Mishkat al-Masabih

Takhrij al-Hadith:
[صحيح بخاري 50],
[صحيح مسلم 93]

Fiqh al-Hadith
➊ The complete narration from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu is present in Sahih Muslim. He states that (on one occasion) the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Ask me (whatever you wish).” The Companions felt apprehensive about asking questions, so a man came and sat down by the knees of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Then he said: O Messenger of Allah! What is Islam? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: “That you do not associate anything with Allah, establish the prayer, pay the zakat, and fast in Ramadan (this is Islam).” He said: You have spoken the truth, O Messenger of Allah! What is Iman (faith)? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: “(Iman is) that you believe in His (Allah’s) angels, His books, the meeting (in the Hereafter), and His messengers, that you have certainty in life after death (resurrection), and that you affirm all of destiny (qadar), that good and evil are from Allah alone.” He said: You have spoken the truth, O Messenger of Allah! What is Ihsan? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: “That you fear Allah as though you see Him, and if you do not see Him (i.e., if you cannot attain this level), then (at least have the certainty that) He sees you.” He said: You have spoken the truth, O Messenger of Allah! When will the Hour (the Day of Judgment) come? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: “The one being asked does not know more than the one asking. But I will tell you its signs: when you see barefoot, naked, mute, and deaf shepherds becoming the kings of the earth, then this is among the signs of the Hour. This (the Hour) is among the five things which none knows except Allah.” Then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam recited this verse (the translation of which is as follows): “Indeed, with Allah alone is the knowledge of the Hour. He sends down the rain, and 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.” Then that man stood up (and left), so the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Call him back.” He was searched for, but he was not found. Then the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “That was Jibril alayhis salam; he came to teach you (the religion) because you yourselves did not wish to ask questions.”
➋ The knowledge of the Hour (the Day of Judgment) is known to none except Allah.
➌ The addition of a trustworthy narrator is accepted and is a proof.
➍ All the signs of the Hour mentioned in the Qur’an and Hadith will occur before the Hour comes.
➎ Belief in destiny (qadar) is obligatory and a pillar of faith; those who deny destiny are people of innovation and misguidance.
➏ Hadith is an explanation of the Qur’an. «وغير ذلك من الفوئد»

Explanation:
The commentators of Bukhari write: «مقصود البخاري من عقد ذلك الباب ان الدين والاسلام والايمان واحد لااختلاف فى مفهومهما والواو فى ومابين وقوله تعالي بمعني مع» That is, the purpose of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah in establishing this chapter is to clarify that Din (religion), Islam, and Iman (faith) are one and the same; there is no difference in their meaning. And in «وما بين» and «وقوله تعاليٰ», in both places, the conjunction "wa" is in the sense of "with," which means that in the chapter:

The first heading relates to the question of Jibril, the purpose of which the author has clarified with «فجعل ذالك كله من الايمان». That is, Din (religion) comprises Islam, Ihsan (spiritual excellence), and belief in the Day of Judgment—all are included.

The second heading is «وما بين لوفد عبدالقيس», that is, the details of Iman (faith) which the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam explained for the delegation of Abdul Qais, in which he mentioned actions and included all of them within Iman, whether they are commands or prohibitions.

The third heading here is the noble verse «ومن يبتغ غير الاسلام», from which it is evident that the real Din is Din al-Islam, and Din and Islam are two names for the same thing. Because if Din were different from Islam, then in the noble verse, the one seeking Islam would be considered valid in the Shariah. Here, there is no discussion about their literal meanings. The purpose of the Imam here is also to refute the Murji’ah, who declare actions unnecessary for Iman.

Woe to bigotry:
There is consensus among all Ahl al-Sunnah on the misguidance of the Murji’ah sect, and Imam Bukhari quddisa sirruh also presents these detailed explanations to refute such misguided sects. But woe to bigotry—some translators and commentators of Bukhari in the present age have, even here, perceived a veiled criticism of Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, and with this in mind, they have vented their feelings by labeling Imam Bukhari as non-jurist and quick-tempered. The words of the author of Anwar al-Bari are as follows:

SA “Imam Bukhari had a greater tendency toward impressionability; he was more influenced by his teachers—Humaydi, Nu’aym ibn Hammad, Kharami, Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, Isma’il, ‘Urwah—who had, for the sake of Allah, enmity towards Imam Sahib and others. Secondly, he was quick-tempered. He was an unparalleled Imam in the science of hadith, but he did not have that rank in jurisprudence. That is why no school of thought was established after him. To understand the subtle points of Imam A’zam rahimahullah’s jurisprudence, a very high level of fiqh is required. Whoever did not understand, became his opponent.” [انوارالباری، جلد : دوم، ص : 168] EA Even volumes would be insufficient for a detailed commentary on this statement. But in today’s era, to delve into these outdated debates and, by proving mutual envy and malice among the scholars of the past, to injure the history of Islam—such a service is only to be congratulated for these bigoted individuals. As for us, our belief regarding all of them is «تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ» [2-البقرة:134] rahimahumullah ajma’in. Amin. To call Imam Bukhari rahimahullah quick-tempered and non-jurist is itself evidence of the quick-temperedness and lack of understanding of those who write such things.

Hadith Commentary:
The commentators of Bukhari write:
“The purpose of Imam Bukhari in establishing this chapter is to show that ‘deen’ (religion), ‘Islam’, and ‘iman’ (faith) are one and the same; there is no difference in their meaning, and the ‘wa’ (and) in ‘wa ma bayn’ and in His statement, the Most High, is in the sense of ‘with’ (ma‘a).” That is, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s intent in establishing this chapter is to clarify that deen, Islam, and iman are one; there is no difference in their meaning.

And in both places, in ‘wa ma bayn’ and in His statement, the Most High, the ‘wa’ is in the sense of ‘with’, meaning that the first heading in the chapter relates to the question of Jibril, whose purpose he clarified with “fa ja‘ala dhalika kullahu min al-iman” (so he made all of that part of faith).

That is, the religion (deen) of Islam, ihsan (spiritual excellence), and belief in the Day of Judgment are all included.

The second heading, “wa ma bayn” is for the delegation of ‘Abd al-Qays, meaning that the details of faith which the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam explained to the delegation of ‘Abd al-Qays included actions, and all of them were considered part of faith, whether they were commands or prohibitions.

The third heading here is the noble verse: “wa man yabtaghi ghayra al-Islam” (), from which it is clear that the true religion is the religion of Islam.

And deen and Islam are two names for the same thing.

Because if deen were different from Islam, then in the noble verse, the one seeking Islam would be considered valid in the Shari‘ah.

Here, there is no discussion of their literal meanings.

The purpose of the Imam here is also to refute the Murji’ah, who declare actions unnecessary for faith.

Woe to bigotry:
There is consensus among all Ahl al-Sunnah on the misguidance of the Murji’ah sect, and Imam Bukhari quddisa sirruh also presents these detailed points to refute such misguided sects.

But woe to the bigotry of some contemporary translators and commentators of Bukhari, who even here see a pure insinuation against Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, and with this in mind, they have vented their hearts by calling Imam Bukhari rahimahullah non-jurist and quick-tempered. The words of the author of Anwar al-Bari are as follows:

“Imam Bukhari rahimahullah had a strong tendency toward impressionability; he was more influenced by his teachers—Humaydi, Nu‘aym ibn Hammad, Kharami, Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, Isma‘il, ‘Urwah—who had, for the sake of Allah, enmity towards Imam Sahib and others. Secondly, he was quick-tempered. He was an unparalleled Imam in the science of hadith, but he did not have that rank in jurisprudence (fiqh). That is why no school of thought was established after him. To understand the subtle points of Imam A‘zam rahimahullah’s jurisprudence required a very high level of fiqh. Whoever did not understand, became his opponent.” (Anwar al-Bari, vol. 2, p. 168)

Even volumes would be insufficient for a detailed commentary on this statement.

But in today’s era, to delve into these outdated debates and, by proving mutual envy and hatred among the scholars of the past, to tarnish the history of Islam—such a service is only to be congratulated for these bigoted individuals. As for us, our belief regarding all is:

﴿تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ﴾ (al-Baqarah: 134)
rahimahum Allah ajma‘in.
Amin.

To call Imam Bukhari rahimahullah quick-tempered and non-jurist is itself evidence of the quick-temperedness and lack of understanding of those writers.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
When one wishes to know the reality and essence of something, the question is asked using "ma" (what). In this hadith, the question was asked regarding the reality of faith (iman), so the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned the affirmation of several matters related to the unseen, which are called the fundamentals of faith (usul al-iman).
In this hadith, five things are mentioned:
- Faith in Allah.
- Faith in the Day of Judgment.
- Faith in the angels.
- Faith in the messengers.
- Faith in predestination (qadar).
In some narrations, a sixth item—faith in the revealed books—is also mentioned.
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, Hadith (93) (8))
A complete discussion of all these fundamentals of faith has been presented in our work "Mas'alah Iman wa Kufr."
2.
The pillars of Islam are five:
(a)
Bearing witness to the two testimonies (shahadatayn: testimony of the oneness of Allah and the messengership of Muhammad).
(b)
Establishing prayer (salah).
(c)
Giving alms (zakat).
(d)
Fasting in Ramadan (sawm).
(e)
Pilgrimage to the House of Allah (hajj).
Although hajj is not mentioned in this narration, it is explicitly stated in other narrations.
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, Hadith (93) (8))
It is not correct to say that hajj was not obligatory at that time, because the narrations clarify that Jibril alayhis salam came to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in his final days.
(Kitab al-Iman, by Ibn Mandah: 1/144 (Dar al-Fadilah edition); Fath al-Bari: 1/159)
3.
The meaning of ihsan is excellence and beauty in action.
Excellence in action is achieved when it is completely correct both outwardly and inwardly.
Outwardly, it includes all the etiquettes and conditions of the action, while inwardly it includes sincerity of intention and humility and submissiveness.
In the definition of ihsan, two levels of sincerity are mentioned:
(a)
Mushahadah (witnessing):
This is the highest level of sincerity.
It means to worship Allah as though you are seeing Him, i.e., the heart and gaze are focused towards Him.
(b)
Muraqabah (consciousness):
The worshipper, while worshipping, should think that even if I cannot see Allah, Allah is certainly seeing me. Whoever attains this level also performs his actions with complete sincerity.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/159)
4.
Some extreme Sufis have made a strange interpretation at this point according to their own inclinations:
In ﴿fa-in lam takun tarahu﴾, (kana) is considered complete (tammah), meaning: if you annihilate your own existence and become (lam takun), then you can see Allah.
This interpretation is invalid both rationally and textually, and is a sign of ignorance of the rules of Arabic.
Because in that case, the answer to the conditional clause "tarahu" should have been omitted due to the presence of "fa", whereas in all the chains of the hadith, "fa" is present. Furthermore, the hadith explicitly states that before death, you cannot see your Lord.
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Fitan, Hadith: 7356 (2931))
From this, it is clear that the Sufi concept of the station of annihilation (mahw wa fana) is self-invented.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/160)
5.
Imam Nawawi rahimahullah has considered both of these (levels) to be of the same rank.
According to him, the meaning of the second sentence is that even if you do not see (Allah), still remain steadfast upon ihsan, because Allah is certainly seeing you.
In other words, the second sentence is the reason for the first: the basis is not your seeing, but Allah's seeing.
He is always seeing, whether you see or not, therefore worship should always be performed in the best manner.
(Sharh Nawawi)
6.
"The slave-girl will give birth to her mistress": The commentators have explained this in several ways:
(a)
Disobedience to parents will become widespread.
Children will humiliate and degrade their parents, treating them as a husband treats his wife; especially daughters, who are usually very loving towards their mothers, will also become disobedient.
This can be observed frequently today.
(b)
The children of slave-girls will come to power, whose morals, habits, and manners are naturally corrupt; that is, people unfit for authority—ignorant, harsh-tempered, and unfamiliar with the demands of justice—will seize power.
(c)
Conquests will increase, resulting in more slave-girls, who will become umm walad (mothers of children), as if giving birth to their own masters.
According to this interpretation, this sign was an early one, because the abundance of conquests occurred during the time of Umar radi Allahu anhu.
(d)
Near the Day of Judgment, ignorance will become widespread, leading to widespread lawlessness and deviation. The situation will reach such an extent that umm walad, whose sale is unlawful, will be openly sold, and in the process, she may end up with a master whom she herself gave birth to, and he will unknowingly become her owner.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/162)
7.
In this hadith, another sign of the Hour is mentioned: when the barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds of black camels begin to boast about tall buildings or seize them, then the Hour is near.
The reason for mentioning camel shepherds is that living among camels makes a person hard-hearted and ill-tempered.
This indicates that they will be harsh and vindictive people, unconcerned with civilization, culture, or mutual tolerance. When such people begin to boast about buildings or seize the buildings of cities—i.e., demolishing them and erecting new ones—then know that the world is about to be overturned.
8.
In another narration of Sahih Bukhari, it is stated that near the Day of Judgment, governmental affairs will be entrusted to uncivilized, ignorant, and incompetent people.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Tafsir, Hadith 4777)
In another narration, it is stated that when the reins of power are handed over to incompetent and base people, who lack knowledge, action, morals, and political awareness, then the coming of the Hour will not be delayed.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-‘Ilm, Hadith: 59)
This sign can be observed today: what kind of people are in power these days.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/164)
9.
Regarding five things, no one knows except Allah: the coming of the Hour, the coming of rain, what is in the womb, what will happen tomorrow, and where death will occur. These are called the keys to the unseen (mafātīh al-ghayb), meaning not only is the knowledge of the unseen unknown, but even the keys to the knowledge of the unseen are unknown to anyone, through which one could reach such knowledge.
From this, it is clear that those who claim knowledge of the unseen for the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam are in great misguidance and error.
Yes, if the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam informs of something through revelation, then this is the function of prophethood.
This cannot be called knowledge of the unseen.
10.
In the end, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah states that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam described faith (iman), Islam, ihsan, and the signs of the Hour as part of the religion (din), and this is called perfect faith (iman kamil).
From this, it is clear that faith is not simple but composite, and it can increase and decrease.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
Iman (faith) and Islam encompass all believers, while Ihsan (spiritual excellence) is the rank of sainthood (wilayah). The highest level of Ihsan is that a person, removing all worldly thoughts, becomes so immersed in the remembrance of Allah that it is as if he is witnessing Allah. The lower level is that one is constantly aware that Allah is watching him.
At all times, with this understanding, one refrains from sins and evil deeds.
When this is attained, that person is certainly a friend of Allah (wali Allah).
Now, it is not necessary that he should possess unveiling (kashf) or miracles (karamat); mentioning kashf and karamat is ignorance.
The meaning of "an talida al-amatu rabbataha" is that when many children are born to slave women, the mother is a slave and the son, as it were, becomes her master.
At the end of the hadith, there is an indication towards the present era: that those who used to live in the deserts, herding goats and camels, will turn towards the cities, attain high positions, and build grand houses—and this is happening nowadays, as is observed.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
This hadith is famous by the name of the Hadith of Jibril.
It clarifies that the knowledge of the Hour (Qiyamah) is only with Allah Ta'ala, as to when it will occur.
Neither Jibril (alayhis salam) knows anything about it, nor does the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) have any information regarding it.
And the wisdom in not specifying its time is that if it were told, the very purpose of the world being a place of trial would be lost.

➋
Besides the Hour, there are four other matters which no one knows except Allah:
The first of these is when beneficial rain will fall; the second is what is in the womb—whether it is male or female, whether it will be poor or prosperous, fortunate or wretched, fair-skinned or dark-skinned—all these matters are included in the stages of the womb.
The third matter is what a person will do tomorrow—whether he will be granted the ability to repent or not.
In fact, whether he will even remain alive until tomorrow or not.
The fourth is when and where he will die.

➌
These four matters are such that every human being is interested in them, which is why they have been specifically mentioned; otherwise, there are many other matters as well that pertain to the unseen (ghayb) and are beyond human reach.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
(1)
al-summ:
Plural of asamm,
the deaf (not accepting the truth despite having ears,
as if being deprived of the faculty of hearing).
(2)
al-bukm:
Plural of abkam,
the mute (not expressing the truth despite having a tongue,
as if being deprived of the faculty of speech).
(3)
muluk:
Plural of malik,
kings,
those in authority.
(4)
ghayb:
That which cannot be known through the senses or self-evident intellect, and for which no evidence can be established.

Benefits and Issues:
➊
In the hadith, three levels of religion are mentioned:
Islam,
Iman (faith), and Ihsan (excellence). Each subsequent level is higher than and encompasses the previous one.
Iman includes Islam, and Ihsan encompasses both Islam and Iman, and is the final and highest rank.

➋
Islam:
Just as it is the name for the entire religion—﴿وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا﴾ “Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam…”—in the same way, it is also the name for the practical, tangible aspect of the religion,
which is composed of five pillars.

➋
Iman (faith):
It is the second level of the religion, which consists of the six fundamental pillars of the religion of Islam, and serves as the motivating force for the five practical and tangible pillars of Islam.
Therefore, it is inclusive of and superior to the previous level.

➌
Ihsan (excellence):
It is the final and third level of the religion,
which encompasses the previous two levels and is higher than them. Its reality is that behind every statement, action, belief, and deed, this feeling and motivation should be present as if I am seeing Allah, and He is seeing me.
Because Allah’s seeing is a reality that no Muslim denies,
what is needed is that a person, along with the awareness of this reality, should also establish the perception that I am seeing Him as well.
But today, unfortunately, even the awareness of the established reality that Allah is watching us is missing.

Therefore, at the very least, with every belief and action,
we should maintain the awareness (in thought and imagination)
that Allah is watching us, because in reward and recompense, or punishment, it is His seeing that is taken into account.

➎ Just as a person does not know the day and place of his own death, similarly, no one knows about the destruction and end of the entire world or universe.
However, before the Day of Judgment, the signs and indications of its nearness and occurrence will gradually begin to appear,
and in this hadith,
only three of those signs have been mentioned:
(1)
Naked bodies,
barefoot,
shepherds of goats who are deprived of knowledge and virtue, ignorant and foolish,
they will become leaders and chiefs of people and possessors of wealth and riches,
whose occupation will be to compete with one another in constructing buildings and to take pride and boast in it.

(2)
When poor and destitute people, who will be deaf and mute—that is, deprived of ability, competence, and capability,
bereft of trustworthiness, honesty, knowledge, and virtue—will become kings,
they will not know their rights and duties.
Their only concern will be to amass wealth and build palaces,
and as a result, the order and system of religion and the world will be destroyed and ruined.

(3)
Due to the deprivation of knowledge and honesty, daughters will be disobedient to their mothers, and will even command them like mistresses.

➏ - “Ma al-mas’oolu ‘anha bi a’lama min as-sa’il”:
You did not say,
“I do not know it more than you,” but rather said:
“The one being asked about it does not know more than the questioner.”
This points to the fact that in this matter, there is no distinction between me and you; rather, every questioner and respondent are equal in this answer,
no one has been given knowledge of it.

➐ - When a narrator hears from his teacher alone, he says “haddathani,” and when he hears with other companions, he says “haddathana.” Similarly, when he alone narrates to the teacher, he uses “akhbarani,” and when he recites with companions, he uses “akhbarana.”
The same applies to the Imam.

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
(1)
Iman (Faith):
Derived from "aamana," and "aman" is the opposite of fear.
Therefore, its meaning is the absence of fear.
It denotes tranquility and reassurance, and a person trusts and relies upon that which he is not afraid of, and does not feel restless or disturbed by it.
Thus, the word "iman" is used in four senses.
(2)
"Aamanahum" — He made them free from fear.
(3)
"Aamana bihi" — He acknowledged it,
he accepted it.
(4)
"Aamana lahu":
He affirmed it.
(5)
"Aamana alayhi":
He trusted and relied upon him.
Therefore, the meaning of iman will be: to affirm the statement of the Messenger while trusting in him, and to make him free from opposition.
Islam:
Its meaning is
to surrender oneself to someone,
and to become obedient to him.
Therefore, the way of life presented by Allah the Exalted and His Messengers is called Islam,
because according to it, a person completely surrenders himself to Allah the Exalted, and, relinquishing his own will in opposition to Him,
pledges complete obedience to Him.
Ihsan:
Derived from "husn,"
which means excellence and perfection,
firmness and strength,
to do a deed in the manner in which it deserves to be done.
Liqaa’:
It is a verbal noun meaning meeting,
but here it refers to
appearing before Allah the Exalted for reckoning and accountability.
Ba‘th Akhir:
By this is meant
being resurrected again for reward and punishment.
Ashraat:
The plural of "shart" with fatha on the sheen and ra,
which means sign or indication, or preliminaries (the initial matters of something).
Bahm:
The plural of "bahmah," and "bahm" refers to the young of sheep and goats.

Benefits and Issues:
1)
Pillars of Islam:
The first pillar is to worship and serve Allah the Exalted and not to associate anyone with Him.
This pillar is foundational and a milestone,
upon which the acceptance, establishment, and continuity of the other pillars depend.
The original meaning of worship is to be subjugated to someone,
to humble oneself before him, and to express utmost humility, submissiveness, helplessness, and lowliness in his presence.
Therefore, obedience and compliance are necessary for it.
According to the Shariah, worship:
is that humility, devotion, obedience, and servitude which is done considering someone as the owner of benefit and harm, for the sake of attaining his pleasure and approval.
And not associating anyone with Him
is for emphasis and clarification of the previous statement, that the right of worship and servitude to Allah the Exalted can only be fulfilled
when no one else is included or associated in this right.
2)
The slave-girl will give birth to her mistress/master:
The meaning is that sons will rule over their mothers,
instead of serving and obeying them, they will impose their authority over them and consider them as their subordinates.
3)
The naked, barefoot will become the leaders of the people:
That is, people from the lower class, insignificant and unworthy individuals will become rulers,
while capable and competent people will be ignored.
The means of attaining positions of power and authority will be only wealth and riches,
trustworthiness, honesty, knowledge, and virtue will have no importance left.
4)
Knowledge of five things is only with Allah the Exalted:
Here, the knowledge of Allah the Exalted is specified with five things,
although His knowledge is infinite and He alone has knowledge of everything.
The reason for this specification is that the question was asked only about these five things, or because these five matters are fundamental and central, and all other things are included under them, and by this knowledge is meant comprehensive and total knowledge,
which consists of principles and universals.
If knowledge of some individuals or particulars is attained by someone, it does not contradict this.
Also, what is meant is the unseen knowledge which is obtained without senses,
intellectual guidance, signs and indications, means and resources, or experience and deduction. If knowledge of any particular or particulars among these five things is obtained through some cause,
means, or instrument, or is guessed through conjecture, it does not contradict this.
The time of the occurrence of the Hour (Qiyamah) and certain, definite knowledge of its determination is not possessed by any of the creation,
whether angel or Messenger,
saint, jinn, or ordinary human.
When will rain fall,
how much will fall,
where will it fall,
how long will it last,
what will be its effects and results,
definite and certain knowledge of this is also with Allah the Exalted,
through experience, observation, means, and instruments only estimation and conjecture can be made.
What is in the womb,
its color,
form,
height,
age,
health,
provision,
and conditions,
the simultaneous, complete, and instrument-free, cause-free, and observation-free knowledge of all wombs is known only to Allah the Exalted,
obtaining limited and incomplete information about a specific wealth through experience, observation, and instruments does not contradict this.
Complete knowledge about tomorrow,
all circumstances and events,
all occupations and engagements,
which encompasses every human being,
is possessed only by Allah the Exalted,
personally and individually, and on a limited scale, arranging some programs and carrying them out accordingly does not contradict this,
though it is another matter that carrying out every detail of a program with punctuality is a difficult matter. Similarly, the death of every human being,
when,
where,
how, and under what circumstances it will occur,
no human, angel, or jinn knows except Allah the Exalted.
An Objection and Its Solution:
Some commentators of hadith have written that from these five knowledges, Allah the Exalted has generally granted a significant share to the Prophets (alayhimussalam), and especially to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam),
and for this, they have also presented statements of some scholars of Islam.
1.
The answer to this is that in the presence of authentic ahadith, when the clear verse of the Noble Qur’an also confirms and supports these ahadith,
the statement of scholars of Islam without evidence is not proof, nor is that statement definite.
Allamah Alusi rahimahullah writes:
(wa laysa ‘indi ma yufidu al-jazm bidhalik)
"But I have not found any conclusive evidence for this."
(Ruh al-Ma‘ani, Tafsir Surah Luqman).
2.
And the knowledge of these five things, in essence or in the unseen, in a comprehensive and total sense, is only with Allah the Exalted. If knowledge of some of them,
in particulars and individuals, whether few or many, is obtained by someone through some means or intermediary,
it does not contradict this, nor can any human or angel be called "Knower of the Unseen" (‘Alim al-Ghayb) because of it.
To call mere information about the unseen as knowledge of the unseen is self-deception.
And even for such information, evidence, proof, and argument are required; mere possibility is not proof.
If, by informing the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) of some matters of the unseen, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is to be called "Knower of the Unseen," then, because the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has informed the Ummah of matters of the unseen known to him from Allah the Exalted, the Ummah should also be called "Knower of the Unseen,"
whereas no one says this.
These knowledges of the unseen or the five knowledges are the "keys of the unseen" (mafateeh al-ghayb) which are exclusive to Allah the Exalted,
so if anyone claims that knowledge of any of these has been given to someone, he must present a definite and certain proof for it;
mere possibility or probability is not proof.
Imam Qurtubi rahimahullah has explicitly stated that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) interpreted the "keys of the unseen" as these five knowledges.
(Fath al-Bari)

Benefits and Issues:
This hadith has been mentioned in full detail in the introductory ahadith of Sunan Ibn Majah. (See: Hadith: 64)

Commentary:
(1)
The true knowledge of the future belongs only to Allah. All the matters mentioned in the blessed verse pertain to the future. No one except Allah knows the exact time of the appearance of the signs of the Day of Judgment that have been described, let alone attempting to determine the timing of the Day of Judgment itself. Similarly, there are other matters about which humans continue to make conjectures, which may be correct or incorrect. For example: by seeing clouds, we may hope for rain, but we cannot say with one hundred percent certainty that these clouds will rain, or that they will pass by without raining. In the same way, in light of signs and indications, we may hope for a child, but whether it will be male or female, intelligent or less intelligent, afflicted with any physical or mental disability, etc.—these are matters about which no person can say anything with complete certainty. We can make plans for the future, but we cannot be aware in advance of unforeseen obstacles and sudden circumstances that may arise. In this way, the true knowledge of anyone’s life and death is known only to Allah, the Exalted. A human can only make an estimate, but cannot say with certainty that his estimate will be absolutely correct.

(2)
If a scholar does not know an issue, he should say, “I do not know,” and should not consider this contrary to his honor and dignity.

(3)
A scholar should explain to the questioner with gentleness and affection, and should not express displeasure.