Ilm-e-ghaib - (Knowledge of Unseen) Part-II

Article Submitted By Muhammad Irshad | 18-Jul-2012 | Views: 1390

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C. "Nothing We have omitted from the Book." 37
D. "Surely there has come to you from Allah a Light and a Perspicuous Book." 38
E. "Nor is there ought of the Unseen, in Heaven, or earth butit is recorded in the Clear Book." 39
F. "There is no grain in the darkness (or depth) of the earth,nor anything, fresh or dry, (green or withered), but is inscribed in a record clear." 40
It is seen that in these verses, first there is the mention of the Holy Quran being the Kitab-i-Mubeen - the Book Manifest making everything clear, without even the minutest part remaining under any shadow of doubt or omitted. It is worth observing that the Book manifest contains the mention of all things (with all their attributes), under the sun. Now just imagine what shall be the expanse and depth of the knowledge of the Person on whom the Book was revealed. Surely each and everything mentioned in the Book must have been in full view of the recipient. The phenomena must be pondered over in a most dispassionate and open-minded manner without casting any aspersions over the Divine bestowment on the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
Examining the Knowledge of the Unseen possessed by the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) as a SHAHID or witness to all affairs, the following verses carry us to the visionary world of enlightenment where we stand completely wonder-struck at the very idea of the extent of the knowledge which Allah the Almighty revealed to him so as to make him the true representative of Divine rights, not alone on this earth, but even forces of heavenly kingdom operating at the present moment as well as that would take place in the universe and the Hereafter. It is but essential that we should bow our heads and accept the truth of Divine assertions, and spare ourselves the repercussions, should any shade of wavering creep our mind and vision. It is beyond our capacity to guess the extent of Knowledge of the Unseen (I'lm-i-Ghayb) bestowed upon the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) by Almighty Allah. Only Allah knows that He has bestowed upon His beloved Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
A. "Surely We sent you as a Witness, as a Bringer of Glad Tidings and as a Warner." 41
B. "And We shall bring you as a Witness against the people." 42
C. "Surely we have sent to you (O men!) an Apostle to be a Witness concerning you." 43
D. "And one day We shall raise from all peoples a Witness against them from among themselves and We shall bring as witness against them from among themselves and We shall bring you as a Witness against them. 44
From these verses it is clear that on the day of Judgement not only the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) shall be a Witness over his own Ummah, but shall also testify before Almighty Allah on behalf of the peoples of other Prophets. Now this testimony or evidence can only be given by the person who is an eye-witness to all events and incidents under scrutiny on the Day of Judgement.
This, in other words, means that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is fully informed and kept in touch with all those events which he shall be witness to. Incidently, this also means that he is keeping watch over our deeds and misdeeds at all times. We should therefore beware of our activities lest any of them displeases or grieves him.
This fact is further corroborated by the (under noted) traditions (Ahadith) of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam):-
A. In one tradition it is said: "As I see in front of me, so I see things clearly behind me." 45
B. In the second tradition the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is reported to have said: "I saw Prophet Musa (alaihis salaam) in the valley of Azraq, while passing from Mecca to Madina. He was reciting Talbiah. On another ocassion, I saw Prophet Yunus (alaihis salaam) wearing a long woollen overcoat and riding a red camel." 46
C. In the third Tradition, the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is described witnessing Paradise and Hell. 47
D. From the fourth Tradition it is learnt that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) knows each inmate by name going in the Paradise or in the Hell. 48
E. From the fifth Tradition, it is learnt that when a man enquired from the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) whether he would go into Jannah or Jahannam, the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) replied without a moment's pause that, "You shall go to Jahannam." 49
F. The sixth Tradition says: "My entire Ummah was presented before me with each individual's scroll of deeds, good as well as bad." 50
G. In the seventh Tradition, the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: "One night, my Ummah was presented before me at my Hujrah and I know each of them as clearly as anyone knows his colleague." 51

At one place in the Holy Quran, it is said: "Does he possess the Knowledge of the Unseen that he sees the dead?" 52 It is understood from this verse that only such a person possesses I'lm-i-Ghayb as is capable of seeing things beyond normal reach in terms of time and space. At various places in the Holy Quran, the transcendental power of witnessing things by the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has been described. 53 The truth is that when a Chosen Friend of Allah has seen Allah, nothing remains hidden from him. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said, "I saw Allah the Almighty. He placed His Hand on my back. I felt the coolness in my breast. Within an instance everything became visible clear before me and I recognised everyone." 54

32. Surah Hud: Verse 49
33. Surah Yusuf: Verse 102
34. Surah Takweer: Verse 24
35. Surah Nahl: Verse 89
36. Surah Yusuf: 111
37. Surah An'am: Verse 38
38. Surah Maida: Verse 15
39. Surah Nam'l: Verse 75
40. Surah An'am: Verse 59
41. Surah Fatah: Verse 8
42. Surah Nisa: Verse 41
43. Surah Muzammil: Verse 15
44. Surah Nahl: Verse 89
45. Muslim Shareef, vol.2, p. 116
46. Ibn-i-Majah, pp. 20, 208
47. Muslim Shareef, vol.2, p. 180
48. Miskhat Shareef, p. 19
49. Bukhari Shareef, vol.3, p. 855
50. Muslim Shareef, vol. 1, p. 207; Musnad-i-Ahmad; Ibn-e-Maja
51. Ref: Anba al-Mustafa, p. 19; ref: Tibrani
52. Surah Najam, Verse 35
53. Surahs Mujadilah: Verse 7; Surah Ibrahim: Verse 19; SurahBaqarah: Verses 243 & 258; Surah Nur: 41; Surah Feel.
54. Tirmizi Shareef; Miskhat Shareef, Karachi, p. 72

7. THE PROPHET (SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM) ALSO DISTRIBUTEDPORTIONS
OF HIS I'LM-I-GHAYB TO HIS SERVANTS

So far we have been discussing the vast expanse and depth of the Holy Prophet's (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) knowledge and meditative understanding of the cosmic forces operating in the universe together with the super human forces operating in the universe with super human visual insight of the Unseen as a special gift from the Divine Grace, transcending and surpassing human intellect, unmatched in the entire history of mankind.
We are apt to feel and think if the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) kept the whole repository of these God-gifted treasures, of the knowledge, particularly relating to the Unseen confined to himself alone or he also, as charitable gesture, passed on some part of it to his devotees who were eager and capable to receive and preserve the rare and priceless beneficence from Almighty Allah.
It is learnt from different Traditions of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) that he not only favoured his devotees and admirers with this rare and Divine gift, but did so in a greater and open-hearted manner, taught them how communion with Divinity may be maintained and carried forward as the intellect advances and progresses in the realm or history. This is an expression of Divine Dispensation of charity among the fellow beings, the humanity at large for whose benefit the vast universe has been created.

A. This is what the well-known and famous devoted Companion of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) Abu Zarr Ghaffari (radi Allahu anhu) has to say in this respect, "The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) did not leave this material world without telling us in effect that there is not a single birdflying in the atmosphere about which he left anything unsaid." 55
B. Another companion, Hazrat Huzaifa (radi Allahu anhu) reports, "Only the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) stood amongst us (to deliver a sermon) and disclosed before us every detail of events that were to take place that moment onward till the Day of Judgement; he left nothing. Anyone who could retain in his memory remembered it; and the one who forgot it, could not revive it afterwards." 56
C. It is reported in the Tradition: "The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) did not leave the world without telling the description of every disrupter (creating disturbance on earth) till the coming of the Day of Resurrection; everything, i.e. his name, his father's name and the name of the tribe or clan to which he belonged." 57

D. The Battle of Badr took place on the 17th of Ramadaan. Before the fighting (Jihad) started, the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) went over the field and disclosed the identity of the enemies of Islam and indicated by placing his hand at different spots and telling "here so and so will be slain." When the battle was over, it was discovered that each and every person about whom the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) had indicated, was found at the very spot lying dead, neither inch more or less. 58
E. There is a lengthy Tradition (Hadith) of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) which is an eye-opener for any sceptic who entertained misgivings about the truth of the Holy Prophet's (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) Knowledge of the Unseen. It is reported by Hazrat Anas bin Malik (radi Allahu anhu), who says: "After the decline of the sun (noon) the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) came out of his Hujrah, and led the Zohr Prayer. After completing the prayer the Holy Prophet mounted the pulpit and delivered the sermon about the Day of Judgement and the big events that will take place before the advent of the Day. Then addressing the companions he asked them if any one of them had any question to ask from him. He proceeded, 'I swear in the name of Allah, there is nothing that you would ask me and I will not answer it (no query, whatever its nature shall remain unanswered), so long as I am here.'" Hazrat Anas (radi Allahu anhu) reports that on hearing this the companions burst in tears, (for it forbode the grave tidings of his leaving the world). But the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) continued, saying again and again: "Ask me. Ask me (as none after me will tell you)." 59
The following verse of the Holy Quran bears testimony to his truth: "The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) does not withhold grudgingly a Knowledge of the Unseen." 60 It amounted to saying, "whatever you ask will be answered and whatever you will require, shall be granted."
The insistence of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) on oath in the Name of Allah and urging the audience again and again to ask and enquire about anything indicates beyond a shadow of doubt that by the Grace of Almighty Allah, the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was endowed with the Knowledge of the Unseen and was extremely generous to satisfy every enquirer in his quest for knowledge including the Unseen.
An Arab Scholar, Shaikh Ahmad bin Muhammad Al-Siddique Al-Ghamari Al-Hasani has written a very learned book entitled "Motabiqa al-Ikhtia'at al-Asriya." (Mufti Ahmad Mian Barkati has translated this book in Urdu with the title "Islam aur Asri Eijadaat" printed and published at Lahore in 1980). In this book the learned scholar has collected forebodings of the Unseen, which the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has disclosed on various ocassions. One is explicably amazed and wonderstruck while going through these details how gracefully the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was honoured by Allah the Almighty about even the minutest details of the Unseen. It appears that the past, the present and the future lay clear before the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) like a mirror. Why this should not be so! because the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has himself said: "The keys of the Unseen were brought before me and placed over my hand." 61
Thus the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was made the key Bearer (Owner) of the treasures of the earth, 62 because one who possesses the keys, enjoys the right of possession too. This however does not mean that Allah the Almighty has divested himself of the Divine Powers of the Unseen. On the contrary, it indicates the Absolute Authority and Power of Allah even to bestow any one of His Choice anything as He pleases. It also demonstrates how much Allah has favoured and honoured the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)! These are, in fact, the keys with which the hidden meanings and interpretations of the Holy Quranic treasures are opened. The Holy Quran as the Divine Book, we all see and recite, but whatever the Prophetic Vision observes behind the contents of words and letters we cannot even imagine and visualize with our limited blurred vision of intellect.
I might refer to but one verse of the Quran: "Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies of Allah." 63
In this verse the word "power" seems to denote nothing in particular, i.e. weapon or means to subdue the enemy, but when the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) lifts the veil from the word "power" then the human wisdom simply gets perplexed to the extreme, as the real significance, as expressed and stressed by the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is definitely beyond the reach of human intellect. Expressing the real significance of the word "power", he said: "Beware this power is Rami! Beware this power is Rami! Beware this power is Rami!" 64
In the Arabic language, the word "Rami" means to throw or strike. One of the important ritual observance during the course of hajj, is to throw small stones at the Satan which ritual is known as "Rami." In this Hadith (Tradition) the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) meant all such weapons which demand throwing or hurting from a distance at the enemy. The simplest form of this "throw" is by the hands with as much power as one is capable of, and this power is in the hands of those nations in possession of those weapons, especially firing cannon shells, hurting missiles, rockets or even bombs of any description. All these weapons are thrown at the enemies from a distance and these are the secrets of "power." If you refer to Ahadith (Traditions) you will discover an ocean of the Knowledge of the Unseen spring up from its bottom.
55. Anba al-Mustafa, p. 8 ref: Musnad-i-Ahmad and Tabaqat-i-Ibn-i-Sa'ad
56. Anba al-Mustafa, p. 7 ref: Bukhari, Muslim and Musnad-i-Ahmad
57. Miskhat Shareef, Bab al-Fitan
58. Muslim Shareef, Kitab al-Jihad, vol. 2
59. Bukhari Shareef, Kitab al-E'tisaam, vol. 3, p. 855
60. Surah Takweer: Verse 24
61. Bukhari Shareef, p. 848 and Muslim Shareef, vol. 2, p. 116
62. Bukhari and Muslim Shareef
63. Surah Anfal: Verse 60
64. Muslim Shareef, vol. 2, p. 143

8. CONCLUSIVE FACTS CONCERNING I'LM-I-GHAYB

From what has been discussed with apparent justification and presentable conviction, the following broad basic realities about the Knowledge of the Unseen must be borne in mind to avoid any pitfalls from any biased and intense quarters in this behalf.
A. This first thing to be noted in this connection is that the "Unseen" is a reality, concrete and irrefutable.
B. That the "I'lm-i-Ghayb" or the "Knowledge of the Unseen" belongs exclusively to Allah the Almighty as His Exclusive Divine Prerogative, none having any share in it, or any power to controvert and refute His Exclusive Domain. His knowledge is total.
C. Allah the Almighty bestows this Knowledge of the Unseen (I'lm-i-Ghayb) to his chosen servants.
D. Allah the Almighty has granted this Knowledge of the Unseen to the Apostles and Prophets.
E. Allah the Almighty has granted this Knowledge of the Unseen to the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
F. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) bestowed this Knowledge of the Unseen (I'lm-i-Ghayb) to his companions who in turn passed this knowledge to the qualified persons who were entrusted with the mission to propagate the Religion of Allah to succeeding generations.
No doubt, the great poet philosopher of Islam, Allama Iqbal, has aptly summed up the illustrious personality of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) in one of his beautiful couplets:
"Lauh bhi tu, Qalam bhi tu, tera wajud Al-KitabGhumbad-e-Abgina rang tere muheet mein habab"

"You are O Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) the Scroll (of human destiny), you are the pen of Divine (with powers) to scribe and delineate the affairs of the universe, you are the personification of the Book of Allah. This vast glassy canopy (the sky) is not more than a bubble in the vast ocean of your August Knowledge."

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