19. How did Samiri pull out a miracle?

The following verses (2:51, 2:54, 2:92, 2:93, 4:153, 7:148, 7:149, 7:152, 20:85-98) talk about a miracle performed by Samiri who lived during Prophet Musa’s time. 

Prophet Musa was summoned by God to Sinai Mount to be bestowed with scripture. As soon as the prophet departed, Samiri melted all the gold jewelry he collected from the community members of Prophet Musa and made an idol of an ox out of it. This ox idol made of gold emitted a sound when he sprinkled sand taken from the footprints of prophet Musa, and he declared the idol as the real God and Prophet Musa had abandoned them for a rendezvous with the false god. He managed to convince them to worship the same.

The people started believing that the sound emitted by the idol was more than enough proof to prove that indeed the idol was their real God. The fact that it cannot respond to them or its inability to speak had not entered their intellect. Prophet Musa burnt the entire idol to prove to the people that it is not God. 

Looking at this incident we should not be misled to believe that Samiri had the powers to perform wonders. 

Normally we conclude a person can achieve feats if he proves them by performing the same whenever required.

Or he should have performed the same feat many times. We believe breaking a matchstick into two pieces is within the power of all men. A person, whenever he wishes to break a matchstick into two, is always capable of doing it as many times as and when required. May be once in a thousand times or once in one hundred thousand times may falter as per Allah’s wish. 

Similarly, when a person succeeds in bending a crowbar and breaks it, we do not immediately conclude that he has the innate strength to break crowbars at any given time. We would require him to break more crowbars to prove his strength, and then conclude he is indeed extremely strong.

In case he fails to break many more crowbars or refuses to break again the conclusion to be made naturally is his performance previously is nothing but a weakness lying within the crowbar or the Al-Mighty ordered it be broken. Hence, we conclude that he does not possess the strength innately. 

Did Samiri perform this with prior knowledge about the results, or did he possess the capability to make ox idols made of gold that produce a sound when sprinkled with sand or was it a one-time coincidence can be clarified while going through these verses. Prophet Musa asked ‘Oh Samiri what ails you?’. I observed what they missed. I picked up a pinch of sand from the footsteps of this prophet and sprinkled it on the statue. My mind provoked me to do it. ’You go away’, during the rest of your life you will remain untouchable. The irrevocable committed time for you is alive. And Musa said look at the god you worshipped, we will consume it to flames and sprinkle its ashes in the sea. (Al-Quran 20:95, 96, 97.)

When Musa enquired what was the matter with him, he did not reply by saying that he possessed the ability to perform wonders. On the contrary he replied by saying he was enticed to make a golden ox idol and sprinkle sand from the footprints of the prophet.

So, we come to understand that he did not possess any ability to perform wonders but was goaded by the Al-Mighty to do what he did.

To prove that Samiri did not possess any power to perform miracles, Prophet Musa consumed the golden ox idol to flames. Samiri could just be a witness to the incident. 

Samiri could not challenge Prophet Musa’s steadfastness. He could not save his idol nor himself. 

In the same way miracles by coincidence may happen in the lives of many, this should not be misconstrued as if it is of their own making. 

 A person who was under coma and announced would not recover happens to sit up in his bed enquiring about our health in turn cannot claim it as his miracle nor do we. We take that as Allah’s grace on him to be cured. 

Only when a person plans and executes a deed shall we deem him responsible for the act he committed.

How do we understand an incident where a person comes out unscathed after falling from a fifty storied building? Neither he nor anyone can claim that he can fall any number of times from a fifty storied building and come out unscathed. We will take it as an unexpected grace to him from Allah’s side.

This example could make us understand that Samiri did not have powers to perform any miracles.

Please refer to point number 269 to know more about miracles.