A Comparative Analysis of Miracle, Magic and Sorcery

According to Koran
Author: Razieh Eslamieh
Affiliation: Islamic Azad University Parand Branch (PIAU)

Abstract
Miracle, magic and sorcery though all are considered supernatural
are distinguished regarding the doer of the action, the temporal and special
axis and the reasons of doing the action. In Surahs Ta.Ha, Jonah, Al-Araaf,
and Al-Shu'ara, two types of sorcery are identified. The first type which is
based on deception and called magic has no truth. Magic makes use of the
limited sources of physical world, henceforth limited to those acts which
magician has experience with.
The second type called sorcery has some real impressions in the real
world and is rejected by Koran, Bible and Testaments. In Old Testament we
read "never associate with sorcerers less you receive their impurity." (Lavia
19:31) Sorcery makes use of the power of devils and Jeannie. In Surah AlBaqarah we read: "But it was the devils that disbelieved; they taught sorcery
to men."1
However, unlike magic and sorcery, miracle which makes use of the
unlimited sources of metaphysical world, is rendered possible upon God's
command, henceforth, there is no restriction for miracles as countless
examples in history proves it.
To prove the truth of their words, prophets -like Prophets
Mohammad, Moses and Jesus- supported by God's will have rendered
feasible people's requests, while no magician or sorcerer can do extraordinary
upon people's request. The magician, who triumphs on making illusory
images, upon observing an act of miracle realizes its metaphysical source. In
Surah Ta.Ha, Moses brings miracle to counteract sorcerers. The sorcerers
aware of the false sources of their own action realize the metaphysical source
of Moses' miracle, hence, when Pharaoh threats them to execution they
answer: "Never shall we prefer you to what has come to us of the clear Signs,
to Him Who made us"2
Keywords: Miracle, Magic, Sorcery, Revelation, Jinns
1.

Miracle, Magic and Sorcery

Magic Arabian

Miracle, magic and sorcery are all considered ruptures in known

natural laws of the physical world and are called supernatural events, yet the
concepts are quite different whether in definition, origin or characteristics.
First of all, magic and sorcery belong to the physical world while miracle
belongs to a world beyond matter and physics; what can be described as
spiritual world or metaphysical world.
Miracle can be defined as an extraterrestrial act which defies natural
rules of the physical world and by itself testifies that metaphysical world can
bring the physical world under its influence. Miracle is done by God's
prophets to prove the veracity of their claim regarding that they come from
Allah to impart His message to people. If a person claims that he comes from
Allah, he should be able to do what the other people are unable to do. Every
prophet has a miracle, which is a God-given sign to him to prove the
authenticity of his words.
The miracle of every prophet is in accordance with the very
flourishing sciences of that era. At the time of prophet Moses sorcery was
dominating almost all aspects of people's life, henceforth Moses comes with
miracles which no sorcerer was able to do; that is the cane which turns into
dragon and his hands which upon coming out from his garment shines like a
full moon. By the time when Jesus Christ was appointed as the prophet,
chronic and severe diseases were pandemic and people were in urgent need
of effective medical remedies. Jesus Christ brings dead people back to life,
bestows power of sight to a born-blind person, cures skin disease and so
forth. An at the time of Prophet Muhammad rhetoric, the art of speech and
poetry were widespread among the Arabs, accordingly, prophet Muhammad
brought wisely words to be recited to people which proved his truthfulness.3
Moreover, because Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet to impart God's
message, his miracle should be of an essence which endures the passage of
time. As the result of the matter, his miracle is a linguistic one.

2.
A Comparative Analysis of the Characteristics of Miracle and
Magic or Sorcery
First, miracle is a sign sent down from God, in the sense that apart
from God no one has the power of doing this miracle. God in Holy Koran
says if all men help one another to bring a Surah like what they see in Holy
Koran they can never do it: "If you are in doubt what We have revealed to
Our sevant (Muhammad), then produce a surah like it, and call your
witnesses other than God if you are truthful."4 In this verse, it is

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conspicuously mentioned that except God no one else is capable of bringing

about the like of Koran.
While miracle is done upon God's will by His prophet and no one else can do
it, magic can be done by diverse people in a way that one magic act is done
by the teacher and his student and sometimes a whole group. However, one
miracle is done by one prophet, upon God's will, and no one else even
another prophet. This brings into focus of attention the second difference of
magic and miracle.
The second difference regards the dependency of magic and sorcery
on some sciences, arts, techniques or arts while miracle is self-sufficient and
does not rely on any art, science or technique. The very point causes magic
and sorcery to be teachable acts while miracle cannot be learned to be done.
Magic relies on illusion and sorcery depends on astrology or other sciences.
For example in Surah Ta'Ha, God explicitly says that the magician deceived
people so that their cords and rods seemed running dragons: "Then lo! Their
cords and rods seemed to him by their sorcery as if were running." 5 Or
regarding the fact that the sorcerers did indeed bewitch bystanders eyes it is
said: "Mussa said: "You cast first". And when they did cast their ropes the
bewitched the eyes of the beholders and by stricking terror among them, thus
produced a mighty magic scene;"6 Many Koran interpreters, critics and
historians believe that the sorcerers had used mercury in the cords. Upon
receiving warmth this substance causes rapid movements like the movements
of the snake. And bystanders who were under the influence of sorcerers'
words came to assume that the cords have turned to snakes. The anecdote
clearly reveals that sorcerers' act relied on their some sciences such as
physics and chemistry.
When Moses beholds the great sorcery he takes fear lest people astray,
but God orders him to cast what he has in his right hand. When Moses does
as he is ordered by God, his cane turns into a dragon and swallows whatever
the sorcerers had made:
Mussa unconsciously felt a fear within Himself; (67) We
stated: "Do not fear! You shall overcome, (68) "Throw
down what is in your hand; It will swallow up all their
magic products; indeed what they have produced is nothing
but magicians' trick and no magician will ever succeed, no
matter how artful he be."7

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It is worth noting that God orders Moses to cast down what he has in his right
hand rather than ordering to cast down his cane which proves that what is of
utmost importance is God's will and not at all the cane. Upon God's will even
trivial objects can show extraordinary acts. Moreover, magic is an artwork as
at the end of verse 69, regarding the magician it is said "no matter how artful
he be".
Sorcerers and magicians can clearly discern sorcery or magic from
miracle as the former ones depend on some hidden secrets while the latter
one cannot be justified by sciences. That is the reason why the first ones who
come to believe in the prophet and his God are the scientists of the era. In
Moses anecdote, Pharaoh's sorcerers who know all tricks of magic and
sorcery come to see evidently that what Moses did is not based on their tricks
but comes from an extraterrestrial metaphysical source, as the result of which
they immediately come to believe in Moses religion despite Pharaoh's threats:
Then the sorcerers fell down prostrating and they said: "We believe
in the Lord of Aaron and Moses!"8 (Pharaoh) said: "Do you believe in him
before I give you leave? Verily he is your chief (sorcerer) who taught you
sorcery; I shall therefore cut off your hands and your feet on the opposite
sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees, then you will
certainly come to know which of us is more severe in tormenting and more
abiding!"9 They said: "Never shall we prefer you to what has come to us of
the clear Signs, to Him Who made us; so, decree whatever you will, for you
can decree only about the life of this world,"10 Verily we do believe in our
Lord that He may forgive us our sins and the sorcery you compelled us (to
do); and God is the Best and the Most Abiding!"11 As it is mentioned miracle
comes to people as a clear Sign. Actually, the third difference between
miracle and magic or sorcery is the purpose of these acts.
Magic and sorcery rely on limited power of man while miracle is
associated with the indefinite power of God. Hence, every sorcerer can just
deal with limited cases, can do just limited acts and is unable to go beyond
them. Sorcerer, like magician, can do what he has learned and practiced
before while the prophet, because he is the Messenger of God on the earth to
show God's unrestrained power, can do every kind of supernatural act. If
people ask magicians or sorcerers to do what they would like to see they
cannot, while Jesus Christ, upon people's request, brought them heavenly
dishes or other prophets could answer people's requests to do extraordinary
acts to prove their honesty.

3.

Genies as Supernatural Aids for Sorcery

Razieh Eslamieh

In the same way that there are sound waves which human beings
ears cannot hear and colors that man's eyes cannot see, there are supernatural
beings which we cannot apprehend their presence via our senses. Genies are
a group of supernatural beings whose presence and characteristics are
mentioned in Holy Koran and even one Surah in Koran is entitled "A-Jinn" or
"The Jinn". Because of the role that Genies have in acts of sorcery done by
some particular group of people, it seems mandatory to first review the
characteristics of Genies.
First, Genies are created from fire while man is created from soil. In
Surah Ar-Rahman, God clearly refers to different creations of man and genie:
"Allah created Adam (father of man) from a dry clay, like that used in
pottery; And He created Jinns from a smoke-free flame of fire;"12
Second, Jinns have power of wisdom and can tell the truth from
falsehood. In Surah Al-Jinn, it is said:
And verily, when we listened to Allah's guidance we
believed in it; and whoever believes in his Creator there will
be no fear either of loss or injustice for him since Allah does
not deal with His creatures unjustly whether be mankind or
Jinns; they will receive recompense against their deeds.13
The above verse is said on behalf of Jinns. The Jinns upon hearing Koran
which was recited by prophet Muhammad came to believe in Allah which by
itself show that like human beings they can choose to be believers or
disbelievers. That is the very reason that among Genies there exist divers
groups: "And among us there are some ones and some are wicked; we have
different sects and different ways of life among the Jinns."14 The other point
which shows that Jinns are creatures with power of choice is that they will
receive reward for good deeds and chastisement for evil acts: "receive
recompense against their deeds".
The third characteristic of Genies which relate them to acts of
sorcery is the fact that they can hear what ordinary human beings cannot hear
by penetrating in the metaphysical unseen world: "And we used to seat on
some of the seats in the sky to steal a hearing, but now anyone who aims such
he will find the shooting-stars, in wait for him" 15 Sky here hints to the
metaphysical world and "to seat on some of the seats in the sky to steal a
hearing" refers to the fact that Jinns time and again mean to approach this
world to gain knowledge of the unseen and what has not yet happened. Yet,
there are "shooting-stars" to protect the sky as well as human beings.

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"Shooting-stars" can be Koran and it verses for the reason that the recitation
of some particular Surahs and verses can invalidate the harm of supernatural
beings.
The fourth characteristic, like the third characteristic, also associate
Genies with acts of sorcery. Genies can come to communicate with human
beings and indeed some human beings have learned how to communicate
with Genies for the purpose of gaining knowledge about the mysteries of the
unseen world as well as the hidden mysteries of the world of human beings:
And verily, there were some men among mankind who
(when passingthrough a desert at night) took shelter in the
chiefs of the Jinns (instead of Allah) and this added to the
rebellion and arrogance of the Jinns (against Allah.16
Fifth, in the same way that Human beings enjoy diversity of types and
capacities, among Genies are ones who are have great power and can do what
human beings or other Genies cannot do. In part of An-Naml Surah God
Almighty recounts the anecdote of prophet Solaiman and Solaiman's
invitation of Queen Saba to worship God instead of sun. At certain point of
time, in order to show the veracity of his invitation and his connection to the
metaphysical world, Solaiman asks Genies to bring Queen Saba's throne to
his palace:
"Solaiman said to his men: "O, you Noblemen! Which of
you can bring here the throne of the queen before they come
to me submissively?" (38) A demon among the Jinns said: "I
will bring it to you before you rise from your place; I am
powerful enough to do it and you can trust me in this
regard."17
Sixth, particular human beings can make Genies do what they need to
be done. As a case in point, a group of Genies worked for Solaiman and
helped him temples, sculptures or images:
and the devils and jinns by Allah's command worked for
him [Solaiman] and whoever turned away from Our
Command We made him taste the punishment of the
Blazing Fire; They made for him whatever he pleased, such
as: temples, sculptures, images; and bowls as large as a pool
and also fixed cooking pots. (We stated to them:) "O, people
of Dawud! Be thankful to Allah's Grace on you." But very
few of My worshippers are grateful;18

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Seven, Jinns lived on earth long before man comes to live on earth
apparently because they were created before human beings: "And the Jinn
We had created before that of an (invisible0 intensive fire;" 19 Moreover,
when God created man, and breathed into him a spirit from His Own
Presence20 he asked angels and Jinns to bow down to man, but Satan, one of
the chiefs of Genies, refused for the excuse that he is created from fire so he
is above man who is created from clay.21 The fact by itself shows that first
there existed Jinns and angels and next human was created.
From all above-mentioned characteristics we can come to the
conclusion that Genies do exist, though they are invisible for ordinary human
being. However, some men can communicate with Genies and make use of
their supernatural powers regarding informing about the unseen or unhappened and above all doing what human beings cannot do. Particular
human beings make use of this characteristic of Genies to do acts of sorcery,
however, because such acts are interruptions in the metaphysical world they
will not last long. In other words, these acts are effective just for a limited
time while magic acts can be done repeatedly for numberless of times if the
secret behind the magic is learned.

4.

Why Koran Is Miracle?

As it was discussed earlier, Koran is Prophet Muhammad's miracle.

An overview of the characteristics of Koran, as an instance of miracle, can
highlight the Divinely nature of miracles and their association with
metaphysical world.
A. Science
Holy Koran was revealed on Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be upon
Him and His Progeny) 1430 years ago; at the time when science had
progressed but scarcely. Regarding the fact the scientific points hinted in
Koran and were later on proved (and some have remained undiscovered) are
considered miraculous aspects of this Devine Book. The first example
regards the fact that all creatures including vegetables and plants are in
couple.22 Interestingly enough, Koran refers to the means of fertilization. As a
case in point in Sura Haj, verse 32, Koran says that "the wind" is the very
means of fertilization. The second scientific miraculous point is Koran's
indication that every object on earth has a special density.23

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Third, Koran explicitly refers to the movement of the earth. 24 In Sura

Ta'Ha, verse 53, the Almighty God declares that this earth is like a cradle for
those who dwell on it; the metaphoric comparison of earth to a cradle derives
from a common point between the two which is movement. Fourth, God
says that the earth has a spherical shape; "The God of two Easts and two
Wests".
B. Prophecy
Koran's prophecies fall into three groups of past, present and future.
First, Koran informs us about past events notable among such events
are the recounts of the lives of prophets who once lived on the earth. In Sura
Hood, we are informed about Noah's ship.
Second, Koran informs about what is happening in contemporary
time. At the time of Koran's revelation, disbelievers and the Jews were
conspiring and were making devilish plans.25
Third, informing about the future events which have not yet
occurred. In Sura Rome verses one and two, it is written that Rome Army
will defeat in Arab land, but soon they will conquer:
In Sura Kosar, which is a very Sura by its just three verses, it is
predicted that there will be no generation left on earth from Prophet
Mohammad's enemies, while Prophet Mohammad's generation will flourish
from his daughter, Fatemeh (PBUH).

C. Exquisite Poetic Prose

Koran makes use of poetic techniques such as metaphor,
personification or concretization to make abstract ideas tangible and
comprehensible. As an instance in Sura Takvir we read: "And by dawn as it
breaths with light" in which dawn is personified. In Sura Ibrahim, via a simile
the outcome of disbelieving in God is made tangible:
The similitude of those who disbelieve in their Creator is that their
deeds are like ashes on which the wind blows strongly upon a stormy day:
they cannot keep anything of what they have earned and this is the meaning
of straying far away from the truth.26

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Man has two levels of existence in accordance with two worlds, one
the animal life and the other spiritual life. Disbelievers who are content with
this physical world are compared to beasts who exult in the contemporary
blessings of this world and add to their atrocities, but finally the blazing fire
awaits them:
Verily God will admit those who believe and do good deeds into
gardens beneath which rivers flow. As to those who disbelieve, they shall
enjoy themselves and eat as beasts eat, then the Fire shall be their final
abode.27
Koran makes use of imagery to make far-fetched ideas
comprehensible. All that is dead, once more in the Day of the Doom, will be
granted life. The very fact which may seem bizarre is made tangible via
metaphoric comparison of the awakening of the dead to the awakening of a
dry land:
And Allah is the one who sends the winds as heralds of glad-tidings'
going before His Grace; when the winds have carried the heavy clouds, We
drive it to a land which is dry and withered, then We send down the rain
thereon, and bring forth with it fruits of all kinds; giving life to the dry land
shows how we shall raise up the dead, so that you may be reminded of the
Day of resurrection.28
Imagery and concretization is widely used when God intends to
describe the life after death and the Day of resurrection. Some of these verses
describe Paradise and its blessings the others the Hell and its chastisement
and some relate to physical aspects of that life some other relate to spiritual
aspects.

D. Self-Reflexivity
Koran itself verifies its being a miracle. In Sura At-Takvir, God
takes oath in "the stars that disappear during the day" 29, "the night when it
departs"30, and "the dawn as it breaths with Light" only to highlight that the
very text is God's Miracle sent down to by Jebrail (Gabriel) to Prophet
Mohammad: "By all these oaths that verily, this Qur'an is the Divine Word
that the most Honourable Angel Emissary has brought from Allah to His
Messenger."31
E. Revealed on a Common Man

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Another reason that proves Koran is sent down from Allah is the
fact that Koran is revealed on completely common man who did not even
know how to read or write. Prophet Muhammad lived among people for forty
years before being appointed the Messenger of God. During these forty years
people came to know him as an honest person so that he was called
"Muhammad the Reliable". Interestingly enough during this period he
learned no rhetoric, no poetry and no art of prose which by itself proves that
he could not bring forth the exquisite poetic prose of Holy Koran. In Surah
Yunus, it is explicitly mentioned that, the Messenger is just the receiver of
the revelation without being able to alter the Divine Words:
And when our explicit revelations are recited to them, those
who do not hope meeting with us would say: "Bring a
reading material other than this or change it." Say O
Messenger!: "It is not for me to change it of my own
aacord, I only follow what is revealed to me. If I obey my
Creator and Nurturer, I fear the retribution of the Great
Day." Say O Messenger! "If Allah had not so willed, I
would not have recited it to you, nor would Allah made it
known to you; verily I lived among you a long time before
this; do not you use your reason?"32

F. Well-Wrought Entity
F.I. Separated Letters
Twenty nine Surahs in Holy Koran open not with words or
sentences but with separated letters. Overall, there exist eighty seven (87)
separated letters of fourteen (14) types. The question which may arise here
concerns the significance of these separated letters. First of all if a Surah
begins with separated letters, the frequency of those letters in that Surah are
more than the other letters. For example if a Surah begins with separated
letters of "A or Alif", "L or Lam", and "M or Mim" the number of A, L and
M in that Surah are more than the number of any other letter. On the other
hand, those Surahs which open with similar separated letters have similar
contents and discuss parallel issues.
F.II. The Order of Surahs
The Surahs of Holy Koran are arrange according to an extraterrestrial
order. First of all the beginning of each Surah is semantically related to the
end of the previus Surah. As a case in point, the ending part of Surah Hamd

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11

which is the first Surah of Holy Koran is related to the opening part of Surah
Bagharah which is the second Surah of Koran. At the end of Surah Hamd (or
Al-Fatiha or the Exordium) it is said:
Guide us (O Lord) on the Right Path. The Path of those
upon whom upon whom You have bestowed Your bounties,
not (the path) of those inflicted with Your wrath, nor (of
those) who strayed.33
In next Surah, Surah al-Baqarah or the Cow, the characteristics of those who
enjoy God's bounty are mentioned. Those are no doubt pious people who
believe in God and obey whatever God has decreed:
This is the Book; there is no doubt therein, a guidance for
the pious, Who believe in the unseen, establish (regular)
prayers, and spend (in the way of their Lord) of what We
have provided them, Who believe in that which has been
revealed to you (O, Our Messenger Muhammad) and that
which has been revealed (to other messengers) before you,
and are sure of the hereafter. These are on the right guidance
of their Lord, and these are the successful ones.34
The above verses are just followed by the characteristics "of those inflicted
with Your wrath, nor (of those) who strayed" which was already mentioned
in Surah al-Fatiha. When there are similarity of content, the next Surah is
either the analysis of the previous Surah or the counthe opposite point of it.
Surahs Ad-Duha (Daylight) and Al-Inshiraah (the Expansion) have the same
content while Surah Quraysh is an analysis of Surah Al-Fil (the Elephant),
and Surah Ma'un (the Neighborly Needs) is the opposite point of Surah AlKawthar (the Abundance).
Lack of Contradiction
Koran is a comprehensive Book encompassing diverse sciences and issues.
Regarding such enormity it is amazing that not only different points under
discussion do not contradict each other, but also verses of Koran support each
other in different ways. It is evident that "if it [Koran] was not from Allah,
verily you could find contradiction in it"35
Conclusion

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The above-mentioned characteristics of Koran clearly prove that Koran

cannot be created by human beings; Koran is Allah's words, revealed by His
Angel, Gabriel to His Messenger, prophet Muhammad upon His will and
permission. In general, acts of miracle take place upon God's will and are not
dependent on any art, science or technique. Concerning the point that all
prophets who brought forth miracles belong to centuries ago, the question
arises in mind whether we can have miracles in contemporary era or no. In
Islamic culture the answer to this question if affirmative as there are means
and ways that the very mortal man can reach the metaphysical world and
from there alter some physical events. Books of registered miracles support
this fact.

Affiliation: Islamic Azad University Parand Branch (PIAU)

Notes

Note: In the following endnotes the title of Surah from Koran is followed by
the number of the verses that appear in the body of the text.

1Al-Baqarah 102

2 Ta.Ha 72

3 Mizan Al-Hekmah 3479

4 (Al-Baqarah 23

5 (Ta' Ha 66)

6 (Al-A'raf 116

7(Ta.Ha 69

8 (Ta-Ha 70)

9 (71)

10 (72)

11 (73)

12 Ar-Rahman 14 and 15

13 (Al-Jinn 13

14 (Al-Jinn 11)

15 (9).

16 (6).

17 (39)

18 (Saba 12 and 13)

19 (Al-Hijr 27)

20 (Al-Hijr 29)

21 (Al-Hijr 26-34)

22 (Hejr 19, Raad 32)

23 (Hejr 19)

24 (Naml 88

25 (Tobeh 107

26 (Ibrahim 18)

27 (Muhammad 12)

28 (Al-A' raf 57)

29 (Al-Takvir 15)

30 (Al-Takvir 16)

31 (Al-Takvir 19

32 (19).

33 Al-Fatiha 6 and 7

34 Al-Baqarah 2,3, 4, 5

35 (Mizan Al-Hekmah 3481)

Bibliography
The Holy Koran, translated by Tahereh Saffarzadeh, Osveh Publication, Teheran, Iran 2007.
The Holy Qur'an, translated by Mir Ahmad Ali, Elmhurst, New York, U.S. A. 2006.
Naser Makarem Shirazi et al. Tafsire Nemooneh, Dar-al-Ketab Eslamieh, volumes 1 to 25. Qom, Iran, 1983.
Mohammad Mohammadi Reyshahri, Mizan-al-Hekmah, Dar-al-Hadis, Qom, Iran, 2006.