The Knowledge of the Unseen (ʿIlm al-Ghayb) in the Light of Qur’an and Hadith
Source: Fatawa Ameenpuri — Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri
❖ Question
Who possesses the knowledge of ma kāna wa mā yakūn (what has happened and what will happen)?
❖ Answer
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
The knowledge of ma kāna wa mā yakūn (what has happened and what will happen) belongs exclusively to Allah ﷻ.
◈ Statement of Imam al-Nawawi (676 AH) رحمه الله
While explaining the Hadith of Khidr عليه السلام, he wrote:
"هذا الحديث من دلائل مذهب أهل الحق فى أن الله تعالى أعلم بما كان وبما يكون وبما لا يكون لو كان كيف كان يكون"
"This Hadith is from the evidences of the Ahl al-Haqq that Allah alone knows what has occurred, what will occur, and what has not occurred — and if it were to occur, how it would occur."
(Sharh Sahih Muslim 15/146, 16/211)
◈ Statement of Hafiz Ibn Kathir (774 AH) رحمه الله
He wrote:
"الله سبحانه وتعالى يعلم ما كان وما يكون وما لم يكن لو كان كيف يكون، وهذا مجمع عليه عند أهل السنة والجماعة"
"Allah the Exalted knows what has happened, what will happen, and what has not happened — and if it were to happen, how it would happen. This is a unanimously agreed upon belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah."
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir 5/42)
◈ Conclusion
- The knowledge of the unseen (ʿilm al-ghayb) in absolute, complete, and universal sense belongs only to Allah ﷻ.
- No prophet, saint, or creation shares this unrestricted knowledge with Allah.
- This is the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
