{"id":3911,"date":"2026-09-15T11:06:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T11:06:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alfaqr.net\/en\/?p=3911"},"modified":"2026-09-15T11:15:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T11:15:52","slug":"the-knowledge-of-the-exalted-prophet-%ef%b7%ba-and-sufi-reasoning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alfaqr.net\/en\/the-knowledge-of-the-exalted-prophet-%ef%b7%ba-and-sufi-reasoning\/","title":{"rendered":"The Knowledge of the Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa) and Sufi Reasoning"},"content":{"rendered":"
Author: Mufti Muhammad Manzoor Hussain<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Everything in the universe, whether manifest to human beings or hidden from them, is known to Allah Almighty, for He alone is the Knower of the unseen and the seen (‘\u0101lim ul-ghayb wa al-shah\u0101dah<\/em>) (Qur’an, 6:73). He knows everything that is concealed and everything apparent. Not even the secrets concealed within human hearts are hidden from Him, as Allah Almighty Himself declares:<\/p>\n

“Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing of what is in the breasts.” (Qur’an, 3:119)<\/p>\n

A comprehensive study of the Glorious Qur’an reveals two distinct categories of verses concerning knowledge of the unseen (‘ilm ul-ghayb<\/em>). The first comprises those verses in which Allah Almighty has reserved this knowledge exclusively for Himself. Allah Almighty declares:<\/p>\n

“Say: \u2018No one in the heavens and the earth knows the Unseen (of his own accord) except Allah. ” (Qur’an, 27:65)<\/p>\n

The second category comprises those verses in which the knowledge of the unseen granted to the Prophets (A.S.) is specifically mentioned:<\/p>\n

“And (O people!) Allah will not inform you of the Unseen, but Allah chooses from His messengers whom He pleases (to receive the knowledge of the Unseen).” (Qur’an, 3:179)<\/p>\n

One distinction must be kept firmly in mind. In the first verse, knowledge of the unseen refers to Allah Almighty’s Self-attribute. In the second, what is granted to the Prophets (A.S.) is a knowledge that flows from Allah Almighty’s special bestowal and favour, not from any inherent or independent capacity.<\/p>\n

Let us have a look on the word \u2018ghayb\u2019. <\/em>The Arabic word for the unseen (gh\u0101yib)<\/em> is a verbal noun derived from gh\u0101ba yagh\u012bbu<\/em>, denoting anything hidden from the eye. Imam Ibn Manzur al-Afriqi writes in Lis\u0101n al-‘Arab<\/em> under this entry:<\/p>\n

“Everything that is hidden from you is unseen (gh\u0101yib<\/em>). Imam Abu Ishaq, in his commentary on the phrase ‘they believe in the unseen’ (yu’min\u016bna bil-ghayb<\/em>), explained that the unseen is that which was concealed from the God-fearing and of which the Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa) informed them, such as resurrection after death, Paradise, Hell and every other matter hidden from them of which the Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa) gave them knowledge.”[i]<\/a><\/p>\n

Imam Zubaidi records the same understanding in T\u0101j al-‘Ar\u016bs<\/em>, adding:<\/p>\n

“Knowledge of the unseen is a defining quality of prophethood. Without it, the concept of prophethood cannot be complete, because the very meaning of the word prophet (nab\u012b<\/em>) brings tidings of what is hidden.”[ii]<\/a><\/p>\n

He further writes while explaining the term nab\u012b<\/em>:<\/p>\n

“The Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa) conveys tidings regarding Dhat<\/em> of Allah Almighty. Indeed, Allah Almighty made him aware of His divine Oneness (taw\u1e25\u012bd<\/em>) and apprised him of the unseen.”[iii]<\/a><\/p>\n

Various terms are used in relation to awareness of hidden realities: knowledge (‘ilm<\/em>), the unseen (gh\u0101yib<\/em>), spiritual unveiling (kashf<\/em>) and spiritual witnessing (mush\u0101hadah<\/em>). From the Sufi perspective, access to what is hidden belongs entirely to the spiritual dimension. No physical eye has ever seen Allah Almighty, no ear has heard His speech, no hand has touched Him, for He is wholly exalted and free from all such comparisons.<\/p>\n

The same spiritual reality applies to the Glorious Qur’an. It was transferred from the Preserved Tablet to the Guarded Tablet (Law\u1e25-e-Ma\u1e25f\u016b\u1e93<\/em>). Who saw the original Tablet? Who read the Guarded Tablet? Who beheld the form of Honourable Jibril (A.S.), or witnessed the sacred heart upon which the revelation descended? The entire matter, from beginning to end, belongs to the realm of the inwardly unseen.<\/p>\n

This is precisely why the Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa) said to Honourable Aisha Siddiqa (R.A.):<\/p>\n

“O Aisha! Verily my eyes sleep, but my heart does not sleep.”[iv]<\/a><\/p>\n

Honourable Mu’adh ibn Jabal (R.A.) narrates in Sunan al-Tirmidhi<\/em>:<\/p>\n

“One day the Exalted Prophet (\ufdfa) arrived for the dawn prayer (\u1e63al\u0101t al-fajr<\/em>) near the time of sunrise and led it quickly. He then said: ‘Today, after the night vigil prayer (\u1e63al\u0101t al-tahajjud<\/em>), I fell into a deep sleep and saw my Lord in the most beautiful form. Allah Almighty said: O Muhammad (\ufdfa)! I replied: Here I am, O my Lord! He asked: What are the exalted assembly of angels (al-mal\u0101’ al-a’l\u0101<\/em>) disputing about? I said: I do not know.’ He repeated this three times. Then:<\/p>\n

\u2018I saw my Lord. He placed His hand of power between my two shoulders, and I felt its coolness in my chest. Everything in the universe became illumined for me, and I came to recognize all things\u2019.\u201d[v]<\/a><\/p>\n

Mulla Ali Qari comments on this blessed tradition:<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil I felt the coolness, meaning the effect, of Allah Almighty’s sacred hand within my chest, that is, in my pure heart. Then everything became illumined, meaning everything became unveiled and manifest to me, including whatever matters Allah Almighty willed to make known to me, whether the higher sciences or the lower sciences, and in particular the degrees and expiations of the elevated angelic assembly (al-mal\u0101’ al-a’l\u0101<\/em>),’ which are: walking to the mosque for congregational prayer, remaining for remembrance of Allah (dhikr<\/em>) after prayer, perfecting the ablution (wu\u1e0d\u016b’<\/em>), feeding others, speaking with gentleness, offering night prayer when others are at rest, excelling in acts of goodness, abandoning what is forbidden, and loving the poor.\u201d[vi]<\/a><\/p>\n

Note: In Sunan al-Tirmidhi<\/em>, these matters are mentioned as those concerning which the elevated angelic assembly was disputing regarding their degrees and expiations.<\/p>\n

Imam Ibn Hajar states that this means:<\/p>\n

“I recognised every single thing with complete clarity. Nothing whatsoever remained hidden or concealed from me.”[vii]<\/a><\/p>\n

Several significant realities emerge from this blessed tradition:<\/p>\n