The Reality of Miracles: Understanding Divine Creation and Causality

Fire and the Power of Allah

When Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was cast into the fire, Allah commanded: “O fire, be cool and safe for Ibrahim.” This event is often misunderstood as a suspension of the natural power of fire, but in reality, it is an articulation of a deeper truth—fire has no intrinsic power of its own. Fire only burns because Allah has made it a Sunnah (consistent law) of creation that, under normal circumstances, fire consumes and destroys.

However, the fundamental belief in Islam is that nothing has independent power—not fire, not water, not gravity. Every action, every reaction, every moment of existence is directly created by Allah in that instant. When fire burns, it is not fire itself that causes burning but Allah creating that effect at that moment.

The On-Off Cycle of Creation

Islamic theology holds that creation is not static or continuous in the way we perceive it. Instead, scholars have explained that Allah is recreating the universe in every instant. There is a constant "on-off" cycle occurring so rapidly that it is imperceptible to the human eye.

A useful analogy for this is a film reel. A film appears to display continuous motion, but in reality, it consists of individual frames moving so fast that our eyes cannot detect the gaps between them. In the same way, existence is being created and recreated in every moment, but the transition happens so quickly that we experience reality as seamless and continuous.

The Nature of Miracles

A miracle is not a violation of natural laws; rather, it is a temporary change in the divine pattern of creation. It is like cutting out a frame in a film reel and replacing it with another. This is why miracles are not impossible in Islamic theology. They only seem far-fetched to those who believe in a Newtonian cause-and-effect worldview, where material causes dictate reality. However, if we understand that Allah is the direct and continuous cause behind everything, miracles become not just possible but entirely rational.

Experiencing the Reality Behind the Illusion

Some individuals, through deep spiritual experiences, have come to perceive this hidden nature of reality. Mystics across different religious traditions have reached remarkably similar conclusions about the insubstantiality of the world and the absolute presence of a divine force behind existence.

Islamic scholars refer to this realization as witnessing the "black frame" between the moments of creation. For a brief instant, one perceives that existence is nothing but a series of divine acts, and without Allah’s continuous will, everything would cease to exist.

Modern Science and Mysticism

Interestingly, some modern physicists studying quantum mechanics have drawn parallels between mystical traditions and contemporary scientific theories. The way particles behave in uncertain and discontinuous ways, appearing and disappearing, mirrors the classical Islamic understanding of reality being constantly recreated. This resemblance has led some scientists to study Buddhist and Islamic mystical perspectives, as they provide a conceptual framework that aligns with modern physics’ most mysterious findings.

Conclusion

The nature of reality, causality, and miracles is far deeper than what we perceive in our everyday experiences. The fire that refused to burn Ibrahim (AS) was not acting outside its nature—it was simply acting according to the true nature of reality, where all power belongs solely to Allah. The world we see is a continuous act of divine will, and miracles are but slight alterations in the divine script. Understanding this leads not just to a deeper faith but also to a profound comprehension of the very fabric of existence.