Eighth sign:

This section concerns miracles connected with water.

Introduction: If the report of an incident involving many people is not contradicted. the incident definitely occurred. even if reported by only one or two individuals. for people. by their very nature. are inclined to call a lie a lie. If the people in question were Companions. who were more intolerant of lies than ordinary people. if the incidents narrated concerned God's Messenger. and if the individual narrator was a well‑known Companion. then that narrator narrates on behalf of all witnesses.

In any case. each miracle cited below came down through various lines of transmission and was entrusted by many Companions to thousands of exacting Tabi'un scholars. These scholars. in turn. transmitted them to the authorities of the next age. Each age's meticulous researchers passed them on to their successors with the utmost care and respect. Thus they reached us after passing through thousands of reliable hands.

Besides. the texts of the Traditions complied while the Prophet and his Rightly‑Guided Caliphs were still alive safely reached the hands of the most brilliant Tradition scholars. such as Bukhari and Muslim. who. through the most careful examination and classification. collected. presented. and taught them. May God reward them abundantly!

The flowing of water from the fingers of God's Messenger. as well as many people's drinking from it. has the certainty of tawatur. for it is related by those who are incapable of agreeing upon a lie. In addition. this occurred three times before large groups of people. Many discerning researchers (especially Bukhari. Muslim. Imam Malik. Imam Shu'ayb. and Imam Qatada) transmit this miracle from a group of renowned Companions (among them Anas. Jabir. and Ibn Mas'ud). Out of numerous examples of such miracles. we mention only nine here.