The Knowledge of the Unseen and its effects

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The proof of the Divine tenets Through IntelligenceThe Hadiths about the knowledge of the Unseen

The enlightenment of the apostles and the Imams from the teaching by God about the unseen is above question and its proof has been discussed earlier in our discussion but here we will discuss at length its effects and the boundaries. This is regarded as one of the very difficult issues which have been discussed at great length. There are various hadiths about it and the Ulema and scholars have different views. The following are the questions and doubts raised about it. All these questions about this issue are as follows:

1. The Ulema and thinkers consider all things in the kinetic sense after separating the special ones from God like the five kinds of knowledge that have been mentioned in the end of Surah Loqman and which we have discussed earlier. It is like the existence of God and His names and attributes. The proofs of this statement for this statement are those hadiths that say that this knowledge of the past and future is certain for the Imams and surely this knowledge is before the Messenger.

The late Kuleni has written a chapter entitled, “Surely the Imams have the knowledge of all that has passed and all that will take place in the future and nothing is hidden from them.” (1)

They have this knowledge as per their inherent capacity and quality “Quwa” and not through their manifestations and they are told what they desire to know by God. They represent such tenets that they are able to discern the unseen knowledge. They also have books that tell them about the unseen and this too needs some thought. They know all the secrets that God desires them to know for all that is given to them is vast though secret because of the divine decree.

The proofs of this in the first instance are those hadiths that have been mentioned: Because the infallible Imams know what they desire to know and Kuleni has written a chapter on this entitled “When the Imams desire to know they acquire that knowledge.”(2)

This statement solves many of the problems regarding the apostles and the Imams and one among them is “why did Imam Hasan drink the poisoned water?” and “Why did the 8th Imam eat the poisoned grapes or bananas?’ or “Why did they choose a certain person for leadership?” or “Why was Jacob so worried about his son when his son was destined to be a great person and that the separation between them was decreed to end?” Why and Why?

This may possibly be why it is said that they could know if they desired to know but they knew that God did not inform them either as a trial or as a reason.

We can explain this issue as:

If any person gives a letter to another that contains the names of certain persons or some secrets then the carrier may know about all this without opening the letter but he cannot know until he opens the letter. The person who has been given this letter can if he so desires open the letter and get the information.

The knowledge of the unseen related to the infallible ones is those that are relevant for the guidance of mankind. This is the reason why they are aware of all secrets and knowledge in a kinetic way. They also are aware of the history of the apostles, the problems of the people of past connected with their guidance. The statement which is beyond this purview is not recommended.

There are various hadiths and we have mentioned them that say, “Indeed God is the best judge, the greatest, mighty and fairest and He has prepared the guidance for mankind and he keeps some things secret. (3)

We find in the other hadiths of Imam Jafar Sadiq that he said, “Those who think that God establishes loves among the people in His kingdom and then hides all things that they need from them then they are accusing God falsely.” (4)

All these things denote that they are necessary knowledge for the guidance of mankind.

All the apostles become aware of the unseen but their knowledge is based on a complete system. They know the reasons behind everything though the complete reasons and details are known only to God.

This may be compatible and similar to what Hazrat Ali has said:

“Indeed the Messenger had me write a thousand chapter about that which is banned and that which is permissible and about that has happened in the past and will take place till the Day of Judgment. From each chapter we discern a thousand sub-chapters so they are a million chapters.”(5)

The word “Alfun” represents a number and is also used instead of the word numerous for it denotes the limit of what the Messenger had been taught. The inclusion of these chapters is about the complete tenets and they are not just in hundreds but in thousands of chapters.

The hadith “They know when they want to know” tells us that they can discern the details when they want to

For they refer to the complete tenets that have been taught to them by God through his Messenger and so they learn what they want.

Their knowledge encompasses the entire universe but is attached to the “Tablet that is erased as well as re-written” “Lauhi Mhaw and Isbaat” and God‘s knowledge is all in the Lauhi Mahfuz or the tablet that is secure.

There are two stages of events in this universe. One in which there are no changes for all its causes and effects are always present. So they come to know about all that has passed and all that will take place. The Alim knows them completely and is aware of them. This has been explained in the verses as well as the hadiths through the words’ Ummul Kitaab” and “Lauhi Mahfuz.”

The second stage is non-permanent or in other words it is subject to conditions. The scholar is only aware of the causes of these events but it is possible that he may not know the conditions and the reasons of the causes. So it is not possible to discern such events for they are conditional. This has been termed as “Lauhi Mhaw wal Isbaat”

This is the difference between God’s knowledge and the knowledge of the Prophets.

The knowledge of one (God) is personal and permanent but that of the other is through attachment or the knowledge of the first is an inherent part of his existence but the same cannot be said for the second.

The Last words and the idea of the Prophets and their successors about the unseen is acquired but what difference does it make? We cannot understand it through deliberations what we understand is that God teaches them all that is required. But How and how much?

This is something that we do not know.

There are 6 ways in which the knowledge of the apostles about he unseen and the limitations can be explained.

We have to consider that a book is required to contain the details about the unseen and we propose to submit something else in this discussion (that is to dispel contradictions that often perplex the less learned about that which has been disclosed about the knowledge of the unseen).We will take the best of the idea from all these ideas about it in this discussion.

 


 

1. Usul Kafi vol.1 page 35 in which the late Kuleni has mentioned 6 hadiths and Late Allama Majlisi has explained them in Miratol Oqul vol.3 page 129 to 134
2. Kuleni in Usul Kafi has mentioned 3 hadiths on page 258 of vol.1 and Late Allama Majlisi has mentioned them in Miratol Oqul Vol, 3 page 118.
3. Behar-ol-Anwar vol.26 page 138 hadith 5 (This hadith has also bee n noted a few pages back but with a little difference)
4. Behar-ol-Anwar vol. 26 page 139 hadith 8.
5.Allama Majlisi has written about “And the Messenger taught him a thousand chapters” in 40 chapters recording 82 hadiths. What we have mentioned above is the 6th hadith of Behar-ol-Anwar vol.40 page 113

 

The proof of the Divine tenets Through IntelligenceThe Hadiths about the knowledge of the Unseen
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