Has Allah Almighty told anyone besides Himself that they know the unseen?
Some Muslims believe that the Prophets, the pious saints, and jinn know the unseen. So let us see what Allah Almighty has said about this:
➊ “Say, none in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah, and they do not know when they will be resurrected.”
➋ “And when your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am going to place a vicegerent on the earth,’ they said, ‘Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?’ He said, ‘Indeed, I know that which you do not know.’ And He taught Adam the names – all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, ‘Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.’ They said, ‘Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.’ He said, ‘O Adam, inform them of their names.’ And when he had informed them of their names, He said, ‘Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed.'”
➌ He is the one who knows the unseen, and He does not reveal His unseen to anyone. Yes, to the messenger He chooses, He reveals unseen matters and appoints guardians before and behind him.
➍ “And Allah does not do this except to give the glad tidings to His messengers whom He chooses.”
➎ “The Day Allah will gather the messengers and ask, ‘What was the response you received?’ They will say, ‘We have no knowledge. Indeed, it is You who is the Knower of the unseen.'”
➏ “By the star when it disappears, your companion has neither strayed nor erred, nor does he speak from his own desire. It is only a revelation revealed.”
➐ “Say, I do not tell you that I have the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I only follow that which is revealed to me. Say, are the blind and the seeing equal? Why do you not then reflect?”
➑ And among your own people are some unlettered hypocrites, and some who spread corruption. But they do not know it; We know them. We will punish them twice, then they will be returned to a great punishment.”
➒ “Then when We decreed death for him, he did not delay it. But his staff was eaten by the worm. Then when he fell down, the jinn realized that if they had knowledge of the unseen, they would not remain in humiliation.”
➓ “Indeed, with Allah is the knowledge of the Hour, and He sends down the rain, and 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 Knowing and Acquainted.”
⓫ “These are some of the unseen news that We send to you, and neither you nor your people knew them before. So be patient; indeed, the outcome is for the righteous.”
⓬ “And when the Prophet secretly confided a matter to one of his wives, then when she informed about it and Allah made it known to the Prophet, he disclosed part of it and kept part of it secret. Then when he informed her about it, she said, ‘Who told you this?’ He said, ‘The Knower, the Aware, informed me.'”
⓭ “There is nothing concealed from Allah on the earth or in the heaven.”
⓮ “And the unseen of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah, and the coming of the Hour is like the blinking of an eye or even sooner; indeed, Allah is over all things competent.”
⓯ “And if it had not been for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, a group of them would have certainly plotted to mislead you, but they do not mislead except themselves, and they will not harm you at all. And Allah has revealed to you the Book and wisdom and has taught you that which you did not know. And ever has the favor of Allah upon you been great.”
⓰ “Say, ‘Allah knows best how long they remained. His is the unseen of the heavens and the earth. How clear of sight is He and keen of hearing! There is none among the servants except He has authority over them. And He does not share His command with anyone.'”
⓱ “You will bring excuses, and when you turn back to them, then do not make excuses, we will never accept your words, Allah has already informed us of your conditions, and Allah and His Messenger will soon see your deeds, and then you will turn to the One who knows the hidden and the open, He will tell you what you were doing.”
For further evidence, read and understand these verses and their correct translations from the Holy Quran:
From this, it is understood that no one knows the knowledge of the unseen except Allah Almighty. Allah the Exalted used to inform the noble Prophets about matters of the unseen. The things related to the coming of the Day of Judgment or other unseen matters that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ informed the Companions about were all told to him by Allah Almighty because our beloved Prophet ﷺ did not speak on his own accord but spoke by the command of Allah. Similarly, Allah also informs His righteous servants about unseen matters through dreams and divine inspiration. Allah can also show a true dream to anyone, as mentioned in Surah Yusuf, where the interpretations of the dreams of the two prisoners and the Aziz of Egypt were exactly as Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) عليه السلام told them. Those magicians who tell someone about past events are not dealing with the unseen; rather, they do this through jinn. Since every person has a devil jinn with them, magicians, through the forbidden acts of magic against Islam, ask jinn and tell people about past events. They have destroyed their own faith and such things also destroy the faith of those who come into contact with them. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Companions, and the Followers considered only Allah to be the Knower of the unseen. How good it would be if we follow those best people of the best times about whom the Prophet ﷺ said that the best time is my time, then the time of those who saw me, and then the time of those who saw those who saw me.
Can we seek help from the Prophets and deceased righteous servants of Allah along with Allah Almighty?
Nowadays, a group of Muslims claim that along with Allah Almighty, prophets, saints, jinn, etc., can also benefit or harm a person, and therefore they seek help from them and take refuge in them. Some Muslims, when afflicted with a disease or trouble, say that if you circumambulate the grave of a certain saint and accept Islam, then if Allah removes that calamity, they offer a gift in the name of that saint, go to their grave to express gratitude, and offer a goat or something similar in value to them at their shrine. In reality, a person does this when he considers, along with Allah, some other being as the owner of giving benefit and harm, health and sickness, life and death, honor and disgrace, the one who can spoil matters and accept prayers. In this regard, let us look at the teachings of Allah and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:
Allah Almighty says.
➊ “And if Allah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him; and if He intends for you good, then there is no repeller of His bounty. He causes it to reach whom He wills among His servants. And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”
➋ “If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely.”
➌ “Say, ‘I do not possess for myself any benefit or harm except what Allah should will. And if I knew the unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no evil would have touched me. I am only a warner and a bringer of good tidings to a people who believe.'”
➍ “Say, ‘I do not possess for myself any harm or benefit except what Allah wills.'”
➎ “Then say, ‘It is not in my hands, nor is it in yours to bring the narrator.’ Say, ‘No one will save me from the hand of Allah, nor will anyone save me except Him, from a place of refuge.'”
➏ “And if their neglect is hard upon you, then if you have power, find a tunnel in the earth or a ladder in the sky, then bring them a miracle. And if Allah had willed, He would have gathered them all in guidance, so be not among the ignorant.”
➐ “And when I am ill, it is He who cures me.”
➑ So when a person is afflicted with distress, he calls upon Us; then when We bestow upon him a favor from Us, he says, ‘This is due to my knowledge.’ No, but it is a trial, yet most of them do not understand.”
➒ “You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.”
➓ “So say, whose is anything that works for you against Allah? If He wills harm for you or wills benefit for you, indeed Allah is ever, over your affairs, Knowing.”
⓫ “And [mention] Job, when he called to his Lord, ‘Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful.’ So We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We gave him back his family and the like thereof with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for the worshippers.”
Upon the torment of Pharaoh, Musa (Moses) (peace be upon him) said to his people:
⓬ “Musa said to his people, ‘Seek help through Allah and be patient. Indeed, the earth belongs to Allah. He causes to inherit it whom He wills of His servants. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous.'”
When the people of Nuh (Noah) (peace be upon him) rejected the teachings brought by him from Allah Almighty, he sought help from Allah in this way:
⓭ “He said, O Lord! Help me, for they have denied me.”
Those who say that Allah is the owner of profit and loss but deceased righteous people can also do the same:
Those who hold the belief that alongside Allah Almighty, the righteous deceased servants of Allah also have the power to harm, benefit, protect, etc., what answer will they give to these clear commands of Allah Almighty?
➊ “Say, ‘See you, if the punishment of Allah comes upon you, or the Hour comes upon you, whom besides Allah will you call upon? Tell me, if you are truthful.’ Nay, but you call upon him while he is unable to help you, and you forget the one whom you associate [with Allah].”
➋ “Then say, ‘Who saves you from the darkness of the land and sea when you call upon Him humbly and secretly? And if He saves us from this danger, then indeed we will be grateful. But when He saves you from them, you associate others [with Him].'”
➌ “Then who responds to the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Little do you remember.”
➍ “Then when they boarded the ship, they called upon Allah, putting their faith solely in Him. But when He saved them to the shore, at once they began to associate others [with Him].”
➎ “And to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and His is the justice always. So do you fear anyone besides Allah? And whatever blessing you have is from Allah. Then when adversity touches you, to Him you cry out. Then when He removes the adversity from you, behold, a party of you associates others with their Lord, to deny what We have given them. So enjoy yourselves for a while; then you will know. And We will surely make evident those who are liars. And a portion of My provision will be given to those who do not ask. And as for the wrongdoers, they will be warned of a painful punishment.”
➏ “And when people face some hardship, they call upon their Lord, turning to Him. Then when We bestow upon them a mercy from Us, suddenly some among them associate partners with their Lord, to deny what We have given them. Say, ‘Enjoy yourselves a little; soon you will know who will receive a painful punishment.’ So what they say about their partners is what they say. And when We give people a taste of mercy, they become pleased; but if evil befalls them because of what their own hands have sent before, then they despair.”
➐ “And they worship besides Allah those who cannot provide for them any provision from the heavens or the earth, nor can they do anything. Set forth your parables about Allah; Allah knows, and you do not know.”
➑ “Say, ‘Whose is the earth and whoever is in it, if you should know?’ They will say, ‘To Allah.’ Say, ‘Then will you not remember?’ Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Great Throne?’ They will say, ‘To Allah.’ Say, ‘Then will you not fear?’ Say, ‘In whose hand is the dominion of all things, and He protects, but none can escape Him, if you should know?’ They will say, ‘To Allah.’ Say, ‘Then how are you deluded?'”
There are countless examples of Allah’s exclusive authority over everything, but listen to a few examples from the Holy Quran:
“Or like the person who passed by a town and his house was on its roofs, he said where will Allah burn him? They died behind him, then Allah killed that person, then raised him after a hundred years. He asked, ‘How long did you stay?’ He said, ‘I stayed one day or less than a day.’ He said, ‘Rather, you stayed a hundred years. Now see your food and drink, they have not decayed, and see your donkey and yourself. We create examples for people, and see how Allah raises the bones without anyone else, then clothes them with flesh. Then when it appeared on it, he said, ‘I know that Allah is capable of everything.’ And when Ibrahim said, ‘O Lord! Show me how You will resurrect the dead,’ He said, ‘Do you not believe?’ He said, ‘Why not, but so that my heart may be reassured.’ He said, ‘Take four birds, train them to come to you, then place a piece of them on every mountain, then call them, they will come running to you. And know that Allah is Mighty, Wise.'”
For further evidence, read these verses and their correct translation from the Holy Quran carefully —
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that whoever recites this seven times in the morning and evening:
(حَسْبِیَ اللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَؕ-عَلَیْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِیْمِ)
Allah is sufficient for me; there is no deity except Him. In Him I have placed my trust, and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.
Then Allah will be sufficient for him in all important matters of this world and the Hereafter.
Now look at these opening words of Durood Taj:
(اللَّهُمَّ صَلَّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا وَمَوْلَانَا مُحَمَّدٍ صَاحِبِ النَّاجِ وَالْمِعْرَاجِ وَالْبَرَاقِ وَالْعَلَم دَافِعِ الْبَلَاءِ وَالْوَبَاءِ وَالْفَحْطِ وَالْمَرَضِ وَالألم ط )
(O Allah, send blessings upon our leader and master Muhammad ﷺ, the owner of the crown and ascension, the one with Buraq and banners, who removes calamities, oppression, famine, disease, and pain.)
In one book, the translation of this part is given as follows:
(O Allah, send blessings upon our leader and master Muhammad ﷺ, who is the owner of the crown and ascension, the one with Al-Buraq and the flags, through whom calamities, drought, diseases, and sorrows are removed).
Consider the Arabic text; the word (wasilah) is not used at all, so how was it translated as “through whom”? Moreover, this part of the Durood Taj is against many instructions of Allah and the Messenger of Allah, for example:
➊ “And when I am ill, it is He who cures me.”
➋ “Say, ‘I possess not for myself any harm or benefit except what Allah should will. And if I knew the unseen, I could have acquired much good, and no evil would have touched me. I am only a warner and a bringer of good tidings to a people who believe.'”
➌ “Say, ‘I do not possess for myself any harm or benefit except what Allah wills.'”
4. “Then say, ‘My hands are not responsible for your evil, nor for guiding you on the right path.’ Say, ‘No one will save me from the hand of Allah, nor will I find any refuge except with Him.'”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that when Nimrod threw Ibrahim (peace be upon him) into the fire, he recited this phrase:
حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيْلُ
(Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs)
The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم ﷺ said that when someone feels fear from anything, they should say this phrase:
حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيْلُ
(Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs)
Then Allah delivers him from anxiety.
It is narrated from Hazrat Aisha رضي الله عنها that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ felt any grief, he would repeatedly recite:
حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيْلُ
(Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Ibn Abbas that if you keep these words, Allah will protect you:
Fear Allah and you will find Him before you. Whatever you ask from Allah, ask it from Him. If you seek help, seek it from Him. If all the people of the world want to benefit you, they will only benefit you as much as Allah wills, and if all the people of the world want to harm you, they will only harm you as much as Allah wills. And the pen has been lifted and the pages have dried. The Prophet ﷺ said, “And I am the distributor, and Allah is the giver.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite various supplications before sleeping. Among them, a few lines of one supplication are:
” (وفوضت أمري إليك وألجأت ظهري إليك رغبة ورهبة إليك لا ملجأ ولا منجا منك إلا إليك) ”
And I have entrusted my affairs to You, and I have taken refuge in You, hoping for Your blessings and fearing You. There is no refuge except with You and no place of salvation except with You.
From these blessed instructions of Allah Almighty and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, it is proven that only Allah can give benefit or harm. Without Allah’s will, no living or dead thing can give even the smallest amount of benefit or harm. Therefore, fear only the Almighty Lord and never fear His creation, nor should we be harmed by them without Allah’s command. Only Allah is the Reliever of difficulties, the Helper in every situation, the Sovereign of all, the Giver of honor and disgrace, the Fulfiller of desires, the One who causes disorder, the Supporter, the Deliverer, the Hearer of supplications and the Solver of problems, and the Giver to all.
Those who consider stones as the owners of benefit and harm should always remember this statement of Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him):
Hazrat Umar came near the Black Stone, kissed it, and then said, “I know that you are a stone; you can neither harm nor benefit anyone. And if I had not seen the Prophet ﷺ kissing you, I would never have kissed you.”
Can we say “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ help,” “O Ali help,” or “O Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani help”?
Those who seek help from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ or any other personality who is not alive should carefully read the instructions from Allah and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ above, and then also read the text below. Some Muslims are heard saying “Mola Ali Mushkil Kusha,” “Ya Ali Madad,” or “Ya Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani Madad,” or “Peer Madad.” Such actions of Muslims are against the Quran and Sunnah. See some more examples in this regard:
Look at the translations of various parts of different sermons of Hazrat Ali رضي الله عنه in Nahj al-Balagha.
“All praise is due to Allah, who is the link that connects the blessings of the community and the chain of blessings to gratitude. We praise Him for His blessings just as we express gratitude for His trials, and we seek His help against those souls that are slow in fulfilling commands and quick in moving towards forbidden things.”
“I praise and glorify Allah and seek His help for those things that repel Satan and keep one safe from his traps and schemes.”
