Monday 5 September 2011

Knowledge of The Unseen.

Q; brother my question is, some muslims claim Muhammad (SAW) is the knower of unseen (Ghaib)... may Allah pardon my ignorance, but i can not accept this idea anymore.... because i can not enjoin Allah's attributes with men.... please enlighten this issue....

A; All Praise is due to Allah,

It was quoted in Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah, p. 158:
Knowledge of the unseen is something that Allaah has kept for Himself, as is indicated by the texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say: “None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (Unseen) except Allaah, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected”

[al-Naml 27:65]

“And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record”

[al-An’aam 6:59]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained these keys as referring to five things which are mentioned in Soorat Luqmaan, where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, Allaah, with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allaah is All‑Knower, All‑Aware (of things)”

[Luqmaan 31:34].

Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh (hadeeth no. 4477) that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “Whoever tells you that he knows what will happen tomorrow is lying.” Then she recited, “No person knows what he will earn tomorrow.”

But with regard to this matter it is important to know what is the unseen the knowledge of which Allaah has kept to Himself, because al-ghayb (the unseen) means that which is not seen, and that which is not seen may be either that which is not seen by all of creation – both those who are in the heavens and those who are on earth – this kind of unseen is known to no one but Allaah, and this is that which is called al-ghayb al-mutlaq (the unseen in the absolute sense); or this unseen matter may be unseen for some people, and known to some others. This is called unseen for the one who is ignorant of it, but it is not unseen or unknown to all people, and knowledge of it is not unique to Allaah. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah (p. 158): What is meant by the unseen is that which is not seen. The unseen is something relative. But that which is unseen in the absolute sense (al-ghyab al-mutlaq) is known only to Allaah. End quote.

I think some people are confused to weather the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was tort the knowledge about the unseen from verses and Hadith not the actual knowledge of the unseen as an attribute that is attributed to Allah The All-Exulted as He knows the past and future of everything in His creation, as He (Allah) is known as Al-Ghab (The Unseen)...

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak said in his Al-Nubuwwaat (Prophethood), Everything that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us about the unseen, past, present and future, such as the beginning of creation, the resurrection, Paradise, Hell, the signs of the Hour, the angels and the Prophets, all of that is by revelation (wahy) from Allaah, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only a Revelation revealed” (al-Najm 53:3-4)

“This is of the news of the Unseen which We reveal unto you (O Muhammad)” [Hood 11:49]

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘I don’t tell you that with me are the treasures of Allaah, nor (that) I know the Unseen; nor I tell you that I am an angel. I but follow what is revealed to me.’” [al-An’aam 6:50]

Hence it is obligatory to believe everything that Allaah has told the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning the unseen and other matters, for he is the one who tells the truth and is to be believed. Whoever disbelieves him, even if it is with regard to only one report that he knows to be sound (saheeh), becomes an apostate thereby, if he is Muslim (end of quote.)

And Allah knows best...

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