1.1. Definition of ayah (sign)
The word ayah refers to a sign that is indicative of something.

The Holy Qur’an uses the words ayah (sign), bayyinah (clear proof) and burhan (evidence) to refer to what Allah gave to His prophets to prove their sincerity and the truthfulness of what they brought from Him Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.

Ibn Taymiyah said, “The ayat (signs) that constitute evidence and proof of prophethood are signs from Allah, and they are signs that it is He Who sent the Messenger.” He also said, “Some scholars also call them mu‘jizat (miracles), dala’il al-nubuwwah (proofs of prophethood) and a‘lam al-nubuwwah (signs of prophethood). If these words are used to refer to the signs of the prophets, that is clearer in meaning than the word mu‘jizat (miracles).”

1.2. Types of signs
Introduction
The signs that Allah gave to His messengers and prophets (peace be upon them) fall into three categories, namely knowledge, power and independence of means. Speaking of matters of the unseen, such as when ‘Isa told his people of what they were eating and storing in their houses, comes under the heading of knowledge. Turning a staff into a snake and splitting the moon come under the heading of power. Allah’s protection of His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) from the people comes under the heading of independence of means. There follow some examples of the signs of the messengers (peace be upon them)

1.2.1. Some of the signs of Musa (peace be upon him)
One of the greatest of these signs is his staff which would turn into a large snake when he threw it on the ground. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, said to Musa (interpretation of the meaning), “And what is that in your right hand, O Musa?” He said, “It is my staff; I lean upon it, and I bring down leaves for my sheep and I have therein other uses.” Allah said, “Throw it down, O Musa.” So he threw it down, and thereupon it was a snake, moving swiftly.  Allah said, “"Seize it and fear not; We will return it to its former condition.” (Ta-Ha 20:17-21)

Ibn Kathir said, “This was a great extraordinary feat and definitive proof that the One Who spoke to Musa was the One Who says to a thing, Be, and it is, and He is the One Who does what He wants by His will.”

One of the characteristics of this staff was that it swallowed all the ropes and sticks that the magicians of Pharaoh brought to compete with Musa. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "They said: O Musa, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw! He said: No; you throw first. Thereupon their ropes and sticks appeared to him, by their magic, to be moving about. Then Musa sensed fear in himself. We said: Fear not, for verily it is you who will prevail. Throw that which is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have wrought. What they have wrought is no more than a magician’s trick, and the magician will never prosper, no matter where he may be." (Ta-Ha 20:65-69)

When the magicians saw what Musa’s snake did, they realised that this was not the action of human being; rather it was the action of the Creator of human beings, so they had no choice but to fall down in prostration to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "So the magicians fell down in prostration. They said, “We have believed in the Lord of Harun and Musa.” (Ta-Ha 20:70)

1.2.2. Some of the signs of ‘Isa (peace be upon him)
One of the signs of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) is that which Allah has told us, in the words that He addressed to ‘Isa (interpretation of the meaning), "You made out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathed into it, and it became a bird by My leave. You healed those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave, and you brought the dead back to life, by My leave." (al-Ma’idah 5:110)

Ibn Kathir said, “‘Isa ibn Maryam was sent at the time of physicians, so he was sent with miracles and feats that they were not able to do, and they could not figure out how they happened. How can a physician heal one who has been blind from birth, who is worse off than one who becomes blind later in life, and lepers, and those suffering from chronic illnesses? How could any human figure out how to raise the dead? These are things which everyone knows are miracles that point to the truthfulness of the one who performed them and the might of the One Who sent him.”

1.2.3. Some of the signs of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
i. The Qur’an: Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, challenged the most eloquent of nations, with the highest ability to speak with clarity and concision, to produce something like this Qur’an or part of it. Ibn Kathir said, “The Book of the Signs of Prophethood: These signs are both intangible and tangible. One of the intangible signs is the sending down of the Holy Qur’an to him, which is the greatest of miracles, the most amazing of signs and the clearest of proof, because of what it contains of the miraculous style which Allah challenged humankind and the jinn to produce the like thereof, but they were unable to do that, despite the powerful motive for his enemies to produce something like it and despite their eloquence and strong command of language. Then He challenged them to produce ten surahs like it, and they were not able to do that. Then the challenge was reduced to producing a single surah like it, and they were not able to do that; they realised that it was beyond their ability, and that it was impossible for anyone ever to do that.”

ii. The splitting of the moon: Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "The Hour has drawn nigh, and the moon has split." (al-Qamar 54:1) ‘Iyad said: “The sign of the splitting of the moon is one of the major signs and miracles of our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The story was narrated by a number of the Sahabah, and the apparent meaning and context of this verse, along with the ongoing stubborn rejection of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) by Quraysh, all testify that it did indeed take place, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning), "The Hour has drawn nigh, and the moon has split.
But whenever they see a sign, they turn away and say: Incessant magic!" (al-Qamar 54:1-2)

It was narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The people of Makkah asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to show them a sign, so he showed them the splitting of the moon." (al-Bukhari, Muslim)

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Whilst we were with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in Mina, the moon split in two; one half was behind the mountain and one half was in front of it, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to us, 'Bear witness.'" (al-Bukhari, Muslim)

iii. The grief of the palm trunk: It was narrated from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to stand beside a tree – or a palm tree – on Friday. Then an Ansari woman – or man – said, "O Messenger of Allah, shall we not make a minbar for you? He said, 'If you wish.' So they made a minbar for him, then on the next Friday, he went to the minbar and the palm-tree cried like a child. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came down and embraced it, whilst it continued to moan like a child who is being comforted. He said: “It was crying for what it used to hear of the reminder (khutbah) beside it." (al-Bukhari)

In his book Dala’il al-Nubuwwah, al-Bayhaqi included a chapter entitled, “Chapter: What was narrated regarding the grief of the palm trunk beside which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to deliver the khutbah, when he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) left it and went to the minbar. We have noted above some of the isnads of this report when we mentioned his adopting of the minbar. This is one of the clear signs of prophethood.”

iv. The tasbih of food, the increasing of small amounts of food by Allah’s leave, and the springing forth of water from between the blessed fingers of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "We were with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on a journey, and we ran short of water. He said, 'Look for any leftover water,' and they brought a vessel containing a little water. He put his hand in the vessel, then he said, 'Come to the purifying blessed water, and the blessing is from Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.' I saw the water springing forth from between the fingers of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And we used to hear the tasbih (saying, 'Subhan Allah' which means: Glory be to Allah) of the food as it was being eaten." (al-Bukhari)

It was narrated that al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “On the day of al-Hudaybiyah we were fourteen hundred men. Al-Hudaybiyah is a well, and we exhausted it, leaving not even a single drop of water in it. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sat at the edge of the well and called for some water, then he rinsed his mouth and spat into the well. We waited for a short while, then we draw water and drank until our thirst was quenched, and we gave our mounts water and they drank their fill." (al-Bukhari)

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Abu Talhah said to Umm Sulaym, 'I have heard the voice of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sounding weak, and I can tell that he is hungry. Do you have anything?' She said, 'Yes,' and she brought out some loaves of barley bread, then she took a head-cover of hers and wrapped the bread in part of it, then she put that beneath my arm and covered me with the rest of it, then she sent me to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). I took it and I found the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sitting in the mosque, and the people were with him. I stood near them and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, 'Has Abu Talhah sent you?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Is it concerning food?' I said, 'Yes.' The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to those who were with him, 'Let’s go.' He set out and I set out ahead of them, until I came to Abu Talhah, and I told him what had happened. Abu Talhah said, 'O Umm Sulaym, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has come with the people, and we do not have enough to feed them.' She said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' Abu Talhah went out and met the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came in with Abu Talhah. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, 'Bring me what you have, O Umm Sulaym.' She brought that bread and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) ordered that it be broken into small pieces. Then Umm Sulaym squeezed ghee over it from a small skin and seasoned it, then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said over it what Allah willed he should say. Then he said, 'Give permission for ten to enter.' He gave them permission and they ate until they were full, then they left. Then he said, 'Give permission for ten to enter'… until all the people had eaten their fill, and there were seventy or eighty men.'" (al-Bukhari, Muslim)

Al-Nawawi said, commenting on the Chapter on the miracles of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “What is mentioned in these hadiths about water springing from between his fingers and the amount of water being increased, and the amount of food being increased, are all clear miracles which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) performed in different places and in different situations; when taken together, these reports reach the level of tawatur (meaning that the reports were narrated by so many from so many that it is inconceivable that they could all have agreed upon a lie).”

Ibn al-Mulaqqin said, “Some of the signs of his prophethood are: The springing forth of water from between his fingers and the tasbih of the food. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, caused the food to speak in order to be one of the clear signs and proofs of his prophethood.”

v. The Isra (night journey) and Mi‘raj (ascent to heaven)
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "Glory be to Him Who took His slave for a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Distant Mosque, the environs of which We have blessed, so that We might show him some of Our signs. Verily, He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing." (al-Isra’ 17:1)

Ibn Kathir said, “Who took His slave for a journey by night this refers to Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). by night means in the depths of the night. from the Sacred Mosque which is the mosque in Makkah, to the Distant Mosque which is Bayt al-Maqdis, namely Aelia (Jerusalem), the home of the Prophets from the time of Ibrahim al-Khalil. Hence the prophets were gathered to meet him there, and he led them in prayer in their own land and place of residence. This indicates that he is the greatest leader, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him and upon all of them.

The environs of which We have blessed that is, We have blessed its crops and fruits. so that We might show him, namely Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) some of Our signs that is, some of Our great signs, as Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says elsewhere (interpretation of the meaning), "Indeed, he saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord." (al-Najm 53:18)

The hadith about the Isra’ states that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was taken on the night journey physically, whilst he was awake, according to the correct scholarly view, from al-Masjid al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque) to al-Masjid al-Aqsa (the Distant Mosque), riding on al-Buraq and accompanied by Jibril (peace be upon him). He halted there, led the prophets in prayer, and tied al-Buraq to the ring in the door of the mosque, then he was taken up on that night from Bayt al-Maqdis to heaven.

Al-Tahhawi said, “The Mi‘raj is true. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was taken on the night journey and up to heaven physically, whilst awake, then he was taken wherever Allah willed on high. Allah honored him with whatever He willed, and revealed to him what He revealed, and his heart did not deny what he saw; blessings and peace of Allah be upon him in this life and the hereafter.”

Al-Ajurri said, “One of the unique honors that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, bestowed upon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), so as to elevate him in status, was the miraculous event whereby Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was taken by night, physically and fully awake, until he reached Bayt al-Maqdis, then he was taken up to the heavens, where he saw some of the great signs of his Lord.”

Al-Hafiz al-Hakami said, “The clear wording of the verse (interpretation of the meaning), 'Glory be to Him Who took His slave for a journey by night.' (al-Isra’ 17:1) indicates that both soul and body were included… If that had been a dream, they Quraysh would not have found it far-fetched and their rejecting it would not mean anything.”

vi. Protecting him from his enemies
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "And Allah will protect you from the people." (al-Ma’idah 5:67) "Verily, We will suffice you against those who ridicule you." (al-Hijr 15:95)

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Abu Jahl said, "Does Muhammad rub his face on the ground i.e., prostrate among you? It was said: Yes. He said: By al-Lat and al-‘Uzza, if I see him doing that, I will stamp on his neck or smear his face with dust. He came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was praying and he wanted to stamp on his neck, but suddenly they saw him turning upon his heels, trying to shield himself with his hands. It was said to him: What is the matter with you? He said: Between me and him is a ditch filled with fire, terror and wings. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If he had come near me, the angels would have torn him limb from limb.” (Muslim)

‘Iyad said, “This is one of his miracles and one of the signs of his prophethood. There are many reports that are similar to this hadith, which narrates how he was protected from Abu Jahl and others who wished to harm him, and Allah protected him in the way mentioned. Those wings were the wings of the angels, and Allah knows best.”

Ibn Taymiyah said regarding the signs of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that had to do with power, action and influence, “The seventh type is signs in which Allah sufficed him against his enemies and protected him from the people. This is indicative of his prophethood in several ways, including the following: That was confirmation of Allah’s words (interpretation of the meaning), 'Therefore proclaim what you are commanded to, and turn away from those who ascribe partners to Allah. Verily, We will suffice you against those who ridicule you, those who set up another god beside Allah; but they will come to know the consequences of their action.' (al-Hijr 94-96) Here Allah told him that He would suffice him against the polytheists who ridiculed him. And Allah told him that He would suffice him against the People of the Book, as He said (interpretation of the meaning), 'So if they believe as you believe, then they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, then it is they who are entrenched in opposition; but Allah will suffice you against them, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.' (al-Baqarah 2:137) Thus Allah told him that He would suffice him against those of the People of the Book who were entrenched in opposition. And Allah told him that He would protect him against all the people, as He Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning), 'Allah will protect you from humankind.' (al-Ma’idah 5:67) This was a general statement, that Allah would protect him against all the people. What is mentioned in each of these three verses came to pass as stated. In this there are a number of signs, one of which is that Allah sufficed him against his enemies in several extraordinary ways. Another of these signs is that Allah caused him to prevail despite the large numbers and overwhelming strength of his enemies, when he was alone in openly opposing them, criticising their forefathers, insulting their gods, accusing them of foolishness and condemning their religion, which was something extraordinary. Moreover, those who ridiculed him were among the greatest leaders of Quraysh and the most prominent among the Arabs, for the people of Makkah were held in high esteem by the people and all nations venerated them… In the same manner we may refer to what people still see and hear of how Allah wreaks vengeance on anyone who vilifies His Prophet and criticises His religion with all kinds of punishment.”

vii. Answers to his supplications
Another of these signs is what happened during the Prophet’s migration (Hijrah). It was narrated that Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Suraqah ibn Malik followed us during the Hijrah journey and I said: We have been discovered, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Do not be sad; indeed Allah is with us.” The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed against him and his horse sank in solid ground up to its belly. He said: I see that you two have prayed against me; pray for me and by Allah I promise you that I will turn back those who are seeking you. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed for him and he was saved." (al-Bukhari, Muslim)

Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Qurtubi said, “This is one of the supplications of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that were answered quickly without delay, and there are countless similar stories which, when taken together, constitute definitive proof that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, honored Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) by answering his supplications… All of that is indicative of his high status and the truthfulness of his message.”

Another example of that is what was narrated by Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) when he said, "I went out on campaign with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) caught up with me when I was riding a camel that had grown so tired that it could hardly walk. He said to me: “What is the matter with your camel?” I said: It has grown tired. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came behind it, struck it and prayed for it, and it started to run ahead of the other camels. He said to me: “How do you find your camel now?” I said: It is fine, for your blessing has reached it." (al-Bukhari, Muslim)