lapsed. Others said it was a different house, and so on. Each narration may be a single report, and weak, and untrue, but the basic event was that a house had collapsed; that was certain and they were unanimous concerning it. However, the six instances we enumerated above were both authentic, and some of them became famous. Suppose we consider each of them to be weak, all together they demonstrate the certain occurrence of an absolute miracle of Muhammad (UWBP), like the absolute collapse of the house in the comparison.
Thus, God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) performed definite, evident miracles from every category. The instances of them are the forms or examples of those universal and absolute miracles. Just as the Messenger’s (UWBP) hand, fingers, spittle, breath, and speech, that is, his prayer, were the means of numerous miracles, so too, his other subtle faculties and emotions and senses were the means of many wonders. The books of biography and history have described them and demonstrated that in his conduct, physical being, and senses were many evidences of his prophethood.
FIFTEENTH SIGN
Just as rocks, trees, the moon and the sun recognized God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) and affirmed his prophethood by each demonstrating a miracle, so too, animals, the dead, the jinn, and the angels recognized that blessed person and affirmed his prophethood. For by each of those species of beings displaying a number of miracles, they demonstrated that they recognized him and they proclaimed their affirmation of his prophethood. This Fifteenth Sign contains three branches.
F i r s t B r a n c h
The animal realm recognized God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) and displayed his miracles. There are numerous examples of this Branch. Here as examples, we shall mention only those which are well-known and definite to the degree of ‘consensus in meaning,’ or have been accepted by authoritative scholars, or have been deemed acceptable by the Muslim community.
The First Incident: This is well-known to the degree of ‘consensus in meaning,’ and concerns the two pigeons coming and waiting at the entrance to the cave of Hira, where God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) and Abu Bakr the Veracious hid from the pursuing unbelievers, and the spider veiling the entrance with a thick web, like a curtain holder. Ubayy b. Khalaf, one of the leaders of the Quraysh whom