Dear Insaf,

wa `alaykum as salam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh

I don’t quite understand your question–can you give an example of such a prediction and what exactly you would like me to explain?

Sincerely,

Hamza.

How would one breakdown the predictions of psychics – that these people are fallible in their predictions? Whereas Quraninic and prophecies of the prophet sallallahu alayhi wassalam were infallible. This thereby confirms their truthfulness whereas in other cases it is not so?

Dear Ali,

wa `alaykum as salam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh

Excellent question. The iPhone example that you have given would not fulfill the third step of the 3-stage process mentioned in the lesson, namely, the divine interruption of conventional norms. The features of an iPhone are enabled by our deep knowledge of of the conventional norms that Allah has placed in nature. They are not an interruption of these norms.

To a native of the Amazon rainforest, an iPhone will appear to be an interruption of the conventional norms because the native does not have sufficient knowledge of the conventional norms.

So your question is this: how does an observer know that what appears to be an interruption of conventional norms is not really a trick that invokes conventional norms that he doesn’t know about?

Allah Most High anticipated this question and every miracle that He manifested at the hands of His prophets was either:

(a) a clear breaking of conventional norms known to everyone–such as bringing the dead back to life (the Prophet `Isa (upon him be peace)) or predicting the future (this happened in the Quran, as explained in the next lesson)–or

(b) addressed to an audience that is able to easily spot such tricks because of their thorough knowledge of the relevant conventional norms.

The Prophet Musa’s (upon him be peace) staff-miracle, for example, was addressed to an audience of expert magicians and our own Prophet Muhammad’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) linguistic miracle (to be discussed a couple of lessons down the road) was addressed to an audience of expert linguists.

Does that answer your question?

Hamza.

Can something be seen as a miracle to some and not to others? For example, a person could take an IPhone and travel to the Amazon rainforest. Upon arrival he could make a ‘Prophetic claim’ then be ‘challenge by the people’ and at which point he would make this piece of glass/plastic (i.e. the IPhone) ‘speak’ claiming that it is ‘Divine Interuption of a norm’ (the norm being that plastic/glass does not speak).

To the traveller, a speaking IPhone is not a miracle, but to the inhabitants of the Rainforest it may be seen as one. How do we reconcile the completion of the 3 stage process with the fact that a speaking IPhone is not a miracle?