The miracles of our Lord are all around us in every facet of our daily lives. The sun, moon, stars, trees, and the very essence of the human being are but a few examples. It takes, however, a very special person to truly appreciate these things as miracles because for the lay person they are the usual parts of each day. On the other hand, people don’t respond in similar fashion to clear cut miraculous events. We are amazed and enthralled whenever we see planes landing on water, or sky divers surviving falls from planes without parachutes, or any of the other amazing things that we see that are out of the ordinary.
For Muslims and Christians, when we see amazing miracles of a Divine nature, people all over the world get excited, and people travel far and wide to see them. Such an event has occurred in recent months and there has been an ‘underwhelming’ response to view this wonder. In a small upstate New York village, Almighty God has allowed His Personal Name to illuminate the wall of a place of worship. It is “the greatest miracle sent in the history of mankind”, but the response to it has been lackluster at best.
I started to ponder this as I perused an article online about a miracle in which the silhouette of a person praying appears at the entrance of a holy building every afternoon. The article goes on to say how people from around the world have flocked to see this wonder. That being the case, I contemplated on what could be the reason that streams of people are not flocking to upstate New York? Why does it seem that people are unmoved, like someone who just witnessed a cloud for the millionth time? Why do they not realize that the significance of this superb event is that Almighty God does hear our prayers and answers them? I think I know.
First, let me say a little more about the miracle. On August 2, 2010, in the early morning hours, a group of young men had awakened to do late night prayer and one young man was awestruck to find that Almighty God’s Personal Name appeared on the wall. It appeared on the oak paneling as though it was bubbling off the wall and it was emanating an intense light. A few days after it appeared, while some of the young men were extolling Almighty God, to their surprise the Name expanded. It has been shining ever since it appeared. At the time this magnificent event was unfolding I was in the clinic upstairs in the masjid fast asleep. A few of my friends excitedly came upstairs and tried to explain what had occurred, but their most enthusiastic expressions could not capture the feeling that overcame me when I saw this breathtaking miracle for myself. As the news spread, a few people trickled in, but not the mass that I was expecting. At first, I couldn’t fathom why; but as I ascertained from some people why they were absent, the reasons became somewhat clear. In the first place, many people were not aware. So for those who are aware, you have the responsibility to spread the message to others. Now, if you didn’t appreciate the magnificence yourself, it may be hard to portray the wonder to someone else. This is understandable, but in that case, you have to revisit it without any expectations or prejudgments (i.e. you must visit it empty of preconceived notions) and I believe you will truly witness the power of this miraculous event.
The next thing is that the Personal Name of Almighty God appeared in Arabic, and automatically, people believe that it only then applies to Muslims. This could not be further from the truth. Although it is in Arabic, Almighty God is still the One God and as such, all those who believe in Him owe it to themselves to witness His Name- no matter what the language. Again, you will feel the effects, regardless of your religious denomination. A somewhat similar miracle appeared many years ago in the small community of York, South Carolina. Since then, a shrine was erected and many people of various faiths have enjoyed the healing effects of this holy place. The event that occurred in New York is of a greater magnitude than this, so you can imagine the power of this marvel of Almighty God.
I think the biggest reason is that people are looking so hard for tangible evidence that Almighty God exists. In ancient times, people were amazed at the stars, the moon, and other aspects of nature, and this strengthened their belief in the Almighty Creator. As man developed what is believed to be a better understanding of the world about him, we have man being percieved to be Divine, and thus lost our faith in our Divine Creator. This has led to mankind not being impressed with nature anymore as evidence of the Almighty God. Now, the thing about this is that if you trace our knowledge of creation back to its root cause you will see that ultimately the origin is Almighty God, anyway. That being said, miracles don’t have the same ‘wow’ factor that they used to have, so it has to be something truly amazing to even cause people to do a double-take.
Now, some people think , ‘how can they say that this is the biggest and greatest miracle ever shown to mankind’? Well, the answer will help people, in general, when viewing miracles. Whenever these things occur, do not let your eyes fool you, but instead follow your heart. What this means is – try to avoid looking at the miracle and attempting to be amazed, but look at the effect that the miracle has on everything that surrounds it. So, don’t look at how it makes you feel, but look for the effect it has on you. Whatever your religious affiliations and whether you believe in miracles or not, I want you to stop reading and reflect on the thing you love most in the world. Now imagine that if we compiled that love for all of humanity, our total love would not amount to a speck of sand in the desert of the love that Almighty God has shown us by allowing His Personal Signature to—without interruption—emanate from this oak wall for all to see. Don’t take my word for it. Put what I say to the litmus test. With a clear heart, sit and internally ask Almighy God that if the claim is true that this is His personal signature, for Him to truly, and without a doubt, give you the inspiration and inclination to go see it. I believe that you will see that your heart will draw you toward it, but your mind will tell you all the reasons not to go. So remember to always follow your heart in this regard for it will never steer you wrong, but if you think too much your mind will always veer you wrong. As always – Only by God, the Almighty and All Glorious, can we be healed.
