Author: Ghulam Mustafa Zahid Amrpuri
Absolute knowledge of the unseen is a unique attribute of Allah alone. This belief is established through the Quran, Hadith, consensus of the Ummah, and the explicit statements of the Imams of the Salaf. Despite this, some people, in opposition to the righteous predecessors, claim that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) also possesses knowledge of the unseen. They believe that the Prophet (ﷺ) knows everything that has happened and everything that will happen. They interpret the clear texts of the Quran and Hadith to support their view.
Regarding such individuals, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (661-728 AH) states:
“The people of innovation are those who follow their desires and doubts. They follow their desires in what they love and hate, and they judge based on speculation and doubts. They follow conjecture and what their souls desire, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord. Each group among them has made their invented religion a proof for themselves. Some have made their opinions and analogies their religion, calling them ‘rational sciences.’ Some have made their desires and tastes their religion, calling them ‘spiritual experiences.’ Some have distorted the meanings of the Quran to suit their purposes, claiming that they are following the Quran like the Khawarij. Others claim to follow Hadith and Sunnah, but their proofs are false and weak narrations, just as the Rafidah claim to follow specific texts and verses. Most of those who have made their religion based on their opinions or desires bring arguments from the Quran by misinterpreting its meanings, making these arguments their proof, though they do not truly rely on them. Their reliance is in reality on their opinions, like the Jahmiyyah and Mu'tazilah regarding the attributes and actions of Allah, in contrast to the issues of promises and warnings. In such cases, they may intend to follow the texts, but they misinterpret the texts and reject what contradicts their opinions, like the Khawarij and the Muslim Shi'a. However, those who are hypocrites and heretics, who outwardly appear as Shi’a but inwardly do not believe in Islam, are the opposite.”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701-774 AH) says:
"This is why Allah Almighty says:
'As for those in whose hearts is deviation', meaning those who deviate from the truth to falsehood, 'they follow what is not entirely clear thereof'. They take what is unclear to them, which they can distort according to their corrupt intentions, to conform to their purposes due to the potential of the word to be twisted. As for the clear and decisive verses, they have no share in them because they are a strong refutation against them and a proof upon them. Therefore, Allah Almighty says:
'seeking discord', meaning misleading their followers by deceiving them into believing that they are using the Quran to support their innovation. However, it is actually a proof against them, not for them. Just as the Christians might argue that the Quran has declared Jesus to be the Spirit of Allah and His Word which He bestowed upon Mary, they ignore Allah's statement:
'He was only a servant upon whom We bestowed favor' (Az-Zukhruf 43:59) and His saying:
'The likeness of Jesus before Allah is that of Adam: He created him from dust, then said to him, "Be," and he was' (Aal 'Imran 3:59), and other clear verses that explicitly declare that he was a creation of Allah, a servant, and one of His Messengers...”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 7/2)
First Evidence:
Allah Almighty says:
"He is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not reveal His unseen to anyone except to a messenger He has chosen, and then He makes a guard to go before him and behind him."
(Surah Al-Jinn 72:26-27)
What is the correct interpretation of this verse, and does it prove that the Prophet (ﷺ) is the Knower of the unseen? We will present the statements of the Imams of the religion and the righteous predecessors in this regard. However, we request the readers to take the time to read the verse that comes immediately before this.
Allah Almighty says:
"Say: I do not know whether what you are promised is near or whether my Lord will appoint for it a distant term."
(Surah Al-Jinn 72:25)
Why did those who claim that the Prophet (ﷺ) is the Knower of the unseen overlook this verse? Does it not clearly negate the idea that the Prophet (ﷺ) has knowledge of the unseen? Moreover, why did they not consider this verse:
Allah Almighty said to the Prophet (ﷺ):
"These are some of the tidings of the unseen which We reveal to you; neither you nor your people knew them before this." (Surah Hud 11:49)
Why did they not pay attention to this verse:
"Say: I do not have the power to benefit or harm myself except as Allah wills. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I would have accumulated much good, and no harm would have touched me. I am only a warner and a bearer of good tidings to a people who believe."
(Surah Al-A’raf 7:188)
Why did they not consider this verse:
"Say: The unseen belongs to Allah alone."
(Surah Yunus 10:20)
Why did they not consider this statement of Allah:
"Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah."
(Surah An-Naml 27:65)
Are these verses not clear in negating that the Prophet (ﷺ) is the Knower of the unseen? Why do they ignore them?
Now, let us consider the verse they present and its correct interpretation:
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701-774 AH) explains in his commentary on this verse:
“His saying:
'He is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not reveal His unseen to anyone except to a messenger He has chosen' (Surah Al-Jinn 72:26) is similar to His saying:
'And they cannot encompass anything of His knowledge except what He wills' (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255). Here too, Allah says that He knows the unseen and the seen, and none of His creation can access any of His knowledge except what He allows them to know. Therefore, Allah says:
'He does not reveal His unseen to anyone except to a messenger He has chosen' (Surah Al-Jinn 72:26). This includes both angelic and human messengers.”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 3/249)
He also says:
“Allah commanded His Prophet to entrust all matters to Him and to inform them that he does not know the unseen future, nor is he aware of anything of it except what Allah has taught him, as Allah says:
'He is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not reveal His unseen to anyone except to a messenger He has chosen'
(Surah Al-Jinn 72:26).”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 3/249)
He further explains:
“Then Allah said:
'And Allah would not inform you of the unseen', meaning, you do not know the unseen of Allah in His creation to distinguish between the believers and hypocrites, except through the means that Allah has established to reveal that. Then He says:
'But Allah chooses from His messengers whom He wills', similar to His statement:
'He is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not reveal His unseen to anyone except to a messenger He has chosen'...”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 2/155, under Aal 'Imran: 179)
This means that Allah reveals matters of the unseen to His messenger through revelation. The Quran clarifies that the events of past nations were made known to the Prophet (ﷺ) through revelation.
Allah Almighty says:
"These are some of the tidings of the unseen which We reveal to you; neither you nor your people knew them before this."
(Surah Hud 11:49)
Future events were also conveyed to the Prophet (ﷺ) through revelation, as Allah says:
"Indeed, Allah has made true the vision for His Messenger in truth: You will surely enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, in safety, with your heads shaved or hair cut short, not fearing [anyone]. He knew what you did not know and has arranged before that a victory near at hand."
(Surah Al-Fath 48:27)
This revelation came in the form of a dream seen by the Prophet (ﷺ), and the dreams of prophets are a form of revelation.
Additionally, Allah says:
"The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land, but they, after their defeat, will overcome within a few years."
(Surah Ar-Rum 30:1-4)
All these verses indicate that the Prophet (ﷺ) did not possess knowledge of the unseen on his own; rather, Allah informed him of certain matters of the unseen through revelation.
To further support this, consider the following Hadith:
Maqhud bin Labid narrates from the people of Banu Abdul-Ashhal who said:
"Zayd bin Lusayt said, while he was in the camp of 'Amarah, and 'Amarah was with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): 'Does Muhammad not claim to be a prophet and tell you about news from the heavens, but he does not even know where his she-camel is?' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, while 'Amarah was with him:
'A man said: 'This is Muhammad, who claims to be a prophet and says that he tells you news from the heavens, yet he does not even know where his she-camel is?' I swear by Allah, I only know what Allah has taught me, and He has informed me about her whereabouts: she is in the valley, in such and such a place, her reins entangled in a tree. Go and bring her to me.' They went and brought her back." (Al-Maghazi by Ibn Ishaq as in Sirat Ibn Hisham: 2/523, its chain is Hasan, and Ibn Ishaq is trustworthy according to the majority)
This Hadith is a clear proof that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) did not have knowledge of the unseen on his own. He did not know what had happened and what was to come. Rather, when Allah willed, He would inform the Prophet (ﷺ) of a matter.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (773-852 AH), the commentator of Sahih Bukhari, writes about this Hadith:
“The Prophet (ﷺ) made it clear that he did not know the unseen except for what Allah had taught him. This is in line with the statement of Allah:
'He is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not reveal His unseen to anyone except to a messenger He has chosen'...”
(Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar: 13/364)
Allama Ahmad Qastallani (851-923 AH) says:
“Allah is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not inform anyone of His unseen from His creation except a messenger whom He chooses to reveal some of the unseen to him, so that his knowledge of the unseen becomes a miracle for him.”
(Irshad al-Sari, Sharh Sahih Bukhari: 10/363)
Source: Al-Sunnah, Jhelum, Issue 37, pp. 30-39
Absolute knowledge of the unseen is a unique attribute of Allah alone. This belief is established through the Quran, Hadith, consensus of the Ummah, and the explicit statements of the Imams of the Salaf. Despite this, some people, in opposition to the righteous predecessors, claim that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) also possesses knowledge of the unseen. They believe that the Prophet (ﷺ) knows everything that has happened and everything that will happen. They interpret the clear texts of the Quran and Hadith to support their view.
Regarding such individuals, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (661-728 AH) states:
“The people of innovation are those who follow their desires and doubts. They follow their desires in what they love and hate, and they judge based on speculation and doubts. They follow conjecture and what their souls desire, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord. Each group among them has made their invented religion a proof for themselves. Some have made their opinions and analogies their religion, calling them ‘rational sciences.’ Some have made their desires and tastes their religion, calling them ‘spiritual experiences.’ Some have distorted the meanings of the Quran to suit their purposes, claiming that they are following the Quran like the Khawarij. Others claim to follow Hadith and Sunnah, but their proofs are false and weak narrations, just as the Rafidah claim to follow specific texts and verses. Most of those who have made their religion based on their opinions or desires bring arguments from the Quran by misinterpreting its meanings, making these arguments their proof, though they do not truly rely on them. Their reliance is in reality on their opinions, like the Jahmiyyah and Mu'tazilah regarding the attributes and actions of Allah, in contrast to the issues of promises and warnings. In such cases, they may intend to follow the texts, but they misinterpret the texts and reject what contradicts their opinions, like the Khawarij and the Muslim Shi'a. However, those who are hypocrites and heretics, who outwardly appear as Shi’a but inwardly do not believe in Islam, are the opposite.”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701-774 AH) says:
"This is why Allah Almighty says:
'As for those in whose hearts is deviation', meaning those who deviate from the truth to falsehood, 'they follow what is not entirely clear thereof'. They take what is unclear to them, which they can distort according to their corrupt intentions, to conform to their purposes due to the potential of the word to be twisted. As for the clear and decisive verses, they have no share in them because they are a strong refutation against them and a proof upon them. Therefore, Allah Almighty says:
'seeking discord', meaning misleading their followers by deceiving them into believing that they are using the Quran to support their innovation. However, it is actually a proof against them, not for them. Just as the Christians might argue that the Quran has declared Jesus to be the Spirit of Allah and His Word which He bestowed upon Mary, they ignore Allah's statement:
'He was only a servant upon whom We bestowed favor' (Az-Zukhruf 43:59) and His saying:
'The likeness of Jesus before Allah is that of Adam: He created him from dust, then said to him, "Be," and he was' (Aal 'Imran 3:59), and other clear verses that explicitly declare that he was a creation of Allah, a servant, and one of His Messengers...”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 7/2)
Examination of Quranic Evidences
Some people attempt to prove the Prophet Muhammad's (ﷺ) knowledge of the unseen through Quranic evidences. Let us see if their claim stands up to the Quranic verses they present:First Evidence:
Allah Almighty says:
"He is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not reveal His unseen to anyone except to a messenger He has chosen, and then He makes a guard to go before him and behind him."
(Surah Al-Jinn 72:26-27)
What is the correct interpretation of this verse, and does it prove that the Prophet (ﷺ) is the Knower of the unseen? We will present the statements of the Imams of the religion and the righteous predecessors in this regard. However, we request the readers to take the time to read the verse that comes immediately before this.
Allah Almighty says:
"Say: I do not know whether what you are promised is near or whether my Lord will appoint for it a distant term."
(Surah Al-Jinn 72:25)
Why did those who claim that the Prophet (ﷺ) is the Knower of the unseen overlook this verse? Does it not clearly negate the idea that the Prophet (ﷺ) has knowledge of the unseen? Moreover, why did they not consider this verse:
Allah Almighty said to the Prophet (ﷺ):
"These are some of the tidings of the unseen which We reveal to you; neither you nor your people knew them before this." (Surah Hud 11:49)
Why did they not pay attention to this verse:
"Say: I do not have the power to benefit or harm myself except as Allah wills. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I would have accumulated much good, and no harm would have touched me. I am only a warner and a bearer of good tidings to a people who believe."
(Surah Al-A’raf 7:188)
Why did they not consider this verse:
"Say: The unseen belongs to Allah alone."
(Surah Yunus 10:20)
Why did they not consider this statement of Allah:
"Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah."
(Surah An-Naml 27:65)
Are these verses not clear in negating that the Prophet (ﷺ) is the Knower of the unseen? Why do they ignore them?
Now, let us consider the verse they present and its correct interpretation:
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701-774 AH) explains in his commentary on this verse:
“His saying:
'He is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not reveal His unseen to anyone except to a messenger He has chosen' (Surah Al-Jinn 72:26) is similar to His saying:
'And they cannot encompass anything of His knowledge except what He wills' (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255). Here too, Allah says that He knows the unseen and the seen, and none of His creation can access any of His knowledge except what He allows them to know. Therefore, Allah says:
'He does not reveal His unseen to anyone except to a messenger He has chosen' (Surah Al-Jinn 72:26). This includes both angelic and human messengers.”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 3/249)
He also says:
“Allah commanded His Prophet to entrust all matters to Him and to inform them that he does not know the unseen future, nor is he aware of anything of it except what Allah has taught him, as Allah says:
'He is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not reveal His unseen to anyone except to a messenger He has chosen'
(Surah Al-Jinn 72:26).”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 3/249)
He further explains:
“Then Allah said:
'And Allah would not inform you of the unseen', meaning, you do not know the unseen of Allah in His creation to distinguish between the believers and hypocrites, except through the means that Allah has established to reveal that. Then He says:
'But Allah chooses from His messengers whom He wills', similar to His statement:
'He is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not reveal His unseen to anyone except to a messenger He has chosen'...”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 2/155, under Aal 'Imran: 179)
This means that Allah reveals matters of the unseen to His messenger through revelation. The Quran clarifies that the events of past nations were made known to the Prophet (ﷺ) through revelation.
Allah Almighty says:
"These are some of the tidings of the unseen which We reveal to you; neither you nor your people knew them before this."
(Surah Hud 11:49)
Future events were also conveyed to the Prophet (ﷺ) through revelation, as Allah says:
"Indeed, Allah has made true the vision for His Messenger in truth: You will surely enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, in safety, with your heads shaved or hair cut short, not fearing [anyone]. He knew what you did not know and has arranged before that a victory near at hand."
(Surah Al-Fath 48:27)
This revelation came in the form of a dream seen by the Prophet (ﷺ), and the dreams of prophets are a form of revelation.
Additionally, Allah says:
"The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land, but they, after their defeat, will overcome within a few years."
(Surah Ar-Rum 30:1-4)
All these verses indicate that the Prophet (ﷺ) did not possess knowledge of the unseen on his own; rather, Allah informed him of certain matters of the unseen through revelation.
To further support this, consider the following Hadith:
Maqhud bin Labid narrates from the people of Banu Abdul-Ashhal who said:
"Zayd bin Lusayt said, while he was in the camp of 'Amarah, and 'Amarah was with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): 'Does Muhammad not claim to be a prophet and tell you about news from the heavens, but he does not even know where his she-camel is?' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, while 'Amarah was with him:
'A man said: 'This is Muhammad, who claims to be a prophet and says that he tells you news from the heavens, yet he does not even know where his she-camel is?' I swear by Allah, I only know what Allah has taught me, and He has informed me about her whereabouts: she is in the valley, in such and such a place, her reins entangled in a tree. Go and bring her to me.' They went and brought her back." (Al-Maghazi by Ibn Ishaq as in Sirat Ibn Hisham: 2/523, its chain is Hasan, and Ibn Ishaq is trustworthy according to the majority)
This Hadith is a clear proof that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) did not have knowledge of the unseen on his own. He did not know what had happened and what was to come. Rather, when Allah willed, He would inform the Prophet (ﷺ) of a matter.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (773-852 AH), the commentator of Sahih Bukhari, writes about this Hadith:
“The Prophet (ﷺ) made it clear that he did not know the unseen except for what Allah had taught him. This is in line with the statement of Allah:
'He is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not reveal His unseen to anyone except to a messenger He has chosen'...”
(Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar: 13/364)
Allama Ahmad Qastallani (851-923 AH) says:
“Allah is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not inform anyone of His unseen from His creation except a messenger whom He chooses to reveal some of the unseen to him, so that his knowledge of the unseen becomes a miracle for him.”
(Irshad al-Sari, Sharh Sahih Bukhari: 10/363)
Source: Al-Sunnah, Jhelum, Issue 37, pp. 30-39