Al-Ijl
Definition
Al-ijl — the calf — was the golden idol fashioned by the Samiri from the jewelry of the Israelites while Musa was away at Sinai for forty days. The Samiri cast the jewelry into a fire and produced a calf that made a lowing sound — a 'miracle' of craftsmanship that the people, despite having witnessed the parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of Pharaoh, were willing to interpret as evidence of divinity. Ibn Kathir uses the golden calf episode as the Quran's most devastating demonstration of the psychological fragility of faith that has not been grounded in knowledge — people who had seen the most spectacular miracles in human history abandoned their prophet for a golden animal while his back was turned.
As understood in the classical tradition of Ibn Kathir and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Al-Ijl.
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"However, the Imam disagreed with this view. He explained that extraordinary events are possible as miracles. The difference between a prophetic miracle and a saintly miracle lies in the claim of prophethood. A prophetic miracle supports such a claim, while a saintly miracle occurs without it. The Imam noted that during the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, miracles occurred that no Muslim would deny even before his prophetic mission. Since a miracle does not precede the claim of prophethood, these were considered saintly miracles. He stated that if someone mistakenly claims these were miracles of another prophet of that era, they are misinformed."
— Imam al-Nawawī, The Garden of the Gnostics
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"If he points to his sainthood, it confirms his truthfulness in his state, thus termed a saintly miracle, not a prophetic miracle, even if similar to a miracle, due to the distinction. He used to say that a difference is that prophets are commanded to manifest miracles, whereas a saint should conceal them. A prophet claims them with certainty, while a saint does not claim his miracle as definitive, as it might be an illusion."
— Imam al-Nawawī, The Garden of the Gnostics
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"permissibility of saintly miracles are clear, both rationally and through Islamic texts. The Imam and others remarked on the difference between magic and a saintly miracle. Magic only manifests through an impious person. This is not a necessity of the intellect, but derived from the consensus of the Islamic community. The Imam further stated that even though a saintly miracle does not appear on an openly sinful person, it does not decisively indicate sainthood. If it did, its bearer would be assured of ultimate safety, which is not permitted for a saint in a miracle by consensus. This concludes the statement of Imam al-Haramayn."
— Imam al-Nawawī, The Garden of the Gnostics
Appears in
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