Introduction
Verse 60 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by describing the miracle of twelve springs flowing from a stone through the agency of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) staff, presents one of the prominent manifestations of divine miracle in the Holy Qur'an. This verse not only displays the boundless power of the Almighty Lord but also paves the way for profound theological and philosophical reflections regarding the distinction between transcendent capabilities and material abilities. In this work, focusing on this verse, the concepts of miracle, revelation, and sanctity are examined, alongside an analysis of the challenges faced by the religious educational system in nurturing diverse talents and codifying sciences related to the unseen. The objective is to offer a coherent, scholarly, and elevated interpretation that meets the needs of erudite audiences, enhancing literary richness through Persian metaphors and allegories while preserving its academic nature.
Text and Translation of the Verse
And when Moses sought water for his people, We said, Strike the stone with your staff. Then twelve springs gushed forth from it, and each people knew its drinking place. Eat and drink from the provision of Allah, and do not act corruptly on the earth.
Analysis of the Concept of Miracle
This miracle, realised through a simple instrument such as the staff of Moses (peace be upon him), demonstrates the divine power in creating extraordinary phenomena. Just as a hard and inanimate stone, by God's permission, yields a flowing spring, the divine miracle surpasses material limitations and invites humanity to contemplate the grandeur of the Creator.
Categorisation of Capabilities
Material capabilities operate within the framework of natural laws and matter, including both tangible abilities (such as physical strength) and intangible ones (such as magic and sleight of hand). Although these may appear extraordinary, they depend ultimately on human nature and the material world. In contrast, transcendent capabilities, manifested in the realms of miracles, revelation, and sanctity, are independent of matter and nature and connected to divine unseen realities.
Types of Transcendent Capabilities
Transcendent knowledge encompasses awareness of unseen matters, hearing or perceiving immaterial realities, such as revelation bestowed upon the prophets. Transcendent power, exemplified by Moses (peace be upon him) miracle of producing springs from a rock, involves acts beyond ordinary human ability. These two domains provide a framework for understanding the capabilities of prophets and saints within the Holy Qur'an.
Differences Among Prophets in Capabilities
Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), through miracles such as the transformation of his staff into a serpent and the flowing of springs from the rock, excels in power-based capabilities, strengthening his mission against Pharaoh and the Children of Israel. Conversely, the sage Luqman is distinguished in wisdom and ethical knowledge without possessing power-based miracles. This diversity reflects the alignment of prophets missions with the needs of their respective communities.
The Qur'ans Comprehensiveness and the Seal of the Prophets
The Seal of the Prophets (peace be upon him), receiving divine revelation and presenting miracles, perfected the union of knowledge and power. The Holy Qur'an, as a comprehensive scripture, embraces all scientific and power dimensions, introducing faith in the unseen as the essential condition for accessing these capabilities. This comprehensiveness renders the Qur'an a unique source for humanitys guidance.
Three Human Categories
Ordinary humans, forming the majority of society, possess usual abilities and lack extraordinary capacities. Intrinsically exceptional humans differ from the masses due to innate genius in knowledge (intellect, memory) or power (physical strength), though this genius remains dependent on their nature and genetics. Divinely exceptional humans are saints who, through connection to the unseen and receiving revelation or sanctity, hold transcendent capabilities.
Avoiding Errors in Recognising Ones Status
Proper self-recognition prevents wastage of talents and spiritual deviation. An ordinary person, despite great effort, cannot reach the level of genius or sainthood. Likewise, a genius should not imagine themselves as a saint, and saints must tread their divine path carefully. This self-knowledge is a jewel guiding humans towards perfection, like a star in the night showing the way to the lost.
Differences in Talent and Limitations
Human talents are influenced by genes, heredity, nourishment, conception, time, place, and environment. These differences shape diverse paths of growth. The route to perfection is accessible to everyone, but attaining genius or saintly status requires difficult effort and wise guidance, akin to planting a seed that only yields fruit with careful nurture.
Uniformity of Education and Wastage of Talents
The religious educational system, by forcing all students to follow the same path, neglects diverse talents. This uniformity is an injustice to the self, religion, and perfection, like a river confined to a narrow bed instead of flowing into various courses. After years of study, students often lack fundamental skills, highlighting the urgent need to reform the educational framework.
The Role of Mentors and Self-Knowledge
Wise mentors act like gardeners who cultivate each sapling according to the soil and climate. Students self-knowledge, understanding their place (ordinary, genius, saint), is a fundamental step towards scientific and spiritual growth. Such self-awareness turns educational centres into hubs of knowledge and sanctity.
Dispersal and Lack of Scholarly Weight
Students are often like birds scattered in pursuit of various seeds without attaining deep scholarly substance. Lessons accumulate like scattered tuition fees without resulting in the production of deep knowledge and insight. This dispersal hinders the blossoming of talents and reaching high spiritual ranks.
General Revelation and Its Manifestations
General revelation is a pervasive phenomenon that includes communications from God to prophets as well as to the earth, animals (such as the ants), devils, and angels. It signifies the entry of meaning or speech from the unseen into a being, like a breeze blowing from the heavens to the earth, imparting life.
Inspiration and Its Sanctity
"Indeed, We have inspired to the soul its wickedness and its righteousness."
Inspiration, owing to its direct connection with God, differs from general revelation. This sanctity transforms inspiration into a divine current sowing seeds of good and evil within the soul, like a light shining in the midst of darkness.
Specific Revelation and the Role of Prophets
Specific revelation, revealed to prophets such as Moses, Jesus, and Abraham (peace be upon them), fortifies their mission in guiding communities. This revelation sometimes appears as a direct command (like "Strike the stone with your staff") and sometimes as an act performed by the prophets themselves.
The Necessity of Codifying Unseen Sciences
Unseen sciences like divination by sand (raml), astrolabe, and palmistry require a systematic, scientific framework to prevent exploitation by charlatans. Such codification acts as a protective barrier preserving the garden of religion from the harm of opportunists. The religious educational system must teach these sciences with care and order, enabling spiritual growth rather than destruction.
Weaknesses in the Religious Educational System
Often, the system fails in imparting fundamental concepts like lexical derivation (e.g., the difference between right and left
