IRREFUTABLE PROOF THAT PROPHET (S.A.W) HAD LIMITED ILM E GAEB AND NOT COMPLETE

IRREFUTABLE PROOF THAT PROPHET (S.A.W) HAD LIMITED ILM E GAEB AND NOT COMPLETE

Undoubtedly, we have enough sound evidences to proof and believe that prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) and other prophets before him were given certain powers and capabilities by Allah (alone). Knowledge of the unseen is one such power or blessing bestowed by Allah on his messengers. But the matter of dispute (unfortunately) is the subject "Does prophet (s.a.w) have the entire knowledge of unseen or only parts and bits of what Allah revealed to him" 

It is the aqeeda (belief) of every muslim affirming that prophet (s.a.w) did inform us about various events that happened in the past, or were about to happen in his era or that would happen in the future and this is referred to as his prophecies, predictions or miracles. However the answer to the questione highlighted above is that " prophet (s.a.w) had the knowledge of unseen only as much as Allah gave him and not the complete (total) knowledge of unseen which is with Allah (alone) " and this will be proven below : 

There can be 2 categories in the light of Quran and hadith 


1. Partial or selective knowledge of ilm e gaeb given by Allah to his messengers

2. Complete or absolute knowledge of the unseen and this is only with Allah alone (and no one is like or similar to him -surah ikhlas)

EXPLAINING POINT NO. 1 IN BRIEF (PARTIAL ILM E GAEB) :

There are various hadiths which help us learn that prophet (s.a.w) had informed us in much detail regarding certain places,events and matters which we could have never known on our own. He (s.a.w) also taught us about the signs of Qiyamah, gave us a glimpse of jannah and jahannum, foretold many events and happenings which we came to happenings back then and even today we find them to be true in our day to day life and this we don't deny. Indeed rasool (s.a.w) did get wahis (revelations) from Allah through angels or etc regarding the knowledge of unseen but this knowlege is limited, the proof of which are :

PROOF # 1

"He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries EXCEPT an apostle whom He has chosen: and then He makes a band of watchers march before him and behind him" (Quran : 72:26/27)

PROOF # 2  

“This is of the news of the Unseen which We reveal unto you (O Muhammad)” [Hood 11:49]

PROOF # 3

"These are the tidings of the Unseen that We reveal to you in secret" [Sura al-Imran, verse 44]

PROOF # 4 

Nor will He disclose to you the secrets of the Unseen. But He chooses of His Apostles [for the purpose]"[Sura al-Imran, verse 179]

EXPLAINING POINT NO. 2 IN BRIEF: (ABSOLUTE ILM E GAEB)

To proof that both Allah and Muhammad (s.a.w) cannot be similar in POWERS/Abilities i have designed the below image: 

The Above image is self explanatory. However, I'll add another example to explain:

Ibn ‘Abbaas reported that a man said, “O Messenger of Allaah, whatever Allaah and you will.” He said, “Are you making me equal to Allaah? [Say instead:] What Allaah alone wills.” 

[Reported by Ahmad, al-Musnad, 1/283].

Similarly, if we were to say that the prophet and Allah were equal in terms of knowledge, then this would be SHIRQ AL AKBAR .

Now coming to some additional Proofs from Quranic verses :

PROOF # 5  

Say: “None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (Unseen) except Allaah, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected” [al-Naml 27:65] 

PROOF # 6

And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record” [al-An’aam 6:59]

 PROOF # 7

“Verily, Allaah, with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allaah is All Knower, All Aware (of things)” [Luqmaan 31:34]


THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT QURAN IS FREE FROM (ANY & ALL)ERRORS :

(i) in the Above {Proof #5-7} , the verses are addressed saying "HE ALONE HAS THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNSEEN" or say "WITH HIM ARE THE KEYS OF THE UNSEEN" and etc. 

(ii) CONCLUSION 1 : 

Now if Allah and rasool (s.a.w) both knew the knowledge of unseen equally then there is a serious GRAMMATICAL MISTAKE IN THE QURAN BECAUSE BOTH THE WORDS he and Him are used to address a singular Person/Source and if 2 people have the same knowledge then the words should have been "they or us" . Allah has used the royal WE in various verses of the Quran but has never used WE to describe or teach "WHO HAS THE ABSOLUTE ILM E GAEB" even though the Quranic "we" is not a plural we , but a royal we, yet im trying to make a point that how Allah restricted the information of absolute knowledge of the unseen with him by using the singular word Him instead of us or you or lets include (for the sake of argument) "we".

(iii) CONCLUSION 2 :

Now after having read the above , If you (Muslims) don't want to believe that Quran has grammatical errors or that (Naudhubillah) Allah made a mistake then you have no other option but to accept that Allah alone is the source and owner of absolute knowledge of the unseen or make a new Quran....

SOME MORE STRONG PROOFS FROM QURAN

PROOF NO. A

“Say (O Muhammad), “I have no power to benefit myself, or harm myself. Only what God wills happen to me. If I KNEW THE FUTURE, I would have increased my wealth, and no harm would have afflicted me. I am no more than a warner, and a bearer of good news for those who believe.” [Quran - 7:188 ]

PROOF NO. B

Say (O Muhammad), “I am not different from other messengers, I have NO IDEA what will happen to me or to you. I only follow what is revealed to me. I am no more than a profound warner.” [Quran - 46:9]

PROOF NO. C

On the Day when Allah will gather the Messengers together and say to them: "What was the response you received (from men to your teaching)? They will say: "We have no knowledge, verily, only You are the All-Knower of all that is hidden (or unseen, etc.)." [Quran 5:109]

PROOF NO. D

"And I do not say to you that with me are the Treasures of Allah, "Nor that I know the Ghaib (unseen); "nor do I say I am an angel, .... [Quran 11:31]

PROOF NO. E

This is of the news of the unseen which We reveal unto you (O Muhammad SAW), neither you nor your people knew them before this. So be patient. Surely, the (good) end is for the Muttaqun (righteos people). [Quran 11:49]

PROOFS FROM AUTHENTIC HADITH

It was narrated from Jubayr ibn Mut’im that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allaah, which part of the land is worst? He said: I do not know.” When Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to him he said: “O Jibreel, which part of the land is worst?” He said: “I do not know, until I ask my Lord, may He be glorified and exalted.” Jibreel (peace be upon him) went away, and stayed away for as long as Allaah willed that he should stay away. Then he came and said: “O Muhammad, you asked me which part of the land is worst and I said I did not know. I asked my Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, and He said: Its markets.”

[Narrated by Ahmad (16302); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb (325)]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I DO NOT KNOW whether Tubba’ was a Prophet or not, and I DO NOT KNOW whether Dhu’l-Qarnayn was a Prophet or not.”

[Narrated by al-Haakim and al-Bayhaqi; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 5524].

Narrated Hazrat Ibn Umar (r.a.a): The Prophet (pbuh) said, "The keys of the unseen are five and none knows them but Allah: (1) None knows what is in the womb, but Allah: (2) None knows what will happen tomorrow, but Allah; (3) None knows when it will rain, but Allah; (4) None knows where he will die, but Allah (knows that); (5) and none knows when the Hour will be established, but Allah."

[Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 93, Number 476]

It was narrated that al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered upon me on the day of my wedding and sat on my mattress as you are sitting now, and young girls were beating the daff and singing about their fathers who had been killed at the battle of Badr, until a girl said, “And among us is a Prophet who knows what will happen tomorrow.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not say this, but say the other things that you were saying.”

[Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3700]

In a sound Hadith recorded in al-Bukhari from" 'Ayisha (R.a) that Masrooq said to Ayisha (R.a): O mother (of believers!) Did Muhammad (Saw) see his Lord? She said: 'Your saying makes my hair stand on end! Know that if somebody tells you one of the following three things, he is a liar: whoever tells you that Muhammad (Saw) saw his Lord, is a liar. Then she recited 'No vision can grasp Him, but He grasps all vision. He is The Most Subtle and Courteous', Well-acquainted with all things" .{No vision can grasp Him, but His Grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Subtle and Courteous, Well-Acquainted with all things.} [6:103]. {It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by Revelation, or from behind a veil …} [42:51].

Ayisha (R.a) further said: "And whoever tells you that the Prophet (Saw) knew what is going to happen tomorrow, is a liar" , she then recited: {… No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, …} [31:34].She added: "And whoever tells you that the Prophet (Saw) concealed (some of His orders), is a liar" . Then she recited: {O Messenger (Muhammad (Saw))! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord. …} [5:67].

In Sahih Muslim, Ayisha (Ra) said: "And whoever pretends that the Prophet (Saw) tells what is going to happen tomorrow, is a big liar"

Salma Bin Wakoo’says:

كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في قبة حمراء، إذ جاءه رجل على فرس عقوق يتبعها مهره، فقال: من أنت؟ قال:"أنا رسول الله"، قال: متى الساعة؟ قال:"غيب، ولا يعلم الغيب إلا الله، قال: فما في بطن فرسي؟ قال:"غيب، ولا يعلم الغيب إلا الله"، قال: فأعطني سيفك؟ قال:"ها"، فأخذه، فسله ثم هذه، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:"إنك لن تستطيع الذي أردت"، ثم قال:"إن هذا أقبل، فقال آتيه فأسأله , ثم آخذ سيفي فأقتله"فغمد السيف

while The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was sitting in a red color canoy a man suddenly appeared, who was riding a pregnant horse whose calf was walking behind it. As soon he arrived he said, who are you, The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said: “I am the Messenger of Allah. He asked: When is the Hour? The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said: This is from the knowledge of unseen and Allah knows the unseen. He asked: What is my Horse pregnant with? The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said: This is from the knowledge of unseen and Allah knows the unseen. He said: Give me your sword. The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said: Hold it. He took out the sword from the scabbered and raised it in the air. The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said: You will not be able to do what you intend to. Then The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said: This person came with the intention that he would ask questions first and then he would kill me, and then he put the sword in the scabbered”.

[ MUSTADRAK AL HAKIM: 8/1, MU’JAMUL KABEER TABARANI: 18/7, WA’SIYAQ LAHU, MUSNAD RUÝANI: 1148, CHAIN SAHEEH]

This hadith is graded Saheeh by Imam Hakim. Hafiz Dhahabi has declared it Saheeh upon the condition of Muslim- Hafiz Haithimi said:

رجاله رجال الصحيح

(MAJMA’AZ ZAWAID: 227/8, Via http://islaahh.wordpress.com/2012/11/13/ilme-ghaib-knowledge-of-unseen/) 

Prophet Muhammad SAW said: I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount (Kauthar) and some men amongst you will be brought to me, and when I will try to hand them some water, they will be pulled away from me by force whereupon I will say: 'O Lord, my companions!' (In some narrations the words are my followers or from my ummah) Then the Almighty will say: 'You do not know what they did after you left, they introduced new things into the religion after you'.

[Sahih Bukhari: Kitab ul Fitan] 

An Objection raised to the above hadeeth , wherein some people say " If the prophet (s.a.w) didn't have absolute 'Ilm e gayb , then how would he know that there will be people on the day of Qiyamah who will be driven away from him? 

Now, as pleasing as this sounds, the matter of fact is that this is a very futile and weak argument. When tahir ul Qaadri posed such an argument, Shaykh Abu Zaid Zameer (may allah preserve him) replied to this by counter questioning as " If prophet (s.a.w) indeed knew the absolute unseen then why did he (s.a.w) say " some men among you" instead of saying " so and so , such and such man ....?" 

Secondly, I'd like to further support this stance by adding another hadeeth of the same type which is as follows: 

(part of a lengthy hadeeth).... Then I will ask my Lord for permission and He will give me permission, and He will inspire me with words of praise with which I will praise Him, words that I do not know now... [Saheeh  al-Bukhaari, 7510)

As you can see the prophet (s.a.w) knows that he will be inspired but he (s.a.w) does not know with what words will he be inspired.
Compiled by Mohammed Omar Shah .All good is from Allah and all the mistakes are mine. May Allah have mercy on the one who corrects me.