The knowledge of the unseen (Alim ul ghaib) is exclusive to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. This is the agreed position of all the Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaah, be it Ahle Sunnah Deoband, Hanafi, Malaki, Shafi and Hamabli. The belief that Prophet Muhammed ﷺ possessed the knowledge of the unseen is not compatible with Islam at all.
The only people or movement that has a contradictory position, is the Ahle Bidah Barewli’s, the followers of Raza Ahmed Khan, who believe that Prophet Muhammed ﷺ has knowledge of the unknown.
The knowledge of the Unknown only belongs exclusively to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.
The knowledge of the unseen (Alim ul ghaib) in the Qur’an
(Surah Luqman: 34)
| إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلسَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ ٱلْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلْأَرْحَامِ ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِى نَفْسٌۭ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًۭا ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِى نَفْسٌۢ بِأَىِّ أَرْضٍۢ تَمُوتُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌۢ |
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Surely, it is Allah with whom rests the knowledge of the Hour; and He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No one knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no one knows in which land he will die. Surely, Allah is All Knowing, All Aware. — T. Usmani |
From the Above Quranic Verse (Surah Luqman: 34), it is absolutely clear that only the All-Mighty Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala has the knowledge.
| وَعِندَهُۥ مَفَاتِحُ ٱلْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَآ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ ۚ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍۢ فِى ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍۢ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ ٥٩ |
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| With Him are the keys of the Unseen. No one knows them but He. He knows what is in the land and the sea. No leaf ever falls but that He knows about it, and there is no grain in the dark layers of the earth, or anything fresh or dry that is not recorded in a manifest book.
— T. Usmani |
From the Above Quranic Verse (Surah Al-An‘am: 59) , it is absolutely clear that only Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala poccesses the knowledge of the future, hidden, and unseen realities.
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It is only Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala who possesses the knowledge of the unseen (Alim ul ghaib). How can the Ahle Bidaa’h Brewalis, say the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ possessed knowledge of the unseen (Alim ul ghaib).
In the above Quranic verses, Nowhere does it mention that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ possessed knowledge of the unseen (Alim ul ghaib).
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, in his life, experienced many hardships, many physical and verbal attacks…
If the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had knowledge of the unseen (Alim ul ghaib), would he not have decided to take a different path to avoid hardships / confrotations?
Many Nobel & esteemed Sahaba رضي الله عنها (radi Allahuanha) fought and died in the path of Islam, if the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had knowledge of the unseen (Alim ul ghaib), could he not have decided to take a different path to avoid the deaths.
Informing the Messengers of the Unseen
It’s clear from the verse below, the Prophet Muhammad’s knowledge is the knowledge given by Allah to the Prophet Muhammad through revelations.
| عَـٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِۦٓ أَحَدًا |
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(He is the) Knower of the Unseen. So He does not let anyone know the Unseen created by Him, — T. Usmani |
| إِلَّا مَنِ ٱرْتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولٍۢ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَسْلُكُ مِنۢ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِۦ رَصَدًۭا |
| except a messenger whom He chooses (to inform through revelation), and then He appoints (angels as) watching guards before him and behind him, (so that devils may not tamper with the divine revelation,)
— T. Usmani |
| قُل لَّا يَعْلَمُ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلْغَيْبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ |
| Say, “No one in the heavens and the earth has the knowledge of the Unseen except Allah.” And they do not know when they will be raised again.
— T. Usmani |
The knowledge of the unseen (Alim ul ghaib) in the Books of Hadeeth.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also made it clear that absolute knowledge of the unseen (Alim ul ghaib) is ONLY with Mighty Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala:
Five Things Known Only to Allah:
| كتاب الاستسقاء | |
| Invoking Allah for Rain (Istisqaa) | |
| باب لاَ يَدْرِي مَتَى يَجِيءُ الْمَطَرُ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ | |
| Chapter: Except Allah nobody nobody knows when it will rain | |
| حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ مِفْتَاحُ الْغَيْبِ خَمْسٌ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَا إِلاَّ اللَّهُ لاَ يَعْلَمُ أَحَدٌ مَا يَكُونُ فِي غَدٍ، وَلاَ يَعْلَمُ أَحَدٌ مَا يَكُونُ فِي الأَرْحَامِ، وَلاَ تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا، وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَىِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ، وَمَا يَدْرِي أَحَدٌ مَتَى يَجِيءُ الْمَطَرُ ”. | |
| Narrated Ibn `Umar:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) said, “Keys of the unseen knowledge are five which nobody knows but Allah . . . nobody knows what will happen tomorrow; nobody knows what is in the womb; nobody knows what he will gain tomorrow; nobody knows at what place he will die; and nobody knows when it will rain.” |
Sahih al-Bukhari
The Prophet Muhammed ﷺ’s wife states:
Ummul Mu’mineen Sayyidah Aisha (رضی اللہ عنہا) states:
| ومن حدثك انه يعلم ما في غد فقد كذب، ثم قرات وما تدري نفس ماذا تكسب غدا سورة لقمان آية |
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| `Aisha further said, “And whoever tells you that the Prophet knows what is going to happen tomorrow, is a liar.” She then recited: ‘No soul can know what it will earn tomorrow.’ (31.34) |
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 4855)
