But sometimes some supernatural and extraordinary things take place...

But sometimes some supernatural and extraordinary things take place, that excite man’s astonishment and contemplation in the form of a psychological shock produced in one’s heart of hearts. The phenomenon of miracle and supernaturalism used to be an inseparable fact of the life of all prophethoods, being the means for shaking the souls and awakening the minds from their lethargy, leading them toward truth light.

The era of miracles has passed away with the end of prophethoods, but the Almighty Allah honours His true friends ( Awliya’ ) and devoted bondmen, imparting on them noble acts and favour from His own, due to the sublime status and noble position and spiritual transparency they attained.

This being the difference between miracle and karamah (supernatural act), as miracle is a supernatural and extraordinary matter that occurs in response to challenging and establishing the truth, while karamah being a transient phenomenon that comes into being without any challenge.[^6] If the miracles were phenomena going in line with the process and course of the prophethoods throughout history, then the phenomenon of karamat was, in turn, relevant and connected to those transparent spirits, serene and pure selves and the hearts that are full of faith ( iman ), piety and godliness.

The extraordinary act ( karamah ) comes in fact to penetrate the monotony in life, once in the form of a vision like daybreaking or reconnoitring the future, or as an unusual sense filling the human soul with doubt at the moment of a transparent felicity. The self-serenity and pure-heartedness attained by al Shahid reached an extent elevating him to the status of Allah’s friends among the righteous bondmen of Allah.

A Vision Al-Shaykh al-Baha’i[^7] reports from his father, who was a disciple under al-Shahid (may Allah be pleased with him), that he once upon a morning has visited him (al-Shahid), finding him fully occupied with profound thinking. Thereat he wondered about the reason for his indulgence and sorrow, for which al-Shahid gave the following answer: O brother, I believe in my being the second martyr. Then al-Shaykh al-Baha’i’s father asked him: How is that you be aware of this?

Al-Shahid, movingly, replied: Yesternight, in the world of vision, I saw al-Sayyid al-Murtaza giving a big banquet inviting to it all the Imamiyyah ‘ulama’ .