The True Understanding of a Miracle: "BE," and We Experience "IT"
The concept of a miracle has been widely misunderstood and mistranslated.
Most define a miracle as:
“An extraordinary and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore attributed to a divinity.”
In essence, it is perceived as something supernatural, an intervention from Allah that alters the course of events in a favorable way. But this raises a fundamental question:
Why would Allah need to “change” an event or situation to produce a positive result?
If He is All-Knowing and Omniscient, wouldn’t He have already accounted for everything perfectly from the very beginning?
The Flaw in the Conventional View of Miracles
To suggest that Allah intervenes implies that something was incomplete or needed correction. This contradicts the very nature of divine perfection. Every aspect of existence, down to the subtlest atomic movements, was meticulously set in place before time itself. Life was not an accident. The very atoms that formed you, your parents, and all that exists today were present since the beginning of creation.
The test of life was established before we came into existence, and our choices within free will determine our continuation after our test concludes. Nothing exists outside of His decree. This means that life itself is the miracle, not something that needed to be changed to become, but something that was perfectly calculated from the start.
When He wills, life begins. When He wills, it ends.
Averting Death is Not a Miracle
Consider a situation where you survive a major catastrophe while everyone else perishes. You and those who witness it may call it a “miracle.”
But in reality, Allah had already written the precise moment of your death. It was not averted, it simply had not yet arrived. Even if the victims of the disaster had chosen different actions, staying home, delaying their plans, the outcome would remain unchanged. Their time was decreed. Yours was not.
What is a Miracle, Then?
To truly grasp the meaning of a miracle, we must turn to the Quran and see how Allah Himself defines it. The word used in the Quran for miracle is آيَة (Ayah), meaning:
Sign, indication, message, evidence, proof, communication, miracle.
An example from the Quran:
Surah Al-Baqarah (2:118)
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ لَوْلاَ يُكَلِّمُنَا اللَّهُ أَوْ تَأْتِينَا آيَةٌ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ تَشَابَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا الآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ
"And those who do not know said: ‘If only Allah would speak to us, or a sign/miracle would come to us.’ It is the same thing that the people before them have said; their hearts are alike! We have clarified the signs/miracles for people who have certainty."
The Quran contains 6,236 miracles, signs (Ayahs). Every miracle in the Quran is delivered as a verse, as a truth, never as something that defies the natural order. Thus, a miracle is not something that breaks reality, but rather something ordained from the beginning, destined to unfold exactly as written.
Miracles Align with Logic, Reason, and Truth
Allah’s signs do not contradict reality; they reveal it. The Quran does not present myths or contradictions to the natural world. Instead, it aligns perfectly with logic, reason, and scientific accuracy. That is its true miracle.
If the Quran had claimed that pigs could fly or that clouds were made of cotton candy, we would reject its authenticity because it would fail when measured against reality. Instead, the Quran guides by using the examples of birds and winds, trees and stars, human prophets and their trials, all within truth.
Allah is Al-Haqq (The Truth). He does not create beyond truth, nor does He need to revise His creation.
Why Do People Believe Miracles Are Supernatural?
Just because something is beyond our scientific understanding does not mean it is beyond calculation. If Allah intervened in creation, it would imply that something was overlooked in the original design. This would contradict His perfection.
Instead, the miracle is in the command:
“BE!”, and it is.
A miracle is not Allah changing what is, but Allah having already placed its order in “BE”, which then manifests into reality.
Understanding Miracles Through a Car Crash
Imagine a man walks away from a devastating car crash without a single scratch. He describes it as though time slowed down, he saw the telegraph pole pass by his face, missing him by mere inches.
We call it a miracle.
But the true miracle is not that Allah had to intervene and change reality. Rather, it is that every atom in that car, every force in that moment, was already set in motion precisely for that outcome to occur.
The miracle was not a change, but the original decree.
The Quran is “BE,” and We Live in “IT IS”
We exist within the unfolding of Allah’s decree. Every moment is a passage through the ayahs of life, moving from one sign to another.
Consider Surah Ar-Rahman (55:1-3):
55:1 The Almighty (Allah merely has to say…)
55:2 He has taught the Quran (“BE!”)
55:3 He has created man (…and it is.)
Free Will: If Everything is Written, Do We Have Choice?
Simple Answer:
Allah created life as a multiple-choice test. The choices are already set. You decide the path.
Allah does not make choices for you, but He knows all possible choices and their outcomes. That is why angels record our deeds, because they unfold as we choose.
The Greatest Sin: Rejecting Truth with Pride
Human beings were not created perfect, but perfectly balanced between right and wrong. Adam was expelled for committing a sin. Iblis was expelled for being proud of his sin.
Sin itself is not the problem, refusing to repent is.
When one knowingly defies the natural order and refuses to seek forgiveness, they seal their fate.
Conclusion
A miracle is not a divine intervention that changes reality, it is the ordained reality itself. Allah does not need to correct what was already perfect. His decree was issued in “BE,” and we experience its manifestation as “IT IS.”
The Quran is the ultimate miracle, truth revealed, scientifically sound, and eternally unchallenged.
The question is:
Will we recognize His signs, or will we wait for the supernatural, ignoring the miracles written before our very eyes?
Think of a Role-Playing Game (RPG):
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The developer creates a world where choices affect the story.
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Every cutscene, every possible ending, is pre-designed.
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The player controls the path they take, shaping their journey.
At the end of the game, the player sees the results of their choices. Similarly, Allah has already written all possible choices, but we decide which path to take.