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:

salaam dera burhan,

may allah bestow your forum best of grace for your fruitful service.

kindly confirm what is ILM-UL HAQIQAT ?according QURAAN MAJID. some sects claim who got ILMULHAQIQAT he got all about creation universal facts and its objects. your forum comments highly appriciated. thanks with regard.vassalaam

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Answer:

What is ilm ul haqiqat?

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.

Ilm-ul-Haqiqat literally means ‘Knowledge of Truth’. It is not an Islamic term which has been used in the Quran and Sunnah, but simply a term concocted by some misguided sects who try to differentiate and confuse their believers by inventing fancy names to knowledge like Ilm-ul-Haqiqat, Ilm-ul-Zaahir, Ilm-ul-Baatin, Ilm-ul-Ladooni, etc. They create these names and then hide behind them when questions are asked regarding the authenticity of their beliefs; and when they are not comfortable with the questions being asked they always bring forth such names and say the common man cannot understand it because it is ‘actually’ from the knowledge of Haqiqat, or Zaahir, or Baatin, etc.

The unscrupulous and evil leaders of the sects who propagate these terms claim that the understanding of all religious Knowledge is their responsibility and monopoly alone; and if the common man wants to know anything about the deen, they must obey and follow them unconditionally! They also make sure and absolutely discourage their followers from ever understanding the Book that contains the biggest and best Knowledge of Truth there is in this Universe: The Al-Quran! And once they have taken the understanding of the Quran out of the system of their followers, these poor helpless people follow and obey whatever their unscrupulous and evil leaders command!

Little do these unscrupulous and self-made leaders of misguided sects understand what severe penalty and punishment awaits them for their evil deeds!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Al-Baqarah verse 174: Indeed those, who conceal the commands that Allah has sent down in His Book and barter them away for paltry worldly gains, fill their bellies with fire. Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He regard them as pure and there is a painful torment for them!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 159: Those who conceal the clear (Revelations) and Guidance We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, on them shall be Allah’s ‘laanah’ and the ‘laanah’ of those who are entitled to curse!

It one sincerely wants to learn and seek the Ilm-ul-Haqiqat or Knowledge of Truth, then one should know that Truth is only and only what is declared by Allah and His Messenger (saws). If any knowledge is not in alignment with the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah, then Allah is our witness, it is guaranteed falsehood!

Thus the only ammunition one needs to confront the unscrupulous and evil scholars who propagate and segregate and divide knowledge into Haqiqat, and Zaahir, and Baatin, and Ladooni, etc. is to arm oneself with the understanding of the Quran and the Sunnah! Allah Subhanah is our witness, every type of knowledge will be absolutely humiliated and defeated when it is confronted with the Knowledge of the Quran and the Sunnah.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 81: And say: "Truth has (now) arrived and falsehood perished: for falsehood is (by its very nature) bound to perish."

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 in Islam,

Burhan