بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

‘Ghaib’ is an Arabic word which means unseen or hidden from observation. Example of ‘ghaib’ is knowledge of future. Those things which can be observed with instruments or predicted accurately on the basis of science are not ‘al-ghaib’.

2:3 الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ

(The believers) who believe in al-ghaib/unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.

Allah cannot be seen or observed. The believes believe in Allah on the basis of circumstantial evidence, i.e the evidence of the Creator in every created thing of the Universe and signs with-in themselves as well.

27:65 قُل لَّا يَعْلَمُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ۚ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ

Say, none in the heavens or on earth, except Allah, knows what is the Ghaib/unseen, nor can they perceive when they shall be raised up.

Of all the people in the heavens and earth, nobody knows the knowledge Al-ghaib, except Allah and they don’t know when they will be raised up (again).

In order to expel the notion that the messengers of Allah have knowledge of the ‘Al-ghaib’, Allah asks the messenger (pbuh) to declare that he does not have this knowledge and he only follows what is revealed to him.

6:50 قُل لَّا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَىٰ وَالْبَصِيرُ ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَفَكَّرُونَ

Say, “I do not tell you that with me are the treasures of Allah, nor do I know what is the Ghaib/hidden, nor do I tell you I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me.” Say. “can those who see, be equal to those who do not see ?” Will you then ponder?

Furthermore the messenger (pbuh) declares that had he known the knowledge of Al-ghaib, he would have gathered a lot of goodness and would avoid misfortunes coming his way, as a common man would do.

7:188 قُل لَّا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ ۚ إِنْ أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

Say. “I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah wills and If I had knowledge of the ghaib/unseen, I should have collected from the good things, and no harm should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith.”

No one knows what the next day will entail for him and no one knows on which land he will die until he comes to face it.

31:34 إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah. It is He, who sends down rain and knows what is in the wombs. Nor does any one know what it is that he will earn tomorrow, nor does any one know, in what land he will die. Verily Allah is knowledgeable and acquainted (with all things).

Allah asks the messenger (pbuh) to proclaim to people that he does not know what will be done with him or with other people. He only follows what is inspired to him and what is inspired to the messenger is Al-Quran (12:3) and the spirit of Al-Quran (42:52) which he conveys to the people. Spirit of Al-Quran is the intention/meaning of the Word of God (Please see the post on Ar-Rooh/the Spirit).

46:9 قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعًا مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلَا بِكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

Say (O’ Messenger) “I am no bringer of new doctrine among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a warner open and clear.”

The knowledge given to the messengers is limited, Infact the knowledge given to the whole mankind is very limited (17:85). They don’t have knowledge how people have actually responded to them. They confess to Allah, that He only knows the ‘ghaibs’.

5:109 يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ الرُّسُلَ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَا أُجِبْتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ

One day when, Allah will gather the messengers together, and ask. “What was the response ye received (from men to your teaching)?” They will say. “We have no knowledge, it is You Who knows full all that is hidden.”

Allah reveals to the messenger, the information previously hidden to him and his nation in the Book of Allah. The Spirit of the Word of God is revealed to the messenger to propagate the message of Allah to the people.

11:49 تِلْكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهَا إِلَيْكَ ۖ مَا كُنتَ تَعْلَمُهَا أَنتَ وَلَا قَوْمُكَ مِن قَبْلِ هَٰذَا ۖ فَاصْبِرْ ۖ إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

These are from of the news of the Al-ghaib, which We have revealed into you. You and your nation, did not know about them before. So persevere patiently, for the hereafter is for those who take guard.

The trustworthy Sprit (Rooh ul ammeen) who comes with the will of Allah to the human prophet, reveals the true sprit/intention of the Words of Allah to the prophet. This revelation, reveals the true meaning of the Word of Allah to the prophet which were not known before to the prophet or to his nation. The prophet does not hold back the knowledge thus gained, from the people.

81:19-24 إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ ذِي قُوَّةٍ عِندَ ذِي الْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍ مُّطَاعٍ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍ وَمَا صَاحِبُكُم بِمَجْنُونٍ وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ بِالْأُفُقِ الْمُبِينِ وَمَا هُوَ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ بِضَنِينٍ

Surely this (Al-Quran) is the saying of an honorable messenger, endued with power, with rank before the Lord of the Throne. With authority and trustworthy, and (O people!) your companion is not one possessed, and without doubt he saw him in the clear horizon, neither does he withholds the knowledge of the ghaib/unknown.

When Allah reveals something from the ‘ghaib/unknown’ to a messenger of His choice, He makes sure that this knowledge is properly conveyed by the messenger.

72:26-28 عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا لِّيَعْلَمَ أَن قَدْ أَبْلَغُوا رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ وَأَحْصَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عَدَدًا

He (Allah) knows the Ghaib/Unknown. He does not make any-one acquainted with His ghaib/unknown, except with a messenger, whom He accepts then He places (protective) watchers front and behind him, so that He may know that they have (truly) delivered the messages of their Lord and He surrounds all that are with them, and He has taken account of every thing.

The messenger gets part of the news of ‘al-ghaib’ from revelation of the Book, to be conveyed to the masses, he himself has not witnessed nor was present when the events had occurred.

3:144 ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۚ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُونَ أَقْلَامَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ

This is part of the news of the unseen (ghaib), which We reveal unto you by inspiration (O’ Mohammad). You were not with them when they were casting their pens, as to who should be charged with the care of Mary, nor were you with them when they were disputing (the point).

There is a narration in Al-Quran about prophet Moosa (a.s) and a servant of Allah in sura Al-Kahaf the eighteenth sura. In this narration, Moosa (a.s) meets a servant of Allah who was bestowed knowledge from Allah on certain events which were to occur in future and no-one could have predicted them. This servant of Allah carried out orders of Allah not on his own accord, but according to the orders of Allah in order to help the good people within the worldly constraints. This servant of Allah was asked to carry out certain task by Allah and was provided explanation of these tasks by Allah in the form of what is going to happen in future.

18:65 فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا قَالَ لَهُ مُوسَىٰ هَلْ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَىٰ أَن تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمْتَ رُشْدًا قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صَبْرًا وَكَيْفَ تَصْبِرُ عَلَىٰ مَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ خُبْرًا قَالَ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُ صَابِرًا وَلَا أَعْصِي لَكَ أَمْرًا

So they both (Moosa and his companion) found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed mercy from Us and whom We had taught knowledge from Our nearness. Moosa said to him. “May I follow you, in that you teach me something of the wisdom which has been taught to you?” He said. “Verily you will not be able to bear with me” “And how can you have patience about which your understanding is not complete?” Moosa said. “You will find me, if Allah so wills, (truly) patient, and I shall not disobey you in orders.

Allah does not share His Hukm/Command with anyone. All carry out His commands.

18:26 قُلِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُوا ۖ لَهُ غَيْبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ أَبْصِرْ بِهِ وَأَسْمِعْ ۚ مَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا يُشْرِكُ فِي حُكْمِهِ أَحَدًا

Say. “Allah knows best how long they stayed,  with Him is the unseen knowledge of of the heavens and the earth,  He sees and He hears (everything)! They have no protector other than Him; nor does He share His Hukm/Command with anyone whatsoever.

This narration tells us that Moosa (a.s) a high ranking prophet of Allah did not know about the events of future, therefore confirming that the rank of prophet-hood does not mean that the prophet knows the knowledge of future.