Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ Possess Granted Knowledge of the Unseen? – In the Light of Qur’anic Evidence
Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
❖ Question:
Some people claim that the Noble Prophet ﷺ was granted knowledge of the unseen (ʿIlm al-Ghayb). Is this true?
❖ Answer:
To say that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was granted knowledge of the unseen by which he knew all hidden and manifest matters is a false belief.
وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ
(Sūrah al-A‘rāf: 188)
(Say, O Prophet!) If I knew the unseen, I would have accumulated abundant good, and no harm would have touched me.
This verse clearly refutes the belief. If the Prophet ﷺ had knowledge of the unseen (ʿIlm al-Ghayb), then Allah ﷻ would not have commanded him to say: “If I knew the unseen, I would have gathered abundant good and no harm would have touched me.” This proves that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not possess granted knowledge of the unseen. Rather, he only knew what Allah ﷻ informed him of through revelation (waḥy).
وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ
(Sūrah al-An‘ām: 50)
I do not know the unseen.
إن علم الغيب مختص بالله تعالى، وما وقع منه على لسان نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم وغيره فمن الله تعالى، إما بوحي أو إلهام
Knowledge of the unseen is exclusive to Allah ﷻ. Whatever information about the unseen came from the tongue of the Prophet ﷺ or anyone else, it was from Allah ﷻ—either through revelation or inspiration.
(al-Mawāhib al-Ladunniyyah: 2/15)
