Al-Isra 59: The only thing that prevents Us from sending Our miracles is that these were denied by the ones before. And We had given to the nation of Thamud a female camel as a clear miracle. But (they have slain the camel and) thus became oppressors. And We send these miracles only to frighten.

We have come to verse fifty-nine of Surah Al-Isra.

"The only thing that keeps Us from sending signs, miracles," it says. The only thing. This much, which I explain to you before reading: the only thing is Allah Almighty's programming of the worlds. Otherwise (?) all of us. The only thing is that earlier peoples denied these signs. Indeed, We gave the people of Thamud a she-camel as a clear miracle. But they slaughtered this camel, and thus became wrongdoers. Yet We send signs only to warn, it says. The Quran, the Quran both gives glad tidings of Paradise and warns of Hell.

The signs — the signs here mean miracles.

In another sense, as I said a moment ago, its original meaning: the only thing that keeps Us from sending signs, miracles. That is, the only thing that keeps Us from destroying them, all of them: We programmed the worlds. With every human We made a covenant at the call "Elestü bi-Rabbiküm". And all the people We made a covenant with will come to earth. Proving what kind of people they are — the souls waiting in the barzakh, the last to come into the world, will also come into the world. Then the Last Day will break. So until that time, since We (?), the only thing that keeps Us from these miracles of Ours, that is, from giving destructions, is the fulfillment of Our promise.

That part is this much. The only thing that keeps Us from sending signs, miracles — keeps? Doesn't He send miracles? Allah Almighty does send them. Didn't He send miracles? He did. Then don't these verses contradict each other? And what does it say about miracles? "The only thing that keeps Us from sending signs." So the meaning here: this miracle is the Last Day breaking, the destruction of all people — which He did do, (?) with Noah's Flood it came again. That is, He does not do away with the world. Those in the barzakh will also come to the world. They will prove themselves. The souls there are still waiting.

They will come to the world, prove themselves, and after proving this, we will make a return to the hereafter, to our Lord again. So this promise of Ours — because We promised it, He says, in this world this prevents Us from the Last Day breaking. From the Last Day breaking — from making the Last Day break. Yes.

Otherwise, He says, at the call "Elestü bi-Rabbiküm" We know which of you is a denier and which of you, He says, is God-fearing. The wretched and the God-fearing are known, He says. Known. But because I created you like My Self, because I gave you a part of My spirit, what would you have said? "If You sent me to a world, or to a realm where Your Self is not seen — if You sent me, see how I would worship You there." So that you would not say that, these worlds He created. So, He says, Us — only this prevents. My breaking of the Last Day, your (?), and breaking the Last Day — only that promise you gave prevents it, until its end, He says.

My word prevents it. Yes. The only thing that keeps Us from sending signs, miracles, is that earlier peoples denied these signs. Indeed, We gave the people of Thamud a she-camel as a clear miracle. But they slaughtered this camel, and thus became wrongdoers. Yet We send signs only to warn, it says. Allah Almighty, in His verse, saying "keeps Us from sending signs" and speaking of signs — in this verse the meaning is miracles. Every miracle sent is a sign. Signs show people a way. Allah holds a light before people. Miracles too hold a light before people. They prove Allah's existence to people. Every verse in the Holy Quran, by speaking of Allah's Self, shows people a way. So there is no difference between miracles and signs.

What is meant by miracle here is Allah Almighty's destroying of people. It is about not sending this destruction again. Not sending it. Allah Almighty, for the sake of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), has lifted destruction. The reason people are not destroyed is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is alive. Allah Almighty is free of deficient attributes. The Prophet (peace be upon him), as a mercy for the two worlds, He has sent. So would He lift His mercy and destroy people again? The Prophet (peace be upon him), who, having tasted death, is alive and lives both worlds — because Allah Almighty is "Eleysallahu bi-ahkemi'l-hakimin", Allah Almighty, applying His flawless justice fully and perfectly, has lifted destruction.

For the sake of the Prophet (peace be upon him), people from destruction have been saved. Only calamities and severe punishments continue.

So, we say. Having understood this much — since Allah Almighty does no injustice — if Allah Almighty had shown these people the miracles they asked for, since denying Allah is in their nature too, and since Allah Almighty knows what they would do, that they would turn to denial again, that in the miracles sent they would not believe — for the sake of His Beloved, Allah Almighty, applying His justice fully, flawlessly and perfectly, by not sending the deniers' requested miracles, that is, destructions, has once again protected these people. Yes. In a second sense, as we said, since destructions have now been lifted, people's wish to see miracles keeps Allah Almighty from sending miracles again.

In this case, in this case, since it is prophets who show miracles, and since prophethood has ended, there are no more miracles. Actually, are there none? There are. How so? Let's put it like this.

The Prophet spoke with a tree.

Again, the believer believed, the unbeliever did not. A miracle. He made water flow from his five fingers. The believer believed, the unbeliever did not. A miracle. He split the moon. Again, the believer believed, the unbeliever did not. That too is a miracle. He made dry trees turn green.

You can call these sorcery. You can also call him an illusionist. You can also hold it as belief, with faith. Yes, he is a prophet. Allah is capable of everything. Because that servant of His tells people the truth, as a support behind him He has shown these miracles — you can say this out of faith. In fact, this is exactly it. But since no prophet will come again, have miracles ceased? Actually, isn't the Quran a miracle? Aren't the verses of the Quran a miracle? "We released the two seas toward each other," it says; fresh water and salt water do not mix. Between them is a barrier, an obstacle.

In one, it says, the salt water is undrinkable; in the other, it says, the fresh water is drinkable. Today we see that at the Strait of Gibraltar two seas have met. One fresh, one salty. Found by Captain Cousteau: Allah's miracle in the sea. Now this — (?) — written 1400 years ago, and the One who created these worlds says it. And this is being discovered. For this reason it is, compared with the miracle a prophet would show you, more powerful. More powerful. Don't the two mix? They don't. And people discover this, again. Isn't it a miracle? Well, who creates this power?

More powerful than the miracles shown. In this case it is impossible for you to fall into denial. Yes. For this reason Allah Almighty, regarding the Prophet (peace be upon him), did not send some miracles that people asked for. As we said above, since denial of Allah is in their nature, knowing that these deniers would deny the miracles and move even further away from Allah, for the sake of His Beloved, by not sending the miracles they asked for, He will put them into a painful punishment in the hereafter, we say. Why did He not send them? Because he came as a mercy to the worlds — the deniers asked the Prophet for many miracles.

Then, the Prophet showed miracles, but since destruction had been lifted, He gave them calamities. Indeed, the people of Thamud asked the prophet Salih for a miracle of their own choosing. And Allah Almighty sent the miracle they asked for. He brought forth a yellow camel from the rock. Thereupon this people again turned to denial and killed the camel. Yes. Since this people increased their own wrongdoing and overstepped the limit, though what they asked of Allah Allah Almighty fulfilled, since they did not (?) loyalty to their word, they denied Allah again. This time Allah, putting (?) between His Self and this wrongdoing people, destroyed them. Just as with the people of Thamud He gave as an example: had people, through the Prophet (peace be upon him), asked Allah directly, as they themselves wished, for miracles, and had Allah Almighty given these people what they asked, sent His miracles, and had these deniers turned to denial again and denied Allah, their destruction on the spot would have become necessary.

So Allah Almighty, protecting these people for the sake of His Beloved, lifted destruction. However, the miracles that Allah, on His own part, within people's destinies, has shown to warn people and to prove His existence are an exception. By their wishes, people live out whether they will believe or not — the destinies within their natures. If they do not believe in the miracles Allah sends on earth, they are not destroyed. But since they do not believe in Allah and the hereafter, they become disbelievers. Their penalty is calamities in this world and painful punishment in the hereafter. Where they go they will remain forever, and from these punishments they will never be saved again.