Ilm al-Ghayb

184842

Imam al-Hasan . Ilm al-Ghayb . Sunni-Shi'a

Why did Imam Hassan drink poison knowing that the Imam had knowledge of the unseen and knew he was being given poison? Is this not suicide?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

All the knowledge of the unseen is with Allah (SWT) only as we read in Quran : Say: None in the skies and earth knows all the unseen but Allah) Sura An-Naml, verse 65. Allah (SWT) Grants some of the knowledge of the Unseen to whom He Wants from His most humble servants like the prophets and infallible Imams. That gift of knowing the unseen is according to The Wisdom of Allah and it is never like the Knowledge of Allah which covers everything. Imam Hasan (AS) never committed suicide when he was given the poison. Obviously, he was not aware the it contains a poison.

Wassalam.

178927

Poison . Ilm al-Ghayb . Martyrdom

How is it that many Imams, who we claim had knowledge of the unseen to some extent, were martyred by poison?

Knowledge of the unseen has degrees and it is totally with Allah (SWA) and He grants parts of it to whom He Gifts from His best servants. Allah (SWT) stated is Quran that He Grants to His accepted servants parts from the Knowledge of the unseen. No Prophet had the total knowledge of the unseen like Allah, nor any Infallible Imam, but they had whatever Allah (SWT) Had Gifted them. Imams were unaware about the poison which was given to them despite having great deal of the knowledge of the unseen in other matters. Allah (SWT) Grants whatever He Wants to whomsoever He wants.

'Wassalam.

138978

Knowledge . Prophets . God (Allah) . Ilm al-Ghayb

I understand that Allah (swt) alone has all knowledge of the unseen. But are there people who Allah gives some of that knowledge besides the Prophets (as)?

Yes. All the deputies of the prophets including the twelve successors of the Prophet (SAWA) are gifted part of the unseen as you see in Quran about Aasif ibn Barkhiya who was the deputy of Sulaiman who brought the throne of Bilqis from Yemen to Palestine in less than an eye blink because of the knowledge of the unseen granted to him by Allah.

Allah grants parts of the unseen to His sincere servants depending on their degree in worshiping Allah.

Wassalam.

124269

Knowledge . Future . Imamah . Al-Mufid . Al-Saduq . Ilm al-Ghayb

I have heard that certain classical Shia scholars, such as Shaykh Mufid and Sadooq, denied that the Imams had knowledge of future events and other types of Ilm Ghayb. Is this true?

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 3 years ago

Bismihi ta'ala

I would like to direct you to something I wrote on my website regarding your important question. Although it is long, but it will hopefully explain this misconception in detail.

http://www.sheikh-alsalami.org.au/2021/12/25/twelver-shiism-and-answerin...

With prayers for your success.

101702

Qur'anic Verse . Surat al-Rum . Divine Knowledge . Ilm al-Ghayb

In Surah Rum, why did the verse say that the Byzantines will overcome in three to nine years, according to the Saheeh International translation, instead of giving the exact number of years since Allah SWT has the knowledge of the unseen?

Quran has informed about the future in a miraculous way after the defeat of the Romans. Usually the defeated nations can not stand up strongly in short period to defeat those who defeated them. Allah said in Sura Rum: And after being defeated they (Romans) will defeat (their opponents) within few years Bidh'i بضع سنين which is between three to nine or ten years. The exact number of years was not mentioned because the victory of the Romans on their enemies took few years through many battles and was not in just one year.
'The battles took few years till the Rum defeated their enemies. Quran said: في بضع سنين Within or during few years, which is exactly what happened.

Wassalam.

86587

Imamah . Ilm al-Ghayb

What does it mean to say that the Imams had knowledge of the unseen? Wouldn’t that make a lot of things Haram for them such as drinking or eating something while knowing it had poison in it?

Rebecca Masterton, Dr Rebecca Masterton graduated with a BA in Japanese Language and Literature; an MA in Comparative East Asian and African Literature and a PhD in Islamic literature of West Africa. She has been... Answered 5 years ago

Some Muslims argue that only Allah knows the unseen, and that to claim that a human being, such as the Prophet and Imams (as) knows the unseen is shirk (associating partners with God). However, this accusation arises from a misunderstanding of what constitutes as ‘knowledge of the unseen’ (‘ilm al-ghayb). Here in Nahj al-Balāgha, Imam ‘Alī (as) defines it, by beginning with a prediction of the coming of the Mongol invasion of the Muslim world:

‘I can see a people whose faces are like shields covered with rough-scraped skins. They dress themselves in silken and woollen clothes and hold dear excellent horses. Their killing and bloodshed shall take place freely til the wounded shall walk over the dead and the number of runners-away shall be less than those taken prisoner.’ One of his companions said to him, ‘O Amir al-Mu’minīn, you have been given knowledge of hidden things.’ Whereupon Amir al-Mu’minīn laughed and said to the man who belonged to the tribe of Bani Kalb: ‘O brother of Kalb! This is not knowledge of hidden things (‘ilm al-ghayb). These matters have been acquired from him (namely the Prophet) who knew them. As regards knowledge of hidden things, that means knowledge of the Day of Judgment, and matters touched upon by Allah in the verse, ‘Verily, Allah is He with Whom is knowledge of the Hour’ (31:34). Therefore, Allah alone knows what is there in the wombs, whether male or female, ugly or handsome, generous or miserly, mischievous or pious, and who will be fuel for Hell and who will be in the company of the Prophets in Paradise. This is the knowledge of hidden things, which is not known by anybody except Allah. All else is that whose knowledge Allah passed on to his Prophet and he passed it on to me, and prayed for me that my chest may retain it and my ribs may hold it.’ (Sermon 127, p. 304)

• This is confirmed by the verse in the Qur’an: ‘(He alone is) the Knower of the Unseen, neither does he reveal His secrets unto any (one else) save unto one of the Messengers that He chooses.’ (72:26-27)

Elsewhere in al-Kafi, the Imams clarify that only Allah (swt) knows the unseen, but when He wishes for them to know something, then He makes it known to them. Once it is made known, it is no longer classified as 'knowledge of the unseen ('ilm al-ghayb).'