Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

Is it true that Rasool Allah(SAW) had complete knowledge of the seen and unseen?  eg. at Shab-e-Mairaj, he saw all the jannati people on his right side and all the hell people on his left side.  How far is this true?  Just in case if this is true,  then this means that Rasool (SAW) knew each and every body's deeds since he knew who was to go to heaven and whoto hell.  If this is correct, then it can be that the Book of Records can be Rasool (SAW) himself as well which Allah connotatively used to describe one of the various attributes of Rasool(SAW)

Wassalam

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Answer:

Did the Prophet Mohamed (saws) have knowledge of the Unseen?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The truth, in light of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger (saws), is that Prophet Mohamed (saws) did not have knowledge of the ‘unseen’.  Whatever news and the knowledge that the Prophet (saws) gave of the unseen, was revealed to him by Allah Subhanah through Revelation on that particular occasion, to help accomplish his mission.   

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 50:Say to them (O Prophet), “ I do not claim that I possess the treasures of Allah, nor that I know the ‘unseen’,  no do I say that I am an angel.   I follow only the Revelations that is sent down to me.”   Then ask them, “Can the blind man and the seeing man be alike?  Do you not consider this?”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 188:Tell them, (O Prophet), “I have no power to bring any good or avert any harm from myself. Only that happens which Allah wills.   Had I the knowledge of the ‘unseen’, I would have acquired many benefits for myself, and would never have suffered any harm.   I am merely a warner, and a bearer of good news to those who believe in what I say.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 11 Surah Hud verse 123:Everything of the  ‘unseen’ in the heavens and the earth is in the Power or Knowledge of Allah Alone, and everything is returned to Him. So serve Him, and put your trust in Him; for your Lord is not unaware of what you are doing.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 27 Surah Naml verse 65:Tell them (O Prophet), “None but Allah has the knowledge of the ‘unseen’ in the heavens and the earth.   And they (your deities) do not even know when they will be raised back to life!”

Thus it is clear from the above aayahs of the Glorious Quran, that none save Allah has the knowledge of the ‘unseen’!   And it would be absurd to assume that Allah has connotatively used the name of the Book of Records (Al Lauh al Mahfoodh) to describe the Last Messenger of Allah (saws).    Allah has never called a book a person, or a person a book, anywhere in the Quran!   

Brother, we must understand that this Quran is a book of guidance, and not a book of hints and riddles, whereby the names of someone are hidden deep inside each aayah!   This is a book which consists of clear guidance, and there is absolutely no crookedness in it.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 89:We have sent down to you this Book, which makes everything plain,  and is a guidance,  blessing and good news to those who have surrendered themselves entirely.

 Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verse 1-3:All praise is for Allah Alone, Who has sent down this Book to His Servant (Mohamed (saws),  and assigned nothing crooked to it.  This Book says everything directly,  so that he may warn the people of the severe chastisement of Allah and give good news to the believers, who do righteous deeds,  that they will have an excellent reward.

Allah says in Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah aayat 185:"Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down: this Book is a perfect guidance for mankind and consists of CLEAR teachings which show the right way and are a Criterion of the Truth and falsehood."

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan