creator and he brings out you know0:04:14 you know something you know some sort of0:04:16 weird evidence but the evidence is0:04:18 something that i could have produced or0:04:20 another person i know could have0:04:22 produced then i know this person doesn't0:04:24 really have a sign or evidence that he0:04:26 is from the creator he is from allah0:04:30 so0:04:31 naturally then we would ask the question0:04:37 naturally then we would ask the question0:04:39 what is that sign well that sign is the0:04:41 fact that he's brought something that0:04:43 has some any uh0:04:45 you know something that no human being0:04:47 can do0:04:48 and so allah he mentions insult hadid0:04:52 verse chapter 57 verse 250:05:02 says indeed we have sent our messengers0:05:05 with clear proofs0:05:07 and revealed with them the book the0:05:09 scripture and the balance0:05:12 it's the verse that i mentioned in the0:05:13 previous video0:05:15 so allah is saying that every time he0:05:17 sent a messenger0:05:18 he sent with them evidence and proof0:05:21 just like we said we would look for0:05:22 evidence and proof from a person0:05:25 knocking on our door claiming that he's0:05:26 got guidance then similarly we would0:05:28 look for evidence and alice panzer says0:05:31 that he has sent messengers with0:05:32 evidence and proof and what is that0:05:35 evidence and proof that we're looking0:05:36 for the inimitable or the the ability to0:05:39 produce or evidence something that only0:05:42 the creator could have brought about0:05:44 this is what we're looking for0:05:46 in essence what we are looking for is0:05:49 something that we call a miracle or in0:05:52 arabic more precisely0:05:55 inimitable acts so we're looking for an0:05:57 inimitable act what we also could refer0:06:00 to as a non-naturalistic explanation not0:06:03 something i could explain by the nature0:06:05 not something i could explain by human0:06:07 being production but rather it has no0:06:10 explanation except that they say you0:06:12 know it has to have come from the0:06:14 creator in order to cause that for0:06:16 example0:06:17 the event of prophet ibrahim0:06:19 alaihissalam who was thrown into the0:06:21 fire yet the fire did not burn him0:06:23 so the natural law the natural0:06:26 expectation would be and the attribute0:06:28 of fire is that it burns but when the0:06:31 attribute is stopped0:06:33 that ability to stop the fire from0:06:35 burning a human being is beyond human0:06:38 capability it has no naturalistic0:06:40 explanation the only one who could have0:06:42 changed the attribute of fire is the one0:06:44 who placed the attribute of fire to burn0:06:46 in the first place which is allah or we0:06:49 have the example of musa alayhi salaam0:06:52 whose staff turned into a snake0:06:54 or prophet isa al-islam who was given0:06:57 the ability to heal the sick and even0:06:59 bring the dead back to life but in allah0:07:01 by the permission of allah0:07:03 so how do these signs indicate that they0:07:04 are messengers of god as we said they0:07:07 are signs that cannot be replicated by0:07:09 human beings0:07:11 meaning there are signs that have no0:07:13 naturalistic explanation to why they0:07:15 exist in the first place0:07:18 so0:07:22 so when we understand0:07:24 that this is what's occurring that there0:07:25 is uh there's something that we cannot0:07:27 replicate0:07:29 then the second aspect of regards to0:07:30 this is that okay how do i know that no0:07:33 human being could replicate no is beyond0:07:35 human production it's non-naturalistic0:07:37 explanation well if i know the subject0:07:39 area0:07:40 and the people know the subject area so0:07:42 if this person comes to me and he says0:07:44 oh no human being can do this and he0:07:46 mentioned something about0:07:48 you know something i have absolutely no0:07:50 clue about0:07:51 yeah then i can't test and verify0:07:53 whether it has non-human production or0:07:56 not i would need to seek out you know uh0:07:59 to understand the area so when the the0:08:03 prophets and the messengers were sent0:08:05 and they were sent with proofs and0:08:06 evidences the evidences that they were0:08:08 sent the inimitable act that they sent0:08:11 with was in a subject area that the0:08:13 people themselves were aware of they0:08:15 understood0:08:16 yeah so when during isa alaihissalam the0:08:19 people well aware of science0:08:21 and the you know the science behind the0:08:23 medicine for their time i0:08:26 for their time they knew what was0:08:28 capable for human beings to do and what0:08:31 was not capable for human beings to do0:08:33 when it comes to curing the sick yeah0:08:36 and so when they were able to witness0:08:38 what isa alaihissalam did they were0:08:40 fully aware that what he did was not0:08:43 something within human productive0:08:46 capacity0:08:47 now0:08:48 somebody may argue and say well okay0:08:50 what if isa alaihi0:08:53 had a novel treatment to diseases0:08:56 and therefore he was producing something0:08:58 and maybe the the other doctors didn't0:08:59 know about it and he's got some new0:09:01 treatment0:09:02 well if we cast our minds back to the0:09:04 definition of rational thinking0:09:06 we said that thought arises from sensing0:09:09 reality and then linking it to previous0:09:11 information0:09:12 previous information is something we0:09:14 acquire from the people and the society0:09:16 around us0:09:18 so even if we innovate in an idea or0:09:20 technology all we're doing is taking the0:09:23 prevalent knowledge that exists and0:09:26 maybe arranging it in a novel fashion0:09:29 and then producing some new way of you0:09:32 know a new understanding but if it is0:09:34 taking from the pre-existing knowledge0:09:36 and utilizing in a new way then that0:09:38 means that other people can take what we0:09:40 have done0:09:41 reverse engineer it and understand how0:09:44 it operates0:09:46 and this is exactly why pharmaceutical0:09:48 industries in the west whenever they0:09:50 discover a new medicine they put it0:09:52 under a patent for 10 years0:09:55 and that's to prevent other0:09:56 pharmaceutical companies reverse0:09:58 engineering their drug0:10:00 understanding its mode of action and0:10:02 then replicating it in their own0:10:04 laboratories so they understand you can0:10:06 maybe produce something relatively new0:10:08 you're taking it from the existing0:10:10 knowledge and as a result another person0:10:12 can look at what you've done0:10:14 look at the knowledge set that you've0:10:15 depended upon and reverse engineer and0:10:18 produce it0:10:19 so east alisam0:10:21 you know could not have simply obtained0:10:23 the knowledge you know from the existing0:10:26 environment0:10:27 if other people could not replicate what0:10:30 he did0:10:31 but rather isa al-islam produced0:10:33 something that even the doctors and the0:10:35 medics and the scientists at that time0:10:37 recognized was impossible for human0:10:39 beings to do was beyond the scope of the0:10:42 knowledge set that existed within the0:10:44 society and therefore could have only0:10:47 been from the creator who created life0:10:50 and death illness and disease0:10:57 hence that's why we call these you know0:11:00 miracles or marriages in arabic i0:11:01 inimitable events because they don't0:11:03 can't be imitated can't be produced and0:11:06 we say we see this same pattern with0:11:08 regards to musa alaysalam and the0:11:10 miracle and sign that he was given when0:11:12 he was sent to speak to fur0:11:14 and he called him to the rational0:11:16 concept of worshiping worshipping one0:11:18 allah and accepting him as a prophet0:11:21 and in this discussion in the discussion0:11:24 that he had with musa with musa0:11:29 and indeed we showed to him0:11:32 our signs and evidence but he denied and0:11:35 refused0:11:36 and what was and this is always a sign0:11:39 in the evidence as we know prophet0:11:41 al-islam was able to have he carried a0:11:43 staff and when he placed the staff down0:11:45 it turned into a snake yeah and so0:11:48 when far owned saw this what was0:11:51 firaoun's response0:11:53 he goes and it's mentioned in sultan0:11:55 verse 58 then verily we can pre he said0:11:58 then verily we can produce the magic the0:12:01 like thereof so i'll point a meeting0:12:03 between us and you0:12:05 which neither we nor you shall fail to0:12:07 keep in an open wide place where both0:12:10 shall have at just an equal chance and0:12:13 the people who can witness it they can0:12:14 witness the competition0:12:16 so ferrari's explaining that he's got0:12:18 magicians as well he's got experts who0:12:21 can do this type of magic yeah so like0:12:24 during isla islam who had hell held0:12:27 expertise in medicine during farrow's0:12:29 time they had people held expertise in0:12:32 illusion and trickery you know give the0:12:34 appearance of magic0:12:35 so pharaoh challenged musa al-islam's0:12:38 claim to prophethood by saying that what0:12:41 he did was within human capability and0:12:43 this was not a sign of god0:12:45 and0:12:47 musa al-islam he accepted the challenge0:12:49 and he said0:12:50 your appointed meeting day is the day of0:12:52 the festival and let the people assemble0:12:54 when the sun has risen for noon so musa0:12:57 have known he accepted the challenge but0:12:58 he said let's make it on the day of0:13:00 festival when as many people as possible0:13:03 can witness what's going to occur0:13:05 and we know what the story was and what0:13:07 occurred0:13:09 the magicians placed their staffs down0:13:12 made the appearance that they became0:13:13 alive0:13:14 and then musa al-islam placed his staff0:13:17 down and it swallowed up those other0:13:20 apparent snakes or the the various0:13:22 illusions that were in trickery that was0:13:24 done by the the pharaoh's magicians0:13:28 so what was also interesting here0:13:31 is this0:13:32 is that not the no you know the normal0:13:35 people who are witnessing this event0:13:38 they might not know and might not have0:13:40 the expertise in the magic you know what0:13:42 human beings can or cannot do in this0:13:44 area of magic or trickery or illusion0:13:47 but the experts at that time were the0:13:49 seven magicians they knew what was0:13:52 capable by human beings0:13:54 they were able to recognize whether it's0:13:56 something within the capacity of human0:13:57 production or not and so what was very0:14:00 interesting and no uh you know point to0:14:03 note even though these were pharaoh's0:14:05 magicians0:14:06 pharaoh's magician is mentioned in the0:14:08 quran he says so the magicians fell down0:14:10 prostrate they made sud they said we0:14:13 believe in the lord of haroon and moosa0:14:17 so these these magicians they are like a0:14:21 they're like a proof0:14:22 for the people maybe they don't know how0:14:25 to discern what is magic and what is a0:14:26 miracle0:14:28 but these magicians can and when the0:14:30 magicians testified to the mortgages to0:14:33 the inimitable miraculous act of muslim0:14:36 then that was sufficient evidence for0:14:38 the people behind them they turned0:14:39 around so well if they're the experts0:14:41 and the very experts are saying this is0:14:44 a definite miracle then it must be a0:14:46 miracle0:14:47 and you know pharaoh0:14:49 he said0:14:51 he returned and he mentioned he goes0:14:52 believe you in him musa al-islam before0:14:55 i give you permission verily he ai0:14:57 muslim is your chief who taught you0:15:00 majit so i will surely cut off your0:15:02 hands and feet on opposite sides and i0:15:04 will surely crucify you on the trunks of0:15:07 date palms and you shall0:15:08 surely know which of us0:15:11 i for on or the lord of musa can give0:15:14 you that it can give the severe and more0:15:16 lasting torment0:15:17 so through saying i didn't give you0:15:20 permission to worship the lord of muslim0:15:23 and so he started to torture them and0:15:26 you know gave them the most painful0:15:28 punishment in this life and what's0:15:30 really interesting0:15:32 is that they maintain their belief in0:15:35 allah and belief in the prophethood0:15:38 and there and even though they're in the0:15:40 severe torment they said your torment is0:15:42 only in this life which is temporary the0:15:45 torment of allah is eternal in the next0:15:47 life0:15:48 and his pleasure and the the paradise is0:15:51 eternal in the next life so you know you0:15:53 think about it0:15:54 has got this argument he's basically0:15:56 saying to the to the magicians well0:15:58 actually maybe it's musa islam you've0:16:00 conspired he's the usual chief magician0:16:02 you just made this trick0:16:04 up to give this impression now if a0:16:06 person is pretending based upon some0:16:10 material outcome some sort of personal0:16:12 benefit you know out of this conspiracy0:16:15 you wouldn't face this type of torture0:16:18 and difficulty and adhere to it if you0:16:21 didn't believe sincerely that actually0:16:24 this is0:16:25 a miracle and therefore musa al-islam is0:16:28 indeed a prophet0:16:31 so these magicians they're able to0:16:34 recognize this non-naturalistic event0:16:36 they reckon they were also they were0:16:38 able to recognize that it was beyond0:16:40 human production and human capabilities0:16:42 they were the first to submit to the0:16:44 message of muslim0:16:46 so0:16:48 this allows us and makes us understand0:16:50 the nature of miracles within the0:16:53 islamic concept0:16:55 firstly0:16:56 and this is the sign this is the0:16:58 evidence that we're looking for so when0:16:59 somebody comes and claims to be have0:17:01 divine guidance we're going to look for0:17:03 one the first filters regards to you0:17:05 know is the revelation that they are0:17:07 bringing does it any fit with our con0:17:10 rational conception of the creator0:17:12 secondly is what they claim as0:17:15 revelation from the creator0:17:17 uh0:17:18 does it do they have a sign0:17:20 is that sign that they bring forward0:17:23 beyond human capability and has no0:17:26 naturalistic explanation0:17:28 and it would also be natural that the p0:17:31 the sign the evidence0:17:33 for the this much of this miraculous0:17:36 event or this miraculous sign0:17:38 would be in a subject area that the0:17:40 people are experts in and those and as a0:17:44 result they can identify whether what0:17:45 was occurring was within human0:17:47 capability or not if they don't know if0:17:49 they're not experts in it they're not0:17:50 going to be able to make that this0:17:52 that0:17:53 judgment0:17:54 and fourthly the margins that also0:17:56 challenge the people in particular0:17:59 disbelievers that if they didn't believe0:18:01 this was from god0:18:03 then you replicate it so there was also0:18:05 a challenge to the people0:18:07 now obviously we take the evidence that0:18:09 the previous prophets performed miracles0:18:12 from the quran itself and this is what0:18:14 we term the0:18:17 sorry0:18:18 textual evidence and it's not rational0:18:20 evidence for us0:18:22 which leads us to the question0:18:24 what evidence is there for the quran and0:18:26 therefore the for the prophethood of0:18:28 prophet muhammad sallallahu alaihi0:18:29 wasallam0:18:30 i what sign did he sallallahu alaihi0:18:33 wasallam bring did it define human0:18:35 capability yeah did it go beyond what0:18:38 human beings can produce did it0:18:40 challenge the people of his time to0:18:42 replicate his miracle0:18:44 and was it a sign within the subject0:18:46 area of knowledge of the people of his0:18:49 time0:18:49 furthermore0:18:51 is this miracle existent for us today0:18:54 the prophet0:18:55 alaihi wasallam is obviously the last0:18:57 prophet0:18:58 so0:18:59 it is natural or it would be0:19:01 expected that his miracle would also be0:19:04 the last miracle the last martial0:19:06 and therefore something that might be0:19:08 considered a miracle that we can maybe0:19:11 test and see even today0:19:13 this testable0:19:14 living miracle merges0:19:16 obviously for us as muslim we understand0:19:18 is the quran itself the quran not only0:19:21 forms both the message but it also forms0:19:25 the evidence0:19:26 for the message and therefore the sign0:19:29 of the prophethood of the prophet0:19:31 sallallahu alaihi wasallam and we will0:19:33 look into the evidences of the quran in0:19:35 the next two videos

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