Response to Misconceptions Regarding the Knowledge, Observation, and Creation of the Universe by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ

This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Irshad Ullah Maan's book The Search for Truth.

Beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah​

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Question: The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "Whoever knows himself has known his Lord." Is this hadith authentic?​

Answer: (من عرف نفسه فقد عرف ربه) This is also a fabricated narration; its chain of transmission is unknown. Imam Nawawi said: [ليس هو ثابتا] It is not established. Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, declared it fabricated. Abdullah bin Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Chains of transmission are part of religion; if there are no chains, then anyone can say whatever they want.

Reference: Introduction to Sahih Muslim, Chapter on the Explanation that the Chain of Transmission is Part of Religion .. etc: 32

Question: Does anyone other than Allah have knowledge of people's sufferings beyond causes (without causes)?​

Answer: Allah is aware of the conditions of His servants. He said: [اِنَّہٗ کَانَ بِعِبَادِہٖ خَبِیۡرًۢا بَصِیۡرًا] Indeed, Allah is ever, over His servants, Watchful and Seeing.

Reference: (Bani Isra'il: 30)

No one can know the sufferings of a deceased person. Allah Almighty has said: [وَ مَنۡ اَضَلُّ مِمَّنۡ یَّدۡعُوۡا مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ مَنۡ لَّا یَسۡتَجِیۡبُ لَہٗۤ اِلٰی یَوۡمِ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ وَ ہُمۡ عَنۡ دُعَآئِہِمۡ غٰفِلُوۡنَ] And who is more astray than one who calls upon besides Allah those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection, and they, of their invocation, are unaware.

Reference: (الأحقاف:5)

Regarding the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself, Allah Almighty says: [وَ مَاۤ اَنۡتَ بِمُسۡمِعٍ مَّنۡ فِی الۡقُبُوۡرِ] (O Prophet!) You cannot make the dead hear.

Reference: (فاطر:22)

He also said: [فَاِنَّکَ لَا تُسۡمِعُ الۡمَوۡتٰی] So indeed, you cannot make the dead hear.

Reference: (الروم:52)

If the Prophet ﷺ cannot make the dead hear, then who else can inform the dead of their difficulties? Therefore, it is said: [اَمَّنۡ یُّجِیۡبُ الۡمُضۡطَرَّ اِذَا دَعَاہُ وَ یَکۡشِفُ السُّوۡٓءَ] Who accepts the plea of the distressed when he calls upon Him and who relieves his suffering?

Reference: (النمل:62)

Question: There is a Hadith Qudsi in which Allah Almighty said: (O Muhammad!) If I had not created you, I would not have created the universe. Is this not the statement of the Prophet?​

Answer: (لو لاك لما خلقت الأفلاك) This narration is fabricated. Imam Asfahani has declared it to be fabricated. It is not permissible to accept such a narration without a chain of transmission, especially when the Holy Quran also refutes this notion. Allah Almighty says: [وَ مَا خَلَقۡتُ الۡجِنَّ وَ الۡاِنۡسَ اِلَّا لِیَعۡبُدُوۡنِ]

I have only created the jinn and mankind to worship Me.

Reference: (Adh-Dhariyat:56)

It is understood that the reason for the creation of the universe is not the person of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, rather the purpose of the birth of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is also the worship of Allah Almighty.

Question: In Surah Al-Fil, Allah Almighty says, "Have you not seen what your Lord did to the owners of the elephants?"

Allah Almighty says: [اَلَمۡ تَرَ کَیۡفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّکَ بِاَصۡحٰبِ الۡفِیۡلِ] Have you not seen how Allah dealt with the owners of the elephants?

Reference: (Al-Fil:1)

Thus, it is understood that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was witnessing this event, even though he had not yet been born.

Answer: ،،ألم تر،، (Have you not seen) does not mean observation, as Allah Almighty says: [اَلَمۡ یَرَوۡا کَمۡ اَہۡلَکۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِمۡ مِّنۡ قَرۡنٍ] Have they not seen how many generations We destroyed before them?

Reference: (Al-An'am:6)

So should it also be believed that the polytheists of Makkah were seeing the towns that were destroyed before their birth? It is also stated: [فَاَمَّا عَادٌ فَاسۡتَکۡبَرُوۡا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ بِغَیۡرِ الۡحَقِّ وَ قَالُوۡا مَنۡ اَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّۃً ؕ اَوَ لَمۡ یَرَوۡا اَنَّ اللّٰہَ الَّذِیۡ خَلَقَہُمۡ ہُوَ اَشَدُّ مِنۡہُمۡ قُوَّۃً] "Then the people of 'Aad denied the truth in the land in arrogance and said, 'Who is mightier than us in strength?' Have they seen? Allah is the one who created them, and He is mightier than them in strength."

Reference: (Hum-Sajdah:15)

Did the people of 'Aad see Allah with their eyes while He was creating humanity? In short, ،،ألم تر،، does not mean visual observation with the eye. It means that these matters are known to everyone.

Reference: (Al-Anbiya:30), (Al-Ankabut:19), (Ya-Sin:31, 77), (Al-Ahqaf:33), (Nuh:15), (Al-Kahf:48)

These verses clearly refute the false belief of those people.