– 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 (‘𝗶𝗹𝗺) 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗮̄𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 ﷺ!…

– 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 (‘𝗶𝗹𝗺) 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗮̄𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 ﷺ!

Allāh has ‘ilm al-ghayb (knowledge of the unseen), which is absolute (mutlaq) and His own attribute (dhātī). The knowledge of Allāh is His own, nobody ‘informed’ Him about it. All the verses in the Qur’ān that deny ‘ilm al-ghayb for others – 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐢.𝐞. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐡𝐚̄𝐭ī 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞.

However, ‘𝐢𝐥𝐦 𝐚𝐥-𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐲𝐛 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚̄𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬. Rasūlullāh ﷺ was given the knowledge of the unseen by Allāh. A number of Qur’ānic verses explicitly prove this, for example Sūrah al-Jinn verse 26-27:

“He is the Knower of the unseen, disclosing none of it to anyone, 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞.”

The summary is: Allāh has given ‘ilm al-ghayb to His Messengers. 𝐈𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 (𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐪𝐚𝐧), 𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐊𝐚̄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐫 (𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥). Of course, there are disagreements about “how much” and “what extent” – but denying/rejecting ‘ilm al-ghayb for Prophets absolutely is Kufr. By doing so, one rejects the explicit verse of the Qur’ān!

► The knowledge of Allāh is dhātī; the knowledge of Messengers is ‘atā’i (i.e. granted by Allāh).

► The knowledge of Allāh is absolute, complete (kull); the knowledge of Messengers is ba’ad (i.e. partial – as much granted by Allāh)

► The knowledge of Allāh is pre-eternal (qadīm); the knowledge of Messengers is accidental (ḥādith).

Additionally, giving the title “’Ālim al-Ghayb” to Rasūlullāh ﷺ is not permissible, but 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 ‘𝐢𝐥𝐦 𝐚𝐥-𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐲𝐛. This is why one should learn Arabic, if one wishes to argue about deeper subjects.

1) ‘Ilm al-Ghayb = Knowledge of unseen.

2) ‘Ālim al-Ghayb = Knower of unseen.

The first is given to Rasūlullāh ﷺ as evidenced by āyāt, aḥādīth and fatāwā of ‘Ulamā. The second is deemed impermissible for anyone in the creation. Only Allāh will be called ‘Ālim al-Ghayb.

The Sifāt of Allāh is – dhātī. So when we talk of ‘ilm al-ghayb of Allāh – we talk about dhātī, qadīm, mutlaq ‘ilm. And when we speak of ‘ilm al-ghayb of the Prophet ﷺ – we talk about ‘atā’i, ḥādith, and ba’ad.

Remember, that there are Sifāt of Allāh – and the words that describe those Sifāt are also used to describe sifāt of creatures. For example, Allāh describes Himself as Samī’ Basīr:

“Surely Allāh is All-Hearing (Samī’), All-Seeing (Basīr).” [Sūrah an-Nisā’, verse 58]

And Allāh has described His slaves as Samī’ Basīr as well:

“For indeed, We created humans from a drop of mixed fluids, in order to test them, so We made them hear (Samī’) and see (Basīr).” [Sūrah al-Insān, verse 2]

Here, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 ‘𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞’ 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝! The same word is used to describe sifāt of humans and Sifāt of Allāh. Other than the commonality of the word, nothing else is the same or equivalent. The Sifāt of Allāh is qadīm, baqī’ (without an end), ghayr-mutaghayyar (unchangeable) and dhātī, but the sifāt of human is ḥādith, jā’iz ul-fanā (perishable), mutaghayyar (changeable) and ‘atā’i. There is 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, except that both sifāt ‘share’ the word. Similarly, when we say “’ilm al-ghayb”, the same differences apply!

Lastly, to emphasize an important point so the difference between Allāh and His Messenger’s ﷺ knowledge is that Allāh’s knowledge is muḥīt (all-encompassing; absolute), ghayr-mutanāhī and ghayr-maḥdūd (unlimited/boundless), while the knowledge of the Prophet ﷺ is ghayr-muḥīt/maḥdūt (𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚̄𝐡) and mutanāhī (𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚̄𝐡, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐚𝐬𝐮̄𝐥𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐚̄𝐡’𝐬 ﷺ 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞).

[Shaykh Abu’l Ḥasan al-Māturīdī al-Ḥanafī al-Baraylwī; last point added by ourselves]