In the very first verse God has described himself as the only knower of the unseen or that he is aware of all that is hidden. He first says He is “The knower of the unseen” and then adds that he bestows knowledge “among the messengers He chooses”. So the Messengers on their own accord do not know anything of the unseen but are taught by Him.

He further says; ‘To save the Messengers from all kinds of evil and disbelief He makes a guard march before and behind him.”

This is the proof of the infallibility of the apostles and stresses that they too are aware of the unseen. The protected by the angels but there are other views about this and one is that “Rasdan” here means the paths that have been created for those who have passed earlier or those who will be coming in the future. The term Mim Baina Yadaiyhi” refers to the past and “Min Khalfihi” is about the hardships or events. It is at times said that this refers to the protection by the angels from the dangers that may occur from the enemies.

There is no doubt that this verse speaks about the knowledge of the unseen of the apostles of God, through His path.

But the sentence, “That he may know that indeed they have

delivered the messages of their Lord.” is connected with that which has come after this verse and is connected also with the preceding verse. The commentators have construed many explanations for the same that are against the meaning of the verse. They construe the “Zamair” and the arrangement of the verses as hidden.

It is evident that the terms “That He may know” and “He encompasses all that is with them and takes account of everything.” revert to God. The term “that they” refers to the His apostles and angle who are entrusted with propagating the message for God must know that his representatives (the apostles) have delivered His message. He has encompassed and numbered all that is before them.

The term “that He may know” dopes not mean that He did not know earlier and then He knew. What it means here is the evidence about it and it is known as the knowledge of the deeds. The aim of having the message was to convey the message externally as well as attain it internally.

So we conclude that the knowledge of the unseen comes from God through His angels and it is to conclude the message of God positively and to establish the ministry of the Messengers. (Reflect deeply)

The second verse denies the knowledge of the unseen for the common people and takes the apostles to be exceptions. It says, “And it is not for God to acquaint you with the unseen but He chooses from His Messengers whom He pleases.”

In the first instance the knowledge of the unseen for the apostles is not evident but if we think upon the words, “but He chooses from His Messengers whom He pleases.” It becomes evident that the apostles are exceptions. So the verse will mean that He chooses some among the apostles and gives them the knowledge of the unseen. (2)

It is correct to assume that the beginning of the verse refers to the incidents that separate the believers from the hypocrites describes what goes on within their hearts but the cause of the revelation does not restrict the meaning of the verse because it refers to the ignorance of the common people about the unseen and it tells us about the knowledge of the same given to the apostles by God.

So we learn that the knowledge of the unseen is for His apostles so that it may help them as a program to attain their goals. (Reflect deeply)

Two Questions

1. This superlative quality is not limited to the Apostles of God and the infallible Imams but includes those righteous persons also who are highly designated for they too are aware of parts of the unseen knowledge. So how is it that the previous verses negate the attainment of the knowledge of the unseen for the common person?

The answer:

We cannot over ride this verse if we consider that the knowledge of the unseen can be construed about the common person also. In other words there is a negation of a vast connotation and it is said to be only for the apostles of God.

It is also construed that this verse has a vast meaning in the sense that the knowledge of the unseen is attributed to all the apostles and angels who have attained this great position through the suppression of desires and through the words and teachings of the infallible ones. They have attained this position by being attached to the apostles and the angles. This is the reason God has limited the knowledge of the unseen for the apostles only

The others took help from it like Mary (the mother of Jesus) and the Sara the wife of Abraham who was given certain news of the unseen by the angels, concerning the birth of Jesus and Isaac and Jacob.

We can also say that the knowledge of the unseen is of three kinds. The first is related to God and no one knows except Him (about the

Day of Judgment), not even the apostles of God, the angels and the close ones.

Secondly, there is the special knowledge that God has bestowed among the chosen and select few (the apostles, angles and the close ones)

The third kind is that knowledge that God has bestowed upon a group of the righteous people who have attained the status of being witnesses for the screens have been removed from their hearts. It has been said about some of the companions of the Messenger and those of the infallible Imams like Salman, Abuzar, Mesum and Rasheed al Hajri etc or those hadiths that are about the great scholars and Alims of our times. The term the chosen among the selected ones will be taken for the first kind and the special ones for the second kind and the common righteous persons for the third kind.

2. It is also possible that the words “Fala Tathir Ala Ghaiba” may be referring to it for the word “Ghaiba” denotes the secrets.

Despite all this we have learned about the god fearing and kindly companions and we have also heard that there were in the times of ignorance people who could speak about the future and the unseen and they were neither believers nor righteous but they too spoke about the unseen things. Then there are the news that are hidden from the people but then certain events manifest them and are discussed later. Is this not against the explanation of the previous verse?

The Answer

We should also pay attention to the point which will give the answer to this question. The prophesies of the seers and their predictions for the future are not always reliable for they are never without doubts. They were sometimes confirmed and most of the times proved to be wrong and there are various examples for it. This is why these news of the future were unreliable and they sometimes admitted that these news came from Satan and his words can never be confirmed.

In other words these ideas come to them through extreme practice and some among them are right while others are wrong like the dreams of man which are at times rightly interpreted and at times wrongly. These information and events can never be taken as the knowledge of the unseen and they are not connected or affected by the explanation of the verse.

The third verse presents the knowledge of the unseen in Jesus as a miracle and there can be no doubt because it is in God’s words:

“And I will reveal what you declare and what you store in your houses.” He further adds: “And I declare what you eat and what you store in your houses surely this is a sign for you, if you believe.”

The Book also narrates that he created a live bird from clay, cured the patients with incurable diseases and raised the dead. The book confirms all the news that he gave as the proof of his ministry as an apostle.

The food that hey had or that which they kept at home was related to their personal life and normally others do not have this information but this knowledge being with some one is the proof of his knowledge of the unseen.

Some commentators have said that both these events are individual and cannot restrict the enlightenment of Jesus for he knew much of the unknown secrets.

Added to what has been said are the enlightening verses of the Qura’n on some events of the future which we can term as the knowledge of the unseen like verse 2 of Surah Rom:

“The Romans have been defeated”

The news of the help to the defeated country in the near future is very clear (within 3 to 9 years). All this is not something that can be commonly understood of encompassed for they are the knowledge of the unseen.

In another instance the Qura’n addresses the Muslims as in verse 27 of Surah Fath and says:

“Indeed God shall fulfill the true vision that He showed to His Messenger. You shall certainly enter the Sacred Mosque if God pleases, in security, heads shaved, some with their hair shortened and without fear; He knew that you did not know; and He has ordained a speedy victory besides this.”

This was said at a time when the polytheists held sway in Makkah and this could be discerned because of the peace treaty of Hudaibiah they had made on their own terms. But this news about the help for the Muslims in future by the Messenger was against the conditions of the time. The entry of the Muslims in Makkah in victory and peace was nothing else but the news about the unseen.

In another instance when the Messenger came to know that the secret he had given to a wife has been disclosed by her to another (wife) even after the oath of secrecy. She asked him, “Who has told you so?” He said as in verse 3 of Surah Tehrim, “The All-knower and the All-aware has told me.”

In the same way when the hypocrites hid their evil deeds and made frivolous excuses for not joining in Jihad for the battle of Tabuk the Messenger told them as described in verse 94 of Surah Tauba:

“Make no excuses for we shall not believe you; God has already informed us about you.”

In the same way God informed the Messenger about the polytheists who were well armed as described in verse 45 of Surah Al-Qamar:

“Their multitude will be put to flight and they will show their backs.”

There is no doubt that at the time these verses were revealed the Muslims were few in numbers while the pagan hordes were large and powerful and normally no help could have been possible but only a little time had passed when these polytheists were routed as in the battle of Badr.

The victory was given to the Muslim and the others fled showing their backs and thus the whole of the Arabian Peninsula came under the flag of Islam within a short period. A similar meaning has come in verses 14 and 15 of Surah Tauba:

“Will you not fight a people who have violated their oaths for they intended to expel the Messenger and attacked you first? Do you fear them? God has more right to be feared if you are believers. Fight against them so that God will punish them through your hands and disgrace them and give you victory over them and heal the breast of the believing people.”

The same meaning is also conveyed in verse 111 of Surah Al Imran when the companions of the Messenger were addressed:

“They will do you no harm barring a trifling annoyance; they will show you their backs if they fight against you and they will not be helped.”

All the des c r i p tions in these verses describe the sure victory of the Muslims and the defeat of the enemies and this is the news that none could confirm in those days.

The same meaning has been conveyed in another style in verse 85 of Surah Qassas. The Messenger was despairing when he left the holy city of Makkah because of the repression by the polytheists. There were great difficulties and the polytheists were powerful and thus were this verse revealed:

“Verily He who has given you the Qura’n will surely bring you back home. Say, “My Lord is aware of him who brings guidance and he who is in manifest error.”

This was a clear prediction when it was evident that the Muslims were very weak so this was nothing but the news from the unseen.

In another verse when the enemies were happy that the family of the Messenger would end and there would be no one to defend religion because everything would depend on his daughter Fatima Zahra. They called him “abtar” or he whose family would end. It was at this time that the Surah Kauthar was revealed with the prediction that he has been granted a great lineage and indeed his enemy would be “abtar” for he will not come to a good end. The Surah says:

“Verily We have granted you Kauthar therefore, turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice for he who angers you will be cut off.”

Today we find that the linage of this great personality through his daughter Fatima Zahra is found in all parts of the world and some among them have spent all their lives in the service of Islam.

Those who used to torture the Messenger have been obliterated and there is no sign of their progeny and no one to remember him.

Their lineage has been eradicated and the Messenger has become the grand sire of a great progeny.

In verse 8 of Surah Nahl we find another of the news of the unseen and it says:

“And horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and as adornment and He creates things of which you have no knowledge.”

The commentators have taken the word, “of which you have no knowledge” to mean the creatures that will be created later or those that human will tame as pets or those necessary creatures that God will create in the future other than the animals but we believe that we live in an era of technology and most work has been simplified as has been suggested by commentators like Maraghi, and Syed Qutub in Fi Zalalol Qura’n and these are the interpretation of the Qura’n in our times. This does not contradict that God has created this matter before creating the human being and the work of man is to arrange it. This is the first.

Secondly, the creation of things out of the existing matter is the talent that God has bestowed on mankind. All this tells us that God has kept certain things for the use of his apostles.

1. We should think that the word “Arrasad” actually or those who try to ambush for they too have the strength to oversee and protect. Sometimes this word is used for pathways but the truth is actually what has been said above. This is according to the author of Maqayis-ol-Loghat and Raghib in Mafuradat.

2. Most commentators take this meaning of the verse as correct but some create frivolous explanations about the knowledge of the unseen by the apostles like the causes for the revelations as found in some commentaries like Ruhul Ma’ani and which is very famous.