The Essence of Islam – Volume V — Page 17
Miracles, Signs and Prophecies 17 him to believe in it. But the wretched one, who is bereft of the light of intuition, does not find any satisfaction in miracles that are only meant for making a distinction, and persists in his demand that he will not accept any miracle save that which is as clear as doomsday. He demands, for instance, that someone should go to heaven and return before his very eyes holding a book in his hand; not only that, he also says that he will not believe unless he himself takes the book in his own hand and reads from it. Or, for instance, that the one who descends should bring with him a piece of the moon or the sun to illuminate the earth. Or, better still, he should descend from heaven accompanied by angels who should do wonderful things, as angels do. Or that many dead people should be resurrected through his prayer, and they should be recognized as fathers or grandfathers of so and so, who had died at such and such a time. As if this too were not enough, these resurrected people must hold rallies in different cities and deliver lectures in which they should proclaim that they are the dead who have been brought back to the world so that they may testify to the truth of a particular religion, or that they have come to bear witness that a certain person who claims to be from God is indeed from Him, for they have heard from God Himself that he is truthful. . Such are the self-conceived miracles that the majority of ignorant people, who are totally unaware of the essence of faith, are in the habit of demanding. They also