A number of miracles were bestowed upon and performed by the Prophet Muhammad to establish the proof of his prophethood. Those miracles are granted by the power and permission of Allah and are usually in the field in which his people excel and are recognized as superiors. For example, Moses’ contemporaries were excellent in magic. So his major miracle was to defeat the best magicians of Egypt of his days. Jesus’ contemporaries were recognized as skillful physicians. Therefore, his miracles were to raise the dead and cure the incurable diseases. The Arabs, the contemporaries of the Prophet Muhammad, were known for their eloquence and magnificent poetry. So Prophet Muhammad’s major miracle was the Qur’an, the equivalent of which the whole legion of the Arab poets and orators could not produce despite the repeated challenge from the Qur’an itself.
again Prophet Muhammad’s greatest miracle has something special about it. All previous miracles were limited by time and place, i.e., they were shown to specific people at a specific time. Not so the miracle of Muhammad, the Qur’an. It is a universal and everlasting miracle. Previous generations witnessed it and future generations will witness its miraculous nature in terms of its style, content and spiritual uplifting. These still can be tested and will thereby prove the divine origin of the Qur’an.
the Qur’an is a living miracle because every day, new aspects of what was revealed are getting more and more understood, and because none of the Qur’anic principals have been outdated throughout ages and cultures. The Qur’an is miraculous in a number of aspects: Its linguistic perfection and inimitability, its validation by recent historical, archaeological, and scientific discoveries, its prophecies and so on. Unlike the miracles of other prophets before him, the miracle of the Qur’an is eternal.
Besides the revelation of the Qur’an, the Prophet of Islam had performed many material miracles. Below are accounts of some of the other miracles of Prophet Muhammad. The traditions mentioned below are all from Sahih al-Bukhari, the most authentic collection of Hadith.
(1) Splitting of the Moon:
Almighty Allah says, (The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder.) (An-Najm 53:1)
Imam al-Bukhari reported on the authority of `Abdullah who said: “The moon was cleft asunder while we were in the company of the Prophet, and it became two parts. The Prophet said, “Witness, witness (this miracle).”
(2) Food Multiplication:
Jabir reported: My father had died in debt. So I came to the Prophet and said, “My father (died) leaving unpaid debts, and I have nothing except the yield of his date palms; and their yield for many years will not cover his debts. So please come with me, so that the creditors may not misbehave with me.” The Prophet went round one of the heaps of dates and invoked (Allah), and then did the same with another heap and sat on it and said, “Measure (for them).” He paid them their rights and what remained was as much as had been paid to them.
(3) Water Multiplication:
`Abdullah reported: We used to consider miracles as Allah’s Blessings, but you people consider them to be a warning. Once we were with Allah’s Messenger on a journey, and we ran short of water. He said, “Bring the water remaining with you.” The people brought a utensil containing a little water. He placed his hand in it and said, “Come to the blessed water, and the Blessing is from Allah.” I saw the water flowing from among the fingers of Allah’s Messenger, and no doubt, we heard the meal glorifying Allah, when it was being eaten (by him). (Reported by al-Bukhari)
(4) Crying of the stem of the Date-palm Tree:
Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Ibn `Umar who said: The Prophet used to deliver his sermons while standing beside a trunk of a date-palm. When he had the pulpit made, he used it instead. The trunk started crying and the Prophet went to it, rubbing his hand over it (to stop its crying).
(5) The Prophet’s Night Journey to Jerusalem and Ascent to the Heavens:
The opening verse of surat al-Isra’ relates the miracle of the Prophet’s night journey to Jerusalem. Regarding the Statement of Allah, (And We granted the vision (Ascension to the heavens) which We made you see (as an actual eye witness) was only made as a trial for the people.) (Al-Isra’ 17:60) Ibn `Abbas added: “The sights which Allah’s Messenger was shown on the Night Journey when he was taken to Bayt-ul-Maqdis (i.e. Jerusalem) were actual sights, (not dreams). And the Cursed Tree (mentioned) in the Qur’an is the tree of Zaqqum (itself).” (Reported by al-Bukhari)
There are also many other miracles that were performed by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) or happened to him. What we mentioned here are merely examples.