Divinity versus Purity in the context of miracles

The Quran in its style is not just a book being dictated as one would a letter, "to so and so". It is an actual theological event complete with Allah's knowledge of what occurs in the prophet's own mind and that is included. Even the notion that Allah dictates to the angel and then to the prophet what his own actions should be i.e. "Say" and then it is followed by what should be said clearly pointing out those verses from others. Other statements that are meant only for the prophet are also included and show the incredible detail required in recording such an event. It exposes the actual process of revelation so to speak. It also indicates that there was a moral "burden" on the prophet and what the actual burden looked like in great detail highlighting certain events and I don't think we are to consider it a log of ALL the prophet's activities, thoughts or actions. That would be impossible (to read). The thing is, when a person (prophet or ordinary guy) KNOWS they are in a miracle situation, their fear of making a mistake is much greater (I think) and in the case of Mohamed (SAW) his miracle was so great that he would be HIGHLY unlikely to make even the smallest of mistakes in his practice.

This type of recitation exists no where else in terms of the other prophets but that doesn't mean that a "theological event" of the mental order didn't occur rather it just wasn't recorded verbatim by any prophet that we know of.


To offer the rhetorical question: How does a personal miracle lead to a person's recovery from any given thing and improve their character?

On the Divinity of Mohamed (SAW), Musa (SAW) and Isa (SAW) respectively referred to as Mohamed, Jesus Christ and Moses by other "believers":

I think the question is actually of Divinity not necessarily infallibility in the sense of human error. The Quran clearly demonstrates that mistakes happened but not necessarily mistakes that were of the intentional type and what is a mistake in the landscape of a miracle?

The Quran suggests over and over and over that if Allah wanted to create people who would not err he could have and if he wanted to make a Quran that glowed and flew into the air or whatever, he could have but then there would be no "test" for the believers/unbelievers/humanity. Those things that occurred that "appear" to be mistakes are, to me, part of the story that is necessary to reveal something else and something else and something else.

As well, Allah did not write a story or plan a plot in which he wasn't aware of something or someone's intents, actions or the personal dramas they were all involved it. Allah is basically not constrained by time and already knows the conclusion of the famous tale of this particular civilization i.e. the one involving this group of adversaries and advocates. In that case, there are not mistakes really.

In some cases, the prophet and his companions were given details as well. Stories in the hadith and in particular some that I know of from the Nahjul Balagha were actually revealed to that peer group as well. Sometimes via dreams and sometimes via actual statements of the prophet that were often times cloaked in mysterious language so as not to directly reveal the future. Like the case of the death of Abu Dhar(pbuh) in which at the time of his inevitable death he told his daughter to go to the caravan road and wait and that travellers would soon be coming who would help her to bury her father. She left him alone in his close to death state and went to the road and was met by a caravan. When the members of the caravan questioned her she told them her father's name and they were incredulous and asked to see the old man. When they arrived he was already dead and the rich merchants buried him in a very expensive piece of cloth. There are several other deaths like this recorded in the Nahjul in which the person who was going to die experienced something particular and then stated "Ah, I am going to die then tomorrow as the prophet said such and such"..in one case that a fighter would drink milk just prior to dying. The man asked for water as he was dying but instead, was brought a glass of milk just as the prophet had indicated to him years before (the prophet was at the time dead already i.e. when the old man was readying to die).

In Sermon 5 of the NB, Ali Mu'mineen (pbuh) states the following:

SERMON 5 of the Nahjul Balagha, The Peak of Eloquence


Delivered when the Holy Prophet died and `Abbas ibn `Abd al-Muttalib and Abu Sufyan ibn Harb offered to pay allegiance to Amir al-mu'minin for the Caliphate

O' People! (1)

Steer clear through the waves of mischief by boats of deliverance, turn away from the path of dissension and put off the crowns of pride. Prosperous is one who rises with wings (i.e. when he has power) or else he remains peaceful and others enjoy ease. It (i.e. the aspiration for Caliphate) is like turbid water or like a morsel that would suffocate the person who swallows it. One who plucks fruits before ripening is like one who cultivated in another's field.

If I speak out they would call me greedy towards power but if I keep quiet they would say I was afraid of death. It is a pity that after all the ups and downs (I have been through). By Allah the son of Abu Talib (2) is more familiar with death than an infant with the breast of its mother. I have hidden knowledge, if I disclose it you will start trembling like ropes in deep wells.


This is an example of perhaps the deliverance of messages or information in dreams (not indicated in the NB though) and the idea that a believer should not share negative dreams openly to others.

Then, if you compare Isa (SAW) it is clearly stated in the Quran that he will be judged and will come to testify against others. It is exactly this type of thing, the insistence on the 'infallibility" of a human prophet that lead to the ultimate equating a human being with Allah. There are a few ayat that show that Isa (SAW) was also given the opportunity to "defer" from orders and he will answer for those things on al Yawm.

5:117 I did not say to them aught save what Thou didst enjoin me with; That serve Allah, my Lord and your Lord

And I was a witness of them so long as I was among them

But when Thou didst cause me to die, Thou were the watcher over them

And thou art witness of all things

(These above three lines are all spoken by Isa, SAW)

This shows that the Quran talks about the "end" so to speak and there are two mentions of Isa (SAW) as "among them" and then, as a resurrected soul along with all the other souls on al Yawm. I take it to mean i.e. 'among them' as not actually dead. Death hasn't come to Isa (SAW) yet and therefore this ayat refers to a future time when he too will present HIS evidence as a counter to the evidence of anyone in dispute with Allah's commands which indicates that Isa (SAW) himself had a 'choice'. If he had no choice that would be due to a predetermined 'infallibility' rather than what I think it is better described by and that is "divinity". It is just the case that with prophets, they are more highly motivated to avoid error and hence, do not make mistakes but I don't think that necessarily "predestines" them to not make any mistakes.

*And "thou were the watcher over them" I take to mean "at that time" which is the dispute here, the actual time of Isa's (SAW) death/non death i.e. the "crucifiction" which is witnessed really only by two individuals that we know of, the person on the cross and Isa (SAW) himself and of course, Allah.

Allah is the only infallible "thing" in that sense of the word.

Furthermore, this is the paradox of the time Isa (SAW) spent in the desert fasting and was tempted by the Shaitan. Whereas the argument is completely illogical the way it is presented by Christians (that Isa was God) i.e. it is impossible for the Shaitan to tempt Allah who created EVEN him (sic Iblis) with anything at all...comes into full focus for US. He was tempted. His role was not of the Creator but of the created and that is not indicative of "infallibility" but instead, the 'likelihood' he would withstand greater pressures than any of us would due to his divine information and divine skills imbued upon him by the Creator. That story (Injeel) includes Isa (SAW) being so burdened by one instance of his prophethood that he sweat blood much like Mohamed (SAW) was reduced to a shivering and practically insane "looking" individual under a blanket who feared either being insane or being perceived as such (upon his first encounter with the angel).

For non muslims and unbelievers, this is one of the ways in which they are prevented from accepting Mohamed (SAW) as the last prophet i.e. they "detect" fallibility in a variety of things from his war time activities to his marriage to a young girl.