Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
1.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has indeed mentioned the signs of the nearness of the Hour, but the certain knowledge of the occurrence of the Hour is known to none except Allah. Through mechanical means, it may be possible to make an imperfect guess regarding the gender of a child in the mother's womb, but whether that child will be righteous or wicked, deficient or complete, beautiful or ugly, dark-skinned or fair—knowledge of these matters is possessed by none except Allah.
The matter of rain is similar; from signs and indications, an estimate can be made, but these estimates sometimes turn out to be wrong and sometimes correct. Even the announcements of the meteorological department sometimes prove to be inaccurate.
2.
What will a person do tomorrow? No one has any knowledge regarding the coming day—whether it will even come in his life or not, and if it does come, what he will do in it. The matter of death is also similar.
Will it come to him at home or outside the home, in his homeland or in a foreign land, in youth or in old age? Will it come after the fulfillment of his desires, or will his wishes remain unfulfilled? Regarding this, no one has knowledge except Allah.
He possesses detailed knowledge of all these matters, as if the Clear Book (Kitab Mubeen) or the Preserved Tablet (Lawh Mahfuz) is a luminous tablet upon which, since pre-eternity, the map of the universe has been drawn. Then, in accordance with it, events are manifesting in this world; in accordance with it, the end of this world will occur, and then the Day of Resurrection will be established.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
When Allah Ta'ala has clearly stated in the Qur'an, and the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has declared, that no one except Allah knows when it will rain, then why would anyone with even a trace of faith accept the words of these dhoti-clad pundits? And whoever accepts and believes in them, it is evident that he is outside the fold of faith and is a disbeliever.

The astonishing thing is that people witness the lies and absurdities of these pundits day and night, yet they do not cease to follow them. If disbelievers were to do so, it would not be surprising.

It is astonishing that, despite claiming Islam, Muslim kings and nobles listen to astrologers and inquire about future events.

It is not known where the intellect of these so-called Muslims has gone.

Hundreds of Muslim kingdoms have been destroyed and ruined due to belief in these astrologers, and even now Muslim rulers do not refrain from this act, which is clear disbelief:

La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah al-azim (Mawlana Waheed al-Zaman)

In the noble verse, five keys of the unseen have been mentioned, which are known only to Allah, and knowledge of the unseen is exclusive to Allah alone.

Those who hold the belief that prophets or saints possess knowledge of the unseen, according to the Qur'an and Hadith, are committing clear disbelief.

The complete noble verse is:

﴿إِنَّ اللَّـهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ ﴿٣٤﴾) (Luqman: 34)

That is, "Indeed, the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah alone, and He sends down the rain (no one has certain knowledge that at such and such time it will definitely rain), and only He knows what is in the wombs, whether male or female, and no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, nor does anyone know in which land he will die. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware."

These are the five keys of the unseen, the knowledge of which is possessed by none except Allah Ta'ala.

The signs of the Hour have been mentioned in many places in the Hadith and Qur'an, and most of these signs are manifesting, but the specific day, date, and time—this knowledge is exclusive to Allah Ta'ala. Similarly, there are many signs for rain, after the appearance of which rain often occurs, yet the exact time cannot be specified.

This is because sometimes, despite many signs, the rain is withheld, and the precise knowledge of whether the fetus in the womb is male or female is not possessed by any physician, doctor, soothsayer, astrologer, pundit, or mullah—this is known only to Allah Ta'ala. Likewise, what we will do tomorrow is also known only to Allah, even though we make daily plans for our work, but most of the time all those plans fail, and no one knows where his grave will be.

In short, knowledge of the unseen, whether partial or complete, is possessed only by Allah Ta'ala. Yes, as much as He wills, sometimes He informs His beloved servants of certain things, but this cannot be called knowledge of the unseen; rather, it is a gift from Allah—He grants as much as He wills, whenever He wills, and to whomever He wills.

To call this knowledge of the unseen is absolutely false.

Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, in accordance with the subject of the chapter, has cited this hadith here to establish that the true knowledge of when it will rain is possessed only by Allah Ta'ala, and no one can state with certainty that on such and such day, at such and such time, it will definitely rain.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
At the conclusion of this central topic, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah considered it necessary to correct a theoretical misconception and established that the knowledge of rainfall is possessed only by Allah Ta'ala. No one besides Him knows with certainty that rain will occur on a particular day or at a particular time. Even the meteorological department makes predictions based on conjecture and estimation, which can also turn out to be incorrect. The following noble verse also expresses this reality:
﴿إِنَّ اللَّـهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ ﴿٣٤﴾)
“Indeed, with Allah alone is knowledge of the Hour. He sends down the rain. He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in which land it will die. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Luqman 31:34)

(2)
Nowadays, there are grand claims made regarding knowledge of what is in the womb, that through modern instruments the gender of the child can be determined. However, what is in the mother’s womb is not limited to gender alone; rather, it also includes that when the angel breathes the soul into the fetus, its lifespan, its sustenance, whether it will be fortunate or unfortunate—all these matters are also included in the stages of the womb. Furthermore, whatever is discovered through modern instruments is neither certain nor definitive. Hundreds of daily incidents and observations support this. In any case, taking an interest in such information is fruitless. Often, it happens that based on the prediction of doctors, preparations for celebrations in the home reach their peak, but suddenly, the birth of a girl instead of a boy becomes a source of distress for them. Therefore, obtaining information through ultrasound is nothing more than a futile curiosity. And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
All Muslims are in agreement that even the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not possess knowledge of the unseen, except for what Allah, the Exalted, informed him of, and thus he would come to know of it.
Ibn Ishaq has narrated in his Maghazi that the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was lost. So Ibn Salit said:
“Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) claims to be a prophet and relates to you the conditions of the heavens, yet he does not know where his own she-camel is?”
When this statement reached the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), he said:
“A certain person says such and such, but by Allah, I only know that which Allah, the Exalted, has informed me of. And now Allah, the Exalted, has informed me: the she-camel is in such-and-such a valley, entangled on a tree.”
Eventually, the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) went and brought it back.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
The command of Allah, the Exalted, is:
“The keys of the unseen are with Him; none knows them except Him.” (al-An‘am: 59)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) explained the interpretation of this noble verse. From this verse, it is understood that all the knowledge of the unseen is sealed in the form of treasures at a specific place, and then they have been locked.
The keys to these locks are only with Allah, the Exalted. Not only is access to these treasures impossible, but even the knowledge of these keys is not with anyone else.
Where these treasures are sealed, there Allah, the Exalted, has already written the decrees (maqadir) of everything.
This very place is referred to in the Noble Qur’an as the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz), the Mother of the Book (Umm al-Kitab), the Clear Record (Imam Mubin), the Hidden Book (Kitab Maknun), and the Clear Book (Kitab Mubin).
These very decrees are the origin or starting point of all creation.
No one except the Owner of these treasures can reach them.
To make the vastness of these treasures understandable to common people, Allah, the Exalted, has shed light on a few aspects.
The command of Allah, the Exalted, is:
“He alone knows whatever is in the land and 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 it is (written) in a Clear Book.” (al-An‘am: 59)

2.
Whatever has happened in the universe and whatever is going to happen in the future, Allah, the Exalted, has detailed knowledge of all these matters.
At another place, He has clarified regarding five things as follows:
“Indeed, the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah alone. He sends down the rain, and He (alone) knows what is in the wombs. And no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in which land it will die. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Luqman 31:34)
The aforementioned matters of the unseen are such that no human can have knowledge of them.
It is as if the entire world is encompassed within these five things.
By “the Hour” is meant the matters of the Hereafter.
Among them, only the Hour is mentioned, which is closer to this world.
No one has knowledge of when this Hour will come, let alone knowledge of the events that will occur after it.
No one has knowledge of beneficial rain either; this points to the higher realm. Among these, rain is mentioned because before it, cool winds blow, yet despite this, no one has definite knowledge.
Even the predictions of meteorological departments are based on conjecture and estimation.
What is in the mother’s womb? This also includes that when the soul is breathed into the fetus, at the same time the angel writes its lifespan, its provision, whether it will be prosperous or destitute, and whether it will be fortunate or wretched. All these matters are included in the stages of the mother’s womb.
Regarding this, the command of Allah, the Exalted, is:
“Every female that bears, He knows what she bears, and what the wombs fall short of or exceed. Everything with Him is by due measure.” (ar-Ra‘d: 8)
No one except Allah, the Exalted, knows what changes occur to the drop (nutfah) in the womb and how from it the form and shape are made.
The fourth matter, that he does not know what he will do tomorrow, refers to the types of that time and the incidents that will occur in it.
Among them, “tomorrow” is mentioned, which is very close to man.
If a person does not know about incidents that will happen in the near future, how can he know about events in the distant future? That is, a person does not know whether he will be granted the ability to repent or not, nor even whether he will live until tomorrow or not.
The last matter is: when and where will he die? This points to the lower realm. Among them, only the mention of dying in a land is made, because generally it happens that a person dies where he lives, but even then, at the time of death, Divine Power may take him from one place to another.
Even after death, it is not known whether he will be buried or not; if he is, then whether in a shroud or without, and in some place or as food for beasts and birds, unburied.
All these matters are known only to Allah, the Exalted.
These five matters are such that every human is interested in them, which is why they have been mentioned specifically; otherwise, there are many such matters that relate to the unseen and no human can access them.

3.
It should be clear that there are two types of the unseen (ghayb):
➊ One type is related to the Essence of Allah, the Exalted, and the realities of His attributes.
➋ The second type is related to the creation of Allah, the Exalted.
All these realities are known only to Allah, the Exalted.
Allah, the Exalted, informs His Prophets (alayhim as-salam) of as much as He wills, and whatever He informs them of is no longer unseen, because it becomes known through revelation (wahy).
(Sharh Kitab al-Tawhid by al-Ghunayman: 1/112, 113)

Hadith Commentary:

These five matters have been called the keys to the treasures of the unseen, the knowledge of which is possessed exclusively by Allah the Exalted. Whoever claims to know any of them is a liar, and whoever holds such a belief regarding anyone other than Allah commits the shirk (polytheism) of associating others with Allah in knowledge.

Hadith Commentary:
These five matters have been called the keys of the unseen, the knowledge of which belongs solely to Allah Ta'ala. No prophet, angel, saint (wali), or righteous servant has any knowledge of them besides Him.
If anyone claims to know them, he is a liar, a deceiver, and a fraud.
Whoever holds such a belief regarding anyone other than Allah Ta'ala commits shirk in knowledge (associating partners with Allah in knowledge).
May Allah Ta'ala protect the people of Islam from this.
Ameen.

Hadith Commentary:
From this verse, it is established that the knowledge of the unseen (ilm al-ghayb) is exclusive to Allah; whoever holds the belief that anyone other than Allah possesses the knowledge of the unseen is a liar.
Even the prophets do not possess the knowledge of the unseen; whatever Allah wills, He informs them through revelation (wahy).
This cannot be termed as possessing knowledge of the unseen.
The meaning of the increase or decrease in pregnancy is whether there is one child in the womb, or two, or three, or four.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
The subject matter of the hadith is also mentioned in the following verse:
“Indeed, with Allah alone is knowledge of the Hour. He sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in which land it will die. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” ( Luqman: 31:34)

➋
In this hadith, the five matters that have been specifically mentioned as being known only to Allah and not to any created being—this is not a restriction (i.e., not an exclusive list). Otherwise, it would conflict with the following verse:
“Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah.” ( An-Naml 27:65)

That is, Allah is unique and alone in the knowledge of the unseen.
No one besides Him is the Knower of the unseen.
And Allah knows best.

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and Knowledge of Some Unseen Matters
Question: What is the position of the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah regarding the unseen news given to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and knowledge of the unseen (ilm al-ghayb)?
Answer: Allah the Exalted says:
﴿قُلْ لاَّ يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ اِلاَّ اللهُ﴾
Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah. [النمل: 65]

In the explanation of this noble verse, Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari rahimahullah said:
Allah the Exalted says to His Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam): O Muhammad! (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) To those polytheists who ask about the Hour and say, “When will the Hour come?” say: The knowledge which Allah has kept with Himself and hidden from the creation, none in the heavens and the earth knows that unseen except Allah, and the Hour is among that (unseen). [تفسير طبري ج20ص 5]

From this noble verse, Sayyidah Aisha radi Allahu anha deduced and said:
«وَمَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي غَدٍ فَقَدْ أَعْظَمَ عَلَي اللهِ الْفِرْيَةَ»
And whoever claims that Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) knew what would happen tomorrow, then he has fabricated a great lie against Allah, i.e., he has told a very great lie. [كتاب التوحيد لابن خزيمه ص 223 ح 324 وسنده صحيح، المستخرج لابي نعيم الاصبهاني 1/ 242 ح 442 وسنده صحيح، صحيح ابي عوانه ج1ص 154ح 304]

It is thus clear that only Allah the Exalted is the Knower of the unseen, and His knowledge encompasses everything at all times; He knows the «جميع ماكان و جميع ما يكون» and nothing is outside His knowledge.

The Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
«مَفَاتِحُ الغَيْبِ خَمْسٌ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا اللهُ: لاَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِيْ غَدٍ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَلاَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَغِيضُ الأَرْحَامُ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَلاَ يَعْلَمُ مَتَي يَأْتِي المَطَرُ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَلاَ تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ، وَلاَ يَعْلَمُ مَتَي تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ إِلَّا اللهُ»
“The keys of the unseen are five, which none knows except Allah: What will happen tomorrow? None knows it except Allah. What is hidden in the wombs? None knows it except Allah. When will it rain? None knows it except Allah. No soul knows in which land it will die. And none knows when the Hour will come except Allah.” [صحيح بخاري: 4697]

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
«أُوتِيتُ مَفَاتِيحَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا الْخَمْسَ»
“I have been given the keys to everything except the five.”
Then he recited Surah Luqman [آيت: 34].
[مسند احمد 2/ 85۔ 86 ح 5579 وسنده صحيح، المعجم الكبير للطبراني 12/ 360۔ 361 ح 13344]

Note: Shaykh Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani rahimahullah made a major error in that, based on the philosophy of mention and non-mention, he declared this hadith to be «شاذ أوله» and included it in his Silsilah Da‘ifah [7/ 348 ح 3335]. In contrast, Shaykh Ahmad Muhammad Shakir al-Misri rahimahullah said regarding this hadith: «إسناده صحيح» Its chain is authentic. [المسند بتحقيق احمد شاكر 7/ 276]

Two things are clearly established from this hadith:
➊ The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was not given the keys to the five things.
➋ Apart from these five things, the keys to everything else were given to him (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu said:
«أُوتِيَ نَبِيُّكُمْ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَفَاتِيحَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ غَيْرَ خَمْسٍ»
Your Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was given all the keys except the five. Then he recited Surah Luqman (Ayah: 34).
[مسند احمد 1/ 386 ح 3659 وسنده حسن، مسند الحميدي بتحقيقي: 125، وقال ابن كثير: ’’وهذا إسناد حسن“ إلخ]

The narrator of this hadith, Abdullah ibn Salamah, is considered trustworthy by the majority of hadith scholars and is thus saduq (truthful) and hasan al-hadith. See: [مسند الحميدي بتحقيقي كا حاشيه ح 57]

Due to the narration of Amr ibn Murrah, this hadith is from before the confusion (ikhtilat) of Abdullah ibn Salamah. For detailed arguments on this, refer to the books of hadith.

In the commentary of a noble verse, Ibn Kathir rahimahullah al-Dimashqi said:
«إِنَّ اللهَ يَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ جَمِيعَهُ . . .»
Indeed, Allah knows all (the entirety of) the unseen...
[تفسير ابن كثير 4/ 403، الانبياء: 110]

Allah the Exalted said to His Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam):
﴿قُلْ لَّآاَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِيْ نَفْعًا وَّ لاَ ضَرًّا اِلاَّ مَا شَآءَ اللهُ - وَلَوْ كُنْتُ اَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لاَ سْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ - وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوؔءُ﴾
“Say: I do not possess for myself any benefit or harm except what Allah wills. And if I knew the unseen, I would have accumulated much good, and no harm would have touched me.” [الاعراف: 188]

Imam Ibn Jarir rahimahullah wrote:
If I knew what is going to happen and has not yet happened, I would have gathered abundant good. [تفسير طبري 590/5، طبع دارالحديث القاهره]

Now the question arises: Did the Prophets and Messengers also know some unseen matters by Allah’s notification and revelation? Before answering this, here are ten (10) references from the great exegetes and scholars:

Reference No. 1:
The famous trustworthy Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Jarir ibn Yazid al-Tabari rahimahullah (d. 310H), said in the commentary of Surah al-Jinn (Ayah: 26–27):
«فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَي غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا، فَيُعْلِمُهُ أَوْ يُرِيهِ إِيَّاهُ ﴿إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَي مِنْ رَسُولٍ﴾ فَإِنَّهُ يُظْهِرُهُ عَلَي مَا شَاءَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ»
So He does not inform anyone of His unseen, so that he may know or see it, “except a Messenger whom He is pleased with,” then He informs him of whatever He wills from it. [تفسير طبري ج29ص 76]

Reference No. 2:
Nearly two centuries before Ibn Jarir, the exegete of the Qur’an, Imam Qatadah ibn Di‘amah al-Basri rahimahullah (d. 117H), said:
«﴿إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَي مِنْ رَسُولٍ﴾ فَإِنَّهُ يُظْهِرُهُ مِنَ الْغَيْبِ عَلَي مَا شَاءَ إِذَا ارْتَضَاهُ“»
“Except a Messenger whom He is pleased with,” then He informs him of whatever He wills from the unseen, if He (i.e., Allah the Exalted) is pleased with him.
[تفسير ابن جرير الطبري 29/77 وسنده صحيح]

Reference No. 3:
Imam Abu Muhammad Husayn ibn Mas‘ud al-Baghawi al-Farra’ rahimahullah (d. 516H) said in the commentary of Surah Al Imran (Ayah: 179):
«فَيُطْلِعُهُ عَلَي بَعْضِ عِلْمِ الْغَيْب»
So He (Allah) informs him (His Messenger) of some knowledge of the unseen.
[تفسير بغوي ج1ص 378]

From this tafsir of Imam Baghawi, it is clearly established that Allah the Exalted granted His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) knowledge of some of the unseen (news).

Reference No. 4:
Imam Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi al-Naysaburi rahimahullah (d. 468H) said:
«والمعني أن من ارتضاه (للرسالة والنبوة) فإنه يطلعه علٰي ما شاء من غيبه»
And the meaning is that whomever He chooses for messengership and prophethood, He informs him of whatever He wills from His unseen.
[الوسيط فى تفسير القرآن المجيد 4/ 369، الجن: 26۔ 27]

Reference No. 5:
Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597H) said:
«والمعني: أن من ارتضاه للرسالة أطلعه علٰي ماشاء من غيبه»
And the meaning is: Whomever He chooses for messengership, He informs him of whatever He wills from His unseen.
[زاد المسير 8/385، الجن: 26۔ 27]

Reference No. 6:
Qadi Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Abdullah, known as Ibn al-‘Arabi al-Maliki (d. 543H), refuting the hypocrites, said:
«وأنّ الله يطلعه علٰي ماشاء من غيبه»
And indeed Allah informs him (Sayyiduna Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) of whatever He wills from His unseen.
[احكام القرآن 2/ 1033، التو به: 127]

Reference No. 7:
Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Qurtubi al-Ansari (d. 671H) said:
«فإنه يظهره علٰي مايشاء من غيبه لأنّ الرسل مؤيدون بالمعجرات و منها الإخبار عن بعض الغائبات»
So He informs them of whatever He wills from His unseen, because the Messengers were supported with miracles, and among those (miracles) is giving news of some unseen matters.
[تفسير قرطبي 19/ 27۔ 28، الجن: 26۔ 27]
Also see: [تفسير قرطبي ج8ص 299، التو به: 127]

Reference No. 8:
Imam Abu Hayyan Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Andalusi (d. 745H) said:
«فَإِنَّهُ يُظْهِرُهُ عَلَي مَا يَشَاءُ مِنَ ذَلِكَ»
So He informs you (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) of whatever He wills from this (unseen).
[البحر المحيط ج8ص 348، الجن: 26۔ 27]

Reference No. 9:
Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah (d. 728H) said regarding some Prophets:
«وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَطْلَعَهُ عَلَي مَا شَاءَ مِنْ غَيْبِهِ»
And among them are those whom He (Allah) informed of some of His unseen. [مجموع فتاويٰ 28/ 605]

Reference No. 10:
Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah (d. 751H) said:
«اسْتِدْرَاكٌ لِمَانَفَاهُ مِنَ اطِّلَاعِ خَلْقِهِ عَلَي الْغَيْبِ سِوَي الرُّسُلِ، فَإِنَّهُ يُطْلِعُهُمْ عَلَي مَا يَشَاءُ مِنْ غَيْبِهِ……»
“But Allah chooses from His Messengers whom He wills”—this is an exception to the negation, that Allah does not inform anyone among His creation of the unseen except the Messengers, so He informs them of whatever He wills from His unseen...
[زاد المعاد ج3ص 220 فضل فى ذكر بعض الحكم والغايات المحمودة۔۔۔۔]

For further details, see: [تفسير بيضاوي 1/ 195 تفسير ثعلبي 3/ 219 ارشاد القاري للقسطلاني 7/186 الدر المصون فى علوم الكتاب المكنون6/ 399 جلالين ص92 اضواء البيان 2/ 196 اور التفسير الصحيح لحكمت بشير 4/ 548] and others.

Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani rahimahullah, in the commentary of a verse, said:
«فَإِنَّهُ يَقْتَضِي اطِّلَاعَ الرَّسُولِ عَلَي بَعْضِ الْغَيْبِ»
So this necessitates that the Messenger is informed of some of the unseen.
[فتح الباري 8/ 514 تحت ح 4778]

The summary of the reports of the pious predecessors, noble verses, and authentic hadiths on this issue is as follows:
1- Only Allah is the Knower of the unseen, and this is His exclusive attribute in which no one shares.
2- «جميع ماكان و مايكون» That is, all and complete knowledge of the unseen is known only to Allah.
3- The knowledge of five things (such as the Hour, etc.) is only with Allah, and no one among the creation knows these five things.
4- The Messengers and Prophets were informed of some knowledge of the unseen.

Regarding the knowledge of the unseen of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), the contradictory views of two groups are as follows:
1- The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), after the completion of the Qur’an, knows the «جميع ما كان و جميع ما يكون» by Allah’s permission.
There is no explicit evidence for this view in the Qur’an, hadith, consensus, or the reports of the pious predecessors, nor is the specific date of the completion of the Qur’an mentioned in any hadith or report.
It has already been mentioned at the beginning of this answer that Sayyidah Aisha al-Siddiqah radi Allahu anha said: And whoever claims that (Sayyiduna) Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) knew what would happen tomorrow, then he has fabricated a great lie against Allah, i.e., he has told a very great lie. [صحيح ابي عوانه: 304]

The Mother of the Believers radi Allahu anha said this in the presence of Masruq the Tabi‘i, which proves that her statement is after the death of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and after the completion of the Qur’an.

2- Some people invent a philosophy that whatever is known through revelation or notification and information from Allah is not called unseen (ghayb), therefore the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not know any kind of unseen; rather, a person said in my presence: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not know even an atom’s weight of the unseen. «أستغفرالله، معاذ الله»

This is the belief of some innovators and modern theologians, for which there is no evidence in the Qur’an, hadith, consensus, or the reports of the pious predecessors; rather, this belief is utterly false and manifest misguidance.

Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Barr al-Andalusi rahimahullah (d. 463H) wrote in the explanation of a hadith:
«وفيه أنه كان صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يعلم الغيب و إنما كان يعلم منه ما يظهره الله عليه»
And in this hadith is (the jurisprudence) that indeed you (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not know the unseen, and you only knew what Allah made manifest to you.
[التمهيد لما فى الموطأ من المعاني والاسانيد ج6ص 251]

Abu al-Walid al-Baji (d. 494H) said in the explanation of a hadith:
«لأنه لا يعلم من الغيب إلا ما اطلع عليه بالوحي»
Because indeed you did not know from the unseen except that which was informed to you through revelation.
[المنتقيٰ شرح الموطأ ج7ص 129، كتاب الاقضيه باب 1]

Finally, as a benefit and a warning, it is stated that among the creation, the knowledge of the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is the greatest.
This was a common phrase among the noble Companions, and they would frequently say: «اَللّٰهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ أَعلَم» i.e., Allah and His Messenger know best. See [صحيح بخاري 53، 87، 425، 7447، صحیح مسلم 8[93], 17[116], 30[143], 2969[7439]]
and [موطأ امام مالك 1/ 192ح 452۔۔۔]

It is narrated from Ubayd ibn Umayr ibn Qatadah al-Laythi rahimahullah that one day (Sayyiduna) Umar radi Allahu anhu said to the Companions of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam): Regarding whom do you think this verse was revealed? So they said: «الله أعلم» Allah knows best. So Umar (radi Allahu anhu) became angry and said: Say whether we know or do not know... etc. [صحيح بخاري ج2ص 651ح 4538، فتح الباري ج8ص 202]

That is, give a clear answer. From this it is understood that after the death of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), one should not say «اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ» but should only say «الله أعلم».

In one narration in al-Mustadrak al-Hakim (vol. 3, p. 543, hadith 6307; manuscript image vol. 3, p. 291), the words «اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ» appear, and al-Hakim declared it “authentic according to the conditions of the two Shaykhs,” but due to the chain being disconnected, it is weak. The narrator Abdullah ibn Ubaydullah ibn Abi Mulaykah rahimahullah did not meet Sayyiduna Umar radi Allahu anhu, nor is it stated in the narration that he heard it from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma. «والله اعلم»

The famous Ahl al-Hadith scholar Hafiz Salah al-Din Yusuf hafizahullah wrote:
“Yes, indeed, Allah the Exalted informs whomever He wills among His Messengers of matters of the unseen, by which sometimes the secrets of the hypocrites and their conditions and their plots are exposed to them.”
[احسن البيان ص 163، حاشيه 3، آل عمران: 179]

From these evidences, it is clear that only Allah is the Knower of the unseen and He alone knows the unseen, and Allah the Exalted informed His Prophets and Messengers of some unseen matters.

. . . For the original article, see . . .
Monthly al-Hadith, Issue 102, page 11, and Fatawa ‘Ilmiyyah, “Chapter: Issues of Tawhid and Sunnah” titled