Yes, We Believe in Miracles

In recent days, many people have mocked the believers of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light for believing in miracles. They almost imply that AROPL must be false and a cult, because its members believe that Abdullah Hashem has performed miracles. Yet, it’s important to recognize that miracle stories are central to every major world religion. From Jesus walking on water to Muhammed splitting the moon - across continents and cultures, adherents of different faiths profess believe in miracles. Their enduring presence demands from us more thoughtful consideration than ridicule or casual dismissal.

With that in mind, I share a personal example that demonstrates how miracles can work in our everyday lives. Let me start by showing you a picture of my ring:

This ring is a red aqiq with a very particular characteristic: on the right side, you can see the dome of  Imam Al-Hussayn’s shrine in Iraq. You can even appreciate the details of the flag that protrudes from the dome. On the left, across three different levels of depth, there are triangular shapes of varying heights, including two tiny ones, resembling a group of human figures: the caravan of Karbala.

Is this ring a miracle? We will explore that question in this article. It might be said that the answer is: it depends on who you ask. However, for me, since I discovered that these images are natural formations and not laser engravings, as I initially thought, considering this to be simply an extreme case of pareidolia requires a much greater leap of faith than to imagine that one of history’s most significant events, and one of the greatest acts of heroism, could have left a mark, almost like an energetic echo, in the natural world.

Perhaps it’s all a matter of perspective.

What do we Mean When we Talk About Miracles?

A miracle is an extraordinary event that carries profound religious significance for those who witness, hear, or read about it. According to Professor David L. Weddle, in his book Miracles: Wonder and Meaning in World Religions, a miracle is not simply a rare or hard-to-explain event, it is an occurrence that, when interpreted within a religious framework, reveals something about the transcendental reality.

In this sense, for example, searching for your keys for two hours until you finally find them is not considered a miracle by anyone. However, if during that time you have no idea where they might be, kneel down, pray with tears in your eyes for their appearance, get up, and search again, only to find them in a place you had already searched multiple times, what you experience could feel like a small miracle. Such a moment, as anyone who has lived through it could attest, reminds us that God hears our prayers, emphasizes the power of spiritual connection, and reveals with certainty that we are unable to do anything, even the smallest thing, without God’s power…

Of course, depending on the listener’s perspective, this could also be seen as the human capacity to imagine situations and attribute them to the divine.

Miracles only make sense when they are part of a narrative that gives them meaning. Even an extraordinary event like the opening of a path through the Red Sea would be meaningless if there were no Hebrews to escape the Egyptian army. It is because of their presence, and because an Egyptian army perished in that very sea as a punishment from God, that this event becomes a miracle that speaks to us of the immense power of the God of Moses, the divine support He is willing to offer to His chosen people, and the fragility of His enemies before Him.

That is what elevates an extraordinary event into a miracle: the message it conveys about divine intervention. Miracles are one of the ways through which God communicates with humanity, delivering a message. Therefore, in the stories of the Prophets, Messengers, and Imams, we see that the conflict between them and their enemies is not only about the greatness of the wonders they perform but also about the narrative those wonders create. The real question often becomes: Is it a real miracle, an illusion, or a magic trick? Does it come from God or from demons? The answer to these questions is undoubtedly as crucial to the public perception of a miracle as the event itself.

The Whole World Believes in Miracles

While reading and reflecting for this article, I couldn’t help but notice that the belief in miracles is not only present in all cultures throughout human history, but when observed closely, it seems to be one of the most enduring and significant topics for human beings across the ages.

“Consider that among the six billion people on earth, there are one billion Roman Catholics whose Church teaches that a miracle occurs every time they participate in the ritual of the Mass, transforming bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ; one billion Muslims who believe that a miracle of divine revelation created the Qur’an; a half billion Christians who believe in miraculous physical healing; and another half billion Hindus who pray to personal deities for intervention in their lives. By this rough count, believers in miracles of one sort or another constitute half the world’s population.” (Miracles: wonder and meaning in world religions. Weddle, David L. New York University, 2010)

Almost everyone follows a religion, and all religions contain stories of miracles. This is not something new or surprising. What is truly interesting is that even in the secular world, where the official narrative tends to shy away from transcendental explanations, stories of miracles continue to have relevance and an enormous impact on the collective psychology of nations.

And I am not only referring to popular imagination, where, for example, local festivities are still celebrated today to commemorate the day when some past generation witnessed a miracle. Even official institutions, despite their secular stance, often draw upon miracle stories to shape the official national identity.

Let’s take, for instance, two of the most important symbols of my country, Mexico. The coat of arms on the Mexican flag features an eagle standing on a cactus, devouring a serpent. This image refers to the ancient foundational myth of the city of Mexico-Tenochtitlán. According to the legend, the god Huitzilopochtli instructed his people to seek out a new land to settle, telling them to travel until they found an eagle standing on a cactus, devouring a serpent. This image represents, according to tradition, the way in which Huitzilopochtli veiled himself to signal the location of the promised land.

The Mexicas traveled until they eventually found this symbol in what is now the historic center of Mexico City, where they founded the capital of one of the most powerful empires in pre-Columbian America.

The power of the narrative behind this miracle is so strong that, throughout years of armed conflict and struggles for power, the symbol of the eagle devouring the serpent has been adopted by almost every faction that has ruled the country. This symbol has come to unify and encapsulate the collective identity of Mexicans.

Another of the nation’s most well-known and respected symbols is the Standard of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which also served as the flag of the independence movement in 1810. This alternative flag was used by the insurgents and continues to be honored every year during Mexico’s Independence Day celebrations.

The appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe is probably the most famous miracle in Mexico’s history. According to traditional accounts, an indigenous man named Juan Diego was on Tepeyac Hill, near what is now Mexico City, when he heard a voice calling to him. Upon searching for the source of the voice, he encountered an apparition of the Virgin Mary, who asked him to tell the bishop that he should build a sanctuary in her honor at that very hill. As a sign of proof for the bishop to believe his message, the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe miraculously appeared on the tilma (a type of cloak) that Juan Diego was wearing that day. Today, this image is still  on display at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

The impact of this story on Mexicans was so great that, at the start of Mexico’s independence movement, the insurgent leaders adopted the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe as their flag and rallying symbol, despite protests and accusations of blasphemy from the Catholic clergy at the time. The effectiveness of this symbol in  mobilizing the population was such that, even today, all Mexicans, regardless of their religion, learn about this standard in schools and, consequently, about the miracle of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Of course, not everyone believes in these miracles. Personally, I have never had a conversation with another Mexican about the miracle of the eagle and the serpent, and although the image is printed on the national flag, in public discourse we are certainly not encouraged to think of this event as a religious story. I think that if we asked most Mexicans today, very few would believe that the event happened literally. For many Catholics, the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe is an undoubtedly miraculous event, but other sectors of the Christian population tend to reject this story, considering it an invention of the Catholic Church aimed at promoting idolatry and subjugating the people.

However, the fact that the memory of this miracle inspired the people to rise up against oppression, and that many miracle stories have had the same effect, calls into question the interpretation that these stories only exist to subjugate the population. The story of Moses is a clear example of how miracles can inspire liberation rather than subjugation. Even today, in Tibet, it is believed that the political and spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, knows the location of his next reincarnation. The belief in this miracle has inspired the resistance of the Tibetan people against the oppression of the Chinese government.

Even Secular Nations Believe in Miracles

The Mexican and Tibetan cases are not isolated incidents. Rather, they serve to illustrate a fundamental point: in many countries, including some that are secular, miracles are so important that national symbols have been created to commemorate them. A notable example is Christianity, as 31 national flags feature Christian symbols in their design.

The inclusion of the cross as a symbol on these flags is not simply as a celebration of Jesus’ death, but rather as a commemoration of his resurrection and the miracle of grace that his sacrifice brought into the world. Secular nations believe in miracles and base part of their identity on these events, or at least, they use miracle narratives to keep their own legitimacy and place in the world.

This aspect is crucial because, in the case of the Prophets, Messengers, and Imams, the miracles they performed in front of the world were not solely intended to astonish witnesses, but in many cases, they also legitimized their claim to divine authority before their followers and their detractors. For most believers, these miracles continue to reaffirm the validity of their message and their authority.

For example, Christian nations have sustained and justified their authority throughout the centuries by referencing Biblical  passages such as:

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." (Bible, Epistle to the Romans, Chapter 13, Verses 1-2)

However, it is easy to see how a tyrannical ruler like Pharaoh could have used a similar argument to the one in this passage to keep the Israelites in bondage. In such a context, a liberator like Moses could hardly have constructed a rational argument, either secular or religious, convincing enough for Pharaoh’s government, or even for his own people, that there can be exceptions to this rule. Moses had to demonstrate that God does not accept that the respect due to authorities be used as an excuse for tyrants to oppress the people.

The only way Moses could have made it clear that God was on his side and supported his authority against the mighty Pharaoh was by performing a miracle so astonishing that no human power, no matter how great, could compare to it. In this way, everyone would know that the God Moses proclaimed not only existed and lived, but also supported him, openly declaring Moses’ authority over Pharaoh’s before the eyes of the world.

What do the Miracles of Aba Al-Sadiq Tell Us?

The miracles of Aba Al-Sadiq stand as clear proof of his divine authority, in the same way that the miracles of Moses established his legitimacy before both believers and skeptics. It is a deliberate sign of the divine support behind his claim and a manifestation of the continuity of divine religions and God’s message throughout history.

Aba Al-Sadiq has demonstrated miracles on a scale that none in history have matched, encompassing signs and wonders known across the Abrahamic faiths and beyond. He has  performed all the miracles of Jesus, not only healing the sick and restoring sight to the blind, but even raising the dead, just as Christ did. He has shown astronomical miracles equivalent to the splitting of the moon by Prophet Muhammad, demonstrating command over the heavens themselves: eclipses, lights in the sky and causing the moon to disappear. His miracles have been witnessed by countless people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

Let’s consider the miracle of the disappearance of the moon. What was truly striking for those who witnessed this event was not simply seeing a moonless sky, but that this happened precisely when the entire community had gathered to ask God to remove from them the calamities that Aba Al-Sadiq had spoken of. In that unforgettable moment, the spectacle was not just the absence of the moon from the sky, but the overwhelming realization that God hears the prayers of the believers. This miracle is proof that God is willing to even change destiny out of His love for His chosen people.

I, myself, have witnessed and can attest to a vast range of wonders, spanning the miracles associated with Muhammad, Moses, Jesus, and revered figures from other belief systems. While some miracles are rooted in a single site or immortalized as the symbols of nations, such as the apparition at Tepeyac Hill or a national symbol, the wonders associated with Aba Al-Sadiq shatter those boundaries. His miracles are not isolated incidents in the past, they continue to unfold, witnessed collectively by entire communities across continents. Accounts of these astonishing acts emerge from every walk of life and from every part of the world, creating an ongoing saga that bears witness to the undeniable presence of the divine in our times, and enough testimonies to fill volumes.

Those who have heard Aba Al-Sadiq speak can attest that his demonstrations of supernatural wisdom and enlightenment recall the spiritual feats of Buddha and other Eastern sages. This shows that, in addition to the Abrahamic religions, the Eastern religions also originate from the same divine source that gave rise to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Perhaps even more compelling is his unique mastery over the mysteries of reincarnation. He not only knows the details of his own past incarnations, but also reveals with stunning precision the former lives of the key figures assembled in the Great Raj’a or Return. He provides names, dates, and circumstances, unifying past and present in a way never before seen.

His miracles are further affirmed through prophetic dreams, with multiple individuals across different countries receiving the same divine message or sign in their vision. Of the many miracles attributed to Aba Al-Sadiq are responses to collective prayer, resulting in the lifting of foreshadowing calamities or the sudden appearance of hope in desperate situations. Aba Al-Sadiq has been witnessed to bring relief from illness after collective supplication, to summon rain during droughts, and to reveal hidden truths that none could have known.

While it is true that faith is not founded on miracles alone, these wonders do nevertheless serve as powerful signs. In every age, God has granted signs to inspire, awaken, and call humanity. In Aba Al-Sadiq, those signs multiply and meet, declaring unmistakably that the hand of God is above us.

In every sign, whether controlling the stars, healing bodies and souls, or revealing the secrets of past lives, we see living testimony that the divine covenant still stands, and that the power sustaining the miracles of Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and Buddha is the same power manifest in Aba Al-Sadiq today.

So, Who are the Voices that Ridicule Miracles?

Today, as in every era for which we have records, the people most eager to deny the existence of miracles, to downplay their importance, to label them as acts of magic, or to mock those who believe, are often those whose control over a particular group’s narrative is threatened by extraordinary events. Such miracles force people to reevaluate their beliefs about how the world works, who holds power over it, and which voices truly deserve to be heard.

The voices that mock our miracles, intentionally portraying them in the most absurd way possible, such as when it is said, “Devoted followers of Abdullah Hashem claim he can heal the sick and make the moon disappear,” as if trying to present Aba Al-Sadiq as a mere circus magician, are not simply expressing skepticism about our narrative, they are simultaneously trying to push and defend their own narrative.

A narrative which, we must not forget, these same media outlets have never had any problem declaring, or giving a platform to, such as those who proclaim that certain technological breakthroughs are “miracles of science.” So what is the underlying message here? That the only acceptable miracles, the only miracles society will tolerate, are those that can be commodified or fit within the current structure. Any miracle that challenges established interests is dismissed, while those that serve commercial or ideological agendas, even if they are false, are celebrated.

Why Do Miracles Matter?

Every time a miracle occurs, a conflict is generated not only in the minds of those who come to know of it, but also society, challenging collective beliefs and the power structures that seek to impose their version of reality. This struggle for truth is as relevant today as it was in the time of Moses. Miracles not only challenge scientific explanations or conventional historical accounts, but also ignite a narrative battle where divine truth fights the lies and manipulations of those who feel threatened by the revelation of the divine.

Stories of miracles remind us that another world is possible. And even more: they suggest that the world we long for is already here, occasionally breaking through the routine and monotony, interrupting our daily life to ask us: Until when? Until when will we accept a life that only consists of closing our eyes and denying ourselves the possibility of experiencing a life filled with the magical and mystical experience of the divine everyday?

Who benefits from this narrative that presents miracles as something reserved only for simple and ignorant people, those who are deceived by tricksters?  And who, in reality, are the real tricksters? Are they the ones who can truly perform miracles? Are they the ones who have witnessed a miracle? Or are they, on the contrary, those who, without any shame, use the language of miracles where there is neither faith nor miracle, but only a simple desire to make money, gain power, attack their enemies, and do evil?

Is that too a matter of perspective?