Detailed Description
“The reader should know that we did not compile this book for the one who denies the status of the Prophet ﷺ, nor the one who wants to find doubts in the miracles he performed….Our intention in this chapter is to document the greatest miracles and signs, both of which indicate the greatness of the abilities that Allah has bestowed upon the Prophet ﷺ. We have presented those miracles that have been meticulously studied and possess the most authentic chains of transmission. And most of what has been transmitted is undisputedly authentic, or almost so, to which we have added some of the narrations found in the well-known books of reputable scholars.
“If an equitable person reflects on what we have presented, from the beauty of his effect on people, the praiseworthiness of his life, the ingenuity of his knowledge, his ability to act with wisdom and understanding, the completeness of his speech and all his traits, whilst being a witness to the circumstances he lived in and the benefit in what he said, they would neither doubt the veracity of his Prophethood nor the truth of his call. And these characteristics alone are sufficient for a person to embrace Islam and to believe in the Prophet ﷺ.”
Studying the miracles of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ helps those who have responded to his call and believed in his Prophethood to reinforce their love for him, to renew their efforts to perform righteous actions, and to increase in faith (īmān). This is why Qāḍī 'Iyāḍ devoted a section of his celebrated work, al-Shifā’, to the discussion of Prophetic miracles. The IGI team chose to publish this section so that it might be easily available for study and review, which will serve both the busy student and the working professional on the go.
Al-Shifā bi Taʿrīf Ḥuqūq al-Muṣṭafā, directly translated as, ‘The Remedy (or Cure) Through Recognizing the Rights of the Chosen One’, is one of the most celebrated works in the genre of Shamā’il. It stands uniquely amongst the works of Qāḍī ʿIyād as his most celebrated effort with many surviving manuscripts and commentaries found throughout the Islamic world. Shamā’il is a genre of works that deals with the life, characteristics, and descriptions of the Prophet ﷺ and his station.
Al-Shifā, as it is called for short, stands alone as perhaps the most thorough work in this genre, dealing with both the descriptions of the Prophet ﷺ, his station and his perfections, and with the rulings pertaining to one’s belief and treatment of him ﷺ. It is exhaustive in its treatment of the subject, expounding on topics that range from Allah’s praise of the Prophet ﷺ and his status and station before Him, to the obligation of loving him and what that entails. In short, the uniqueness of this work can be attributed to its holistic coverage of the Messenger ﷺ.