The Prophet's knowledge of the unseen ('Ilm al-Ghayb)
THE FIRST ARGUMENT
Muckraking By The Opponents:
Besides the stunts, the ill-blabbers on the Glorious and Most High Allah and His Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) endeavored to ascribe deceitfully to me something that may render me (Allah protect me) liable to sacrilege or perversion. For this purpose they began muckraking me on the issue of the Knowledge of the Unknown. In this respect some of the lies they have fabricated against me are as follows:
1) That I regard the knowledge of Allah's Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) as being personal, without the Divine Conference upon him;
2) That I consider the knowledge of His Sacred Presence (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) encompassing all the Divine information's except for the Divine Self and His Attributes;
3) That I believe that the knowledge of His Illuminated Presence (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) comprises, in complete details, the knowledge of the actual infinite things.
And the One Almighty Allah knows that all this is nothing but muckraking by these ill-fated crooks. If they are truthful tell me which of these sentences is found in any of my booklets or verdict or writing;
Say Come up with your evidence if you are truthful. (2:111)
And when they cannot produce witnesses, then to Allah they themselves are liars. (24:13)
Undoubtedly those who do not believe fabricate lies. (16:105)
They embarrass people by relating to them these very aspersions. And the people's discomfort is justifiable. On this if some scholar opposes me he is certainly upright and appropriate. If these mendacious fabricators had sought my own legal opinion on these statements I myself would have been the first to refute them.
The book "Addaula-tul-Makkiyya Bil Madda-til-Ghaibiyya" that this Faqeer wrote in Makka Muazzama in this respect and whose numerous copies were achieved by the respectable scholars of Makka contains all that refutes obviously such baloney. Opposing or refuting these untruths whatever a scholar writes, reverts, in fact, to these cursed fabricators, not to me who am as innocent of these lies as these mendacious fabricators are destitute of the belief and modesty.
"And now the unjust will soon know as to which side they shall return." (27:227)
Allah confer on Your Highness perfect and immediate health. If Your Highness, by way of your old generosity and universal benevolence, elevates this servant of yours by coming here I'll show you the original book that bears reviews along with stamp-signatures by the two Muftis of Madeena Munawwara, Taj-ud-Din Ilyas and Maulana Uthman bin Abd-us-Salam.
Presently, I produce some extracts from the book so as to illustrate to what extent the muckraking of the fabricators is false. It is equal to saying that religion of Ahl-us-Sunna is nothing more than repudiating Siddique-e-Akbar (radiyallahu ta'ala anhu) and calumniating the Chaste Siddiqua, and I seek protection from all this by Allah, the Sustainer, Lord of the Worlds. The first section of the book contains.
(1) العلم ذاتی مختص بالمولى سبحانه و تعالى لا يمكن لغيره و من أثبت شيئا منه و لو أدنى من أدنى من أدنى من ذرة لأحد من العالمين فقد كفر و أشرك
The private knowledge is particular to the Lord (subhanuhu wa ta'ala) and is impossible for anyone else. And whosoever proves even the smallest amount of it to be for anyone else in all worlds commits undoubtedly denial of Allah and polytheism. (Addaula-tul-Makkiyya, Section 1, Page 6)
(2) اللاتناهي الكمي مخصوص بعلوم الله تعالى
The Infinite-quantitative is peculiar to the Knowledge of Allah Ta'ala only. (Addaula-tul-Makkiyya, Section 1, Page 10)
(3) إحاطة أحد من الخلق بمعلومات الله تعالى على جهة التفصيل التام محال شرعا وعقلا، بل لو جمع علوم العالمين أولا و آخرا لما كانت لها نسبة ما أصلا إلى علوم الله سبحانه و تعالى حتى كنسبة حصة من ألف ألف حصة قطرة إلى ألف ألف بحر
Both legally and rationally it is impossible for anyone among the creatures to encompass Allah Ta'ala's information so far as its full details are concerned. Even if knowledge's of all creatures from the first to the last is summed up it would never, in comparison with the knowledge of Allah, even so much as one part out of one million parts of a drop is in comparison with one million seas. (Addaula-tul-Makkiyya, Section 1, Page 10)
The second sectoin of the same book bears:
(4) زهر و بهر مما تقرر أن شبهة مساواة علوم المخلوقين طرا أجمعين، بعلم ربنا إله العالمين، ما كانت لتخطر ببال المسلمين
It is crystal clear from what has been proven that Muslims cannot even think of the equation of the knowledge's of all the creatures to the knowledge of our Sustainer-Lord, God of all worlds. (Addaula-tul-Makkiyya, Section 2, Page 15)
(5) قد أقمنا الدلائل القاهرة على أن إحاطة علم المخلوق بجميع المعلومات الإلهية محال قطعا عقلا و سمعا
We have established through convincing arguments that the encompassing of whole Divine information by the Knowledge of the creature is definitively impossible. (Addaula-tul-Makkiyya, Section 2, Page 16)
The third revision of the same book bears:
(6) العلم الذاتي و المطلق المحيط التفصيلي مختص بالله تعالى وما للعباد إلا مطلق العلم العطائي
The Personal-Absolute, All- inclusive and Exhaustive knowledge is particular to Allah Ta'ala, and men cannot have the absolute knowledge but through the Divine Bestowal. (Addaula-tul-Makkiyya, Section 2, Page 19)
It's fifth revision bears:
(7) لا نقول بمساواة علم الله تعالى ولا بحصوله بالاستقلال، ولا نثبت بعطاء الله تعالى أيضا إلا البعض
We neither acknowledge the equation of the knowledge of Allah Ta'ala and obtaining of it in itself independently nor proclaim that Allah Ta'ala confers all the knowledge by grant, except for some of it. (Addaula-tul-Makkiyya, Section 5, Page 28)
My Fatwa (legal decision), "Amba-ul-Mustafa" has been published thrice in thousands from Muradabad Since 1318 Hijra. I am sending your honour its copy published along with the treatise "Al-Kalima-tul-Ulya" (written by Maulana Naeem-ud-Din Muradabadi). Anyone who ascribes to me a belief other than that expressed in it is a mendacious muckraker and Allah take him for accountability.
THE SECOND ARGUMENT
Verses Authority On The Conferment Of The Knowledge Of The Unknown On Men And The Import Of The Verses Negating It.
It is evident from the very extracts that being of the knowledge of the Unknown peculiar to His Great Honour Allah Ta'ala is undoubtedly right, and why not be so? The Sustainer-Lord (subhanuhu wa ta'ala) himself says:
قل لا يعلم من في السماوات والارض الغيب الا الله
Say 'None in the Heavens and the Earth knows the Unknown but Allah. (27:65)
And this means the same private all-inclusive knowledge proven for and particular only to the Glorious, the Most High Creator, while bestowed knowledge granted by someone else, non-Inclusive knowledge familiar with some things and unfamiliar with others can never be for Allah (subhanuhu wa ta'ala), not to speak of its being particular to him. And the non-inclusive knowledge of the Unknown conferred on the Prophets ('alaihimus salam) by the glorious the most high Allah is also proven decidedly. The sustainer-Lord (subhanuhu wa ta'ala) himself says:
(1) وما كان اللّه ليطلعكم على الغيب ولَكن الله يجتبي من رسله من يشاء
It does not become of Allah to inform you of the Unknown, Allah, however, chooses out of his Prophets one whom he likes. (3:179)
(2) عالم الغيب فلا يظهر على غيبه احدا ۔ الا من ارتضى من رسولٍ
The Knower of the Unknown reveals not His secret to anyone except His Chosen Prophets. (72:26-27)
(3) وَمَا هُوَ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ بِضَنِينٍ
And this Prophet is not niggardly as to the disclosing of the Unknown. (81:24)
(4) ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ
These are some tidings of the Unknown which we reveal to you. (3:44)
(5) He even describes Muslims as those:
يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ
Who believe in the Unknown. (2:3)
Faith is verification and verification is knowledge. It's impossible to believe a thing of which there is no knowledge absolutely. "At-Tafseer-ul-Kabeer" says:
(6) لا يمتنع أن تقول : نعلم من الغيب ما لنا عليه دليل
It is not forbidden to say that we know something out of the Unknown of which we have no proof.
At-Tafseer-ul-Kabeer, Al Bahiyyatal Misriyyah (Egypt), Vol 2, Page 28
(7) Allama Khafaji says in Naseem-ur-Riyaz, Vol 3, Page 151:
لم یكلفنا اللہ الایمان بالغیب الا وقد فتح لنا باب غیبه
Allah has charged us to believe the Unknown only when he has opened the door of His Unknown on us.
I, (Ahmad Raza) the Faqeer, claimed the Unknown for the Prophet only, but these leader-scholars claim it for themselves also. I don't know what Fatwa these people will stick on them.
(8,9) In Yawaqeet-wal-Jawahir, Imam Sha'rani relates through Hazrat Sheikh-e-Akbar:
للمجتھیدین القدم الراسخ فی علوم الغیب
"The mujtahids have firm footing in the knowledge of the Unknown."
Yawaqeet-wal-Jawahir, Darul Ah'ya At-Turaasal Arabi (Berut), Vol 2, Page 480
(10,11) Maulana Ali Qari (whose authority the opponents mistakenly quote with reference to this issue), in Mirqat the exegesis of the Dignified Mishkat cites form Kitab-ul-Aqaid by Hazrat Sheikh Abu Abdullah Shirazi:
نعتقد ان العبد ینقل فی الاحوال حتی یصیر الی نعت الروحانیة فیعلم الغیب
We believe that man is so much transported with 'States' that he attains to the spiritual qualification and then he is blessed with the knowledge of the Unknown.
Mirqat-al-Mafatih, Kitabul Eman, AlMaktabatal Habibiyah (Quetta), Vol 1, Page 128.
(12) The very Ali Qari quotes from the same book in his Mirqat:
یطلع العبد علی حقائق الاشیاء ویتجلی له الغیب و غیب الغیب
Man comes to know of the realities of things and the Unknown, even the Unknown of the Unknown is revealed to him. (Mirqat-al-Mafatih, Kitabul Eman, AlMaktabatal Habibiyah [Quetta], Vol 1, Page 119)
(13) The same Ali Qari in the same Mirqat pronounces:
الناس ینقسم الی فطن یدرک الغائب كلمشاھد وھم الانبیاء والی من الغائب علیھم متابعة الحس و متابعة الوھم فقط وھم اكثر الخلائق فلا بد لھم من معلم یكشف لھم المغیبات وما ھوا الاالنبی المبعوث لھذا الامر
People are of two types: the sagacious who perceive the non-present as testimony, and such are the Prophets" and those who are overwhelmed by the pursuance of the sense and imagination only, such are the most of the masses. They require a teacher to reveal the Unknown to them, and that teacher cannot be other than the Prophet who is sent for this purpose.
Mirqat-al-Mafatih, Kitabul Eman, AlMaktabatal Habibiyah (Quetta), Vol 1, Page 120.
(14, 15) Again the same Ali Qari, in the exegesis of Fiqh-e-Akbar, quotes from Hadrat Abu Suleiman Darani, (radiyallahu ta'ala anhu):
الفراسة مكاشفة النفس ومعاینة الغیب وھی من مقامات الایمان
The acumen (of the Muslim) is the revelation of the soul and the observation of the Unknown; it pertains to the scales of the Iman (Faith). (Sharha Fiqhal Akbar, Mustafa AlBabi [Egypt], Page 80)
(16,17) Imam Ibn-e-Hajar Makki in his Book Al-Aa'laam and then Allama Shami in his Sull-ul-Hisasm proclaims:
الخواص یجوزان ان یعلموا الغیب فی قضیة او قضایا كما وقع لكثیر منھم و اشتھر
It is permissible that the chosen come to know the Unknown about an issue or issues as it dawned upon many of them and got known.
Al-Aa'laam, Maktabatal Haqeeqatal Bishari'e (Instanbul - Turkey), Page 359
Sill-ul-Hisaam, Suhail Academy (Lahore), Vol 2, Page 311
(18,19) In the commentories, Muaalim-ut-Tanzeel (Bagawi) and Tafseer Al-Khazin, it has been annotated under the verse وما ھوا علی الغیب بضنین:
يقول إنه ياتيه علم الغيب فلا يبخل به عليكم بل يعلمكم
Allah Ta'ala asserts that the Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) knows the Unknown, hence he is never niggardly but imparts it to you.
Mu'alim-ut-Tanzeel [Bagawi], Darul Kutub Ilmia [Berut], Vol 4, Page 422
Tafseer-al-Khaazin, Darul Kutub Ilmia [Berut], Vol 4, Page 399
(20) The tafseer Baidawi comments on وعلمنه من لدنا علما:
مما يختص بنا ولا يعلم إلا بتوفيقنا وهو علم الغيوب
From what is peculiar to us and he (Hadrat Khidar) knows it only by our sweet favour and that is the knowledge of the Unknown. (Tafseer Al-Baidawi, Darul Fikr [Berut], Vol 3, Page 510)
(21) The tafseer Ibn-e-Jareer relates by Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (radiyallahu ta'ala anhuma):
قال إنك لن تستطيع معي صبرا ، وكان رجلا يعلم علم الغيب قد علِّم ذلك
Hadrat Khidar (upon him salam) said to Moses (upon him salam): 'you can never keep to patience along with me' and he (Hadrat Khidar) was a person who knew the Unknown. The knowledge of the Unknown had been imparted to him. (Tafseer At-Tibree, Darul Ah'ya At-Turaasal Arabi [Berut], Vol 15, Page 323)
(22) In the same commentary, Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas tells that Khidar (upon him salam) said:
ولم تحط من علم الغيب بما أعلم
You do not encompass what I know of the Unknown.
Tafseer At-Tibree, Darul Ah'ya At-Turaasal Arabi [Berut], Vol 15, Page 323
(23) In the Honourable Mawahib-ul-Ladunya, Imam Qastalani asserts:
النبوة التى هي الإطلاع على الغيب
The prophethood means to be briefed on the Unknown.
Al-Mawahib-ul-Ladunya, AlMaktabatul Islami [Berut], Vol 2, Page 47
Shifa Shareef, Darul Fikr [Berut - 1988], Vol 1, Page 250
(24) Elucidating the blessed appellation of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) as "Nabi" (Prophet) in the same book the Imam has asserted:
النبوة مأخوذة من النبأ بمعنى الخبر أي اطلعه الله تعالى على الغيب
The word "Nabuwwat" has been derived from "An-Naba" that means particular news i.e. Allah Ta'ala has briefed the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) upon His Unknown.
Al-Mawahib-ul-Ladunya, AlMaktabatul Islami [Berut], Vol 2, Page 45-46
Shifa Shareef, Darul Fikr [Berut - 1988], Vol 1, Page 250
(25) The same book continues:
قد اشتھر و انتشرا مرہ صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وسلم بین اصحابه بالاطلاع علی الغیوب
"It was undoubtedly known and published among the companions that the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) had known the Unknown." (Al-Mawahib-ul-Ladunya, AlMaktabatul Islami [Berut], Vol 3, Page 554)
(26) The exegesis Zarqani explains the same text as:
اصحابه جازمون بالاطلاع علی الغیب
"The companions of the Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) decisively assured of his being informed on the Unknown. (Sharha Az-Zarqaani, Darul Mu'arifa [Berut], Vol 7, Page 200)
(27) In his exposition of the honourable Encomium "Burdah", Ali Qari writes:
علمه صلی اللہ علیه وسلم حاو لفنون العلم الی ان قال ومنہا علمه بالامور الغیبیة
The Knowledge of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) comprises all branches of knowledge; and one of these branches is his knowledge of the things of the Unknown.
Az-Zubdatul Umda Sharha Al-Burda, Jameeatul Ulama Sikandarya [Kherpur], Page 57
(28) The Tafseer by Imam Tabari and the Tafseer Durr-e-Mansoor relate by Abu Bakr bin Abi Sheiba - the teacher of the Chief Muhadditheen like Imam Bukhari and Muslim and Imam Mujahid and the chosen pupil to Sayyiduna Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas (radiyallahu ta'ala anhu):
انه قال في قوله تعالی { ولئن سألتهم ليقولن إنما كنا نخوض ونلعب } قال : قال رجل من المنافقين يحدثنا محمد : أن ناقة فلان بوادي كذا وكذا في يوم كذا وكذا ، وما يدريه بالغيب؟
"He said about the Word of Allah Ta'ala "One of the Hypocrites said": Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) informs us that the she-camel of so-and-so is in such-and-such camel of so-and-so is in such-and-such valley, and what does he know of the Unknown?"
i.e. someone lost his she-camel. The Prophet of Allah (upon him Salat and Salam) said: "It is in such-and-such valley". A hypocrite spoke out. "What does Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) know of the Unknown? On this, Allah Ta'ala sent down the above-mentioned dignified Ayah, asking the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) to warn the hypocrites: "you (the hypocrites deride Allah, his Prophet and His Ayahs. Don't make pretences; you have re-engaged after that you had faith."
Tafseer At-Tibree, Darul Ah'ya At-Turaasal Arabi [Berut], Vol 10, Page 192
Tafseer Durr-al-Mansoor, Darul Ah'ya At-Turaasal Arabi [Berut], Vol 4, Page 210
Your Honour yourself can note what a great bane to the opponents of this Ayah is.
MULTIPLICITY OF WRATH ON THE WAHHABIA
(1) The first type of wrath on the Wahhabia are the statements of the Imam's, out of which only a few have been quoted, for in accordance with the credence of these antagonists of the Religion, all these Imams of the Religion will stand (Allah protect us) Kafir and Mushrik.
(2) Greater ruin to them is ibn-e-Abbas Hadith that by informing us of Hadrat Khidar's (upon him salam) knowledge of the Unknown he (Radiyallahu ta'ala anhu) stands (Allah protect us) Kafir.
(3) Still more abominable curse on the Wahhabia are the passages quoted above from the Honourable Mawahib of Imam Qastalani and the Zarqani that not only Abdullah bin-e-Abbas but all the venerable Companions believed in the Prophet of Allah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) as being blessed with the Unknown. According to the creed of Wahhabia all of them stand Kafirs.
(4) The fourth terribly severer anathema for them is in the second Hadith of ibn-e-Abbas (radiyallahu ta'ala anhu) in which Sayyiduna Khidar ('alaihis salam) who himself was a prophet stands (Allah protect us) Kafir in accordance with the Wahhabian Creed when he himself informs of his being blessed with the knowledge of the Unknown.
(5) The grossest of the curses is the fifth one: How can Sayyiduna Musa Kaleemullah who is unanimously, certainly, confirmedly one of the most resolute Prophets and a "Nabi" escape from the Wahhabian charge of unbelief (Takfeer: call someone Kafir).
Khidar ('alaihis salam) himself told to Moses ('alaihis salam) that he enshrined the knowledge of the Unknown that he (Moses) did not have, and Moses ('alaihis salam) did not deny it. At this won't a Wahhabi say: "Alas! He could not keep patience at the breaking of the board of the boat or the straightening-up of the falling wall"? And then having uttered a mouthful of words of kufr (unbelief) he has to relapse into silence.
Anyhow the Wahhabia could have explained away all these curses above-mentioned by these three cliches:
(a) When Moses ('alaihis salam) professed the Unknown for Hadrat Khidar the Wahhabia might say: "Moses conforms to his religion and we conform to ours"
(b) When Hadrat Khidar ('alaihis salam) declared himself to have the knowledge of the Unknown, they might take the cover of the clich: "Who did drown the boat? Khawaja Khidar!"
(c) And when ibn-e-Abbas and the Noble Companions acknowledged the Unknown for the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam), what would have been to a foul-mouthed Wahhabi if he had said: "Pirs (The Spiritual guides) don't fly; The "mureeds" (The spiritually guided) make them fly". Allah's curse be upon transgressors!.
(6) But the sixth doom has been hurled on the Wahhabia by the one Powerful Allah Himself and the condemnation has been consummated by the honourable above mentioned Ayah and the cause of its Dissension. Here the Almighty, the most high Allah Himself promulgates the commandment that anyone who denies The Prophet's (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) knowledge of the Unknown is a Kafir, derides Allah and His Rasool and has gone apostate after having pronounced Kalima. Alas! Here is left no choice but for this forth saying.
"We expected friendship of the friends; The fact was that whatever we thought was wrong."
Lo and behold! Allah for Whom "Tauheed" (Oneness of Allah) is, for Whom they have poisoned their relationship with the Prophets, for Whom they have spurned the knowledge of all authorities, even that Allah not only renounces the Wahhabia and sides with the Prophets but rather hurls curse on them! True, Creed of friendship is nowhere these days! I don't know whether the opponents now accept the Fatwa of their ringleaders or that of the Only One Almighty Allah.
THE THIRD ARGUMENT
DIVISIONS OF KNOWLEDGE INTO PRIVATE AND CONFERMENTAL AND THE EXPLANATIONS GIVEN BY SCHOLARS
The opponents have been blinded and deafened by their opposition to the noble excellencies of Allah's Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam); they are unable to discern the truth, but even a man of a little wisdom can understand that the point offers no difficulty.
Knowledge is certainly one of those virtues that can be attained through the Divine Bestowal. Its division into the private and the bestowed is undoubtedly confirmed. Likewise, its classification is obvious. Of these two, only the first order i.e. The private or personal and the Real Comprehensive knowledge is peculiar to the Most High Allah.
Accordingly those Ayahs and ahadith and the utterances of the scholars that negate the Unknown for others pertain definitively to this order only. The Fuqaha (The Muslim Jurists) mean this very order when they pass their verdict on blasphemy because the basis for blasphemy is only to ascribe to others an Attribute peculiar to Allah Ta'ala as it is. Now you yourself can perceive whether the private and personal knowledge or the bestowed one is peculiar to Allah Ta'ala. Allah forbid! The bestowed knowledge for Allah Ta'ala is a definitive impossible, not to speak of its being peculiar to Him. Again, whether the Real-Comprehensive knowledge is peculiar to the Most High Allah or the non-comprehensive one. Allah forbid! A non-comprehensive knowledge some of whose information's remain anonymous is a definitive impossible for Allah Ta'ala. Consequently how can the proving of the bestowed-really non-comprehensive knowledge for any other than Allah Ta'ala be ascribing the special attribute of the Magnificent Allah to him? If the Fuqaha's Verdict on blasphemy tends towards this idea it will mean: "Lo and behold! You prove for one other than Allah Ta'ala an Attribute that can never be Allah's so you are Kafir! i.e. you should have proved for the other an Attribute that is peculiar to Allah Ta'ala! Can there be any dunderhead to pocket such a malevolent crazy daredevilry? "But the Najdi's are people who don't understand."
(29,30) Imam ibn Hajar Makki proclaims in The Fatawa Hadeethiyya:
وما ذکرناہ فی الایة صرح بہ النووی رحمة اللہ تعالی فتاواہ فقال معناھا لا یعلم ذالك استقلالا وعلم احطة بكل المعلومات الا اللہ تعالی
"Expounding the Ayah mentioned by us Imam Nawawi (Allah bless him) says in his Fatawa: "The Ayah means that he does not possess the Unknown absolutely by himself; Allah Ta'ala only has such absolute knowledge as is comprehensive of all information's." (Fatawa Hadeethiyya, Mustafa Al-Baabi [Egypt], Page 228)
(31) Again he says in his exposition of The Hamziyya:
انہ تعالی اختص بہ لكن من حیث الاحاطة فلا ینا فی ذالك اطلاع اللہ تعالی لبعض خواصہ علی كثیر من المغیات حتی من الخمس التی قال صلی اللہ تعالی وسلم فیھن خمس لا یعلمھن الا اللہ
"The Unknown is peculiar to Allah Ta'ala but in the sense of its comprehensiveness. Consequently it does not negate Allah Ta'ala's intimating some of His choice with many of the Unknown Secrets even some of the Five of which the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) has said that none but Allah knows them."
Afdalul Qura li Qura'ee Ummul Qura, Majma'us Saqafi [Abu Dhabi], Page 143-144
(32) It is said in At-Tafseer-ul-Kabeer of Imam Raazi:
ولا أعلم الغيب يدل على اعترافه بأنه غير عالم بكل المعلومات
"The Ayah "I don't know the Unknown" means that His (The Prophet's) knowledge does not encompass all the Divine Information's." (At-Tafseer-al-Kabeer, Under Verse [2:34], Vol 2, Page 6)
(33,34) Imam Qadi Iyad in his Ash-Shifa and Allama Khafaji in its exposition Naseem-ur-Riyadh proclaim:
ھذہ المعجزة فی اطلاعہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم علی الغیب المعلومة على القطع بحیث لا یمكن انكارھا او التردد فیھا لاحد من العقلاء لكثرة رواتها واتفاق معانيها على الاطلاع على الغيب وھذا الاینا فی الایات الدالة علی انہ لا یعلم الغیب الا اللہ وقول ولو كنت اعلم الغیب لاستكثرت من الخیر فان المنفی علمہ من غیر واسطة و اما اطلاعہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم علیہ با علم اللہ تعالی لہ فا مر متحقق بقولہ تعلی فلا يظهر على غيبه احدا الا من ارتضى من رسولٍ
"The miracle of the Prophet's (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) being informed of the Unknown is such an established fact as none of the wise can deny or waver in it for its being substantiated by a host of relaters, and unanimity on its meanings about His information on the Unknown. And this does not negate the Ayahs indicating that none but Allah Ta'ala knows the Unknown, and the Ayah "If I had known the Unknown I would have accumulated the abundance of the excellent", but repudiates that He (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) possesses knowledge without the Divine Means. But as far his information on the Unknown by Allah Ta'ala it is a proven fact established by the Ayah: "Allah does not manifest His Unknown to anyone but a prophet whom He chooses".
Shifa Shareef, Darul Fikr [Berut - 1988], Vol 1, Page 336
Naseemur Ryad Sharha Ash-Shifa, Barkat-e-Raza [Gujrat], Vol 3, Page 150
(35) The Tafseer Neeshapuri says:
لا أعلم الغيب فيكون فيه دلالة على أن الغيب بالاستقلال لا يعلمه إلا الله
The Ayah "I do not know the Unknown" denotes that none but Allah Ta'ala knows the Unknown absolutely by himself." (Tafseer Neeshapuri, Under Verse [6:50], Mustafa Albaabi [Egypt], Vol 6, Page 110)
(36) The Tafseer "An-Namooz-ul-Jaleel" carries on:
معناہ لا یعلم الغیب بلا دلیل الا اللہ او بلا تعلیم الا اللہ او جمیع الغیب الا اللہ
"The Ayah means that none but Allah Ta'ala knows the Unknown without any guide or instruction or more but the Exalted Allah knows the All-Absolute Unknown."
(37) The "Jam'e-ul-Fusooleen" declares:
يجاب بانہ یمكن التوفیق بان المنفی ھوالعلم بالاستقلال لا اعلم بالاعلم او المنفی ھوالمجزوم بہ لا المظنون ویویدہ قولہ تعالی اتجعل فیہا من یفسد فیھا الایة لانہ غیب اخبر بہ الملائكة ظنا منھم او باعلم الحق فینبغی ان یكفر لو ادعاہ مستقلا لا لو اخبر بہ باعلام فی نومہ او یقظتہ بنوع من الكشف اذ لا منافاة بینہ و بین الایة لما مرمن التوفیق
"The question that the Fuqaha have adjudicated one's claim on the Unknown to be blasphemy while the ahadith and the books by authentic Imams contain undeniable tidings about the Unknown has been answered by the adaptation that what is repudiated is one's claim to the Unknown absolutely by oneself, not that by the Divine Instruction; or it is the negation of the absolute Unknown, not the supposed one, and this is confirmed by the Ayah: "The angels said, 'do you make a caliph of him who will indulge in perversity there?'" This is an item from the Unknown, and the angels reported it either by supposition or by instruction by the Almighty Allah. So the charge of blasphemy should be levelled against him who claims to have the Unknown absolutely by himself, not against him who claims to enshrine it by the Divine Instruction while sleeping or waking by way of afflatus. Such a knowledge of the Unknown is not contradictory to the Ayah. (Jam'e-ul-Fusooleen, Islami Kutb Khana [Karachi], Vol 2, Page 302)
(38,39) The Raddul-Mukhtar narrates from The Mukhtarat-un-Nawazil by the Imam who compiled Hidaya
او ادعى علم الغيب بنفسه يكفر
"If anyone claims to achieve the Unknown by himself is Kafir."
Raddul Mukhtar, Kitabul Jihad, Babul Murtad, Darul Ah'ya At-Turaas al-Arabi [Berut], Vol 3, Page 197
(40-44) The same book reports:
قَالَ فِي التَّتَارْخَانِيَّة : وَفِي الْحُجَّةِ ذَكَرَ فِي الْمُلْتَقَطِ أَنَّهُ لَا يَكْفُرُ لِأَنَّ الْأَشْيَاءَ تُعْرَضُ عَلَى رَوْحِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَنَّ الرُّسُلَ يَعْرِفُونَ بَعْضَ الْغَيْبِ قَالَ تَعَالَى عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا إلَّا مَنْ ارْتَضَى مِنْ رَسُولٍ - قُلْت : بَلْ ذَكَرُوا فِي كُتُبِ الْعَقَائِدِ أَنَّ مِنْ جُمْلَةِ كَرَامَاتِ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ الِاطِّلَاعَ عَلَى بَعْضِ الْمُغَيَّبَاتِ وَرَدُّوا عَلَى الْمُعْتَزِلَةِ الْمُسْتَدِلِّينَ بِهَذِهِ الْآيَةِ عَلَى نَفْيِهَا
"It is written in At-Tatarkhania, Al-Hujja and Al-Multaqat that he who marries invoking Allah and His prophet as witness does not commit Kufr because things are undoubtedly presented to the Spirit of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) and certainly the Prophets know some of the Unknown. Allah Ta'ala has said: "He is Knower of the Unknown; So he does not reveal his Unknown to anybody but one whom He selects from among the Prophets" I (Allama Shami) say that the Imams of Ahl-us-Sunna have mentioned in the books on Beliefs that to be informed on some of the Unknown pertains to the prodigies of the Auliya (The Muslim Saints) and have rebuffed the Mutazala who have inferred negation of the Unknown for the Auliya from this Ayah.
Raddul Mukhtar, Kitabun Nikah, Darul Ah'ya At-Turaas al-Arabi [Berut], Vol 2, Page 276
(45) The Tafseer Gharaaib-ul-Quran (Neshapuri) says:
لم ينف إلا الدراية من قبل نفسه ، وما نفي الدراية من جهة الوحي
"The Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) denied the knowing of the Unknown by his own self but not by the Revelation." (Tafseer Neeshapuri, Under Verse [46:9], Mustafa AlBaabi [Egypt], Vol 26, Page 8)
(46,47) The Tafseer Al-Jamal, an exposition of Jalalain and the Tafseer Al-Khazin affirm:
المعنى لا أعلم الغيب إلا أن يطلعني الله عليه
The Ayah "I do know the Unknown" means: "I do not know it unless the Almighty Allah informs me on it."
Tafseer Al-Khazin, Under Verse [7:188], Vol 2, Page 280
Tafseer Al-Jamal, Under Verse [7:188], Vol 3, Page 158
(48) The Tafseer Al-Baidawi says:
ولا أعلم الغيب ما لم يوح إلي ولم ينصب عليه دليل
The Ayah means: "I do not know the Unknown unless it is revealed to me or evidence for it is established".
Tafseer Al-Baidawi (Anwarut Tanzeel), Under Verse [6:50], Darul Fikr [Berut], Vol 2, Page 410
(49) The Enayat-al-Qadi continues:
وعندہ مفاتیح الغیب وجہ اختصاصہا بہ تعالی انہ لا یعلمہا كما ھی ابتداء الا ھوا
And the Ayah that he Ta'ala has the keys to the Unknown" refers to its specificity to Him Ta'ala. And the reason for this specificity is that none but He Ta'ala knows them primitively as they are.
Enayat-al-Qadi, Under Verse [6:57], Dar Saadir [Berut], Vol 4, Page 73
(50) Its in the Tafseer Neeshapuri, it says:
قل لا أقول لكم لم يقل ليس {عندي خزائن الله} ليعلم أن خزائن الله وهي العلم بحقائق الأشياء وماهياتها عنده باستجابة دعائه في قوله أرنا الأشياء كما هي ولكنه يكلم الناس على قدر عقولهم {ولا أعلم الغيب} أي لا أقول لكم هذا مع أنه قال صلى الله عليه وسلم علمت ما كان وما سيكون
"The Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) was asked: "O Prophet! Say; "I don't possess the treasures of Allah Ta'ala" so that it be known that the Treasures of Allah Ta'ala which is the knowledge of things are with Him (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) for His prayer: "Show us things as they are". But He (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) speaks to people in accordance with their understanding. And "I do not know the Unknown" means: "I do not know the Unknown" means: "I don't say this to you" in spite of the fact that sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) said: "I briefly know what was and what will be" (Tafseer Neeshapuri, Under Verse [6:50], Mustafa AlBaabi [Egypt], Vol 7, Page 112)
Gratitude to Allah! One exegesis of the Ayah, "Say: I do not know the Unknown" is what the Tafseer Al-Kabeer has offered that the Ayah repudiates the encompassing of the whole of the Unknown and not the knowledge of the Unknown itself.
The other exposition presented by many books is that the Ayah negates the knowledge of the Unknown for someone without the Divine Instruction and not by the Divine Instruction.
And now, thank Allah, is the third and most delicate interpretation: "I do not say to you that I have the knowledge of the Unknown; for O Unbelievers! You are not capable of such things; otherwise I have been, in actual, gifted with the knowledge of what was and what is to be."
THE FOURTH ARGUMENT
Unanimous Verdict on The Knowledge of the Unknown.
Hitherto what has been presented is agreed upon by the majority of the Imams of Deen.
(1) Anyone other than Allah Ta'ala undoubtedly does not possess an iota of the Private-Personal knowledge of the Unknown. This belief is one of the essentials of the Deen, and he who denies it is Kafir.
(2) Undoubtedly anyone other than Allah Ta'ala cannot encompass the Divine Information. Not to speak of equality, the cumulative knowledge of the first and the last, the Prophets, the Messengers and the most favourite angels, compared with that of Allah Ta'ala, cannot be even in such a proportion as is the ten millionth of a drop to millions of seas, for both all these seas and this ten-millionth of a drop are limited and the limited has certainly a relation to the limited. Conversely the knowledge of Allah Ta'ala is unlimitedly unlimited, and hence cannot be compared with the knowledge of the Creation. The Knowledge the Creation stands limited even if it be spanning the Arsh (The Divine Throne) and the Farsh (The earth as compared to the Arsh), the east and the west, and all the creatures from the first day to the last day, for the Arsh and the Farsh are two limits; the east and the west are two extremes; the first day and the last day are two bounds, and whatever falls within them is limited.
In actual it is impossible for the Creation to have the particular knowledge of the limited. Consequently bearing the very relation of all the knowledge of the Creation to the knowledge of Allah Ta'ala is primarily an absolute impossible, not to speak of its equality to the Divine knowledge, Allah Protect!
(3) Likewise it is the consensus belief that the Great, Almighty Allah has granted the Esteemed Prophets (upon them Salat and Salam) abundant and ample knowledge out of the Unknown. This is also one of the essentials of the Deen, and anyone who denies it is a Kafir (non-believer), for he out-rightly denies the Prophethood.
(4) It is also unanimous that out of this magnificent abundance, the lot of Allah's Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) is more perfect and greater than that of all the Prophets and all the Creation. By the grant of Allah (Azza wa Jalla), the Exalted Beloved (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) enshrines so much knowledge of the Unknown as can be calculated only by the Creator Almighty Allah Himself. Muslims have reached the Consensus to this extent.
But how can the Wahhabia endure the greatness of Muhammad, Rasoolullah - (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam)? So they have blatantly proclaimed:
(a) His Honour (upon him salat and salam) does not know even what is behind a wall;
(b) He (upon him salat and salam) did not know even the state of his own end, not to speak of his knowing that of others. Along with this, they also declare:
(c) Even the acknowledgement of His having the knowledge of some of the Unknown Secrets through the Divine Instruction will be shirk (profession of someone's participation in the Divinity);
(d) To add curse to themselves, they deny for Muhammad, Allah's Rasool (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) even the knowledge of what is behind a wall but believe in the accursed Satan as having the knowledge of the whole Earth;
(e) and this on the pretext that the spaciousness of Satan's knowledge is proven by the Nass (the clear-cut Holy Text of the Holy Quran), and what definitive Nass is there on the amplitude of the knowledge enshrined by the Pride-For-The world (upon him Salat and Salam)?
(f) Again damnation to them! If it is acknowledged for Muhammad, Allah's Rasool (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) what they have professed to be proven for Satan they immediately brand it shirk, i.e. the peculiar Attribute of Allah Ta'ala is proven. Alas! for Satan, and thus he participates in the Divinity (They regard this belief as not being shirk, but it will be shirk!), but it will be shirk if the same is proven for his Presence (upon him salat and salam);
(a-f » Al-Baraheen al-Qaati'aa, Kutb khana Rahimia [Saharanpur - 1365 AH], Page 51)
(g) Some of the extremists went so far as to declare expressively that every lunatic, even every quadruped has such a knowledge of the Unknown as Muhammad Allah's Rasool (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) enshrines.
Hifz-ul-Emaan, Ashraf Ali Thanvi, Kutb khana Uloom-e-Mashriqi, Kashmiri bazaar [Lahore - June 1934], Page 7
The real discussion is about these words. The malicious stiflingly shun them and uselessly fall into a mere discussion on the peculiarity or non-peculiarity of knowledge that the Ayahs and Ahadeeth have peculiarised the Unknown to Allah Ta'ala, and the Fuqaha have imputed the acknowledgement of the Unknown for others to Kufr. To this an answer has already been made that only the Private-Real-Comprehensive knowledge is peculiar to Allah Ta'ala and the Fuqaha have called the affirmation of this specific knowledge for others to be Kufr.
The Confermental-Real-Non-Comprehensive knowledge can never be for Allah Ta'ala, not to speak (Allah save us!) of its being His Peculiar Attribute. Neither we confirm this knowledge for the non-Divine nor the Nasoos (The plural of the Nass) and the Fuqahas legal opinions are applicable to us. But ask these sires whether the Ayahs and the ahadeeth about the encompassing and the Fuqahas opinions include the Confermental-Real-Non-Comprehensive knowledge or not. If not, why are you so crazy as to present them to us? What contradiction do they bear to our claim? And if they include, then tell us O Gangohi! You who prove the comprehensive knowledge of the earth for satan, O Ashraf Thanvi! you who are convinced of the Unknown even for every lunatic and every quadruped, you tell us whether you affirm for them the Private-Real-Comprehensive knowledge or otherwise. For the first opinion you are Kafir absolutely; for the second the same Ayahs and ahadeeth and the Fuqaha's opinions as uttered by you are applicable to you yourselves, and thus you yourselves stand Kafirs and renegades in accordance with the very arguments offered by you yourselves.
Now say whereto is the way out? Yes! The only way out is the acknowledgement that Satan, lunatics and quadrupeds have the knowledge of the Unknown! The verses, the ahadeeth and the Fuqahas opinions are not about them, they are about the refutation of the knowledge for Muhammad, Allah's Rasool (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) only! Allah's curse be upon the transgressors!
THE FIFTH ARGUMENT
The Controversial Limits of the Unknown and the Course Followed by the Urafa.
Let those who deny the Superiority of Muhammad, Allah's Rasool (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) be damned! Please listen to the conclusion.
After all these consensus's our Ulema (The especially trained-in-religion scholars) differ with one another as to whether the incalculable knowledge out of the Unknown that the Most High and Supreme Lord has granted His Greatest Beloved (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) includes the whole of the universe from the first day to the last day as the Ayahs and the ahadeeth generally denote or there is specification in it.
Many of the exteriorists (Ahl-uz-Zahir) espouse specification. One thinks that the specificity pertains to the Mutashabihat (The obscure Ayahs), while for the other it belongs to the knowledge of the Five Mysteries. Numerous of them say that it is about the Great Hour. The interiorist Ulema (Ulema-ul-Batin) and numerous exteriorist Ulema following them have maintained the generality of these Ayahs and ahadeeth. Accordingly, they have generalised the meaning because the utmost contains both inclusion and exclusion whether the Great Hour is included or not. Anyhow this aggregate is also a slight somewhat of the Divine knowledge's and, rather, is included in the information's of Al-Mustafa (upon him salat and salam).
I have proved through the Encomium "Burdah Shareef" and its interpretation by Mulla Ali Qari that the sum-total knowledge of "What was and what is to be" is one drift out of the ocean of the knowledge possessed by Muhammad Allah's Rasool (Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam), not to speak of Allah's knowledge that is infinitely-limitless. Then how can it be matched with Allah's Infinite knowledge? Those who have failed to perceive the Divinity equate this very knowledge with Allah's. Allah save us! They have not evaluated Allah as He deserves (31:34).
And certainly so! When their Imam takes the counting of the leaves of a tree for the Divinity, the knowledge of "Ma Kaana wa Ma Yakoonu" is assuredly for greater. Let them be damned! This specific issue as it revolves among our Ulema of Ahl-us-Sunna is just like controversial issues between "The Ash'aris" and "The Matureedis" that are by no means reproachable.
Yes! Our authentic argument that is generally the creed of the honourable Urafa (Those who recognise Allah Ta'ala by Allah Ta'ala Himself) and the overpowering majority of the religious dignitaries is the last one. Your honour will find some of the Ayahs, ahadeeth and the clarifications by the Imams about this matter in my booklet "Amba-ul-Mustafa", "Al-Luelu-ul-Maknoon fI Ilm-il-Basheer Ma Kama wa ma Yakoonu" and other booklets written by myself comprise them abundantly. And so far as the statements of the revered Auliya and the great Ulema, they are so profuse that a copious volume is required to record them. Here I'll confine myself to a few mentions by The Imams. And we have no succour and power except by Allah, the Powerful the Ever-Forgiver.
The Authentic-Comprehensive Tirmizi reports the Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) as saying:
فتجلى لي كل شيء وعرفت
"Everything has manifested to me and I have recognised it".
Tirmizi Shareef, Abwab-at-Tafseer (Surah Suad), Darul Fikr [Berut], Vol 5, Page 160, Hadith 3246
And He (upon him Salat and Salam), Further says:
علمت ما في السموت وما فی الارض
"I have known whatever is in the Heavens and the Earth."
Tirmizi Shareef, Abwab-at-Tafseer (Surah Suad), Darul Fikr [Berut], Vol 5, Page 159, Hadith 3244
(51) The Researcher Sheikh Maulana Abdul-Haq Muhaddith of Dehli footnotes this very Hadeeth in his Ash'a-tul-Lum'aat an exposition of the Mishkat.
دانستم ہر چہ در آسمانہا و ہر چہ در زمینہا بود عبارت ست از حصول تمامئہ علوم جزئی وكلی واحاطئہ آں
"I know whatever is in the Heavens and the Earths" refers to the fact that He (upon him Salat and Salam) has achieved and encompassed the whole of knowledge partial as well as total.
Ash'a-tul-Lum'aat, Kitabus Salat, Babul Masajid, Maktaba Nooriya Ridwiyah [Sukkar], Vol 1, Page 333
(52) Imam Muhammad Buseeri puts forward in his Honourable Encomium "Burdah".
فان من جودک الدنیا وضرتھا
ومن علومک علم اللوح والقلم
"O Allah's Prophet! The world and the Hereafter are one portion of the Bounty;
and the knowledge of the Tablet and the Pen is a single segment of Thy knowledge's.
Al-Qaseedatul Burdatash-Shareef, Part 10, Couplet 3
(53) Allama Ali Qari, while glossing the above couplet, writes:
کون علومهما من علومه عليه السلام ان علومه تتنوع الي الکليات والجزئيات و حقائق و معارف و عوارف تتعلق بالذات والصفات و علمهما يکون نهرا من بحور علمه و سطرا من سطور علمه ثم مع ھذا ھوا من بركة وجوده صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم
The knowledge of the Tablet and The Pen is only one segment of His (Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) knowledge's because his knowledge is multifarious, pertaining to the general and the particulars, the truths and the niceties, the gnosis and the sciences relating to the Divine Self and His Attributes; and the knowledge of the Tablet and the Pen is a single line out of the lines of the Prophet's knowledge, a single river out of the seas of His knowledge. And then despite all this, it is because of the Blessing of the Prophet's Being (Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam).
Az-Zubdat-ul-Umda, Jamiat Ulma-e-Sikandrya [Kherpur - Sindh], Page 117
(54) "The Noble Umm-ul-Qura" says:
وسع العالمين علما و حلما
فهو بحر لم تعيها الاعياء
The knowledge and Percipience of his Presence (upon him Salat and Salam) encompasses all worlds.
He is like an ocean which the conquerers of the oceans could not conquer.
Majmoo'at-ul-Matoon, Matan Qasida Hamziyyah, Al-Mash'oon-ad-Deeniyya [Qatar], Page 17
(55) While explaining it Imam ibn-e Hajar declares:
لان اللہ تعالی اطلعہ علی العالم فعلم علم الاولین الاخرین ما كان وما یكون
"Because Allah Ta'ala informed Him of the world and thus He (upon him Salat and Salam) achieved the knowledge possessed by the first and the last, of what has been and what is to be."
Afdalul Qura li Qura'ee Ummul Qura, Majma'us Saqafi [Abu Dhabi]
(56,57) Naseem-ur-Riadh says:
ذکر العراقی فی شرح المھذب انه صلی اللہ علیه وسلم عرضت علیه الخلائق من لدنا آدم علیه الصلوة والسلام الی قیام الساعة فعرفھم كلھم كماعلم آدم الاسماء
In his exposition of The Muhazzab, the Iraqi pinpoints that all creation from Hadrat Adam (upon him Salat and Salam) up to the Judgement Day was put before Him (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam); consequently He (upon Him salat and salam) recognised all of it as His Presence Adam (Upon him salat and salam) recognised all the Names.
Naseem-ur-Ryad, AlBab-us-Salis, Barkat-e-Raza [Gujrat - India], Vol 2, Page 208
(58) That is why Imam Buseeri, in his Hamziyya Encomium proclaims:
لك ذات العلوم من عالم الغیب
و منہا لادم الاسماء
"For Thou (upon Thou salat and salam) is the self of the Knowledge's out of the Unknown;
and for Adam (upon Him salam) are only The Names out of them."
Majmoo'at-ul-Matoon, Matan Qasida Hamziyyah, Al-Mash'oon-ad-Deeniyya [Qatar], Page 11
(59,60) Imam ibn-e-Hajar Makki in his Madkhal and Imam Ahmad Qastalani in his noble Mawahibul Ladunya say:
قد قال علماؤنا رحمة اللّه عليهم : إن الزائر يشعر نفسه بأنه واقف بين يديه عليه الصلاة والسلام كما هو في حياته ، إذ لا فرق بين موته وحياته أعني في مشاهدته لأمته ومعرفته بأَحوَالهم ونياتهم وعزائمهمْ وخوَاطرهمْ ، وذلكَ عنده جلي لا خفاء فيه
"Our Ulema (Allah ta'ala Bless them) have declared that the pilgrim must convince himself of his being standing Before Him (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) as much as he stood before Him (upon Him salat and salam) in His life; for there is no difference between Hi
