Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth — Page 253
THE NATURE OF REVELATION studied in the light of the Quranic account, miracles and signs never violate the laws of nature. . The well known miracle of Moses as for instance, though believed by the People of the Book to be of a supernatural character, is presented in the Quran in a simple, rational, matter-of-fact style. Yet it would take more than a cursory glance to fathom its underlying meaning. It is not cryptic yet the real intent eludes particularly those who read it with preconceived ideas of a supernatural event. Here we illustrate the Quran's treatment of this miracle. قَالَ القُوا فَلَمَّا الْقَوْا سَحَرُوا أعينَ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَاءُو بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلى مُوسَى أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ فَاذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُوْنَ فَوَقَعَ الْحَقُّ وَبَطَلَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُوْنَ * 7:117-119. He replied, 'Throw ye. ' And when they threw, they enchanted the eyes of the people, and struck them with awe and brought forth a great magic. . And We inspired Moses, saying, 'Throw thy rod', and lo! it swallowed up whatever they feigned. . So was the Truth established, and their works proved vain. ¹. Here the Quran speaks of an incident in which the magicians of the Pharaoh are described to have cast their spells, not on the ropes they threw, but on the eyes of the spectators, a clear description of mesmerism. No breach of any laws of nature is involved at all. To counter this mesmeric illusion, God employed His superior will through. Moses as to shatter the spell cast by the magicians. Hence the. Quran does not claim that the staff of Moses as had actually devoured the ropes; it only pronounces that the staff of 247