Early Islam did not seem to need miracles, and there is no record of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) having performed them. But by the 11th century, miracles were firmly established in Islamic theology as a route to gaining converts and supporters.

He also doubted the traditional view of heaven and hell, in part because of his belief that matter cannot be everlasting – no fire can burn forever.

Ibn Sina postulated that if it is possible to feel pain without experiencing pain in the physical sense – such as during a bad dream – it ought to be similarly possible to experience heaven or hell without physically travelling to a different place.