(anfus wa āfāq)
In the Qur’an, the word ‘āyah’ is also used to refer to extraordinary signs in the human self and the external universe (anfus wa āfāq). They refer to events that take place as great manifestations of Allah’s power. These events do not occur through the hands of the Prophet. Instead, they take place either by the direct command of
Allah or through the entities destined to make decisions of fate and destiny (qaḍā and qadr). Such events are quite rare; hence, they are unexpected and unpredictable for the people. Due to their abruptness, abnormality, and opposition to natural laws and occurrences, they often look unexpected and surprising to the people. There is no need to warn or inform people about these events as they automatically attract them through their rarity and urgency.
Such signs can appear in normal times, but they are relatively more frequent in the time of prophethood in the presence of the divine messengers. They serve the purpose of warning people through rewards, honors, pain, and punishment. In any case, they appear in such a way that they cannot be ignored as normal events, nor can they be forgotten as accidental occurrences.
Some of the signs of this type mentioned in the Qur’an are as follows:
1. Jesus’s Birth without a Father and Conversation in the Cradle
The birth of Jesus from Maryam (RTA) without being begotten by a man is an extraordinary sign of this type. It happened through the direct command of Allah
Almighty.
Keeping this factor in view, Allah has declared both Maryam and the son as signs. In
Surah Al-Mominun (23), the Almighty says: “And We similarly made the son of
Maryam and his mother also a great sign (āyah)” (Q 23:50). In Surah Al-Anbiyā’ (21), these two beings have been described with the words ‘āyah lil-ālamīn’ (a sign for the people of the world). It says: “And on that woman also who had kept herself chaste. So, We blew into her Our Spirit and made her and her son [Jesus] a sign for the people of the world” (Q 21:91).
This incident has been described in detail in Surah Maryam (19). Explaining the purpose of this step, Allah Almighty says that He wanted to make Jesus a sign (āyah) for the people and a mercy from Himself. He said: “Mention [now] in this
Book the name of Maryam, when she had left her family and had stationed herself in isolation on the eastern side [of the Temple], and had kept herself in seclusion from them. Then We sent to her Our angel and he appeared before her in the form of a full-grown man. [When] Maryam [saw him,] she said: “I seek refuge from you with the Merciful God, if you fear him.” He said: “I have been sent only by your Lord and have been sent that I grant you a noble son.” Maryam said: “How can a boy be born to me; neither has a man touched me nor have I ever been of loose character?” He said: “This is what will happen. Your Lord says: ‘This is very easy for Me. We shall do this so that he be Our messenger and so that We make him a sign for people and a mercy from US And this has been decreed’” (Q 19:16-21).
It is clear from the above verses that the birth of Jesus (PBUH) without being fathered by a man was a rare incident, which Allah had made possible as His sign.
For this extraordinary creation, Allah sent down His command directly beyond the general law of creation. With His word ‘Kun’, He created the child in the mother’s womb and breathed His spirit into it. This was the same command He had issued for the birth of Adam and Eve. This sign will remain prominent for the rest of the world as an argument for human creation and its recurrence. Imam Amin Ahsan Iṣlāḥī writes:
“Jesus’ miraculous birth is a great sign of the Resurrection. The greatest doubt of the ignorant on the Day of Resurrection is how people will be born again without means.
The existence of Jesus is the answer to the doubt that everything comes out of
Allah’s word ‘Kun’. Jesus came into being from this word. Therefore, on this basis, he is also called ‘Kalimatullah’ in both the Gospel and the Qur’an” (Tadabbur-e-Quran
645/4).
Jesus’s talking while he was in his cradle is a continuation of this sign. It has been narrated in Surah Maryam that by the command of Allah, Maryam became pregnant and she went away from her home with the child. When the time of birth came, the angel of Allah came, who comforted them and created a spring of water for them.
He then instructed them to return to their people with the newborn. He further told
Maryam that if the people raise any question or objection, she should tell them through nonverbal gestures that she was fasting. So, she went back. Seeing her with a child, people started questioning her chastity. She pointed to the child. People said how they could ask him as he was a newborn and had not reached the age of speaking. The child started speaking. The Qur’an says: “The child spoke: “I am a servant of God. He has bestowed the Book on me and made me a prophet and made me a fountainhead of blessings wherever I be. He has directed me to be diligent in the prayer and in Zakāh as long as I am alive and made me obedient to my mother; not someone who is rebellious and wretched. And [glad tidings of] peace be on me the day I was born and the day I shall die and the day I shall be raised to life” (Q 19:30-33).
Commenting on this situation, Imam Amin Ahsan Iṣlāḥī writes: “When Maryam’s trial reached this point and she proved to be 100 percent successful in every stage, the time came when Allah had to announce the rewards He had reserved for any of His servants or slaves who succeed in their tests.” … In order for Maryam (RTA) to succeed in the test in which she was put, it was necessary for the child of the lap to testify to her chastity and her dignity so that there would be no scope for anyone to object after that. (Tadabbur-e-Quran 4/647-648)
2. The Shadows of Clouds and the Blessings of Mann and Salvā on the
Children of Israel
The Qur’an mentions the great rewards bestowed upon the Israelites. Many of these blessings are extraordinary in nature. Some were sent down through their prophets and some directly. Allah has described them as ‘āyāt bayyināt (clear signs). Surah
Al-Baqarah reads: “Ask the Israelites: “How many a manifest sign We bestowed upon them; [but to what benefit?]” (Q 2:211). Two of the most prominent of these signs bestowed upon the Israelites are the shadows of the clouds and the Mann and
Salvā. Allah Almighty says: “And We made the clouds draw their shadow over you and sent down upon you mann and salvā. “Eat these pure things that We have provided you”” (Q 2:57).
These are actually the rewards that Allah has bestowed upon them in the Sinai
Desert. In this rocky desert, they had no houses, no tents, and no pastures.
Thousands of people were living under the open sky. In this situation, to protect them from the heat of the sun, Allah spread the shadow of clouds on the sky.
Mawlānā Abul Ala Maududi writes: “The Israelites came out of Egypt in millions, and they did not even have tents to hide their heads, not to mention the houses in the
Sinai region.
At that time, if God had not kept the sky cloudy for a period of time, the entire nation would have perished because of the scorching heat of the sun.” (Tafhīm al-Qur’an
1/77-78).
On one hand, Allah arranged for them to live in the place covered under the clouds, and on the other hand, He showered upon them
Mann and Salvā for food as a blessing. To benefit from this food, they did not have to prepare the land, sow and harvest the crop, or prepare food. The Qur’an describes the food as ‘Mann and Salvā‘.
Commenting on the details mentioned in Exodus of the Bible,
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi writes: “
(Mann) was something akin to dew which would descend on the earth and then freeze like hail. The
Israelites would gather it before the heat of the sun could melt it. In a barren desert, this form of subsistence was indeed a great favor for the Israelites which they were blessed with without any toil merely because they had migrated with Moses (sws) at the behest of the Almighty. The word
مَ means “favor and blessing.” It
seems that due to this very reason these edibles were named ّمَ.”
“Salvā (Al-Salvā) refers to the birds that Allah sent to the Israelites in the Sinai Desert, which resembled quails and fell prey very easily like quails” (Al-Bayan 1/68-69).
3. The Hanging of Mount Sinai over
the Israelites
Another such sign is when, by the command of Allah, Mount Sinai was left hanging over the Israelites. That is, the mountain got displaced and hung over the Israelites like a tent. This extraordinary event happened when Allah revealed the commandments of the Shariah to the Israelites in the Sinai
Valley. On this occasion, they were made to pledge that they would hold fast to the
Torah and follow its commands and teachings. Surah Al-Baqarah reads: “And recall when We had made a covenant with you and [for this] had raised Mount Sinai above you and had said: “Grasp strongly what We have given you and keep in mind whatever is [written] in it so that you may remain secure [from the wrath of God].”
Verse 171 of Surah Al-Araf (7) refers to this incident in the following words:
It means that by the command of Allah, a great mountain started hanging over their heads, and they started fearing it might fall at any time. It is evident that they were overwhelmed by God’s power.
According to Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, this incident was a demonstration of Allah’s power and authority. The intention was to make it clear that the entity who is making a covenant with them is omnipotent. Nothing is out of His reach. If they violate this agreement, they know what retribution they may have to face.
He writes: “It is evident from both the Qur’ān and the Bible that this covenant was taken from the Israelites in the valley of Mount Ṭūr in such a manner that it was uprooted from behind and made to hang over them like a canopy. It seemed to them that it would fall over them. The Qur’ān has depicted this situation as lifting the mountain over them. This, in fact, was a display of the power and grandeur of the
Almighty made so that the Israelites would always remember that the God of this covenant is very powerful and thus must realize the consequences of breaking it.”
(Al-Bayan 1/78)
4. The 200-year Long Sleep of the Men of the Cave
The Quran has described the story of the men of the cave (Aṣḥāb e Kahf) as “one of our strange signs (kānū min āyātinā ‘ajaban),” implying that the men were one of the most amazing signs from Allah Almighty. God put them through slumber for over 200 years and then woke them up and produced them before the people. The incident has been described in verses 9-18 of Surah al-Kahf (18). The narration begins with a reference to the incident and ends with a detailed description. The starting verses read: “Do you think that the people of the cave and raqīm were among a very strange sign from among Our signs. At the time when those youth took refuge in the cave; then prayed [to their Lord:] “Our Lord! Bless us with mercy specially from Yourself and in this matter of Ours provide us with guidance.” At this,
We lulled them to sleep for many years in the cave. Then We woke them up to see which of the two groups has correctly counted the period of their stay.” (Q 18:9-12).
The dominant belief about the Companions of Kahf is that they are the same people who are called The Seven Sleepers in ian history. They belonged to the city of
Ephesus, a famous city on the west coast of Turkiye. It was a major center of idolatry and was ruled by Caesar Decius from 249 AD to 251 AD. During this period, the followers of came here to preach their religion. The Companions of Kahf were a few young men from the influential families of the city. They accepted the call of the ian preachers and started preaching enthusiastically. As a result, the whole society stood up against them, fearing stoning to death, they took refuge in a large cave outside the city. Allah protected them and put them to sleep for a long time. The angels kept changing their lying positions, and their dog was made to sit on the edge of the cave as if he were guarding the cave. They slept for more than 196 years by the command of Allah and under the supervision of His angels.
Then they finally woke up in 444 or 447, the thirty-eighth year of the empire of
Caesar Theodosius II. In the meantime, the Roman Emperor Constantine (337-272
AD) had converted to ianity due to the preaching of ian preachers, and as a result, the religion of had spread throughout the Roman Empire. So, when they woke up, ianity had spread everywhere. Unaware of the situation outside, they sent one of them to the city to bring food. When he offered a coin from the time of Caesar
Decius to buy food, the shopkeeper suspected that he might have found an ancient hidden treasure. This led to an altercation between the two, leading to people gathering. The matter escalated to the authorities.
The man was presented before them. During the interaction, he learned that it had been years since Caesar Decius died. Knowing this, he told them his whole story. On hearing this, the authorities were very surprised and took him to the cave for confirmation. A crowd of people accompanied them. Upon reaching there, it became clear that they were actually from the time of Caesar DeciUS The new
Roman ruler Caesar Theodosius was informed of this unusual incident. He walked there on foot to visit them and sought blessings from them. After this, these seven young men went to the cave, lay down, and died suddenly.
The Qur’an describes this incident as a sign (āyah). This is undoubtedly a sign of
God’s extraordinary power. The question is, what was the motive behind showing this sign. Javed Ahmad Ghamidi explains his views on this matter in the following words:
“The need for this sensory argument probably arose because at that time ianity was up against Greek philosophy and Roman polytheism simultaneously. Therefore,
Allah showed this sign to complement the rational argument with this sensory argument to explain life after death. The purpose was to prevent thousands of newly converted ians from falling prey to philosophical complexities. Both the Bible and the
Qur’an show that such sensory arguments have appeared from time to time in the era of the prophethood.” (Al-Bayan 3/131).
Reference:
[1]. The details have been quoted from footnote 8-36 of the commentary on Surah al-kahf.
SPLITTING OF THE MOON-V