Part 5: A Brief Survey: Was Prophet (sal Allau alayhi wasallam) given the Knowledge of Unseen?

From the Layman’s Desk: Islamic Article No.18:

Part 5:  A Brief Survey: Was Prophet (sal Allau alayhi wasallam) given the Knowledge of Unseen?

In the Name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and blessings and peace of Allah upon His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam), his Family and all his Companions.

After having examined a plethora of evidence from the Holy Qur’an and the numerous ahadith, it is well to mention that it is proven from the aforesaid evidence that  Allah Most High bestowed our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) the knowledge of the Ghayb, so it is permissible to say that he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) knows the Ghayb. Hence if someone says that they hold the Prophet to know the Ghayb (Unseen) he is not committing kufr or shirk by holding such a belief. 

It is to be remembered that Allah has bestowed the Ilm-e-Ghayb not only on Ambiya (a.s.) and Awliya Allah but also on other individuals, infants and creatures. Consider the following verses that prove Ilme Ghaib has been bestowed by Allah on His creatures:

1)Bee

‘And your Lord revealed to the bee saying: Make hives in the mountains and in the trees and in what they build…’ (Surah Nahl (16): Verse 68)  The bee receives inspiration about building houses proving that knowledge was bestowed.

2)Ant of Hazrat Sulaiman (a.s.)

‘Until when they came to the valley of the ants, an ant said: O ant! Enter your houses, (that) Sulaiman and his hosts may not crush you while they do not know.’ (Surah Naml (27): Verse 18).  The ant was inspired to make this observation which was a reminder for Hazrat Sulaiman (a.s.) as the next verse proves. Also the ensuing conversation between the ant and Hazrat Sulaiman (a.s.) proves that the ant was blessed with Ilme Ghaib including details of Hazrat Dawood’s (a.s.) real name which Hazrat Sulaiman (a.s.) despite being the son did not know. 

3) Fish of Hazrat Yunus (a.s.)

‘So the fish swallowed him while he did that for which he blamed himself. But had it not been that he was of those who glorify (Us), he would certainly have tarried in its belly to the day when they are raised.’ (Surah Saaffaat (37): Verses 142-144).  These verses prove that the fish was inspired with instructions to swallow Hazrat Yunus (a.s.) and keep him inside until he was among the glorifying ones proving that knowledge was bestowed.

4) Infant in Zulekha’s room

‘…and a witness of her own family bore witness…’

The infant in Zulekha’s room was inspired with Ilme Ghaib and passed a verdict based on divine wisdom that proved Hazrat Yusuf’s (a.s.) innocence and safeguarded his infallibility.

5)Hazrat Musa’s (a.s.) mother

‘And We revealed to Musa’s mothers, saying: Give him suck,then when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear nor grieve; surely We will bring him back to you and make him one of the apostles.’ (Surah Qasas (28): Verse 7).  Hazrat Musa’s (a.s.) mother was inspired by Allah to cast Hazrat Musa (a.s.) in the river. Moreover, she was informed about the child being a Prophet and that he would be re-united with her in future. 

6)Hazrat Maryam: 

‘He said: I am only a messenger of your Lord: That I will give you a pure boy.’ (Surah Maryam (19): Verse 19).  Hazrat Maryam was informed about birth of a son. In fact, Hazrat Imran (a.s.) father of of Hazrat Maryam was informed of Hazrat Esa’s (a.s.) birth a generation before Hazrat Maryam.

So far we have seen instances of animals, children and mothers of Prophets (a.s.) blessed with Ilme Ghaib. Prophets (a.s.) were greater than all these and therefore it must come as no surprise if they were granted Ilme Ghaib.  Earlier we had outlined a few cases of ambiya (a.s.) being recipients of Ilme Ghaib and this is by no means an exhaustive list.

Let’s check out some more hadith shareef regarding the Prophet’s (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) knowledge of unseen:

Hazrat Abu Huraira ® reported:

We were in the company of Allah's Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) that we heard a terrible sound.  Thereupon Allah's Apostle (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) said: Do you know what (sound) is this? We said:  Allah and His Messenger know best. Thereupon he said: That is a stone which was thrown seventy years before in Hell and it has been constantly slipping down and aired in Hell now it has reached its base. [Sahih Muslim 2844 a]

If the prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) informed us concerning the next world this signifies that he knew what is hidden and knowledge of the hidden is known as ‘ilm ul Ghaib.  Everyone knows that our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) knew about the future events up to the Day of Judgment and even after; how else could he have told us about the Mahdi, the Dajjal, the second coming of Jesus, the questions to be asked in the grave, the bridge over Hell which everyone will have to cross to get to Heaven, the mizan (scales) in which everyones' actions shall be weighed etc.

Hafiz Ibn Kathir and Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab an-Najdi write:  

"Suad ibn Qarib recited a poem in front of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): 'I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. Allah has made you the trustee over all the Ghayb' "

[Ibn Kathir, Sirat an-Nabi; and Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, Mukhtasar Sirat ar-Rasul, story of 'Suad ibn Qarib']

Hazrat Ibn `Abbas ®) said: The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) said, "The people were displayed in front of me and I saw one prophet passing by with a large group of his followers, and another prophet passing by with only a small group of people, and another prophet passing by with only ten (persons), and another prophet passing by with only five (persons), and another prophet passed by alone. And then I looked and saw a large multitude of people, so I asked Gabriel, "Are these people my followers?' He said, 'No, but look towards the horizon.' I looked and saw a very large multitude of people. Gabriel said. 'Those are your followers, and those are seventy thousand (persons) in front of them who will neither have any reckoning of their accounts nor will receive any punishment.' I asked, 'Why?' He said, 'For they used not to treat themselves with branding (cauterization) nor with Ruqya (get oneself treated by the recitation of some Verses of the Qur'an) and not to see evil omen in things, and they used to put their trust (only) in their Lord." On hearing that, 'Ukasha bin Mihsan got up and said (to the Prophet), "Invoke Allah to make me one of them." The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) said, "O Allah, make him one of them." Then another man got up and said (to the Prophet), "Invoke Allah to make me one of them." The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) said, 'Ukasha has preceded you." [This hadith is Agreed Upon, i.e. it is mentioned in both Sahih Bukhari and Sahim Muslim at several places.  Additionally, it is also mentioned in Jami’ al Tirmidhi Vol. 4, Book 11, Hadith 2446] 

This is further confirmed by another Mutaffaq ‘Alaih (Agreed upon) hadiths: 

Hazrat Abu Huraira ® reported: The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) said: Seventy thousand (persons) would enter Paradise as one group and among them (there would be people) whom faces would be bright like the moon. [Also mentioned in Ibn Majah Vol. 1, Book 37, Hadith 4286 Jami’ Tirmidhi, Vol. 4, Book 11, Hadith 2437 and Imam Bukhari’s ‘Adab ul Mufrad Book 39, Hadith 5.]

From the above two hadiths too, it is crystal clear that unless the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) had the knowledge of the Unseen he could not have known how many followers would be following each Prophet from their ummah or that 70000 People of His ‘Ummah would be going to the Jannah without rendering accounts.  Similarly, he could have have known the condition of their faces as “bright like the moon”.  

Narrated Hazrat Umm Waraqah ® daughter of Nawfal: When the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) proceeded for the Battle of Badr, I said to him: Messenger of Allah allow me to accompany you in the battle. I shall act as a nurse for patients. It is possible that Allah might bestow martyrdom upon me. He said: Stay at your home. Allah, the Almighty, will bestow martyrdom upon you. The narrator said:  Hence she was called martyr. She read the Qur'an. She sought permission from the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) to have a mu'adhdhin in her house. He, therefore, permitted her (to do so). She announced that her slave and slave-girl would be free after her death.  One night they went to her and strangled her with a sheet of cloth until she died, and they ran away. Next day Umar announced among the people, "Anyone who has knowledge about them, or has seen them, should bring them (to him)." Umar (after their arrest) ordered (to crucify them) and they were crucified. This was the first crucifixion at Medina. [Sunan Abi Dawud 591]

From the above hadith shareef which has been graded as Hasan by the Wahhabi Shaykh Albani, it is clear that in 2nd Hijri at the time of going for the battle Badr Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) had advised Umm Waraqah ® to stay at home rather than join the battle, telling her that she would attain martyrdom at her home itself.  True enough, in 13th Hijri during the Caliphate of Umar ® she was killed and thus martyred at home.  How could Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) know about this unless he had the Ilm-e-Ghayb! 

Next, Hazrat Sa'd ® narrated: I suffered from an illness. The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) came to pay a visit to me.  He put his hands between my nipples and I felt its coolness at my heart. He said:  You are a man suffering from heart sickness. Go to al-Harith ibn Kaladah, brother of Thaqif. He is a man who gives medical treatment. He should take seven ajwah dates of Medina and grind them with their kernels, and then put them into your mouth. [Sunan Abi Dawud 3875)

We note from the above hadith that owing to Ilm-e-Ghayb, Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) diagnosed Sa’d ® illness as disease of the heart just by putting his hand on his chest,  and also prescribed the treatment.   

We also find the following clear-cut hadith, without any ambigious meanings, from Sahih Muslim:  "The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) stated, 'Allah put the earth before me and I saw it from the East to the West'. [Muslim, chapter on 'Excellence of the Prophet']  This hadith is a proof that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was bestowed with the knowledge of the whole world.

The Prophet's "knowledge of all things between the East and the West" is confirmed by the famous narration with a grade of hasan (fair) from al-Bara' ibn `Azib whereby: At the time of the Battle of Ahzab or the battle of the Trench, the Prophet went down to hit a rock with his pick, whereupon he said: "Bismillah" and shattered one third of the rock. Then he exclaimed: "Allahu akbar! I have been given the keys of Syria. By Allah, verily I can see her red palaces right from where I stand." Then he said: "Bismillah," and shattered another third and exclaimed: "Allahu akbar! I have been given the keys of Persia. By Allah, I can see her cities and her white palace right from where I stand." Then he said: "Bismillah" and shattered the remainder of the rock and exclaimed: "Allahu akbar! I have been given the keys of Yemen. By Allah, I can see the gates of San`a' right from where I stand."

Another version of the above is related from Salman al-Farisi.  Ibn Hisham relates it in his Sira through Ibn Ishaq thus: Salman al-Farisi said: "I was digging in one corner of the trench at which time one rock gave me difficulty. Allah's Messenger came near me and saw my difficulty as I was digging. He came down and took the pick from my hands. Then he struck and a great spark flashed under the pick. He struck again and another spark flashed. He struck a third time and a third spark flashed. I said to him: My father and mother (be ransomed) for you, O Messenger of Allah! What is that I saw flashing under the pick as you were striking? He said: Did you see this, O Salman? I said: Yes! He said: The first time, Allah opened Yemen [in the South] for me; the second time, He opened the North (al-Sham) and the West (al-Maghrib) for me; and the third time, he opened the East (al-Mashriq)."

The above two narrations are confirmed by Abu Hurayra's words related by Ibn Hisham in his Sira directly after the above narration: Ibn Ishaq said: A reliable source narrated to me that Abu Hurayra used to say, when these countries were conquered in the time of `Umar and in the time of `Uthman and after `Uthman: "Conquer what comes within your sight. By the One in Whose hand lies Abu Hurayra's soul, you do not conquer any city nor will you conquer any city until the Day of resurrection except that Allah the Exalted gave Muhammad its keys beforehand." 

And all this profusion of knowledge of the Unseen on the part of the Prophet has been characterized by Allah as perspicuity and ability to reveal knowledge of the Unseen in the two verses:

His sight swerved not, nor swept astray. (53:17)

He is not stingy of (his knowledge of) the Unseen. (81:24)

Nor is the Prophet's (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) knowledge after his life in dunya in any way lessened. Rather, the contrary is true, as established in the following hadith:

My life is a great good for you, you will relate about me and it will be related to you, and my death is a great good for you, your actions will be presented to me (in my grave) and if I see goodness I will praise Allah, and if see other than that I will ask forgiveness of Him for you.

[Haythami says in Majma` al-zawa’id (9:24 #91): “al-Bazzar relates it and its sub-narrators are all sound (rijaluhu rijal al-sahih).” Qadi `Iyad cites it in al-Shifa (1:56 of the Amman edition). Suyuti said in his Manahil al-safa fi takhrij ahadith al-shifa (Beirut 1988/1408) p. 31 (#8): “Ibn Abi Usama cites it in his Musnad from the hadith of Bakr ibn `Abd Allah al-Muzani, and al-Bazzar from the hadith of Ibn Mas`ud with a sound (sahih) chain.” Ibn al-Jawzi mentions it through Bakr and then again through Anas ibn Malik in the penultimate chapter of the penultimate section of al-Wafa, and also mentions the version through Aws ibn Aws with a sound chain: “The actions of human beings are shown to me every Thursday on the night of (i.e. preceding) Friday.” See also Fath al-Bari 10:415, al-Mundhiri’s al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib 3:343, and Musnad Ahmad 4:484.]

In Tirmidhi (hasan sahih) and Baghawi in Sharh al-Sunna on the authority of Mu`adh ibn Jabal: The Prophet said: "My Lord came to me in the best image and asked me over what did the angels of the higher heaven vie, and I said I did not know, so He put His hand between my shoulders, and I felt its coolness in my innermost, and the knowledge of all things between the East and the West came to me." 

`Ali al-Qari wrote about this hadith in the chapter on the Prophet's turban in his book Jam` al-wasa'il fi sharh al-shama'il, a commentary on Tirmidhi's Shama'il or Characteristics of the Prophet: Whether the Prophet saw his Lord during his sleep or whether Allah the Glorious and Exalted manifested Himself to him with a form (bi al-tajalli al-suwari), this type of manifestation is known among the masters of spiritual states and stations (arbab al-hal wa al-maqam), and it consists in being reminded of His qualities (hay'atihi) and reflecting upon His vision (ru'yatihi), which is the outcome of the perfection of one's inner detachment (takhliyatihi) and self-adornment (tahliyatihi). 

And Allah knows best about the states of His Prophets and Intimate Friends whom He has raised with His most excellent upbringing, and the mirrors of whose hearts He has polished with His most excellent polish, until they witnessed the Station of Divine Presence and Abiding (maqam al-hudur wa al-baqa'), and they rid themselves of the rust of screens and extinction (sada' al-huzur wa al-fana').

May Allah bestow on us their yearnings, may He make us taste their states and manners, and may He make us die in the condition of loving them and raise us in their group.

al-Qari also said in al-Asrar al-marfu`a: Ibn Sadaqa said that Ibn Zar`a said: "The hadith of Ibn `Abbas [about the Prophet seeing His Lord] is sound (sahih), and no-one denies it except a Mu`tazili" [!]... Ibn al-Humam answered that "this (representation) is the veil of form (hijab al-sura)." It seems that he meant by this that the entire goal can be visualized if it is interpreted as a formal manifestation (tajalli suwari), as it is incontrovertibly absurd to interpret it as a real or literal manifestation (tajalli haqiqi)... for Allah is exalted from possessing a body, a form (sura), and directions with regard to His essence... And if the hadith is shown to have something in its chain that indicates forgery, then fine; otherwise: the door of figurative interpretation is wide and imposes itself (bab al-ta'wil wasi`un muhattam).

Allah Ta’ala states in the Holy Quran: “And the Apostle is a Witness over yourselves.” (Sura al-Baqarah: 144)  Commenting on this Ayah, Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlwi (alaihir rahmah) writes: “The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) is observing everybody, knows their good and bad deeds, and knows the strength of Imaan of every individual Muslim and what has hindered his spiritual progress.” (Tafsir Azizi)

Again, Allah Ta’ala states in the Holy Quran: “How then if I brought from each people a Witness and brought you (O Muhammad) as a Witness against these people”. (Sura al-Nisa: 41)  Regarding verse (4:41) it is written in ad-Dawlaat al-Makiyya p 58 of [Imam] Ahmad Rida Khan that it is proven that “the Prophets know, rather they see and watch over all that which happened and all that which will happen from the first day to the last."  Thus, each Prophet is the witness of his people, which means that he sees everything in connection with those people from beginning to end - which is the precondition of witnessing - and our Prophet is a witness over all of them put together.  According to Tafseer Khaazin, this proves that each Prophet is a Witness for his Ummah, for those who accept Allah Ta’ala and those who reject Him. It also proves that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was present before each Ummah, witnessing their deeds.  On the Day of Qiyamah, when they will be questioned about their deeds, they will deny it. Then, Allah Ta’ala will bring the Final Messenger (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) as a Witness and he will testify because he was present there when they were practising evil.  Imam Khaazin states, “To be a witness means to be ‘Haazir’ or present.” (Tafseer Khaazin) However, here we are not discussing the subject of Haazir wa Naazir. 

Shaykh al-Islam, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, writes:  "One of the qualities bestowed upon a Prophet is the quality that he knows what has already happened in the past and what will happen in the future". [Fath al-Bari, chapter on 'The Anbiya']

Hafiz ibn Kathir and Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab an-Najdi both narrate:

"Malik ibn 'Awf an-Nazri has written a poem about our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and has written:  

'I have not seen any one like you in this world that I can compare with,

Who always fulfill all that he promises.

There is no one more generous than him,

When you ask him something he will inform you of what is going to happen tomorrow' "

[Ibn Kathir, Sirat an-Nabi; and Ibn Kathir & Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab., Muktasar Sirat ar-Rasul, chapter on 'Gazwa Hawazan']

There are many other ahadith that prove that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) does have ilm e ghaib such as when the prophet sal Allahu alayhi wasallam told hazrat Umar ® and hazrat Ali ® about hazrat Owais Qarni, he mentioned all the signs and the way hazrat Owaise Qarni looked despite the fact that Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) had not even met him.  It is significant to note that this information was imparted to hazrat Umar ® and hazrat Ali ® which proves that he had knowledge of the unseen as he never told hazrat Abu Bakar ® or hazrat Uthman ® because he knew that they would never meet him.  

Next, Allah says,'Are they waiting for anything except the Hour, to come to them suddenly? But its Signs have already come!" [Quran 47:18].  The Qur'aan and the numerous ahadeeth have however informed us about various signs which will occur prior to Qiyaamah and which will be indicative of the closeness of the event. It is indeed very unfortunate to note that despite having before us the various warnings and signs regarding Qiyaamah which have been mentioned by none other than Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and handed down to us via the authentic narrations of the noble companions, yet certain people professing to be Muslims attach no importance whatsoever to these teachings.  Broadly, the Minor Signs are from the birth of Rasulullah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) to the time of the appearance of Mahdi (a.s.); whereas the Major Signs are from the appearance of Imam Mahdi to the Blowing of Trumpet by Israfil (a.s.).  We know that there are many ahadith where the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) has described the minor and the major signs of the End of Times or The Hour.  However, discussing those signs would be voluminous and hence just a very few are hinted over here:

For example, some of the signs of the Last Day heralded by our Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) are:

Allah's Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) said: "The Harj (will increase)." They asked, "What is the Harj?" He replied, "(It is) killing (murdering), (it is) murdering (killing)." (Bukhari)  The meaning of harj mentioned in the above hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) is "utter confusion" and "disorder," which is not to be limited to one particular area, but will be widespread throughout the world.

Again, on this topic, the following words of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) have come down to us:  The Hour (Last Day) will not be established until ... earthquakes will be very frequent. (Bukhari)

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said, “The Prophet, peace be upon him, came to us and said, ‘O Muhajirun, (emigrants from Makkah to al-Madinah) you may be afflicted by five things; God forbid that you should live to see them. If fornication should become widespread, you should realise that this has never happened without new diseases befalling the people which their forebears never suffered. If people should begin to cheat in weighing out goods, you should realise that this has never happened without drought and famine befalling the people, and their rulers oppressing them. If people should withhold zakat, you should realise that this has never happened without the rain being stopped from falling; and were it not for the animals’ sake, it would never rain again. If people should break their covenant with Allah and His Messenger, you should realise that his has never happened without Allah sending an enemy against them to take some of their possessions by force. If the leaders do not govern according to the Book of Allah, you should realise that this has never happened without Allah making them into groups and making them fight one another.’ ” [Ibn Majah]

The Holy Prophet (Sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) described conflicts, disorder, murder, war to involve the whole earth, and outbreaks of terror, prevalence of earthquakes, appearances of comets, mass killings  as well as degeneration of morality and profusion of illicit and unnatural sex in the societies, revealing these events thereby as some of the signs of the Last Day.  At  that time the rulers will be tyrants, the ministers transgressors and the trustees embezzlers; Women will be rulers and the concubines will be consulted, and the lie will be considered as cleverness; man will be tyrant to his parents and generous to his friend; and at that time comets will appear;  males will satisfy their lust with males; and females will satisfy their lust with females; and minor boys will be mounted upon like women; and the males will liken themselves to females;  "and at that time the rich of my Ummat will go to pilgrimage for recreation, and the middle class for trade, and the poor to show off"; there will be people who will learn the Qur’an for other than Allah (i.e., for earning worldly benefits)....

Among the major signs of the End of Times, the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) revealed was the coming of Dajjal: 

Hazrat Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri ® said:  Allah's Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) told us a long narrative about Ad-Dajjal and among the many things he mentioned was his saying, "Ad-Dajjal will come and it will be forbidden for him to pass through the entrances of Medina. He will land in some of the salty barren areas (outside) Medina; on that day the best man or one of the best men will come up to him and say, 'I testify that you are the same Dajjal whose

description was given to us by Allah's Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) Ad-Dajjal will say to the people, 'If I kill this man and bring him back to life again, will you doubt my claim?' They will say, 'No.' Then Ad-Dajjal will kill that man and bring him back to life.  That man will say, 'Now I know your reality better than before.' Ad-Dajjal will say, 'I want to kill him but I cannot.' "  [The above hadith is Agreed Upon or Muttafaq alaih, mentioned by both Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim.]

  

This is further confirmed by the hadith narrated by Hazrat Anas bin Malik ®:  The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) said, "Ad-Dajjal will come to Medina and find the angels guarding it. So Allah willing, neither Ad-Dajjal, nor plague will be able to come near it."

[Narrated by both Bukhari and Muslim.  Also in Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2242, Book 33, Hadith 85 and in Al-Muwatta Book 45, Hadith 16.] 

This is again confirmed by the Sahihain reported in several books: 

Hazrat Ibn Umar ® reported that Allah’s Messenger (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) made a mention of Dajjal in the presence of the people and said: No doubt Allah is not one-eyed and behold that Dajjal is blind of the right eye and his eye would be like a floating grape. [Also in Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2241 (Book 33, Hadith 84) Al Muwatta Book 49, Hadith 2]

Hazrat Anas b. Malik ® reported that Allah's Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) said: Dajjal is blind of one eye and there is written between his eyes the word" Kafir". He then spelled the word as k. f. r., which every Muslim would be able to read. [Mentioned by both Bukhari and Muslim in their Sahihs.  Also mentioned by Ibn Majah Vol. 3, Book 21, Hadith 2620; Sunan Abi Dawud 4316 (Book 39, Hadith 26); Tirmidhi Vol. 4, Book 7, Hadith 2245]

From the above ahadith which give the details about Dajjal, his description, and his actions it is clear that all this could not have been known unless Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) had the knowledge of Unseen.

Of course, as we all know, there are ahadith shareef regarding the advent of Mahdi (a.s.) and the second coming of ‘Isa (a.s.).   According  to a Hadith, Imaam Mahdi will appear first, and Hadhrat Eisa alayhis salaam will appear during Imaam Mahdi's lifetime. Imam Mahdi will remain for 7 years during which Islam will spread throughout the world.  According to a hadith, when he passes away, Sayyidunaa Eisa alayhis salaam will lead the Janaazah of Imaam Mahdi alayhis salaam. Furthermore, only Hadhrat Eisa alayhis salaam will be able to kill Dajjaal (the "anti-Christ").  After his descension on earth, Hadhrat Eisa alayhis salaam will marry. He will have children, and he will remain on earth 19 years after marriage. It’s during his time that Yajooj and Majooj will appear.  According to Tirmidhi shareef, he will pass away and Muslims will perform his Janaza Salaat and bury him next to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. 

The beloved Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) has revealed in great details about the signs of the End of Times.  There is overwhelming evidence to show that Allah (swt) bestowed on our Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) tremendous knowledge of the unseen.  Qadi` Iyad in his al-Shifa' fi ma`rifat huquq al-mustafa (The Healing Concerning the Knowledge of the Rights of the Elect One), al-Qastallani in his al-Mawahib al-laduniyya bi al-minah al-muhammadiyya (The Gifts from Allah: the Muhammadan Dispensations), and other scholars of Ahl al-Sunna included in their excellent books on the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) extensive chapters establishing his knowledge of the unseen and future events.

  

In the light of the above evidence, such statements as that of Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab at the end of his leaflet paradoxically entitled "The Three Principles of Oneness" are false whereby:  One who claims to know something from knowledge of the Unseen is a taghut or false deity (Ibn `Abd al-Wahhab, Three Principles of Oneness)! This is utterly rejected as false and gross falsehood spoken against the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) by those who would deny his status and the prerogatives of his rank established by Allah in His speech and by the sound hadith of the Prophet. We seek refuge in Allah from such statements as signify extreme ignorance, indeed enmity to the Prophet and to Allah's Pure Religion.

Continued in Part 6…

NASIR.