A number of terms are used in Islam to refer to the claims of events happening that are not explicable by natural or scientific laws, subjects where people sometimes invoke the supernatural. We live in an age of materialism. People believe that matter, energy and the laws of nature are all that exist. They see no place for God when they examine the discoveries of science. They tell us that God is an outdated belief, only there to serve ancient superstitions.

The Quran presents a different outlook. It tells us that the Author of the Quran is the Author of the universe. The same God who reveals Himself through His Work also reveals Himself through His Word. This is not a mere claim. The Quran itself demonstrates its divine origin. One of the ways it does this is through its description of scientific phenomena. In the Quran the term ayah refers to signs in the context of miracles of God’s creation and of the prophets and messengers