sires to impose obligations on them,. but has no power to do so-and this is an incompetence which is inadmissible of the Absolutely Powerful. Therefore, it is imperative for Him to impose religious-moral obligations on humankind, and this necessity entails the requirement of a human announcer who would apprise them of the explicit and implicit forms of the religious-moral obligation that "he who per‌ ished [on that day] might perish by a clear proof [of Gods sovereignty] and he who survived might survive by a clear proof [of His sovereignty]" (Q. ٨:٤٢).
Furthermore, this divine mediatorship is an important appointment that inevi‌
tably would have numerous pretenders and would be coveted by the vainly ambitious, with the result that the truthful among them might be confused with the false and the deceptive mistaken for a true guide. For this reason it is necessary for the claimant of this mediatorship to establish clear evidence of the truthfulness of his claim and of his trustworthiness in conveying the divine message. This evidence cannot be a nor‌ mal act that others can perform. It can only be something that exceeds the laws of nature.
A miracle is therefore a way of supporting the truthfulness of the claimant to di‌
vine appointment. This is because miracles exceed the laws of nature and therefore cannot be performed without divine providence and empowerment. If the claimant to prophethood were to be false in his claim, the divine empowerment to work miracles would then be a temptation to accept error and a support of falsehood, and this is impossible on the part of the Wise God. Therefore, a miracle wrought by a claimant must be an indication of his truthfulness and a sign of Gods acceptance of his prophethood.
The preceding is a continual rule governing such matters, and is accepted without reservation by rational persons. If someone claims to be an emissary of a ruler in matters pertaining to his subjects, and if the subjects are in doubt about the truthful‌ ness of this claim, it is first of all necessary for the claimant to produce evidence supporting his claim. It is further necessary that this evidence should be unequivo‌ cal. Hence, if the emissary tells them, "The evidence of my truthfulness is that tomor‌ row the king will salute me in the special manner he salutes his other emissaries," and if the king knows what has gone on between the emissary and the people, and if, further, the k-ing salutes the emissary at the proper time in the proper manner, the kings action would thus confirm the claimants mission, and no rational being would be able to doubt this matter. After all, it is inappropriate of a capable king, who pro‌ tects the interests of his subjects, to confirm a false claimant, when the latter [by putting forward a false claim] wishes to corrupt the subjects.
If such behavior is inappropriate on the part of a rational person, it is impossible on the part of the Absolutely Wise [God]. God, the Exalted, has pointed this out in His noble Book, saying,

And if he [the Prophet] had invented false sayings concerning Us, We assuredly had taken him by the right hand and then severed his life-artery (Q. ٦٩:٤٤-٤٦).

These verses mean that "Mui:Jammad, whose prophethood We have affirmed, and whose veracity we have confirmed with miracles. cannot invent false sayings con‌ cerning Us. If he were to do that. then We would have taken him by the right hand and severed his life-artery. Thus. Our silence confirms what he says and precludes