 Al-Ghazālī appears to reject this more traditional Ash’arite view when he argues that the existence of bodily natures is compatible with the occurrence of miracles. This argument may reflect a concern to reconcile theology with natural science. It proposes that, even if we suppose that bodies have natures as construed by the philosophers, God could still cause miracles in two main ways. On the one hand, he could impede the operation of natural causal powers. For example, God could prevent the burning of Abraham in the fiery furnace by causing the fire’s heat to be contained within the fire or by causing Abraham to be covered in talc. On the other hand, God could cause a miracle by causing a series of natural changes to occur with astonishing speed. For example, God could change the staff in a serpent by causing matter to take on successive forms at an accelerated rate: