Written by: Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amaanpuri
The knowledge of the unseen (علم غیب) is exclusive to Allah Almighty. This is a unanimously agreed-upon belief of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah. The belief that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) possessed the knowledge of the unseen is not compatible with Islam at all.
The Belief of Christians and Shia (Rafidah):
The belief that the prophets had knowledge of the unseen is not established by any of the predecessors of this Ummah. Rather, it is derived from the beliefs of Christians and Shia, as noted by scholars such as:
Allama Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah As-Suhaili (رحمہ اللہ) writes:“This is why Jesus (Isa) was considered by them (Christians) to have knowledge of the unseen and to inform about what will happen in the future. Since this was the belief of the lying Christians who falsely attributed things to Allah and claimed the impossible…”(Al-Rawd Al-Unuf, 2/404; Umdatul Qari by Al-Aini Al-Hanafi, 1/55)
Quranic Evidence:
Now, let’s consider the Quranic evidence regarding this belief:
While addressing our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Allah Almighty states:
"Say: I do not say to you that I have the treasures of Allah, nor that I know the unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel."
(Surah Al-An’am, 6:50)
Allah also conveyed the speech of Prophet Noah (PBUH) to his people:
"I do not say to you that I possess the treasures of Allah, nor that I know the unseen, nor do I say that I am an angel."
(Surah Hud, 11:31)
In explaining this verse, Imam Abu Ja'far An-Nahhas (رحمہ اللہ) writes:"When the Prophet (PBUH) said, 'I do not say to you that I possess the treasures of Allah,' he was expressing his humility and submission before Allah, affirming that he did not claim to possess what was not his, including the treasures of Allah, which are His blessings upon whomever He wills. Moreover, the Prophet (PBUH) clarified that he does not know the unseen because only Allah knows the unseen."
(I'rab al-Quran, 2/167)
Allama Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Sari Az-Zajaj (رحمہ اللہ) states:"The Prophet (PBUH) informed them that he does not possess the treasures of Allah, through which He provides sustenance and gives, nor does he know the unseen to inform them of what has passed or what will be, except through revelation from Allah."
(Ma'ani al-Quran wa I'rabuhu, 2/250)
The famous Mufassir (exegete), Allama Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmad Al-Qurtubi (رحمہ اللہ), mentions:"By saying, 'I do not say to you that I possess the treasures of Allah, nor that I know the unseen,' the Prophet (PBUH) expressed his humility and submission to Allah, and affirmed that he does not claim to possess the treasures of Allah, which are His blessings upon whomever He wills. He also clarified that he does not know the unseen, for only Allah knows the unseen."
(Al-Jami' li Ahkam al-Quran, 9/26-27)
The Prophetic Statement Regarding the Battle of Tabuk:
It is evident that when the Prophet (PBUH) said during the Battle of Tabuk:"Indeed, tonight a strong wind will blow, so no one should stand up, and whoever has a camel should tie it up."
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 1481, Sahih Muslim: 1392)
This statement was made through the revelation from Allah. Allah had informed the Prophet (PBUH) about this event beforehand. The Companions (رضی اللہ عنہم) were informed about the upcoming wind before it arrived, but no one considers this as proof that the Companions had knowledge of the unseen. Similarly, how can it be justified to attribute the knowledge of the unseen to the Prophet (PBUH) based on divine revelation? When both the Quran and the Prophet (PBUH) himself have clarified in multiple instances that the knowledge of the unseen is exclusive to Allah alone, and no one else knows it.
Prophetic Hadiths:
Let’s also review some Hadiths regarding this matter:
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (رضی اللہ عنہما) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:"No one knows what will happen tomorrow except Allah."
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 7379)
Ummul Mu'mineen Sayyidah Aisha (رضی اللہ عنہا) reports:
"The Prophet (PBUH) passed by a group of Ansar women at a wedding who were singing: '...and you (Prophet) know what will happen tomorrow.' The Prophet (PBUH) said, 'No one knows what will happen tomorrow except Allah.'”
(Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat by At-Tabarani: 3401, Al-Mu'jam al-Saghir by At-Tabarani: 343, Al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihain by Al-Hakim: 2/185, As-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi: 7/289, and its chain is Hasan)
Imam Hakim (رحمہ اللہ) has declared this Hadith as "Sahih according to the conditions of Imam Muslim," and Hafiz Dhahabi (رحمہ اللہ) has agreed with him.
Hafiz Haythami mentions:"(Its narrators are) the narrators of Sahih (al-Bukhari)."
(Majma' az-Zawa'id, 4/290)
When Sayyiduna Jibreel (علیہ السلام) asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) about the time of the Day of Judgment, the Prophet (PBUH) replied:"Glory be to Allah! The knowledge of the Hour is one of the five things of the unseen that only He knows: 'Indeed, Allah alone has the knowledge of the Hour, sends down the rain, knows what is in the wombs, no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in which land it will die. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.'
(Surah Luqman, 31:34)"
(Musnad Imam Ahmad: 1/318, and its chain is Hasan)
The Belief of the Companions (رضی اللہ عنہم):
The Companions (رضی اللہ عنہم), who knew the Prophet (PBUH) better than anyone else, also held the belief that the Prophet (PBUH) did not know the unseen.
Ummul Mu'mineen Sayyidah Aisha (رضی اللہ عنہا) states:"Whoever tells you that the Prophet (PBUH) knew what would happen tomorrow is a liar."
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 4855)
The words in Sahih Muslim (177) are:"Whoever claims that the Prophet (PBUH) informed about what would happen tomorrow has fabricated a great lie against Allah. Allah says, 'Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah.' (Surah An-Naml, 27:65)"
The famous Sufi, Abu Muhammad Ibn Abu Hamzah (رحمہ اللہ) (d. 699 AH), writes:"The Prophet's (PBUH) statement that 'No one knows what will happen tomorrow except Allah' indicates that no one knows the events of different times except Allah. The term 'tomorrow' is used to emphasize that even the closest time to the present, with all its signs and indicators, remains unknown to anyone but Allah. If the Prophet (PBUH) denied knowledge of the nearest events, then the knowledge of distant events is certainly beyond him. Furthermore, his statement that 'Only Allah knows when the Hour will be established' points to the knowledge of the Hereafter, as the Day of Judgment is its beginning. When the knowledge of the nearest event is denied, the knowledge of subsequent events is automatically denied. This verse thus encompasses all types of the unseen and refutes all false claims."
(Bahjat al-Nufus wa Tahalliyatuha bi Ma'rifati Ma Laha wa Ma Alayha: 4/272, summarized; Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar: 13/365)
Conclusion:
The knowledge of the unseen is exclusive to Allah Almighty. No creation possesses this knowledge. This is the decision of the Quran, the Prophetic Hadiths, the fatwas of the Companions, and the Imams of the Muslim Ummah. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received divine revelation from Allah, and based on that, he informed his Ummah of various future events. If this is called knowledge of the unseen, then every person would be considered to possess it.
(As-Sunnah Jhelum, Issue 71, pp. 2-9)
The knowledge of the unseen (علم غیب) is exclusive to Allah Almighty. This is a unanimously agreed-upon belief of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah. The belief that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) possessed the knowledge of the unseen is not compatible with Islam at all.
The Belief of Christians and Shia (Rafidah):
The belief that the prophets had knowledge of the unseen is not established by any of the predecessors of this Ummah. Rather, it is derived from the beliefs of Christians and Shia, as noted by scholars such as:
Allama Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah As-Suhaili (رحمہ اللہ) writes:“This is why Jesus (Isa) was considered by them (Christians) to have knowledge of the unseen and to inform about what will happen in the future. Since this was the belief of the lying Christians who falsely attributed things to Allah and claimed the impossible…”(Al-Rawd Al-Unuf, 2/404; Umdatul Qari by Al-Aini Al-Hanafi, 1/55)
Quranic Evidence:
Now, let’s consider the Quranic evidence regarding this belief:
While addressing our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Allah Almighty states:
قُل لَّا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّـهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ (6-الأنعام : 50)
"Say: I do not say to you that I have the treasures of Allah, nor that I know the unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel."
(Surah Al-An’am, 6:50)
Allah also conveyed the speech of Prophet Noah (PBUH) to his people:
وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّـهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ (11-هود : 31)
"I do not say to you that I possess the treasures of Allah, nor that I know the unseen, nor do I say that I am an angel."
(Surah Hud, 11:31)
In explaining this verse, Imam Abu Ja'far An-Nahhas (رحمہ اللہ) writes:"When the Prophet (PBUH) said, 'I do not say to you that I possess the treasures of Allah,' he was expressing his humility and submission before Allah, affirming that he did not claim to possess what was not his, including the treasures of Allah, which are His blessings upon whomever He wills. Moreover, the Prophet (PBUH) clarified that he does not know the unseen because only Allah knows the unseen."
(I'rab al-Quran, 2/167)
Allama Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Sari Az-Zajaj (رحمہ اللہ) states:"The Prophet (PBUH) informed them that he does not possess the treasures of Allah, through which He provides sustenance and gives, nor does he know the unseen to inform them of what has passed or what will be, except through revelation from Allah."
(Ma'ani al-Quran wa I'rabuhu, 2/250)
The famous Mufassir (exegete), Allama Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmad Al-Qurtubi (رحمہ اللہ), mentions:"By saying, 'I do not say to you that I possess the treasures of Allah, nor that I know the unseen,' the Prophet (PBUH) expressed his humility and submission to Allah, and affirmed that he does not claim to possess the treasures of Allah, which are His blessings upon whomever He wills. He also clarified that he does not know the unseen, for only Allah knows the unseen."
(Al-Jami' li Ahkam al-Quran, 9/26-27)
The Prophetic Statement Regarding the Battle of Tabuk:
It is evident that when the Prophet (PBUH) said during the Battle of Tabuk:"Indeed, tonight a strong wind will blow, so no one should stand up, and whoever has a camel should tie it up."
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 1481, Sahih Muslim: 1392)
This statement was made through the revelation from Allah. Allah had informed the Prophet (PBUH) about this event beforehand. The Companions (رضی اللہ عنہم) were informed about the upcoming wind before it arrived, but no one considers this as proof that the Companions had knowledge of the unseen. Similarly, how can it be justified to attribute the knowledge of the unseen to the Prophet (PBUH) based on divine revelation? When both the Quran and the Prophet (PBUH) himself have clarified in multiple instances that the knowledge of the unseen is exclusive to Allah alone, and no one else knows it.
Prophetic Hadiths:
Let’s also review some Hadiths regarding this matter:
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (رضی اللہ عنہما) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:"No one knows what will happen tomorrow except Allah."
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 7379)
Ummul Mu'mineen Sayyidah Aisha (رضی اللہ عنہا) reports:
"The Prophet (PBUH) passed by a group of Ansar women at a wedding who were singing: '...and you (Prophet) know what will happen tomorrow.' The Prophet (PBUH) said, 'No one knows what will happen tomorrow except Allah.'”
(Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat by At-Tabarani: 3401, Al-Mu'jam al-Saghir by At-Tabarani: 343, Al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihain by Al-Hakim: 2/185, As-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi: 7/289, and its chain is Hasan)
Imam Hakim (رحمہ اللہ) has declared this Hadith as "Sahih according to the conditions of Imam Muslim," and Hafiz Dhahabi (رحمہ اللہ) has agreed with him.
Hafiz Haythami mentions:"(Its narrators are) the narrators of Sahih (al-Bukhari)."
(Majma' az-Zawa'id, 4/290)
When Sayyiduna Jibreel (علیہ السلام) asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) about the time of the Day of Judgment, the Prophet (PBUH) replied:"Glory be to Allah! The knowledge of the Hour is one of the five things of the unseen that only He knows: 'Indeed, Allah alone has the knowledge of the Hour, sends down the rain, knows what is in the wombs, no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in which land it will die. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.'
(Surah Luqman, 31:34)"
(Musnad Imam Ahmad: 1/318, and its chain is Hasan)
The Belief of the Companions (رضی اللہ عنہم):
The Companions (رضی اللہ عنہم), who knew the Prophet (PBUH) better than anyone else, also held the belief that the Prophet (PBUH) did not know the unseen.
Ummul Mu'mineen Sayyidah Aisha (رضی اللہ عنہا) states:"Whoever tells you that the Prophet (PBUH) knew what would happen tomorrow is a liar."
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 4855)
The words in Sahih Muslim (177) are:"Whoever claims that the Prophet (PBUH) informed about what would happen tomorrow has fabricated a great lie against Allah. Allah says, 'Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah.' (Surah An-Naml, 27:65)"
The famous Sufi, Abu Muhammad Ibn Abu Hamzah (رحمہ اللہ) (d. 699 AH), writes:"The Prophet's (PBUH) statement that 'No one knows what will happen tomorrow except Allah' indicates that no one knows the events of different times except Allah. The term 'tomorrow' is used to emphasize that even the closest time to the present, with all its signs and indicators, remains unknown to anyone but Allah. If the Prophet (PBUH) denied knowledge of the nearest events, then the knowledge of distant events is certainly beyond him. Furthermore, his statement that 'Only Allah knows when the Hour will be established' points to the knowledge of the Hereafter, as the Day of Judgment is its beginning. When the knowledge of the nearest event is denied, the knowledge of subsequent events is automatically denied. This verse thus encompasses all types of the unseen and refutes all false claims."
(Bahjat al-Nufus wa Tahalliyatuha bi Ma'rifati Ma Laha wa Ma Alayha: 4/272, summarized; Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar: 13/365)
Conclusion:
The knowledge of the unseen is exclusive to Allah Almighty. No creation possesses this knowledge. This is the decision of the Quran, the Prophetic Hadiths, the fatwas of the Companions, and the Imams of the Muslim Ummah. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received divine revelation from Allah, and based on that, he informed his Ummah of various future events. If this is called knowledge of the unseen, then every person would be considered to possess it.
(As-Sunnah Jhelum, Issue 71, pp. 2-9)