The Nature of Miracles from the Point of View of Allamah Tabātabā’ī

This paper aims to explain the concept of supernatural in the definition of miracle that is a report from Allamah Tabātabā’ī’s view on the nature of miracle, eliminating some apparent conflicts in his expression. In this regard, by modeling the method of Al-Mīzān’s author based on a comprehensive analysis of Qur’anic verses, a new explanation of the key Qur’anic concepts used in this discussion such as soul, spirit, kingdom and the connection between them is presented and clarified. As a result, in one hand, miracle never violate the laws of nature and the problem of the inconsistency of cause and effect, which has caused the emergence of a contradiction in the discussion of Allamah, is solved by introducing a material factor in the soul of the Prophet (PBUH) as the cause of the miracle; On the other hand, the existence of material and abstract relations is emphasized in a macro and general way in all phenomena; that is, all phenomena have an outward or material level, or the creative level according to Qur’anic interpretation. At the same time and in connection with this level, they benefit from the esoteric or abstract aspect, or the heavenly level according to the Qur’anic interpretation. These two levels interact with each other throughout the existence while the difficult philosophical issue is to explain this connection and global interaction; Miracles, therefore, will not be discussed as an exception to the principle of consistency; for in the miracle, the heavenly aspect of the chosen man influences other phenomena’s heavenly aspect, and at the evident level, man’s material soul affects the nature of things.