❖ Four Shar‘i Evidences for the Kufr of One Who Claims Knowledge of the Unseen ❖
Adapted from: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām
What is the Islamic ruling concerning a person who claims to possess knowledge of the unseen (‘Ilm al-Ghayb)?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Amā baʿd:
Whoever claims to possess knowledge of the unseen, has committed disbelief (Kufr). Such a claim constitutes a denial of the explicit words of Allah ﷻ. It opposes the foundational belief that only Allah has exclusive knowledge of the unseen.
﴿قُل لا يَعلَمُ مَن فِى السَّمـوتِ وَالأَرضِ الغَيبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ﴾
(Sūrah an-Naml: 65)
“Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah.”
✔ This verse is a clear and categorical statement that no being—human or angel—knows the unseen except Allah.
✔ Allah commanded His Messenger ﷺ to declare this truth publicly.
✔ Whoever claims otherwise is, in effect, denying this divine statement—a serious act of disbelief.
◈ One must ask such claimants:
➤ If the Prophet ﷺ himself was not given knowledge of the unseen, how can you claim it?
➤ Are you more honored than the Prophet ﷺ?
❀ If a person claims to be more honored than the Prophet ﷺ, they have entered clear Kufr.
❀ And if they accept that the Prophet ﷺ is superior, then they must accept that they themselves have no access to the unseen.
﴿عـلِمُ الغَيبِ فَلا يُظهِرُ عَلى غَيبِهِ أَحَدًا ﴿٢٦﴾ إِلّا مَنِ ارتَضى مِن رَسولٍ﴾
(Sūrah al-Jinn: 26–27)
“He (Allah) is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His unseen to anyone—except to a Messenger whom He chooses...”
✔ Only chosen Messengers may be informed of some specific matters from the unseen.
✔ Even then, this disclosure is partial, restricted, and deliberate, not by their own claim or control.
✔ Anyone other than a chosen Prophet who claims independent knowledge of the unseen is a liar and a disbeliever.
﴿قُل لا أَقولُ لَكُم عِندى خَزائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلا أَعلَمُ الغَيبَ...﴾
(Sūrah al-Anʿām: 50)
“Say: I do not say to you that I possess the treasures of Allah, nor that I know the unseen...”
✔ Allah commanded the Prophet ﷺ to affirm his human status, and declare that he does not know the unseen.
✔ If the greatest of creation was instructed to disown such knowledge, how can any ordinary human lay claim to it?
✔ Claiming knowledge of the unseen is a form of disbelief (Kufr).
✔ It is a rejection of Allah’s clear statements and the true status of the Prophet ﷺ.
✔ The unseen (al-Ghayb) belongs exclusively to Allah.
✔ Only select Prophets may be told certain aspects, by Allah’s will and permission only—not by their own knowledge or authority.
✔ Any claim beyond this is falsehood, deception, and Kufr.
Hādhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam biṣ-ṣawāb.
Adapted from: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām
✦ Ruling on the One Who Claims Knowledge of the Unseen (‘Ilm al-Ghayb)
❖ Question:
What is the Islamic ruling concerning a person who claims to possess knowledge of the unseen (‘Ilm al-Ghayb)?
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Amā baʿd:
Whoever claims to possess knowledge of the unseen, has committed disbelief (Kufr). Such a claim constitutes a denial of the explicit words of Allah ﷻ. It opposes the foundational belief that only Allah has exclusive knowledge of the unseen.
✦ Shar‘i Evidence ①: Qur’anic Declaration of Exclusivity
﴿قُل لا يَعلَمُ مَن فِى السَّمـوتِ وَالأَرضِ الغَيبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ﴾
(Sūrah an-Naml: 65)
“Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah.”
✔ This verse is a clear and categorical statement that no being—human or angel—knows the unseen except Allah.
✔ Allah commanded His Messenger ﷺ to declare this truth publicly.
✔ Whoever claims otherwise is, in effect, denying this divine statement—a serious act of disbelief.
✦ Shar‘i Evidence ②: Rational Refutation Based on the Prophet’s Status
◈ One must ask such claimants:
➤ If the Prophet ﷺ himself was not given knowledge of the unseen, how can you claim it?
➤ Are you more honored than the Prophet ﷺ?
❀ If a person claims to be more honored than the Prophet ﷺ, they have entered clear Kufr.
❀ And if they accept that the Prophet ﷺ is superior, then they must accept that they themselves have no access to the unseen.
✦ Shar‘i Evidence ③: Allah Restricts Unseen Knowledge to Himself
﴿عـلِمُ الغَيبِ فَلا يُظهِرُ عَلى غَيبِهِ أَحَدًا ﴿٢٦﴾ إِلّا مَنِ ارتَضى مِن رَسولٍ﴾
(Sūrah al-Jinn: 26–27)
“He (Allah) is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His unseen to anyone—except to a Messenger whom He chooses...”
✔ Only chosen Messengers may be informed of some specific matters from the unseen.
✔ Even then, this disclosure is partial, restricted, and deliberate, not by their own claim or control.
✔ Anyone other than a chosen Prophet who claims independent knowledge of the unseen is a liar and a disbeliever.
✦ Shar‘i Evidence ④: The Prophet ﷺ Denied Possessing the Unseen
﴿قُل لا أَقولُ لَكُم عِندى خَزائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلا أَعلَمُ الغَيبَ...﴾
(Sūrah al-Anʿām: 50)
“Say: I do not say to you that I possess the treasures of Allah, nor that I know the unseen...”
✔ Allah commanded the Prophet ﷺ to affirm his human status, and declare that he does not know the unseen.
✔ If the greatest of creation was instructed to disown such knowledge, how can any ordinary human lay claim to it?
✦ Conclusion:
✔ Claiming knowledge of the unseen is a form of disbelief (Kufr).
✔ It is a rejection of Allah’s clear statements and the true status of the Prophet ﷺ.
✔ The unseen (al-Ghayb) belongs exclusively to Allah.
✔ Only select Prophets may be told certain aspects, by Allah’s will and permission only—not by their own knowledge or authority.
✔ Any claim beyond this is falsehood, deception, and Kufr.
Hādhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam biṣ-ṣawāb.
