Karamaat - Miracles

The Messenger (saw) wanted for each of us to draw closer to God. 

That we should each endeavour to become more reliant on God, more mindful of the blessings He sends our way and more in awe of His majesty and power. We know that the ways to that ascent are first through the fardh, and then the sunnah, and finally the nafl. And also more importantly through our supplications. 

(The below stories that I reference can be found both in the Seerah and Hadith literature- this work is incomplete as I would like to provide references or at least name the companions involved. However I also beeline and hope that what follows will be of benefit even in this incomplete state). 

This is recalled to me in the story of the companion of the Messenger who used to leave early following the fardh of Fajr. 

The Messenger (saw) enquired after him, because he wanted him to feel that connection in the supplication after the prayer. 

The man’s Neighbour had a date palm whose fruit did often fall into his yard. He worried that his children might eat his neighbour’s fruit, and used to hurry home to prevent this. Look for and read the story, it’s a marvelous one. 

But what I want for you to take from it now, is not the scrupulous honesty of Muslims, nor of how his neighbour became a Muslim being impressed with that selfless honesty, but how the Messenger (saw) cared for his people. That they should feel the connection to God not just through the ordained prayers, but also through heartfelt supplication to the Most Gracious. 

And then the case of the woman who asked, and revelation descended concerning her ask. 

The Messenger (saw) was an extremely intelligent man. A revelation descended concerning men, and a woman came and asked something that would be plainly obvious, “and what about the women?” When you read the story you feel as if the Messenger wished for the revelation to descend concerning her question, maybe he was even holding back a smile when she asked. And it immediately did. 

We know that the Messenger (saw) was al-amin, that for 40 years prior to revelation he was trusted amongst his people and known as being completely truthful. Then why start to lie then, and with an enormity of a lie. And so we know that the revelation here came immediately not from him, but from the Most Gracious who responded to his unasked request. 

That the Messenger (saw) wanted his people to feel that connection. 

Read the story of the woman that asked, and was answered in revelation. And feel the Messenger (saw) wanting an answer from God, even though it would have been easy for him to reply that what is for the men is the same as will be for the women. How he loved his people. 

In another Khutbah I had hinted at the companion who was absent at the expedition to Tabuk. 

As I explained there the Messenger (saw) gave an edict that the companion was to be boycotted by the community. We know that this was not done as a punishment since he himself said “if he had asked me, then I would have prayed for God to forgive him”. And for sure the prayer of the Messenger was always answered. 

So since we know it was not done by way of punishment, we can see that it was done as a means of making the issue a clear one, requiring a clear exoneration from God, by way of revelation. 

That the Messenger (saw) wanted for his people to feel that connection with the Most Gracious. 

This we can see both within his life, and then also in the lives of companions who were spatially distant from him. 

Read the story of the captive Muslim within Mecca, who was chained in retaliation for a Quraishi death. Whom God provided grapes to, whilst there were no grapes in Mecca at that time. When the Messenger (saw) heard of his case after he had gone to meet his maker, how the Messenger (saw) must have smiled. Because that is exactly the connection that he wanted each of us to have. 

And if that was the case of a companion who was spatially distant from the Messenger (saw), then what of us who are temporally distant from him?

After all did he not call us his brethren. 

Us who call him true without having met him. 

It is this closeness to God which should be our aim and goal. 

At times this closeness can result in karamaat- which in English are rendered as miracles, but for the Muslims they are evidence of God’s great care and love. 

That first great care is evidenced when God prevents you for doing harm or wrong to anyone. 

This He can do by physically preventing you, and in a lesser way of reminding you of it’s wrong. 

This is quite unlike some among the Judaic Nation that believe that if facilitates you in allowing you to wrong then this is evidence of His care. 

How ignorant they are of God’s infinite goodness. 

And if He let’s you do that, then that is evidence of the fact that He knows who you are, and would rather your destruction rather than you elevation through the doing of good. 

Later this great care and love can become more clear and evidenced not just in the prevention of your harming others, but in your actual protection. 

And for those that attain to that position may God give them the courage to put that love and care to the test by putting themselves in such positions where they risk loosing everything. 

Not for it to be a test as such for God, but because it is at such times that God’s intervention can be felt, and then you can feel that care and love first hand. It is at these points in your life when you can see and feel that connection. 

Ibrahim (as) when he was thrown into the fire was not yet a Prophet, but with the appearance of the Angel of the fire he became one. It is as it he put himself in that very position to feel God’s intervention, because of his words to the Angel of the fire. Where did that knowledge come from, if it was not ilham- (an inspiration from God)?

What we miss today in our Nation is these people who feel a connection with the Most Gracious, and are willing to chance everything in the hope of that connection proving true. Not for themselves, but so that they can better the situation of the whole of the Muslim Nation, and by that steering force- the whole of Mankind. 

And this is not an elitist ideal, but is accessible to anyone who has a care for the fardh, and then the sunnah, and the nafl prayers. And put themselves out in supplication, and when they wrong hesitate not in the istighfar. And when they miss the ordained Fajr make it up, never losing hope.