The miracles of the Prophet ﷺ are widely known in outline and rarely studied with the sources attached. This volume supplies them.
Ibn Kathir gathers the authentic narrations testifying to the Messenger's ﷺ greatness, his character, and the divine support he received — and he distinguishes carefully, because this is a subject where invention accumulates.
The book covers the physical and manifest miracles: the splitting of the moon at the demand of the Quraysh, water flowing from between his blessed fingers when an army had none, food multiplied to feed a gathering it could not have fed, and the tree trunk that wept when he left it.
It also covers what it calls the spiritual and moral miracles — the unmatched wisdom, eloquence, patience and compassion that convinced people who had watched him for years. Ibn Kathir's argument is that the second category persuaded more people than the first, which is borne out by the record.
Alongside these, the merits: his exalted status with Allah, his role as the Seal of the Prophets, his noble lineage, the purity of his heart, and the love his Companions bore him — documented rather than asserted, with the narrations that show how Allah prepared, protected and honored him.
About Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah
Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah — The Beginning and The End — by Abu Al-Fida 'Imad ad-Din Isma'il bin 'Umar Ibn Kathir is among the most authoritative sources on Islamic history ever written. Its distinctive feature is its range: it deals not only with past events but with the future events the Prophet ﷺ foretold, up to the Day of Judgment.
The Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah Volumes
Darussalam's abridged English translation of Ibn Kathir's history is issued as separate volumes, each covering one period or theme. Seven have been translated so far, and the complete 7-book set can be bought together at a discount. The others:
The Book of the End also draws on the same work, covering the trials and events still to come.
Related Reading
