The Call of the Quran
5. The call of da‘wah in the modern age
~ 86 ~
an indisputable argument in support of its Creator’s
existence and His stupendous attributes. However,
in ancient times, the nature of this miracle remained
unapprehended or was little understood, and that is
why God gave His prophets the power to perform
miracles. (It is worth noting that the Qur’an uses the
common word ‘Ayah’-signs-to denote both the
prophets’ miracles and the signs of nature in the
universe.) However, the Prophet Muhammad’s
contemporaries, despite their demands, were never
shown miracles of the kind demonstrated by the
earlier prophets. Instead, the Prophet would draw
the attention of his congregation to the Qur’an’s
pronouncements on the universe. They were then
exhorted to look at and ponder over the
omnipresent signs of their Maker. As the Qur’an
was revealed before the age of science, the signs
referred to therein were considered sufficient proof
of the truth of the Prophet’s teachings. The Qur’an,
having been handed down to posterity as a work of
eternal truth, continued to be read in the new age of
science, – when miracles were no longer demanded
as proofs of either natural or supernatural claims, –
as God’s signs had passed the test of scientific
scrutiny. Whereas in ancient times, unusual and
