None Knows the Unseen but Allah The Exalted
لا يعلم الغيب الا الله وحده, واعتقاد أن أحدا غير الله يعلم الغيب كفر, مع الإيمان بأن الله يطلع بعض رسله على شيء من الغيب.
اعتقاد صدق المنجمين والكهان كفر واتيانهم والذهاب إليهم كبيرة.
الوسيلة المأمور بها فى القران هي ما يقرب إلى الله تعالى من الطاعات المشروعة. والتوسل ثلاثة أنواع:
– مشروع: وهوالتوسل الى الله تعالى بأسمائه وصفاته أوبعمل صالح من المتوسل أوبدعاء الحي الصالح.
– بدعي: وهوالتوسل الى الله تعالى بما لم يرد فى الشرع, كالتوسل بذوات الأنبياء والصالحين أو جاههم أو حقهم أو حرمتهم ونحو ذلك.
– شركي: وهواتخاذ الأموات وسائط فى العبادة ودعائهم وطلب الحوائج منهم والإستعانة بهم ونحو ذلك.
33. None knows the unseen but Allah. Believing that there are ones beside Allah know about the unseen is an infidelity. But we also believe that sometimes Allah some of His messengers to know little of the unseen
34. Believing the oracle and the shaman is an infidelity, whereas coming to them and visiting their places is a major sin.
35. The intermediary that is allowed in the Qur’an is by something that draws a man closer to Allah the Exalted, of obediences that are ordered in shari’a. There are three forms of Tawassul (making intermediaries) :
a). One that is ordered in shari’a, that is tawassul to Allah the Exalted using His beautiful names and attributes, or by righteous deeds that have been done, or by the prayer of the pious, living man.
b). One that is a form of innovation, that is tawassul to Allah the Exalted with something that is not mentioned in shari’a, such as by the prophets and the pious men, by their degree, their honor, and so on.
c). One that is a form of shirk, that is, by making the dead men as intermediaries in worshipping Allah; it includes praying to them, pleading them to fulfill one’s need, asking help from them, etc. (See: “Mujmal Ushul Ahlissunah” by Dr. Nashir al-‘Aql).
Explanation:
The unseen means something hidden to men, of matters in the future, in the past, and every thing that they can’t see. None knows the unseen but Allah alone. Allah the Glorified and Exalted declared:
“Say: “None in the heavens or on the earth has knowledge of the Unseen save Allah. They do not know when they will be raised to life.” (chapter An Naml/The Ant: 65)
Hence, believing that other than Allah knows about the unseen is equal to refusing the Qur’an, thus it is considered as an infidelity.
But sometimes Allah the Glorified and Exalted let some of His messengers whom He allowed see a little of the unseen due to His wisdoms and benefits beneath it. Allah the Glorified and Exalted decreed,
“He is the Knower of the Unseen, and He does not disclose His Unseen to anyone, other than to a Messenger whom He chooses (for the bestowal of any part of the knowledge of the Unseen), whereafter He appoints guards who go before him and behind him, ” (chapter Al Jin: 26-27).
It is important to know that the matters of unseen are classified into two:
The relatively unseen
It means that it’s unseen status is relative, which means that some people might not know it, but some others might.
The unseen means something hidden to men, of matters in the future, in the past, and every thing that they can’t see. None knows the unseen but Allah alone. Allah the Glorified and Exalted declared:
“Say: “None in the heavens or on the earth has knowledge of the Unseen save Allah. They do not know when they will be raised to life.” (chapter An Naml/The Ant: 65)
Hence, believing that other than Allah knows about the unseen is equal to refusing the Qur’an, thus it is considered as an infidelity.
But sometimes Allah the Glorified and Exalted let some of His messengers whom He allowed see a little of the unseen due to His wisdoms and benefits beneath it. Allah the Glorified and Exalted decreed,
“He is the Knower of the Unseen, and He does not disclose His Unseen to anyone, other than to a Messenger whom He chooses (for the bestowal of any part of the knowledge of the Unseen), whereafter He appoints guards who go before him and behind him, “ (chapter Al Jin: 26-27).
It is important to know that the matters of unseen are classified into two:
The relatively unseen
It means that it’s unseen status is relative, which means that some people might not know it, but some others might.
It’s example is when we were residing in place, we didn’t know what was happening in another place; we didn’t know, whether an accident has occurred in that other place or not? But for some people who happened to be there, they would certainly know what had occurred there, such as an accident, or else. The event in that other place was unseen to us, but it was not the case for those who were there. Thus, this kind of unseen is termed the relative unseen.
2. The absolutely unseen
The absolute unseen is the unseen events that no one knows it but Allah alone. For example is as Allah the Exalted decreed in the end of the chapter Luqman as follows:
“Surely Allah alone has the knowledge of the Hour. It is He Who sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs, although no person knows what he will earn tomorrow, nor does he know in which land he will die. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Chapter Luqman: 34)
In this verse, Allah explained that it is He alone that know what is the time of the Hour, when will the rain pour down, what lies inside a woman’s womb, and whether it will be a happy or wretched man? What will a man do tomorrow, and where will his death meet him.
No. 34: The astrology is divided into two kinds:
The first is the Ta’tsir knowledge, that is the science of astrology which teaches the belief that the stars have real influences in the condition of the universe; or it makes the star, planet, and other outer space stuff as a foundation to determine various events on this earth. If one who indulged in it believed that the condition of those stuffs is a factor that absolutely affect the occurrences on the earth, or he believed that the star itself act as the cause of event and evil, then he is stated as a polytheist (converted from Islam). But if he believed that the condition is merely a sign that followed events occurred on earth, then he has done a minor shirk that reduced the perfection of his tawheed. The stars have indeed no effect to what happened on earth. Assumption that the stars have any effect to the events on the earth or to certain person’s life (such as what people named as zodiac), is something considered as saying something on the name of Allah the Exalted without knowledge.
The second is the science of tasyir, that is making the condition of the stars and space object as sign to determine the direction, the qiblah, the end of the summer and winter season, geographical location of a country, and the like. This kind of science is allowed in Islam.
Imam Bukhari -may Allah have mercy on him- mentioned in his book, that Qatada said, “Allah created the stars for three reasons: to adorn the sky, to throw it to the satan, and as a sign used to determine direction (in journey). Whoever turn it’s function out of those functions, has committed mistake, wasting his part, and burdening himself of something he doesn’t know.”
As for the believing the oracle, the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- said,
مَنْ أَتَى عَرَّافًا أَوْ كَاهِنًا فَصَدَّقَهُ بِمَا يَقُوْلُ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ
“Whoever come to an oracle or a shaman, then affirmed his words, then he has defy the Qur’an that is descended to Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- .” (Narrated by Ahmad and Hakim, classed sahih by Sheikh al Albani in his work, “Shahihul Jami’”no. 5939)
A shaman, or in Arabic language a ‘kahin’, is someone who tells people about the unseen in the future.
The matter of Asking the oracle or the shaman contains several things, as mentioned below:
First, merely asking them. It is an unlawful based on the saying of the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- :
« مَنْ أَتَى عَرَّافًا فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ شَىْءٍ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلاَةٌ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً » .
“Whoever came to an oracle, then asked him about something, his prayer wouldn’t be accepted for forty days.” (Narrated by Muslim)
This hadith indicates that visiting the shaman and oracle is indeed a major sin.
Second, asking and affirming their words. This is a form of infidelity, because it is similar to confirming his claim of knowing the unseen, whereas none has knowledge of it but Allah (see chapter an Naml/The Ant:65), also because of the hadith we’ve mentioned above.
Third, asking them to test, whether they lie or not, and not to believe in his saying. Such thing is alright, because the Prophet -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- ever asked Ibn Shayyad, “What are you hiding?”. He replied, ” Ad Dukh (the fog)”, then the Prophet replied, “Woe to you, verily you can’t surpass your limit (of ability).” The Prophet -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- asked him something he hided to test him.
Fourth, asking them to reveal their weakness and lies, such as asking them something that could show their weakness and lies. This is a very good thing to do, even a must to do, because canceling the words of the shaman is something ordered in shari’a.
No. 35: The intermediary that is mentioned in the Qur’an chapter Al Maa’idah : 35 means to perform obedience that Allah has ordered His slaves to do. Hence, it can’t be an argument to affirm the innovation and shirk in tawassul.
Tawassul, or making something as an intermediary, is divided into three kinds: ones allowed in shari’a, ones considered as innovation, and ones considered as shirk.
Tawassul that is allowed in shari’a is as explained previously, by using His names and attributes (see chapter Al A’raaf/The Height: 180). The example of tawassul using Allah’s name, is by saying, “O Allah, Your are Ar Razzaq (The Bestower of Sustenance), so bestow upon me Your sustenance.” Whereas the example of using His attribute is by saying, “I ask you O Allah, by Your mercy that covers everything, to love me and forgive me.”
The example of tawassul by mentioning the righteous deed that one had done is the story of three men who spent their night in a cave, when suddenly a big rock fell and blocked the cave entrance, and each of them prayed by mentioning a righteous deed that they had done (as narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, and others).
The example of tawassul by the prayer of pious, living man is as the deed of the companions, where they asked Prophet Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- to pray to Allah, so that Allah pour down upon them His rain. Or, someone who said to a pious preacher, “Sir, please pray for me so that Allah save me during my journey.”
Remember that the tawassul by the prayer of the pious man is allowed as long as the man to be asked is still alive, and happen to be in front of the one who asks him. But if he is dead, then it is no longer allowed, since after the death of the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-, his companions never came to his grave, but instead, they came to the Prophet’s uncle, ‘Abbas Ibn Abdul Muththalib so that he prayed to Allah to send them His rain (as narrated by al Bukhari).
As for the example of tawassul that is considered as innovation is by mentioning the person of the prophets, the pious men, their position, their right, and their honor, such as the saying, “Bijaahin nabi…etc.” (By the position of the Prophet -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-), “….bi ahlil badri ya Allah.” (by the companions who join the battle of Badr, O Allah)”, and the like.
Whereas the example of tawassul that is considered as shirk, is when someone asked Allah, he also made intermediaries between him and Allah, such as the prophets, the wali, the pious men, or people who he believed to be close to Allah, while in fact, they were already dead, thus he asked and he clung himself to those intermediaries. This practice possesses no difference to the practice of the polytheists, where they worshipped the idols and statues so that those idols and statues -according to them- would draw them closer to Allah (see chapter Az Zumar:3)
Sheikh al Islam Ibn Taimiyya said, ” If you believe in the existence of intermediary between Allah and His creatures, like a veil between a king and his people, where the intermediary would raise the matter of the creatures to Allah, and Allah would only give gifts and sustenances through their hands; Thus men would ask the intermediary, and the intermediary would ask Allah, just as the intermediary in front of a king who would ask him for the common people’s needs, due to his closeness to the king, and men asked the intermediary as a form of their manner (indirectly) to ask to the king, or assuming that their asking to the intermediary was more useful than their direct asking to the king, because the intermediary was closer to the king than they; whoever made them as intermediaries as this case, then indeed, he has became an infidel and polytheist; it is a must to ask him to repent. If he agreed (then people should left him), but if not, he should be killed. Such people has made equality between Allah and His creations, and set up rivals to Allah.” (See: “Majmu’ Fatawa” 1/126).
And Allah knows best, peace and prayer of Allah be upon Muhammad.
Author: Marwan Ibn Musa
References: “Mujmal Ushul Ahlissunnah” (Dr. Nashir Al ’Aql), “Ta’liq Ath Thahawiyyah” (Sheikh Ibn Maani’, Ibn Baz and Sheikh al-Albani), “At Tawassul Anwaa’uhu wa ahkaamuh” (Sheikh al-Albani), “Sharh Ath Thaawiyyah (Sheikh Shalih Al Fauzan),” ’Aqidatut Tauhid” (Sheikh Shalih Al Fauzan), “Al Qaulul Mufiid” (Sheikh Ibn ’Uthaymeen), “Al I’laam Bisyarh Nawaaqidhil Islam” (Abdul ’Aziz Ibn Marzuq Ath Thariifiy), etc.
Article of www.WhatisQuran.com