The Holy Quran and The Sciences of Nature

The Holy Quran and The Sciences of Nature60%

The Holy Quran and The Sciences of Nature Author:
Publisher: Islamic Propagation Organization
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The Holy Quran and The Sciences of Nature

The Holy Quran and The Sciences of Nature

Author:
Publisher: Islamic Propagation Organization
English

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought


1

Part 3: Philosophy of Science,A Qur’anic Approach

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent

The Aim of Understanding Nature

Nature means the physical world, which is, the world with which we come into contact through our senses. In the Holy Qur’an, there are more than750 verses in reference to the natural phenomena. In most of these verses, the study of the book of creation and the meditation upon its contents has been recommended.

As confirmed by many outstanding Islamic scholars, the Qur’an is not a book of natural science, but rather, one of guidance and enlightenment.

The Qur’anic reference to the natural phenomena is meant to call man’s attention to the mighty and glory of the Wise Creator of the universe through quest and meditation upon the natural beings and to encourage him to strive to be in close proximity to Him.

From the viewpoint of the Qur’an, natural phenomena are signs of the Almighty, and any understanding of nature is analogous with understanding the signs through which we attain cognition of the Lord of signs:

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُمْ مَوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“And one of the signs is He created mates for you from yourselves in which you may find rest in them, and He put between you love and compassion, most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect.” (30:21)

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ يُرِيكُمُ الْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنَزِّلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَيُحْيِي بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

“And one of His signs is He shows you the lightening for fear and for hope and sends down water from the clouds, then gives life therewith to the earth after its death; most surely there are signs in this for a people who understand.” (30:24)

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِلْعَالِمِينَ

“And one of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your tongues and colours; most surly there are signs in this for the learned.” (30:22)

From the Qur’anic viewpoint, understanding nature is not a fruitful undertaking except when it helps us to understand the Wise Creator of this world and to attain close proximity to Him. Understanding nature can promote man’s insight towards the cognition of Allah and enables him to better utilize the gifts of Allah for his own eternal felicity and well-being.

The Possibility of Understanding Nature

In the Qur’an, there are many verses inviting man to study nature:

قُلِ انْظُرُوا مَاذَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

“Say, ‘Consider whatis it which is in the heavens and the earth... ’” (10:101)

وَفِي الْأَرْضِ آيَاتٌ لِلْمُوقِنِينَ

وَفِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ

“And in the earth there are signs for those who are sure, and in your own souls (too); will you not then see.” (51:20 - 21)

قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ بَدَأَ الْخَلْقَ

“Say, ‘Travel on the earth and see how He made the first creation.’” (29:20)

فَلْيَنْظُرِ الْإِنْسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ

“So let man consider of what he is created.” (86:5)

These verses show this understand nature is possible; otherwise, He would not have recommended its study.

From the following verses, too, we realize man has been endowed with the talent of cognition and he has to exploit this faculty to the best of his ability:

وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا

“And He taught Adam all the names.” (2:31)

عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

“Taught man what (he) knewnot. ” (96:5)

وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

“And Allah has brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers - you did not know anything - and He gave you hearing and sight and hearts to give thanks.” (16:78)

Moreover, the Qur’an promises:

سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ

“We will soon show themOur signs in the universe and in their own souls, so it will become clear unto them He is indeed the truth.” (41:53)

وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ سَيُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِهِ فَتَعْرِفُونَهَ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

“And say, ‘Praise be to Allah, He will show you His signs so you shall recognize them, nor isyour Lord heedless of what you do.” (27:93)

These verses indicate human beings will eventually come to have a better understanding of the truth about the universe.

The Main Issues in Understanding Nature

Although from the viewpoint of the Qur’an, the ultimate goal in understanding nature is to comprehend and approach God, yet there are certain subsidiary goals, the apprehension of which may be considered as preliminary steps towards this ultimate goal.

These are the issues in connection with natural phenomena, and are pointed out in the Holy Qur’an. We are going to classify them into three groups:

1. Origin and Evolution of Beings and Phenomena

أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ

“Do those who disbelieve not see the heavens and the earth were closed up, butWe have opened them, and have made of water everything living...” (21:30)

أَلَمْ تَرَوْا كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورًا وَجَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ سِرَاجًا

“Do you not see how God has created the seven heavens one above another, and made the moon therein a light, and made the sun a lamp?” (71:15 - 16)

الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنْسَانِ مِنْ طِينٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهُ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ مَهِينٍ ثُمَّ سَوَّاهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِهِ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ قَلِيلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ

“Who made good everything in which He has created, and He began the creation of man from dust. Then he made His progeny of an extract of water held in light estimation. Then he made him complete and breathed into him of His spirit and made for you the earth, and the air and the hearts. Little is it you have thanks.” (32:7 - 9)

أَفَلَا يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى الْإِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ وَإِلَى السَّمَاءِ كَيْفَ رُفِعَتْ وَإِلَى الْجِبَالِ كَيْفَ نُصِبَتْ وَإِلَى الْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ

“Will they not then consider the camel, how they are created and the heaven, how it is reared aloft, and the mountains, how they are firmly fixed, and the earth, how it is made a vast expanse?” (88:17 - 20)

All these verses indicate we should attempt to discover the origin and evolution of beings, as this will help in enhancing man’s faith and expediting his proximity to Allah.

In some verses of the Qur’an, certain natural phenomena are mentioned as indications of the Resurrection:

أَوَلَيْسَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَىٰ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُمْ بَلَىٰ وَهُوَ الْخَلَّاقُ الْعَلِيمُ

“Is not He who created the heavens and the earth, able to create the like of them? Yea! And He is the Creator (of all), the Knower.” (36:81)

وَاللَّهُ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَسُقْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٍ مَيِّتٍ فَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا كَذَٰلِكَ النُّشُورُ

“And God is He who sends the winds so they raise a cloud, then we drive it on to a dead country, and therewithWe give life to the earth after its death, even so are the uprising.” (35:9)

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِنَ الْبَعْثِ فَإِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ

الْأَرْضَ هَامِدَةً فَإِذَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ وَأَنْبَتَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ

“Oh people, if you are in doubt about the Resurrection, then surely We created you from dust, then from a small life-germ, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh, complete in make and incomplete...and you see the earth’s sterile land, but when We send down on it the water, it stirs and swells and brings forth of every kind of beautiful herbage.” (22:5)

2. The Discovery of Order, Coordination and Purpose in Nature

Many of the verses in the Qur’an mention the existence of order, co-ordination, and purpose in nature as evidences confirming the existence of the Wise, Omniscient Creator. These verses can be classified into several groups:

a) Some verses specify the creation of the heavens and the earth was not in vain, but had indeed some purpose behind it. For example:

وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ

“And He it isWho has created the heavens and the earth in truth...” (6:73)

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَاعِبِينَ

“AndWe did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them for sport.” (21:16)

أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ

“What! Did you then thinkWe had created you in vain and you shall not be returned to Us?” (23:115)

b) It is mentioned in some verses in which events follow a natural course for a certain pre-determined period:

أَوَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ النَّاسِ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّهِمْ لَكَافِرُونَ

“Do they not reflect within themselves: Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them but in truth, and (for) an appointed term? And most surely most of the people are deniers of the meeting of their Lord.” (30:8)

اللَّهُ الَّذِي رَفَعَ السَّمَاوَاتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا ۖ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ ۖ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى ۚ يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ يُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّكُمْ تُوقِنُونَ

“Allah is He who raised the heavens without any pillars which you see, and He is firm in power, and He made the sun and the moon subservient (to you), each one pursues its course to an appointed time, and He regulates the affair, making clear the signs which you may be certain of meeting your Lord.” (13:2)

c) Some verses tell us in which the whole process of creation and the course of events in nature follow a proper reckoning and measure (for instance, everything there is a definite size and measure):

الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ بِحُسْبَانٍ

“The sun and moon follow a reckoning.” (55:5)

وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا عِنْدَنَا خَزَائِنُهُ وَمَا نُنَزِّلُهُ إِلَّا بِقَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ

“And there is not a thing but withUs are the treasures of it, and We do not send it down but in a known measure.” (15:21)

وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِمِقْدَارٍ

“And there is a measure with Him of everything.” (13:8)

وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيرًا

“...He created everything then ordained for it a measure.” (25:2)

وَالسَّمَاءَ رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ الْمِيزَانَ

“And the heaven, He raised it high and he made the balance.” (55:7)

وَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَوْزُونٍ

“...And caused to grow in it of every suitable thing.” (15:19)

It is precisely for the very existence of this order which laws of nature become significant. The scholars of natural science would not have so ardently pursued the discovery of these laws had they not been subconsciously aware of this very natural order.

Form the above-mentioned verses and those ensuing, on can conclude the discovery of order and co-ordination in nature (i.e. the laws of nature) and the certitude of God’s handiwork is of great significance in understanding nature:

هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُورًا وَقَدَّرَهُ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ ۚ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ ۚ يُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ

“He it is who made the sun a shining brightness and the moon a light, and ordained for it mansions which you might know the computation of years and reckoning. God did not create it but in truth; He makes the signs manifest for people who know.” (10:5)

مَا تَرَىٰ فِي خَلْقِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ مِنْ تَفَاوُتٍ ۖ فَارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ هَلْ تَرَىٰ مِنْ فُطُورٍ

“...You see no congruity in the creation of the Beneficent God; then look again, can you see any disorder?” (67:3)

3. Making a Legitimate Use of Natural Means Prepared by God (for Man)

In a good number of verses God mentions the gifts He has granted man:

وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا

“And He has made subservient to you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth.” (45:13)

وَلَقَدْ مَكَّنَّاكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَجَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَعَايِشَ ۗ قَلِيلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ

“And certainlyWe have established you in the earth and made in it means of livelihood for you, little it is in which you give thanks.” (7:10)

وَمِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لِتَسْكُنُوا فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

“And out of His mercy He has made for you the night and day, which you may rest therein, and which you seek of His grace and which you give thanks.” (28:73)

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ يُرْسِلَ الرِّيَاحَ مُبَشِّرَاتٍ وَلِيُذِيقَكُمْ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ وَلِتَجْرِيَ الْفُلْكُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

“And one of His signs is which He sends forth the winds bearing good news and which He may make you taste His mercy, and which the ships may run by His command and which you may seek of His grace, and which you may be grateful.” (30:46)

وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ النُّجُومَ لِتَهْتَدُوا بِهَا فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ ۗ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ

“And He it is who has made the stars for you, which you might follow the right way thereby in the darkness of the land and the sea, truly We have made plain the communication for a people who know.” (6:97)

In these verses, the reason for reminding man of Allah’s blessings is to make him familiar with them, to urge him to use them, and, to offer his thanks to Allah. Thanksgiving means to use God’s blessings in the appropriate way for which they have been bestowed by the Almighty. It is thus important for the believer to make a conscientious use of Allah’s bounties, leading society towards eternal felicity. Hence, technology, which is the practical use of natural means, will be instrumental in realizing Divine goals.

Ways of Understanding Nature

Some Qur’anic verses tell us about the ways of understanding nature. We begin our discussion with a glorious verse:

وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ ۙ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

“And God has brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers; you did not know anything, and He gave you hearing and sight and hearts.” (16:78)

It says understanding is attained through eyes, ears, and intellect. Here, from amongst external senses, only sight and hearing have been mentioned, because they are the main tools with the help of which one acquires knowledge of the physical world. However, one can deduct from the Holy Qur’an in which the senses of taste, smell, and touch are also useful in giving us valuable information about the external world. Here we quote three verses:

فَلَمَّا ذَاقَا الشَّجَرَةَ بَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْآتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِنْ وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ

“...So when the tasted of the tree, their shameful parts became manifest to them, and they both began to cover themselves with the leave of the garden...” (7:22)

وَلَمَّا فَصَلَتِ الْعِيرُ قَالَ أَبُوهُمْ إِنِّي لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ يُوسُفَ ۖ لَوْلَا أَنْ تُفَنِّدُونِ

“And when the caravan had departed, their father said, ‘Most surely I smell the scent of Yusuf, unless you pronounce me to be weak in judgment.’” (12:94)

وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ كِتَابًا فِي قِرْطَاسٍ فَلَمَسُوهُ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ لَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ

“And if we had sent to you a writing on a paper, then they had touched it with their hands, certainly those who disbelieve would have said, ‘This is nothing by clear enchantment.’” (6:7)

The word “Fuw’ad” has been interpreted as a means of perception and reasoning. Heart has also been mentioned as a means of understanding and perception.

أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا

“Have they not travelled in the land so they should have hearts with which to understand?” (22:46)

لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا

“...They have hearts with which they do not understand...” (7:179)

وَطُبِعَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ

“And a seal is set on their hearts so they do not understand.” (9:87)

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ

“Most surely there is a reminder in this for him who has a heart.” (50:37)

أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَارِهِمْ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ

“These are they on whose hearts and hearing and eyes. God has set a seal and these are the heedless ones.” (16:108)

In many Islamic works, too, “heart” has been said to be a tool of reasoning. It has been cited by Imam al-Sadiq (a.s):

فمنها قلبه الذي به يعقل ويفقه ويفهم

“Among his organs is his heart which is the means of reasoning, perception and comprehension.”1

It is also quoted from Imam ‘Ali ibn Mohammad Baqir:

دل القرءان واخبار الرسول (ص) أن القلب مالك لجمع الحواس يسحح أفعالها ولا يبطل ما القلب سئ

“The Qur’an and the Traditions of the Prophet (S) indicate the heart is the lord of all senses and co-ordinates theirdeeds, and whatever the heart sets right, nothing can spoil.”2

Through the verses of the Qur’an, we intend to deduce the channels through which we understand nature are:

1. External senses (by means of which observation and experimentation takes place).

2. Intellect, unpolluted of vices (dominant over desires and fancies, and free from blind imitation).

3. Revelation and inspiration.

The Role of Observation and Reasoning in Understanding Nature

There are a number of verses in the Holy Qur’an which encourage man to use his senses in search of truth. Here are some examples of those verses:

قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ بَدَأَ الْخَلْقَ

“Say, ‘Travel on the earth and see how He made the first creation.’” (29:20)

قُلِ انْظُرُوا مَاذَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

“Say, ‘Consider what is in the heaves and the earth.’” (10:101)

هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَاشِيَةِ

“Will they not then consider the camels, how they were created.” (88:1)

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الْأَرْضِ كَمْ أَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ كَرِيمٍ

“Do they not see the earth, how many of every noble kind have caused to grow in it?” (26:7)

In these verses, observation and seeing (vision) imply “seeing with the help of right reasoning.”3 In a number of cases certain practical experiments are mentioned as means for acquiring knowledge. We are going to cite three examples of them:

a) Through a crow, Allah teaches Cain how to bury a dead body:

فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ يُوَارِي سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ ۚ قَالَ يَا وَيْلَتَا أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَٰذَا الْغُرَابِ فَأُوَارِيَ سَوْءَةَ أَخِي ۖ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ النَّادِمِينَ

“Then God sent a crow, digging up the earth, so He might show him (Cain) how he should cover the dead body of his brother. He said, “Woe me, do I lack the strength in which I should be like this crow and cover the dead body of my brother? So he became of those who regret.” (5:31)

b) God teaches the rightful man the possibility of giving new life to the dead:

أَوْ كَالَّذِي مَرَّ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحْيِي هَٰذِهِ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۖ فَأَمَاتَهُ اللَّهُ مِائَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُ ۖ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ ۖ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ۖ قَالَ بَلْ لَبِثْتَ مِائَةَ عَامٍ فَانْظُرْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ ۖ وَانْظُرْ إِلَىٰ حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ آيَةً لِلنَّاسِ ۖ وَانْظُرْ إِلَى الْعِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنْشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْمًا ۚ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

“Or the like of him who passed by a town, and it had fallen down upon its roofs, he said, ‘When will Allah give it life after its death?’ So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years,then raised him to life. He said, ‘How long have tarried?’ ‘He said (in reply), ‘I have tarried a day, or a part of a day.’ Said He, ‘Nay, you have tarried a hundred years, look at your food and drink, years have not passed over it, and look at your ass and so We may make you a sign to men, and look at the bones, how we set the together then clothed them with flesh, so when it became clear to him, he said, ‘I know Allah has power over all things.’” (2:259)

c) God shows Abraham how He gives life to the dead:

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ ۖ قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ ۖ قَالَ بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِنْ لِيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي ۖ قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةً

مِنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِنْهُنَّ جُزْءًا ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْيًا ۚ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

“And when Abraham said, ‘My Lord, show me howYou give life to the dead.’ He said, ‘What, do you not believe?’ He said, ‘Yes, which my heart may be at east.’ He said, ‘Then take four birds, then train them to follow you, then place on every mountain a part of them, then call them, they will come to you fling, and know Allah is Mighty, Wise.’” (2:260)

Besides, there many tangible parables in the Qur’an which are meant to teach one something perceptible:

مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنْبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنْبُلَةٍ مِائَةُ حَبَّةٍ

“The parable of those who spend their property in the way of God is as the parable of a grain growing seven ears (with) a hundred grains in every ear.” (2:261)

وَمَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ اجْتُثَّتْ مِنْ فَوْقِ الْأَرْضِ مَا لَهَا مِنْ قَرَارٍ

“And the parable of an evil word is an evil tree pulled from the earth’s surface, it has no stability.” (14:26)

اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ ۖ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ ۖ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ ۚ نُورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ ۗ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

“Allah is the light of the heaves and the earth, a likeness of his light is as a niche in which is a lamp, the lamp is in a glass, (and) the glass is as it were a brightly shining star, lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, the oil whereof almost gives light though fire touch it not; light upon light, Allah guides to his light whom He pleases.” (24:35)

وَاللَّهُ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَسُقْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٍ مَيِّتٍ فَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ النُّشُورُ

“And God is HeWho sent the winds so they raise a cloud, then We drive it on to a dead country and therewith We give life to the earth after its death, even so are the quickening.” (35:9)

Therefore, there is no doubt the Qur’an considers external senses the primary tools in getting a part of our knowledge, but both in the above verses, and in many others to come, sensory stimuli have not been suggested as the sole source of nature’s cognition. In order to substantiate this claim we can advance the following arguments:

1. In most of the Qur’anic verses, wherever natural phenomena are mentioned, it is explicitly pointed out the perception of Divine signs in nature and their relation to the Lord of signs is within the reach of men to intellect, capable of reflection. Here are a few examples such verses:

هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً ۖ لَكُمْ مِنْهُ شَرَابٌ وَمِنْهُ شَجَرٌ فِيهِ تُسِيمُونَ

يُنْبِتُ لَكُمْ بِهِ الزَّرْعَ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالنَّخِيلَ وَالْأَعْنَابَ وَمِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“He it is who sends down water from the heaven for you, it gives drink, and by it (grow) the trees upon which you pasture. He causes to grow for you thereby herbage, and the olives and the palm trees, and the grapes and of all the fruits, must surely there is a sign in this for a people who reflect.” (16:10 - 11)

يُنْبِتُ لَكُمْ بِهِ الزَّرْعَ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالنَّخِيلَ وَالْأَعْنَابَ وَمِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“And He is itWho made the stars for you in which you might follow the right way thereby in the darkness of the land and the sea. Truly,We have made plain the communications for a people who know.” (6:97)

وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ ۖ وَالنُّجُومُ مُسَخَّرَاتٌ بِأَمْرِهِ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

“And He has made subservient for you the night and the day and the sun and the moon and the stars are subservient by His commandment, most surely there are signs in these for a people who ponder.” (16:12)

وَمِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

“And of everythingWe have created pairs which you may be mindful.” (51:49)

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَسَلَكَهُ يَنَابِيعَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُ بِهِ زَرْعًا مُخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُ حُطَامًا ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ

“Do you not see God sends down water from the cloud, then makes it go along in the earth in springs, then brings forth therewith herbage of various colours, when it withers so you see it becoming yellow, the He makes it a thing crushed and broken into pieces? Most surely there is a reminder in these for men of understanding.” (39:21)

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ نَبَاتَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهُ خَضِرًا نُخْرِجُ مِنْهُ حَبًّا مُتَرَاكِبًا وَمِنَ النَّخْلِ مِنْ طَلْعِهَا قِنْوَانٌ دَانِيَةٌ وَجَنَّاتٍ مِنْ أَعْنَابٍ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُشْتَبِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍ ۗ انْظُرُوا إِلَىٰ ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَيَنْعِهِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكُمْ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

“And He it isWho has brought you into being from a single soul, then there is (for you) a resting place and a depository indeed. We have made plain the communications for a people who understand.” (6:99)

The use of such words as “Tafakkur, Ta‘aqqul and Tafaqquh...” in the above verses indicate (with different shades of emphasis) in which to understand nature, one should make use of one’s intellect.

The word “tafakkur” (meditation) in many of the verses means reflection on existing information and moving towards fresh awareness.4

(a) The words “Ta‘aqqul and Tafaqquh” show the intellectual advancement. Therefore, the cognition which originates through the senses should be backed by reflection and reasoning in order to enhance our knowledge. The following quotations from Imam al-Sadiq (a.s .) confirm this point:

إن أول الأمور ومبدأها وقوتها وعمارتها التي لا ينافع بشئ إلا به ، العقل الذي جعله الله زينة لخلقه ونورا لهم ، فبالعقل عرف العباد خالقهم وإنهم مخلوقون ، إنه المدبر لهم وإنهم المدبرون...واستدلوا بعقولهم على ما رأوا من خلقه ، ومن سمائه وأرضه ، وشمسه وقمره ، وليله ونهاره ، وبان له ولهم خالقا ومدبرا لم يزل ولا يزول ، وعرفوا به الحسن من القبيح ، وإن الظلمة في الجهل ، وإن النور في العلم ، فهذا ما دلهم عليه العقل

“The origin and commencement of everything and the cause of their flourishing is the intellect, without which nothing can be achieved. God has endowed His servants with the light and ornament of intellect.

By means of intellect the servants know their Creator and get to understand He is the Ruler and they are under His rule, He is immortal and they are mortal. Their intellect directs them to infer through the observation of the handiwork of God p- such as the heavens, the earth, the sun, the moon, the day and night... - There is a Creator and controller of all these beings, and He has always been and will exist forever. It is through the intellect which man recognizes grace from disgrace, and realizes light is associated with knowledge and ignorance bears darkness. This inference can be made only through the intellect.”5

b) Sheikh Mufid in his book al-Irshad narrates in which Abu Shakir Daysani said to Imam al-Sadiq (a.s .), “You know we do not accept anything unless we see, hear, taste, smell, or feel it with our senses.”6

Imam al-Sadiq (a.s .) answered,

ذكرت الحواس الخمس وهى لا تنفع في الإستنباط إلا بدليل ، كما لا تقطع الظلمة بغير مصباح

“You mentioned the five senses, but they never find the truth unless theirfinding are steered through the channel of intellect, in the same manner as darkness cannot be removed except with a lamp.”

c) There is another quotation from Imam al-Sadiq which says,7

فإنك لو رأيت حجرا يرتفع في الهواء ، علمت أن راميا رمى به فليس هذا العلم من قبل البصر ، بل من قبل العقل ، لأن العقل هو الذي يبرمه ، فيعلم أن الحجر لا يذهب علوا تلقاء نفسه

“When you see a stone moving upwards in the air, you know some person has thrown it. This knowledge has not come to you through your eyes, but through the channel of intellect, because it is intellect which infers a stone go up in the air by itself.”

Therefore, it can be concluded through observation and experimentation are indispensable for obtaining information from the external world, they are not sufficient means. Should we rely solely on our external senses, we won’t be able to interpret the physical world, and find the relation between natural events.

In fact, people are no different from other animals as far as external senses are concerned, and some of the animals in this respect, are even better equipped than human beings. What distinguish people from animals are their talents for profound observation of the world and the interpretation of events. And this is due to a faculty called rational faculty, which is capable of relating the signs and symbols, attained through the senses, and interpreting the universe. Senses give us a series of isolated signs and symbols, and intellect discovers their inter-relationship.

2. In the Qur’an, there are many verses denoting in some people eyes, ears, and hearts do not perform their roles, and while seeing the Almighty’s signs in nature, they do not meditate on them, nor do they benefit from those (blessings):

وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ آيَةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ يَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضُونَ

“And how many a sign in the heavens and the earth they pass by, yet they turn aside from it.” (12:105)

لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ آذَانٌ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا

“...They havehearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear.” (7:179)

أَمْ لَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا ۖ أَمْ لَهُمْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا

“...Or have they eyes with which they see, or have the ears with which they hear...?” (7:195)

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ

“And be not like those who said, ‘We hear,’ and they did not hear.” (8:21)

وَإِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْهُدَىٰ لَا يَسْمَعُوا ۖ وَتَرَاهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ وَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ

“And if you invite them to guidance, they do not hear, and you see them looking towards you, yet they do not see.” (7:198)

أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا ۖ فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَٰكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ

“Have they not travelled in the land so they should have hearts with which to understand or ears with which to hear? For surely it is not eyes which are blind, but blind are the hearts which are in the breasts.” (22:46)

It is quoted from our great Prophet (S) in which:8

ليس الأعمى من يعمى بصره ، إنما الأعمى من تعمى بصيرته

“Blind is not a person who lacks eyes, but one who lack insight.”

Some people, interpreting the above verses, rightly say we have two kinds of sight and hearing - the physical or external and spiritual or internal ones. The external organs of sight and hearing are tools for perception, and the internal ones serve for the appropriate use of those tools.

Imam Fakhr al-Din Razi refers to the following verse:

مَثَلُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَالْأَعْمَىٰ وَالْأَصَمِّ وَالْبَصِيرِ

“The likeness of the two parties is as of the blind and the deaf.” (11:24)

And says, “There is a similarity in the creation of body and spirit, in which both have eyes and ears. In the same way a deaf and blind person, in absolute silence and darkness, finds himself at a loss, an astray, irreligious and ignorant person’s heart too, lacks the power of sight and hearing and he is lost in the wilderness.”9

We would rather interpret the above verses in this way: Eyes, ears and other external senses are a means for the intellect, and their acquisitions could only be complete and meaningful if they go through the channel of the intellect. Eyes see, but the intellect interprets the result of sight and issues the verdict.10 The function of sight can be considered compete when it goes with insight, i.e. when sensory is supplemented with (supra-sensory) intellect. Here a few verses confirming this interpretation:11

أَفَأَنْتَ تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ وَلَوْ كَانُوا لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

“...But can you make the deaf to hear though they will not understand.” (10:42)

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَوَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ

“And be not like those who said, ‘we hear,” and they did not hear. Surely the vilest of animals in Allah’s sight are the deaf, the dumb, who do not understand.” (8:21 - 22)

It has been quoted from Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) in Nahj al-Balagha:12

فإنا البصير من سمع فتفكر ونظر فأبصر ، وانتفع بالعبر ثم سلك جددا واضحا وتجنب الصرعة في المهاوي والضلال في المغاوي

“The observer is one who reflects on what he has heard and reflects upon what he has seen, and makes use of his instructive experience in choosing to tread on clear paths wherein he can avoid falling into hallows and straying into pitfalls.”

There is a statement narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (a.s .):13

زعمت أن الأشياء لا تدرك إلا بالحواس فإني أخبرك أنه ليس للحواس دلالة على الأشياء ولا فيها معرفة إلا بالقلب فإنه دليلها ومعرفها الأشياء التي يدعي أن القلب لا يعرفها إلا بها ...إن القلب يفكر بالعقل الذي فيه

" إن الله تعالى جعل القلب مدبرا للجسد ، به يسمع وبه يبصر وهو القاضي والأمير عليه ، وبه ينزل الفرح والحزن ، وبه ينزل الالم ، إن فسد شئ من الحواس بقى على حاله ، وإن فسد القلب ذهب جميعا - لا يسمع ولا يبصر

“...You thought things could not be felt except through senses. Let me advise you, senses do not directly lead you to objects, and we know objects only through the channel of heart, therefore, it is heart which directs the senses and present objects to the senses, the objects you (mistakenly) claim or not known to the heart but through senses...Heart reflects by the intellect which it possesses.

The Almighty God made heart the administrator of the body and it hears and sees through the heart. Heart is the judge and ruler of the body. Should the heart delay, the body cannot proceed, should it proceed the body cannot tarry.

Senses see and hear through the heart, should it order the sense, they obey, should it hinder them, and they stop. Happiness and sorrow, too, befall man through the heart and make him endure them. If senses fail and decay, the heart goes on functioning, but with the decay of the heart all the senses disappear - man neither sees nor hears.”

3. The Qur’anic verses indicate in addition to sense-rooted cognitions, there are non-sensory cognitions, too. These verses fall into two groups:

(a) In one group of the verses Allah refutes the arguments of the people who consider their external senses as the only reliable source for their knowledge:

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ

“And when you said, ‘Oh Musa, we shall not believe in you until we see Allah manifestly, so the punishment over-took you while you looked on.” (2:55)

وَقَالُوا لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ يَنْبُوعًاأَوْ تَكُونَ لَكَ جَنَّةٌ مِنْ نَخِيلٍ وَعِنَبٍ فَتُفَجِّرَ الْأَنْهَارَ خِلَالَهَا تَفْجِيرًاأَوْ تُسْقِطَ السَّمَاءَ كَمَا زَعَمْتَ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفًا أَوْ تَأْتِيَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ قَبِيلًاأَوْ يَكُونَ لَكَ بَيْتٌ مِنْ زُخْرُفٍ أَوْ تَرْقَىٰ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَلَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لِرُقِيِّكَ حَتَّىٰ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا كِتَابًا نَقْرَؤُهُ ۗ قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنْتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَسُولًا

“And they said, ‘We will by no means believe you until you cause a fountain to gush forth from the earth for us. Or you should have a garden of palms and grapes in the midst of which you should cause rivers to flow forth gushing out. Or you should cause the heaven to come down upon us in pieces as you think, or bring Allah and the angels face to face (with us). Or you should have a house of gold, or you should ascend into heaven, and we will not believe in your ascending until you bring to us a book which we may read.’ Say, ‘Glorybe to my Lord. Am I aught but a mortal apostle?’” (17:90 - 93)

يَعْلَمُونَ ظَاهِرًا مِنَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ عَنِ الْآخِرَةِ هُمْ غَافِلُونَ

“They know the outward of this world’s life, but of the hereafter they are absolutely heedless.” (30:7)

(b) The Qur’an repeatedly reminds us in which we do not perceive many of the realities of the physical world through external senses:

اللَّهُ الَّذِي رَفَعَ السَّمَاوَاتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا

“Allah is He who raised the heavens without any pillars...” (13:2)

فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَا تُبْصِرُونَوَمَا لَا تُبْصِرُونَ

“But nay, I swear by which you see, and which you see not.” (69:38 - 39)

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنْبِتُ الْأَرْضُ وَمِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَمِمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

“Glorybe to Him who created pairs of all things of what the earth grows, and of their kind and of what they do not know.” (36:36)

And we also learn from the Qur’an in which only Allah is aware of the mysteries in the heavens and the earth, and those to whom Allah has granted the bliss:

وَلِلَّهِ غَيْبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُ الْأَمْرُ كُلُّهُ

“And Allah is the unseen in the heavens and the earth and to Him is returned the whole of the affair.” (11:23)

قُلِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُوا ۖ لَهُ غَيْبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

“Say, ‘Allah knows best how long they remained. To Him are (known) the unseen things of the heavens and the earth. (18:26)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

“Surely Allah knows the unseen things of the heavens and the earth, and Allah sees what you do.” (49:18)

عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًاإِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِنْ رَسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا

“The knower of the unseen. So he does not reveal His secrets to any except to him who He regards as an apostle.” (72:26 - 27)

Unfortunately, in recent centuries, some Muslim scholars have wrongly propounded the view which experiments are the only means to acquire knowledge, and the experimental study of the book of nature suffices to know God.14

We, too, agree in which experiment and observation are indispensable tools to understand nature. We even believe the Muslims’ work in this field has been quite inadequate. But we also believe our understanding of nature is not purely a matter of the senses. Besides, our observations and experiments cannot be the source of any knowledge unless they are channelized via the intellectual principles.

In the matter of scientific cognition of God, we are of the same opinion which martyred Professor Murtada Mutahhari expressed, “The boundary of experiment is only the cognition of the works of God, but the cognition of God through the works known by experiment is a kind of pure intellectual deduction.”15

“The ideal aim before the mind of the physicist is to understand the external world of reality. But the means which he uses to attain this end are what are known in physical science as “measurements,” and these give no direct information about external reality. They are only a register or representation of reactions to physical phenomena. As such they contain no explicit information and have to be interpreted. As Helmhotlz said, measurements furnish the physicist with a sign which he must interpret, just as a language expert interprets the text of some pre-historic document which belongs to a culture utterly unknown.

The first thing which the language expert assumes - and must assume if his work is to have any practical meaning - is the document in question contains some reasonable message which has been stated according to some system of grammatical rules or symbols. In the same way the physicist must assume the physical universe is governed by some system of laws which can be understood, even though he cannot hold out himself the prospect of being able to understand them in a comprehensive way or to discover their character and manner of operation with anything like a full degree of certitude.

“Taking it, then, the external world of reality is governed by a system of laws, the physicist now constructs a synthesis of concepts and theorems, and this synthesis is called the scientific picture of the physical universe. It is a representation of the real world itself in so far as it corresponds as closely as possible to the information which the research measurements have supplied. Once he has accomplished this, the researcher can assert, without having to fear the contradiction of facts, he has discovered one side of the outer of reality, though, of course, he can never logically demonstrate the truth of the assertion.”

In a lecture, delivered by Einstein at Oxford University in1933 , under the title of “On Methods of Theoretical Physics,” he said,16 “Newton, the first creator of a comprehensive, a workable system of theoretical physics, still believed in which the basic concepts and laws of his system could be derived from experience. This is no doubt the meaning of his saying, ‘hypotheses non fingo.’

“Actually, the concepts of time and space appeared at this time to present no difficulties. The concepts of mass, inertia, and force, and the laws connecting them, seemed to be drawn directly from experience. Once this basis is accepted, the expression for the force of gravitation appears derivable from experience, and it was reasonable to expect the same in regard to other forces.

“We can indeed see from Newton’s formulation of it in which the concept of absolute space, which comprised of absolute rest, made him feel uncomfortable; he realized there seemed to be nothing in experience corresponding to this last concept.he was also not quite comfortable about the introduction of forces operating at a distance.but the tremendous partial success of his doctrines may well have prevented him and the physicists of the 18th and 19th centuries from recognizing the fictitious character of the foundations of his system.

“The natural philosophers of those days were, on the contrary, most of them possessed with the idea in which the fundamental concepts and postulates of physics were not in the logical sense, free inventions of the human mind, but could be deduced from experience by ‘abstraction’ - which is to say, by logical means. A clear recognition of the erroneousness of this notion really only came with the general theory of relativity, which showed one could take account of wider range of empirical facts, and this, too, in a more satisfactory and complete manner, on a foundation quite different from the Newtonian.

“But quite apart from the question of the superiority of one or the other, the fictitious character of fundamental principles is perfectly evident from the fact which we can point to two essentially different principles, both of which correspond with experience to a large extent; this proves, at the same time, every attempt at a logical deduction of the basic concepts and postulates of mechanics from elementary experiences is doomed to failure.

“If, then, it is true in the axiomatic basis of theoretical physics cannot be extracted from experience but must be freely invented, can we ever hope to find the right way? Nay, more, has this right way any existence outside our illusions? Can we hope to be guided safely by experience at all when thereexist theories (such as classical mechanics) which to large extent do justice to experience, without getting to the root of the matter? I answer without hesitation in which there is, in my opinion, a right way, and we are capable of finding it. Our experience hitherto justifies us in believing in which nature is the realization of the simplest conceivable mathematical ideas.

“I am convinced we can discover by means of purely mathematical constructions, the concepts and the laws connecting them with each other, which furnish the key to the understanding of natural phenomena. Experience may suggest the appropriate mathematical concepts, but they most certainly cannot be deduced from it. Experience remains, of course, the sole criterion of the physical utility of a mathematical construction. But the creative principle resides in mathematics. In a certain sense, therefore, I hold it true in which pure thought can grasp reality, as the ancients dreamed.”

In his book “Physics and Beyond,” Heisenberg writes17 in the year1926 he was of the opinion Einstein still believed in the positivistic view of Mach, which is, he believed only observable quantities should be included in physical theories. Therefore, Einstein said, “but you do not seriously believe any but observable magnitudes must go into a physical theory?”. Heisenberg asked in some surprise, “Isn’t this precisely what you have done with relativity? After all, you did stress the fact in which it is impermissible to speak of absolute time, simply because absolute time cannot be observed, in which clock readings, be it in the moving reference system or the system at rest, and are relevantot the determination of time.”

Einstein then admitted, “Possibly I did use this kind of reasoning but it is non-sense all the same. Perhaps I could put it more diplomatically by saying it may be heuristically useful to keep in mind what one has actually observed. But, in principle, it is quite wrong to try founding a theory on observable magnitudes alone. In reality the very opposite happens. It is the theory which decides what we can observe.”

Phillip Frank in his biography of Einstein says18 in which he once told Einstein in which he himself had introduced the positivistic views into physics. Einstein answered, “A good joke should not be repeated too often.”

Our purpose in citing these quotations is to point out in which many of the recent outstanding research scholars have been fully aware of the inadequacy of experiments for the interpretation of nature. Otherwise, we do not doubt the importance and indispensability of experiments and Muslim researchers should not forget the message carried in such verses:

قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ بَدَأَ الْخَلْقَ

Say, “Travel in the earth and see how He made the first creation...” (29:20)

قُلِ انْظُرُوا مَاذَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

Say, “Consider whatis it in which is in the heavens and the earth...” (10:101)

We should also bear in mind while the Qur’an invites us to experimental study of nature, it also points out the importance of meditation and reasoning, and teaches us not to be satisfied with mere sensory experience, but by observing what is beyond the observable part of nature, we move closer to the Creator of nature.

The Role of Revelation and Inspiration in Understanding Nature

It is deduced from some verses in the Qur’an in which the true teacher of all sciences is the Omniscient:

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَاعَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ...لَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ

Read in the Name of your Lord who created...who taught (to write) withpen. taught man what he knew not. (96:1 - 5)

خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَعَلَّمَهُ الْبَيَانَ

He created man and taught him to talk. (55:2 - 3)

وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا

And taught Adam all the Names... (2:31)

The least we can infer from these verses is God has endowed people with talent to acquire knowledge and has given him the necessary means. But some Muslim philosophers believe the role of observations in the perception of a priori knowledge and the role of preliminary matters in the perception of theoretical subjects is to prepare a person’s soul to fully benefit from the spiritual world.19

In fact, the main source of the inspiration in the matter of knowledge for human beings is the Omniscient Donor of knowledge, Allah. But the degree of relation between human beings and this Source differs from person to person. Some think and get nowhere, whereas some others find some truth through meditation, and yet there are some others who become aware of many realities with only little speculation.

Some Qur’anic verses indicate besides ordinary channels of observation, meditation and intellection, there is a more direct way of attaining the knowledge of the realities of the world through the Donor of knowledge, but this way is not a general one and only the select believers pass through it. These verses may be divided into several categories:

1. It is stated in some verses in which God reveals special knowledge to certain select believers:

وَقَتَلَ دَاوُودُ جَالُوتَ وَآتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُ مِمَّا يَشَاءُ

And Dawud slew Jalut, and God gave him kingdom and wisdom and taught him of what he pleased. (2:251)

رَبِّ قَدْ آتَيْتَنِي مِنَ الْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِي مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ

“My Lord, You have given of the kingdom and taught me of the interpretation of sayings...” (12:101)

فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِنْدِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِنْ لَدُنَّا عِلْمًا

Then they found one from amongOur servants whom We had granted mercy from Us and whom We had taught knowledge from ourselves. (18:65)

إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَوَكَهْلًا

وَإِذْ عَلَّمْتُكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَالتَّوْرَاةَ

وَالْإِنْجِيلَ

When God will say, “Oh Isa (Jesus Christ) son of Mariam (Mary). Remember My favour on you and on your mother, when I strengthened you with the Holy spirits, you spoke to the people in the cradle and when of old age, and when i taught you the Book and Wisdom and the Tawrah (Torah) and the Injil (Bible).” (5:110)

وَإِنَّهُ لَذُو عِلْمٍ لِمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

“And surely he was possessed of knowledge becauseWe had given him knowledge, but most people do not know.” (12:68)

وَدَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ إِذْ يَحْكُمَانِ فِي الْحَرْثِفَفَهَّمْنَاهَا سُلَيْمَانَ ۚ وَكُلًّا آتَيْنَا حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا ۚ وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاوُودَ الْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحْنَ وَالطَّيْرَ ۚ وَكُنَّا فَاعِلِينَوَعَلَّمْنَاهُ صَنْعَةَ لَبُوسٍ لَكُمْ لِتُحْصِنَكُمْ مِنْ بَأْسِكُمْ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ شَاكِرُونَ

“And Dawud (David) and Sulaiman (Solomon) when they gavejudgement concerning the field when the people’s sheep pastured therein by night, and we were bearer of witness to their judgment. So we made Sulaiman to understand it, and to each oneWe gave wisdom and knowledge, and We made the mountains, and the birds celebrate Our praise with Dawood, and We were the doers. AndWe taught him the making of coats of mail for you, so they might protect your in your wars; will you then be grateful?” (21:78 - 80)

In some of the verses, the idea which this way of teaching can be accomplished through human teachers has been rejected:

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰعَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ الْقُوَىٰ

“It is naught but revelation which is revealed. The Lord of Mighty Power has taught him” (53:4 - 5)

وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُ بَشَرٌ

“And certainlyWe know what they say, ‘Only a mortal teaches him.’” (16:103)

وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ

“And God has revealed to you the Book and the wisdom, and He has taught you what you did not know.” (4:113)

ذَٰلِكَ مِمَّا أَوْحَىٰ إِلَيْكَ رَبُّكَ مِنَ الْحِكْمَةِ

“This is of what your Lord has revealed to you of wisdom.” (17:39)

فَأَوْحَىٰ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَىٰمَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰ

“And He revealed to His servant what He revealed. His heart lies not of what he saw.” (53:10 - 11)

إِنَّا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ كَمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ نُوحٍ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ ۚ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَعِيسَىٰ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُونُسَ وَهَارُونَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ ۚ وَآتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ زَبُورًا

“SurelyWe have revealed to you as We revealed to Nuh (Noah), and the prophets after him, and We revealed to Ibrahim (Abraham) and Ismai‘il (Ismael) and Ishaq (Isaac) and Yaqub (Jacob) and the tribes of ‘Isa (Jesus Christ) and Ayyub (Job) and Yunus (Jonah) and Harun (Aaron) and Sulayman (Solomon) and We give to Dawud (David) psalms.” (4:163)

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ۖ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ

“AndWe revealed to Musa (Moses) saying, ‘Cast your rod, then lo, it devoured the lies they told.’” (7:117)

أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنْذِرِ النَّاسَ

“What! Is it a wonder to the people in whichWe revealed to a man from among themselves, say, ‘Warn the people...?’” (10:2)

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَأَخِيهِ أَنْ تَبَوَّآ لِقَوْمِكُمَا بِمِصْرَ بُيُوتًا

“AndWe revealed to Musa and his brother, saying, ‘Take for your people houses to abide in.’” (10:87)

فَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ أَنِ اصْنَعِ الْفُلْكَ

“SoWe revealed to him saying, ‘Make the Ark before...’” (23:27)

ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ

“This is of the announcements relating to the unseen whichWe reveal to you.” (3:44)

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ

“AndWe did not send before you any but men to whom We sent revelation.” (16:43)

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ

“Say, ‘I am only a mortal like you, it is revealed to me...’” (18:110)

3. Yet another group of verses indicates the possibility of revelation for people other than prophets:

وَإِذْ أَوْحَيْتُ إِلَى الْحَوَارِيِّينَ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِي وَبِرَسُولِي قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّنَا مُسْلِمُونَ

“And when I revealed to the disciples, saying, ‘Believe in Me and My apostle,’ they said, ‘We believe and bear witness in which we submit (ourselves).’” (5:111)

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ

“And we revealed to Musa’s Mother, saying, ‘Give him suck.’” (28:7)

In this case, “revelation” is interpreted20 as “inspiration.” Of course, the revelation has been used in other senses as well.21

What we may conclude from these verses is the possibility of learning from the Donor of knowledge through a channel different from the common channel of observation and thinking. This, too, has different levels: The highest level of revelation is reserved for prophets only, and according to the glorious verse:

وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ

“And it is not for any mortalwhich God should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger and revealing by His permission what He pleases...” (42:51)

It is done through a direct inducement of the meaning in the prophet’s heart, or by the creation of words or by sending an angel messenger to him.22 On the lower levels this is done through inspiration, which is variously termed as Kashf ilham.

Muslim philosophers believe the people having talent for attaining such immediate knowledge are those who are endowed with a saintly faculty. To explain their reasoning we take a look back, and see one of the channels to cognition is (logical) thinking. In thinking, the mind undergoes a two-stage movement, and shuttles between the known and the unknown. In thinking one seeks a middle term which is common in both the given propositions with the help of which he hopes to understand the unknown. In general, finding the middle term requires certain premises.

Yet, in certain special cases some people may reach the middle minds.23 This mental talent which takes one to the goal without following logical steps is called “intuition” and in its highest form has been called “the saintly faculty.” A person having this gift can knowmay realities without the use of his sensory and rational faculties. Avicenna in his “al-Isharat” says24 the following Qur’anic phrase refers to this special mental faculty:

يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ

“The oil where of almost gives light though fire touches it not...” (24:35)

And he confirms its existence in the following statements:25

“You may wish to have more evidence to prove the existence of the saintly faculty gift. So hark! Do you not know in which “intuition” exists, and people possess different levels of reflection and intuition. Some are so dull and stupid they find no way to their goal, some others are moderately intelligent and can make use of their reasoning power and some others, more intelligent, can perceive intelligible through intuition. This intelligence differs from person to person, at the highest level, one does not need to learn (through regular course) or think through logical categories (for knowing the reality)

Now we are in a position to say in the same way in which revelation has various degrees, as stated by the following verse:

تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۘ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ ۚ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ

“We have made some of these apostles to excel the others, among them are they to whom God spoke, and some of them He exalted by (many) degrees of rank, andWe gave clear miracles to Isa (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary), and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit.” (2:253)

“Inspiration, too, is of different levels - though on the whole it is lower than revelation. Some people enjoy this give at its highest level and others possess it in its weaker forms. For the former, realities are made manifest without effort of reflection, while the latter attain new knowledge through their own endeavours. Some of the contemporary scholars have accepted the existence of this power. Dr. Alexis Carrel in his book “Man, the Unknown” says:26

“Obviously, great discoveries are not the product of intelligence alone. Men of genius, in addition to their powers of observation and comprehension, possess other qualities, such as intuition and creative imagination. Through intuition they learn things ignored by other men; they perceive relations between seemingly isolated phenomena. They unconsciously feel the presence of the unknown treasure. All great men are endowed with intuition. They know, without analysis, without reasoning, what is important for them to know. A true leader of men does not need psychological tests, or reference cards, when choosing his sub-ordinates. A good judge, without going into the details of legal arguments, and even, according to Cardozo, starting from erroneous premises, is capable of rendering a just sentence. A great scientist instinctively takes the path leading to a discovery. This phenomenon, in former times, was called inspiration.

“Men of science belong to two different types - the logical and the intuitive. Science owes its progress to both forms of mind. Mathematics, although a purely logical structure, nevertheless, makes use of intuition. Among the mathematicians there are intuitive and logicians, analysts and geometricians. Hermitte and Weierstrass were intuitive, Reimann and Bertrand, logicians. The discoveries of intuition have always to be developed by logic. In ordinary life, as in science, intuition is a powerful but dangerous means of acquiring knowledge. Sometimes it can hardly be distinguished from illusion. Those who rely upon it entirely are liable to mistakes. It is far from being always trustworthy.

“But the great man, or the simple whose heart is pure, can be led by it to the summits of mental and spiritual life. It is a strange quality.to apprehend reality without the help of intelligence appears inexplicable. One of the aspects of intuition resembles a very rapid deduction from an instantaneous observation. The knowledge which great physicians sometimes possess concerning the present and the future state of their patients is of such a nature. A similar phenomenon occurs when one appraises in a flash a man’s value, or senses his virtues and his vices. But under another aspect, intuition takes place quite independently of observation and reasoning. We may be led by it to our goal when we do not know how to attain this goal and even where it is located. This mode of knowledge is closely analogous to clairvoyance, to the sixth sense of Charles Richet.”

Finally, I would like to mention though inspiration and enlightenment are means to attain knowledge, not everybody receives this gift of light:

ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ

“This is God’s grace, He grants it to whom He pleases.” (62:4)

The only way which is open to everyone is the channel of observation and reflection while aiming at attaining the knowledge of reflection while aiming at attaining the knowledge of nature. The conditions leading to proper result shall be discussed in part of our discourse.

Stages in Understanding Nature

We have already seen from the viewpoint of the Qur’an man has the capacity to understand nature.

With the use of external senses and intellect, human beings should get closer to God through understanding Divine signs. Here we have to mention wherever there is a reference in the Qur’an to the Divine evidences in the physical world, Allah attributes the ability of understanding them to special groups of people. Here are a few examples:

On Mediators

هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً ۖ لَكُمْ مِنْهُ شَرَابٌ وَمِنْهُ شَجَرٌ فِيهِ تُسِيمُونَيُنْبِتُ لَكُمْ بِهِ الزَّرْعَ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالنَّخِيلَ وَالْأَعْنَابَ وَمِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“He it is who sends down water from the cloud for you, it gives drink and by it (grows) the trees upon which you pasture. He causes to grow for you thereby herbage, and the olive, and the palm tree, and the grapes, and of all the fruits, most surely there is a sign in this for a people who reflect.” (16:10 - 11)

وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا مِنْهُ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“And He has made sub-servient to you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, all, from himself, most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect.” (45:13)

On the Wise

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ مَاءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

“Most surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, the alternation of the night and the day,, and the ships which run in the sea and which profits men, and the water which Allah sends down from the cloud, then gives life with it to the earth after its death and spreads in all (kinds of) animals, and the changing of the winds and the clouds made sub-servient between the heaven and the earth, there are signs for a people who ponder.” (2:264)

وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ ۖ وَالنُّجُومُ مُسَخَّرَاتٌ بِأَمْرِهِ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

“And He has made sub-servient for you the night and the day and the moon, and the stars are made sub-servient by His commandment, most surely, there are signs in this for a people who ponder.” (16:12)

On People who Understand

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ

“Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand.” (3:189)

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَسَلَكَهُ يَنَابِيعَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُ بِهِ زَرْعًا مُخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُ حُطَامًا ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ

“Do you not see Allah sends down water from the cloud, then makes it go along in the earth in springs, then brings forth therewith herbage of various colours, then it withers so you see it becoming yellow, then makes it a thing crushed and broken into pieces? Most surely there is a reminder in this for the men of understanding.” (39:21)

On the Believers

إِنَّ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“Most surely in the heavens and the earth there are some signs for the believers.” (45:3)

أَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ لِيَسْكُنُوا فِيهِ وَالنَّهَارَ مُبْصِرًا ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

“Do they not consider we have made the night in which they may rest therein, and the day to give light? Most surely there are signs for a people who believe.” (72:86)

On the Pious

إِنَّ فِي اخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَّقُونَ

“Most surely in the variation of the night and the day, and what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth, there are signs for a people who guard (against) evil.” (10:6)

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ الطُّورَ خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُمْ بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

“Take hold of the lawWe have given you with firmness and bear in mind what is in it, so you may guard (against) evil.” (2:63)

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِلْعَالِمِينَ

“And one of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your thanks and colours; most surely, there are signs in this for the learned.” (30:22)

هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُورًا وَقَدَّرَهُ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ ۚ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ ۚ يُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ

“He it is who made the sun a shining brightness and the moon a light, and ordained for it mansions in which you might know the computation of years and the reckoning. Allah did not create it but in truth; He makes the signs manifest for a people who known.” (10:5)

On the Mindful

وَمَا ذَرَأَ لَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهُ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

“And what he has created in the earth of varied hues; most surely there is a sign in this for a people who are mindful.” (16:13)

وَمِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

“And of everythingWe have created pairs in which you may be mindful.” (51:49)

OnThose who Listen to Truth of God’s Word

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ مَنَامُكُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَابْتِغَاؤُكُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَسْمَعُونَ

“And one of His signs is your sleeping andyour seeking of His Grace by night and (by) day; most surely, there are signs in this for a people who would hear.” (30:23)

وَاللَّهُ أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَسْمَعُونَ

“And Allah has sent down water from the cloud and therewith given life to the earth after its death; most surely there is a sign in this for a people who would listen.” (16:65)

On the people who are sure

وَفِي خَلْقِكُمْ وَمَا يَبُثُّ مِنْ دَابَّةٍ آيَاتٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ

“And in your (own) creation and in what He spreads abroad of animals there of animals there are signs for a people which are sure.” 45:4)

وَفِي الْأَرْضِ آيَاتٌ لِلْمُوقِنِينَوَفِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ ۚ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ

“And in the earth there are signs for those who are sure, and in your souls (too), will you not then see?” (51:20 - 21)

On those who examine truth, have insight, and understand

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْشَأَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ فَمُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمُسْتَوْدَعٌ ۗ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَفْقَهُونَ

“And he it is who has brought you into being from a single soul, then there is (for you) a resting place and a depository; indeedWe have made plain the communications for a people who understand.” (6:98)

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ مُشْرِقِينَفَجَعَلْنَا عَالِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةً مِنْ سِجِّيلٍإِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ

“So the rumbling overtook them (while) entering upon the time of sunrise. Thus did we turn it upside down, ad rained down upon them stones of what has beendecreed. Surely in this are signs for those who examine.” (15:73 - 75)

كُلُوا وَارْعَوْا أَنْعَامَكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي النُّهَىٰ

“Eat and pasture your cattle; most surely there are signs in this for those endowed with understanding.” (20:54)

What we understand from the words “Tafakkur, Taaqqul, Tafaqquh, etc.” used in the Qur’an is they refer to different degrees of intellectual perception and some are indispensible for some others. For example, by comparing the following verses:

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِالَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا

“Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand. Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and being on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth, “Our Lord, You have not created this in vain. Glorybe to You, save us then from the chastisement of the fire.” (3:190 - 191)

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارلَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَِ

“Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day...there are signs for a people who understand.” (2:164)

إِنَّ فِي اخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَّقُونَ

“Most surely in the alternation of the night and the day, and what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth, there are signs for a people who guard (against evil).” (10:6)

وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَىٰ ۚ وَاتَّقُونِ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ

“...and make provision, for surely the provision is the guarding of oneself, and be careful (of your duty) toMe , oh men of understanding.” (2:197)

وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ ۖ وَمَا يَعْقِلُهَا إِلَّا الْعَالِمُونَ

“And (as for) these examples,We set them forth for the people and none understand them but the learned.” (29:43)

It may be concluded in which “Ulal-Albab” possess “reasoning faculty,” mediation, piety and knowledge. Their other characteristics are: listening and hearing the right word, ability of avoiding fallacies of illusions, worshiping God, having wisdom, being mindful and taking an example of past experiences (of ancestors). These characteristics are deducible from the following verses.

الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّهُ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

“Those who listen to theword, then follow the best of it, those are they whom Allah has guided, and those it is whom are men of understanding.” (39:18)

هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ ۖ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ۗ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

“He it is who has revealed the book to you, some of its verses are decisive, they are the basis of the Book, and others are allegorical, then as for those in whose hearts there is perversity, they follow the part of it which is all allegorical, seeking to mislead, and seeking to give it (their own) interpretation, but none knows its interpretation except Allah, and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it, it is all from our Lord, and none do mind except those having understanding.” (3:7)

أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا يَحْذَرُ الْآخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُو رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ ۗ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

“What! He who is obedient during hours of the night prostrating himself and standing,, takes care of the hereafter and hopes for the mercy of his Lord! Say, ‘Are those who know and those who do not know alike?’ Only the men of understanding are mindful.” (39:9)

يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَنْ يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

“He grants wisdom to whom He pleases, and whoever is granted wisdom, he indeed is given a great good, and none but men of understanding mind.” (2:269)

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَسَلَكَهُ يَنَابِيعَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُ بِهِ زَرْعًا مُخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُ حُطَامًا ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ

“Do you not see Allah sends down water from the cloud, them makes it go along in the earth in springs, then brings forth therewith herbage of various colours, then it withers so you see it becoming yellow, then He makes it a thing crushed and broken into pieces? Most surely there is a reminder in this for the men of understanding.” (39:21)

لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ

“In their histories there is certainly a lesson for men of understanding.” (12:111)

One can see “Ulal-Albab” possess most of the characteristics mentioned in the Qur’an for understanding nature. They have purified intellects, and, therefore, have better capability for attaining a deeper knowledge of nature.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ النُّجُومَ لِتَهْتَدُوا بِهَا فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ ۗ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ

“And He it is who has made the stars for you in which you might follow the right way thereby in the darkness of the land and the sea; truly we have made plain the communications for a people who know.” (6:97)

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْشَأَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ فَمُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمُسْتَوْدَعٌ ۗ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَفْقَهُونَ

“And He it is who has brought you into being from a single soul, then there is (for you) a resting place and a depository; indeed, we have made plain the communications for a people who understand.” (6:98)

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ نَبَاتَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهُ خَضِرًا نُخْرِجُ مِنْهُ حَبًّا مُتَرَاكِبًا وَمِنَ النَّخْلِ مِنْ طَلْعِهَا قِنْوَانٌ دَانِيَةٌ وَجَنَّاتٍ مِنْ أَعْنَابٍ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُشْتَبِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍ ۗ انْظُرُوا إِلَىٰ ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَيَنْعِهِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكُمْ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

“And He it is who sends down water from the cloud, then We bring forth with its buds of all (plants), then we bring forth from it green (foliage) from which we produce grain filled up (in the ear), and the palm tree, of the sheaths of it, come forth clusters (of dates) within reach...most surely there are signs in this for a people who believe.” (6:99)

We realize (as ‘Allamah Tabatabai has mentioned27 ) while understanding certain things related to plants is possible for unlearned believers, the understanding of astronomical problems requires scientific background, and the understanding of issues related to the human soul and its mysteries needs theoretical knowledge as well as profound understanding of human nature. The Qur’an refers to a sublime faculty of cognition which is the cognition of the “spiritual dimension” (Malakut) of the heavens and the earth:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُرِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ

“And thus didWe show Ibrahim the spiritual dimension of the heavens and the earth, and he might be of those who are sure.” (6:75)

أَوَلَمْ يَنْظُرُوا فِي مَلَكُوتِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ

“Do they not consider the spiritual dimension of the heavens and the earth and whatever thinks Allah has created?” (7:185)

Moreover, the first verse indicates the vision of “spiritual dimension” results in sureness. There have been various interpretations of “Malakut.” Some scholars, including “Allamah Tabatabi’i,28 believe it to be the innermost aspect of beings and the deepest attachment of their very existence to the Almighty God. Some meant by it wonders in the heavens and the earth,29 and some others interpret it as the laws of nature.30

In reference to the vision of “Malakut,” various vies have been expressed. A majority of the interpreters believe it to be a non-sensual vision or an intellectual one.31 Imam Fakhr al-Din Razi in his interpretation of the first verse (i.e. 6:75) says,

There are two view in connection with the “revealing”: First statement indicates God revealed the spiritual dimension to Ibrahim’s ordinary eyes... and the second indicates it was his inner and mental discernment which had this vision, not his physical eyes. These things prove the vision had been through mental discernment, not through the eyes.”

It is quite certainly a profound cognition of nature, and as it ends in certitude and sureness, therefore, it is the highest level of cognition. And to attain this kind of cognition, one requires all the qualifications mentioned in the verses quoted in this section.

Thus, we conclude

1. There are different levels of understanding a phenomenon.

2. For understanding the different natural phenomena, there are different pre-requisite conditions.

3. To have a more profound understanding of nature, researches should try to acquire the above mentioned characteristics more and more. These characteristics can be briefly summarized in the following three categories: scientific aptitude, higher (analytical) intellect, and faith with piety.

One may question the role of faith and piety in the proper understanding of nature, or can say for what reason has God denied the proper cognition to unbelievers in the following verses:

قُلِ انْظُرُوا مَاذَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَا تُغْنِي الْآيَاتُ وَالنُّذُرُ عَنْ قَوْمٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

Say, “Consider what is it which is in the heavens and the earth and signs and warners do not avail a people who would not believe.” (10:101)

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الْأَرْضِ كَمْ أَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ كَرِيمٍإِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً ۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ

“Do they not see the earth, how many of every noble kindWe have caused to grow in it? Most surely there is a sign in this, but most of them will not believe.” (26:7 - 8)

إِنْ تُسْمِعُ إِلَّا مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا فَهُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ

Nor can you lead away the blind out of their way. You cannot make to hear any but those who believe in your communications.” (30:53)

Why has God attributed the understanding of some of his signs in nature to the believers and the pious only?

إِنَّ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“Most surely in the heavens and the earth there are some signs for the believers.” (45:3)

إِنَّ فِي اخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَّقُونَ

“Most surely in the alternation of the night and the day, and what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth, there are signs for a people who guard (against) evil.” (10:6)

Is it not true in which every person whether believer or non-believer may be capable of logical thinking? Is not the Qur’an Itself a logically arguing with unbelievers and polytheists? To answer this question we seek help from the Qur’an itself. In view of the inseparability of piety and faith:

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ

“And be careful of (your duty to) God if you are believers.” (5:57)

إن تتقوا الله يجعل لكم فرقانا - الأنفال 29

One can point out in which the effect of faith people can differentiate between right and wrong, for their intellectual activity is free from the vices caused by devilish inducements and temptations.

As Mowlavi puts it

When the mirror of the heart is clean and stainless,

Therein you see images beyond earth and water,

You see both the Painter and the paintings,

Both the Divine carpet and the carpet spreader.

Or as Hafez puts it

The blurred eye cannot reach the face of the beloved,

Cast your look upon her when your mirror is clean,

I rinsed my eyes clean with my own tears, as the visionaries say,

First clean yourself and then look upon the clean.

In his exegesis of the Qur’an “al-Mizan,” ‘Allamah Tabataba’i says,32 “The reason why the Holy Qur’an emphasizes piety alongside reflection, intellection and remembrance, and has related knowledge with practice is it ensures the stability of thought, righteousness of knowledge and avoidance of vices of caprice and evil.”

A saying from our great Prophet (S) has been reported, which confirms it,33

لولا أن الشياطين يحومون على قلوب بني أدم لنظروا إلى ملكون السماء

“Had the part of the devil not moved around the minds of the children of Adam, they would have seen the spiritual dimension of the sky.”

There is also a statement from Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) on the same line,34

ومن لم يهذب نفسه لم ينفع بالعقل

“One who does not render his heart clean does not benefit from his intellect.”

Therefore, the important role of piety and cleanness of heart (sanctification) is to harness the slips of intellect. However, we deduct from certain Qur’anic verses and Islamic works which effect of piety is not limited to the repulsion of the impediments of cognition, but through piety and sanctification one can attain cognition above and beyond the cognition attained through experience and reasoning. In this connection, we are going to cite some relevant verses from the Qur’an:

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللَّهُ

“...and be careful of (your duty to) Allah. Allah teachesyou, and Allah knows all things.” (2:282)

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا

“And (as for) those who strive hard for Us, We will most certainly guide them inOur ways, and Allah is most surely with the doers of good.” (29:69)

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُرِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ

“And thus didWe show Ibrahim the spiritual dimension (Malakut) of the heavens and the earth and he might be of those who are sure.” (6:75)

A Tradition of the Prophet (S), which is universally accepted and respected by all Muslims, says,35

قال رسول الله (ص): قال الله عز وجل...وما تقرب إلىّ عبد بشئ أحب إلي مما افترضت عليه وأنه ليتقرب إلي بالنافلة حتى احبه فإذا اجبته كنت سمعه الذي يسمع به وبصره الذي يبصر به ولسانه الذي ينطق به ويده التي يبطش بها ، إن دعاني اجبته وإن سألني أعطيته

“No servant has soughtMy proximity through what is more favourite to Me than performing his duties, but through praise-worthy acts a servant gets so close to me I love him. It is then I become an ear for him by means of which he hears, an eye from him by means of which he sees, a tongue for him by means of which he speaks and a hand with which he grasps. Should he call Me, I respond to him, and should he request something, I bestow upon him.”

It has also been reported in which our great Prophet (S) had said,36

وما أخلص عبد الله عز وجل أربعين صباحا إلا جرت ينابيع الحكمة من قلبه على لسانه

“No servant devotes his full forty mornings to (the service of) God except when the springs of wisdom flow from his heart to his tongue.

And it is reported from Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) in Nahj al-Balaghah,37

قد أيحا عقله وأمات نفسه حتى دق حليله ولطف غليظه وبرق له لا مع كثير البرق فأبان له الطريق وسلك به السبيل ، وتدافعته الأبواب إلى باب السلامة ودار الإقامة نينت رجلاه بطمانينة بدنه في قرار الأمن والراحة ، بما استعمل قلبه ، وأرضى ربه

“He (the believer) kept his mind alive and killed (the desires of) his heart until his body became thin, his bulk turned light and effulgence of extreme brightness shone for him. It lighted the way from him and took him on the (right) path. Different doors led him to the door of safety and the place of (his permanent) stay. His feet, balancing his body, were fixed in the position of safety and comfort because he kept his heart busy (in good acts) and pleased his Allah.”

Also in Nahj al-Balaghah we find,38

هجم بهم العلم على حقيقة البصيرة وباشروا روح اليقين واستلانوا ما استعوره المترفون وانسوا بما استوحش منه الجاهلون

“Knowledge has led them to real understanding and so they have associated themselves with the spirit of conviction. They take easy what the easy going regard as hard. They love what they ignorant took as strong.”

In any case, it is certain in which illumination and inspiration, as a source of knowledge is not open at all, and only those with proper background can benefit from it. The channel which is open to all is the employment of sensory experience and intellect, and, of course, in order to arrive at truth one should avoid the impediments in the way of cognition.

Impediments of Cognition

Sometimes, certain internal factors over-rule the intellect, and prevent it from functioning properly. Then, while the judgments are said to have been made wisely, in fact they are the product of an unhealthy intellect polluted with impurities. As Allameh Tabataba’i puts it,39 “The role of intellect in such cases resembles a judge who passes an unjust verdict relying on (forged) documents or false witnesses, though he may not have intended to do so.” Therefore, a research should shake his mind of unfounded pre-judgments and suppositions, and cleanse it of immoralities in order to attain a correct understanding.

Ghazali in his “Ihya al-‘Ulum al-Din” uses an interesting simile,40 which, in some respects casts light on this subject. He says the human heart resembles a mirror which reflects good, clear pictures when it is shined and polished. The human heart, too, gets more sheen through noble qualities and better reflects the truth and realities, but when it is affected by vicious qualities, like a dust covered mirror, it cannot depict realities. For the same reason “not hearing” has the connection with “the sealing of the heart” on account of faulty deeds as shown in the following verses of the Holy Qur’an:

لَوْ نَشَاءُ أَصَبْنَاهُمْ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ ۚ وَنَطْبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ

“IfWe please, We would afflict them on account of their faults, and set a seal on their hearts so they would not hear.” (7:100)

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاسْمَعُوا

“...And be careful of (your duty to) God and hear...” (5:108)

Thus, listening to, and hearing the right word is connected with piety, and not hearing it, or sealing the heart, is connected with committing sins.

Gazzali goes on with his simile and says, “For everything known there is a truth, a picture of which falls on the mirror of heart, which is the home of knowledge.”

Now, in the same way in which an ordinary mirror cannot reflect an image because of any one of the following defects:

1.imperfect components

2.opacity of the face of the mirror

3.not facing the bright side of the mirror

4.the existence of a barrier between the mirror and the objects

5.the object not being placed in front of the mirror

A human heart, which is capable of cognizing realities, may lose this capacity if affected by one of the following five causes:

1.intrinsic deficiency, as in the case of children

2.obscurity (darkness) caused by sins and lust, therefore, turning one’s face towards the Creator and turning away from passion purifies the heart and makes it glitter:

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا

“Those who strive hard for usWe will most certainly guide them in our ways...” (29:69)

3. Not paying attention to realities. A heart may be clean, but if it does not search for truth, it is not revealed to him. For instance, a man whose sole endeavour is physical worship or earning his livelihood, without any meditation on the Divine realities hidden from common people’s eyes, may get only what they are after, not more.

4. The existence of obstacles in the way of cognizing realities, i.e. veils and barriers between the heart and the object in view, due to which truth does reveal itself. Blind imitation of the ancestors and the sedimented opinions of their own are hindrances to the perception of realities.

5. Ignorance of the method of attaining the object in view. A man in search of knowledge cannot succeed to do so unless he is provided with the pre-requisites for attaining the desired reality. Therefore, ignorance of these pre-requisites and their manner of combination is an impediment in the way of attaining knowledge. For instance a man who wants to see the back of his head, but holds the mirror in front of him, cannot seen what he wants; if he holds the mirror behind his head, he cannot see even the mirror, much less his back. Thus, he needs two mirrors to achieve his purpose, and the two mirrors should be set in a special position in relation to each other. In is the case with cognitions, too.For every cognition , its pre-requisites should be attained first. Ignorance creates the impediments between the heart and realities. Otherwise, the heart is intrinsically noble and capable of attaining realities (this is a brief summary of Ghazali’s views on the matter).

Now we are going to cite from the Holy Qur’an the factors which prevent a correct cognition. These factors can be classified under two or three general headings, but for the sake of clarity of the matter, we use the very headings mention in the verses of the Qur’an.

1. Lack of Faith

There are many verses in the Qur’an which indicate faithlessness as a great impediment in the way of cognition:

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ

“This is because they believe, then disbelieve, so a seal is set upon their hearts so they do not understand.” (63:3)

وَمَا أَنْتَ بِهَادِ الْعُمْيِ عَنْ ضَلَالَتِهِمْ ۖ إِنْ تُسْمِعُ إِلَّا مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا فَهُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ

“Nor can you lead away the blind out of their error. You cannot make to hear any but those who believe inOur communications so they shall submit.” (30:53)

كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ الرِّجْسَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

“...Thus does Godlay uncleanness on those who do not believe.” (6:125)

إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا الشَّيَاطِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

“Surely we have made the Shaitans to be guardians of those do not believe.” (7:27)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَا يَهْدِيهِمُ اللَّهُ

“(As for) those who do not believe in God’s communications, surely God will not guide them.” (16:104)

وَالَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى

“...and (as for) those who do not believe, there is a heaviness in their ears and it is obscure to them.” ((41:44)

Some verses in the Qur’an indicate the sole reliance on knowledge, without faith, can never take one to the correct understanding of nature:

قُلِ انْظُرُوا مَاذَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَا تُغْنِي الْآيَاتُ وَالنُّذُرُ عَنْ قَوْمٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

“Say, ‘Consider what is it in which is in the heavens and the earth, and signs and warners do not avail a people who would not believe.” (10:101)

فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْ مَنْ تَوَلَّىٰ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلَّا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَاذَٰلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ

“Therefore, turn aside from him who turns his back uponOur reminder and does not desire anything but this world’s life. This is their goal of knowledge, and He knows best him who follows the right direction.” (53:29 - 30)

As previously mentioned, the principal role of faith in understanding is to restore man’s faculty of intellect to its original state.

2. The existence of the factors causing intellect’s deviation

A. Following one’sdesires, fancy and wishes

It is repeatedly mentioned in the Qur’an in which the following one’s desires and wishes lead one astray:

فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكَ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ ۚ وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى مِنَ اللَّهِ

“But if they do now answer you, know they only follow their low desires, and who is more erring than he who follows his low desires without any guidance from God.” (28:50)

أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَ عَلَىٰ بَصَرِهِ غِشَاوَةً فَمَنْ يَهْدِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ اللَّهِ ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

“Have you then considered him who takes his low desire for his god, and Allah has made him err, having knowledge, and has set a seal upon his ears and his heart and put a covering upon his eye. Who can then guide him after Allah? Will you not then be mindful?” (45:23)

وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ ۙ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ

“And if you follow their desires after the knowledge has come to you, you shall have no guardian from Allah, nor any helper.” (2:120)

فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ

“...so judge between men with justice, and do not follow desires, lest it should lead you astray from the path of God.” (38:26)

وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا لَيُضِلُّونَ بِأَهْوَائِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ

“...and most surely many would lead (people) astray by their low desires out of ignorance...” (6:119)

أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاتَّبَعُوا أَهْوَاءَهُمْ

“And these are they upon whose hearts God has set a seal and they follow their low desires.” (47:16)

Our Great Prophet (S) has been quoted as saying,41

إن أخوف ما أخاف فيك الهوى وصل الأمر ، أما الهوى فإنه يصد عن الحق. وأما طول الأمل فبنى الأخرة

“In your case, I would fear two characteristics: obedience to desires and indulgence. Obedience to desires and fancies keeps you away from finding truth, and indulgence causes to forget the Resurrection.”

And it has been reported from Imam Ali (a.s .) as saying,

الهوى عدو العقل

“Desire is the enemy of reason.”42

And,

الأماني تعمي أعين البصائر

“Ambition blinds man’s insight.”43

B. Blind love or hatred and unjustifiable prejudice

These, too, are the factors which prevent the intellect from impartiality and seeking truth. An Arab poet said,

وعين الرضا عن كل عيب كليلة ولكن عين السخط ندى المساويا

“A look through satisfied eyes covers all the faults, but a look of discontent uncovers all the faults.”

Or as Mowlavi puts it, “When bias comes, art is covered.”

The Holy Qur’an has repeatedly warned man against the diseases which inflict the heart:

وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمَىٰ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَاعِقَةُ الْعَذَابِ الْهُونِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ

“And as to Thamud, We showed them the right way, but they chose error above guidance, so there overtook them the scourge of an abasing chastisement for what they earned.” (41:17)

وَعَادًا وَثَمُودَ وَقَدْ تَبَيَّنَ لَكُمْ مِنْ مَسَاكِنِهِمْ ۖ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ وَكَانُوا مُسْتَبْصِرِينَ

“And (We destroyed) ‘Ad and Thamud and from their dwellings (this) is apparent to you indeed, and the Shaytan made their deeds fair seeming to them, so he kept them back from their path, though they were endowed with intelligence and skill.” (29:38)

وَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ لَا تُحِبُّونَ النَّاصِحِينَ

Then said, “Oh my people, I did certainly deliver to you the message of my Lord and I gave you good advice, but you do not love those who give good advice.” (7:79)

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ اسْتَحَبُّوا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى الْآخِرَةِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَأُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَارِهِمْ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ

“This is because they have this word’s life more than the hereafter, and because Allah does not guide the unbelieving people. These are they on whose hearts and their hearing and their eyes Allah has set a seal and these are the heedless ones.” (16:101 - 108)

لَقَدْ جِئْنَاكُمْ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَكُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَارِهُونَ

“Certainly we have brought you the truth but most of you are adverse to the truth.” (43:78)

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَرِهُوا مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالَهُمْ

“This is because they hated what God revealed. So He rendered their deed null.” (47:9)

وَزُيِّنَ ذَٰلِكَ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَظَنَنْتُمْ ظَنَّ السَّوْءِ وَكُنْتُمْ قَوْمًا بُورًا

“...and this was made fair seeming to your hearts and you though an evil thought and you were a people doomed to perish.” (48:12)

وَقَالَ نِسْوَةٌ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ امْرَأَتُ الْعَزِيزِ تُرَاوِدُ فَتَاهَا عَنْ نَفْسِهِ ۖ قَدْ شَغَفَهَا حُبًّا ۖ إِنَّا لَنَرَاهَا فِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ

“And the women in the city said, ‘The chief’s wife seeks her slave to yield himself (to her), surely he has affected her deeply with (his) love, most surely we see her in manifest error.’” (12:30)

وَكَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ وَصُدَّ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ

“And thus the evil of his deed was made fair seeming to Pharaoh, and he was turned away from the way...” (40:37)

It has been quoted from the great Prophet (S),44

حبك للشي يعمي ويصم

“Loving something makes you blindan deaf (in relation to it).”

And it has been quoted from ‘Ali (a.s.),

ومن عشق شيئا اغشى بصره وأمرض قلبه فهو ينظر بعين غير صحيحة ويسمع بأذن غير سميعة

“A lover is blind and sick at heart, so he faces the truth with unhealthy sight and a deaf ear.”45 And, “Heart turns blind to what it dislikes.”46

C. Pomposity

It happens so often in which a person (though aware of the fact) does not accept truth. The Qur’an warns this group of people of God’s severe punishment:

يَسْمَعُ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ يُصِرُّ مُسْتَكْبِرًا كَأَنْ لَمْ يَسْمَعْهَا ۖ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍوَإِذَا عَلِمَ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا شَيْئًا اتَّخَذَهَا هُزُوًا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ

“Who hears the communications of Allah recited to him,then persists proudly as though he has not heard them? So announce to him a painful punishment. And when he comes to know of any ofOur communications, he takes it for a jest, these it is which shall have abasing chastisement.” (45:8 - 9)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ ۙ إِنْ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ إِلَّا كِبْرٌ مَا هُمْ بِبَالِغِيهِ ۚ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ

“Surely (as for) those who dispute about the communications of God without any authority which has come to them, there is naught in their breasts but (a desire) to become great which they shall never attain to...” (40:56)

فَلَمَّا جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَاتُنَا مُبْصِرَةً قَالُوا هَٰذَا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌفَلَمَّا جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَاتُنَا مُبْصِرَةً قَالُوا هَٰذَا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ

“So when Our clear signs came to them, they said, ‘This is clear enchantment, and they denied them unjustly and proudly while their soul had been convinced of them; consider, then how was the end of the mischief makers.’” (23:13 - 14)

فَمَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَلَا أَبْصَارُهُمْ وَلَا أَفْئِدَتُهُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِذْ كَانُوا يَجْحَدُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَحَاقَ بِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

“But neither their ears nor their eyes nor their hearts availed them aught since they denied the communications of God, and in which they mocked encompassed them.” (46:26)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا عَنْهَا لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ

“Surely (as for) those who rejectOur communications and turn away from them haughtily, the doors of heaven shall not be opened for them.” (7:40)

وَإِنِّي كُلَّمَا دَعَوْتُهُمْ لِتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ جَعَلُوا أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَاسْتَغْشَوْا ثِيَابَهُمْ وَأَصَرُّوا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا اسْتِكْبَارًا

“And whenever I have called them in whichYou may forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears, cover themselves with their garments, and persist and are puffed up with pride.” (71:7)

ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَاسْتَكْبَرَفَقَالَ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ

“Then he turned back and was big with pride. Then he said, ‘This is naught but enchantment narrated.’” (74:23 - 24)

It is quoted from our Prophet (S) who said,47

يا علي ثلاث درجات وثلاث كفارات وثلاث منجيات...وأما المهلكات فشح مطاع وهى منبع واعجاب المرء بنفسه

“Oh ‘Ali, people perish because of three characteristics: jealousy, (carnal) desire, and egoism.”

And it has been reported from ‘Ali (a.s.) who said,

العجب يفسد العقل

“Egoism corrupts intellect.”48

D. Blind Imitation of the Ancestors’ Opinions, Men of Authority, and the Sediments of One’s Own Thoughts

These, too, are characteristics which put barriers in the way of seeking the truth, and are repeatedly condemned in the Qur’an:

وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّا أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَاءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا السَّبِيلَا

“And they shall say, ‘Oh our Lord, surely we obeyed our leaders and our great men, sot they led us astray from the path.” (33:67)

بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

“Nay, we follow what we found our fathers upon.What, and though their fathers had no sense at all, nor did they follow the right way.” (2:170)

فَلَمَّا جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَرِحُوا بِمَا عِنْدَهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ وَحَاقَ بِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

“Then when their apostles came to them with clear arguments, they exulted in what they had with them of knowledge, and there beset them which they used to mock.” (40:83)

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَإِلَى الرَّسُولِ قَالُوا حَسْبُنَا مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

“And when it is said to them, ‘Follow what Allah has revealed and this messenger.’ They say, ‘Nay, we follow what we find our fathers upon.’ What! Even though their fathers had no sense at all, nor did they follow the right way.” (5:104)

وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَا إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَىٰ أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِمْ مُقْتَدُونَقَالَ أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِأَهْدَىٰ مِمَّا وَجَدْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا إِنَّا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ كَافِرُونَفَانْتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ ۖ فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَوَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ إِنَّنِي بَرَاءٌ مِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَإِلَّا الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي فَإِنَّهُ سَيَهْدِينِوَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةً بَاقِيَةً فِي عَقِبِهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَبَلْ مَتَّعْتُ هَٰؤُلَاءِ وَآبَاءَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ جَاءَهُمُ الْحَقُّ وَرَسُولٌ مُبِينٌوَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمُ الْحَقُّ قَالُوا هَٰذَا سِحْرٌ وَإِنَّا بِهِ كَافِرُونَوَقَالُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ عَلَىٰ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍأَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَتَ رَبِّكَ ۚ نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۚ وَرَفَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ۗ وَرَحْمَتُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَوَلَوْلَا أَنْ يَكُونَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً لَجَعَلْنَا لِمَنْ يَكْفُرُ بِالرَّحْمَٰنِ لِبُيُوتِهِمْ سُقُفًا مِنْ فِضَّةٍ وَمَعَارِجَ عَلَيْهَا يَظْهَرُونَوَلِبُيُوتِهِمْ أَبْوَابًا وَسُرُرًا عَلَيْهَا يَتَّكِئُونَ

“And thus,We did not send before you any warner in a town, but those who had easy lives in it said, ‘Surely we find our fathers on a course, and surely we are followers of their footsteps.’ (The warner) said, ‘What! Even if I bring to you a better guide than which you find you find your fathers?’ They said, ‘Surely we are unbelievers with whom you are sent.’” (43:23 - 34)

وَتِلْكَ عَادٌ ۖ جَحَدُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَعَصَوْا رُسُلَهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا أَمْرَ كُلِّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ

“And this was ‘Ad, they denied the communications of their Lord, and disobeyed His apostles and followed the bidding of every insolent oppose (of truth).” (11:59)

فَاتَّبَعُوا أَمْرَ فِرْعَوْنَ ۖ وَمَا أَمْرُ فِرْعَوْنَ بِرَشِيدٍ

“...but they followed the bidding of Pharaoh, and Pharaoh’s bidding was not right directing.” (11:97)

E. Haste and Judgments

Haste often is the cause of carelessness and error in understanding the truth. This is why the Qur’an has warned us against it:

خُلِقَ الْإِنْسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ ۚ سَأُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِي فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونِ

“Man is created of haste, now will I show to you my signs; therefore, do not askMe to hasten (them) on.” (21:37)

وَلَا تَعْجَلْ بِالْقُرْآنِ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يُقْضَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُ ۖ وَقُلْ رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

“...and do not make haste with the Qur’an before its revelation is made complete to you.” (20:114)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ

Ohyou who believe, if an evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it, lest you harm a people in ignorance, they be sorry for what you have done.” (49:6)

It has been quoted from our Prophet (S) who said,49

الإطمئنان من الله والعجلة من الشيطان إنما أهلك الناس العجلة ، ولو أن الناس تثبتوا لم يهلك أحد

“Haste is the deed of Shaytan, and tranquility is from Allah. Indeed, human beings face death when they act hastily; had men had stability they would not have perished.”

And Imam ‘Ali has been quoted as saying,50

العجلة تمنع الإصابة

“Haste hinders one from reaching righteousness and rectitude.”

3. Ignorance

Most of the errors in judgments (whether scientific or non-scientific) originate from ignorance of the subject and lack of enough knowledge about it.

In the Qur’an, there are a goon number of verses in which ignorance has been condemned:

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ

He said, “My Lord, I seek refuge inYou from asking You of which I have no knowledge.” (11:47)

عِلْمٌ فَلِمَ تُحَاجُّونَ فِيمَا لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ

“...why then do you dispute about which you have no knowledge?” (3:66)

وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا لَيُضِلُّونَ بِأَهْوَائِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ

“And most surely many would lead (people) astray to their low desires out of ignorance...” (6:119)

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يُجَادِلُ فِي اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَلَا هُدًى وَلَا كِتَابٍ مُنِيرٍ

“And among men there is he who disputes about Allah without knowledge and without guidance and without an illuminating book.” (22:8)

وَأُبَلِّغُكُمْ مَا أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ وَلَٰكِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُونَ

“...and I deliver to you the message with which I am sent but I see y ou are a people who are ignorant.” (46:23)

Our great Prophet (S) is reported to have said,51

من أفتى الناس بغير علم لعنته ملائكة السموات والأرض

“The angels in the heavens and the earth curse the person who passes judgment without knowledge.”

Among the evident examples of ignorant judgments, one may include subjection to conjecture, unfounded confirmations or rejections, and superficial consideration of events and phenomena.

A. Subjection to Conjecture

In the Qur’an we have been repeatedly warned against subjection to conjecture and sacrificing knowledge to supposition:

وَقَالُوا مَا هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَا إِلَّا الدَّهْرُ ۚ وَمَا لَهُمْ بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ

They say, “There is nothing but our life in this world, we live and die and nothing destroys us but time, and they have no knowledge of this, they only conjecture.” (45:24)

وَمَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ ۖ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا

“And they have no knowledge of it, they do not follow anything but conjecture and surely conjecture does not avail against the truth at all.” (53:28)

يَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ

“They entertained about God thoughts of ignorance quite unjustly.” (3:154)

B. Unfounded Confirmations and Rejections

The Glorious Qur’an encourages us to follow reason and avoid unfounded confirmations:

قُلْ هَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ مِنْ عِلْمٍ فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَا ۖ إِنْ تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا تَخْرُصُونَ

Say, “Have you any knowledge with you so you should bring it forth to us? You only follow a conjecture and you only tell lies.” (6:148)

وَقَالُوا لَنْ يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَنْ كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ ۗ تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ ۗ قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

And they said, “None shall enter the garden (of paradise) except he who is a Jew or a Christian. These are their vain desires.” Say, “Bring your proof if you are truthful.” (2:111)

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقُوا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ أَمْ لَهُمْ شِرْكٌ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ ۖ ائْتُونِي بِكِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ هَٰذَا أَوْ أَثَارَةٍ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

Say, “Have you considered what you call upon besides Allah? Show me what they have created of the earth, or have they a share in the heavens? Bring me a book before this or traces of knowledge, if you are truthful.” (46:4)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ ۙ إِنْ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ إِلَّا كِبْرٌ مَا هُمْ بِبَالِغِيهِ ۚ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

“Surely (as for) those who dispute about the communications of Allah without any authority which has come to them, there is naught in their breast but (a desire) to become great which they never attain to. Therefore, seek refuge in Allah; surely He is the Hearing and theSeeing .” (40:56)

وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولَٰئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْئُولًا

“And follow not those of which you have not the knowledge. Surely the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of this shall be questioned about this.” (17:36)

It is important in any research neither to confirm nor refute (reject) any view without taking into consideration all the relevant information available and even then reserve judgment until one arrives at a certain result. It is quoted from Imam al-Sadiq as having said,52

إن الله تبارك وتعالى خص عباده بأيتين من كتابه أن لا يقولوا حتى يعلموا ولا يردوا ما لم يعلموا. قال الله عز وجل: ألم يؤخذ عليهم ميثاق الكتاب أن يقولوا على الله إلا الحق - الأعراف 169

“Allah has earmarked two verses from His Book (Qur’an) for his creatures not to speak on any subject until they know about it, nor reject what they do not know. Allah has said,

وقال: بل كذبوا بما لم يحيطوا بعلمه ولما يأتهم تأويله - يونس 39

‘Did they not pledge not to utter but the truth about God.’ And Allah has said, ‘They rejected what they did not know while they had no access to its interpretation.’”

Unfortunately, overlooking this important principle has led some research scholars in natural sciences to come unfounded generalizations or rejections, thus causing irreparable material and spiritual loss to human societies. Atheism and materialism, pre-dominant in certain academic circles, are striking examples of this wrong attitude. Those who base their judgments on perceptible only have no right to deny supra-perceptible realities. The most they are entitled to do is to keep silent in such matter.

Researches should always bear in mind the advice given by ibn Sina in his al-Isharat, waal-Tanbhat, which in fact, beautifully elaborates the spirit of the afore-mentioned Qur’anic verses. It goes as follows,53 “Lest you believe in which rejecting is (a sign of) imbecility and weakness. Rejection of what is not clear to you is no less foolish than confirming what is not proved to you. Should you hear something which sounds odd to you, you should hang onto it unless you have no proof for its improbability. It is advisable you consider such issues just probable as long as they have not been rejected by firm proofs...”

C. Superficiality

The Qur’an strongly condemns those who look at the natural phenomena superficially and pass comments without trying to find reasons behind the natural events:

وَقَالُوا لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِي أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ

And they shall say, “Had we but listened or pondered, we should not have been among the inmates of the burning fire.” (67:10)

وَيَجْعَلُ الرِّجْسَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

“...and He casts uncleanness on those who will not understand.” (10:100)

وَإِذَا نَادَيْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ اتَّخَذُوهَا هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

And when you call to prayer they make mockery and a joke; this is because they are a people who do not understand. (5:58)

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَسْتَمِعُونَ إِلَيْكَ ۚ أَفَأَنْتَ تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ وَلَوْ كَانُوا لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

And there are those of them who hear you, but can you make the deaf to hear though they will not understand?” (10:42)

أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا

And have they not travelled in the land so they could have hearts with which to understand, or ears with which to hear...” (22:46)

يَعْلَمُونَ ظَاهِرًا مِنَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ عَنِ الْآخِرَةِ هُمْ غَافِلُونَ

They know the outward of this world’s life, but of the hereafter they are absolutely heedless.” (30:7)

وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ آيَةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ يَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضُونَ

And how many a sign in the heavens and the earth which they pass by, yet they turn aside from it.” (12:105)

On the basis of the following two verses we can conclude in which the fundamental difference between man and beasts of burden lies in rationality; therefore, a person not utilizing their reason is even less conscious of the right way than animals:

إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الصُّمُّ الْبُكْمُ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

Surely the vilest animals, in Allah’s sight are the deaf and the dumb who do not understand.” (8:22)

أَمْ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ ۚ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَالْأَنْعَامِ ۖ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا

Or do you think most of them do hear or understand? They are nothing but as cattle, nay, they are further astray from the path.” (25:44)

Indifference towards Craving for or Acceptance of Truth

One of the important factors which leads a researcher, in any field of research, to success is the researcher should solely look for the truth. The Glorious Qur’an calls on a person to seek and follow the truth:

فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّهُ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

Therefore, give good news toMy servants who listen to the word, then follow the best of it. These are whom Allah has guided and whoare the men of understanding . (39:18)

أَمَّنْ لَا يَهِدِّي إِلَّا أَنْ يُهْدَىٰ

...certainly the truth has come from your Lord. Therefore, you should not be of the disputers.” (10:49)

فَمَاذَا بَعْدَ الْحَقِّ إِلَّا الضَّلَالُ ۖ فَأَنَّىٰ تُصْرَفُونَ

...what is there after the truth but error, how are you then turned back? (10:32)

Furthermore, the Qur’an condemns those who have no craving for truth or do not accept it when it is told to them:

فَقَدْ كَذَّبُوا بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ

So they have indeed rejected the truth when it came to them. (6:5)

لَقَدْ جِئْنَاكُمْ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَكُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَارِهُونَ

Certainly we have brought you the truth but most of you are adverse to the truth. (43:78)

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُ

And who is more unjust than one who forges a lie against Allah or gives the lie to the truth when it has come to him. (29:68)

سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آيَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَإِنْ يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا وَإِنْ يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الرُّشْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا وَإِنْ يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الْغَيِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُوا عَنْهَا غَافِلِينَ

I will turn away from My communications those who are unjustly proud on the earth and if they see every sign they will not believe in it, and if they see the way of rectitude they do not take it for say and if they see the way of error, they take it for a way. This is because they rejected our communications and were heedless of them.” (7:146)

In the light of the glorious verses which follow, one comes ot realize the Divine Verses are instructive for people who eagerly listen to and think about what they hear, and finally accept what is right:

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ مَنَامُكُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَابْتِغَاؤُكُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَسْمَعُونَ

And one of His signs is your sleeping andyour seeking of His grace by night and (by) day, most surely there are signs in this for people would hear.” (30:23)

وَاللَّهُ أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَسْمَعُونَ

And Allah has sent down water from the heaven (clouds) and therewith given life to the earth after its death; most surely there is a sign in this for a people would listen.” (16:65)

Guiding Principles in Understanding Nature

We have already said the Qur’an is not a book of natural science but a book of guidance and enlightenment, and wherever there is reference to the natural phenomena, it is meant to guide humans through them. We also explained God has gifted man with mental faculties so through their own endeavours and God’s help they can gradually come to understand the universe as well as their own selves and in this way get nearer to the Creator of the universe.

According to the following glorious verses:

وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَانًا لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ

“...and we have revealed the book to you explaining clearly everything and as a guidance and mercy and good news for those who submit.” (16:89)

مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتَابِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ

“...we have not neglected anything in the Book...” (6:38)

The Qur’an undertakes the guidance of human beings in all stages of life. One, therefore, can expect to derive the guiding principles for researches done in natural sciences from the Qur’an. By inference from the Qur’an we believe, in addition to the principles of logic, such as the principle of “non-contradiction,” the following principles should be also used as the guidelines for scientific research.

1. Faith in the Principle of Divine Unity (al-Tawhid)

According to the Qur’anic verses, God is the only Creator and Ruler of the whole universe. Everything originates from Him and ends in Him. All creatures praise Allah, as the purpose behind the creation of man was to approach Allah through worshipping Him:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

“And I have not created the jinn and the human except in whom they would serveMe .” (51:56)

Hence, every step one takes should be aimed at gaining His consent and approaching oneself to the Almighty. The search for the discovery of nature is no exception to this rule. Observance of the grandeur in the Divine deeds, and making use of the possibilities therein for humans to attain the eternal happiness should be given priority.

The Qur’an does not approve of such cognitions which aim at nothing except satisfying one’s own curiosity. On the way to understanding of nature, one should not busy oneself with the means and forget the ultimate End. If the researcher realizes God is Infinite in all respects, his attention to this infinite source keeps him moving on without hindrance, and he will be able to find more and more about the magnificence of creation. This is the surest way of attaining proximity to the Creator of the universe.

The understanding of nature should lead us along the road covered by Prophet Ibrahim, i.e. to commence from the beginning of the string of causes and reach the end - the Lord of the universe.

فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيْهِ اللَّيْلُ رَأَىٰ كَوْكَبًا ۖ قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّي ۖ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَا أُحِبُّ الْآفِلِينَفَلَمَّا رَأَى الْقَمَرَ بَازِغًا قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّي ۖ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئِنْ لَمْ يَهْدِنِي رَبِّي لَأَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الضَّالِّينَفَلَمَّا رَأَى الشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةً قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّي هَٰذَا أَكْبَرُ ۖ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَتْ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِمَّا تُشْرِكُونَإِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

“So when the night over-shadowed him, he saw a star, said he, ‘Is this my Lord?’ So when it set, he said, ‘I do not love the setting ones.’ Then when he saw the moon rising, he said, ‘Is this my Lord?’ So when it set, he said, ‘If my Lord had not guided me I should certainly be of the erring people.’ Then when he saw the sun rising, he said, ‘Is this my Lord? Is this the greatest?’ So when it set he said, ‘Oh my people, surely I am clear of what you set up (with Allah). Surely I have turned myself, being upright, wholly to Him who originated the heavens and the earth, and I am not of the polytheists.’” (6:76 - 79)

As a result, Ibrahim (a.s .) was led to see the spiritual dimension of the heavens and the earth:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُرِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ

And thus didWe show Ibrahim the spiritual dimension of the heavens and the earth and so he might of those who are sure. (6:75)

And this is the way which all researches have been invited to follow:

أَوَلَمْ يَنْظُرُوا فِي مَلَكُوتِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ

“Do they not consider the spiritual dimension of the heavens and the earth and whatever things Allah has created?” (7:185)

A firm belief in monotheism arms the researcher with a comprehensive view of nature, and they no more see it as a bundle of isolated pieces; rather, they observes their inter-relations and their common origin. He sees a unity behind this multiplicity. Experiences of past generations show scholars in the past always endeavoured to find a model according to which they could describe the whole nature. The Greeks had their designs for the explanation of the whole universe. In the Islamic world, too, different schools tried in different ways to discover a pattern for relating together various components of nature.

After the Renaissance, Newton tried to explain the celestial and terrestrial movements by the help of a series of laws. Then Einstein tried to take a step further than Newton in relation to natural issues. In recent years, too, the main effort of theoretical physicists has been to derive all the natural forces from one source. In all these stages it is quite apparent in which scientists have been trying to find suitable patterns by the help of which they could interpret the natural phenomena. They have been trying to generalize the result of an experiment carried out on the earth and apply it to the whole physical world.

This character of seeking for unification has been noticed among all scientists (whether materialists or non-materialist), and seems to be intrinsic. The difference between the two groups is the formers come to stop as soon as they reach the appearance, while the latter seek for the Co-ordinator of this harmonious system. Here we cite two glorious verses from the Qur’an. The first refers to the first group, while the second reveals the opinion of the second:

وَقَالُوا مَا هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَا إِلَّا الدَّهْرُ ۚ وَمَا لَهُمْ بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ

And they say, “There is nothing but our life in this world, we live and die and nothing destroys us but time, and they have no knowledge of this, they only conjecture. (45:24)

خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ ۚ تَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

He created the heavens and the earth in truth, highly exaltedbe He above what they associate (with Him). (16:3)

An important point, which is greatly emphasized in the Qur’an, is the existence of order in natural phenomena, harmony among the various elements of nature, and a purpose in nature:

وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِمِقْدَارٍ

And there is a measure with Him of everything. (13:8)

وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيرًا

And who created everything then ordained for it a measure. (25:2)

مَا تَرَىٰ فِي خَلْقِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ مِنْ تَفَاوُتٍ ۖ فَارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ هَلْ تَرَىٰ مِنْ فُطُورٍ

You see no incongruity in the creation of the Beneficent Allah,then look again, can you see any disorder? (67:3)

هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُورًا وَقَدَّرَهُ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ ۚ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ ۚ يُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ

He it isWho made the sun a shining brightness and the moon a light, and ordained for it mansions which you might know the computation of years and the reckoning. Allah did not create it but with truth, He makes the signs manifest for a people who know. (10:5)

The existence of this order and design has been pointed out as a sign of monotheism, the unity of the Almighty:

لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَا آلِهَةٌ إِلَّا اللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَا

If there had been in them any gods except Allah, they would both have certainly been in a state of disorder. (21:22)

وَمَا كَانَ مَعَهُ مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ ۚ إِذًا لَذَهَبَ كُلُّ إِلَٰهٍ بِمَا خَلَقَ وَلَعَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ

...and never was there with Him any (other) god; in which case each god would have certainly taken away what he created, and some of them would certainly have over- powered others. Glorybe to Allah above what they describe. (23:91)

صُنْعَ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أَتْقَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ

...the handiwork of Allah who has made everything thoroughly... (27:88)

Belief in this principle is an important factor in encouraging scholars in their discovery of the laws of nature. In principle, any attempt to discover inter-relations in various aspects of nature without admitting order would look futile, as it would not acquire a universal validity but would remain a local and temporary one.

A belief in this principle makes us realise in whatever we failed to find the order in a natural phenomenon during our study, it would be due to the insufficiency of our knowledge rather than the disorder or rule of chance in nature. During the early years of the second quarter of the 20th century, when quantum mechanics was appearing, some of the pioneers of the theoretical physics rejected the idea of the existence of order in the atomic domain. Einstein, though unable to present a successful theory against it, was able to reject it through relying on the principle of order in nature. In his letter (b. December1926 ) he wrote:54

“Quantum mechanics is certainly imposing. But an inner voice tells me it is not yet the real thing. The theory says a lot, but does not really bring us any closer to the secret of the ‘old one.’ I, at any rate, am convinced he is not playing the dice.”

In another letter (b. September1944 ) he wrote, “We have become Antipodean in our scientific expectations. You believe in God who plays dice, and I, in complete law and order in a world which objectively exists, and which i, in a wildly speculative way, am trying to capture. I firmly believe, but I hope someone will discover a more realistic way; or rather a more tangible basis than it has been my lot to find. Even the great initial success of the quantum theory does not make me believe in the fundamental dice game, although I am well aware our younger colleagues interpret this as a consequence of senility. No doubt the day will come when we will see whose instinctive attitude was the correct one.”

Despite their disbelief in monotheism, some philosophers believe in the existence of order in nature. But from our point of view, order, unity, and co-ordination in nature can only be accounted for through the principle of monotheism (God’s Oneness).

Another conclusion drawn from the principle of monotheism in the researcher, by observing the relation between the various aspects of nature, finds a unity among different branches of science and considers everyone of them as a description of one dimension of the whole reality, and, therefore, does not reject any of them on the ground of his own unfamiliarity with it.

2. Belief in the Reality of the External World

From the Qur’anic viewpoint, there is a real external world, independent of our mind:

وَفِي الْأَرْضِ آيَاتٌ لِلْمُوقِنِينَوَفِي الْأَرْضِ آيَاتٌ لِلْمُوقِنِينَ

And in the earth there are signs for those who aresure, and in your own souls (too). Will you then not see? (51:20 - 21)

لَخَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Certainly the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of the men, but most people do not know. (40:57)

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنْبِتُ الْأَرْضُ وَمِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَمِمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Glorybe to Him Who created pairs of all things, of what the earth grows, and of their kind and of what they do not know. (36:36)

الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ مَهْدًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ فِيهَا سُبُلًا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَوَالَّذِي نَزَّلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً بِقَدَرٍ فَأَنْشَرْنَا بِهِ بَلْدَةً مَيْتًا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ تُخْرَجُونَوَالَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْفُلْكِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ

Glorybe to Him Who created pairs of all things of what the earth grows and of their kind and of what they do not known (36:36)

وَالَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْفُلْكِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَوَالَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْفُلْكِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ

HeWho made the earth a resting place for you and made in it ways for you so you may go aright. And HeWho created pairs of all things, and made for you of the ships and the cattle what you ride on. (43:10, 12)

وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ

And Allah has brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers - you did not know anything - and He gave you hearing and sight and hearts... (16:78)

The verses like:

وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ ۖ وَكَلْبُهُمْ بَاسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِالْوَصِيدِ ۚ لَوِ اطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا

And you might think awake while they are asleep, and We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog (lay) outstretching his paws at the entrance; if you looked at them you would certainly turn back from them in flight, and you would certainly be filled with awe because of them. (18:18)

وَتَرَى الْجِبَالَ تَحْسَبُهَا جَامِدَةً وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحَابِ

And you see the mountains, you think them to be sailing and they shall pass away as the passing away of the cloud. (27:88)

وَمَا يَتَّبِعُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ إِلَّا ظَنًّا ۚ إِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا

And most of them do not follow (anything) but conjecture; surely conjecture will not avail against the truth. (10:36)

These verses indicate thereexists other realities other than an independent of our minds. If our mental image of a certain object does not correspond with the external reality, our mental image is not more than a fancy or imagination, which cannot lead us to reality.

Moreover, had there not been an external world, the Qur’an would not have so emphatically recommended the study of nature:

قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ بَدَأَ الْخَلْقَ

Say, “Travel on the earth and see how He makes the first creation...” (29:20)

أَوَلَمْ يَنْظُرُوا فِي مَلَكُوتِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ

Do they not consider the spiritual dimension of the heavens and the earth and whatever things Allah has created?( 7:185)

Belief in the reality of the external world is the basis of all researches in empirical sciences and without it any scientific research would be only a mental exercise. As Einstein puts it in his commemorative paper (1431 ) on Maxwell,55 “The belief in an external world independent of the perceiving subject is the basis of all natural sciences.”

3. Faith in Supra-physical reality and Limitation of Human Knowledge

We learn from the Qur’an certain principles in this regard, which are discussed below:

A. Human Knowledge is Limited

وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

...And you were not given aught of knowledge but a little. (17:85)

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنْبِتُ الْأَرْضُ وَمِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَمِمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Glorybe to Him who created pairs of all things of what the earth grows, and of their kind and of what they do not know. (36:36)

وَالْخَيْلَ وَالْبِغَالَ وَالْحَمِيرَ لِتَرْكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةً ۚ وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

And (He made) horses and mules and asses in which you might ride upon them and as an ornament, and He creates what you do not know. (16:8)

B. There are many things we cannot get through our senses

اللَّهُ الَّذِي رَفَعَ السَّمَاوَاتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا

Allah is He Who roused the heavens without any pillars in which yousee, and He is firm in power... (13:2)

C. We should believe in the occult, for example, in the super-natural realties

C. We should believe in the occult, for example, in the super-natural realties56

ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ

This book, there is no doubt in it, is a guide to those who guard (against evil). Those who believe in the occult and keep up prayer and spend out of whatWe have given them. (2:2 - 3)

The faith in the limitation of human knowledge and the metaphysical realities lead us to the following corollaries:

1. Not limit our mental activity to the sensory stage.

2. Never to think we have discovered everything. Of course,this by no means a human will not be able to discover any of the truths in the world, but we should not claim to have a full understanding of a natural phenomenon at a certain time. Sayyid Qutb in his interpretation of the verse 3 in chapter al-Baqarah says,57

“Faith in the supra-physical is a stage by attaining which a person rises above the level of animality - at which perception is confined to the domain of external senses - and reaches the stage of humanity, a much larger and more spacious domain beyond the limited domain of external senses opens up before them. The transference to this new stage brings a radical change in a person’s view of the reality of the existence in general, and their own self in particular, and they perceive hidden powers in the universe; how, they are greatly affected by a new feeling and can perceive in the creation the Power and Wisdom at work behind it.

“This transference affects the realities between a person whose life is entrenched in the limited span of sensory perception and the one whose soul and insight take them to the vast kingdom (of higher realities) where he can hear and feel the mysterious music and inspiration gushes out of the depths of their heart. They feel the extent of the universe is too great for them to comprehend during their short span of life. They realize beyond the seen and unseen universe of existence, there exists a truth much greater than existence and He is the Creator and the Preserver of it. This truth is not visible to human eyes and is not discerned by human wisdom alone.

“This feeling (knowledge of the immensity of the unknown) safeguards the limited human faculty of thinking and does not let it go astray and waste itself in the areas which it has been created.”

4. Believe in the Principle of General Causality

The principle of causality says every event requires a cause. This principle has two important corollaries:

a) The Principle of Determinism: Any cause requires an effect, and without a cause it is impossible to have an effect.

b) The Principle of Uniformity of Nature: Similar causes entail similar effects.

These two corollaries are inseparable from the principle of general causality, and any violation in them will be the violation of the principle of general causality:58

A. In the Qur’an we have many verses which talk of unchangeable patterns (sunan) of Allah in the Universe:

سُنَّةَ مَنْ قَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنْ رُسُلِنَا ۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ لِسُنَّتِنَا تَحْوِيلًا

(This isOur ) course with regard to those of Our apostles who We sent before you, and you shall not find a change in our course. (17:77)

سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ فِي الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِنْ قَبْلُ ۖ وَلَنْ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلًا

(Such has been) the course of Allah with respect to those who have gonebefore, and you shall not find any change in the course of Allah. (33:62)

مَا كَانَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ مِنْ حَرَجٍ فِيمَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ لَهُ ۖ سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ فِي الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِنْ قَبْلُ ۚ وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ قَدَرًا مَقْدُورًا

There is no harm in the prophet doing which Allah has ordained for him, such has been the course of Allah with respect to those who have gone before, and the command of Allah is a decree which is made absolute. (33:38)

يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ سُنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ

Allah desires to explain to you and to guide you into the ways of those before you and to turn to you (mercifully) and Allah is all knowing. (4:26)

We find many examples of these patterns in the Qur’an itself:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ

Most surely Allah does not change the condition of people until they change their own condition. (13:11)

وَإِذَا أَرَدْنَا أَنْ نُهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُوا فِيهَا

“And whenWe wish to destroy a town, We send Our commandment to the people of it who lead easy lives, but they transgress...” SoWe destroy it with utter destruction. (17:16)

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ

Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good in whichWe most certainly make them rulers in the earth. (24:55)

وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنْتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ

And be not infirm and be not grieving and you shall have the upper hand if you are believers. (3:139)

وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ لِيُهْلِكَ الْقُرَىٰ بِظُلْمٍ وَأَهْلُهَا مُصْلِحُونَ

And it did not beseem your Lord to have destroyed the towns tyrannously, while their people acted well. (11:117)

فَأَمَّا الزَّبَدُ فَيَذْهَبُ جُفَاءً ۖ وَأَمَّا مَا يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ فَيَمْكُثُ فِي الْأَرْضِ

“...then as for the scum, it passes away as a worthless thing and as for which profits the people, it tarries in the earth...” (13:17)

وَلَا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلَّا بِأَهْلِهِ ۚ فَهَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا سُنَّتَ الْأَوَّلِينَ ۚ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلًا ۖ وَلَنْ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَحْوِيلًا

“...and the evil plans shall not beset any save the authors of it. Then should they wait for aught except the way of the former people? For you shall not find any alteration in the course of Allah and you shall not find any change in the course of Allah.” (35:43)

B. Some of the Qur’anic verses indicate both the creation and the course of events in nature follow a certain measure, and every natural being has a definite and precise life span:

الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ بِحُسْبَانٍ

“The sun and the moon follow a reckoning.” (55:5)

وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا عِنْدَنَا خَزَائِنُهُ وَمَا نُنَزِّلُهُ إِلَّا بِقَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ

And there is not a thing but withUs are the treasures of it, and We do not send it down but in a knowing manner. (15:21)

وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِمِقْدَارٍ

“...and there is a measure with Him of everything.” (13:8)

أَوَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ ۗ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى ۗ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ النَّاسِ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّهِمْ لَكَافِرُونَ

Do they not reflect within themselves, ‘Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them but with truth and (for) an appointed term?’ And most surely most of the people are deniers of the meeting of their Lord.” (30:8)

C. Some verses mention the mechanism and special course of certain events in nature:

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ طِينٍوَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ طِينٍ

“And certainlyWe created man of an extract of clay, then we made a small life germ in a firm resting place.” (23:12 - 13)

وَأَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ رِزْقًا لَكُمْ

And (Who) sends down rain from the cloud, then brings forth with it subsistence for you. (2:22)

قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ

...Ibrahim said, “So surely Allah causes the sun to rise from the east. Then make it rise from the west.” Thus he who disbelieved was confounded. (2:58)

وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِوَالْقَمَرَ قَدَّرْنَاهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتَّىٰ عَادَ كَالْعُرْجُونِ الْقَدِيمِلَا الشَّمْسُ يَنْبَغِي لَهَا أَنْ تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ ۚ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ

And the sun runs on to a term appointed for it, which is the ordinance of the mighty, the knowing. And (as for) the moon,We have ordained for it stages until it becomes again as an old dry palm branch. Neither is it allowable to the sun it should overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day, and all of them float through space.” (36:35 - 40)

وَاللَّهُ أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا

And Allah has sent down water from the cloud and therewith given life to the earth after its death. (16:65)

وَمِنْ ثَمَرَاتِ النَّخِيلِ وَالْأَعْنَابِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنْهُ سَكَرًا وَرِزْقًا حَسَنًا

“And of the fruits of the palms and the grapes, you obtain from them intoxication and goodly provision.” (16:67)

وَأَرْسَلْنَا الرِّيَاحَ لَوَاقِحَ

“AndWe send the winds fertilizing...” (15:22)

قَاتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللَّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنْصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُؤْمِنِينَ

Fight them, Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace and assist you against them and heal the hearts of a believing people. (9:14)

These verses show certain definite laws rule over the universe. This, however, is meaningful only if the principle of general causality is valid. In this case, every event stands in its definite place, i.e. every event appears under definite conditions and at a definite time and place. This does not imply events are independent of the Almighty’s Will and Order, but it means in this system, everything is realized by God’s Will, but through a special channel. Verses of the following type confirm this view:

وَالْبَلَدُ الطَّيِّبُ يَخْرُجُ نَبَاتُهُ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ ۖ وَالَّذِي خَبُثَ لَا يَخْرُجُ إِلَّا نَكِدًا

And as for the good land, its vegetation springs forth (abundantly) by the permission of its Lord, and (as for) this which is inferior (its herbage) comes forth but scantly.” (7:58)

قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِمَّا كُنْتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ ۚ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُبِينٌيَهْدِي بِهِ اللَّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلَامِ وَيُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ

...Indeed, there has come to you light and a clear book from Allah. With it Allah guides him who will follow His pleasure into the ways of safety and brings them out of utter darkness and into light by His will. (5:15 - 16)

The first verse indicates although God’s Will is necessary for the growth of plants, yet the suitability of the land is also a condition. Not every sort of plant can be raised in every piece of land. With the suitability of the land God makes it possible for the plant to grow.

It can be also deduced from verses 15 - 16 of the chapter of Ma’idah (food) only those seeking God’s consent would enjoy His guidance in the Qur’an.

Some well known Muslim theologians, particularly Asharite school, on the basis of verses like:

قُلِ اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ

Say, “Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Supreme.” (13:16)

وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

And Allah has created you and what you make. (37:96)

أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ

Surely His is the creation and command. (7:54)

بَلْ لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ جَمِيعًا

The commandment is wholly Allah’s (13:31)

أَفَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تَحْرُثُونَأَفَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تَحْرُثُونَ

Have you considered what you saw? Is it you which causes it to grow or areWe the causes of growth? (53:63 - 64)

which attributes creation and governance of the universe to Allah, and verses like:

قُلْنَا يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ

We said, “Oh fire, be a comfort and peace to Ibrahim.” (21:69)

which are indicative of the possibility of miracles, have rejected the law of causation in the physical world and say physical means have no role in the realization of a phenomenon. The cause of any occurrence is God’s Will, except it is God’s way to create what we call “effect” after what we call “cause,” without any relation between them which necessitates the effect to follow the cause. They say, “It is not fire which causes the cotton to burn, rather, it is Allah who makes the cotton burn and turns it into ashes, and of course, if God does not want, the fire will not burn the cotton.” Al-Ghazali, a chief representative of Ash‘arism, in al-Ghazali, a chief representative of Ash‘arism, in “Tahafut al-Falasifah” says,59

“According to us, the connection between what is usually believed to be a cause and what is believed to be an effect is not a necessary connection. In the case of two things which are not identical and the affirmation or negation of one is not implied in the affirmation or negation of the other, neither the existence, not the non-existence of the one necessitates the existence or the non-existence of the other. For example, the satisfaction of thirst does not imply drinking, nor satiety, eating, nor burning, contact with fire, nor light, sunrise, nor decapitation, death, nor recovery, taking of medicine, nor evacuation, the taking of a purgative, and so on for all the empirical connections existing in medicine, astronomy, the sciences and the crafts.

For the connections in these things are based on a prior power of God to create them in a successive order, though not because this connection is necessary in itself and cannot be disjoined; on the contrary, it is in God’s power to create satiety without eating, and death without decapitation, and to let life persist notwithstanding the decapitation, and son with respect to all connections. The philosophers, however, deny this possibility and claim it is impossible to investigate all these innumerable connections would take too long, and so we shall chose one single example, namely the burning of cotton and through contact with fire, for we regard it as possible in which the contact might occur without burning taking place, and also the cotton might be changed into ashes without any contact with fire, although the philosophers deny this possibility.

It is God who made the cotton burn and made it ashes either through intermediation of angels or without intermediation. For fire is a dead body which has no action and what is the proof in which it is the agent? Indeed, the philosophers have no other proof than the observation of the occurrence of the burning, when there is contact with fire, but observation proves only simultaneity, not causation, and, in reality, there is no other cause but God.

This theory is rooted in the idea in accepting a decisive order in the world and require the denial of God’s power. Muslim philosophers reject the Ash‘arite view and say,

a) The co-incidence of two causes operating on a single object is impossible only when the two causes operate transversally, whereas the longitudinal operation of two causes on the same object is quite possible.60 If we believe in the longitudinal system of causes, we could relate every occurrence to God, because He gives existence. This emanation, however, takes place through special channels. This is the reason why God attributes the regulating of affairs sometimes to Himself and sometimes to the angels:

يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ

...He regulates the affairs from the heaven to the earth... (32:5)

فَالْمُدَبِّرَاتِ أَمْرًا

...By those who regulate an affair... (79:5)

He also attributes taking of souls to Himself or to angels:

اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنْفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا

Allah takes the souls at the time of their death... (39:42)

قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ

Say, “The angel of death who is given charge of you shall cause you to die.” (32:11)

b) In the case of material bodies, what is commonly called “cause” is not the efficient cause but it is an intermediary or preparing cause which prepares the ground for God’s bounty. These causes are materialistic and preparatory requirements for an event to occur, and are sometimes interpreted as the transversal system of causes. So, one can say God is the cause for everything, but He makes everything under certain terms and through certain means, and of course, all these means and ways are the objects made by the Almighty Himself. Sadr al-Din Shirazi explains Muslim philosophers’ view in the following way:61

“Another group of philosophers and some elite among our Imamiah scholars say objects vary in their acceptance of existence from the Origin. Some do not yield to existence unless another being precedes them, in the same way accident should follow substance. Thus, the Creator, whose power is unlimited, grants the existence according to the possibilities through a particular order and in consideration of its various capabilities.Some other directly from Him, some through an intermediary or intermediaries. In the last form, nothing can come into existence unless its means and pre-requisites come into reality. God Himself is the Cause without a cause.

“Requirements for existence are not the result of deficiency in the Almighty’s power, but due to weakness in the receiver of emanation. How can one imagine any need or deficiency in the Creator, while means and ways are all originated from Him? Therefore, the Glorious God does not need any help in the creation of anything.”

Thus, verses of the following type:

أَفَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تَحْرُثُونَأَأَنْتُمْ تَزْرَعُونَهُ أَمْ نَحْنُ الزَّارِعُونَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَجَعَلْنَاهُ حُطَامًا فَظَلْتُمْ تَفَكَّهُونَإِنَّا لَمُغْرَمُونَبَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَأَفَرَأَيْتُمُ الْمَاءَ الَّذِي تَشْرَبُونَأَأَنْتُمْ أَنْزَلْتُمُوهُ مِنَ الْمُزْنِ أَمْ نَحْنُ الْمُنْزِلُونَلَوْ نَشَاءُ جَعَلْنَاهُ أُجَاجًا فَلَوْلَا تَشْكُرُونَ

Have you considered what you saw? Is it you which causes it to grow, or areWe the cause of growth? IfWe pleased, We should have certainly make it broken down into pieces, then would you begin to lament. SurelyWe are burdened with debt. Nay,We are deprived. Have you considered the water which you drink? Is it you which sends it down from the clouds, or areWe the senders? IfWe pleased, We would have made it salty; why do you not then give thanks?” (56:63 - 70)

which have been used as the basis of reasoning by Imam Fakhr al-Din Razi62 inthe rejection of the system of cause and effect do not indicate the negation of intermediary means in the occurrence of natural phenomena, but they indicate we should not stop at the channels of emanation and should not remain unaware of the main cause who is the Commander (Ruler) of the whole universe, life giver to all, and He who is at the head of the longitudinal system of all causes, nor should we thing these are self-activating. As martyred Dr. Behshti puts it,63

“The fact is the Holy Qur’an wants to guide humans from this end of the cord, i.e. sensible, to the other end of the cord which is Allah. It wants humans not to stop at intermediary causes and fail in reaching the Origin. In all of the verses there is a voice which says, ‘Be alert,’ while you are studying this world, don’t slip into a ditch, take care not to leave the cord,do not drown yourself in the world of matter or contingents... It is true for agriculture you make preparations, which you should, but do not imagine the cord is fully in your hand. Do you not see at times you find a green sapling suddenly dies and fades despite the utmost care and with all the modern and old means which you employ to make it grow?

“Thus you, with all the means which you have at your disposal, are too insignificant to have the end of the cord. It is true you are drinking water which comes down from the clouds, but do not let your keen eye linger on the cloud saying the water in the cloud is pure. The Qur’an says, “It may rain, but the rain might be so badly contaminated or bitter and distasteful one could not drink a drop of it. So, the end of the cord of your drinking water is not in the hand of the cloud, but in the hand of the WISE Omnipotent, Who has created clouds and hundreds of other agents which work under his command and furnish people with fresh, tasty water.”

In the case of miracles, too, considering the invariability of Divine patterns in nature, we do not find it necessary to look for the exceptions in the laws of nature, because if we find a deviation from a natural law, this does not necessarily means the law is not correct or the law of Causality is violated, because it is possible to make one law ineffective by the help of another in the universe. If a body falls because of the gravity, this force may be neutralized by the use of another force. Therefore, on the observance of a suspended body in the air, we should not immediately suppose there is no such law as gravitation; rather, we can assume there is another force besides the force of gravity. Martyred Mutahhari puts it,64

“Neither do the laws of creation yield themselves to exceptions, nor are miracles exceptional deeds in the laws of creation. If we observe certain changes in the patterns of the universe, it is because of the interference of other patterns or laws, which, too, have general validity under their own special conditions. That is, one law does not change without the effect of another law. In the universe, all the laws, courses and patterns are invariable. If a dead (person) comes back to life, it follows a law of its own, if a son is born without having a father (as in the case of ‘Isa bin Mariam), this, too, is not against Allah’s course or the law of the universe; the problem is people do not know all the patterns and laws of the universe, and what they know as a law, in many cases has the appearance of a law and is not a real one.”

After the appearance of the quantum theory in physics, and the presentation of the principle of uncertainty by W. Heisenberg in the early years of the second quarter of the present century, some of the founders of this theory denied the existence of causal system in the world of particles and permitted the rejection of the principle of determinism, and gave a statistical status of the laws of micro-physics. Most of the physicists, with the exception of some prominent ones like Planck and Einstein, raised their voices in favour of the new theory and more or less accepted its orthodox interpretation, a situation which is still going on, although the lapse of time has increased the number of opponents.

Einstein and his colleagues rejected the theory because they could not accept the probabilities were ruling over the universe. From the viewpoint, the objective of physics should be to explain all natural phenomena according to absolute laws. Thereason why we stick to statistical laws, or dealing with innumerable particles make us stick to statistical mathematics for the sake of simplification. As Einstein put it in his lecture in1933 ,65

“I cannot but confess I attach only a transitory importance to this interpretation. I will believe in the possibility of a model of reality - which is to say, of a theory which represents things themselves and not merely the probability of their occurrence.”

In a letter addressed to Born in April1924 Einstein wrote, “...I should not want to be forced into abandoning strict causality without defending it more strongly than I have so far. I find the idea quite intolerable in which an electron exposed to radiation should choose of its own free will, not only its moment to jump off, but also its direction. In this case, I would rather be a cobbler, or even an employee in a gaming-house, than a physicist. Certainly my attempts to give tangible form to the quanta have foundered again and again, but I am far from giving up hope. And even if it never works there is always this consolation which lack of success is entirely mine.”

In recent years we come across some Muslim scholars66 who have revived the forsaken theory of the Muslim theologians, citing the quantum theory as a proof for their claims. To answer them, we are going to quote Dirak, who was one of the founders of quantum physics. In a recent paper (1979 ) he said,67

“It seems clear the present quantum mechanics is not in its final form. Some further changes will be needed, just about as drastic as the changes which one made in passing from Bohr’s orbits to quantum mechanics. Someday, a new relativistic quantum mechanics will be discovered in which we do not have these infinities occurring at all. It might very well be the new quantum mechanics will have determinism in the way which Einstein wanted.

This determinism will be introduced only at the expense of abandoning some other pre-conception which physicists now hold, and which it is not sensible to try to get at now.

“So under these conditions I think it is very likely, or at any rate quite possible, in the long run, Einstein will turn out to be correct, even though for the time being, physicists have to accept the Bohr probability interpretation - especially if they have examinations in front of them.”

Finally, in confuting those who deny the validity of the principle of causality in the atomic and sub-atomic domain, we say:

a) If we deny the validity of the principle of causality in the atomic and sub-atomic world, this would mean defacing this principle in relation to the whole world, because causality brings the whole world together. As Sheikh Shabistar’i puts it, “If you remove a single particle out of its place, the whole world tumbles down.”

b) The generalization of the results of a limited number of experiments in the form of general laws and scientific theories become meaningful only in the light of the principle of causality, because in accepting something as a law we also accept:

1.every effect has a cause

2.the relation between cause and effect is indispensible

3.similar causes entail similar effects

In practice, no one can be sure of considering all the relevant factors and parameters. Therefore, generalization cannot be of absolute validity. This limitation, however, arises from the deficiency in our information. In any case, we believe faith in the existence of absolute laws can be meaningful only if the principle of uniformity of nature is valid. As Planck puts it,68

“Of course it may be said the law of causality is only after all a hypothesis. If it be a hypothesis, it is not a hypothesis like most of the others, but it is a fundamental hypothesis because it is the postulate which is necessary to give sense and meaning to the application of all hypotheses in scientific research. This is because any hypothesis which indicates a definite rule pre-supposes the validity of the principle of causation.”

c) Should the principle of causality turn out to be invalid, nothing would be the result of proof, because the proof is the cause of our knowledge of the desired result, and if the tie between proof and result be non-essential, the proof may not end in the result. In such a case nothing would be the result of proof, and any proof might lead to any result, and there would be no difference between producing a proof and not producing it. This is why even those who reject the principle of causality accept it implicitly, because they admit their proof will undermine our faith in the principle of causality.69

d) As Martyred Professor Murtada Murtahhari and Martyred Ayatullah Mohammad Baqir Sadr have pointed out,70 the impossibility of prediction in atomic domain arises from our ignorance about the deterministic laws governing atomic phenomena rather than ineffectiveness of the principle of causality and its corollaries in the atomic world. This in itself is due either to the deficiency in the means of experimentation or due to the immeasurability of the effects of the experimentalist on the experiments. In any case, we should note our failure in the discovery of a cause does not mean its non-existence, and we have no proof to say modern science has discovered all the factors therein. As Einstein puts it,71

“Therefore, the fact in science we have to be content with an incomplete picture of the physical universe is not due to the nature of the universe itself but rather to us.”

In short, the denial of the principle of causality is the denial of scientific laws as well as the negation of reasoning. Science has to accept the principle of causality with all its inseparable corollaries, so its existence could be meaningful.

Notes

1. Kulayni, al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 34.

2. Harrani, Tuhaf al-Uqul, p. 354.

3. al-Raghib al-Isfahani, Mufradat Alfaz al-Qur’an.

4. Sadr al-Din Shirazi, Asfar, vol. 3, p. 516.

5. Kulayni, al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 29.

6. Mufid al-Irshad, p. 281.

7. M. Bagir Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol 3. pp. 146 - 147.

8. ALi Muttaqi, Kanz al-‘Ummal, no. 1220.

9. Fakhr al-Din Razi, al-Tafsir al-Kabir, vol. 17, p., 209.

10. Of course, if somebody wants to refer to the analysis of what has been seen (or heard) as the eyes (or ears) of the heart, we will not argue with him against his terminology.

11. M. H. Tabatabi’i, al-Mizan, vol. 10, p. 68 and vol. 16, p. 167.

12. Nahj al-Balagha (S. al-Saleh Ed) p. 213.

13. M. Baqir, Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar vol. 3, pp. 159.

14. Abu Hassan Nadwi, Islam and the World (Malaysia, 1401 A.H.) p. 95; Mohammad Iqbal, The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, (Lahore, 1960) pp. 127 - 131; A. Tabbarah, Ruh al-Din al-Islami, (Beirut) p. 270.

15. M. Mutahhari, ‘Ilal-e-Garayesh bi-Maddigari (Hekmat Pub.) p. 191.

16. Einstein,A Centenary Volume, Edited by A. P. French, pp. 312 - 313.

17. Werner Heisenberg, Physics and Beyond, Harper-Torchbooks, p. 63.

18. Philip Franck, Einstein: His Life and Times, trans. George Rosen (New York, 1970), pp. 214 - 218.

19. Sadr al-Din Shirazi, Asfar, vol. 3, p. 384.

20. M. H. Tabataba’i, al-Mizan, vol. 3, p. 384.

21. al-Raghib al-Isfahani, Mufradat Alfaz al-Qur’an.

22. M.J. Mughniyah, al-Tafsir al-Kashif, vol. 6, p. 534.

23. Ibn Sina, al-Isharat Waal-Tanbihat, vol. 2, p. 358.

24. Ibid, vol. 2, p. 353.

25. Ibid, p.359.

26. Alexis Carrel, Man, the Unknown, p. 85.

27. M.H. Tabataba’i, al-Mizan, vol. 7, pp. 289 - 290.

28. Ibid, vol. 8, p. 348.

29. M. J. Mughniyah, al-Tafsir al-Kashif, vol. 3, p. 213.

30. Din Arkan Tabiah, p. 251.

31. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din vol. 3. p. 15.

32. M. H. Tabataba’i, al-Mizan, vol. 5, p. 270.

33. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din, vol. 3, p. 9; Mullah Muhsin Fayd Kashani, Mahajjah al-Baida, vol. 2, p. 125.

34. ‘Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim vol. 5, p. 411.

35. Kulayni, al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 263. For other versions of the same tradition, see also al-Bukhari, al-Sahih, vol. 8, p. 105, and Fayd Kashani, Kalimat-e-Maknunah, p. 113.

36. Saduq, ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, vol. 2, p. 69. For other versions of this tradition see, e.g. Suyuti, al-Jami al-Saghir (Damascus) vol. 2, p. 483, and Fayd Kashani, Kalimat-e-Maknunah, p. 247.

37. Nahj al-Balaghah (S. al-Salah Ed.) p. 337.

38. Ibid, p. 497.

39. M. H. Tabataba’i, al-Mizan, vol. 2, p. 250.

40. Abu Hamid al-Ghu7zzali, Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din, vol. 3, pp. 12 - 14.

41. Saduq, al-Khisal, vol. 1, p. 151.

42. ‘Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim (Tehran University Press) vol. 1, p. 68.

43. Nahj al-Balaghah (S. al-Saleh Ed.) p. 524.

44. Ibn Abi Jumhur, Ghawali al-La’ali, vol. 1, p. 240. In Suyuti’s al-Jami‘ al -Saghir, (vol. 1, p. 500),this tradition is reported in the following form:

45. Nahj al-Balaghah (s. al-Saleh Ed.) p. 524.

46. Ibid. p. 503.

47. Saduq, al-Khisal, vol. 1, p. 85. See also Suyuti, al-Jami‘ al -Sahir, vol. 1, p. 469.

48. Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikamwa Durar al-Kalim, vol. 1, p. 189.

49. Barqi, al-Mahasin, vol. 1, p. 215.

50. Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikamwa Durar al-Kalim, vol. 1, p. 231.

51. Saduq, Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, vol. 2, p. 46.

52. Kulayni, al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 43.

53. Ibn Sina, al-Isharat waal-Tanbihat, vol. 13, p. 246.

54. Einstein, A centenary Volume, Edited by A.P. French, p. 275.

55. Ideas and Opinions by Albert Einstein, Trans. Sonja Bargman New York, Crown Publications, Inc. p. 266.

56. M.H. Tabataba’i, al-Mizan, vol. 1, pp. 45 - 46.

57. Sayyid Qutb, Fi Zilal al- Qur’an, vol. 1, p. 40.

58. M.H. Tabataba’i, Usil e-Falsafah, vol. 3, p. 183.

59. Abu Hamid Ghazali, Tabafut alpFalasifah, pp. 234 - 240.

60. M.H.Tabataba’i, al-Mizan, vol 7.p. 298.

61. Abu Hamid Ghazali, Tabafut al-Falasifah, pp. 234 - 240.

62. Fakhral-Din Razi, Tafsir al-Kabir, vol. 2, pp. 110 - 111; vol. 14 pp. 194 - 195, vol. 30, p. 53; Sadr al-Din Shirazi, Asfar vol. 9, pp. 153 - 158.

63. M. H. Beheshti, Guftar e-Mah vol. 3, p. 114.

64. Murtada Mutahhari, ‘Adal e-Ilahi, p. 62.

65. Einstein,A Centenary Volume, Edited by A.P. French, p. 314.

66. Dr. Ismail R. al-Faruqi, The Causal and Telic Nature of the Universe, paper presented at the International Conference on Science in Islamic Polity, Nov. 1983.Fateh Ullah Khan, God, Universe, and Man (Lahore, Wajidalis Limited, 1982) pp. 251 - 267.

67. Some Strangeness in the Proportion, edited by harry Woolf (Addison - Wesley Publication Co.) p. 65.

68. Max Planck,The New Science (Greenwich Editions, 1954), p. 104.

69. Ibn Rushd, Tahafut al-Tahafut, translated by S. Van den Bergh (London, 1954), pp. 319 - 319; M. Babir, Sadr, Falsafatuna (Beirut, 1400 A.H.), pp. 308 - 309; M. H. Tabataba’i Usul e-Falsafah, vol. 3, p. 217 (Mutahhari’s footnote).

70. M. H. Tabatabi’i, Usul 3-Falsafah vol. 3.p. 218 (Mutahari’s footnote); M. Bagir, Sadr, Falsafatuna, pp. 314 - 315.

71. Max Planck,The New Science (Greenwich ed., 1959) p. 10.

Chapter Seven: The doctrine of Imamate from a Shi’a perspective (Part III)

In this chapter we will be discussing topics:

[1]: The Imam’s possession of the knowledge of Prophets and Angels

[2]: The knowledge of previous books possessed by the Imams

[3]: The Imam’s knowledge of the unseen

[4]: The Imams are the masters of this world and the next

[5]: Miracles bestowed on the Imams

[6]. The ability of the Imams to raise the dead

[7]: The Imams meeting with angels

[8]: All the deeds of men are presented before Imams

[9]: The role of Imam (as) during Laylatul Qadr (Night of Power)

[10]: The knowledge of unseen in respect of knowing the death of others

[11]: The Imams knowing the time of their death and having authority over it

[12]: The Imams knowledge over whether a person is destined for Heaven or Hell

[1]: The Imams possession of the knowledge of Prophets and Angels

Islamweb’s onslaught on the Shi’a includes this wonderful analysis:

Islamweb states:

“The Imams possess all the knowledge granted to angels, prophets and messengers” (Al-Kulaini, Al-kaafi, p.255.) Well here is more shirk from the Shi’ites… How can an Imam, who is just a human, know the Unseen??? Only Allah knows the Unseen, and think about this… The Imams were not even Alive at the time of all of the prophets so here is a major contradiction in the Shi’ite faith!

Reply One

Could this Nasibi tell us how modern man has knowledge of how a telephone system operates when you were not alive during the time of its founder Thomas Edison? The answer is this knowledge was then passed on through the generations, so that even simpletons like the Islamweb writers possess a general understanding of the telephone. This is what is called the transference of knowledge through the generations.

Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah Muhammad Ismaeel Bukhari set about taking collecting narrations long after the death of Rasulullah (s). When such individuals narrated these Hadith were they committing shirk, since they possessed ghayb, as they had never seen the Prophet (s)? Clearly not, the teachings of the Prophet (s) had been passed on to them by their father, forefather, their teachers etc! Likewise knowledge that was possessed by Prophets and Messengers was not just hidden away in their minds. This was disseminated as inheritance through the lineage of the Prophets and let us not forget some Prophets also brought divine books, ultimately this knowledge went to Rasulullah (s) the City of Knowledge and was then transferred as inheritance to ‘Ali (as) and then to the other eleven Imams.This fact was beautifully elaborated on by Imam Jafar al Sadiq (as):

“The Prophet Dawud inherited the knowledge of the preceding prophets, and he then bequeathed it to Sulayman. From Sulayman it was transmitted to the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, and we in turn have inherited it from him.”

Abu Basir who was present then saw fit to remark: “There are all kinds of knowledge!” The Imam responded! “The knowledge you have in mind is not particularly valuable. The knowledge of which I speak is truly precious; it is inspired in us night and day, from one hour to the next.”

al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Vol. I, p.225.

Reply Two

The Nasibi is suggesting how the Imams knew the teachings of past Prophets when they were not alive, well that type of Nasibi logic would suggest that neither the Imams nor Prophet Muhammad (s) should have a knowledge of any aspect of the lives of past Prophets after all to quote their logic they were not even Alive at the time of all of the prophets so here is a major contradiction in the Shi’ite faith!

This being the case could this Nasibi author kindly offer an explanation to this Hadith that we read in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 616:

Hammam b. Munabbih reported that Abu Huraira reported many ahadith from Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) and one, of them speaks that Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) is reported to have said: Banu Isra’il used to take bath (together) naked and thus saw private parts of one another, but Moses (peace be upon him) used to take bath alone (in privacy), and they said: By Allah, nothing prevents Moses to take bath along with us; but scrotal hernia. One day when he (Moses) was taking bath (alone) he placed his clothes upon a stone, but the stone began to move along with his clothes. Moses raced after it saying: My garment, stone; until (some of the people) of Banu Isra’il looked at the private parts of Moses, and they said: By Allah, there is no trouble with Moses. The stone stopped after he (Moses) had been seen. He took hold of his garments and struck the stone. Abu Huraira said: I swear by Allah that there were six or seven scars on the stone because of the striking of stone by Moses (peace be upon him).

Whilst here is not the place to address this filthy narration, suffice it to say the Ahl’ul Sunnah have graded it as Sahih, so tell us Islamweb when (according your aqeedah) Rasulullah (s) was not alive at the time of Musa (as) then how was he aware of that that the Jews believed that he had a genital defect? How did the Prophet (s) know that a stone ran off with the clothes of Musa (as)? More interesting is Abu Hurrayra’s addition, about the marks on the stone, how did he know that there are six or seven marks present on the stone from the beating? When you deem this narration as Sahih then the position you held is shot down by it! Will you therefore issue Takfeer against Bukhari for claiming this? And what about the claim of Abu Hurrayra, a claim so confident that he swore before Allah (swt) at its accuracy?

Besides the above cited tradition, there are many other traditions written in Sahih texts of Ahl’ul Sunnah wherein the Prophet (s) or his companions mentioned the incidents of past nations. For example:

The Prophet (s) narrated the conversation Prophet Musa (as) had with Allah (swt). [Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 3, Number 124]

The Prophet (s) narrated a debate between Prophet Musa (as) and Prophet Adam (as) [Sahih al Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 260]

The Prophet (s) narrated a conversation between Isa (as) and a suspected thief [Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 55, Number 653]

The Prophet (s) narrated that Prophet Sulayman planned on impregnating seventy women in one night (astaghfirullah) [Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 55, Number 635]

Abudullah ibn Abbas said: All the idols which were worshipped by the people of Noah were worshipped by the Arabs later on. [Sahih al Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 442]

Abu Musa said: When the skin of anyone amongst the people of Israel was besmeared with urine, he cut that portion with a cutter. [Sahih Muslim Book 002, Number 0523, Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 4, Number 226]

Abu Hurraira said ‘The Angel of Death was sent to Moses when he came to Moses, Moses slapped him on the eye’. [Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 55, Number 619]

Reply Three

Whilst the first two responses will suffice as rebuttals to Nasibi logic we shall now look at the position from another angle. The Nasibi writers of the Ansar.org and Islamweb adhere to a Sect that is devoid of any recognition of the spiritual dimension that was the Wilayah of Rasulullah (s) and the Ahl’ul bayt (as) Imams, which is why they will never be able to understand this Hadith:

“I was prophet when Adam was between soul and body.

Sharah Fiqh Akbar, page 72

This proves the existence of Rasulullah (s) before Adam (as). What we know is that Rasulullah (s) was not alone at this stage, this is evident from the supplication that Adam (as) made, that we cited earlier:

“Ibn al Najjar narrates that Ibn Abbas asked Rasulullah (s) in connection with the above matter, and Rasul (s) stated, Adam said “Through Muhammad, ‘Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Hussain, please accept my repentance. Allah (swt) then accepted his repentance”.

Tafseer Durre Manthur Volume 1 pages 60-61 by Imam of Ahl Sunnah al Hafidh Suyuti

The very fact that Adam (as) took these names in his supplication, proves that these individuals existed in some form prior to the creation of Adam (as). When (from this tradition) three of the Ahl’ul bayt (as) Imams were present before the creation of Adam (as) then what is the objection if we believe that their presence provided them the benefit of attaining the knowledge that Allah (swt) had given Adam (as)? If the Imams were present at the time of Adam (as) then naturally they were also present at the time of the other Prophets (s), and that state is explained to us in this Hadith cited by ‘Ubaydullah Amritsari in Arjahu ‘l matalib, Ist ed. 1340 A.H. pp. 458 463.

The Holy Prophet said: “I and ‘Ali were one Light in presence of Allah fourteen thousand years before the creation of Adam. When Adam was created that Light was placed into his loin. Thus Allah was transferring it from noble loins to pure wombs until Allah settled it into the loin of ‘Abdu ‘l Muttalib. Then Allah divided it into two, one part went into the loin of ‘Abdullah and the other to that of Abu Talib. Therefore ‘Ali is from me and I am from him, his flesh is my flesh and his blood is my blood; whoever loves him, he does so because of my love, and whoever hates him, he does so because he hates me. “

The nur of Rasulullah (s) and Maula Ali (as) remained in a lineage that started with Adam and then split at the point of Abdul Muttalib. This nur remained in the pure linage of the Prophets as such Rasulullah (s) and his Wasi (as) were present in a state of nur during the life of each Prophet. If the Shi’a believe that Maula Ali possessed the knowledge of past Prophets because he was alive at the time (in a state of nur with the Prophet), then it is in complete conformity with this Hadith!

Reply Four – The Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that the Ruh (spirit) of Imam Ghazali conversed with Nabi Musa (as) decades before his birth.

Saim Chisthi al Hanafi in Mushkil kushah Volume 1 page 88-90 cites this reference:

“The Prophet (s) met with Musa (as) on the night of Miraj, and Musa asked ‘Oh Pious Prophet (s) and pious brother, you have stated ‘The Ulema of my Ummah are equal to the Prophets of Banu Israeel’, I would like to speak to one of the scholars from your Ummah. The Prophet (s) summoned the ruh (spirit) of Ghazali, and they said Salaam to one another. Hadhrat Musa (as) queried ‘What is your name?’’ to which Ghazali said Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad Ghazali”. Musa (as) said I asked you name not that of your father or grandfather’.. Ghazali replied ‘You was asked what is that in your hand?’ To which you replied ‘this is my stick, that I use as support, and steer sheep and take other benefits, was is not sufficient for you to say ‘This is my stick’? [Tafree al Khathir, page 9 printed in Egypt).

Mushkil kushah, Volume 1 page 88-90

This episode can also be read in the following Deobandi book:

Shamaim Imadiyah, page 70 by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi

If the Ahl’ul Sunnah have no objection to believing that Imam Ghazali possessed a knowledge of the Qur’an before his physical birth, rather knew of this verse in a state of Ruh (spirit) then there should be no objection if the Shi’a likewise believe that Maula Ali both absorbed and inherited the knowledge of past Prophets due to his existence as Nur.

[2]: The knowledge of previous books possessed by the Imams

Numani states:

All the Scriptures revealed to preceding Prophets like Torah, Bible and Psalms, are with the Imams and they read them in their original languages.Another Chapter of Usul-e-Kafi bears the titled: “The Imams have with them all the Books revealed by God to Prophets of yore and in spite of difference in language they read and understand them”.In it, traditions appropriate to the heading and some events concerning Imam Jafar Sadiq and his son. Musa Kazim are mentioned. In the preceding chapter of Usul-e-Kafi, also, there are narrations bearing the same import. For example, Imam Jafar is reported to have said: “We possess the knowledge of Torah1, Bible and Psalms of David and an authentic record of all that was in the Tablets.” (p. 137).In another chapter, there is one more saying of Imam Jafar Sadiq which reads: “We possess Al-Jafrul Abyaz.” On being asked what it was, he said: “It means Psalms of David, Torah of Moses, Bible of Christ and Scriptures of Abraham”. (p. 147).

Islamweb states:

“The Imams have knowledge of all the revealed books, regardless of the languages in which they were revealed” (Ibid, p. 227.) As you can see these Shi’ites have elevated their Imams to a God-like level, and the Shi’ites say that there is nothing wrong with this!!! Now can we see why the Shi’ites are different to us muslims!

Reply One –The Qur’an encompasses all previous books

The Qur’an encompasses the teachings of all past books, whilst some aspects of Shari’ah in past books were abrogated for the Qur’an there was no real change in relation to the Sunnah, as Allah (swt) says in Sural al Fath verse 12:

Such has been) the practice of Allah already in the past: no change wilt thou find in the practice of Allah.

We believe that Rasulullah (s) as the Seal of all Prophets (s) and the City of Knowledge had been equipped with knowledge of all divinely revealed texts. As the true inheritors of the Qur’an and Sunnah, our Imams have a complete command over Qur’anic injunctions as such their knowledge meant that they could accordingly resolve matters in previous divine books. If Islamweb are outraged as such a belief, is should not as much of a surprise after all there most authentic texts contain traditions that state that Rasulullah (s) forgot verses of the Holy Qur’an, and his memory was refreshed by a Sahaba. This is proven from Sahih al Bukhari book 61, volume 6, Hadith number 556:

Narrated Aisha: The Prophet heard a man reciting the Qur’an in the mosque and said, “May Allah bestow His Mercy on him, as he has reminded me of such-and-such Verses of such a Surah.”

When according to the Ahl’ul Sunnah, Rasulullah (s) was ignorant of the very text that he (s) brought, then it is only fair for them to mock the Shi’a for believing that Rasulullah (s) and his twelve inheritors were endowed with knowledge of all divine texts!

Reply Two – Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (as) confirmed that he possessed knowledge of all the divinely revealed books

We are citing from the following authority works of Ahle Sunnah:

Tafseer Ruh al-Ma’ani, Volume 6 page 141

Al Kashf al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Quran by Imam Abu Ishaq Thalabi, Vol 5 page 162

Matalib al Seul by Muhammad Ibn Talha Shafiyee, page 149

Tafsir Shawahid al-Tanzeel, by al-Hakim al-Hasakani, Vol 1 pge 336

Yanabi al Mawwadah, page 83 & 86

Imam Abu Ishaq Thalabi in his authority work ‘Al Kashf al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Quran’ popularly known as ‘Tafsir Thalabi’ records this tradition in the commatnery of Surah Hud:

عن زادان قال سمعت عليا يقول والذي فلق الحبة وبرأ النسمة لو ثنيت لي وسادة فأجلست عليها لحكمت بين أهل التوراة بتوراتهم وبين أهل الإنجيل بإنجيلهم وبين أهل الزبور بزبورهم وبين أهل الفرقان بفرقانهم

Zadan said: ‘I heard Ali saying: ‘By who split the seed and send the winds, if a cloth is placed on the ground and I sit there, I will judge the people of the Torah according to the Torah, people of the Injeel according to the Injeel, people of Zaboor according to the Zaboor, and people of Furqan (Quran) according to the Quran.’’

Online Tafsir Thalabi, (MS Word, Doc page No. 1004)

Allamah Shahabuddin Mehmood Alusi records the following tradition in Tafseer Ruh al-Ma’ani under the commentray of Surah 5 verse 42:

وروي عن علي كرم الله تعالى وجهه من أنه قال لو ثنيت لي الوسادة لأفتيت أهل التوراة بتوراتهم وأهل الإنجيل بإنجيلهم

“Ali narrates if a cloth is placed on the ground, I will judge the people of the Torah according to the Torah, people of the Injeel according to the Injeel.”

Tafseer Ruh al-Maani, Volume 6 page 141

The great Shafiyee scholar Mufti Muhammad Ibn Talha Al-Shafiyee also recorded the very tradition:

Once Ali said: ‘If a cloth is placed on the ground and I sit there, I will judge the people of the Torah according to the Torah, people of the Injeel according to the Injeel, people of Zaboor according to the Zaboor, and people of Furqan (Qur’an) according to the Qur’an.’

We shall now evidence this by presenting traditions recorded by Shaykh Suleman Qandozi al-Hanafi in Yanabi al Mawaddah from further two Sunni works.

“Sharh al Kibriyat al Ahmar records that Ali narrated: ‘If a cloth is placed on the ground, I will judge the people of the Torah according to the Torah, people of the Injeel according to the Injeel and people of Furqan (Qur’an) according to the Quran’”.

Yanabi al Mawaddah page 83

Sharh Ta’aruf records – ‘There is a consensus that ‘Ali is the Chief of the Arif’s (people of recognition) and he made a claim that non before or after him have made, namely on one occasion he declared on the pulpit ‘Ask me anything, an ocean of knowledge is flowing in my chest, Rasulullah (s) filled my chest in the same manner that a bird feeds its offspring. I swear by He (swt) who controls my life if permitted to do so, I will judge the people of the Torah according to the Torah, the people of the Injeel according to the Injeel, if I am allowed to tell people about Ahkam I will tell the people of those things that are in them, and these books shall corroborate my position”.

Yanabi al Mawaddah page 86

Shrah Ta’aruf was written by Ismail bin Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Mustameli as we read:

“Ismail bin Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Mustameli, Sufi and from his traces its ‘Sharh al-Ta’aruf le madhab al-Tasawuf’.”

1. Muj’am al-Mualfeen by Umar Raza Kahala (Egypt), Volume 2

2. Hidayat al-Aarfeen by Ismail Basha al-Baghdadi, Volume 1 page 209

We shall now quote two narrations from Manaqib Mutazvee, by Mullah Muhammad Saleh al Kashafi; this is an old Sunni work and was presented to the Indian ruler Shah Jahan at the time of completion in the 16th Century. These two narrations are on page 299:

Nuzlul Sahireen has this narration from Ibn Fakhree ‘I heard the Commander of the Faithful on the pulpit of Kufa whilst wearing the cloak helmet, ring of the Prophet (s), and carrying his (s) sword his (s) sword say ‘Ask me whilst I am still amongst you, since an ocean of knowledge is within my heart, by Allah! If a cloth is placed before me I will issues verdicts for the people of the Torah from the Torah, for the people of Injeel from the Injeel, if Allah (swt) gave (these books) the authority to speak they would conform ‘Whatever ‘Ali is stating is correct’.

In Hidayah al Sa’uda and Sahayf we read that Ali said ‘if a cloth is placed before me I will judge the people of the Torah according to the Torah, the people of the Injeel according to the Injeel, people of Psalms against the Psalams, and the people of Islam according to the Qur’an”.

The testimony of Imam Ali (as) from Sunni sources about possessing the knowledge of previously revealed books shall suffice to shut the mouth of our opponents. The same knowledge was passed over to the later Imams (as).

Reply Three – The Sunni claim that their scholars possessed knowledge of Loh al-Mehfooz [Preserved Tablet]

Allamah Al-Hai bin Ahmed al-Akri al-Damashqi (1032 to 1089) popularly known as Ibn Imad al-Hanbali in his book ‘Shadraat al-Dhahab fi Akhbaar min Dhahab’ writes about Mohiuddin ibn Mustafa Hanafi (d. 950 A.H) that he used to say:

وكان يقول إذا شككت في آية من القرآن أتوجه إلى الله تعالى فيتسع صدري حتى يصير قدر الدنيا ويطلع فيه قمران لا أدري هما أي شيء ثم يظهر نور فيكون دليلا إلى اللوح المحفوظ فاستخرج منه معنى الآية

“Whenever I have doubts regarding any verse of the Holy Quran, I divert my attention towards Allah, then my chest widens equivalent to the whole world and two moons appear in it but I do not know what they are, then a light (Nur) come out from them and leads me to Loh-al-Mehfooz and I take out the meaning of the verse from there.”

Shadraat al-Dhahab fi Akhbaar min Dhahab, Volume 8, page 286

On page 178 of the above mentioned book, while writing about the life of Maulana Bakhshi Hanafi (d. 931 A.H), Allamah Al-Hai bin Ahmed al-Akri al-Damashqi records:

حتى كان ربما يقول رأيت في اللوح المحفوظ مسطورا كذا وكذا فلا يخطيء أصلا

“He used to say that I find such and such thing written in Loh-al-Mehfooz, and he never made mistakes.”

On the same page it is written about Ibrahim Al-Desuqi Al-Hashmi Al-Shafiyye Al-Qurashi that:

وكان يتكلم بجميع اللغات من عجمي وسرياني وغيرهما وذكر عنه أنه كان يعرف لغات الوحش والطير وأنه صام في المهد وأنه رأى في اللوح المحفوظ وهو ابن سبع سنين

“He used to talk in all languages, foreigner, Syriac and other. It is said about him that he knew language of the animals and birds, he used to fast when he was infant and he saw what was written in Loh al-Mehfooz when he was seven”

The book ‘Shadraat al-Dhahab fi Akhbaar min Dhahab’ by Allamah Al-Hai bin Ahmed al-Akri al-Damashqi can also be downloaded from the following favourite website of Salafies

http://www.almeshkat.net/books/open.php?cat=13&book=733

Imam of Ahle Sunnah Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Asad al Yameni (d. 768 H) popularly known as Imam Al-Yaf’ee records about Sheikh Abu al-Hasan Ali bin Hamid Al-Saiedi ibn Al-Sabagh:

وكان لا يصحب إلا من يراه مكتوباً في اللوح المحفوظ من أصحابه

“He used to be friends with those people only whom he would find written so in Loh al-Mehfooz.”

Meerat al Jinan, Volume 4 page 25 under the topic ‘Year 612’

The reference can also be read from the online Miraat al Jinan available at the following Salafi link

http://www.al-eman.com/Islamlib/viewchp.asp?BID=226&CID=62#s1

Not only these Sunni scholars but according to Salafies/Wahabies their revered vicar Ibn Tamiyah also had access to Loh al-Mehfooz. One of the adored scholars of Salafies Ibn Al-Qaym Al-Jawziah records the words of their master Ibn Tamiyah who predicted the battle between the Muslims and Tatars in this manner:

كتب الله تعالى في اللوح المحفوظ : أنهم مهزومون في هذه الكرة وأن النصر لجيوش الإسلام

“Allah wrote in Loh al-mehfooz that they will lose in this battle and the victory will be for Muslim’s army”

(Online) Medarej Al-Salekin by Ibn Al-Qaym Al-Jawziah, Volume 2 page 489

Comment

According to both Shia and Sunni belief, Allah (swt) does grant the knowledge of unseen to his chosen ones and according to the Shia belief, the Imams (as) were divinely appointed hence Allah (swt) granted them the knowledge which He (swt) wanted.

But from second aspect, divine books were both physically present and accessible during the lifetime of our blessed Imams, unlike Loh al-Mehfooz; the Preserved Tablet, which records everything that happens in the Universe – this is veiled from human eyes and is in the exclusive possession of Allah (swt). When the Shi’a believe that their Imams (as) had a knowledge of all divinely revealed books, and the languages of them, Islamweb object stating:

Islamweb states:

“The Imams have knowledge of all the revealed books, regardless of the languages in which they were revealed” (Ibid, p. 227.) As you can see these Shi’ites have elevated their Imams to a God-like level, and the Shi’ites say that there is nothing wrong with this!!! Now can we see why the Shi’ites are different to us muslims!

This being the case, tell us Islamweb about your belief that the Sunni Ulema have access to the secret treasures in Loh-al-Mehfooz? Paraphrasing your comments could you answer these questions:

The Sunni Imams have knowledge of Loh al-Mehfooz:

Do you agree that Sunnis elevated their Imams to a God-like level’?

If you don’t agree, why not?

Can we conclude that you are different to ‘us’ muslims?

If Sunni scholars can have access to the Loh al-Mehfooz a divine tablet concealed with the Creator, then why the objection if we believe that our Imams possessed knowledge of divine scriptures that were in the public domain?

Reply Four – A kaafir’s knowledge of the unseen enabled him to possess a knowledge of Monkey Shari’ah

If Nawasib still wish to remain stubborn on this matter perhaps they could offer an explanation with regards to this narration from Sahih al Bukhari under the chapter Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar) Volume 5, Book 58, Number 188:

Narrated ‘Amr bin Maimun:

During the pre-lslamic period of ignorance I saw a she-monkey surrounded by a number of monkeys. They were all stoning it, because it had committed illegal sexual intercourse. I too, stoned it along with them.

Notice how Amr’s knowledge of the unseen was so great that he possessed a knowledge of the Shari’ah practices of monkeys, to the point that he was able to understand the proceedings of a monkey court and actually participated alongside the monkeys in inflicting the penalty for fornication. Worthy of note is the fact that this occurred during the time of jahiliyya meaning that ‘Amr was endowed with this knowledge whilst he was a kaafir, was he Doctor Doolittle or did he come into contact with Tarzan? If according to this Sunni narration, Allah (swt) can bestow a Kaafir with knowledge of monkey Shari’ah, that neither existed in book form, nor had any Monkey Shari’ah Ulema to convey such teachings, then why the objection if we believe that Allah (swt) bestowed knowledge of past divine scriptures to His (swt) divinely appointed Imams? Islamweb has accused the Shi’a of deeming their Imams God-like on account of their knowledge of the divine scriptures and the languages of those books, could they explain why their greatest Hadith scholar attributed what they would deem God like powers to a kaafir that enabled him to access the Shari’ah of monkeys and with it the language that they spoke?

[3]: The Imam’s knowledge of the unseen

Afriqi seeks to attack the Shi’a with similar references and leaves to the mind of the reader to conclude what opinion they should have of the Shi’a:

Afriqi states:

Nothing of the knowledge of Heaven, Earth, Jannah and Jahannam is hidden from them. The Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth was shown to them. They know all that happened and that will happen upto the Day of Resurrection. (22 narrations)

Reply One – Allah (swt) granted knowledge of the unseen to Rasulullah (s)

The original meaning of “Ghayb” in Arabic is “that which has been concealed”, and it is with this meaning which has appeared in the Holy Qur’an (4:34, 12:52, etc.)

The Holy Quran has mentioned Ilm-e-Ghayb in several verses and has declared that this Knowledge is one of the Attributes of Allah. “Say thou, (O Muhammad)! The Knowledge of Unseen belongeth unto Allah alone.” (Surah Yunus, 10:20). See also Surah Ana’m 6:59; Surah Baqarah, 2:33; Surah Hud, 10:31. These verses indicate that the Knowledge of Unseen belongs to Allah Ta’ala Alone. Nobody on his own has this knowledge nor can anybody possess this Divine Treasure. However, these verses have nowhere indicated Allah Ta’ala to say that He does not grant this Knowledge of Unseen to anybody, we do not doubt that the knowledge of the unseen belongs to the Creator and in that there is no doubt but it however also needs to be pointed out that Allah (swt) gives this knowledge to his servants.

“The Knower of the unseen! so He does not reveal His secrets to any, Except to him whom He chooses as a messenger; for surely He makes a guard to march before him and after him”. (Surah Jinn Aayat 26-27)

The level of knowledge that Rasulullah (s) bestowed on his beloved Prophet Muhammad al Mustafa is beyond our comprehension.

Reply Two – The Imams inherited the knowledge of the unseen that had been bestowed on Rasulullah (s)

We read in Sunan Abu Daud Book 35, Number 4231:

Narrated Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman:

I swear by Allah, I do not know whether my companions have forgotten or have pretended to forgot. I swear by Allah that the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) did not omit a leader of a wrong belief (fitnah)–up to the end of the world–whose followers reach the number of three hundred and upwards but he mentioned to us his name, his father’s name and the name of his tribe.

We read in Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 77, Number 601 and also in Sahih Muslim Book 041, Number 6909:

Narrated Hudhaifa: The Prophet once delivered a speech in front of us wherein he left nothing but mentioned (about) everything that would happen till the Hour. Some of us stored that our minds and some forgot it. (After that speech) I used to see events taking place (which had been referred to in that speech) but I had forgotten them (before their occurrence). Then I would recognize such events as a man recognizes another man who has been absent and then sees and recognizes him

We read in Sahih al Bukhari Volume 9, Book 92, Number 397:

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

The Prophet came out after the sun had declined and offered the Zuhrprayer (in congregation). After finishing it with Taslim, he stood on the pulpit and mentioned the Hour and mentioned there would happen great events before it. Then he said, “Whoever wants to ask me any question, may do so, for by Allah, you will not ask me about anything but I will inform you of its answer as long as I am at this place ofmine.” On this, the Ansar wept violently, and Allah’s Apostle kept onsaying, “Ask Me! ” Then a man got up and asked, ”Where will myentrance be, O Allah’s Apostle?” The Prophet said, “(You will go to)the Fire.” Then ‘Abdullah bin Hudhaifa got up and asked, “Who is myfather, O Allah’s Apostle?” The Prophet replied, “Your father isHudhaifa.” The Prophet then kept on saying (angrily), “Ask me! Askme!” ‘Umar then knelt on his knees and said, “We have accepted Allah as our Lord and Islam as our religion and Muhammad as an Apostle.”Allah’s Apostle became quiet when ‘Umar said that. Then Allah’sApostle said, “By Him in Whose Hand my life is, Paradise and Hell weredisplayed before me across this wall while I was praying, and I never saw such good and evil as I have seen today.”

Comment

The last tradition from Sahih al Bukhari demonstrates that the Prophet (s) had knowledge of everything clear from his challenge “Whoever wants to ask me any question, may do so’ this included knowledge of those going to Heaven or Hell. Powers of the unseen were provided to each Prophet in differing amounts. The Holy Quran has mentioned at various places that Allah Ta’ala has granted the Knowledge of Unseen to His exalted Prophets. See Surah Baqarah, 2:31; Surah Baqarah, 2: 251; Surah Naml, 27:16; Surah Ambiya, 21:74; Surah Yusuf, 12:68; Surah Yusuf, 12:96; Surah Qasas, 28:14. Despite this clear evidence, we still see the Imam of Sipah-e-Sahabah, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi while commenting on the knowledge held by Holy Prophet (s) played it down by stating:

” Such knowledge of the unseen is also possessed not only by a Zaid or an Amar [means anybody] but by the epileptics and the insane, the animals and the beasts as well”

Hifzul Iman, by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, page 8

When the Deobandis have such a low thinking of the knowledge of the Prophet (s) how will they be expected to believe that his true successors also possessed such knowledge? We believe the ultimate power of the unseen was provided to the Prophet (s) and then transferred to the Ahl’ul bayt Imams as they were inheritors of the knowledge of the seal of all Prophets i.e Prophet Muhammad (s). In this regards Shi’a sources contain this tradition:

Yahya bin Abdullah asked imam Musa al-Kadhim (as) saying: “May I be made your ransom, they are claiming that you know the Unseen?” He replied: “Glory be to Allah! Put your hand on my head; by Allah there is no hair on it and on my body except that it has been aroused. No, by Allah it is nothing other than the inheritance from the Messenger of Allah(s)”.

1. Sheikh Mufid’s third majlis in his Amali

2. Tafsir Ayyashi Volume 2 page 43

3. Bihar al-Anwar , v.20, pp. 102-103

The Ahl’ul Sunnah has also recognised that the Imams inherited the knowledge of the Prophet (s), renowned Sunni researcher Abu Zuhra in his book ‘Imam Jafar Sadiq’ page 71 wrote about the knowledge of astronomy of the Imams of Ahlylbayt (as):

“This knowledge was granted by Prophet (s) to Hadhrat Ali (ra), was passed on through wills and deposits to each of the twelve Imams who followed him. The sixth of those twelve Imams is Imam Sadiq and his five predecessors were Ali, Hasan, Hussain, Zain ul-Abideen and Baqir (as).”

Imam Jafar Sadiq, page 71 (published in Lahore)

If our opponents have any doubts over the transfer of this type of inheritance then allow us to present a tradition wherein Imam Ali (as) makes an unequivocal declaration of the level of knowledge of the unseens that he possessed, as recorded in Tafsir al-Quran by Imam Abdulrazaq San’ani, Volume 3 page 241:

عبد الرزاق عن معمر عن وهب بن عبد الله عن أبي الطفيل قال : شهدت عليا وهو يخطب وهو يقول سلوني فوالله لا تسألوني عن شئ يكون إلى يوم القيامة إلا حدثتكم به

Abdulrazaq from Mu’amar from Wahab bin Abdullah from Abi al-Tufail who said: ‘I witnessed Ali was addressing and saying: ‘Ask me, by Allah whatever you ask me about till the Day of judgment, I will inform you about it.’

Abdulrazaq San’ani: Ibn Hajar said: ‘Thiqah’ (Taqrib al-Tahdib, v1 p599). Mu’amar bin Rashid: Ibn Hajar said: ‘Thiqah Thabt’ (Taqrib al-Tahdib, v2 p202). Wahab bin Abdullah: Ibn Hajar said: ‘Thiqah’ (Taqrib al-Tahdib, v2 p292). Abu al-Tufail: A Sahabi.

This declaration of Imam Ali (as) is evidently one that proves that he (as) possessed knowledge of the unseen, to such an extent that he had the ability to answer about any matter up until the Day of Judgment, meaning whetever was to happen in the future was an unseen event that the Imam (as) has personal knowledge of, due to his being the true inheritor opf the knowledge of the Prophet (s).

To understand the inheritance of ghayb that had been transferred between the Prophet (s) and his Wasi one needs to only to note the similarity between the two statements, we have Rasulullah (s) declaring “whoever wants to ask me any question, may do so” and Imam Ali (as) likewise declaring “Ask me, by Allah whatever you ask me about till the Day of judgment, I will inform you about it”. The Prophet (s) was endowed with the knowledge of Ghayb through Allah (swt) that was then transferred to Imam Ali (as) via inheritance that thereafter was passed down to each of the Imams.

Allah (swt) undoubtedly holds the keys of Ghayb as stated in the Qur’an, BUT Allah (swt) in other verses makes it clear that Allah (swt) gives this powers to his elects.

We read in Surah Jinn verses 26-27:

“He (alone) knows the Unseen nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries, Except an apostle whom He has chosen: and then He makes a band of watchers march before him and behind him”

In his commentary of this verse Sunni scholar Abdullah Yusuf Ali under footnote 5749 makes these crucial comments:

The Unseen has two aspects. The relative Unseen is so with reference to a particular person, because of the intervention of Time, Space, or particular circumstances. For example, I cannot see today a house which I saw last year, because it has since been pulled down. Or I cannot in Lahore see the “Gateway of India” in Bombay, although any one in Bombay can see it. Or I cannot see the satellites of Jupiter with the naked eye, though I can through a telescope. But the Absolute Unseen, the Absolute Mystery, is something which no creature can know or see, except in so far as Allah reveals it to him. And Allah reveals such things to the extent that is good for men, through His chosen messengers, among whom the greatest is Muhammad. The exact time of the Hour of Judgment has not been so shown, because we must not wait for it, but live as if it is to be at this minute. See last note and next note, and the references there.

So the Absolute Unseen is the sole right of Allah (swt) BUT Allah (swt) delegates this powers to his elect. Yusuf Ali had stated that this knowledge is given to Messengers of Allah (swt), we argue that this favour is also extended to the Imams from Ahl’ul bayt (as) as Allah (swt) has made them Guides over the Ummah.

The Holy Qur’an tells about the knowledge and the intercession of the Prophet Muhammad and his rightful successors that:

“Who can intercede with Him except the cases He permits? He knows what is in front of them and what is behind them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He will.” (Qur’an 2:255)

We the Shi’a deem this to refer to the Prophet and the Imams. The verse shows that the core/keys of the Knowledge of Ghayb is with Allah, but He may release “a news of Ghayb” to the one He wills.

Reply Three – Allah (swt) grants the Knowledge of unseen to his chosen ones [Awliya] through inspiration and other ways

Now that we have proved that Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) inherited the knowledge of unseen from Prophet (s) being his true successors, we will now shed light on this topic from its second aspect which is also supported by the Ulema of Ahle Sunnah, i.e Allah (swt) grants the Knowledge of unseen to his chosen ones [Awliya] through inspiration (ilhaam) directly or through angels and divine revelation (wahi). The word “wahi” as used in Qur’an can be divided into three categories:

Category One: The first meaning is commonly understood and implied. It means the telling of religious injunctions (or other matters) to the Prophets (as).

Category Two: the transfer of non-sharii (pertaining to the future and other worldly) matters to non-prophets/prophets(as). Such is the example of Maryam(as) and the mother of Musa(as).

Category Three: instinctive revelation as is clear from this verse of Qur’an

وَأَوْحَى رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحْلِ أَنِ اتَّخِذِي مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ الشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ

“And your Lord revealed to the bee saying: Make hives in the mountains and in the trees and in what they build” [16:68]

The word here used is ‘Uhiya’ and means revelation.

We believe that all revelations pertaining to sharia (i.e. the matters of halaal / haram ordinances in Category One) stopped after the demise of the Prophet(s). The chosen servants of Allah (swt) can receive revelation on matters under category two and three. In this connection we read in Kitab Al Kafi Volume 4 Chapter 3 Hadith 421, Ch. 3, h 1:

A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr from Tha‘laba ibn Maymun from Zurara who has said the following

“I asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, ‘He was a messenger, a prophet’. What is a messenger and what is a prophet?’” The Imam said, “A prophet is one who sees things in his dream and hears the voice but does not see the angel. The messenger is one who hears the voice, in his dreams and sees the angel.” I then said, “What is the position of the Imam?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “He hears the voice but does not see and observe the angel” Then he recited the following verse of the Holy Quran. ‘Satan would try to tamper with the desires of every Prophet or Messenger or Muhaddith (Muhaddith is a commentary of Imam (a.s.), whom We sent . .’” (22:52)

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Isma‘il ibn Marrar who has said the following “Al-Hassan ibn al-‘Abbass al-Ma‘rufi wrote to Imam al-Rida (a.s.). “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, explain to me the difference between the messengers, the prophets and the Imams.” The Imam said or wrote, ” The difference between the messengers, the prophets and the Imams is that a messenger is one to whom Jibril (Gabriel) comes. He sees Jibril and hears his speech and Jibril (the angel) brings him (Divine) revelation and sometimes he may see in his dream like the dream of Abraham (a.s.). A prophet is one who may hear the speech and may see the person or may not hear. The Imam is the one who hears the speech but does not see the person.”

We Shia believe that Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) are Awliya of Allah (swt) i.e they are the appointed masters over us. We also know that Sunni (with their definition) also deem these prominent figures of Ahlulbayt (as) to be the Awliya infact deem them the superiors of all Awliya. And about the knowledge of unseen granted to Awliya; we read its evidences in prominent Sunni sources under the commentary of the verse (26-27) cited above from Surah Jin viz:

“The Knower of the unseen! so He does not reveal His secrets to any,

Except to him whom He chooses as a messenger; for surely He makes a guard to march before him and after him

Imam Fakhdruddin Razi clearly points out the fact that the cited verse does not restrict anyone else other than the Prophet (s) being able to know the unseen whereas Salafis do not even attribute knowledge of the unseen to the Prophet (s). Razi stated:

‘It must be carefully known that this verse does not mean that nobody else besides the prophet (as) are given knowledge of the unseen. This can be supported from various realities’

Tafseer Kabeer volume 10 page 679

Imam Abul Hasan Ibraahim ibn Umar al-Biqaa’ee, a scholar and commentator of the eighth century and a student of al-Hafiz Imam ibn Hajar al-Asqalani interprets the relevant verse in his esteemed work ‘Tafseer Nazmud-Durar’ as follows:

وإذا ظهر عليه الرسول خرج عن كونه غيباً، وأوصله الرسول إلى من أذن له في إيصاله له تارة بالوحي للأنبياء وتارة بالنفث والإلهام للأولياء

“(knowledge of the unseen) is taken by an angel and given to whomsoever the angel has been permitted (by Allah). Sometimes, in the form of Wahi (divine revelation) to the prophets (as) and sometimes in the form of inspiration and Ilhaam to the Awliyaa.’

Tafseer Nazmud Dorr volume 10 page 469

http://www.almeshkat.net/books/open.php?cat=6&book=2133

Allamah Alauddin Ali ibn Muhammad Baghdadi too openly declares in his Tafseer Khaazin under the above mentioned verse:

‘It is the belief of the Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamah that the miracles of Awliyaa are an established reality as opposed to by the Mu’tazila and that this is permissible [Jaaiz] and possible. It is permissible and possible for Allah Ta’ala to give Ilhaam (inspire) to some of his Awliyaa about some future events.’

Tafseer Khazin volume 6 page 297

Allamah Ahmad ibn Muhammad Saawi Maaliki, a commentator of the twelfth century, states in his famous and most widely accept Tafseer ‘Haashiyatus Saawi’, an explanation to the great Tafseer Jalaalayn:

‘This verse does not defy the miracles performed by the Awliyaa through the power of Kashf. This verse relates to Allah Ta’ala’s informing the prophets through Wahi. This in turn (Wahi) is far more stronger than Allah Ta’ala’s informing his Awliyaa through Ilhaam.’

Haashiyatus Saawi volume 6 page 185

Allaamah Sayyid Mahmood Aalusi Baghdaadi prominent commentator of the twelfth century clearly states that:

“This verse does not contradict the inspiration of the knowledge of unseen to the Awliyah as some of Ahle Suunnah have said”

Tafseer Ruh ul Ma’ani volume 15 page 108

Qadi Thanaullah Pani Pati Uthmani in his estmeed commentary of Quran shed light on this verse in detail:

“The events of the sky to the people of earth, the events of the east to the people west and the events of the west to the people of east are Ghayb [unseen], such kind of knowledge is achieved sometimes via Wahi and Ilhaam while sometimes due to the removal of curtains from in between or when the central veils are purified…”

“The Ahl’ul Sunnaj wa al Jamaah believe that the karamat of Awliyah are in fact the mujiza of the Prophet, Allah (swt) says ‘We sent not a messenger except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them’. Since the Prophet (s) the seal of all Prophets was sent to all people for guidance, therefore, those ulema and Awliyah who become His (s) adherents according to Ahle Sunnah in fact also became His (s) tongue so that Hisr and the condition of communicating with people in their native tongues became correct (verily, the Kamramat that Ulema of ummah and Awliayh of Islam performed are in fact miracles of the Holy Prophet). Now, if the word Rasul [messenger] is accepted to incorporate the word ‘Awliyah’ and Awliyah achieve the knowledge of the unseen as Karamat then there is no problem in it. (Means the knowledge of unseen held by Awliyah is in fact knowledge of the unseen held by the Prophet (s) whilst holding the knowledge of unseen by the Prophet (s) is proven from this verse). But if the Awliyah are not included in the word ‘Rasul’ even then the knowledge of the unseen they hold is not contradictory to this verse”

Tafseer Mazhari, Volume 12 pages 96-97 (Published by Daar ul Ishaat, Karachi)

Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah, Ibn Hajar Asqalani quoted:

وقال القرطبي : المسلم الصادق الصالح هو الذي يناسب حاله حال الأنبياء فأكرم بنوع مما أكرم به الأنبياء وهو الاطلاع على الغيب

“Qurtubi says that a truthful and pious Muslim is he whose case resembles the case of prophets and he is honoured like prophets with knowledge of the Unseen.”

Fatah ul Bari, Book: Interpretation of Dreams, Hadith 6468

Who are more truthful and pious people beside the Ahlulbayt (as) of Holy Prophet (s)?

Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah Abdul Hamid Ghazzali in his famed work Ihya Ulum id Din, Volume 3 page 21, commented on the powers bestowed on non Prophets as follows:

‘Know o dear readers that there are different conditions of knowledge which are not all necessary. Some of them fall suddenly in mind called Ilham and some of them are acquired by efforts. Knowledge not acquired by efforts is of two kinds. One kind of such knowledge is not known from where it comes or how it comes. Another kind of such knowledge comes through an angel who throws it into one’s soul. This is called Wahi or revelation. It is revealed only to the prophets. Ilham of the first kind is thrown on the souls of Prophets, as well as other religious personalities. In short, human soul is the place of disclosing truths of all things, but the obstacles earlier stand as screens. Those are screens between Lauhe Mahfuz (Guarded tablet) and the mirror of soul. Picture of everything that will occur upto Resurrection Day have been preserved in this Guarded Tablet. Real condition of every affair is reflected in the mirror of soul. That is like the mirror of soul. That is like the picture in front of a mirror. If there is screen between the two, it is seen in the mirror of soul from the Guarded Tablet. The wind of Latifaor essence sometimes removes the screen from the mirror of soul, so as to disclose what is on the Guarded Tablet. Sometimes the future events can be seen in a dream. By death, all the screens are removed. In wakeful state, sometimes also, sometimes the screen is removed provided secret mercy is showered on soul. Then gusts of knowledge spring forth in soul from unseen things. It lasts for a short time. Ilham and Wahi (inspiration and revelation) cannot be obtained by human will. God says: It is not for a man to talk with God except by means of Wahi or from behind the screen or by means of a messenger who reveals with His permission what He wishes.

Ihya Ulum id Din, Volume 3 pages 21-22

On pages 23-25 he writes:

“Ilham and acquired knowledge: Know, o readers, that the wonderful actions of soul is outside the knowledge gained by the senses as soul is outside the knowledge gained by the senses as soul is outside the knowledge of the senses…

There are four stages of this material world – (1) its existence in the Guarded Tablet before the creation of the world; (2) this material world comes into being according to this plan: (3) the world of ideas follows this material world, and (4) the world of intellect follows this world of ideas, that is its pictures fall in human soul. Some worlds are material and some are immaterial. In the immaterial worlds also, one is more spiritual than another. These are strategy of God. Look at the eye ball. Though it is small the pictures, the pictures of the Heaven and the earth fall in it. Then it comes within ideas and then it falls in soul. Man does not take cognisance of it till it reaches the soul…

So pictures of the world fall in soul sometimes by the help of five senses and sometimes by the help of Guarded Tablet as a picture of the sun falls in the eyes. When obstacles are removed from between soul and Guarded Tablet, soul can see many things and thus knowledge arises therefrom. Then no help of senses is necessary for such knowledge. It is just like the gushing forth of water from the deep bottom of a well.

Two doors of soul: One door of soul is open towards the spiritual world which is the world of angels and the Guarded Tablet. Another door of soul is open towards the five senses and is connected with the material world. The former door open to the spiritual world can be better understood from dreams in which one can see some matters of future and past events. One can tell them without the necessity of knowledge gained from his five senses. The door is open to one who remains engaged in solitude in remembrance of God. The Prophet said: The dwellers of solitude have proceeded. He was asked ‘O Prophet of God who are the dwellers of solitude? He said: ‘Those who have been made pure by the remembrance of God, those whose burdens have been taken down by the remembrance of God and those who will come on the Resurrection Day free of burdens. Then he described their virtues and read these words of God: I kept my face in their front. Do you know in whose front I have kept my face? Does anybody know what I will give them? Then God says ‘First I throw light in their souls. As a result they broadcast the news they get from Me’.

Ihya Ulum id Din volume 3, pages 23-25

Beloved Imam of Salafies/Wahabies; Ibn Taymiyah in his famous Majmo’a Fatawa, Volume 11 page 173 states:

فما كان من الخوارق من ‏[‏باب العلم‏]‏ فتارة بأن يسمع العبد ما لا يسمعه غيره‏.‏ وتارة بأن يرى ما لا يراه غيره يقظة ومنامًا، وتارة بأن يعلم ما لا يعلم غيره وحيا وإلهامًا، أو إنزال علم ضروري، أو فراسة صادقة، ويسمى كشفًا ومشاهدات، ومكاشفات ومخاطبات‏:‏ فالسماع مخاطبات، والرؤية مشاهدات، والعلم مكاشفة، ويسمى ذلك كله ‏[‏كشفًا‏]‏، و‏[‏مكاشفة‏]‏ أي كشف له عنه‏.‏

‘Miracles (of the Awliyaa) sometimes occur by a person hearing something that others can’t, sometimes a person sees something that others don’t whilst awake or in a dream, sometimes a person is given knowledge of something which others don’t know about through Wahi (revelation) or Ilhaam (inspiration)… this is called Kashf and Mushahadaat..’

The above cited esteemed Sunni commentaries/statements will help naïve Muslims to guard themselves from the filthy propaganda of the Wahabi/Salafi who assert that the knowledge of unseen is possessed by Allah (swt) alone and that He (swt) doesn’t grant it to anyone, these narrow minded people are clearly ignorant of the beliefs of mainstream Sunni scholars which is the antithesis of their views.

As we know that Sunnies (with their definition) also deem these prominent figures of Ahl’ul bayt (as) to be the Awliya infact deem them superior to all Awliya evidenced by the words of Imam Rabbani from his precious work ‘Maktubaat’(9:17 # 123) wherein he clearly stated the twelve Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) were not just Awliya Allah but that Maula Ali (as) was the leader and chieftain of all Awliya and whosoever has received the divine blessing and guidance, has received it through him (as). Sunni traditions also affirm this fact, Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah Abu Naeem Isfahani in his esteemed work Hilayath al Awliya, Volume 1, Page 66-67, records this Hadeeth on the authority of the Sahabi Abu Burdah:

”Verily Allah (swt) said ‘Ali is the Flag of Guidance, Imam of the Saints, and the Light of Truth for those that follow me”

Hilayat al Awliya, Volume 1, Page 66-67

With such sacred ranks, it is quite obvious that the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) fall with the criteria of Awliyah about whom the above cited Sunni scholars attributed inspiration or received revelations of the unseen. This is in conformity with a comment of Imam Jafar Sadiq (as):

“Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from Ahmad ibn a1-Hassan ibn Ali from ‘Amr ibn Sa‘id from Musaddiq ibn Sadaqa from ‘Ammar al-Sabati who has said that he asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) the following. “Does the Imam have the knowledge of the hidden facts?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “No, he does not have such knowledge but if he would like to know about a thing Allah grants him such knowledge.”

Usool al-Kafi, Kitab al- Hujjah, Tradition #666

We can therefore see that the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) get access to knowledge of the unseen from Allah (swt) either in the form of inheritance from the Holy Prophet (as) being his true successors or their rank provides them with inspiration or indirectly from Allah (swt) through angels (etc). Now the type of knowledge and the manner in which it is granted to them is between them and Allah (swt) as is the extent of that knowledge, we are only sure that Allah (swt) grants them knowledge of whatever He (swt) wishes. If Nawasib object to this notion questioning how such knowledge can be planted into an Imam (as) when he needs it, then we will say that it was through exactly the same mechanism that Allah (swt) endowed our Prophet (s) with knowledge. There exist two methods for attaining of knowledge:

That which you learn by seeing / learning from others / attaining knowledge – e.g. driving a car.

That which is placed within the soul of an individual, e.g. knowledge of thirst and hunger is linked to one’s soul, you don’t depend on others to sense what you feel, and it is connected exclusively with that individual and is linked to his soul. This is the type of knowledge that we believe that descended upon our blessed Prophet (s), if he needed to know something it would be delivered in his soul. We likewise believe that if the Imams as the inheritors of the knowledge of the Prophet (s) were in need of guidance to explain a matter, then Allah (swt) likewise endowed that knowledge into their souls.

If Nawasib find this belief objectionable do they not believe that Imam Mahdi (as) will receive revelation from Allah (swt) that He is the Mahdi? Will he (as) not have direct communication with Allah (swt)? If believing that Imams (as) can have direct communication with Allah (swt) is an exclusive right of Prophets, then what do they say of Imam Mahdi (as)?

Reply Four – Knowledge unravels the secrets of the hidden

It’s the knowledge of something hidden. Hidden can be in several ways. Something you can’t:

See

Hear

Comprehend

Something beyond your understanding can also constitute Ghayb (hidden) its beyond your comprehension. We shall cite an example:

You present a young child with a line in Arabic, he can’t read Arabic for him its Ghayb, hidden its beyond his comprehension.

You present a second child with that same line, he can read it, why? Because he has read Arabic, but if you ask him to interpret the MEANING he cannot, he can read but not understand the words, for this child the meaning is Ghayb.

You present the same line to someone who has studied Tafseer of the Qur’an, he can read it, translate it and even provide a commentary to it.

Same line three different responses. What is Ghayb to one person is not Ghayb to another, how are the keys of Ghayb unlocked via Ilm (Knowledge). We had previously cited that Rasulullah (s) mentioned 5 forms of Ghayb that were the exclusive domain of Allah (swt). These have been similarly cited in Sahih al Bukhari, Kitab al Tauheed Volume 9, Book 93, Number 476:

Narrated Ibn Umar:

The Prophet said, “The keys of the unseen are five and none knows them but Allah: (1) None knows what is in the womb, but Allah: (2) None knows what will happen tomorrow, but Allah; (3) None knows when it will rain, but Allah; (4) None knows where he will die, but Allah (knows that); (5) and none knows when the Hour will be established, but Allah.”

Whilst we have shall prove the ghayb in category 4 was given to Rasulullah (s), we know that the other exemptions have been unraveled through the increased acquisition of scientific knowledge. For, No. 1, does not modern science give the doctors enough technology to know this? Scans take place wherein doctors can inform parents of the sex of their child before it is born. Science has advanced to the point that doctors can even create the sex of a child.

For, No. 5, is not the weather man able to predict the coming of rain with almost accuracy?

‘is knowledge of tomorrow’s weather not Ghayb? Is it not hidden?’ This being the case how is it that science has developed to such an extent that weather reports can tell us the weather, temperatures etc, not just tomorrow but for the entire week? We can find out the time of the sun rise / sunset and the timings of an eclipse days before they occur. These forms of ghayb have unlocked via knowledge. If the keys of Ghayb can be unlocked by normal fallible scientists (to some extent and that too by Allah’s will), don’t you think Allah (swt) would also equip his representatives, messengers, Imams to the keys of Ghayb on a bigger level? In the same way that knowledge has unlocked these hidden secrets to those with knowledge Allah revealed far greater knowledge to the city of knowledge and its gate?

It is here that we shall cite the comments of Dr. Tahir ul Qadri from his booklet Hub-e-Ali (ra) pages 19-21:

The Prophet (s) said ‘I am the City of Knowledge and ‘Ali is its Gate [Sharh Mishkaath Volume 4 page 666, Sawaqih al Muhriqa page 418, taken from Tabrani and Hakim].

Why did the Prophet deem himself the City of knowledge? The Prophet was in effect the Qur’an and the Qur’an is the City of knowledge, city refers to that place wherein you can find everything. You cannot call a dstrict, town or village a city, you can find some things from here but not find others. City refers to that place wherein you can locate whatever you are looking for. That place wherein you can locate everything is called a city. Since you can locate all knowledge from the Qur’an, it is the city of knowledge, and since Musatafa (s) is the speaking Qur’an he is the city of knowledge.

Surah Anam059

With Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knoweth but He. He knoweth whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf doth fall but with His knowledge: there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is (inscribed) in a record clear (to those who can read).

A miracle of the Qur’an is the two words dry and wet are two words that in effect incorporate the entire knowledge of the world. This is just about a leaf if you observe from the skies through to the depths of the universe, entities are either living or non living, there is no third species. Those living things are wet, those without life are dry.

Surah al Anbiya.030

Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?

All living things are made of water, all dead things are dry. Every living and dead thing is in the Qur’an, from the time that life / death existed, until life / death continues, all will remain in the Qur’an, and the speaking Qur’an is Mustafa (s), that is why the Prophet is the City of knowledge for all the world from start till the end, and whoever from the start until then, wishes to enter the knowledge of the world, he cannot enter without the permission of ‘Ali. Whenever you visit a city, house or town and you refer to a door, the door in effect represents a wall boundary. To enter via some other method, such as by climbing over the wall is prohibited. If the wall does not act as a boundary then there is no meaning of a door. The door means that there are wall boundaries everywhere and the Prophet (s) said that Allah (swt) made me the city of knowledge of the world, and since knowledge is treasure, such treasure is kept safe, anyone that wishes to attain that knowledge cannot do so without entering the door of ‘Ali, otherwise he will be unable to attain the treasure of Mustafa”

Hub-e-Ali (ra) pages 19-21

When Maula Ali is the door of the City of knowledge then all knowledge that Rasulullah (s) possessed, including the knowledge of the unseen was likewise possessed by him.

Reply Five – Those with a knowledge of the Book can unlock the secrets of Ghayb

The keys to the Ghayb are provided by Allah (swt) to those who have attained a knowledge of the Book. The Holy Qur’an mentions that at the time of Prophet Solomon (Sulayman), a person in the name of Asaf, who was the Minister of Solomon and had only a very small part of “the Knowledge of the Book”, was able to bring the throne of Queen Bilqis from another place of the world within the twinkling of an eye:

“The One with whom was just a part of the Knowledge of the Book said: ‘I shall bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!’ Then when (Solomon) saw (the throne) set in his presence, he said: ‘This is by the grace of my Lord! to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful!’” (Qur’an 27:40).

Here a non Prophet was able to transport the throne that was Ghayb (hidden), and bring it before Sulayman (as).

As stated in Verse 27:40 of Qur’an, the one who possessed a small part of “the Knowledge of the Book”, was able to unlock Ghayb and bring the throne of King Bilqis from another place of the world within the twinkling of an eye. So those who have the whole “Knowledge of the Book” should be able to do more. In that, there is no doubt, because Allah (swt) says in Surah Naml verse 75:

“And there is nothing concealed (Ghayb) in the heaven and the earth that is not contained in this Book” - look at the Arabic not the watered down translations! All Ghayb is contained in the Book, so he who has knowledge of the inner and outer meanings of the Qur’an can also attain the power of Ghayb.

We will now allow Allamah Dr. Tahir Qadri al Hanafi to expand on matters further in Hub-e-Ali, pages 27-28:

“Hadhrat Abdulah ibn Masud said ‘Allah revealed the Qur’an in different dialects and with every recitation, with every verse and every letter there in an outer and inner meaning [Tareekh ul Khulafa page 258-259, Ibn Asaakir and others

Amongst the Sahaba there is on e individual Hadhrat Ali Lion of Allah who posses divine knowledge of the inner and outer meanings of the Qur’an, this was not just the view of the Sahaba ‘Ali also attested to this station

"Ask me about the Book of Allah, because there is no Ayah but that I know whether it was revealed at night in someone’s house or in portions during the day” [Arjahu al Muttalib page 143]

Night means late, at times when the Prophet (s) would be with his wives in their apartments, this was a time when verses were revealed, yet ‘Ali knew when verses were revealed in the day night, or in whose house, and at another time ‘Ali said:

I swear by Allah there no verse that was revealed, about which I don’t have knowledge of, on the reason for its revelation, where it was revealed and in whose honour” [Yanabi al Mawaddah page 459]

Hub-e-Ali (ra), pages 27-28

Also, worthy of note is this reference from Mansab-e-Imamate, page 105 by the great Imam of the Deobandis Shah Ismail Shaheed:

“Imamate is the Shadow of the Prophethood. The Imam’s leadership is openly declared. Whereas history provides evidence of Saints that remained silent, the Imam announces whatever powers he possesses as Ameer al Momineen Ali Murtuza (ra) did when he declared ‘I am the Siddiq al Akbar (The Great Truthful One) and whoever declares this after me is a liar and I am the talking Qur’an”.

Mansab Imamate, page 105

Reply Six – Some incidents from Sunni texts about the knowledge of Unseen held by Imams of Ahl’ulbayt (as)

If Nasibi are trying to tell their followers that its only the Shias who believed in the Imams of Ahlylbait (as) having knowledge of Unseen then they need to enlighten their followers about such incidents recorded and attested by Sunni ulema as well.

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi who has been the student of various renowned Sunni scholars like Sheikh ul Hadith Molana Owais Hasan known as Ghulam Jeelani Aazami, Maulana Hikmatullah Amrohvi, and Maulana Muhammad Khaleel Chishti in Madrissa-e-Mohammdia Hanafia Amroha (India) and has been involved in religious teaching in various madrssas like Madrissa-e-Ishaqia Jodhpur Rajhistan in 1356 A.H, Madrissa-e-Muhammadia Hanafia and Daar ul-Uloom Ashrafia Mubarakpur and remained as President and Sheikh ul Hadith in ‘Daar ul Uloom Manzar-e-Haq’ Faizabad U.P (India) has written a complete book namely “Karamaat e Sahabah” wherein he quoted miracles held by some 100 Sahabah and on the same basis he also told his followers not to side by Shia for they denounce some of the Sahabah.

The beloved figure among Deoband school, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi too wrote a book with the same name i.e. ‘Karamaat e Sahabah’ which contain his collection of the miracles of Sahabah.

Imam Ali (as) foretold a person about the nature of his death

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi quotes the following incident in his book:

“A person came before Ali (ra). He (ra) told him about his life happenings and told him that he would be hanged to death at such and such tree. Therefore whatever Ali(ra) had foretold about that person proves to be true and his prediction was completed. (Shawahid un Nabuwat, page 162)”.

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 89 (Published by Mushtaq Book Corner, Urdu Bazar, Lahore)

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi has also recorded Maula Ali (as)’s prediction about his own death from different ways in his version of ‘Karamaat e Sahabah’.

Karamaat e sahabah, by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, page 42-43

Imam Hassan (as) foretold the birth of a child to one of his follower

Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi also quotes:

“Imam Hassan was walking to go for Hajj, during his journey he stopped at a place. There one of his followers came and said: “I am your servant. My wife is suffering from labour pain, please supplicate for a healthy baby boy”. Imam Hassan replied: “Return your home, Allah has already given you a boy of the type you wished and this son will be our follower”. When the man reached his home he became extremely happy to see that Allah had given him a son just like Imam Hassan (ra) had predicted. (Shawahid un Nabuwat, page 172).”

Karamaat e Sahabah by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 189 & 190

Imam Taqi (as) gave news of the unseen at a young age

For this we shall rely on the following two esteemed Sunni sources:

1. Shawahid al Nubuwwa page 205, Bab Dhikr Imam Muhammad Taqi

2. Sawaiqh al Muhriqa, Page 682 & 683, Dhikr ‘Ali Raza

Imam Ibn Hajar Makki in his anti Shia book records:

”Mamun Abbasid went hunting, left an eagle and it went missing from his sight. When the eagle returned it carried a fish in his beak. Mamun placed the fish in his handkerchief. On his return children of Baghdad were playing on the road, when they saw him they ran off save one boy. Mamun asked “Tell what is in my hand?”. He said “God from his creations has created fish in the sea, some Kings hunt them with eagles and via them the family of the Prophet is tested”.

Sawaiq al-Muhriqa, Page 682 & 683

Reply Seven- Sunnis have attributed knowledge of the Unseen to their caliphs and Ulema

It is sheer injustice on the part of the Nawasib who object to Shia beliefs that the Imams of Ahlulbait (as) being the successors of the knowledge of the Holy Prophet (s) possessed such knowledge when their books contain various incidents which show that according to Sunni belief their caliphs selected by a group of people were also able to give the news of unseen.

Sunnis believe that Abu Bakr foretold the gender of a child in the womb and knew when he would die

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi while counting the miracles possessed by Abu Bakr quoted the following Hadith from Tarikh e Khulfa, page 57 to prove that Abu Bakr was able to foretell the gender of the baby in womb.

“Hadhrat Urwah bin Zubair (ra) narrates that Ameer al Momineen Abu Bakr (ra) during his illness while narrating his ‘will’ to his daughter Umul Momineen Hadrath Ayesha (ra) said: “Dear daughter, whatever has been my wealth, today has become the wealth of my heirs and my heirs include both of your brothers i.e Abdur Rehman and Muhammad and both of your sisters, therefore you people should divide my wealth according to the Quranic injunctions and take your respective shares”. Hadrath Ayesha (ra) said: “I have only one sister i.e Asma, who is my second sister?”. Abu Bakar (ra) replied: “My wife Bint Kharja who is pregnant is bearing a girl in her womb, she is your second sister”. That is what happened and a girl was born and she was named Umul Kulthoom. (Tarikh e Khulfa, page 57)”

Karamaat e Sahabah by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 46 (Published by Mushtaq Book Corner, Urdu Bazar, Lahore)

Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi then quotes the comments of ulema about the Hadith on page 46 of his book:

“Allamah Tajuddin Subki [rh] has stated that two miracles of Ameer al Momineen Abu Bakr (ra) are proven from this Hadith.

[1]. That he had come to know before his death that he would leave the world due to the illness he was suffering from that is why he stated in his will “My wealth has become the wealth of my heirs”.

[2]. whether there was a boy or a girl in the womb of the pregnant lady. And obviously the knowledge of these two things is the knowledge of Ghayb [unseen] these are no doubt two main Karamaat of the successor of the Holy Prophet(s). (Izalatul Khifa, vol 2 page 21 & Hujatullah, vol 2 page 860).”

Karamaat e Sahabah by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 46

Maulana Mustufa Aazmi then clarifies that it does not in any way negate the verse of the Holy Qur’an wherein Allah (swt) says that He is the only one who knows about the womb as surely He is the sole knowledgeable but some people also get to know about it when Allah (swt) makes them know. It is very strange that the (so called) successor of Holy Prophet (s) selected by some people can have the knowledge of Ghayb but if we believe that Imam Ali (as) and other Imams of Ahulbait (as) who according to our belief are the true inheritors of the knowledge of Quran and divinely appointed successor of Holy Prophet (s) can perform miracles then the Nasibism of our opponent is exhibited.

Umar was able to foresee a calamity hidden behind a mountain

Ibn Tamiyah Imam of the Wahabies / Salafies records the following:

“Umar ibn Al Khattab once sent out an army and assigned a man named Sariah as its leader. Whilst Umar was giving a khutbah he shouted out while still on the Minbar: O Sariah the mountain! Later a scout from the army came to Madina. When Umar asked him the news of the army, he said, O Leader of the believers, we met the enemy and were being defeated. Suddenly there was someone screaming: O Sariah the mountain! So we put our backs to the mountain, then Allah defeated them.

This is narrated with a good i.e. Hassan chain of narration”

The criterion by Ibn Tamiyah, page 145

Allamah Jalaluddin Suyuti also records this in

Tarikh ul Khulafa page 123 Chapter “The miracles of Umar”

Umar according to this narration has powers of Ghayb, he can foresee a calamity about to befall his army, despite the fact that its hidden from his eyes.

Uthman was able to tell the hidden intentions of the people

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi records the following incident in his book:

“Allamah Tajuddin Subki [rh] has stated in his book ‘Tabaqat” that a person while in journey stared at an unknown woman with bad intentions. That man came before Ameer al Momineen Uthman (ra). On seeing that person, Ameer al Momineen in a very furious tone said: “You people come to me in such a situation where your eyes have the signs of adultery”. The aforesaid person said: “Has revelation been started to come on you after Prophet (s)?. How did you come to know that my eyes contain signs of adultery?”. Ameer al Momineen (ra) replied: “I do not receive any revelation but what I have said is truth and Allah has bestowed me such a power that I am able to read the intentions of the people in their heart”. (Hujatullah alal Alimeen, vol 2 page 862 and Izalatul Khifa, vol 2 page 227).”

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 71 (Published by Mushtaq Book Corner, Urdu Bazar, Lahore)

Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi knew the intention that his follower kept in his heart

It is amusing that the foolish ones among the Deobandi school such as Manzoor Numani whilst confidently attacking the Shi’a for believing that their Imams possessed knowledge of the unseen have abandoned the very belief which they hold for their own Ulema. We read in an esteemed Deobandi work Tazkirat ar-Rasheed:

“One morning whilst going to see Hazrat (Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi), Moulvi Wali Muhammad passed by a sweets (confectionery) shop, where some fresh sweets were being prepared. He stood there for a while thinking that if he had money, he could buy some sweets. He then headed straight for the Khanqah (hermitage), where he found Hazrat (Rasheed Ahmad Gungohi) waiting for him. Upon seeing him, Hazrat said, ‘Moulvi Wali Muhammad, Today I wish to eat sweets, so take these four annas (some money) and fetch me some sweets of your choice’. So, Wali Muhammad bought some sweets from the same shop and kept them in front of Hazrat. Hazrat said, ‘It is my hearts desire that you should eat these sweets’. Moulvi Wali Muhammad used to say after this incident, ‘I feel afraid in meeting Hazrat because the intentions in the heart are not within one’s control and Hazrat gets informed about them.”

Tazkirat ar-Rasheed, Volume 2 page 227 (Published in Lahore)

Maulana Rao Abdur Rahman Khan (Deobandi) was able to see the face of the unborn children

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi records the knowledge of unseen held by one of their revered scholars:

Maulana Habib ur Rehman stated that Rao Abdur Rehman Khan was the caliph of Shah Abdur Reheem in Punjab and was a man of extreme Kashf. The extent of his Kashf was that when someone used to come to him in order to get a Taweez [amulet] for the birth of boy or girl, he used to say spontaneously: “Just go, for you will have a boy” or “you will have a girl”. People asked: ‘How do you tell this?”. He replied: “What shall I do, the face of the unborn child just comes before me”.

Arwah Thalasah, page 181 (Daarul Ishaat, Karachi).

Deobandi elder Khuwaja Abu Muhammad predicts the arrival of a learned male heir from the womb of a woman that was hitherto unmarried

Deobandi Imam Shaykh ul Hadeeth Maulana Muhammad Zakaria mentions the following with regards to one of the elders of the Deobandi clergy, namely Khuwaja Abu Muhammad:

“Khuwaja Abu Muhammad’s sister was also extremely pious and was occupied with remembering Allah all the time as a result of which she was never inclined to getting married. One day Khuwaja Abu Muhammad came to her and said: ‘O sister, the existence of a boy from your womb has been destined who will at one time become the Qutb al-Aqtab and this is not possible without marriage, therefore get married’.

Tarikh Mashaaikh Chisht, page 156 (Majlis Nashriyat Islam, Karachi)

Our challenge to Nawasib to abandon the Sunni faith on account of their beliefs about knowledge of the unseen

Islamweb states:

“The Imams have knowledge of whatever occurred in the past and whatever will happen in the future, and nothing is concealed from them” (Ibid, p. 260.) Subhanallah!! Only Allah knows the future for any person to say that these Imams know the Unseen is committing Shirk and takes himself outside Islam.

We have already proved that Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) know the unseen being the inheritors of the inner and outer knowledge of Holy Quran which contain everything and this is what told in the tradition of al-kafi and It would have been better if this hatred filled website had cited the complete tradition which is as follows:

Narrated from Abu Abdillah (as), He said: “I know that is in the skies and the earth, and I know what is in the heaven and the hell, and that has happened or will happen. Then he kept silent so that to know what people will think about it. And then said, I have some to know about all these from Quran as Allah says that there is the knowledge of everything in it.”

If attributing powers of the unseen to anyone save Allah (swt) is an act of shirk and takes you out of the pale of Islam, then clearly this Nasibi author needs to practice what he preaches and should accordingly issue Takfeer against al Bukhari, Muslim, Qadhi Iyad, Suyuti and Ibn Tamiyah whose pens attributed powers of the unseen to Rasulullah (s) and the first three Khalifas. Why is it the same pen that without hesitation quickly issues Takfeer against such Shi’a traditions that that attribute these powers to the the Ahl’ul bayt, fail to issue the same verdict to the Sunni Ulema who attributed these powers to your Salaf king pins? Justice would dictate that if the Shi’a belief that their Imams possessed a knowledge of the unseen proves that they are kaafir, the Ahl’ul Sunnah should likewise fall into this Takfeer umbrella for believing the same about their Khalifas. Clearly Islamweb need to distance themselves from this deviant Sunni Sect and their Ulema. This leaves the Nasibis from Islamweb with accepting one of two options:

Option One: Both Sunni and Shi’a Sects have committed shirk and are outside Islam because they have attributed powers of the unseen to their Imams

Option One: Both Suni and Shi’a believe that Allah (swt) can bestow powers of the unseen on his Servants, such a belief is in complete conformity with Islam, and cannot be deemed an act of Shirk.

If these Nasibis choose to adopt option one, then they will have a religious duty to distance themselves from the Sunni Sect and condemn their Ulema. They will be forced out to come out and admit what we already know, that they are not Sunnis, rather they are Nasibis portraying themselves as Sunnis.

Option two would be the right thing to do, since these Nasibis have accused the Shi’a of believing something that the Sunnis themselves believe. They have either done this through a general ignorance of their own believe (which is unlikely) or simply to create Fitnah. Now that we have exposed the reality, namely that both Sects believe that man can possess knowledge of the unseen, then Islamweb need to go on record, acknowledge their error and apologise to the Shi’a for attributing such lies to them. Should Islamweb’s position remain the same, then we can safely conclude that this team are hypocrites of the highest order.

[4]: The Imams are the masters of this world and the next

Numani states:

The Imams are the lords of the world and the Hereafter. They can grant whatever they like to anyone:In section al-Hujjah of Usul-e-Kafi there is a chapter entitled: “The whole earth is the property of the Imam (Peace be upon him)”. In it, it is stated that once replying to one of the questions of Abu Basir, Imam Jafar Sadiq remarked: “Do you not know that this world and the world Beyond belong to the Imam. He can grant whatever he likes to anyone”. (p. 259).

Reply

Allah, (swt) says:

“The earth is Allah’s. He gives it as a heritage to whom He will, and the good end is for the righteous servants.” (Quran 7:128).

Those whom Allah (swt) favours inherit the earth. We deem this verse to refer to those that Allah (swt) has chosen as his successors they inherit the Prophet’s teachings and the earth. To further strengthen our stance we also will advance Sunni texts demonstrating the mastership of Ahl’ul lbayt (as) over whole universe. Khuwajah Mehboob Qasim Chishti Qadri records:

“It is narrated by Abu Huraira that Rasul (saww) said, when Allah (swt) created Adam (as), and when the soul entered his body, Adam (as) looked towards the garden of heaven and saw five bright faces. Adam (as) was amazed that they were prostrating towards Allah (swt). Adam (as) asked Allah (swt), that who are these five faces who are like me? Allah (swt) said, that all of these five will be from your progeny, but as you are made from clay, they are created from my Divine Nur. And I have created the entire creation for them only and their names are from My Names.

That is I am Mahmood and he is Muhammad, I am Alaa and he is Ali, I am Fatir and she is Fatima, I am Ahsaan and he is Hassan and I am Mohsin and he is Hussain….”

Musharaf ul Mahbubeen, page 411 (Published in Calcutta)

There is a very similarly worded narration to this on the authority of Abu Hurraira in Faraid al Simthayn Volume 1 page 36 [Beirut] and Arjahu al Muttalib page 575 by Abdullah Amitsari, citing Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani with a chain upto Abu Hurraira.

Anyone with even a basic knowledge of history will know that one of the titles of Ali bin Abi Talib (as) was Abu Turab, bestowed on him by the Prophet (s). Maulana Waheed’udeen Zaman explains this this title as follows in his esteemed book Lughaat ul Hadith:

“He was called Abu Turab because he is the Chief of the whole earth and a proof of Allah for those that live on it”

Lughaat ul Hadith, Kitab ‘Tay, Thay’ page 9

As for the Imams being Lords in the next world, there is no doubt that Allah (swt) is the Master over everything including our lives, children homes etc. He (swt) however can grants the power of Mastership to his Servants, if Allah (swt) has granted such a position on the Day of Judgment, then this is evidenced from Sunni Hadith on the authority of Abu Sa’id Khudri:

The Messenger of Allah said: “Al-Hasan and al-Husain are the chiefs of the youth of Paradise.”

1. Sahih Tirmidhi, vol 5 page 656 Hadith 3768 (called it Hasan Sahih)

2. Haythami has called it Sahih in Majma Zawaid, Vol 9 page 20

3. Ibn Haban in his ‘Sahih’, Vol 15 page 416 Hadith 2959

4. Musnad Ahmed bin Hanbal,Vol 3 page 3 Hadith 11012

5. Musnaf Ibn Abi Shybah, vol 6 page 378 Hadith 3276

6. Al Mujam al Awsat al Tabarani, vol 6 page 347 Hadith 5644

7. Mustadrak al Hakim, Vol 3 page 182 Hadith 4778

8. Maward uz Zaman by Haythami, Vol 1 page 551 Hadith 2228

9. Sunan Nisai, Vol 5 page 50 Hadith 8169

10. Dur al Manthur, Vol 5 page 489

11. Khasais al Ali by Nasai, Vol 1 page 46 Hadith 129

If Imam Sadiq (as) said ‘this world and the world Beyond belong to the Imam’ it is in accordance with the fact that Allah (swt) has bestowed such a rank for them in this world and the next.

If you own some thing then you are entitled to brand your name to that possession, making it clear that it belongs to you. You can for example place your name at the front of your house; this will inform passers by of two things:

The name of the owner

Provide named details of whose consent will be required to enter lawfully enter the property. You cannot enter of your own avail, if the owners refuse entry; you stay outside the precincts of the property.

With such high ranks in the next world is it little wonder that the Egyptian scholar Allamah Muhammad Abdurauf bin Ali bin Zain’ulAbdeen al-Munawi in his book Sayyidathun Nisa il Janna, [wherein he narrated 50 Hadeeth in honor of Sayyida Fatima (as)] records this Hadeeth on the authority of Ibn Abbas on page 76:

“When I went on Miraaj I saw written on the pillars of Heaven, There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is his Messenger, ‘Ali is the friend of Allah, Hasan and Husayn are the close friends of Allah and Fatima is the beloved of Allah”

Sayyida tun-Nisa al-Jannah, Page 76

Of interest is the fact that one of the legendary scholars of Manzoor Naumani’s own school Shah Ismaeel Shaheed Dehalvi also stated as follows on this issue:

“People holding this lofty station (Awliyah of Allah) have full power to make use of things in the ideal world as also in the world that is evident. These people with vast powers and knowledge arc entitled to hold the view that everything in the universe is connected with them. For example, if such people say that their kingdom extends from the earth to the heavens, they would be justified in saying so.”

Siraat e Mustaqeeem, page 101 (published by Matba’i mujtaba’i, Delhi)

Do we need to say more after this brief yet comprehensive view offered by Shah Ismaeel Shaheed on the topic of mastership of the Awliyah over the worlds?

[5]: Miracles bestowed on the Imams

Afriqi states:

The Imams can bring the dead back to life. They can cure blindness and leprosy.

They possess all the miracles of the Ambiya’ (4 narrations)

Reply One – Understanding the concept of Miracles (Mu’jizaat)

Mu’jiza in religious terminology refers to a supernatural act or performance that an ordinary person cannot humanly perform in normal circumstances, but Allah (swt) using his divine authority and power executes it through his chosen and special people in order to prove their truthfulness and esteemed status.

The Ahl’ul Sunnah have taken Mu’jiza in the above expressed definition, but they have attributed it to the Prophets exclusively, whereas nowhere in the Quran has this term been used for the supernatural attributes of Allah (swt), and neither has it been narrowed to be used for the Prophets (as) exclusively.

The Qur’an provides two clear examples of miracles possessed by non Prophets. We have previously cited the first example, wherein an adherent of Prophet Sulayman (as) with a partial knowledge of the Book was able to move the throne of Bilqis within the twinking of an eye. The second example concerns the provision of food for Maryam (as) by Allah (swt), as we read Surah Aal-e-Imran verse 37:

Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty: To the care of Zakariya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (Her) chamber to see her, He found her supplied with sustenance. He said: “O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?” She said: “From Allah: for Allah Provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure

If we attribute miracles to non Prophet representatives of Allah (swt) it cannot be deemed as a belief against the seal of Prophethood, but out of ignorance and stupidity Afriqi the Nasibi is seeking to infer just that; even though no religious argument or proof is available to prove that this term can be used for the Prophets (as) solely. The Sunni Ulema have stated:

“Mu’jiza is that event that occurs against the normal at the hands of a Prophet, or a supernatural “Karamat” that occurs at the hands of a Wali.”

Al-Nabraas, Sharah-e-Sharah-e-Aqaid, page 430 & 475.

It means that the if the supernatural act is performed by a Prophet, the Sunnis call it Mu’jiza, and if it is performed by a Wali, it is termed as Karamat, therefore it is completely biased to produce separate terminologies and then distinguish the same act on the basis of those terminologies only and then issue takfir on others for not adopting the new terminology which infact means exactly the same as terminology one!

In the Holy Quran, anyone bestowed with such supernatural acts, whether he be a Prophet (as) or Wali, is referred to with the term ‘Ayat’, ‘Bayanaat, or ‘Sultan-al-Mubeen’. If Afriqi bothered reading the Holy Quran, he would recognise that the Qur’an and Ahl’ul Bayt (as) are interconnected; therefore it is not possible to understand the Qur’an whilst leaving aside the Ahl’ul Bayt (as).

Mullah Ali Qari in this connection says:

“Aayat refer to supernatural acts, which are called Mu’jizaat, and termed as Karamaat for the Awliya. A Mu’jiza is a supernatural event, such as bringing the dead back to life, and Karamat is a supernatural event.”

Sharah Fiqh al-Akbar, page 94, published in Karachi

Mu’jiza and Karamat are two names of the same thing, which have been separately classified by some Mullahs without any justification, although both of them have been termed as “Aayat” in the Holy Quran.

Mullah Ali Qari has stated that the same supernatural act when performed by a Prophet is Mu’jiza, and when performed by a Wali is called Karamat, in which the first example that he has provided is that of bringing a dead back to life, then he goes on to further say:

“The statement of Imam-al-‘Azam in this regard concurs with the view of the majority Ulema of Islam, that an act that can be a Mu’jiza for a Prophet, can legitimately be a Karamat for a Wali.”

Sharah Fiqh al-Akbar, page 96.

Beloved Imam of the salafies; Ibn Tamiyah in Majmo’a al-Fatawa, Volume 3 page 156 stated:

ومن أصول اهل السنة والجماعة التصديق بكرامات الاولياء وما يجرى الله على أيديهم من خوارق العادات فى انواع العلوم والمكاشفات وأنواع القدرة والتأثيرات كالمأثور عن سالف الامم فى سورة الكهف وغيرها وعن صدر هذه الأمة من الصحابة والتابعين وسائر قرون الامة وهى موجودة فيها الى يوم القيامة

Among the fundamentals of the people of the Sunnah and the Community is the belief in the miracles of the saints (Karamat al- Awliya): Allah created supernatural acts through them in all aspects of life, revelations (Mukashafat), power, and impressions. This is known of ancient nations in Surat al-Kahf (chapter 18) and in other Qur’anic chapters and is known of the early men of this ‘Ummah amongst the Sahabah and the Tabi’un and amongst the rest of the generations of this ‘Ummah. It will be with them to the Day of Resurrection.

Ibn Arabi explains the concept of miracles as follows:

One type of miracle is the Hissi (apparent) miracle, that is, it is evident and clearly seen by the general public. For example, flying in the air, walking on water, fore-telling the future, traversing hundreds of miles in one step. Another type of miracle is the Ma’nawi (spiritual) miracle, which can only be seen and perceived by special people. For example, control of carnal desires, adopting virtues by Divine Guidance, refraining from bad habits, practicing all Waajibaat (compulsory acts) punctually and diligently. These types of miracles do not contain any connivance while it is probable those Hissi miracles to contain connivance.

Futhuath Makkiyah, Volume 2 page 488

In one of the esteemed Deobandi works ‘Tazkiratur Rasheed’ we read the view of their Imam Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi on this issue in the following words:

“[5]. The powers to benefit and miracles of the Awliyah of Allah are extant not only after their death, but their power to benefit and their miracles are implemented after their death. In this statement, Ibne Abdul Barr also quotes a Prophetic hadith”.

Tazkiratur Rasheed, Volume 2 page 252 (published in Deoband)

This admission negates the belief that those that believe their Imams possessed Mu’jizaat, are Kaafirs. The possession of such miracles further strengthens our belief in Prophethood, because our Imams (as) are the heirs of the knowledge of the Prophets (as), responsible for leading the Ummah to the right path.

The Holy Qur’an has also termed the supernatural powers being granted to Awliya other than the Prophets (as) as Ayat , Allah (swt) says:

[Yusufali 7:175]

Relate to them the story of the man to whom We sent “Our signs”, but he passed them by: so Satan followed him up, and he went astray.

According to the commentators of the Holy Quran, Ayat refer to the knowledge of “Ism-e-Aa’zam” through which the person performed supernatural acts. Thus it is proven from the Holy Quran that Mu’jizaat are not exclusively for the Prophets (as), and whether they have been performed by Prophets (as) or Awliya, the Holy Quran refers to both of them as “Ayat”.

Reply Two – The Imams inherited all the miracles / knowledge of the Prophets as they were heirs of Prophetic knowledge

The Nasibi had cited these Shi’a references

Afriqi states:

They are the repositories of every branch of knowledge and perfection possessed by the Ambiya’.

We believe that the Prophet Muhammad (s) inherited the knowledge of all other Prophets (as) and he transferred this knowledge as inheritance to Imam Ali (as) and this knowledge passed through the Holy Imams.

We accordingly believe that the Imams are indeed by virtue of inheritance the repositories of every branch of knowledge and perfection possessed by the Ambiya’. This is affirmed by an incident recorded by staunch Sunni scholar Mufti Ghulam Rasul in his book ‘Jawahir al Uloom’ quoting Shaykh Shiblanji’s work ‘Nur ul Absar’ page 202:

“Once Abu Baser approach Muhammad Baqir and said ‘Are you the Waris of the Prophet (s)’s knowledge? The Imam said ‘Yes’. I (Abu Basir) then asked, ‘The Prophet was the Waris of all knowledge of the previous Prophets’. The Imam said ‘The Prophet was Waris of knowledge possessed by previous Prophets’. I (Abu Basir) then asked ‘Are you the Waris of this aspect of Prophetic knowledge?’ He (Imam Baqir) said ‘Yes’. I (Abu Basir) said ‘Do have such power? Can you raise the dead, cure the blind and the crippled? Can you tell us what people are eating and hording in their homes?’ The Imam replied ‘Yes, all by the permission of Allah (swt)’. He (Abu Basir) then said ‘I am blind, can you cure me?’. The Imam called him near and then spread his hand over his face. He (Abu Basir) began to see light and was able to see the skies, mountains and everything around. The Imam then asked ‘Do you prefer sight, knowing that Allah (swt) will question you over your deeds, or would you prefer entering Paradise without questioning?’ He (Abu Basir) said ‘I would prefer being asked no questions’. The Imam then said ‘You will have to revert back to your original state’. He (Abu Basir) said ‘Now return me to a state where I will not be questioned’. The Imam stroked his hand over his face and he was blind again’.

Jawahir al Uloom fi Fadail Baqir al Uloom, pages 286-287 (published in London)

Reply Three – Some miracles of the Imams of Ahlulbait (as) from Sunni sources

If Nawasib are trying to tell their followers that Shias exclusively believe in the miracles of the Imams of Ahlulbait (as) then they need to enlighten their followers about such incidents recorded and attested to by Sunni ulema as well. We have cited the miracle of Imam Baqir (as) previously, here are some further miracles that demonstrate the fact that the Imams inherited from previous Prophets.

Maula Ali (as) attached the detached hand of a person to his body

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi quoted the following miracles of Maula Ali (as) in his book:

“It has been narrated that a black slave who was a devoted lover of Amer al Momineen Ali (ra). Once committed theft. People caught him and presented him before the court of the caliph and the servant accepted his crime as well. Amer al Momineen Ali (ra) amputated his hand. When the servant went back to his home, he met Salman Farsi (ra) and Ibn alKara. Ibn alkara asked: “Who cut your hand?” He replied: “Ameer al Momineen, Walysub al Muslimeen, son in law of Prophet and the husband of Batool has cut it”. Ibn alKara said: “Hadrath Ali (ra) cut your hand and still you mention him with so much praise and respect?”. Servant replied: “So what! He rightly cut my hand and saved me from the fire of hell”. Salman Farsi (ra) heard the conversation of both of them and informed Hadrath Ali (ra) about it. Ameer al Momineen called the servant and put his detached hand on his palm and hid it with handkerchief. Then he started to recite something. In that instant a strange voice came “remove the handkerchief”, when people removed the handkerchief the detached hand of the servant was found attached with his hand in such a manner that there was no sign of cut. (Tafsir Kabeer, Vol 5 page 479)”

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 86 Published by Mushtaq Book Corner, Urdu Bazar Lahore

Beside this there are some other miracles of Maula Ali (as) which are also quoted in the book. For example:

[1]. Narrated by Saeed bin Museib, that Maula Ali (as) conversed with the dead in their grave. (Hujjatullah alal Alameen, Vol 2 page 863)

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 80

[2]. Imam Tajuddin Subki quoted in his book ‘Tabaqat’ the incident wherein Maula Ali (as) supplicated for a paralyzed person due to which he regained his health.

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 81 & 82

[3]. During the war of Khayber when the shield of Maula Ali (as) broke, he detached the door of the Fort Khayber and used it as his shield. The door detached by Maula Ali (as) was so heavy that even 40 people were unable to lift it. (Zurqani, Vol 2 page 230)

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 85

[4]. Once a river flooded, Maula Ali (as) brought down the flood by pointing his finger towards the river. (Shawahid un Nabuwah, page 162)

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 88

Imam Hasan (as) made ripened dates on a dry tree

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi records the following incident in his book:

“Among his various Karamaat the most popular Karamat is that once during his journey he went through such a garden which had all of its trees dry. A son of Hadrath Zubair bin al Awam (ra) was accompanying Imam Hassan. He stayed at that place and the servant prepared his bed with the roots of a dry tree. The son of Hadrath Zubair (ra) said: “O son of Prophet (s)! If only this dry tree had ripened dates so that we could have eaten them amply”. On hearing this Imam Hassan (ra) calmly recited a Dua and in just a few minutes the tree suddenly turned fresh and ripe dates appeared on it. Seeing this a shepherd on a camel exclaimed: “By God! This is the result of magic!” At this Hadrath Zubair’s son scolded him and said: “Be repentant! This is not magic rather the result of the supplication of the Prophet’s son”. The people then plucked the dates from the tree and ate amply from it. (Rozatu Shuhda, Chap. 6 page 109).”

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 189. Published by Mushtaq Book Corner, Urdu Bazar Lahore

Imam Hussain (as) made scarce water from a well overflow

Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi in his book recorded the following miracle of Imam Hussain (as):

“Abu Aun states that Imam Hussain (ra) happened to go through Ibn Mat`ee between the journey of Makkah and Madinah. He said to him: “O son of the Holy Prophet! There is very little water in this well of mine, the container doesn’t get full, I have tried various methods but all vain. Please supplicate for us”. Imam Husain (ra) asked that the water of that well be brought to him he placed his lips on the container and drank the water from it, and then released the water from his mouth into that container and instructed all the water to be poured into the well. When the water was poured into the well, the water inside began to overflow. The water quantity then increased more than before and turned sweeter than before. (Ibn Sa’d, Vol 5 page 144).”

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 190

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi has also recorded an incident that when the Yazeedi army raised the blessed head of Imam Hussain (as) on a spear, the head was reciting the Holy Quran. (Rozatu Shuhda, page 230).

Karamaat e Sahabah, page 191

The incident is also recorded by Maulana Jaami in Shawahid un Nabuwat, page 167, Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlawi in Sira Shahadatayn, page 99 and Dameeri in Heyat ul Hewan, Volume 1 page 80.

Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) ripened dried dates, turned a man into dog and then restored him back to his original state

Maulana Abdur Rahman Jaami records this miracle in Shawahid un Nubuwwa pages 333-334:

“A narrator recalls: I was with Imam Jafar, we were making our way to Hajj, and sought shelter on route under a tree containing dried dates. The Imam proceeded to utter something that I was unable to comprehend. He (The Imam) looked at the dried dates and said ‘Provide us with the riches that Allah (swt) has bestowed upon us through you’. I (the narrator) noticed that the dates were prostrating and they began to ripen into fresh dates. He (the Imam) then said ‘Come to me, recite bismillah and start eating’. I had never eaten such sweet dates before. An Arab then appeared and said ‘I have never witnessed such magic before’. Imam Jafar Sadiq replied saying ‘We are the inheritors of the Prophet. We are not magicians or sorcerers. We supplicate and Allah (swt) grants our request. If you like I could alter your face by supplicating, and you will transform into a dog. The Arab on account of his ignorance said ‘Yes do it now’. He [the Imam] prayed, the man turned into a dog and proceeded to run home. Jafar then said ‘Go and find him’. I saw him wagging his tail before his family, who proceeded to attack him with sticks. I returned and narrated what I had witnessed, the dog then appeared. It lay before the Imam and started crying. Imam Jafar took pity upon him and supplicated, which then resulted in him transforming back to his original state. The Imam then asked ‘O Arab do you have belief in what I had stated?’ The Arab said ‘I am convinced a thousand fold that you are correct”

Shawahid un Nubuwwah, pages 333-334

Reply Five – Sunnis have attributed miracles to their caliphs and other Sahaba

It is sheer injustice on the part of the Nasibi to object to Shia belief about believing in the miracles of the Imams of Ahlulbait (as) whilst their books contain various incidents which show that according to Sunni belief the Sahaba including the caliphs selected by some people possessed super natural powers.

According to Sunnis Caliph Umar could coverse with the dead

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi states:

“Ameer al Momineen once visited the grave of a young believer and said: “O Fulan! Allah (swt) has promised that ‘And for him who fears to stand before his Lord are two gardens’. Tell me O youth! What is your condition inside the grave?”. The young believer called out Umar’s name and then twice in a very loud voice said: “My creator has bestowed these two gardens to me”.(Hujjatullah alal Alameen, Vol 2 page 860 with reference to Hakim)”.

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 58

He has quoted many other episodes for example:

[1]. A serious fire broke from a cave at a mountain and Umar asked the people to take his cloak and place it over a fire so as to extinguish it, which is precisely what happened. (Izalatul Khifa, Vol 2 page 172).

Karamaat e Sahabah by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi , page 61

[2]. Once Umar dispatched an army to the Nahawind region hundreds of miles away from Madina and one day he issued specific directions to the army that they heard clearly despite being hundreds of miles away from Madinah. (Mishkat, Chapter of Karamaat, page 546, Hujatullah, Vol 2 page 860, Tarikh Khulfa, page 85).

Karamaat e Sahabah by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 58 & 59

According to Sunnis Khalid bin Waleed turned wine into honey

Allamah Muhammad Yousuf Kandhlawi in his famed work Hayatus Sahabah Volume 3 page 731 narrates:

“To Khalid bin Waleed came a man who had with him a skin bag full of wine. Hazrat Khalid said ‘O my Allah! Turn it into honey’. Accordingly it turned into honey at once”.

Hayatus Sahabah, Volume 3 page 731

Reply Six: According to Sunnis their Ulema possessed miracles including the miracles of past prophets

Haq Chaar Yaar’s (Sipah-e-Sahaba’s) beloved Maulana Manzoor Ahmed Naumani has the following objection about the Shia:

Numani states:

Imamate is the combination of Prophethood and Divinity:The extracts reproduced above from the most authentic book of Shias will show that according to the religion of Isna Ashariyya, the Imams possessed all the special qualities, powers and miracles of the Prophets put together,

If the possession of the miracles of previous prophets by the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) has caused indigestion to Manzoor Naumani then what will his adherents have to say about their ulema that according to the Deobandies possessed the miracles of past prophets including our last and most exalted Prophet (s). Imam of the Deobandies Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (d. 1362 A.H.) in his esteemed book ‘Arwaah e Thalasah’ popularly known as ‘Hikayat al Awliya’ records the statement of his master Syed Ahmad Bareilvi as follows:

Syed Ahmad Bareilvi Sahib says: “In whichever direction I go, all the trees and all the animals there recognise me and salute me.”

Arwaah e Thalasah, page 121

Now let us see how one of the revered Deobandi figures held the miracles of Prophet Isa (as). We read in the same book about yet another champion of Deoband school:

“Khuwajah Ahmed Jaam was renowned to be Mustajab al-dawaat (one whose suplication was always accepted). A woman brought his blind child to him and said: “Just wipe your hand over the child’s face so that his eyes are cured”. At that time he was just overwhelmed by ‘submission’ therefore he very humbly said: “I am incapable of doing this”. She insisted but he gave the same reply, thus the same conversation repeated three or four times. When he saw that she was not being appeased, he just moved from there while saying: “This was Hadrath Isa’s (as) job, He (as) used to cure blindness and leprousy. I am not capable of doing this”. He had just moved a little when he was inspired: “Who you, who Isa and who Musa! Just return and wipe your hand over the child’s face, neither you nor Isa can restore health. “We do it”. After listening to this, he returned while saying “we do it, we do it” and wiped his hand over the face of the child and his eyesight was restored.”

Arwah e Thalasah, page 151-152 (published by Daarul Ishaat, Karachi)

It should be noted that in the Urdu language, generally comparisons like “Who you, who Isa and who Musa!” in a certain context are used to equalize the subjects.

Now let us turn to some of the miracles held by the early Sunni/Wahabi scholars. Esteemed Sunni scholar Imam Jamaluddin also known as Ibn al-Jawzi records:

“Abu Al-Harith said that his teacher Abu Ishaq Al-Alawy was standing on the surface of water”. Abi Al-Hassan Al-Darbandi said that he saw Ibrahin bin Saad Al-Alawi stand on the surface of the sea praying”

Safwat al Safwa, page 485 (published by Al-Maktiba Al-Asrya, Beirut, Lebanon)

About Ibrahim bin Sa`d we read:

“Ibrahim bin Sa`ad abu Ishaq Al-Alawi, one of the Sufi Sheikhs and their ascetics, he moved from Baghdad to live in Shaam”

[Tarikh Baghdad v6]

Abu Naeem al-Isfahani records:

“Abdul wahd bin Zaid narrated that Ayoub Al-Sekhtani hit the earth with his feet and water started to flow from there”

Hilyat al-Awliya, page 5 (published by Dar Al-Kutub Al-Elmya, Beriut)

Imam Dhahabi mentioned Ayoub al-Shekhtani in his book Tazkiratul Huffaz, Volume 1 while Ibn Emaad Hanbali records the following in his book Shetherat Al-Dahab, Volume 1:

The jurist (faqih) of the people of Basrah, one of the known ones, he is amongst the late Tabieen, Shua’aba said that he was the master of jurists (fuqaha), Ibn Uyaina said: ‘I never met one like him’. Hamaad bin Zaid said: ‘He was the best from amongst those I sat with and the most holding Sunnah’. Ibn Al-Medeni said: ‘He narrated around 800 hadith’. Ibn Naser Al-Deen said: ‘He is Ayoub bin Abi Tamimah Kisan Abu bakr Al-Sekhtiani Al-Basri the master of the scholars and a known Hafiz.’

End Comments

By citing these references we have sought to show our readers that the Ahl’ul Sunnah have attributed miracles to their their scholars, and Sahaba (individuals who had lived large portions of their lives as polytheists indulged in all manner of sin such as alcoholism and fornication). If such individuals have been blessed with miracles then why is there an objection if we likewise believe that our Imams possessed such miracles, who do afterall come from the pure Muslim lineage of Rasulullah (s) that was untouched by idol worship, who were those Prophetic descendants that Allah (swt) had purified from all manner of impurity?

[6]. The ability of the Imams to raise the dead

One incident that Afriqi no doubt had great enjoyment in quoting was the fact that:

Afriqi states:

The Imams can bring the dead back to life.

Reply One- Quran confirms that Allah (swt) grants such ability to his chosen ones

Is it not a fact that in Surah Aal-e-Imran verse 49, Allah (swt) cites the words of Prophet Isa (as)

“And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead”, The key words are wa uhyil mawtaa – “and I give life to the dead”.by God’s leave”.

Prophet Isa attributes the power to raise the dead to himself. In another verse Allah (swt) attributes this miracle to Himself (swt):

“And thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by my leave. And behold! Thou bringest forth the dead by my leave”. [Surah al Maida verse 113]

It is clear that this miracle of Isa (as) was via the power granted to him by Allah (swt), it was not of his own accord. Similarly there should be no objection if we believe that our divinely appointed Imams (as) also held such ability granted by the Lord (swt).

Reply Two – Examples of the Imams of Ahlulbait raising the dead from Sunni sources

In the same way that Allah (swt) gave the miracle of resurrection to Isa (as), He (swt) also gave the same power to the Ahl’ul bayt (as) Imams.

Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) brought dead birds in to life

Esteemed Sunni scholar Maulana Nooruddin Abdur Rahman Jaami narrates this event in Shawahid un Nubuwwa pages 334-335 from a narrator:

“One day, I was amongst other attendees at a gathering Imam Jafar Sadiq. One man asked ‘Were the birds that Prophet Ibraheem (as) brought to life the same species or different?’ The Imam replied ‘If you like, I can bring them to life and show you’. We all said ‘Show us’. He then said ‘Peacock come here’ A peacock came before him. He then said ‘Crow come here’. A crow came before him. He then said ‘Hawk come here’. A Hawk appeared before him’. He then said ‘Pigeon come here’. A pigeon then appeared before him. After they all appeared he (The Imam) said (to the people) ‘Kill them and mix up their meat’, but keep their heads / necks in your hands’. After that was done, he said ‘Peacock come here’. The Imam raised the head of the peacock and we saw its body join the head, and it returned to its state of a live peacock. The remainder birds did the same’”.

Shawahid un Nubuwwa pages 334-335

Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) brought a dead cow to life

Maulana Nooruddin Abdur Rahman Jaami also records this miracle in Shawahid un Nubuwwa pages 333:

“On day I was walking alongside Imam Jafar in Makka. We passed a woman sitting in front of a dead cow, crying with her children. Imam Jaffar enquired the woman as to why they were crying to which she replied: “Me and my children were dependant on the milk of that cow which is dead now”. The Imam asked ‘Would you like Allah (swt) to bring the dead back to life?’ The woman replied ‘Why are you joking with me? I am already distressed and now you are mocking me’. He (the Imam) supplicated and the head and carves of the cow proceeded to move. He then called it and stood up. The Imam then went”.

The same event has also been recorded by Mufti Ghulam Rasool in his book ‘Subeh Sadiq’ page 451, citing ‘Tadhkira Mashaykh Naqshband’ page 49.

Subeh Sadiq, by Mufti Ghulam Rasool page 451

Reply Three – The Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that the Sahaba could raise the dead & Salafi attestations to it

Allamah Muhammad Yousuf Kandhlawi in Hayatus Sahaba Volume 3 page 667 records this remarkable event, under the chapter ‘The reviving of the dead’:

“Hazrat Anas bin Malik reported: An Ansari youth was with us. He died very early. We closed his eyes and covered him with a cloth. Some of us said to his mother: ‘Observe patience over his death and intend for recompense (thawab)’. His mother said ‘Has he died?’ We said ‘yes’. That old woman raised both of her hands towards the sky and said ‘Oh my Allah! I believed in you and migrated towards your messenger. Whenever any misfortune visited me, I prayed to You and You removed it for me!’ Hazrath Anas reports that the boy removed the cloth from his face, i.e. he came to life and while he had not yet gone from there, he ate with us and we ate with him”.

Hayatus Sahaba, Volume 3 page 667

If the Nawasib of Salafi/Wahabi persuasion have any objection against the Shia belief about their Imams (as) having the ability to raise the dead then let us present some incidents recorded by their most beloved pope Ibn Tamiyah. He recorded:

The horse of Silah ibn Ashyam once died during battle. He said ‘O Allah, do not allow me to become indebted to one of your creation.’ He prayed to Allah, and he brought his horse back to life. When he reached his house, he said to his sons, ‘take the saddle off the horse for I have borrowed him.’ When they removed the saddle the horse died”

The criterion, page 147

“A man from the tribe of An-Nakh was travelling when his donkey died. His companions said ‘give us your load and we will divide it up between our animals’. He said ‘Give me a little time’ He made very meticuous ablutions, prayed two rakaat of prayer, and made du’a to Allah. Allah brought his donkey back to life, and he continued on his way, with the full load on his own donkey”

The criterion, pages 147-148

The above cited episodes are also recrded by Ibn Taimiyah in

Majm’o al-Fatawa, Volume 11 p280-281

It should be known that Ibn Taimiyah had no objection with the belief of prophets and other virtuous people bringing dead to life, as he stated in his book ‘Al-Nabuwaat’:

“Bringing the dead to life happened by more than one prophet and it could happen by the followers of the prophets as what happened for some of this nation and some of Isa’s followers.”

Al-Nubuwaat, Volume 1 page 213

At another place he wrote:

احياء الموتى فانه اشترك فيه كثير من الانبياء بل ومن الصالحين

“Bringing the dead to life is common among the prophets and even among the righteous ones.”

Al-Nubuwaat, Volume 1 page 218

If Nawasib such as the ancestors of Afriqi have no objection to believing that other than prophets, the righteous ones can bring raise the dead and that an elderly Sahaba did just that why the hostility if we believe that Imams of Ahlulbait (as) whose righteousness is attested by Ahle Sunnah as well held such powers?

Reply Four – The Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani could raise the dead

Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani popularly known as ‘Ghawas al Azam’ is revered specially by the Sunnis in the Indian subcontinent. Saaim Chisthi al Hanafi says in ‘Mushkil Kusha’ Volume 1 page 96:

An incident involving Mastyer Sayyid Ghawas al Azam (ra) is in the authoritative books, he said to a Christian who deemed Isa (as) superior to Muhammad (s) – ‘What is your evidence that he is superior?’ He said ‘Jesus would raise the dead’ He replied ‘I am not a Prophet, rather I am a servant of Prophet Muhammad (s), if a I bring the dead to life will you become Muslim?’ He resurrected a dead man, and the Christian became Muslim [Tafreeh al-Khatir page 10]

Mushkil Kusha, Volume 1 page 96

If Deobandies infected with Salafi virus still have some problems with the ability of our Imams to raise the dead and suggest that no one can have such abilities then let us cite a clear-cut statement of one of their revered personalities Imam Anwar Shah Kashmiri, who in his esteemed commentary of Sahih Bukhari confirmed such an ability held by Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani:

Like that al-Shantoofi narrated and the muhadtheen authenticated that Sheikh Abdul Qader al-Jilani may Allah have mercy upon him, was giving speech to the people when an eagle came yelling and was disturbing the Sheikh’s speech , so he made an invocation on it and said: ‘What is wrong with you, may Allah chop cut your head’. Then the eagle fell down dead immediately, and when the Sheikh ended his speech and stoodup, he saw the dead (eagle) in the court-yard of the mosque, he inquired about it, so they told him about it, then he said: ‘Rise by Allah’s will’. Then (the eagle) flew.

Faiz al-Bari Shrah Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2 page 61

His student Maulana Badar Aalam Meeruti the former Shaikh-ul-Hadith at Daarul Uloom Deoband while accepting this belief has recorded one more incident of a same kind in the margin of this page:

I heard from the Sheikh may Allah have mercy upon him another nice story about the same topic, that there was a boy working for and learning from some scholars, once his mother visited him and saw him having a bread of malt and eating it, then she went to the Sheikh and saw a fried chicken in front of him, thus she complained to him and said: ‘You feed my son bread made of malt, while you eat this’. Then the Sheikh pointing to the chicken stated: ‘Raise by the will of Allah’. The chicken raised and became alive.

Reply Five – The Ahl’ul Sunnah have attributed the power to raise the dead to their Ulema

In reply one we had cited the fact that Prophet Isa (as) was able to raise the dead by the will of Allah, of interest is the fact that the Deobandi scholars in their efforts to extol their late Ulema have disrespect Isa (as) in the process. Maulana Mahmood al Hasan Deobandi (1268 A.H. /1851 C.E. to 1339 A.H), wrote this eulogy for his deceased teacher Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi at the time of his death:

“He brought the dead to life, and brought death to the living, take a look at this Messiah son of Maryam”

Marsiya Gangohi page 33

This poetry (naudobillah) throws a direct challenge towards Hadhrat Isa, by pointing out that whilst he was a Messiah he was only capable of resurrecting the dead, whilst Gangohi could both resurrect and bring death to the living! If the Nawasib try to defend the poetry by suggesting that death refers to ignorance and life means knowledge, thus meaning he gave the ignorant, knowledge and made the knowledgeable ignorant we will say that if this was the intention then why was Hadhrat Isa (as) singled out specifically, after all every Prophet brought knowledge to the ignorant? The only reason that Isa (as) is mentioned is due to his miracle of resurrecting the dead. Why is it shirk if we believe that our Imams (as) could perform the same miracle as Isa (as) but acceptable if the same miracle (neigh a higher one) can be performed by the Deobandi king pins?

Now that we have shown our readers the miracles possessed by the Sahaba, let us contemplate this very curious commentary served up by Islamweb as part of their Shi’a takfeer campaign:

Islamweb states:

“Signs of the prophets are possessed by the Imams” (Ibid, p. 231.) The Shi’ites have once again elevated their Imams to a very high level. The Imams they refer too are only human! So why do the Shi’ites worship them.

Just consider the logic of these Nasibis. They are suggesting that the Imams cannot possess the signs of Prophets since they are only human! What is their position of the signs that the Prophets possessed, were these Prophets humans or some other life form? It is also amusing that the Nasibi poses the rhetorical question ‘So why do the Shi’ites worship them’. If we believe that the Imams possessed the miracles of past Prophets, then that does not mean we worship them, in the same way that believing in the miracles of past Prophets does not mean we worship them. Moreover how do they explain the miracles of the Prophets, that the Ahl’ul Sunnah have attributed to the Sahaba such as resurrecting the dead (like Isa (as)), changing the physical state of something (like the stick of Musa (as)), do these miracles make the Sahaba deities who the Ahl’ul Sunnah worship? The ability of these Nawasib to give far fetched interpretations of Shi’a traditions is an ability that non fiction novelists would be proud of.

[7]: The Imams meeting with angels

Numani states:

Angels visit the Imams:A Chapter in Usul-e-Kafi bears the hedline which translated into English reads: Imams are the mainsprings of knowledge and trees of Apostleship, and the angels visit them”.It is stated in this Chapter that Imam Jafar Sadiq (once) said: “We are the Trees of Apostleship, the Houses of Mercy, the Kesy of Wisdom the Treasures of Knowledge and the Angels visit us”. (p. 125).

Reply One – The Qur’an proves that angels can visit non Prophets

Numani had sought to suggest to his Sunni readership that the Angels only visit Prophets. Such a position cannot be proven from the Qur’an Allah (swt) refers to the following conversation between Sarah and the angels, in Surah Hud verses 69-73:

There came Our messengers to Abraham with glad tidings. They said, “Peace!” He answered, “Peace!” and hastened to entertain them with a roasted calf.

But when he saw their hands went not towards the (meal), he felt some mistrust of them, and conceived a fear of them. They said: “Fear not: We have been sent against the people of Lut.”

And his wife was standing (there), and she laughed: But we gave her glad tidings of Isaac, and after him, of Jacob.

She said: “Alas for me! shall I bear a child, seeing I am an old woman, and my husband here is an old man? That would indeed be a wonderful thing!”

They said: “Dost thou wonder at Allah.s decree? The grace of Allah and His blessings on you, o ye people of the house! for He is indeed worthy of all praise, full of all glory!”

If Angels can come and talk to Maryam (as) and she can likewise converse with then there should be no objection if we believe that our Imams were visited by angels.

Reply Two: Sunni Ulema believed that pious people can maintain contact with angels

As far as meeting angels is concerned Allah (swt) says in Surah Fusilaat Hamim al-Sajdah (41) verses 30-31:

In the case of those who say, “Our Lord is Allah., and, further, stand straight and steadfast, the angels descend on them (from time to time): “Fear ye not!” (they suggest), “Nor grieve! but receive the Glad Tidings of the Garden (of Bliss), the which ye were promised!

“We are your protectors in this life and in the Hereafter: therein shall ye have all that your souls shall desire; therein shall ye have all that ye ask for!-

We would like to tell the exited ‘followers’ of Maulana Manzoor Numani that one of the prestigious scholars of their own school Allamah Shabeer Ahmad Uthmani in his commentary of this verse stated:

“It is quite possible that during this world there occurs the descending of angels on pious and good people who provide them inspiration on religious and worldly matters on the instructions of Allah, which becomes the reason of the well being and satisfaction of their hearts…Majority have said that this too is the statement of angels. That the angels inspire into their hearts and fortifies them.”

Tafseer Uthmani page 638

Imam Ghazzali states:

“The pious people whilst sitting can see spirits of the Prophets and angels. They can hear them and can benefit from what they are saying”.

Al Munzul mun zalaal page 33, Bab ul Turuq al Sufiya, published in Istanbul.

Uthmani and Ghazzali state that angels can also guide pious people, if normal people can be guided in such a manner, then why not our Imams who have been divinely appointed by Allah (swt) to guide mankind? What is the objection if we believe that Ruh al Quds converses with them?

Reply Three – Angel Gibrael visited Sayyida Fatima al Zahra (as)

We read in Sahih al Bukhari Volume 5 Hadith number 739:

Narrated Anas: When the ailment of the Prophet (s) got aggravated, he became unconscious whereupon Fatima said, “Oh, how distressed my father is!” He said, “Your father will have no more distress after today.” When he expired, she said, “O Father! Who has responded to the call of the Lord Who has invited him! O Father, whose dwelling place is the Garden of Paradise (i.e. al-Firdaus)! O Father! We convey this news (of your death) to Gabriel.”When he was buried, Fatima said, “O Anas! Do you feel pleased to throw earth over Allah’s Apostle?”

If the greatest of angels can visit Sayyida Zahra (as) why is there any objection if we likewise believe that the divinely appointed Imams from her lineage are likewise visited by angels?

Reply Four – Imam Hasan(as) testified that the angels visited the Ahl’ul bayt (as)

al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim, “Chapter of understanding the virtues of companions,” volume 3, page 172 contains this testimony of Imam Hasan (as):

“I am from the Ahl’ul bayt that Gabriel used to descend on us and ascend (back to heavens) from among us.”

In the text Imam Hasan uses the word “us”, it means that it was not just the Prophet who would be visited by Gibrael. Whilst we are not saying that Gibrael would reveal the Qur’an to Imam Hasan the tradition proves that they could communicate with the Gabriel (as).

Reply Five: Angels visited Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (as) and conversed with him

Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah Abdul Hamid Ghazali writes the following in his most famous work ‘Ihya Ulum id din’ records that:

“The Quraish youths one day surrounded the house of the Prophet in order to kill him. Hadhrat Ali in order to save his life, thought his life insignificant and went to the bed of the Prophet. God then addressed Gabriel and Michael and said: ‘I have established brotherhood among you and gave you equal period of life. Who is there among you who can sacrifice his life for another?’ Both of them preferred to save his own life. God then said to them: ‘Why could you not show example like Ali? I have established brotherhood between him and Muhammad, and Ali is spending the night by lying upon the bed of Muhammad in order to save the life of the latter. Go to the earth and save him from his enemies. Gabriel began to protect him keeping near his head and Michael near his feet. Gabriel said to Ali ‘blessed you are, blessed you are. There is no comparison with you. God is taking boast of you before the angels. God then sent this revelation ‘There is a man among men who sacrifices his life in search for the pleasure of Allah’ -2:207″

Ihya Ulum id din, by Abdul Hamid Ghazali, Vol 3 p 237-238 – English translation by Maulana Fazal Karim

Reply Six – The Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that the Sahabi Imran bin Hussain visited by angels

We read in Tabaqat ibn S’ad as follows:

Narrated Mutrib bin Abdullah bin al-Shakheer “Imran bin Hasain told me that what had stopped for him had restarted i-e the greetings of angels. Then he asked me to keep these words of him as secret.”

Narrated Mutrif “In Biyari Imran bin Hasain called for me and said that angels send greetings to him, and if he remains alive I should keep his words as secret, but if he dies then if I desire I may disclose them.”

It is narrated from Mutrif that angels used to greet Imran bin Hasain.

Tabaqat Ibn S’ad (Urdu), Volume 2 Page 637 (Daarul Ishaat, Karachi)

If Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that a sahabi can meet angles than why do they have objections if Shias believe that angels used to visit their Divinely appointed Imams of Ahl’ul bayt (as)?

[8]: All the deeds of men are presented before Imams

Numani states:

All the deeds of men are presented before Imams:It is related that (once) Abdullah bin Aban-AL-Zaiyat, who was close to Imam Raza said to him: “Please pray for me and for members of my household”. The Imam said. “Do I not pray for you ? By God, your deeds are presented to me every day and night.” (Meaning that on the presentation of his deeds he prays for him)”.The tradition goes on to tell that when Abdullah bin Aban felt amazed over it, Imam Raza said to him: “Do you not read this verse of the Quran: Allah will behold your actions (and so) will His Messenger and the believers(IX. 105) ? By God, Mominoon (believers) in it means. Ali Ibn Abi Talib”. P. 134.In his commentary Allama Qazwini says that while stressing upon the word at mominoon in the above verse. Imam Raza has mentioned only the name of Hazrat Ali for the reason that Imamate started with him otherwise it denotes him as well as all the other Imams of his progeny. (As-Safi: Vol. III; Pt.1; p. 140).

Reply

If Naumani and his (Haq Char Yaari) followers have developed indigestion at the Shia belief that Allah (swt) has bestowed the favour to his Messenger (s) and his true successors to see the deeds of the people then allow us to expand on the same verse cited by Imam Ali Raza (as). We read in Surah Taubah verse 105:

[Shakir 9:105] And say: Work; so Allah will see your work and (so will) His Messenger and the believers; and you shall be brought back to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, then He will inform you of what you did.

Three people have been mentioned in the cited verse who see our deeds. Firstly it is Almighty Allah, about whom we believe that Nawasib shall have no objection.

Secondly it’s Holy Prophet (s) who has been said to see our actions. True followers of the Holy Prophet (s) will have no objection to this since the Holy Quran in other verses such as Surah Nisa: 41, Surah Nahl: 89 tells us that the Prophet (s) is a witness over all people until the day of resurrection tragically as we live in a world populated by those seeking to degrade the merits of the Holy Prophet (s) by bringing their literal approach, allow us to cite a tradition to back up our stance. The master of Anti-Shia televsied debates Shaykh ul Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri records this hadith in his book ‘Beseeching for Help’:

“Your deeds are presented to me. If they are good, I express my gratitude to Allah, and if the deeds are not good, then I pray to Allah for your forgiveness”.

Some of the sources on which the author relied are:

1. Haythami transmitted it in Majma’-uz-zawa’id (9:24) and said that that tradition had been reported by Bazzar (in his Musnad) and its sub-narrators are all of Sahih (sound) hadith.

2.‘Iraqi has confirmed the soundness of its chain of transmission in his book Tarh-ut-tathrib fi sharh-it-taqrib (3:297).

3. Suyuti, recording it in al-Khasa’is-ul-kubra (2:281) and Manahil-us-sifa fi takhrij ahadith ash-Shifa (p.3), has commented that Ibn Abi Usamah in his Musnad has reproduced it through Bakr bin ‘Abdullah al-Muzani and Bazzar in his Musnad who have relied on its narration by ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud with a sound chain of transmission.

4. Nabhani related it in Hujjatullah ‘alal-’alamin fi mu’jazat sayyid-il-mursalin (p.713).

Now coming to the third and the main person (as) whose authority is bestowed by Allah (swt) to see the actions of the people i.e the ‘believers’ in the cited verse, we present the words of Ibn Abbas (r) to understand who ‘believers’ refers to in various verses of the Holy Quran.

“Allah did not reveal an Ayah beginning O you who believe..’ but that Ali is its Amir and its eminence. Allah reproached the companions of Muhammad in more then one place but he never mentioned ‘Ali but with approval”.

History of the Khalifas who took the right way, page 179 English translation of Tarikh ul Khulafa by al Hafidh Jalaladeen as Suyuti

Whilst the definition of ‘believers’ has been proven beyond reasonable doubt, let us substantiate our position by highlighting the fact that esteemed Sunni commentaries have stated that ‘believers’ in verse 4 of Surah Tahreem and verse 55 of Surah Maidah refers to Ali bin Abi Talib (as) so why the objection if we likewise believe that the word ‘believers’ used in the aforesaid verse of Surah Taubah also refers to Ali bin Ai Talib (as)? Along the same line why the objection if we believe that the word likewise refers to the other Imams from his linage who see the actions of the people of their (as) respective period?

This is all connected with Wilayat al-Takwiniya of the Imams of Ahulbayt (as) which we have discussed in chapter 4.

[9]: The role of Imam (as) during Laylatul Qadr (Night of Power)

Maulana Manzoor Numani advanced the following objections about the involvement of the Imams (as) in Laylatul Qadr/ Shab e Qadr (The night of power):

Numani states:

In the Night of Power (Shab-e-Qadr) every year God reveals a Book to the Imams through Angels and Ar-Ruh.In the Chapter, Babul Bada, of Usul-e-Kafi there is a tradition saying that Imam Jafar Sadiq, while explaining the Quranic verse 39 of Sura-i-Ra’ad.TRANSLATE ARABIC”What God pleaseth He will wipe out or confirm; and with Him is the knowledge of the Book” observed that “only that thing is obliterated which was existent already, and that thing is confirmed which was not existent previously”.The commentator of Usul-e-Kafi, Allama Qazwini remarks: “For every year there is a separate book. It means that book which contains exegesis of the commands. Imam of the day will need for the next year. The angels and Ar-Ruh descend with that book on the Night of Power on the Imam of the day”. (vol., II;P.129).

It is, further, related that Imam Baqar said: “It has been decreed by God that every year a night will occur in which a book will descend detailing all the affairs and events of the next year until the same night of that year”. P 153).

Reply

This topic has always caused indigestion to various Nasibi authors and have been raised by Maulana Azam Tariq (la) in ‘Khubaat e Jail’ pages 224-225, Maulana Yusuf Ludhiyanvi in ‘Shia aur Sunni Ikhtilaaf aur Siraat e Mustaqeem’ (Shia and Sunni dispute and the straight path), page 130 (Published in Binori Town, Karachi) and Ahl-Hadith scholar Molvi Ihtishaam-uddin Muradabadi in “Naseehat ush-Shia” pages 437-438 (Maktabah Sidiqiya, Multan). All of them have recorded the traditions in a distorted manner. It seems that they have plagarised each others works. All of them have tried to prove different points from the tradition. Anyhow, here we present the actual wordings of Allamah Khaleel Qazwini (rh) so that there remains no confusion:

“For every year there is a seperate book. That is a book which contains explanation and orders of the knowledge that Imam will require until the next year. And with that book angels and ‘Amr (ruh) descend during the night of Qadr to the Imam of the age (Imam al-Zamana). However, not as a revealation (wahi), because in that case it would be required for each Imam to be a Prophet, but as informing them, which means reminding of the known preliminaries in the concluded order, as it is understood from the Quran. As stated in Surah Qadr and Dukhan and as explained in the book of Hujjah in 8th hadeeth of 41st Baab, which is regarding the background of the revealation of the aya ‘we descend it down in the night of Qadr…’ that Allah the exalted, can dismiss what he wants from the book of beliefs that is for the Imam of the creation, and brings about that which is understood from the Quran, and therefore stated in Quran in Surah Nisa, ‘Certainly those will know who understand…’“.

Asaafi Sharah Usool al-Kafi, Kitab al Tawheed, Baab al-Bada’, Volume 2 page 229 (Lucknow)

Moreover, there is no disagreement about the fact that Allah (swt) sends all of his decisions in the form of affairs on the night of power which are then handed over to the relevant angels. Almost all the scholars of Ahle Sunnah under the commentary of Surah Dakhan and Surah Qadr have written to this effect. For example Allamah Shabeer Ahmad Uthmani records under the commentary of the word ‘Amr’ of Surah Dukhan:

[3]“Means all the absolute and rational decisions of the year in terms of Qaza and Qadr are copied from Loh al-Mahfooz in this sacred night and are handed over to the angels who work in the department of Takwiniya. According to some traditions that is the fifteenth night of the month of Shaban which is called Shab al-Barat. It is possible that this work begins in that night while it gets ended in the night of Shab al-Qadr.”

Tafseer Uthmani, page 659

Allamah Alauddin Ali bin Muhammad Baghdadi popularly known as al-Khazin records in his esteemed Tafseer:

“The absolute affairs are decided. Ibn Abbas has narrated that all the good and bad incidents due to happen in the year are copied from the Mother of the books (Ummul Kitab) on Laylat al-Qadr (night of power) like the provision (Rizq) of the people, their age etc, even this is written, that such and such persons will perform pilgrimage, it has also been stated that this is the fifteenth night of the month of Shabaan and the ultimate decision of all the incidents of the year are made on that night, separate lists are prepared for the people who have to die and those who have to live. Baghwi has narrated through his chain from the Holy Prophet (s) that He (s) said: ‘The ultimate decision about the age of the people are made from one Shabaan to the next Shabaan, even if a man gets married and when a child is born in his house, but his name has been listed amongst the dead ones in that very year’. Ibn Abbas narrates that Allah (swt) takes all the decisions on the fifteenth night of Shabaan and hands over the instructions and details of those decisions to those who are responsible for their implementation.”

Tafseer Khazin, Volume 5 pages 409-410

Angels are not exclusively responsible for the implementation of those instructions. Those perfect human beings who are superior to the angels are deployed over the angels and are provided with the knowledge of those instructions that are then passed on to the angels to enable implemention. Of course, the Imams from the Ahlulbayt of the Holy Prophet (s) are those human beings. Again this is related to the Wilayat al-Takwiniya of the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) that we previously discussed in detail in Chapter 4, we will however repeat one excerpt in order to close the topic. Shah Ismaeel Shaheed Dahalwi records from his master Syed Ahmad Barelvi:

“Likewise, the perfect from amongst the human beings performing regulatory actions can be the source of all the services of the angels. For example, the killing of pagans by the angels through fighting or prayers can also be done by the perfect people through fighting or prayers. The service of providing benefit by the angels can also be performed by these people, the prayers and remembrance of Allah (swt) attributed to a class of angels is also shared by these people, the services of teaching, preaching and discourses performed by the angels are also done by them. For the establishment of a just kingdom and lofty caliphate, spiritual imamate, prophethood, apostleship, and seal of prophethood, the services concerned to the angels can also originate from them and it should be thought that they can also perform all other services.”

Siraat e Mustaqeem, page 176 (Islami Academy Lahore)

Thus, in the light of the above discussion we know that the details of all incidents due to happen next year are decided on Laylat-al-Qadr they are then handed over to the the Imam of the time (as) who throughout that year make His (as) subordinate angles work for the implementation of those instructions/decisions.

[10]: The knowledge of unseen in respect of knowing the death of others

Islamweb states:

The Imams know when they will die, and they do not die except by their own choice” (Ibid, p: 258.) Now, this is a clear statement of kufr. Only Allah knows when a man will die! And these Shi’ites say that their Imams can control when they die?? This is major kufr and shirk for any one to believe in all the things that the Shi’ites say about their Imams!

Reply One

Knowledge of death is a Ghayb that is possessed by Allah (swt), as He (swt) says in Surah Luqman verse 34:

Verily, Allâh! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allâh is All Knower, All Aware (of things).

As we have already mentioned, this Ghayb is also bestowed on the elect of Allah (swt), as he says in Surah Jinn, 72:26-27:

“Allah Alone is the Knower of the Unseen. He never grants the Knowledge of his Ghayb to anyone but to His chosen Messengers and appoints guard before them and behind them.”

In relation to this Ghayb, Allah (swt) has granted people:

Knowledge of the death of others

Knowledge of their own deaths

Before refuting the objections of the Nasibi writers we shall first evidence the fact that Rasulullah (s) and our Imams possessed knowledge of ghayb in relation to the death of others

Reply Two: Rasulullah (s) foretold of the deaths of the Kufar of Badr that included where they would die

If we analyse no. 4 (no person knows in what land he will die) Rasulullah (s) was blessed with this power, evident from the fact that he pin-pointed the death of the kuffar before the Battle of Badr, not just the land but the very area wherein they would perish. This is what we read in Sahih Muslim Book 019, Number 4394:

It has been narrated on the authority of Anas that when (the news of) the advance of Abu Sufyan (at the head of a force) reached him. the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) held consultations with his Companions. The narrator said: Abu Bakr spoke (expressing his own views), but he (the Holy Prophet) did not pay heed to him. Then spoke ‘Umar (expressing his views), but he (the Holy Prophet) did not pay heed to him (too). Then Sa’d b. ‘Ubada stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, you want us (to speak). By God in Whose control is my life, if you order us to plunge our horses into the sea, we would do so. If you order us to goad our horses to the most distant place like Bark al-Ghimad, we would do so. The narrator said: Now the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) called upon the people (for the encounter). So they set out and encamped at Badr. (Soon) the water-carriers of the Quraish arrived. Among them was a black slave belonging to Banu al-Hajjaj. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) caught him and interrogated him about Abu Sufyan and his companions. He said: I know nothing about Abu Sufyan, but Abu Jahl, Utba, Shaiba and Umayya b. Khalaf are there. When he said this, they beat him. Then he said: All right, I will tell you about Abu Sufyan. They would stop beating him and then ask him (again) about Abu Sufyan. He would again say’, I know nothing about Abu Sufyan, but Abu Jahl. ‘Utba, Shaiba and Umayya b. Khalaf are there. When he said this, they beat him likewise. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was standing in prayer. When he saw this he finished his prayer and said: By Allah in Whose control is my life, you beat him when he is telling you the truth, and you let him go when he tells you a lie. The narrator said: Then the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: This is the place where so and so would be killed. He placed his hand on the earth (saying) here and here; (and) none of them fell away from the place which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had indicated by placing his hand on the earth.

If Salafis argue that this incident doesn’t show the knowledge of the unseen that the Holy Prophet (s) was blessed with and can be explained as a routine phenomena of normal people then can any Salafi/Wahabi take us to a place and foretell us about a death of any individual including the precise death spot? If not then these narrow-minded people have no right to degrade the esteemed rank granted to our Holy Prophet (s) by denying him the knowledge he was granted.

Reply Three: Rasulullah (s) foretold the land in which Imam Hussain (as) would be martyred

There are also clear traditions wherein the Holy Prophet (s) said Imam Hussain (as) would die in the land of Karbala. We read in Khasais al Kubra Volume 2 page 125 (Maktaba Nurree Rizvi Publishers, Pakistan)

‘Verily my son [Hussain] will be killed in a land called Kerbala, whoever amongst you is alive at that time must go and help him”.

Khasais al Kubra, Volume 2 page 125

This shall suffice as proof that even these secrets were unlocked as Allah (swt) bestowed this exclusive knowledge on the Prophet (s). When one has the keys to something, one has full, unrestricted and at their own will access that domain. The five things mentioned are those that Allah incorporated into the Knowledge of to the Prophet (as) at His discretion. It is important to point out, the Holy Prophet (as) does not know which land a person will die in of his own accord, but rather this Knowledge is granted to him by Allah.

Reply Four: Imam Baqir (as) foretold the death of Zayd ibn ‘Ali

We read in Shawahid un Nubuwwa page 318 under the topic ‘Karamaat e Hadrath Imam Baqir (ra)’:

“A thiqah narrator states ‘I was with Imam Baqir when his brother Zayd walked past us, he said ‘By Allah! He shall rebel in Kufah, the people shall kill him, and his head shall be paraded through the streets and then impaled on a spike”.

Shawahid un Nubuwwah, page 318

We know that historically Zayd was killed in this same brutal manner. This shows that Allah (swt) had blessed our Imams with the knowledge to foretell a person’s death.

Reply Five: Imam Kazim (as) foretold the death of his jailor

Shaykh Shablanji records in ‘Nur al Absar’ page 230:

“One night, whilst in the Baghdad prison Abu Yusuf and Muhammad bin Hasan visited [Imam Kadhim], they conveyed salutations and sat down. They wanted to test his knowledge via questions and answers. At that time the jail entered and said ‘My duty has expired, if you require anything tell me and I shall bring it tomorrow. The Imam said ‘I require nothing, you can go’. The Imam then said to Abu Yusuf and Muhammad bin Hasan ‘I am surprised that this man is stating that he shall bring something tomorrow, he is unaware that he shall die tonight’. Upon hearing this, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad bin Hasan obtained permission to leave and said to each other ‘WE went to asked questions on issues relating to Fardh and Sunnah, but he spoke on the knowledge of ghayb’. They then sent a man to keep watch on the jailor’s home so that the truth could be established. During the nigh he (the watchman) heard a loud noise from inside the house, as well as noise from the immediate neighbourhood. Upon inquiry he (the watchman) discovered that the man had died”.

Nur al Absar, by Shaykh Shiblanji, page 230

We see that Imam Kazim (as) foretold of the time of his jailer’s death and two Sunni Imams were witness to this knowledge of ghayb, our opponents will therefore have to accept that our Imams were blessed with this knowledge.

Reply Six: Imam Raza (as) foretold the death of another man

Maulana Nooruddin Abdur Rehman Jami records in Shawahid’un Nubuwwa page 349:

“One day he [Imam Raza] saw someone and said ‘O man of Allah! Whatever you desire, do it quickly, make a will and make preparations for that definite thing that no one can run from’. The man died three days later”

Shawahid un Nubuwwa page 349

We had cited the fact that Allah (swt) said that ‘and no person knows in what land he will die’ – the narrations that we have cited show that Rasulullah (s) and his Ahl’ul bayt (as) knew of the deaths of others, which proves that Allah (swt) had blessed with knowledge of the unseen in this regards. When we see that our Imams were endowed with knowledge of this Ghayb, then there should be no objection to our next belief i.e.

[11]: Imams knowing the time of their death and having authority over it

This is one of the most favorite topics of our opponents specially the najis Nasibies of Sipah-e-Sahabah (Hinda Haq Char Yaari) as raised by their late Maulana Manzoor Ahmed Numani:

Numani states:

Imams know their Hour of Death. Their death is in their control:A Chapter in Usul-e-Kafi bears the title “Imams (Peace be upon them) know when they will die and their death occurs at their own volition.” (p. 158).The same is the substance of the sayings of imam appearing in it. The last one, of course, needs particular attention, and, hence, we are reproducing it here.Imam Baqar is reported to have said: “God Almighty had sent down a force (of angels) from the heavens (to Karbala) to help Husain. It had reached (half-way) between the sky and the earth. Then, God gave option to Husain to accept the help and utilize the force or to meet Him (through death and martyrdom) whereupon he preferred meeting the Lord (i.e., martyrdom).” P. 159.

Since Nawasib deem everyone in this world including Prophets, Saints, Auliyah etc to be normal human beings like themselves they deem it Shirk to believe that someone besides Allah (swt) may know his time of death or has been given authority over his death by Allah (swt). The reality is Allah (swt) bestows His blessings on those whom he loves and chooses and opens the door of His blessings over them and accordingly grants qualities which a normal human being cannot even imagine. Inspiration about the time of death or granting authority over the death of a chosen one is also amongst such blessings bestowed by Allah (swt) and had this mullah and his adherents bothered to dedicate time to studying their own books without the spectacles of Shia-hatred he would have realised that this belief is also ascribed to by his school of thought.

Reply One: The Ahl’ul Sunnah themselves believe that all Prophets are given authority over their deaths

It is very strange that whenever our opponents find traditions about the Imams of Ahulbayt (as) being given the authority over their deaths they issue takfeer against us without bothering to know the stance of their own school in this regard which clearly affirms that all prophets were given authority over their deaths and Izrail (the angel of death) was able to seize their soul only after an indication of death from them. As evidence we would like to cite one of the legendry scholars of the Sunni school, Ibn Kathir:

Numerous Thiqa narrators have narrated from various authentic sources that when Izrail [angel of death] came to Musa (as) and told him the aforesaid instruction of Allah (swt), Musa (as) didn’t recognize him therefore Izrail once again came to him, appearing to be an Arab thus Musa (as) quickly recognized him because he had earlier came to Musa (as) for the delivery of revelation in this very appearance and it was then that he indicated Izrail to seize His soul.

It has been told in various traditions pertaining to the seizing the soul of the prophets that Izrail used to enter into their houses after taking their permission and would inform them about the instruction of Allah (swt) and he used to seize their soul after getting indication from them.

Al-Bidayah Wal-Nihayah (Urdu), Vol 1 page 315-316 Topic: ‘The death of Musa (as)’ (published by Nafees Academy Karachi)

If the comments of their hero aren’t sufficient then let us cite the very fact from that tongue deemed by our opponents to be exalted and trustworthy.

‘A’isha reported: I heard that never a prophet dies until he is given an option to opt the life of (this) world or that of the Hereafter. She further said: I heard Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) say in his last illness in which he’ died. I heard him saying in gruffness of the voice: Along with those persons upon whom Allah bestowed favours from amongst the Apostles, the testifiers of truth, the martyrs, the pious and goodly company are they (iv. 69). (It was on bearing these words) that I thought that he had been given choice (and he opted to live with these pious persons in the Paradise).

1. Sahih Muslim Book 031, Number 5988 to 5990 (3 traditions)

2. Musnad Ahmed bin Hanbal, Volume 6 Hadith: 23442, 24262, 24519 & 25142

3. Al-Bidayah Wal-Nihayah (Urdu), Vol 5 page 418-419 Topic: ‘The death of Prophet (s)’ Quoting from Abu Daud al-Tyalsi (2 Traditions).

If according to Sunni belief all prophets were given such authority then why the objection if the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) who are the successors of Holy Prophet (s) and his Sharyah (Tuhfa Asthna Ashariyah, page 75), and the leaders of all Awliyah (Maktubaat, 9:17 # 123) are also blessed with the same authority?

Whilst we have already proved that Sunnis believe that prophets are given the authority to live or die for those minds still clouded by their abhorrence of the Shi’a, we shall cite the episodes of two prophets separately in this regard.

Reply Two: The Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that Prophet Musa was given authority over his death and he was foretold his time of death time

We read the following in authentic Ahl’ul Sunnah work narrated from Abu Huraira:

The angel of death was sent to Moses and when he went to him, Moses slapped him severely, spoiling one of his eyes. The angel went back to his Lord, and said, “You sent me to a slave who does not want to die.” Allah restored his eye and said, “Go back and tell him (i.e. Moses) to place his hand over the back of an ox, for he will be allowed to live for a number of years equal to the number of hairs coming under his hand.” (So the angel came to him and told him the same). Then Moses asked, “O my Lord! What will be then?” He said, “Death will be then.” He said, “(Let it be) now.” He asked Allah that He bring him near the Sacred Land at a distance of a stone’s throw. Allah’s Apostle (p.b.u.h) said, “Were I there I would show you the grave of Moses by the way near the red sand hill.”

1. Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 423

2. Sahih Muslim, Book 30, Number 5851

The cited hadith gives the following two points:

1. Initially Musa (as) was given the authority over his death which made the angel of death went back successful in his task and he said to his Lord: “You sent me to a slave who does not want to die“. These words make it further clear that initially the task of the angel of death was dependant on Musa (as)’s wish i.e he was given authority over his death.

2. Allah (swt) then foretold Musa (as) the number of years he would survive i.e “number of years equal to the number of hairs”.

If a chosen one by Allah (swt) was given authority over his death and then was foretold about his death time then why do the Nasibi people have objection if Shia believes that the divinely appointed Imams of Ahlulbayt (as), the successors of Prophet (s) making them the successor of all Prophets were also granted such blessings by Allah (swt)?

Reply Three: The Holy Prophet (s) foretold his death and was also given authority over it

We read in Sahih al Bukhari Volume 4, Book 56, Number 820:

Narrated ‘Aisha: The Prophet in his fatal illness, called his daughter Fatima and told her a secret because of which she started weeping. Then he called her and told her another secret, and she started laughing. When I asked her about that, she replied, The Prophet told me that he would die in his fatal illness, and so I wept, but then he secretly told me that from amongst his family, I would be the first to join him, and so I laughed.”

The tradition makes it clear that the Prophet (s) knew about his death. When we turn the pages of history we see that the angel of death did not have the audacity to even enter the presence of our beloved Holy Prophet (s) without His (s) permission, seizing without His (s) consent does not even come into the equation. Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi records in his famed book:

“It has been narrated that the angel of death sought permission to enter and then came to the Holy Prophet (s) and stood before Him (s) saying: “O Holy Prophet! O Ahmed! Allah has sent me to you and has ordered me to obey whatever you say, if you grant permission then I may seize your soul and if you do not grant permission then I will not do so. Allah has given you authority in this regard”

Then Gibrail came and said to the Prophet (s): ‘O Muhammad (s)! Allah is happy with you and He calls you’. The Prophet (s) then said to the angel of death: “O angel of death! Get busy in the work you have been instructed to perform”.

Madarij un Nabuwwah, Volume 2 page 729 (published Madina Publishing Co. Karachi).

One can also see

Tabqat Ibn Saad (Urdu), Volume 1 page 304. Topic: Dikh Nazul al-Maut. (Nafess Academy, Karachi)

The tradition is self-explanatory but since our opponents have abandoned all aspects of justice and decency in their Shia-hatred we remain skeptical over the ability to understand the Shia stance about Imams of Ahlulbait (as). If the Holy Prophet (s) and Prophet Musa (as) were given authority over their death then why do Nasibi mullahs yap when it comes to the authorities granted by Allah (swt) to the successors of very Prophet (s) ? We have made it clear that Allah (swt) does grant such authorities to his chosen people and being submissive to their lord they submit back such an authority to their creator just like we see above in the case of Holy Prophet (s) and also in the case of Imam Hussain (as) which Maulana Numani tried to mock at.

Reply Three – Some incidents from Sunni sources wherein Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) foretold their own deaths

One – Maula Ali (as) foretold his death

We read the following account in Musnad Ahmed bin Hanbal that has been declared ‘Sahih’ by Shaykh Ahmed Shakir:

Zaid bin Wahb said that on one occasion Ali approacheda Khariji that resided Basra. There was a man named al-Ja’ad bin Ba’ja who asked Ali: ‘O Ali! Fear Allah, you have to die’. Ali replied: ‘No, rather I will be killed. I will be struck by the blow of a sword that will colour this beard, this is something decided…”

Musnad Ahmed, Volume 1 page 472

Maulana Abdur Rahman Jaami in Shawahid’un Nubuwwa pages 294-295 under the topic ‘Ameer Mu’awiya (ra) and Hadhrat Ali (ra)’ says as follows:

“On one occasion Hadrath Ameer Mu’awiya(ra) said to his close followers, ‘How will we know of our final destination? Can anyone tell us? People said, ‘We are unaware of any means’. Mu’awiya said ‘I know of a method to determine one’s final destination. I’ll ask ‘Ali who shall tell me of it, ‘Ali speaks the truth, whatever he states is true, Mu’awiya summoned three people with instructions that each attend Kufa on separate days, and tell the people of my death, funeral rites, all three must issue corroborate their statements. The three accordingly relayed the information to the Kufans on separate days. On the first day a companion of ‘Ali said to him ‘Mu’awiya has died, things shall become easier now’. ‘Ali gave no response. The same news was conveyed to ‘Ali the next day, but ‘Ali ignored it. On the third day when the matter was again passed back to ‘Ali, with the companion stating ‘O ‘Ali three reliable people have conveyed this information, it is confirmed that Mu’awiya is dead’. ‘Ali replied saying ‘You don’t know him’ ‘Ali then signalled at his head and beard and said ‘Mu’awiya shall not die until my head and beard is covered in blood’. He (‘Ali) then said ‘The son of a lover eater will be pleased at this’.

Shawahid’un Nubuwwah, pages 294-295

We see from this narration that Maula Ali (as) knew of his death, his state at the time and also knew that Mu’awiya would outlive him. This was an early prediction as the time came closer we see that Maula Ali (as) even knew the day on which he would be martyred. We read in Yanabi al Mawaddat (combined volume1-3) page 193:

“On the night of the 19th of Ramadhan he (‘Ali) was tense and kept coming out. He looked at the sky and said ‘I have never lied nor has anything that I have said ever been established as a lie, this is the night that was promised me. At sunrise as left for the mosque, the birds began to chirp loudly, he said ‘These birds are crying for me”.

Yanabi al Mawaddat (combined volume1-3) page 193

Also see Sawaiq al Muhriqah, page 453 (published in Faisalabad, Pakistan)

We can see from this narration that Maula Ali (as) was fully aware that this was his final night on the earth.

Two – Imam Baqir (as) foretold his death

We read in Shawahid’un Nubuwwah page 319 under the topic ‘Karamaat e Hadrath Imam Baqir (ra)’:

“Imam Jafar narrates ‘One day my father said to me, “Only five years remain of my life”. When he died we counted the years / days and it was exactly as he had said”.

Shawahid’un Nubuwwah page 319

We can see from this example that Imam Baqir (as) knew of his death, down to the exact date.

Three – Imam Kazim (as) foretold his death

Maulana Jaami in Shawahid’un Nubuwwah, pages 336-337 records:

“A Thiqah narrator states that when Imam Kadhim was summoned on the first occasion to Baghdad by the Abbaside Khalifa Mahdi, I was upset. The Imam asked ‘Why are you worried?’ I said ‘Why shouldn’t I be worried, you are entering a place that is the unknown’. The Imam said ‘Do nor worry I shall return on such a date and time, wait for me’. The Imam then was accompanied by a delegation of state officials to Baghdad. On his arrival Mahdi bin Mansur had him imprisoned, and conspired to have him killed quickly. Mahdi paid a specific person to kill him before sunrise and then went to sleep. Whilst asleep he [Mahdi] witnessed ‘Ali in a dream who read a Qur’anic verse to him ‘Then, is it to be expected of you, if ye were put in authority, that ye will do mischief in the land, and break your ties of kith and kin?’ He became fearful and told the man to refrain from the initial order. The next morning he [Mahdi] had the Imam freed, and the Imam retuned on the same date and time that he had told the man…The Madinans rejoiced ‘Alhamdolillah, the tyrant has freed you’. The Imam replied ‘I have been freed on this occasion, but he shall summon me once more and I will not attain freedom’’. The Khalifa accordingly summoned him a second time, and upon the order of Haroon Rasheed, he was given poisoned dates, whilst eating them he said, ‘From Allah we come and to Him shall we return’. He [the Imam] then said the jailer ‘I know that I have been given poisoned grapes, this shall be the cause of my martyrdom, tomorrow my body shall turn a yellow colour, and it will then turn red and black. I shall then die’. He died in exactly the same manner”.

Four – Imam Raza (as) foretold his death

Maulana Jaami in Shawahid’un Nubuwwah, pages 346-347:

“Babel bin Khuzai wrote a poem praising the Ahl’ul bayt and read it ‘This pure body of Nafs Zakiyya was buried in Baghdad, but Allah raised it to Arafat. The Imam then said ‘Babel add these lines ‘And there will also be a grave in Tus’. Babel; said ‘O son of the Prophet (s) ‘Whose grave is this?’ The Imam said, ‘It shall be mine. I shall soon be killed in a place where I will be an outsider my burial place shall become a place of pilgrimage for the lovers of the Ahl’ul bayt, those who attend shall be with me on the Day of Judgement, Allah (swt) will forgive them”.

Shawahid’un Nubuwwa pages 346-347

Five – Imam Taqi (as) foretold his death

We read in Shawahid un Nubuwwah, page 358:

“When Mamun died Muhammad Taqi said: ‘I shall die thirty months from today’, he died thirty months after the death of Mamun”

Shawahid’un Nubuwwa page 358

Reply Four- The Ahl’ul Sunnah have attributed knowledge of one’s death to Sahaba and scholars

We will respond to these Nasibis by pointing out that you believe that your Sahaba and Imams possessed such knowledge.

One – Umar knew when he would die

The following is narrated by Allamah Jalaluddin Suyuti in Tareekh ul Khilafa page 132:

“Ma’dan ibn Abi Talhah: ‘Umar gave a Khutbah and said, I saw (in a dream) as if a cock pecked me once or twice and I can only believe that it means that my term has come…”

Tareekh ul Khilafa page 132

If only Allah (swt) knows when a man will die then how did the Umar know when he would die?

Two: Abu Bakr knew when he would die

We have already cited the incident which according to Ahl’ul Sunnah proves the merits of Abu Bakar of knowing his death time and the gender of the baby in womb. We will cite that again very briefly here again. Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi while counting the miracles possessed by Abu Bakr quoted a tradition from Tarikh e Khulfa, page 57 and then records the views of Sunni scholars:

“Allamah Tajuddin Subki [rh] has stated that two miracles of Ameer al Momineen Abu Bakr (ra) are proved from this Hadith.

[1]. That he had come to know before his death that he would leave the word due to the illness he was suffering from that is why he stated in his will “My wealth has become the wealth of my heirs…(Izalatul Khifa, vol 2 page 21 & Hujatullah, vol 2 page 860)”

Karamaat e Sahabah by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 46

Here we present the online link of the reference from Tabaqat al Kubra by Imam Tajuddin Subki (727-771 AH/1327-1370 EC):

http://www.al-eman.com/Islamlib/viewchp.asp?BID=401&CID=15

From these narrations we see that ‘Umar and Abu Bakar knew exactly when they would die, by making such a claim Umar and Abu Bakar automatically fall under the Takfeer trap of Islamweb, we therefore invite them to issue an edict of apostasy for making such a divine claim. And if Nawasib really believe that their caliphs knew about their deaths then they have no right to point out fingers at Shia for the same belief held for their Imams.

Reply Five- The Ahl’ul Sunnah have attributed to their scholars the knowledge of their death as well as authority over it

Its not just Sahabah but when we ponder into the books of Ahle Sunnah we see that they believe that some pious scholars of their school were not only knew about their deaths but some of them even had authority over it.

One: Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah Muhammad bin Talha Shafiyee knew exactly when he was going to die

Imam Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Asad al Yameni (d. 768 H) popularly known as Al-Yaf`ee records in his prestigious work ‘Miraat al Jinaan’ Volume 4 page 128 under the topic ‘Events of year 652’:

“Muhammad bin Talha Shafiyee was a great scholar in Fiqh and debates, He was a vizier to the King but left this to pursue piety and practised control of the nafs (self). It is about home that Radhi bin Asma states “I was on the mountain of Lebanon a saw a Faqir. I met the Faqir who said ‘I witnessed a dream wherein I heard poetry but was unable to see the reciter, the poetry was ‘O Ibn Talha Allah’s pleasure be upon you. You abandoned the position of vizier so as to pursue the spiritual kingdom’. The second line said ‘What can we say of that individual who left Dinar’s / Dirham for treasure’. When I got off the mountain I approached Shaykh Muhammad bin Talha and witnessed the king requesting permission to enter his residence. He was granted permission after a little while, and benefited from meeting Muhammad bin Talha. I approached the Shaykh and told him about the dream of the Faqir. He said immediately, ‘O Radhi is this dream is true then I shall die within eleven days. He died within eleven days”

Miraat al Jinaan, Volume 4 page 128

Two – The Deobandis believe that one of their scholars not only knew the details of his death but possessed the authority to delay it

For this we have relied on a book which usually every Deobandi carries with him i.e. ‘Fazail-e-Sadaqaat’ by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakkariya Kaandhlawi:

“Abul Husain Maliki Rahmatullah alaihe says that he associated with Shaikh Khair Nurbaf Rahmatullah alaihe for several years. The Sheikh said to him, eight days before his death. ‘I shall die on Thursday evening, at the time of Maghrib Salaat, and I shall be buried on Friday after Jumah Salaat.” Although, he advised me not to forget, but I forgot about it and, on Friday morning, a man told me about the Sheikh’s death. I immediately went to his place to attend his funeral prayers. One the way I met people coming back from his house who told me that burial would take place after Jummah Saalah.

Nevertheless I went to his house and asked people the details of the Sheikh’s experience of death. A person, who had remained with him till his last breath, narrated to me that the Sheikh swooned for a while just before Maghrib Salaat. Then, he recovered somewhat and said to someone in the corner of the room, who was invisible to others, ‘Stop for a while; you have been commanded to do a thing and I have been commanded to do a thing. That which you are commanded to do (viz. to take my life) will not escape you, but that which I am commanded to do (viz. to observe Maghrib Salaat) will escape me. Let me do as I am commanded.” He then called for water, made a fresh Wudhu and performed Maghrib Salaat. After this, he laid himself on the bed, closed his eyes and gave up his life.”

Fazaail-e-Sadaqaat (Virtues of Charity), [English Translation], Chapter IX, page 609-610, (2nd South African Impression 1414-1993. Published by Waterval Islamic Institute, Johannesburg)

The anti-Shia movements belonging to Deoband school of thought should take a good long look at this reference. Not only did one of their beloved Imams know the place and time of his death, he even made the Angel of Death wait until he finished his prayers. Next time the followers of Sipah-e-Sahabah (kr-hcy.com) while mocking at the Shia belief on Imamate should not forget to read the aforesaid capabilities and authorities of their revered scholar.

Three – Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani was given more authority over deaths than the angel of death

About Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani the ‘Ghaus al-Aazam’ we read in the Ahl’ul Sunnah’s text ‘Tafreeh al-Khatir fi Manaqib al-Sheikh Abdul Qadir’ as follows:

“It is narrated from Sheikh-e-Kabeer Syed Ahmed Rafa’i that once a servant of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani died and his wife came to Sheikh Jeelani and cried and lamented infront of him and demanded that her husband’s soul may be retrieved. Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani looked into the spiritual world and saw that the angel of death is going towards the skies with all the souls that he has taken out during the day.

Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani called upon the angel and asked for the soul of his servant, but the angel of death refused to comply and said that he had taken out the souls on Allah’s order and would only submit the souls to him, on this Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani used his divine powers and pulled the virtual container that was in shape of a sack that contained the spirits and took out the soul of his servant, just as the top of the sack opened, all the souls came out and went back to their respective bodies.

At this the angel of death started crying and pleaded to Allah and said that O Lord! You know that I had a dispute with your beloved and your Wali Abdul Qadir and he attacked me with his powers and took away all the souls that i had captured today. At this Allah said to angel of death that Ghaus-e-Azam is my beloved and my desire, why didnt you return his servant’s soul? And due to a single soul you had to lose all other souls too and now you are standing embarrassed.”

Tafreeh al-Khatir fi Manaqib-al-Sheikh Abdul Qadir, Volume 5, page 12 (published in Egypt in 1339 A.H)

If the Ahl’ul Sunnah have no objections in believing that Allah (swt) had given Shaykh Jilani more authority over deaths than the angel of death then why the objection if the Shi’a believe that the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) being the true successors of Holy Prophet (s) possessed a control over deaths?

[12]: The Imams knowledge over whether a person is destined for Heaven or Hell

In his article ‘Al-Kafi or Al-Kufr?’

Ibn al Hashimi states:

“By listening to the voice of a person, the Imams can tell if the person was destined to go to hell or to heaven; they would thus answer his questions accordingly.” (Usool Al-Kafi, p. 185)

As part of the inheritance acquired through the Prophet (s) the Imams (as) acquired possession of a text that provided the contents of all the people of Hellfire, that accordingly enabled them to respond to a question in a certain manner. We read this authentic Sunni hadithin Sunan Tirmidhi, Volume 4 page 449 Hadith No. 2141, narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-’Asi:

The Messenger of Allah (s) came out to us, and he was holding two books in his hands. He asked us: “Do you know what these books are?” We answered: “No, O Messenger of Allah, except if you tell us”. Then he said about the book in his right hand: “This book, from the Lord of the Worlds, contains the names of ALL the people of Paradise, their names, the names of their fathers and tribes. The book has compiled all their names from the first to the very last, and nothing more is added to it and nothing is missing from it!” Then, the Messenger of Allah (s) talked about the book in his left hand: “This book, from the Lord of the Worlds, contains the names of ALL the people of Hellfire, their names, the names of their fathers and tribes. The book has compiled all their names from the first to the very last, and nothing more is added to it and nothing is missing from it!”

It is also recorded in Musnad Ahmad, Volume 6 page 132 Hadith 6563 while its annotator Shaykh Ahmad Muhammad Shakir stated: ’Its chain is Sahih’. Moreover Shaykh al-Albaani too has declared it Sahih in his Mishkat al-Masabih, Volume 1 page 21.

This hadith demonstrates that the Holy Prophet (s) indeed had knowledge of who was to go to Paradise and who was to go to Hellfire! Besides, the books are written in spiritual codes, and revealed like the Qur’an. Thus, any successor of the Holy Prophet (s) that inherits the books too must be one pure enough for them, and able to decipher the spiritual codes. The Imams (as) were able to do just that and were accordingly equipped with the ability to ascertain whether a person was destined for Heaven or Hell merely through the tone of his voice.

Chapter Seven: The doctrine of Imamate from a Shi’a perspective (Part III)

In this chapter we will be discussing topics:

[1]: The Imam’s possession of the knowledge of Prophets and Angels

[2]: The knowledge of previous books possessed by the Imams

[3]: The Imam’s knowledge of the unseen

[4]: The Imams are the masters of this world and the next

[5]: Miracles bestowed on the Imams

[6]. The ability of the Imams to raise the dead

[7]: The Imams meeting with angels

[8]: All the deeds of men are presented before Imams

[9]: The role of Imam (as) during Laylatul Qadr (Night of Power)

[10]: The knowledge of unseen in respect of knowing the death of others

[11]: The Imams knowing the time of their death and having authority over it

[12]: The Imams knowledge over whether a person is destined for Heaven or Hell

[1]: The Imams possession of the knowledge of Prophets and Angels

Islamweb’s onslaught on the Shi’a includes this wonderful analysis:

Islamweb states:

“The Imams possess all the knowledge granted to angels, prophets and messengers” (Al-Kulaini, Al-kaafi, p.255.) Well here is more shirk from the Shi’ites… How can an Imam, who is just a human, know the Unseen??? Only Allah knows the Unseen, and think about this… The Imams were not even Alive at the time of all of the prophets so here is a major contradiction in the Shi’ite faith!

Reply One

Could this Nasibi tell us how modern man has knowledge of how a telephone system operates when you were not alive during the time of its founder Thomas Edison? The answer is this knowledge was then passed on through the generations, so that even simpletons like the Islamweb writers possess a general understanding of the telephone. This is what is called the transference of knowledge through the generations.

Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah Muhammad Ismaeel Bukhari set about taking collecting narrations long after the death of Rasulullah (s). When such individuals narrated these Hadith were they committing shirk, since they possessed ghayb, as they had never seen the Prophet (s)? Clearly not, the teachings of the Prophet (s) had been passed on to them by their father, forefather, their teachers etc! Likewise knowledge that was possessed by Prophets and Messengers was not just hidden away in their minds. This was disseminated as inheritance through the lineage of the Prophets and let us not forget some Prophets also brought divine books, ultimately this knowledge went to Rasulullah (s) the City of Knowledge and was then transferred as inheritance to ‘Ali (as) and then to the other eleven Imams.This fact was beautifully elaborated on by Imam Jafar al Sadiq (as):

“The Prophet Dawud inherited the knowledge of the preceding prophets, and he then bequeathed it to Sulayman. From Sulayman it was transmitted to the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, and we in turn have inherited it from him.”

Abu Basir who was present then saw fit to remark: “There are all kinds of knowledge!” The Imam responded! “The knowledge you have in mind is not particularly valuable. The knowledge of which I speak is truly precious; it is inspired in us night and day, from one hour to the next.”

al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Vol. I, p.225.

Reply Two

The Nasibi is suggesting how the Imams knew the teachings of past Prophets when they were not alive, well that type of Nasibi logic would suggest that neither the Imams nor Prophet Muhammad (s) should have a knowledge of any aspect of the lives of past Prophets after all to quote their logic they were not even Alive at the time of all of the prophets so here is a major contradiction in the Shi’ite faith!

This being the case could this Nasibi author kindly offer an explanation to this Hadith that we read in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 616:

Hammam b. Munabbih reported that Abu Huraira reported many ahadith from Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) and one, of them speaks that Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) is reported to have said: Banu Isra’il used to take bath (together) naked and thus saw private parts of one another, but Moses (peace be upon him) used to take bath alone (in privacy), and they said: By Allah, nothing prevents Moses to take bath along with us; but scrotal hernia. One day when he (Moses) was taking bath (alone) he placed his clothes upon a stone, but the stone began to move along with his clothes. Moses raced after it saying: My garment, stone; until (some of the people) of Banu Isra’il looked at the private parts of Moses, and they said: By Allah, there is no trouble with Moses. The stone stopped after he (Moses) had been seen. He took hold of his garments and struck the stone. Abu Huraira said: I swear by Allah that there were six or seven scars on the stone because of the striking of stone by Moses (peace be upon him).

Whilst here is not the place to address this filthy narration, suffice it to say the Ahl’ul Sunnah have graded it as Sahih, so tell us Islamweb when (according your aqeedah) Rasulullah (s) was not alive at the time of Musa (as) then how was he aware of that that the Jews believed that he had a genital defect? How did the Prophet (s) know that a stone ran off with the clothes of Musa (as)? More interesting is Abu Hurrayra’s addition, about the marks on the stone, how did he know that there are six or seven marks present on the stone from the beating? When you deem this narration as Sahih then the position you held is shot down by it! Will you therefore issue Takfeer against Bukhari for claiming this? And what about the claim of Abu Hurrayra, a claim so confident that he swore before Allah (swt) at its accuracy?

Besides the above cited tradition, there are many other traditions written in Sahih texts of Ahl’ul Sunnah wherein the Prophet (s) or his companions mentioned the incidents of past nations. For example:

The Prophet (s) narrated the conversation Prophet Musa (as) had with Allah (swt). [Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 3, Number 124]

The Prophet (s) narrated a debate between Prophet Musa (as) and Prophet Adam (as) [Sahih al Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 260]

The Prophet (s) narrated a conversation between Isa (as) and a suspected thief [Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 55, Number 653]

The Prophet (s) narrated that Prophet Sulayman planned on impregnating seventy women in one night (astaghfirullah) [Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 55, Number 635]

Abudullah ibn Abbas said: All the idols which were worshipped by the people of Noah were worshipped by the Arabs later on. [Sahih al Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 442]

Abu Musa said: When the skin of anyone amongst the people of Israel was besmeared with urine, he cut that portion with a cutter. [Sahih Muslim Book 002, Number 0523, Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 4, Number 226]

Abu Hurraira said ‘The Angel of Death was sent to Moses when he came to Moses, Moses slapped him on the eye’. [Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 55, Number 619]

Reply Three

Whilst the first two responses will suffice as rebuttals to Nasibi logic we shall now look at the position from another angle. The Nasibi writers of the Ansar.org and Islamweb adhere to a Sect that is devoid of any recognition of the spiritual dimension that was the Wilayah of Rasulullah (s) and the Ahl’ul bayt (as) Imams, which is why they will never be able to understand this Hadith:

“I was prophet when Adam was between soul and body.

Sharah Fiqh Akbar, page 72

This proves the existence of Rasulullah (s) before Adam (as). What we know is that Rasulullah (s) was not alone at this stage, this is evident from the supplication that Adam (as) made, that we cited earlier:

“Ibn al Najjar narrates that Ibn Abbas asked Rasulullah (s) in connection with the above matter, and Rasul (s) stated, Adam said “Through Muhammad, ‘Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Hussain, please accept my repentance. Allah (swt) then accepted his repentance”.

Tafseer Durre Manthur Volume 1 pages 60-61 by Imam of Ahl Sunnah al Hafidh Suyuti

The very fact that Adam (as) took these names in his supplication, proves that these individuals existed in some form prior to the creation of Adam (as). When (from this tradition) three of the Ahl’ul bayt (as) Imams were present before the creation of Adam (as) then what is the objection if we believe that their presence provided them the benefit of attaining the knowledge that Allah (swt) had given Adam (as)? If the Imams were present at the time of Adam (as) then naturally they were also present at the time of the other Prophets (s), and that state is explained to us in this Hadith cited by ‘Ubaydullah Amritsari in Arjahu ‘l matalib, Ist ed. 1340 A.H. pp. 458 463.

The Holy Prophet said: “I and ‘Ali were one Light in presence of Allah fourteen thousand years before the creation of Adam. When Adam was created that Light was placed into his loin. Thus Allah was transferring it from noble loins to pure wombs until Allah settled it into the loin of ‘Abdu ‘l Muttalib. Then Allah divided it into two, one part went into the loin of ‘Abdullah and the other to that of Abu Talib. Therefore ‘Ali is from me and I am from him, his flesh is my flesh and his blood is my blood; whoever loves him, he does so because of my love, and whoever hates him, he does so because he hates me. “

The nur of Rasulullah (s) and Maula Ali (as) remained in a lineage that started with Adam and then split at the point of Abdul Muttalib. This nur remained in the pure linage of the Prophets as such Rasulullah (s) and his Wasi (as) were present in a state of nur during the life of each Prophet. If the Shi’a believe that Maula Ali possessed the knowledge of past Prophets because he was alive at the time (in a state of nur with the Prophet), then it is in complete conformity with this Hadith!

Reply Four – The Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that the Ruh (spirit) of Imam Ghazali conversed with Nabi Musa (as) decades before his birth.

Saim Chisthi al Hanafi in Mushkil kushah Volume 1 page 88-90 cites this reference:

“The Prophet (s) met with Musa (as) on the night of Miraj, and Musa asked ‘Oh Pious Prophet (s) and pious brother, you have stated ‘The Ulema of my Ummah are equal to the Prophets of Banu Israeel’, I would like to speak to one of the scholars from your Ummah. The Prophet (s) summoned the ruh (spirit) of Ghazali, and they said Salaam to one another. Hadhrat Musa (as) queried ‘What is your name?’’ to which Ghazali said Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad Ghazali”. Musa (as) said I asked you name not that of your father or grandfather’.. Ghazali replied ‘You was asked what is that in your hand?’ To which you replied ‘this is my stick, that I use as support, and steer sheep and take other benefits, was is not sufficient for you to say ‘This is my stick’? [Tafree al Khathir, page 9 printed in Egypt).

Mushkil kushah, Volume 1 page 88-90

This episode can also be read in the following Deobandi book:

Shamaim Imadiyah, page 70 by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi

If the Ahl’ul Sunnah have no objection to believing that Imam Ghazali possessed a knowledge of the Qur’an before his physical birth, rather knew of this verse in a state of Ruh (spirit) then there should be no objection if the Shi’a likewise believe that Maula Ali both absorbed and inherited the knowledge of past Prophets due to his existence as Nur.

[2]: The knowledge of previous books possessed by the Imams

Numani states:

All the Scriptures revealed to preceding Prophets like Torah, Bible and Psalms, are with the Imams and they read them in their original languages.Another Chapter of Usul-e-Kafi bears the titled: “The Imams have with them all the Books revealed by God to Prophets of yore and in spite of difference in language they read and understand them”.In it, traditions appropriate to the heading and some events concerning Imam Jafar Sadiq and his son. Musa Kazim are mentioned. In the preceding chapter of Usul-e-Kafi, also, there are narrations bearing the same import. For example, Imam Jafar is reported to have said: “We possess the knowledge of Torah1, Bible and Psalms of David and an authentic record of all that was in the Tablets.” (p. 137).In another chapter, there is one more saying of Imam Jafar Sadiq which reads: “We possess Al-Jafrul Abyaz.” On being asked what it was, he said: “It means Psalms of David, Torah of Moses, Bible of Christ and Scriptures of Abraham”. (p. 147).

Islamweb states:

“The Imams have knowledge of all the revealed books, regardless of the languages in which they were revealed” (Ibid, p. 227.) As you can see these Shi’ites have elevated their Imams to a God-like level, and the Shi’ites say that there is nothing wrong with this!!! Now can we see why the Shi’ites are different to us muslims!

Reply One –The Qur’an encompasses all previous books

The Qur’an encompasses the teachings of all past books, whilst some aspects of Shari’ah in past books were abrogated for the Qur’an there was no real change in relation to the Sunnah, as Allah (swt) says in Sural al Fath verse 12:

Such has been) the practice of Allah already in the past: no change wilt thou find in the practice of Allah.

We believe that Rasulullah (s) as the Seal of all Prophets (s) and the City of Knowledge had been equipped with knowledge of all divinely revealed texts. As the true inheritors of the Qur’an and Sunnah, our Imams have a complete command over Qur’anic injunctions as such their knowledge meant that they could accordingly resolve matters in previous divine books. If Islamweb are outraged as such a belief, is should not as much of a surprise after all there most authentic texts contain traditions that state that Rasulullah (s) forgot verses of the Holy Qur’an, and his memory was refreshed by a Sahaba. This is proven from Sahih al Bukhari book 61, volume 6, Hadith number 556:

Narrated Aisha: The Prophet heard a man reciting the Qur’an in the mosque and said, “May Allah bestow His Mercy on him, as he has reminded me of such-and-such Verses of such a Surah.”

When according to the Ahl’ul Sunnah, Rasulullah (s) was ignorant of the very text that he (s) brought, then it is only fair for them to mock the Shi’a for believing that Rasulullah (s) and his twelve inheritors were endowed with knowledge of all divine texts!

Reply Two – Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (as) confirmed that he possessed knowledge of all the divinely revealed books

We are citing from the following authority works of Ahle Sunnah:

Tafseer Ruh al-Ma’ani, Volume 6 page 141

Al Kashf al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Quran by Imam Abu Ishaq Thalabi, Vol 5 page 162

Matalib al Seul by Muhammad Ibn Talha Shafiyee, page 149

Tafsir Shawahid al-Tanzeel, by al-Hakim al-Hasakani, Vol 1 pge 336

Yanabi al Mawwadah, page 83 & 86

Imam Abu Ishaq Thalabi in his authority work ‘Al Kashf al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Quran’ popularly known as ‘Tafsir Thalabi’ records this tradition in the commatnery of Surah Hud:

عن زادان قال سمعت عليا يقول والذي فلق الحبة وبرأ النسمة لو ثنيت لي وسادة فأجلست عليها لحكمت بين أهل التوراة بتوراتهم وبين أهل الإنجيل بإنجيلهم وبين أهل الزبور بزبورهم وبين أهل الفرقان بفرقانهم

Zadan said: ‘I heard Ali saying: ‘By who split the seed and send the winds, if a cloth is placed on the ground and I sit there, I will judge the people of the Torah according to the Torah, people of the Injeel according to the Injeel, people of Zaboor according to the Zaboor, and people of Furqan (Quran) according to the Quran.’’

Online Tafsir Thalabi, (MS Word, Doc page No. 1004)

Allamah Shahabuddin Mehmood Alusi records the following tradition in Tafseer Ruh al-Ma’ani under the commentray of Surah 5 verse 42:

وروي عن علي كرم الله تعالى وجهه من أنه قال لو ثنيت لي الوسادة لأفتيت أهل التوراة بتوراتهم وأهل الإنجيل بإنجيلهم

“Ali narrates if a cloth is placed on the ground, I will judge the people of the Torah according to the Torah, people of the Injeel according to the Injeel.”

Tafseer Ruh al-Maani, Volume 6 page 141

The great Shafiyee scholar Mufti Muhammad Ibn Talha Al-Shafiyee also recorded the very tradition:

Once Ali said: ‘If a cloth is placed on the ground and I sit there, I will judge the people of the Torah according to the Torah, people of the Injeel according to the Injeel, people of Zaboor according to the Zaboor, and people of Furqan (Qur’an) according to the Qur’an.’

We shall now evidence this by presenting traditions recorded by Shaykh Suleman Qandozi al-Hanafi in Yanabi al Mawaddah from further two Sunni works.

“Sharh al Kibriyat al Ahmar records that Ali narrated: ‘If a cloth is placed on the ground, I will judge the people of the Torah according to the Torah, people of the Injeel according to the Injeel and people of Furqan (Qur’an) according to the Quran’”.

Yanabi al Mawaddah page 83

Sharh Ta’aruf records – ‘There is a consensus that ‘Ali is the Chief of the Arif’s (people of recognition) and he made a claim that non before or after him have made, namely on one occasion he declared on the pulpit ‘Ask me anything, an ocean of knowledge is flowing in my chest, Rasulullah (s) filled my chest in the same manner that a bird feeds its offspring. I swear by He (swt) who controls my life if permitted to do so, I will judge the people of the Torah according to the Torah, the people of the Injeel according to the Injeel, if I am allowed to tell people about Ahkam I will tell the people of those things that are in them, and these books shall corroborate my position”.

Yanabi al Mawaddah page 86

Shrah Ta’aruf was written by Ismail bin Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Mustameli as we read:

“Ismail bin Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Mustameli, Sufi and from his traces its ‘Sharh al-Ta’aruf le madhab al-Tasawuf’.”

1. Muj’am al-Mualfeen by Umar Raza Kahala (Egypt), Volume 2

2. Hidayat al-Aarfeen by Ismail Basha al-Baghdadi, Volume 1 page 209

We shall now quote two narrations from Manaqib Mutazvee, by Mullah Muhammad Saleh al Kashafi; this is an old Sunni work and was presented to the Indian ruler Shah Jahan at the time of completion in the 16th Century. These two narrations are on page 299:

Nuzlul Sahireen has this narration from Ibn Fakhree ‘I heard the Commander of the Faithful on the pulpit of Kufa whilst wearing the cloak helmet, ring of the Prophet (s), and carrying his (s) sword his (s) sword say ‘Ask me whilst I am still amongst you, since an ocean of knowledge is within my heart, by Allah! If a cloth is placed before me I will issues verdicts for the people of the Torah from the Torah, for the people of Injeel from the Injeel, if Allah (swt) gave (these books) the authority to speak they would conform ‘Whatever ‘Ali is stating is correct’.

In Hidayah al Sa’uda and Sahayf we read that Ali said ‘if a cloth is placed before me I will judge the people of the Torah according to the Torah, the people of the Injeel according to the Injeel, people of Psalms against the Psalams, and the people of Islam according to the Qur’an”.

The testimony of Imam Ali (as) from Sunni sources about possessing the knowledge of previously revealed books shall suffice to shut the mouth of our opponents. The same knowledge was passed over to the later Imams (as).

Reply Three – The Sunni claim that their scholars possessed knowledge of Loh al-Mehfooz [Preserved Tablet]

Allamah Al-Hai bin Ahmed al-Akri al-Damashqi (1032 to 1089) popularly known as Ibn Imad al-Hanbali in his book ‘Shadraat al-Dhahab fi Akhbaar min Dhahab’ writes about Mohiuddin ibn Mustafa Hanafi (d. 950 A.H) that he used to say:

وكان يقول إذا شككت في آية من القرآن أتوجه إلى الله تعالى فيتسع صدري حتى يصير قدر الدنيا ويطلع فيه قمران لا أدري هما أي شيء ثم يظهر نور فيكون دليلا إلى اللوح المحفوظ فاستخرج منه معنى الآية

“Whenever I have doubts regarding any verse of the Holy Quran, I divert my attention towards Allah, then my chest widens equivalent to the whole world and two moons appear in it but I do not know what they are, then a light (Nur) come out from them and leads me to Loh-al-Mehfooz and I take out the meaning of the verse from there.”

Shadraat al-Dhahab fi Akhbaar min Dhahab, Volume 8, page 286

On page 178 of the above mentioned book, while writing about the life of Maulana Bakhshi Hanafi (d. 931 A.H), Allamah Al-Hai bin Ahmed al-Akri al-Damashqi records:

حتى كان ربما يقول رأيت في اللوح المحفوظ مسطورا كذا وكذا فلا يخطيء أصلا

“He used to say that I find such and such thing written in Loh-al-Mehfooz, and he never made mistakes.”

On the same page it is written about Ibrahim Al-Desuqi Al-Hashmi Al-Shafiyye Al-Qurashi that:

وكان يتكلم بجميع اللغات من عجمي وسرياني وغيرهما وذكر عنه أنه كان يعرف لغات الوحش والطير وأنه صام في المهد وأنه رأى في اللوح المحفوظ وهو ابن سبع سنين

“He used to talk in all languages, foreigner, Syriac and other. It is said about him that he knew language of the animals and birds, he used to fast when he was infant and he saw what was written in Loh al-Mehfooz when he was seven”

The book ‘Shadraat al-Dhahab fi Akhbaar min Dhahab’ by Allamah Al-Hai bin Ahmed al-Akri al-Damashqi can also be downloaded from the following favourite website of Salafies

http://www.almeshkat.net/books/open.php?cat=13&book=733

Imam of Ahle Sunnah Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Asad al Yameni (d. 768 H) popularly known as Imam Al-Yaf’ee records about Sheikh Abu al-Hasan Ali bin Hamid Al-Saiedi ibn Al-Sabagh:

وكان لا يصحب إلا من يراه مكتوباً في اللوح المحفوظ من أصحابه

“He used to be friends with those people only whom he would find written so in Loh al-Mehfooz.”

Meerat al Jinan, Volume 4 page 25 under the topic ‘Year 612’

The reference can also be read from the online Miraat al Jinan available at the following Salafi link

http://www.al-eman.com/Islamlib/viewchp.asp?BID=226&CID=62#s1

Not only these Sunni scholars but according to Salafies/Wahabies their revered vicar Ibn Tamiyah also had access to Loh al-Mehfooz. One of the adored scholars of Salafies Ibn Al-Qaym Al-Jawziah records the words of their master Ibn Tamiyah who predicted the battle between the Muslims and Tatars in this manner:

كتب الله تعالى في اللوح المحفوظ : أنهم مهزومون في هذه الكرة وأن النصر لجيوش الإسلام

“Allah wrote in Loh al-mehfooz that they will lose in this battle and the victory will be for Muslim’s army”

(Online) Medarej Al-Salekin by Ibn Al-Qaym Al-Jawziah, Volume 2 page 489

Comment

According to both Shia and Sunni belief, Allah (swt) does grant the knowledge of unseen to his chosen ones and according to the Shia belief, the Imams (as) were divinely appointed hence Allah (swt) granted them the knowledge which He (swt) wanted.

But from second aspect, divine books were both physically present and accessible during the lifetime of our blessed Imams, unlike Loh al-Mehfooz; the Preserved Tablet, which records everything that happens in the Universe – this is veiled from human eyes and is in the exclusive possession of Allah (swt). When the Shi’a believe that their Imams (as) had a knowledge of all divinely revealed books, and the languages of them, Islamweb object stating:

Islamweb states:

“The Imams have knowledge of all the revealed books, regardless of the languages in which they were revealed” (Ibid, p. 227.) As you can see these Shi’ites have elevated their Imams to a God-like level, and the Shi’ites say that there is nothing wrong with this!!! Now can we see why the Shi’ites are different to us muslims!

This being the case, tell us Islamweb about your belief that the Sunni Ulema have access to the secret treasures in Loh-al-Mehfooz? Paraphrasing your comments could you answer these questions:

The Sunni Imams have knowledge of Loh al-Mehfooz:

Do you agree that Sunnis elevated their Imams to a God-like level’?

If you don’t agree, why not?

Can we conclude that you are different to ‘us’ muslims?

If Sunni scholars can have access to the Loh al-Mehfooz a divine tablet concealed with the Creator, then why the objection if we believe that our Imams possessed knowledge of divine scriptures that were in the public domain?

Reply Four – A kaafir’s knowledge of the unseen enabled him to possess a knowledge of Monkey Shari’ah

If Nawasib still wish to remain stubborn on this matter perhaps they could offer an explanation with regards to this narration from Sahih al Bukhari under the chapter Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar) Volume 5, Book 58, Number 188:

Narrated ‘Amr bin Maimun:

During the pre-lslamic period of ignorance I saw a she-monkey surrounded by a number of monkeys. They were all stoning it, because it had committed illegal sexual intercourse. I too, stoned it along with them.

Notice how Amr’s knowledge of the unseen was so great that he possessed a knowledge of the Shari’ah practices of monkeys, to the point that he was able to understand the proceedings of a monkey court and actually participated alongside the monkeys in inflicting the penalty for fornication. Worthy of note is the fact that this occurred during the time of jahiliyya meaning that ‘Amr was endowed with this knowledge whilst he was a kaafir, was he Doctor Doolittle or did he come into contact with Tarzan? If according to this Sunni narration, Allah (swt) can bestow a Kaafir with knowledge of monkey Shari’ah, that neither existed in book form, nor had any Monkey Shari’ah Ulema to convey such teachings, then why the objection if we believe that Allah (swt) bestowed knowledge of past divine scriptures to His (swt) divinely appointed Imams? Islamweb has accused the Shi’a of deeming their Imams God-like on account of their knowledge of the divine scriptures and the languages of those books, could they explain why their greatest Hadith scholar attributed what they would deem God like powers to a kaafir that enabled him to access the Shari’ah of monkeys and with it the language that they spoke?

[3]: The Imam’s knowledge of the unseen

Afriqi seeks to attack the Shi’a with similar references and leaves to the mind of the reader to conclude what opinion they should have of the Shi’a:

Afriqi states:

Nothing of the knowledge of Heaven, Earth, Jannah and Jahannam is hidden from them. The Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth was shown to them. They know all that happened and that will happen upto the Day of Resurrection. (22 narrations)

Reply One – Allah (swt) granted knowledge of the unseen to Rasulullah (s)

The original meaning of “Ghayb” in Arabic is “that which has been concealed”, and it is with this meaning which has appeared in the Holy Qur’an (4:34, 12:52, etc.)

The Holy Quran has mentioned Ilm-e-Ghayb in several verses and has declared that this Knowledge is one of the Attributes of Allah. “Say thou, (O Muhammad)! The Knowledge of Unseen belongeth unto Allah alone.” (Surah Yunus, 10:20). See also Surah Ana’m 6:59; Surah Baqarah, 2:33; Surah Hud, 10:31. These verses indicate that the Knowledge of Unseen belongs to Allah Ta’ala Alone. Nobody on his own has this knowledge nor can anybody possess this Divine Treasure. However, these verses have nowhere indicated Allah Ta’ala to say that He does not grant this Knowledge of Unseen to anybody, we do not doubt that the knowledge of the unseen belongs to the Creator and in that there is no doubt but it however also needs to be pointed out that Allah (swt) gives this knowledge to his servants.

“The Knower of the unseen! so He does not reveal His secrets to any, Except to him whom He chooses as a messenger; for surely He makes a guard to march before him and after him”. (Surah Jinn Aayat 26-27)

The level of knowledge that Rasulullah (s) bestowed on his beloved Prophet Muhammad al Mustafa is beyond our comprehension.

Reply Two – The Imams inherited the knowledge of the unseen that had been bestowed on Rasulullah (s)

We read in Sunan Abu Daud Book 35, Number 4231:

Narrated Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman:

I swear by Allah, I do not know whether my companions have forgotten or have pretended to forgot. I swear by Allah that the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) did not omit a leader of a wrong belief (fitnah)–up to the end of the world–whose followers reach the number of three hundred and upwards but he mentioned to us his name, his father’s name and the name of his tribe.

We read in Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 77, Number 601 and also in Sahih Muslim Book 041, Number 6909:

Narrated Hudhaifa: The Prophet once delivered a speech in front of us wherein he left nothing but mentioned (about) everything that would happen till the Hour. Some of us stored that our minds and some forgot it. (After that speech) I used to see events taking place (which had been referred to in that speech) but I had forgotten them (before their occurrence). Then I would recognize such events as a man recognizes another man who has been absent and then sees and recognizes him

We read in Sahih al Bukhari Volume 9, Book 92, Number 397:

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

The Prophet came out after the sun had declined and offered the Zuhrprayer (in congregation). After finishing it with Taslim, he stood on the pulpit and mentioned the Hour and mentioned there would happen great events before it. Then he said, “Whoever wants to ask me any question, may do so, for by Allah, you will not ask me about anything but I will inform you of its answer as long as I am at this place ofmine.” On this, the Ansar wept violently, and Allah’s Apostle kept onsaying, “Ask Me! ” Then a man got up and asked, ”Where will myentrance be, O Allah’s Apostle?” The Prophet said, “(You will go to)the Fire.” Then ‘Abdullah bin Hudhaifa got up and asked, “Who is myfather, O Allah’s Apostle?” The Prophet replied, “Your father isHudhaifa.” The Prophet then kept on saying (angrily), “Ask me! Askme!” ‘Umar then knelt on his knees and said, “We have accepted Allah as our Lord and Islam as our religion and Muhammad as an Apostle.”Allah’s Apostle became quiet when ‘Umar said that. Then Allah’sApostle said, “By Him in Whose Hand my life is, Paradise and Hell weredisplayed before me across this wall while I was praying, and I never saw such good and evil as I have seen today.”

Comment

The last tradition from Sahih al Bukhari demonstrates that the Prophet (s) had knowledge of everything clear from his challenge “Whoever wants to ask me any question, may do so’ this included knowledge of those going to Heaven or Hell. Powers of the unseen were provided to each Prophet in differing amounts. The Holy Quran has mentioned at various places that Allah Ta’ala has granted the Knowledge of Unseen to His exalted Prophets. See Surah Baqarah, 2:31; Surah Baqarah, 2: 251; Surah Naml, 27:16; Surah Ambiya, 21:74; Surah Yusuf, 12:68; Surah Yusuf, 12:96; Surah Qasas, 28:14. Despite this clear evidence, we still see the Imam of Sipah-e-Sahabah, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi while commenting on the knowledge held by Holy Prophet (s) played it down by stating:

” Such knowledge of the unseen is also possessed not only by a Zaid or an Amar [means anybody] but by the epileptics and the insane, the animals and the beasts as well”

Hifzul Iman, by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, page 8

When the Deobandis have such a low thinking of the knowledge of the Prophet (s) how will they be expected to believe that his true successors also possessed such knowledge? We believe the ultimate power of the unseen was provided to the Prophet (s) and then transferred to the Ahl’ul bayt Imams as they were inheritors of the knowledge of the seal of all Prophets i.e Prophet Muhammad (s). In this regards Shi’a sources contain this tradition:

Yahya bin Abdullah asked imam Musa al-Kadhim (as) saying: “May I be made your ransom, they are claiming that you know the Unseen?” He replied: “Glory be to Allah! Put your hand on my head; by Allah there is no hair on it and on my body except that it has been aroused. No, by Allah it is nothing other than the inheritance from the Messenger of Allah(s)”.

1. Sheikh Mufid’s third majlis in his Amali

2. Tafsir Ayyashi Volume 2 page 43

3. Bihar al-Anwar , v.20, pp. 102-103

The Ahl’ul Sunnah has also recognised that the Imams inherited the knowledge of the Prophet (s), renowned Sunni researcher Abu Zuhra in his book ‘Imam Jafar Sadiq’ page 71 wrote about the knowledge of astronomy of the Imams of Ahlylbayt (as):

“This knowledge was granted by Prophet (s) to Hadhrat Ali (ra), was passed on through wills and deposits to each of the twelve Imams who followed him. The sixth of those twelve Imams is Imam Sadiq and his five predecessors were Ali, Hasan, Hussain, Zain ul-Abideen and Baqir (as).”

Imam Jafar Sadiq, page 71 (published in Lahore)

If our opponents have any doubts over the transfer of this type of inheritance then allow us to present a tradition wherein Imam Ali (as) makes an unequivocal declaration of the level of knowledge of the unseens that he possessed, as recorded in Tafsir al-Quran by Imam Abdulrazaq San’ani, Volume 3 page 241:

عبد الرزاق عن معمر عن وهب بن عبد الله عن أبي الطفيل قال : شهدت عليا وهو يخطب وهو يقول سلوني فوالله لا تسألوني عن شئ يكون إلى يوم القيامة إلا حدثتكم به

Abdulrazaq from Mu’amar from Wahab bin Abdullah from Abi al-Tufail who said: ‘I witnessed Ali was addressing and saying: ‘Ask me, by Allah whatever you ask me about till the Day of judgment, I will inform you about it.’

Abdulrazaq San’ani: Ibn Hajar said: ‘Thiqah’ (Taqrib al-Tahdib, v1 p599). Mu’amar bin Rashid: Ibn Hajar said: ‘Thiqah Thabt’ (Taqrib al-Tahdib, v2 p202). Wahab bin Abdullah: Ibn Hajar said: ‘Thiqah’ (Taqrib al-Tahdib, v2 p292). Abu al-Tufail: A Sahabi.

This declaration of Imam Ali (as) is evidently one that proves that he (as) possessed knowledge of the unseen, to such an extent that he had the ability to answer about any matter up until the Day of Judgment, meaning whetever was to happen in the future was an unseen event that the Imam (as) has personal knowledge of, due to his being the true inheritor opf the knowledge of the Prophet (s).

To understand the inheritance of ghayb that had been transferred between the Prophet (s) and his Wasi one needs to only to note the similarity between the two statements, we have Rasulullah (s) declaring “whoever wants to ask me any question, may do so” and Imam Ali (as) likewise declaring “Ask me, by Allah whatever you ask me about till the Day of judgment, I will inform you about it”. The Prophet (s) was endowed with the knowledge of Ghayb through Allah (swt) that was then transferred to Imam Ali (as) via inheritance that thereafter was passed down to each of the Imams.

Allah (swt) undoubtedly holds the keys of Ghayb as stated in the Qur’an, BUT Allah (swt) in other verses makes it clear that Allah (swt) gives this powers to his elects.

We read in Surah Jinn verses 26-27:

“He (alone) knows the Unseen nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries, Except an apostle whom He has chosen: and then He makes a band of watchers march before him and behind him”

In his commentary of this verse Sunni scholar Abdullah Yusuf Ali under footnote 5749 makes these crucial comments:

The Unseen has two aspects. The relative Unseen is so with reference to a particular person, because of the intervention of Time, Space, or particular circumstances. For example, I cannot see today a house which I saw last year, because it has since been pulled down. Or I cannot in Lahore see the “Gateway of India” in Bombay, although any one in Bombay can see it. Or I cannot see the satellites of Jupiter with the naked eye, though I can through a telescope. But the Absolute Unseen, the Absolute Mystery, is something which no creature can know or see, except in so far as Allah reveals it to him. And Allah reveals such things to the extent that is good for men, through His chosen messengers, among whom the greatest is Muhammad. The exact time of the Hour of Judgment has not been so shown, because we must not wait for it, but live as if it is to be at this minute. See last note and next note, and the references there.

So the Absolute Unseen is the sole right of Allah (swt) BUT Allah (swt) delegates this powers to his elect. Yusuf Ali had stated that this knowledge is given to Messengers of Allah (swt), we argue that this favour is also extended to the Imams from Ahl’ul bayt (as) as Allah (swt) has made them Guides over the Ummah.

The Holy Qur’an tells about the knowledge and the intercession of the Prophet Muhammad and his rightful successors that:

“Who can intercede with Him except the cases He permits? He knows what is in front of them and what is behind them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He will.” (Qur’an 2:255)

We the Shi’a deem this to refer to the Prophet and the Imams. The verse shows that the core/keys of the Knowledge of Ghayb is with Allah, but He may release “a news of Ghayb” to the one He wills.

Reply Three – Allah (swt) grants the Knowledge of unseen to his chosen ones [Awliya] through inspiration and other ways

Now that we have proved that Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) inherited the knowledge of unseen from Prophet (s) being his true successors, we will now shed light on this topic from its second aspect which is also supported by the Ulema of Ahle Sunnah, i.e Allah (swt) grants the Knowledge of unseen to his chosen ones [Awliya] through inspiration (ilhaam) directly or through angels and divine revelation (wahi). The word “wahi” as used in Qur’an can be divided into three categories:

Category One: The first meaning is commonly understood and implied. It means the telling of religious injunctions (or other matters) to the Prophets (as).

Category Two: the transfer of non-sharii (pertaining to the future and other worldly) matters to non-prophets/prophets(as). Such is the example of Maryam(as) and the mother of Musa(as).

Category Three: instinctive revelation as is clear from this verse of Qur’an

وَأَوْحَى رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحْلِ أَنِ اتَّخِذِي مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ الشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ

“And your Lord revealed to the bee saying: Make hives in the mountains and in the trees and in what they build” [16:68]

The word here used is ‘Uhiya’ and means revelation.

We believe that all revelations pertaining to sharia (i.e. the matters of halaal / haram ordinances in Category One) stopped after the demise of the Prophet(s). The chosen servants of Allah (swt) can receive revelation on matters under category two and three. In this connection we read in Kitab Al Kafi Volume 4 Chapter 3 Hadith 421, Ch. 3, h 1:

A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr from Tha‘laba ibn Maymun from Zurara who has said the following

“I asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, ‘He was a messenger, a prophet’. What is a messenger and what is a prophet?’” The Imam said, “A prophet is one who sees things in his dream and hears the voice but does not see the angel. The messenger is one who hears the voice, in his dreams and sees the angel.” I then said, “What is the position of the Imam?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “He hears the voice but does not see and observe the angel” Then he recited the following verse of the Holy Quran. ‘Satan would try to tamper with the desires of every Prophet or Messenger or Muhaddith (Muhaddith is a commentary of Imam (a.s.), whom We sent . .’” (22:52)

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Isma‘il ibn Marrar who has said the following “Al-Hassan ibn al-‘Abbass al-Ma‘rufi wrote to Imam al-Rida (a.s.). “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, explain to me the difference between the messengers, the prophets and the Imams.” The Imam said or wrote, ” The difference between the messengers, the prophets and the Imams is that a messenger is one to whom Jibril (Gabriel) comes. He sees Jibril and hears his speech and Jibril (the angel) brings him (Divine) revelation and sometimes he may see in his dream like the dream of Abraham (a.s.). A prophet is one who may hear the speech and may see the person or may not hear. The Imam is the one who hears the speech but does not see the person.”

We Shia believe that Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) are Awliya of Allah (swt) i.e they are the appointed masters over us. We also know that Sunni (with their definition) also deem these prominent figures of Ahlulbayt (as) to be the Awliya infact deem them the superiors of all Awliya. And about the knowledge of unseen granted to Awliya; we read its evidences in prominent Sunni sources under the commentary of the verse (26-27) cited above from Surah Jin viz:

“The Knower of the unseen! so He does not reveal His secrets to any,

Except to him whom He chooses as a messenger; for surely He makes a guard to march before him and after him

Imam Fakhdruddin Razi clearly points out the fact that the cited verse does not restrict anyone else other than the Prophet (s) being able to know the unseen whereas Salafis do not even attribute knowledge of the unseen to the Prophet (s). Razi stated:

‘It must be carefully known that this verse does not mean that nobody else besides the prophet (as) are given knowledge of the unseen. This can be supported from various realities’

Tafseer Kabeer volume 10 page 679

Imam Abul Hasan Ibraahim ibn Umar al-Biqaa’ee, a scholar and commentator of the eighth century and a student of al-Hafiz Imam ibn Hajar al-Asqalani interprets the relevant verse in his esteemed work ‘Tafseer Nazmud-Durar’ as follows:

وإذا ظهر عليه الرسول خرج عن كونه غيباً، وأوصله الرسول إلى من أذن له في إيصاله له تارة بالوحي للأنبياء وتارة بالنفث والإلهام للأولياء

“(knowledge of the unseen) is taken by an angel and given to whomsoever the angel has been permitted (by Allah). Sometimes, in the form of Wahi (divine revelation) to the prophets (as) and sometimes in the form of inspiration and Ilhaam to the Awliyaa.’

Tafseer Nazmud Dorr volume 10 page 469

http://www.almeshkat.net/books/open.php?cat=6&book=2133

Allamah Alauddin Ali ibn Muhammad Baghdadi too openly declares in his Tafseer Khaazin under the above mentioned verse:

‘It is the belief of the Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamah that the miracles of Awliyaa are an established reality as opposed to by the Mu’tazila and that this is permissible [Jaaiz] and possible. It is permissible and possible for Allah Ta’ala to give Ilhaam (inspire) to some of his Awliyaa about some future events.’

Tafseer Khazin volume 6 page 297

Allamah Ahmad ibn Muhammad Saawi Maaliki, a commentator of the twelfth century, states in his famous and most widely accept Tafseer ‘Haashiyatus Saawi’, an explanation to the great Tafseer Jalaalayn:

‘This verse does not defy the miracles performed by the Awliyaa through the power of Kashf. This verse relates to Allah Ta’ala’s informing the prophets through Wahi. This in turn (Wahi) is far more stronger than Allah Ta’ala’s informing his Awliyaa through Ilhaam.’

Haashiyatus Saawi volume 6 page 185

Allaamah Sayyid Mahmood Aalusi Baghdaadi prominent commentator of the twelfth century clearly states that:

“This verse does not contradict the inspiration of the knowledge of unseen to the Awliyah as some of Ahle Suunnah have said”

Tafseer Ruh ul Ma’ani volume 15 page 108

Qadi Thanaullah Pani Pati Uthmani in his estmeed commentary of Quran shed light on this verse in detail:

“The events of the sky to the people of earth, the events of the east to the people west and the events of the west to the people of east are Ghayb [unseen], such kind of knowledge is achieved sometimes via Wahi and Ilhaam while sometimes due to the removal of curtains from in between or when the central veils are purified…”

“The Ahl’ul Sunnaj wa al Jamaah believe that the karamat of Awliyah are in fact the mujiza of the Prophet, Allah (swt) says ‘We sent not a messenger except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them’. Since the Prophet (s) the seal of all Prophets was sent to all people for guidance, therefore, those ulema and Awliyah who become His (s) adherents according to Ahle Sunnah in fact also became His (s) tongue so that Hisr and the condition of communicating with people in their native tongues became correct (verily, the Kamramat that Ulema of ummah and Awliayh of Islam performed are in fact miracles of the Holy Prophet). Now, if the word Rasul [messenger] is accepted to incorporate the word ‘Awliyah’ and Awliyah achieve the knowledge of the unseen as Karamat then there is no problem in it. (Means the knowledge of unseen held by Awliyah is in fact knowledge of the unseen held by the Prophet (s) whilst holding the knowledge of unseen by the Prophet (s) is proven from this verse). But if the Awliyah are not included in the word ‘Rasul’ even then the knowledge of the unseen they hold is not contradictory to this verse”

Tafseer Mazhari, Volume 12 pages 96-97 (Published by Daar ul Ishaat, Karachi)

Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah, Ibn Hajar Asqalani quoted:

وقال القرطبي : المسلم الصادق الصالح هو الذي يناسب حاله حال الأنبياء فأكرم بنوع مما أكرم به الأنبياء وهو الاطلاع على الغيب

“Qurtubi says that a truthful and pious Muslim is he whose case resembles the case of prophets and he is honoured like prophets with knowledge of the Unseen.”

Fatah ul Bari, Book: Interpretation of Dreams, Hadith 6468

Who are more truthful and pious people beside the Ahlulbayt (as) of Holy Prophet (s)?

Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah Abdul Hamid Ghazzali in his famed work Ihya Ulum id Din, Volume 3 page 21, commented on the powers bestowed on non Prophets as follows:

‘Know o dear readers that there are different conditions of knowledge which are not all necessary. Some of them fall suddenly in mind called Ilham and some of them are acquired by efforts. Knowledge not acquired by efforts is of two kinds. One kind of such knowledge is not known from where it comes or how it comes. Another kind of such knowledge comes through an angel who throws it into one’s soul. This is called Wahi or revelation. It is revealed only to the prophets. Ilham of the first kind is thrown on the souls of Prophets, as well as other religious personalities. In short, human soul is the place of disclosing truths of all things, but the obstacles earlier stand as screens. Those are screens between Lauhe Mahfuz (Guarded tablet) and the mirror of soul. Picture of everything that will occur upto Resurrection Day have been preserved in this Guarded Tablet. Real condition of every affair is reflected in the mirror of soul. That is like the mirror of soul. That is like the picture in front of a mirror. If there is screen between the two, it is seen in the mirror of soul from the Guarded Tablet. The wind of Latifaor essence sometimes removes the screen from the mirror of soul, so as to disclose what is on the Guarded Tablet. Sometimes the future events can be seen in a dream. By death, all the screens are removed. In wakeful state, sometimes also, sometimes the screen is removed provided secret mercy is showered on soul. Then gusts of knowledge spring forth in soul from unseen things. It lasts for a short time. Ilham and Wahi (inspiration and revelation) cannot be obtained by human will. God says: It is not for a man to talk with God except by means of Wahi or from behind the screen or by means of a messenger who reveals with His permission what He wishes.

Ihya Ulum id Din, Volume 3 pages 21-22

On pages 23-25 he writes:

“Ilham and acquired knowledge: Know, o readers, that the wonderful actions of soul is outside the knowledge gained by the senses as soul is outside the knowledge gained by the senses as soul is outside the knowledge of the senses…

There are four stages of this material world – (1) its existence in the Guarded Tablet before the creation of the world; (2) this material world comes into being according to this plan: (3) the world of ideas follows this material world, and (4) the world of intellect follows this world of ideas, that is its pictures fall in human soul. Some worlds are material and some are immaterial. In the immaterial worlds also, one is more spiritual than another. These are strategy of God. Look at the eye ball. Though it is small the pictures, the pictures of the Heaven and the earth fall in it. Then it comes within ideas and then it falls in soul. Man does not take cognisance of it till it reaches the soul…

So pictures of the world fall in soul sometimes by the help of five senses and sometimes by the help of Guarded Tablet as a picture of the sun falls in the eyes. When obstacles are removed from between soul and Guarded Tablet, soul can see many things and thus knowledge arises therefrom. Then no help of senses is necessary for such knowledge. It is just like the gushing forth of water from the deep bottom of a well.

Two doors of soul: One door of soul is open towards the spiritual world which is the world of angels and the Guarded Tablet. Another door of soul is open towards the five senses and is connected with the material world. The former door open to the spiritual world can be better understood from dreams in which one can see some matters of future and past events. One can tell them without the necessity of knowledge gained from his five senses. The door is open to one who remains engaged in solitude in remembrance of God. The Prophet said: The dwellers of solitude have proceeded. He was asked ‘O Prophet of God who are the dwellers of solitude? He said: ‘Those who have been made pure by the remembrance of God, those whose burdens have been taken down by the remembrance of God and those who will come on the Resurrection Day free of burdens. Then he described their virtues and read these words of God: I kept my face in their front. Do you know in whose front I have kept my face? Does anybody know what I will give them? Then God says ‘First I throw light in their souls. As a result they broadcast the news they get from Me’.

Ihya Ulum id Din volume 3, pages 23-25

Beloved Imam of Salafies/Wahabies; Ibn Taymiyah in his famous Majmo’a Fatawa, Volume 11 page 173 states:

فما كان من الخوارق من ‏[‏باب العلم‏]‏ فتارة بأن يسمع العبد ما لا يسمعه غيره‏.‏ وتارة بأن يرى ما لا يراه غيره يقظة ومنامًا، وتارة بأن يعلم ما لا يعلم غيره وحيا وإلهامًا، أو إنزال علم ضروري، أو فراسة صادقة، ويسمى كشفًا ومشاهدات، ومكاشفات ومخاطبات‏:‏ فالسماع مخاطبات، والرؤية مشاهدات، والعلم مكاشفة، ويسمى ذلك كله ‏[‏كشفًا‏]‏، و‏[‏مكاشفة‏]‏ أي كشف له عنه‏.‏

‘Miracles (of the Awliyaa) sometimes occur by a person hearing something that others can’t, sometimes a person sees something that others don’t whilst awake or in a dream, sometimes a person is given knowledge of something which others don’t know about through Wahi (revelation) or Ilhaam (inspiration)… this is called Kashf and Mushahadaat..’

The above cited esteemed Sunni commentaries/statements will help naïve Muslims to guard themselves from the filthy propaganda of the Wahabi/Salafi who assert that the knowledge of unseen is possessed by Allah (swt) alone and that He (swt) doesn’t grant it to anyone, these narrow minded people are clearly ignorant of the beliefs of mainstream Sunni scholars which is the antithesis of their views.

As we know that Sunnies (with their definition) also deem these prominent figures of Ahl’ul bayt (as) to be the Awliya infact deem them superior to all Awliya evidenced by the words of Imam Rabbani from his precious work ‘Maktubaat’(9:17 # 123) wherein he clearly stated the twelve Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) were not just Awliya Allah but that Maula Ali (as) was the leader and chieftain of all Awliya and whosoever has received the divine blessing and guidance, has received it through him (as). Sunni traditions also affirm this fact, Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah Abu Naeem Isfahani in his esteemed work Hilayath al Awliya, Volume 1, Page 66-67, records this Hadeeth on the authority of the Sahabi Abu Burdah:

”Verily Allah (swt) said ‘Ali is the Flag of Guidance, Imam of the Saints, and the Light of Truth for those that follow me”

Hilayat al Awliya, Volume 1, Page 66-67

With such sacred ranks, it is quite obvious that the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) fall with the criteria of Awliyah about whom the above cited Sunni scholars attributed inspiration or received revelations of the unseen. This is in conformity with a comment of Imam Jafar Sadiq (as):

“Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from Ahmad ibn a1-Hassan ibn Ali from ‘Amr ibn Sa‘id from Musaddiq ibn Sadaqa from ‘Ammar al-Sabati who has said that he asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) the following. “Does the Imam have the knowledge of the hidden facts?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “No, he does not have such knowledge but if he would like to know about a thing Allah grants him such knowledge.”

Usool al-Kafi, Kitab al- Hujjah, Tradition #666

We can therefore see that the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) get access to knowledge of the unseen from Allah (swt) either in the form of inheritance from the Holy Prophet (as) being his true successors or their rank provides them with inspiration or indirectly from Allah (swt) through angels (etc). Now the type of knowledge and the manner in which it is granted to them is between them and Allah (swt) as is the extent of that knowledge, we are only sure that Allah (swt) grants them knowledge of whatever He (swt) wishes. If Nawasib object to this notion questioning how such knowledge can be planted into an Imam (as) when he needs it, then we will say that it was through exactly the same mechanism that Allah (swt) endowed our Prophet (s) with knowledge. There exist two methods for attaining of knowledge:

That which you learn by seeing / learning from others / attaining knowledge – e.g. driving a car.

That which is placed within the soul of an individual, e.g. knowledge of thirst and hunger is linked to one’s soul, you don’t depend on others to sense what you feel, and it is connected exclusively with that individual and is linked to his soul. This is the type of knowledge that we believe that descended upon our blessed Prophet (s), if he needed to know something it would be delivered in his soul. We likewise believe that if the Imams as the inheritors of the knowledge of the Prophet (s) were in need of guidance to explain a matter, then Allah (swt) likewise endowed that knowledge into their souls.

If Nawasib find this belief objectionable do they not believe that Imam Mahdi (as) will receive revelation from Allah (swt) that He is the Mahdi? Will he (as) not have direct communication with Allah (swt)? If believing that Imams (as) can have direct communication with Allah (swt) is an exclusive right of Prophets, then what do they say of Imam Mahdi (as)?

Reply Four – Knowledge unravels the secrets of the hidden

It’s the knowledge of something hidden. Hidden can be in several ways. Something you can’t:

See

Hear

Comprehend

Something beyond your understanding can also constitute Ghayb (hidden) its beyond your comprehension. We shall cite an example:

You present a young child with a line in Arabic, he can’t read Arabic for him its Ghayb, hidden its beyond his comprehension.

You present a second child with that same line, he can read it, why? Because he has read Arabic, but if you ask him to interpret the MEANING he cannot, he can read but not understand the words, for this child the meaning is Ghayb.

You present the same line to someone who has studied Tafseer of the Qur’an, he can read it, translate it and even provide a commentary to it.

Same line three different responses. What is Ghayb to one person is not Ghayb to another, how are the keys of Ghayb unlocked via Ilm (Knowledge). We had previously cited that Rasulullah (s) mentioned 5 forms of Ghayb that were the exclusive domain of Allah (swt). These have been similarly cited in Sahih al Bukhari, Kitab al Tauheed Volume 9, Book 93, Number 476:

Narrated Ibn Umar:

The Prophet said, “The keys of the unseen are five and none knows them but Allah: (1) None knows what is in the womb, but Allah: (2) None knows what will happen tomorrow, but Allah; (3) None knows when it will rain, but Allah; (4) None knows where he will die, but Allah (knows that); (5) and none knows when the Hour will be established, but Allah.”

Whilst we have shall prove the ghayb in category 4 was given to Rasulullah (s), we know that the other exemptions have been unraveled through the increased acquisition of scientific knowledge. For, No. 1, does not modern science give the doctors enough technology to know this? Scans take place wherein doctors can inform parents of the sex of their child before it is born. Science has advanced to the point that doctors can even create the sex of a child.

For, No. 5, is not the weather man able to predict the coming of rain with almost accuracy?

‘is knowledge of tomorrow’s weather not Ghayb? Is it not hidden?’ This being the case how is it that science has developed to such an extent that weather reports can tell us the weather, temperatures etc, not just tomorrow but for the entire week? We can find out the time of the sun rise / sunset and the timings of an eclipse days before they occur. These forms of ghayb have unlocked via knowledge. If the keys of Ghayb can be unlocked by normal fallible scientists (to some extent and that too by Allah’s will), don’t you think Allah (swt) would also equip his representatives, messengers, Imams to the keys of Ghayb on a bigger level? In the same way that knowledge has unlocked these hidden secrets to those with knowledge Allah revealed far greater knowledge to the city of knowledge and its gate?

It is here that we shall cite the comments of Dr. Tahir ul Qadri from his booklet Hub-e-Ali (ra) pages 19-21:

The Prophet (s) said ‘I am the City of Knowledge and ‘Ali is its Gate [Sharh Mishkaath Volume 4 page 666, Sawaqih al Muhriqa page 418, taken from Tabrani and Hakim].

Why did the Prophet deem himself the City of knowledge? The Prophet was in effect the Qur’an and the Qur’an is the City of knowledge, city refers to that place wherein you can find everything. You cannot call a dstrict, town or village a city, you can find some things from here but not find others. City refers to that place wherein you can locate whatever you are looking for. That place wherein you can locate everything is called a city. Since you can locate all knowledge from the Qur’an, it is the city of knowledge, and since Musatafa (s) is the speaking Qur’an he is the city of knowledge.

Surah Anam059

With Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knoweth but He. He knoweth whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf doth fall but with His knowledge: there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is (inscribed) in a record clear (to those who can read).

A miracle of the Qur’an is the two words dry and wet are two words that in effect incorporate the entire knowledge of the world. This is just about a leaf if you observe from the skies through to the depths of the universe, entities are either living or non living, there is no third species. Those living things are wet, those without life are dry.

Surah al Anbiya.030

Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?

All living things are made of water, all dead things are dry. Every living and dead thing is in the Qur’an, from the time that life / death existed, until life / death continues, all will remain in the Qur’an, and the speaking Qur’an is Mustafa (s), that is why the Prophet is the City of knowledge for all the world from start till the end, and whoever from the start until then, wishes to enter the knowledge of the world, he cannot enter without the permission of ‘Ali. Whenever you visit a city, house or town and you refer to a door, the door in effect represents a wall boundary. To enter via some other method, such as by climbing over the wall is prohibited. If the wall does not act as a boundary then there is no meaning of a door. The door means that there are wall boundaries everywhere and the Prophet (s) said that Allah (swt) made me the city of knowledge of the world, and since knowledge is treasure, such treasure is kept safe, anyone that wishes to attain that knowledge cannot do so without entering the door of ‘Ali, otherwise he will be unable to attain the treasure of Mustafa”

Hub-e-Ali (ra) pages 19-21

When Maula Ali is the door of the City of knowledge then all knowledge that Rasulullah (s) possessed, including the knowledge of the unseen was likewise possessed by him.

Reply Five – Those with a knowledge of the Book can unlock the secrets of Ghayb

The keys to the Ghayb are provided by Allah (swt) to those who have attained a knowledge of the Book. The Holy Qur’an mentions that at the time of Prophet Solomon (Sulayman), a person in the name of Asaf, who was the Minister of Solomon and had only a very small part of “the Knowledge of the Book”, was able to bring the throne of Queen Bilqis from another place of the world within the twinkling of an eye:

“The One with whom was just a part of the Knowledge of the Book said: ‘I shall bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!’ Then when (Solomon) saw (the throne) set in his presence, he said: ‘This is by the grace of my Lord! to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful!’” (Qur’an 27:40).

Here a non Prophet was able to transport the throne that was Ghayb (hidden), and bring it before Sulayman (as).

As stated in Verse 27:40 of Qur’an, the one who possessed a small part of “the Knowledge of the Book”, was able to unlock Ghayb and bring the throne of King Bilqis from another place of the world within the twinkling of an eye. So those who have the whole “Knowledge of the Book” should be able to do more. In that, there is no doubt, because Allah (swt) says in Surah Naml verse 75:

“And there is nothing concealed (Ghayb) in the heaven and the earth that is not contained in this Book” - look at the Arabic not the watered down translations! All Ghayb is contained in the Book, so he who has knowledge of the inner and outer meanings of the Qur’an can also attain the power of Ghayb.

We will now allow Allamah Dr. Tahir Qadri al Hanafi to expand on matters further in Hub-e-Ali, pages 27-28:

“Hadhrat Abdulah ibn Masud said ‘Allah revealed the Qur’an in different dialects and with every recitation, with every verse and every letter there in an outer and inner meaning [Tareekh ul Khulafa page 258-259, Ibn Asaakir and others

Amongst the Sahaba there is on e individual Hadhrat Ali Lion of Allah who posses divine knowledge of the inner and outer meanings of the Qur’an, this was not just the view of the Sahaba ‘Ali also attested to this station

"Ask me about the Book of Allah, because there is no Ayah but that I know whether it was revealed at night in someone’s house or in portions during the day” [Arjahu al Muttalib page 143]

Night means late, at times when the Prophet (s) would be with his wives in their apartments, this was a time when verses were revealed, yet ‘Ali knew when verses were revealed in the day night, or in whose house, and at another time ‘Ali said:

I swear by Allah there no verse that was revealed, about which I don’t have knowledge of, on the reason for its revelation, where it was revealed and in whose honour” [Yanabi al Mawaddah page 459]

Hub-e-Ali (ra), pages 27-28

Also, worthy of note is this reference from Mansab-e-Imamate, page 105 by the great Imam of the Deobandis Shah Ismail Shaheed:

“Imamate is the Shadow of the Prophethood. The Imam’s leadership is openly declared. Whereas history provides evidence of Saints that remained silent, the Imam announces whatever powers he possesses as Ameer al Momineen Ali Murtuza (ra) did when he declared ‘I am the Siddiq al Akbar (The Great Truthful One) and whoever declares this after me is a liar and I am the talking Qur’an”.

Mansab Imamate, page 105

Reply Six – Some incidents from Sunni texts about the knowledge of Unseen held by Imams of Ahl’ulbayt (as)

If Nasibi are trying to tell their followers that its only the Shias who believed in the Imams of Ahlylbait (as) having knowledge of Unseen then they need to enlighten their followers about such incidents recorded and attested by Sunni ulema as well.

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi who has been the student of various renowned Sunni scholars like Sheikh ul Hadith Molana Owais Hasan known as Ghulam Jeelani Aazami, Maulana Hikmatullah Amrohvi, and Maulana Muhammad Khaleel Chishti in Madrissa-e-Mohammdia Hanafia Amroha (India) and has been involved in religious teaching in various madrssas like Madrissa-e-Ishaqia Jodhpur Rajhistan in 1356 A.H, Madrissa-e-Muhammadia Hanafia and Daar ul-Uloom Ashrafia Mubarakpur and remained as President and Sheikh ul Hadith in ‘Daar ul Uloom Manzar-e-Haq’ Faizabad U.P (India) has written a complete book namely “Karamaat e Sahabah” wherein he quoted miracles held by some 100 Sahabah and on the same basis he also told his followers not to side by Shia for they denounce some of the Sahabah.

The beloved figure among Deoband school, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi too wrote a book with the same name i.e. ‘Karamaat e Sahabah’ which contain his collection of the miracles of Sahabah.

Imam Ali (as) foretold a person about the nature of his death

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi quotes the following incident in his book:

“A person came before Ali (ra). He (ra) told him about his life happenings and told him that he would be hanged to death at such and such tree. Therefore whatever Ali(ra) had foretold about that person proves to be true and his prediction was completed. (Shawahid un Nabuwat, page 162)”.

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 89 (Published by Mushtaq Book Corner, Urdu Bazar, Lahore)

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi has also recorded Maula Ali (as)’s prediction about his own death from different ways in his version of ‘Karamaat e Sahabah’.

Karamaat e sahabah, by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, page 42-43

Imam Hassan (as) foretold the birth of a child to one of his follower

Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi also quotes:

“Imam Hassan was walking to go for Hajj, during his journey he stopped at a place. There one of his followers came and said: “I am your servant. My wife is suffering from labour pain, please supplicate for a healthy baby boy”. Imam Hassan replied: “Return your home, Allah has already given you a boy of the type you wished and this son will be our follower”. When the man reached his home he became extremely happy to see that Allah had given him a son just like Imam Hassan (ra) had predicted. (Shawahid un Nabuwat, page 172).”

Karamaat e Sahabah by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 189 & 190

Imam Taqi (as) gave news of the unseen at a young age

For this we shall rely on the following two esteemed Sunni sources:

1. Shawahid al Nubuwwa page 205, Bab Dhikr Imam Muhammad Taqi

2. Sawaiqh al Muhriqa, Page 682 & 683, Dhikr ‘Ali Raza

Imam Ibn Hajar Makki in his anti Shia book records:

”Mamun Abbasid went hunting, left an eagle and it went missing from his sight. When the eagle returned it carried a fish in his beak. Mamun placed the fish in his handkerchief. On his return children of Baghdad were playing on the road, when they saw him they ran off save one boy. Mamun asked “Tell what is in my hand?”. He said “God from his creations has created fish in the sea, some Kings hunt them with eagles and via them the family of the Prophet is tested”.

Sawaiq al-Muhriqa, Page 682 & 683

Reply Seven- Sunnis have attributed knowledge of the Unseen to their caliphs and Ulema

It is sheer injustice on the part of the Nawasib who object to Shia beliefs that the Imams of Ahlulbait (as) being the successors of the knowledge of the Holy Prophet (s) possessed such knowledge when their books contain various incidents which show that according to Sunni belief their caliphs selected by a group of people were also able to give the news of unseen.

Sunnis believe that Abu Bakr foretold the gender of a child in the womb and knew when he would die

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi while counting the miracles possessed by Abu Bakr quoted the following Hadith from Tarikh e Khulfa, page 57 to prove that Abu Bakr was able to foretell the gender of the baby in womb.

“Hadhrat Urwah bin Zubair (ra) narrates that Ameer al Momineen Abu Bakr (ra) during his illness while narrating his ‘will’ to his daughter Umul Momineen Hadrath Ayesha (ra) said: “Dear daughter, whatever has been my wealth, today has become the wealth of my heirs and my heirs include both of your brothers i.e Abdur Rehman and Muhammad and both of your sisters, therefore you people should divide my wealth according to the Quranic injunctions and take your respective shares”. Hadrath Ayesha (ra) said: “I have only one sister i.e Asma, who is my second sister?”. Abu Bakar (ra) replied: “My wife Bint Kharja who is pregnant is bearing a girl in her womb, she is your second sister”. That is what happened and a girl was born and she was named Umul Kulthoom. (Tarikh e Khulfa, page 57)”

Karamaat e Sahabah by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 46 (Published by Mushtaq Book Corner, Urdu Bazar, Lahore)

Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi then quotes the comments of ulema about the Hadith on page 46 of his book:

“Allamah Tajuddin Subki [rh] has stated that two miracles of Ameer al Momineen Abu Bakr (ra) are proven from this Hadith.

[1]. That he had come to know before his death that he would leave the world due to the illness he was suffering from that is why he stated in his will “My wealth has become the wealth of my heirs”.

[2]. whether there was a boy or a girl in the womb of the pregnant lady. And obviously the knowledge of these two things is the knowledge of Ghayb [unseen] these are no doubt two main Karamaat of the successor of the Holy Prophet(s). (Izalatul Khifa, vol 2 page 21 & Hujatullah, vol 2 page 860).”

Karamaat e Sahabah by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 46

Maulana Mustufa Aazmi then clarifies that it does not in any way negate the verse of the Holy Qur’an wherein Allah (swt) says that He is the only one who knows about the womb as surely He is the sole knowledgeable but some people also get to know about it when Allah (swt) makes them know. It is very strange that the (so called) successor of Holy Prophet (s) selected by some people can have the knowledge of Ghayb but if we believe that Imam Ali (as) and other Imams of Ahulbait (as) who according to our belief are the true inheritors of the knowledge of Quran and divinely appointed successor of Holy Prophet (s) can perform miracles then the Nasibism of our opponent is exhibited.

Umar was able to foresee a calamity hidden behind a mountain

Ibn Tamiyah Imam of the Wahabies / Salafies records the following:

“Umar ibn Al Khattab once sent out an army and assigned a man named Sariah as its leader. Whilst Umar was giving a khutbah he shouted out while still on the Minbar: O Sariah the mountain! Later a scout from the army came to Madina. When Umar asked him the news of the army, he said, O Leader of the believers, we met the enemy and were being defeated. Suddenly there was someone screaming: O Sariah the mountain! So we put our backs to the mountain, then Allah defeated them.

This is narrated with a good i.e. Hassan chain of narration”

The criterion by Ibn Tamiyah, page 145

Allamah Jalaluddin Suyuti also records this in

Tarikh ul Khulafa page 123 Chapter “The miracles of Umar”

Umar according to this narration has powers of Ghayb, he can foresee a calamity about to befall his army, despite the fact that its hidden from his eyes.

Uthman was able to tell the hidden intentions of the people

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi records the following incident in his book:

“Allamah Tajuddin Subki [rh] has stated in his book ‘Tabaqat” that a person while in journey stared at an unknown woman with bad intentions. That man came before Ameer al Momineen Uthman (ra). On seeing that person, Ameer al Momineen in a very furious tone said: “You people come to me in such a situation where your eyes have the signs of adultery”. The aforesaid person said: “Has revelation been started to come on you after Prophet (s)?. How did you come to know that my eyes contain signs of adultery?”. Ameer al Momineen (ra) replied: “I do not receive any revelation but what I have said is truth and Allah has bestowed me such a power that I am able to read the intentions of the people in their heart”. (Hujatullah alal Alimeen, vol 2 page 862 and Izalatul Khifa, vol 2 page 227).”

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 71 (Published by Mushtaq Book Corner, Urdu Bazar, Lahore)

Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi knew the intention that his follower kept in his heart

It is amusing that the foolish ones among the Deobandi school such as Manzoor Numani whilst confidently attacking the Shi’a for believing that their Imams possessed knowledge of the unseen have abandoned the very belief which they hold for their own Ulema. We read in an esteemed Deobandi work Tazkirat ar-Rasheed:

“One morning whilst going to see Hazrat (Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi), Moulvi Wali Muhammad passed by a sweets (confectionery) shop, where some fresh sweets were being prepared. He stood there for a while thinking that if he had money, he could buy some sweets. He then headed straight for the Khanqah (hermitage), where he found Hazrat (Rasheed Ahmad Gungohi) waiting for him. Upon seeing him, Hazrat said, ‘Moulvi Wali Muhammad, Today I wish to eat sweets, so take these four annas (some money) and fetch me some sweets of your choice’. So, Wali Muhammad bought some sweets from the same shop and kept them in front of Hazrat. Hazrat said, ‘It is my hearts desire that you should eat these sweets’. Moulvi Wali Muhammad used to say after this incident, ‘I feel afraid in meeting Hazrat because the intentions in the heart are not within one’s control and Hazrat gets informed about them.”

Tazkirat ar-Rasheed, Volume 2 page 227 (Published in Lahore)

Maulana Rao Abdur Rahman Khan (Deobandi) was able to see the face of the unborn children

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi records the knowledge of unseen held by one of their revered scholars:

Maulana Habib ur Rehman stated that Rao Abdur Rehman Khan was the caliph of Shah Abdur Reheem in Punjab and was a man of extreme Kashf. The extent of his Kashf was that when someone used to come to him in order to get a Taweez [amulet] for the birth of boy or girl, he used to say spontaneously: “Just go, for you will have a boy” or “you will have a girl”. People asked: ‘How do you tell this?”. He replied: “What shall I do, the face of the unborn child just comes before me”.

Arwah Thalasah, page 181 (Daarul Ishaat, Karachi).

Deobandi elder Khuwaja Abu Muhammad predicts the arrival of a learned male heir from the womb of a woman that was hitherto unmarried

Deobandi Imam Shaykh ul Hadeeth Maulana Muhammad Zakaria mentions the following with regards to one of the elders of the Deobandi clergy, namely Khuwaja Abu Muhammad:

“Khuwaja Abu Muhammad’s sister was also extremely pious and was occupied with remembering Allah all the time as a result of which she was never inclined to getting married. One day Khuwaja Abu Muhammad came to her and said: ‘O sister, the existence of a boy from your womb has been destined who will at one time become the Qutb al-Aqtab and this is not possible without marriage, therefore get married’.

Tarikh Mashaaikh Chisht, page 156 (Majlis Nashriyat Islam, Karachi)

Our challenge to Nawasib to abandon the Sunni faith on account of their beliefs about knowledge of the unseen

Islamweb states:

“The Imams have knowledge of whatever occurred in the past and whatever will happen in the future, and nothing is concealed from them” (Ibid, p. 260.) Subhanallah!! Only Allah knows the future for any person to say that these Imams know the Unseen is committing Shirk and takes himself outside Islam.

We have already proved that Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) know the unseen being the inheritors of the inner and outer knowledge of Holy Quran which contain everything and this is what told in the tradition of al-kafi and It would have been better if this hatred filled website had cited the complete tradition which is as follows:

Narrated from Abu Abdillah (as), He said: “I know that is in the skies and the earth, and I know what is in the heaven and the hell, and that has happened or will happen. Then he kept silent so that to know what people will think about it. And then said, I have some to know about all these from Quran as Allah says that there is the knowledge of everything in it.”

If attributing powers of the unseen to anyone save Allah (swt) is an act of shirk and takes you out of the pale of Islam, then clearly this Nasibi author needs to practice what he preaches and should accordingly issue Takfeer against al Bukhari, Muslim, Qadhi Iyad, Suyuti and Ibn Tamiyah whose pens attributed powers of the unseen to Rasulullah (s) and the first three Khalifas. Why is it the same pen that without hesitation quickly issues Takfeer against such Shi’a traditions that that attribute these powers to the the Ahl’ul bayt, fail to issue the same verdict to the Sunni Ulema who attributed these powers to your Salaf king pins? Justice would dictate that if the Shi’a belief that their Imams possessed a knowledge of the unseen proves that they are kaafir, the Ahl’ul Sunnah should likewise fall into this Takfeer umbrella for believing the same about their Khalifas. Clearly Islamweb need to distance themselves from this deviant Sunni Sect and their Ulema. This leaves the Nasibis from Islamweb with accepting one of two options:

Option One: Both Sunni and Shi’a Sects have committed shirk and are outside Islam because they have attributed powers of the unseen to their Imams

Option One: Both Suni and Shi’a believe that Allah (swt) can bestow powers of the unseen on his Servants, such a belief is in complete conformity with Islam, and cannot be deemed an act of Shirk.

If these Nasibis choose to adopt option one, then they will have a religious duty to distance themselves from the Sunni Sect and condemn their Ulema. They will be forced out to come out and admit what we already know, that they are not Sunnis, rather they are Nasibis portraying themselves as Sunnis.

Option two would be the right thing to do, since these Nasibis have accused the Shi’a of believing something that the Sunnis themselves believe. They have either done this through a general ignorance of their own believe (which is unlikely) or simply to create Fitnah. Now that we have exposed the reality, namely that both Sects believe that man can possess knowledge of the unseen, then Islamweb need to go on record, acknowledge their error and apologise to the Shi’a for attributing such lies to them. Should Islamweb’s position remain the same, then we can safely conclude that this team are hypocrites of the highest order.

[4]: The Imams are the masters of this world and the next

Numani states:

The Imams are the lords of the world and the Hereafter. They can grant whatever they like to anyone:In section al-Hujjah of Usul-e-Kafi there is a chapter entitled: “The whole earth is the property of the Imam (Peace be upon him)”. In it, it is stated that once replying to one of the questions of Abu Basir, Imam Jafar Sadiq remarked: “Do you not know that this world and the world Beyond belong to the Imam. He can grant whatever he likes to anyone”. (p. 259).

Reply

Allah, (swt) says:

“The earth is Allah’s. He gives it as a heritage to whom He will, and the good end is for the righteous servants.” (Quran 7:128).

Those whom Allah (swt) favours inherit the earth. We deem this verse to refer to those that Allah (swt) has chosen as his successors they inherit the Prophet’s teachings and the earth. To further strengthen our stance we also will advance Sunni texts demonstrating the mastership of Ahl’ul lbayt (as) over whole universe. Khuwajah Mehboob Qasim Chishti Qadri records:

“It is narrated by Abu Huraira that Rasul (saww) said, when Allah (swt) created Adam (as), and when the soul entered his body, Adam (as) looked towards the garden of heaven and saw five bright faces. Adam (as) was amazed that they were prostrating towards Allah (swt). Adam (as) asked Allah (swt), that who are these five faces who are like me? Allah (swt) said, that all of these five will be from your progeny, but as you are made from clay, they are created from my Divine Nur. And I have created the entire creation for them only and their names are from My Names.

That is I am Mahmood and he is Muhammad, I am Alaa and he is Ali, I am Fatir and she is Fatima, I am Ahsaan and he is Hassan and I am Mohsin and he is Hussain….”

Musharaf ul Mahbubeen, page 411 (Published in Calcutta)

There is a very similarly worded narration to this on the authority of Abu Hurraira in Faraid al Simthayn Volume 1 page 36 [Beirut] and Arjahu al Muttalib page 575 by Abdullah Amitsari, citing Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani with a chain upto Abu Hurraira.

Anyone with even a basic knowledge of history will know that one of the titles of Ali bin Abi Talib (as) was Abu Turab, bestowed on him by the Prophet (s). Maulana Waheed’udeen Zaman explains this this title as follows in his esteemed book Lughaat ul Hadith:

“He was called Abu Turab because he is the Chief of the whole earth and a proof of Allah for those that live on it”

Lughaat ul Hadith, Kitab ‘Tay, Thay’ page 9

As for the Imams being Lords in the next world, there is no doubt that Allah (swt) is the Master over everything including our lives, children homes etc. He (swt) however can grants the power of Mastership to his Servants, if Allah (swt) has granted such a position on the Day of Judgment, then this is evidenced from Sunni Hadith on the authority of Abu Sa’id Khudri:

The Messenger of Allah said: “Al-Hasan and al-Husain are the chiefs of the youth of Paradise.”

1. Sahih Tirmidhi, vol 5 page 656 Hadith 3768 (called it Hasan Sahih)

2. Haythami has called it Sahih in Majma Zawaid, Vol 9 page 20

3. Ibn Haban in his ‘Sahih’, Vol 15 page 416 Hadith 2959

4. Musnad Ahmed bin Hanbal,Vol 3 page 3 Hadith 11012

5. Musnaf Ibn Abi Shybah, vol 6 page 378 Hadith 3276

6. Al Mujam al Awsat al Tabarani, vol 6 page 347 Hadith 5644

7. Mustadrak al Hakim, Vol 3 page 182 Hadith 4778

8. Maward uz Zaman by Haythami, Vol 1 page 551 Hadith 2228

9. Sunan Nisai, Vol 5 page 50 Hadith 8169

10. Dur al Manthur, Vol 5 page 489

11. Khasais al Ali by Nasai, Vol 1 page 46 Hadith 129

If Imam Sadiq (as) said ‘this world and the world Beyond belong to the Imam’ it is in accordance with the fact that Allah (swt) has bestowed such a rank for them in this world and the next.

If you own some thing then you are entitled to brand your name to that possession, making it clear that it belongs to you. You can for example place your name at the front of your house; this will inform passers by of two things:

The name of the owner

Provide named details of whose consent will be required to enter lawfully enter the property. You cannot enter of your own avail, if the owners refuse entry; you stay outside the precincts of the property.

With such high ranks in the next world is it little wonder that the Egyptian scholar Allamah Muhammad Abdurauf bin Ali bin Zain’ulAbdeen al-Munawi in his book Sayyidathun Nisa il Janna, [wherein he narrated 50 Hadeeth in honor of Sayyida Fatima (as)] records this Hadeeth on the authority of Ibn Abbas on page 76:

“When I went on Miraaj I saw written on the pillars of Heaven, There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is his Messenger, ‘Ali is the friend of Allah, Hasan and Husayn are the close friends of Allah and Fatima is the beloved of Allah”

Sayyida tun-Nisa al-Jannah, Page 76

Of interest is the fact that one of the legendary scholars of Manzoor Naumani’s own school Shah Ismaeel Shaheed Dehalvi also stated as follows on this issue:

“People holding this lofty station (Awliyah of Allah) have full power to make use of things in the ideal world as also in the world that is evident. These people with vast powers and knowledge arc entitled to hold the view that everything in the universe is connected with them. For example, if such people say that their kingdom extends from the earth to the heavens, they would be justified in saying so.”

Siraat e Mustaqeeem, page 101 (published by Matba’i mujtaba’i, Delhi)

Do we need to say more after this brief yet comprehensive view offered by Shah Ismaeel Shaheed on the topic of mastership of the Awliyah over the worlds?

[5]: Miracles bestowed on the Imams

Afriqi states:

The Imams can bring the dead back to life. They can cure blindness and leprosy.

They possess all the miracles of the Ambiya’ (4 narrations)

Reply One – Understanding the concept of Miracles (Mu’jizaat)

Mu’jiza in religious terminology refers to a supernatural act or performance that an ordinary person cannot humanly perform in normal circumstances, but Allah (swt) using his divine authority and power executes it through his chosen and special people in order to prove their truthfulness and esteemed status.

The Ahl’ul Sunnah have taken Mu’jiza in the above expressed definition, but they have attributed it to the Prophets exclusively, whereas nowhere in the Quran has this term been used for the supernatural attributes of Allah (swt), and neither has it been narrowed to be used for the Prophets (as) exclusively.

The Qur’an provides two clear examples of miracles possessed by non Prophets. We have previously cited the first example, wherein an adherent of Prophet Sulayman (as) with a partial knowledge of the Book was able to move the throne of Bilqis within the twinking of an eye. The second example concerns the provision of food for Maryam (as) by Allah (swt), as we read Surah Aal-e-Imran verse 37:

Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty: To the care of Zakariya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (Her) chamber to see her, He found her supplied with sustenance. He said: “O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?” She said: “From Allah: for Allah Provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure

If we attribute miracles to non Prophet representatives of Allah (swt) it cannot be deemed as a belief against the seal of Prophethood, but out of ignorance and stupidity Afriqi the Nasibi is seeking to infer just that; even though no religious argument or proof is available to prove that this term can be used for the Prophets (as) solely. The Sunni Ulema have stated:

“Mu’jiza is that event that occurs against the normal at the hands of a Prophet, or a supernatural “Karamat” that occurs at the hands of a Wali.”

Al-Nabraas, Sharah-e-Sharah-e-Aqaid, page 430 & 475.

It means that the if the supernatural act is performed by a Prophet, the Sunnis call it Mu’jiza, and if it is performed by a Wali, it is termed as Karamat, therefore it is completely biased to produce separate terminologies and then distinguish the same act on the basis of those terminologies only and then issue takfir on others for not adopting the new terminology which infact means exactly the same as terminology one!

In the Holy Quran, anyone bestowed with such supernatural acts, whether he be a Prophet (as) or Wali, is referred to with the term ‘Ayat’, ‘Bayanaat, or ‘Sultan-al-Mubeen’. If Afriqi bothered reading the Holy Quran, he would recognise that the Qur’an and Ahl’ul Bayt (as) are interconnected; therefore it is not possible to understand the Qur’an whilst leaving aside the Ahl’ul Bayt (as).

Mullah Ali Qari in this connection says:

“Aayat refer to supernatural acts, which are called Mu’jizaat, and termed as Karamaat for the Awliya. A Mu’jiza is a supernatural event, such as bringing the dead back to life, and Karamat is a supernatural event.”

Sharah Fiqh al-Akbar, page 94, published in Karachi

Mu’jiza and Karamat are two names of the same thing, which have been separately classified by some Mullahs without any justification, although both of them have been termed as “Aayat” in the Holy Quran.

Mullah Ali Qari has stated that the same supernatural act when performed by a Prophet is Mu’jiza, and when performed by a Wali is called Karamat, in which the first example that he has provided is that of bringing a dead back to life, then he goes on to further say:

“The statement of Imam-al-‘Azam in this regard concurs with the view of the majority Ulema of Islam, that an act that can be a Mu’jiza for a Prophet, can legitimately be a Karamat for a Wali.”

Sharah Fiqh al-Akbar, page 96.

Beloved Imam of the salafies; Ibn Tamiyah in Majmo’a al-Fatawa, Volume 3 page 156 stated:

ومن أصول اهل السنة والجماعة التصديق بكرامات الاولياء وما يجرى الله على أيديهم من خوارق العادات فى انواع العلوم والمكاشفات وأنواع القدرة والتأثيرات كالمأثور عن سالف الامم فى سورة الكهف وغيرها وعن صدر هذه الأمة من الصحابة والتابعين وسائر قرون الامة وهى موجودة فيها الى يوم القيامة

Among the fundamentals of the people of the Sunnah and the Community is the belief in the miracles of the saints (Karamat al- Awliya): Allah created supernatural acts through them in all aspects of life, revelations (Mukashafat), power, and impressions. This is known of ancient nations in Surat al-Kahf (chapter 18) and in other Qur’anic chapters and is known of the early men of this ‘Ummah amongst the Sahabah and the Tabi’un and amongst the rest of the generations of this ‘Ummah. It will be with them to the Day of Resurrection.

Ibn Arabi explains the concept of miracles as follows:

One type of miracle is the Hissi (apparent) miracle, that is, it is evident and clearly seen by the general public. For example, flying in the air, walking on water, fore-telling the future, traversing hundreds of miles in one step. Another type of miracle is the Ma’nawi (spiritual) miracle, which can only be seen and perceived by special people. For example, control of carnal desires, adopting virtues by Divine Guidance, refraining from bad habits, practicing all Waajibaat (compulsory acts) punctually and diligently. These types of miracles do not contain any connivance while it is probable those Hissi miracles to contain connivance.

Futhuath Makkiyah, Volume 2 page 488

In one of the esteemed Deobandi works ‘Tazkiratur Rasheed’ we read the view of their Imam Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi on this issue in the following words:

“[5]. The powers to benefit and miracles of the Awliyah of Allah are extant not only after their death, but their power to benefit and their miracles are implemented after their death. In this statement, Ibne Abdul Barr also quotes a Prophetic hadith”.

Tazkiratur Rasheed, Volume 2 page 252 (published in Deoband)

This admission negates the belief that those that believe their Imams possessed Mu’jizaat, are Kaafirs. The possession of such miracles further strengthens our belief in Prophethood, because our Imams (as) are the heirs of the knowledge of the Prophets (as), responsible for leading the Ummah to the right path.

The Holy Qur’an has also termed the supernatural powers being granted to Awliya other than the Prophets (as) as Ayat , Allah (swt) says:

[Yusufali 7:175]

Relate to them the story of the man to whom We sent “Our signs”, but he passed them by: so Satan followed him up, and he went astray.

According to the commentators of the Holy Quran, Ayat refer to the knowledge of “Ism-e-Aa’zam” through which the person performed supernatural acts. Thus it is proven from the Holy Quran that Mu’jizaat are not exclusively for the Prophets (as), and whether they have been performed by Prophets (as) or Awliya, the Holy Quran refers to both of them as “Ayat”.

Reply Two – The Imams inherited all the miracles / knowledge of the Prophets as they were heirs of Prophetic knowledge

The Nasibi had cited these Shi’a references

Afriqi states:

They are the repositories of every branch of knowledge and perfection possessed by the Ambiya’.

We believe that the Prophet Muhammad (s) inherited the knowledge of all other Prophets (as) and he transferred this knowledge as inheritance to Imam Ali (as) and this knowledge passed through the Holy Imams.

We accordingly believe that the Imams are indeed by virtue of inheritance the repositories of every branch of knowledge and perfection possessed by the Ambiya’. This is affirmed by an incident recorded by staunch Sunni scholar Mufti Ghulam Rasul in his book ‘Jawahir al Uloom’ quoting Shaykh Shiblanji’s work ‘Nur ul Absar’ page 202:

“Once Abu Baser approach Muhammad Baqir and said ‘Are you the Waris of the Prophet (s)’s knowledge? The Imam said ‘Yes’. I (Abu Basir) then asked, ‘The Prophet was the Waris of all knowledge of the previous Prophets’. The Imam said ‘The Prophet was Waris of knowledge possessed by previous Prophets’. I (Abu Basir) then asked ‘Are you the Waris of this aspect of Prophetic knowledge?’ He (Imam Baqir) said ‘Yes’. I (Abu Basir) said ‘Do have such power? Can you raise the dead, cure the blind and the crippled? Can you tell us what people are eating and hording in their homes?’ The Imam replied ‘Yes, all by the permission of Allah (swt)’. He (Abu Basir) then said ‘I am blind, can you cure me?’. The Imam called him near and then spread his hand over his face. He (Abu Basir) began to see light and was able to see the skies, mountains and everything around. The Imam then asked ‘Do you prefer sight, knowing that Allah (swt) will question you over your deeds, or would you prefer entering Paradise without questioning?’ He (Abu Basir) said ‘I would prefer being asked no questions’. The Imam then said ‘You will have to revert back to your original state’. He (Abu Basir) said ‘Now return me to a state where I will not be questioned’. The Imam stroked his hand over his face and he was blind again’.

Jawahir al Uloom fi Fadail Baqir al Uloom, pages 286-287 (published in London)

Reply Three – Some miracles of the Imams of Ahlulbait (as) from Sunni sources

If Nawasib are trying to tell their followers that Shias exclusively believe in the miracles of the Imams of Ahlulbait (as) then they need to enlighten their followers about such incidents recorded and attested to by Sunni ulema as well. We have cited the miracle of Imam Baqir (as) previously, here are some further miracles that demonstrate the fact that the Imams inherited from previous Prophets.

Maula Ali (as) attached the detached hand of a person to his body

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi quoted the following miracles of Maula Ali (as) in his book:

“It has been narrated that a black slave who was a devoted lover of Amer al Momineen Ali (ra). Once committed theft. People caught him and presented him before the court of the caliph and the servant accepted his crime as well. Amer al Momineen Ali (ra) amputated his hand. When the servant went back to his home, he met Salman Farsi (ra) and Ibn alKara. Ibn alkara asked: “Who cut your hand?” He replied: “Ameer al Momineen, Walysub al Muslimeen, son in law of Prophet and the husband of Batool has cut it”. Ibn alKara said: “Hadrath Ali (ra) cut your hand and still you mention him with so much praise and respect?”. Servant replied: “So what! He rightly cut my hand and saved me from the fire of hell”. Salman Farsi (ra) heard the conversation of both of them and informed Hadrath Ali (ra) about it. Ameer al Momineen called the servant and put his detached hand on his palm and hid it with handkerchief. Then he started to recite something. In that instant a strange voice came “remove the handkerchief”, when people removed the handkerchief the detached hand of the servant was found attached with his hand in such a manner that there was no sign of cut. (Tafsir Kabeer, Vol 5 page 479)”

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 86 Published by Mushtaq Book Corner, Urdu Bazar Lahore

Beside this there are some other miracles of Maula Ali (as) which are also quoted in the book. For example:

[1]. Narrated by Saeed bin Museib, that Maula Ali (as) conversed with the dead in their grave. (Hujjatullah alal Alameen, Vol 2 page 863)

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 80

[2]. Imam Tajuddin Subki quoted in his book ‘Tabaqat’ the incident wherein Maula Ali (as) supplicated for a paralyzed person due to which he regained his health.

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 81 & 82

[3]. During the war of Khayber when the shield of Maula Ali (as) broke, he detached the door of the Fort Khayber and used it as his shield. The door detached by Maula Ali (as) was so heavy that even 40 people were unable to lift it. (Zurqani, Vol 2 page 230)

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 85

[4]. Once a river flooded, Maula Ali (as) brought down the flood by pointing his finger towards the river. (Shawahid un Nabuwah, page 162)

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 88

Imam Hasan (as) made ripened dates on a dry tree

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi records the following incident in his book:

“Among his various Karamaat the most popular Karamat is that once during his journey he went through such a garden which had all of its trees dry. A son of Hadrath Zubair bin al Awam (ra) was accompanying Imam Hassan. He stayed at that place and the servant prepared his bed with the roots of a dry tree. The son of Hadrath Zubair (ra) said: “O son of Prophet (s)! If only this dry tree had ripened dates so that we could have eaten them amply”. On hearing this Imam Hassan (ra) calmly recited a Dua and in just a few minutes the tree suddenly turned fresh and ripe dates appeared on it. Seeing this a shepherd on a camel exclaimed: “By God! This is the result of magic!” At this Hadrath Zubair’s son scolded him and said: “Be repentant! This is not magic rather the result of the supplication of the Prophet’s son”. The people then plucked the dates from the tree and ate amply from it. (Rozatu Shuhda, Chap. 6 page 109).”

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 189. Published by Mushtaq Book Corner, Urdu Bazar Lahore

Imam Hussain (as) made scarce water from a well overflow

Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi in his book recorded the following miracle of Imam Hussain (as):

“Abu Aun states that Imam Hussain (ra) happened to go through Ibn Mat`ee between the journey of Makkah and Madinah. He said to him: “O son of the Holy Prophet! There is very little water in this well of mine, the container doesn’t get full, I have tried various methods but all vain. Please supplicate for us”. Imam Husain (ra) asked that the water of that well be brought to him he placed his lips on the container and drank the water from it, and then released the water from his mouth into that container and instructed all the water to be poured into the well. When the water was poured into the well, the water inside began to overflow. The water quantity then increased more than before and turned sweeter than before. (Ibn Sa’d, Vol 5 page 144).”

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 190

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi has also recorded an incident that when the Yazeedi army raised the blessed head of Imam Hussain (as) on a spear, the head was reciting the Holy Quran. (Rozatu Shuhda, page 230).

Karamaat e Sahabah, page 191

The incident is also recorded by Maulana Jaami in Shawahid un Nabuwat, page 167, Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlawi in Sira Shahadatayn, page 99 and Dameeri in Heyat ul Hewan, Volume 1 page 80.

Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) ripened dried dates, turned a man into dog and then restored him back to his original state

Maulana Abdur Rahman Jaami records this miracle in Shawahid un Nubuwwa pages 333-334:

“A narrator recalls: I was with Imam Jafar, we were making our way to Hajj, and sought shelter on route under a tree containing dried dates. The Imam proceeded to utter something that I was unable to comprehend. He (The Imam) looked at the dried dates and said ‘Provide us with the riches that Allah (swt) has bestowed upon us through you’. I (the narrator) noticed that the dates were prostrating and they began to ripen into fresh dates. He (the Imam) then said ‘Come to me, recite bismillah and start eating’. I had never eaten such sweet dates before. An Arab then appeared and said ‘I have never witnessed such magic before’. Imam Jafar Sadiq replied saying ‘We are the inheritors of the Prophet. We are not magicians or sorcerers. We supplicate and Allah (swt) grants our request. If you like I could alter your face by supplicating, and you will transform into a dog. The Arab on account of his ignorance said ‘Yes do it now’. He [the Imam] prayed, the man turned into a dog and proceeded to run home. Jafar then said ‘Go and find him’. I saw him wagging his tail before his family, who proceeded to attack him with sticks. I returned and narrated what I had witnessed, the dog then appeared. It lay before the Imam and started crying. Imam Jafar took pity upon him and supplicated, which then resulted in him transforming back to his original state. The Imam then asked ‘O Arab do you have belief in what I had stated?’ The Arab said ‘I am convinced a thousand fold that you are correct”

Shawahid un Nubuwwah, pages 333-334

Reply Five – Sunnis have attributed miracles to their caliphs and other Sahaba

It is sheer injustice on the part of the Nasibi to object to Shia belief about believing in the miracles of the Imams of Ahlulbait (as) whilst their books contain various incidents which show that according to Sunni belief the Sahaba including the caliphs selected by some people possessed super natural powers.

According to Sunnis Caliph Umar could coverse with the dead

Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi states:

“Ameer al Momineen once visited the grave of a young believer and said: “O Fulan! Allah (swt) has promised that ‘And for him who fears to stand before his Lord are two gardens’. Tell me O youth! What is your condition inside the grave?”. The young believer called out Umar’s name and then twice in a very loud voice said: “My creator has bestowed these two gardens to me”.(Hujjatullah alal Alameen, Vol 2 page 860 with reference to Hakim)”.

Karamaat e Sahabah, by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 58

He has quoted many other episodes for example:

[1]. A serious fire broke from a cave at a mountain and Umar asked the people to take his cloak and place it over a fire so as to extinguish it, which is precisely what happened. (Izalatul Khifa, Vol 2 page 172).

Karamaat e Sahabah by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi , page 61

[2]. Once Umar dispatched an army to the Nahawind region hundreds of miles away from Madina and one day he issued specific directions to the army that they heard clearly despite being hundreds of miles away from Madinah. (Mishkat, Chapter of Karamaat, page 546, Hujatullah, Vol 2 page 860, Tarikh Khulfa, page 85).

Karamaat e Sahabah by Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 58 & 59

According to Sunnis Khalid bin Waleed turned wine into honey

Allamah Muhammad Yousuf Kandhlawi in his famed work Hayatus Sahabah Volume 3 page 731 narrates:

“To Khalid bin Waleed came a man who had with him a skin bag full of wine. Hazrat Khalid said ‘O my Allah! Turn it into honey’. Accordingly it turned into honey at once”.

Hayatus Sahabah, Volume 3 page 731

Reply Six: According to Sunnis their Ulema possessed miracles including the miracles of past prophets

Haq Chaar Yaar’s (Sipah-e-Sahaba’s) beloved Maulana Manzoor Ahmed Naumani has the following objection about the Shia:

Numani states:

Imamate is the combination of Prophethood and Divinity:The extracts reproduced above from the most authentic book of Shias will show that according to the religion of Isna Ashariyya, the Imams possessed all the special qualities, powers and miracles of the Prophets put together,

If the possession of the miracles of previous prophets by the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) has caused indigestion to Manzoor Naumani then what will his adherents have to say about their ulema that according to the Deobandies possessed the miracles of past prophets including our last and most exalted Prophet (s). Imam of the Deobandies Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (d. 1362 A.H.) in his esteemed book ‘Arwaah e Thalasah’ popularly known as ‘Hikayat al Awliya’ records the statement of his master Syed Ahmad Bareilvi as follows:

Syed Ahmad Bareilvi Sahib says: “In whichever direction I go, all the trees and all the animals there recognise me and salute me.”

Arwaah e Thalasah, page 121

Now let us see how one of the revered Deobandi figures held the miracles of Prophet Isa (as). We read in the same book about yet another champion of Deoband school:

“Khuwajah Ahmed Jaam was renowned to be Mustajab al-dawaat (one whose suplication was always accepted). A woman brought his blind child to him and said: “Just wipe your hand over the child’s face so that his eyes are cured”. At that time he was just overwhelmed by ‘submission’ therefore he very humbly said: “I am incapable of doing this”. She insisted but he gave the same reply, thus the same conversation repeated three or four times. When he saw that she was not being appeased, he just moved from there while saying: “This was Hadrath Isa’s (as) job, He (as) used to cure blindness and leprousy. I am not capable of doing this”. He had just moved a little when he was inspired: “Who you, who Isa and who Musa! Just return and wipe your hand over the child’s face, neither you nor Isa can restore health. “We do it”. After listening to this, he returned while saying “we do it, we do it” and wiped his hand over the face of the child and his eyesight was restored.”

Arwah e Thalasah, page 151-152 (published by Daarul Ishaat, Karachi)

It should be noted that in the Urdu language, generally comparisons like “Who you, who Isa and who Musa!” in a certain context are used to equalize the subjects.

Now let us turn to some of the miracles held by the early Sunni/Wahabi scholars. Esteemed Sunni scholar Imam Jamaluddin also known as Ibn al-Jawzi records:

“Abu Al-Harith said that his teacher Abu Ishaq Al-Alawy was standing on the surface of water”. Abi Al-Hassan Al-Darbandi said that he saw Ibrahin bin Saad Al-Alawi stand on the surface of the sea praying”

Safwat al Safwa, page 485 (published by Al-Maktiba Al-Asrya, Beirut, Lebanon)

About Ibrahim bin Sa`d we read:

“Ibrahim bin Sa`ad abu Ishaq Al-Alawi, one of the Sufi Sheikhs and their ascetics, he moved from Baghdad to live in Shaam”

[Tarikh Baghdad v6]

Abu Naeem al-Isfahani records:

“Abdul wahd bin Zaid narrated that Ayoub Al-Sekhtani hit the earth with his feet and water started to flow from there”

Hilyat al-Awliya, page 5 (published by Dar Al-Kutub Al-Elmya, Beriut)

Imam Dhahabi mentioned Ayoub al-Shekhtani in his book Tazkiratul Huffaz, Volume 1 while Ibn Emaad Hanbali records the following in his book Shetherat Al-Dahab, Volume 1:

The jurist (faqih) of the people of Basrah, one of the known ones, he is amongst the late Tabieen, Shua’aba said that he was the master of jurists (fuqaha), Ibn Uyaina said: ‘I never met one like him’. Hamaad bin Zaid said: ‘He was the best from amongst those I sat with and the most holding Sunnah’. Ibn Al-Medeni said: ‘He narrated around 800 hadith’. Ibn Naser Al-Deen said: ‘He is Ayoub bin Abi Tamimah Kisan Abu bakr Al-Sekhtiani Al-Basri the master of the scholars and a known Hafiz.’

End Comments

By citing these references we have sought to show our readers that the Ahl’ul Sunnah have attributed miracles to their their scholars, and Sahaba (individuals who had lived large portions of their lives as polytheists indulged in all manner of sin such as alcoholism and fornication). If such individuals have been blessed with miracles then why is there an objection if we likewise believe that our Imams possessed such miracles, who do afterall come from the pure Muslim lineage of Rasulullah (s) that was untouched by idol worship, who were those Prophetic descendants that Allah (swt) had purified from all manner of impurity?

[6]. The ability of the Imams to raise the dead

One incident that Afriqi no doubt had great enjoyment in quoting was the fact that:

Afriqi states:

The Imams can bring the dead back to life.

Reply One- Quran confirms that Allah (swt) grants such ability to his chosen ones

Is it not a fact that in Surah Aal-e-Imran verse 49, Allah (swt) cites the words of Prophet Isa (as)

“And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead”, The key words are wa uhyil mawtaa – “and I give life to the dead”.by God’s leave”.

Prophet Isa attributes the power to raise the dead to himself. In another verse Allah (swt) attributes this miracle to Himself (swt):

“And thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by my leave. And behold! Thou bringest forth the dead by my leave”. [Surah al Maida verse 113]

It is clear that this miracle of Isa (as) was via the power granted to him by Allah (swt), it was not of his own accord. Similarly there should be no objection if we believe that our divinely appointed Imams (as) also held such ability granted by the Lord (swt).

Reply Two – Examples of the Imams of Ahlulbait raising the dead from Sunni sources

In the same way that Allah (swt) gave the miracle of resurrection to Isa (as), He (swt) also gave the same power to the Ahl’ul bayt (as) Imams.

Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) brought dead birds in to life

Esteemed Sunni scholar Maulana Nooruddin Abdur Rahman Jaami narrates this event in Shawahid un Nubuwwa pages 334-335 from a narrator:

“One day, I was amongst other attendees at a gathering Imam Jafar Sadiq. One man asked ‘Were the birds that Prophet Ibraheem (as) brought to life the same species or different?’ The Imam replied ‘If you like, I can bring them to life and show you’. We all said ‘Show us’. He then said ‘Peacock come here’ A peacock came before him. He then said ‘Crow come here’. A crow came before him. He then said ‘Hawk come here’. A Hawk appeared before him’. He then said ‘Pigeon come here’. A pigeon then appeared before him. After they all appeared he (The Imam) said (to the people) ‘Kill them and mix up their meat’, but keep their heads / necks in your hands’. After that was done, he said ‘Peacock come here’. The Imam raised the head of the peacock and we saw its body join the head, and it returned to its state of a live peacock. The remainder birds did the same’”.

Shawahid un Nubuwwa pages 334-335

Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) brought a dead cow to life

Maulana Nooruddin Abdur Rahman Jaami also records this miracle in Shawahid un Nubuwwa pages 333:

“On day I was walking alongside Imam Jafar in Makka. We passed a woman sitting in front of a dead cow, crying with her children. Imam Jaffar enquired the woman as to why they were crying to which she replied: “Me and my children were dependant on the milk of that cow which is dead now”. The Imam asked ‘Would you like Allah (swt) to bring the dead back to life?’ The woman replied ‘Why are you joking with me? I am already distressed and now you are mocking me’. He (the Imam) supplicated and the head and carves of the cow proceeded to move. He then called it and stood up. The Imam then went”.

The same event has also been recorded by Mufti Ghulam Rasool in his book ‘Subeh Sadiq’ page 451, citing ‘Tadhkira Mashaykh Naqshband’ page 49.

Subeh Sadiq, by Mufti Ghulam Rasool page 451

Reply Three – The Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that the Sahaba could raise the dead & Salafi attestations to it

Allamah Muhammad Yousuf Kandhlawi in Hayatus Sahaba Volume 3 page 667 records this remarkable event, under the chapter ‘The reviving of the dead’:

“Hazrat Anas bin Malik reported: An Ansari youth was with us. He died very early. We closed his eyes and covered him with a cloth. Some of us said to his mother: ‘Observe patience over his death and intend for recompense (thawab)’. His mother said ‘Has he died?’ We said ‘yes’. That old woman raised both of her hands towards the sky and said ‘Oh my Allah! I believed in you and migrated towards your messenger. Whenever any misfortune visited me, I prayed to You and You removed it for me!’ Hazrath Anas reports that the boy removed the cloth from his face, i.e. he came to life and while he had not yet gone from there, he ate with us and we ate with him”.

Hayatus Sahaba, Volume 3 page 667

If the Nawasib of Salafi/Wahabi persuasion have any objection against the Shia belief about their Imams (as) having the ability to raise the dead then let us present some incidents recorded by their most beloved pope Ibn Tamiyah. He recorded:

The horse of Silah ibn Ashyam once died during battle. He said ‘O Allah, do not allow me to become indebted to one of your creation.’ He prayed to Allah, and he brought his horse back to life. When he reached his house, he said to his sons, ‘take the saddle off the horse for I have borrowed him.’ When they removed the saddle the horse died”

The criterion, page 147

“A man from the tribe of An-Nakh was travelling when his donkey died. His companions said ‘give us your load and we will divide it up between our animals’. He said ‘Give me a little time’ He made very meticuous ablutions, prayed two rakaat of prayer, and made du’a to Allah. Allah brought his donkey back to life, and he continued on his way, with the full load on his own donkey”

The criterion, pages 147-148

The above cited episodes are also recrded by Ibn Taimiyah in

Majm’o al-Fatawa, Volume 11 p280-281

It should be known that Ibn Taimiyah had no objection with the belief of prophets and other virtuous people bringing dead to life, as he stated in his book ‘Al-Nabuwaat’:

“Bringing the dead to life happened by more than one prophet and it could happen by the followers of the prophets as what happened for some of this nation and some of Isa’s followers.”

Al-Nubuwaat, Volume 1 page 213

At another place he wrote:

احياء الموتى فانه اشترك فيه كثير من الانبياء بل ومن الصالحين

“Bringing the dead to life is common among the prophets and even among the righteous ones.”

Al-Nubuwaat, Volume 1 page 218

If Nawasib such as the ancestors of Afriqi have no objection to believing that other than prophets, the righteous ones can bring raise the dead and that an elderly Sahaba did just that why the hostility if we believe that Imams of Ahlulbait (as) whose righteousness is attested by Ahle Sunnah as well held such powers?

Reply Four – The Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani could raise the dead

Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani popularly known as ‘Ghawas al Azam’ is revered specially by the Sunnis in the Indian subcontinent. Saaim Chisthi al Hanafi says in ‘Mushkil Kusha’ Volume 1 page 96:

An incident involving Mastyer Sayyid Ghawas al Azam (ra) is in the authoritative books, he said to a Christian who deemed Isa (as) superior to Muhammad (s) – ‘What is your evidence that he is superior?’ He said ‘Jesus would raise the dead’ He replied ‘I am not a Prophet, rather I am a servant of Prophet Muhammad (s), if a I bring the dead to life will you become Muslim?’ He resurrected a dead man, and the Christian became Muslim [Tafreeh al-Khatir page 10]

Mushkil Kusha, Volume 1 page 96

If Deobandies infected with Salafi virus still have some problems with the ability of our Imams to raise the dead and suggest that no one can have such abilities then let us cite a clear-cut statement of one of their revered personalities Imam Anwar Shah Kashmiri, who in his esteemed commentary of Sahih Bukhari confirmed such an ability held by Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani:

Like that al-Shantoofi narrated and the muhadtheen authenticated that Sheikh Abdul Qader al-Jilani may Allah have mercy upon him, was giving speech to the people when an eagle came yelling and was disturbing the Sheikh’s speech , so he made an invocation on it and said: ‘What is wrong with you, may Allah chop cut your head’. Then the eagle fell down dead immediately, and when the Sheikh ended his speech and stoodup, he saw the dead (eagle) in the court-yard of the mosque, he inquired about it, so they told him about it, then he said: ‘Rise by Allah’s will’. Then (the eagle) flew.

Faiz al-Bari Shrah Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2 page 61

His student Maulana Badar Aalam Meeruti the former Shaikh-ul-Hadith at Daarul Uloom Deoband while accepting this belief has recorded one more incident of a same kind in the margin of this page:

I heard from the Sheikh may Allah have mercy upon him another nice story about the same topic, that there was a boy working for and learning from some scholars, once his mother visited him and saw him having a bread of malt and eating it, then she went to the Sheikh and saw a fried chicken in front of him, thus she complained to him and said: ‘You feed my son bread made of malt, while you eat this’. Then the Sheikh pointing to the chicken stated: ‘Raise by the will of Allah’. The chicken raised and became alive.

Reply Five – The Ahl’ul Sunnah have attributed the power to raise the dead to their Ulema

In reply one we had cited the fact that Prophet Isa (as) was able to raise the dead by the will of Allah, of interest is the fact that the Deobandi scholars in their efforts to extol their late Ulema have disrespect Isa (as) in the process. Maulana Mahmood al Hasan Deobandi (1268 A.H. /1851 C.E. to 1339 A.H), wrote this eulogy for his deceased teacher Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi at the time of his death:

“He brought the dead to life, and brought death to the living, take a look at this Messiah son of Maryam”

Marsiya Gangohi page 33

This poetry (naudobillah) throws a direct challenge towards Hadhrat Isa, by pointing out that whilst he was a Messiah he was only capable of resurrecting the dead, whilst Gangohi could both resurrect and bring death to the living! If the Nawasib try to defend the poetry by suggesting that death refers to ignorance and life means knowledge, thus meaning he gave the ignorant, knowledge and made the knowledgeable ignorant we will say that if this was the intention then why was Hadhrat Isa (as) singled out specifically, after all every Prophet brought knowledge to the ignorant? The only reason that Isa (as) is mentioned is due to his miracle of resurrecting the dead. Why is it shirk if we believe that our Imams (as) could perform the same miracle as Isa (as) but acceptable if the same miracle (neigh a higher one) can be performed by the Deobandi king pins?

Now that we have shown our readers the miracles possessed by the Sahaba, let us contemplate this very curious commentary served up by Islamweb as part of their Shi’a takfeer campaign:

Islamweb states:

“Signs of the prophets are possessed by the Imams” (Ibid, p. 231.) The Shi’ites have once again elevated their Imams to a very high level. The Imams they refer too are only human! So why do the Shi’ites worship them.

Just consider the logic of these Nasibis. They are suggesting that the Imams cannot possess the signs of Prophets since they are only human! What is their position of the signs that the Prophets possessed, were these Prophets humans or some other life form? It is also amusing that the Nasibi poses the rhetorical question ‘So why do the Shi’ites worship them’. If we believe that the Imams possessed the miracles of past Prophets, then that does not mean we worship them, in the same way that believing in the miracles of past Prophets does not mean we worship them. Moreover how do they explain the miracles of the Prophets, that the Ahl’ul Sunnah have attributed to the Sahaba such as resurrecting the dead (like Isa (as)), changing the physical state of something (like the stick of Musa (as)), do these miracles make the Sahaba deities who the Ahl’ul Sunnah worship? The ability of these Nawasib to give far fetched interpretations of Shi’a traditions is an ability that non fiction novelists would be proud of.

[7]: The Imams meeting with angels

Numani states:

Angels visit the Imams:A Chapter in Usul-e-Kafi bears the hedline which translated into English reads: Imams are the mainsprings of knowledge and trees of Apostleship, and the angels visit them”.It is stated in this Chapter that Imam Jafar Sadiq (once) said: “We are the Trees of Apostleship, the Houses of Mercy, the Kesy of Wisdom the Treasures of Knowledge and the Angels visit us”. (p. 125).

Reply One – The Qur’an proves that angels can visit non Prophets

Numani had sought to suggest to his Sunni readership that the Angels only visit Prophets. Such a position cannot be proven from the Qur’an Allah (swt) refers to the following conversation between Sarah and the angels, in Surah Hud verses 69-73:

There came Our messengers to Abraham with glad tidings. They said, “Peace!” He answered, “Peace!” and hastened to entertain them with a roasted calf.

But when he saw their hands went not towards the (meal), he felt some mistrust of them, and conceived a fear of them. They said: “Fear not: We have been sent against the people of Lut.”

And his wife was standing (there), and she laughed: But we gave her glad tidings of Isaac, and after him, of Jacob.

She said: “Alas for me! shall I bear a child, seeing I am an old woman, and my husband here is an old man? That would indeed be a wonderful thing!”

They said: “Dost thou wonder at Allah.s decree? The grace of Allah and His blessings on you, o ye people of the house! for He is indeed worthy of all praise, full of all glory!”

If Angels can come and talk to Maryam (as) and she can likewise converse with then there should be no objection if we believe that our Imams were visited by angels.

Reply Two: Sunni Ulema believed that pious people can maintain contact with angels

As far as meeting angels is concerned Allah (swt) says in Surah Fusilaat Hamim al-Sajdah (41) verses 30-31:

In the case of those who say, “Our Lord is Allah., and, further, stand straight and steadfast, the angels descend on them (from time to time): “Fear ye not!” (they suggest), “Nor grieve! but receive the Glad Tidings of the Garden (of Bliss), the which ye were promised!

“We are your protectors in this life and in the Hereafter: therein shall ye have all that your souls shall desire; therein shall ye have all that ye ask for!-

We would like to tell the exited ‘followers’ of Maulana Manzoor Numani that one of the prestigious scholars of their own school Allamah Shabeer Ahmad Uthmani in his commentary of this verse stated:

“It is quite possible that during this world there occurs the descending of angels on pious and good people who provide them inspiration on religious and worldly matters on the instructions of Allah, which becomes the reason of the well being and satisfaction of their hearts…Majority have said that this too is the statement of angels. That the angels inspire into their hearts and fortifies them.”

Tafseer Uthmani page 638

Imam Ghazzali states:

“The pious people whilst sitting can see spirits of the Prophets and angels. They can hear them and can benefit from what they are saying”.

Al Munzul mun zalaal page 33, Bab ul Turuq al Sufiya, published in Istanbul.

Uthmani and Ghazzali state that angels can also guide pious people, if normal people can be guided in such a manner, then why not our Imams who have been divinely appointed by Allah (swt) to guide mankind? What is the objection if we believe that Ruh al Quds converses with them?

Reply Three – Angel Gibrael visited Sayyida Fatima al Zahra (as)

We read in Sahih al Bukhari Volume 5 Hadith number 739:

Narrated Anas: When the ailment of the Prophet (s) got aggravated, he became unconscious whereupon Fatima said, “Oh, how distressed my father is!” He said, “Your father will have no more distress after today.” When he expired, she said, “O Father! Who has responded to the call of the Lord Who has invited him! O Father, whose dwelling place is the Garden of Paradise (i.e. al-Firdaus)! O Father! We convey this news (of your death) to Gabriel.”When he was buried, Fatima said, “O Anas! Do you feel pleased to throw earth over Allah’s Apostle?”

If the greatest of angels can visit Sayyida Zahra (as) why is there any objection if we likewise believe that the divinely appointed Imams from her lineage are likewise visited by angels?

Reply Four – Imam Hasan(as) testified that the angels visited the Ahl’ul bayt (as)

al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim, “Chapter of understanding the virtues of companions,” volume 3, page 172 contains this testimony of Imam Hasan (as):

“I am from the Ahl’ul bayt that Gabriel used to descend on us and ascend (back to heavens) from among us.”

In the text Imam Hasan uses the word “us”, it means that it was not just the Prophet who would be visited by Gibrael. Whilst we are not saying that Gibrael would reveal the Qur’an to Imam Hasan the tradition proves that they could communicate with the Gabriel (as).

Reply Five: Angels visited Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (as) and conversed with him

Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah Abdul Hamid Ghazali writes the following in his most famous work ‘Ihya Ulum id din’ records that:

“The Quraish youths one day surrounded the house of the Prophet in order to kill him. Hadhrat Ali in order to save his life, thought his life insignificant and went to the bed of the Prophet. God then addressed Gabriel and Michael and said: ‘I have established brotherhood among you and gave you equal period of life. Who is there among you who can sacrifice his life for another?’ Both of them preferred to save his own life. God then said to them: ‘Why could you not show example like Ali? I have established brotherhood between him and Muhammad, and Ali is spending the night by lying upon the bed of Muhammad in order to save the life of the latter. Go to the earth and save him from his enemies. Gabriel began to protect him keeping near his head and Michael near his feet. Gabriel said to Ali ‘blessed you are, blessed you are. There is no comparison with you. God is taking boast of you before the angels. God then sent this revelation ‘There is a man among men who sacrifices his life in search for the pleasure of Allah’ -2:207″

Ihya Ulum id din, by Abdul Hamid Ghazali, Vol 3 p 237-238 – English translation by Maulana Fazal Karim

Reply Six – The Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that the Sahabi Imran bin Hussain visited by angels

We read in Tabaqat ibn S’ad as follows:

Narrated Mutrib bin Abdullah bin al-Shakheer “Imran bin Hasain told me that what had stopped for him had restarted i-e the greetings of angels. Then he asked me to keep these words of him as secret.”

Narrated Mutrif “In Biyari Imran bin Hasain called for me and said that angels send greetings to him, and if he remains alive I should keep his words as secret, but if he dies then if I desire I may disclose them.”

It is narrated from Mutrif that angels used to greet Imran bin Hasain.

Tabaqat Ibn S’ad (Urdu), Volume 2 Page 637 (Daarul Ishaat, Karachi)

If Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that a sahabi can meet angles than why do they have objections if Shias believe that angels used to visit their Divinely appointed Imams of Ahl’ul bayt (as)?

[8]: All the deeds of men are presented before Imams

Numani states:

All the deeds of men are presented before Imams:It is related that (once) Abdullah bin Aban-AL-Zaiyat, who was close to Imam Raza said to him: “Please pray for me and for members of my household”. The Imam said. “Do I not pray for you ? By God, your deeds are presented to me every day and night.” (Meaning that on the presentation of his deeds he prays for him)”.The tradition goes on to tell that when Abdullah bin Aban felt amazed over it, Imam Raza said to him: “Do you not read this verse of the Quran: Allah will behold your actions (and so) will His Messenger and the believers(IX. 105) ? By God, Mominoon (believers) in it means. Ali Ibn Abi Talib”. P. 134.In his commentary Allama Qazwini says that while stressing upon the word at mominoon in the above verse. Imam Raza has mentioned only the name of Hazrat Ali for the reason that Imamate started with him otherwise it denotes him as well as all the other Imams of his progeny. (As-Safi: Vol. III; Pt.1; p. 140).

Reply

If Naumani and his (Haq Char Yaari) followers have developed indigestion at the Shia belief that Allah (swt) has bestowed the favour to his Messenger (s) and his true successors to see the deeds of the people then allow us to expand on the same verse cited by Imam Ali Raza (as). We read in Surah Taubah verse 105:

[Shakir 9:105] And say: Work; so Allah will see your work and (so will) His Messenger and the believers; and you shall be brought back to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, then He will inform you of what you did.

Three people have been mentioned in the cited verse who see our deeds. Firstly it is Almighty Allah, about whom we believe that Nawasib shall have no objection.

Secondly it’s Holy Prophet (s) who has been said to see our actions. True followers of the Holy Prophet (s) will have no objection to this since the Holy Quran in other verses such as Surah Nisa: 41, Surah Nahl: 89 tells us that the Prophet (s) is a witness over all people until the day of resurrection tragically as we live in a world populated by those seeking to degrade the merits of the Holy Prophet (s) by bringing their literal approach, allow us to cite a tradition to back up our stance. The master of Anti-Shia televsied debates Shaykh ul Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri records this hadith in his book ‘Beseeching for Help’:

“Your deeds are presented to me. If they are good, I express my gratitude to Allah, and if the deeds are not good, then I pray to Allah for your forgiveness”.

Some of the sources on which the author relied are:

1. Haythami transmitted it in Majma’-uz-zawa’id (9:24) and said that that tradition had been reported by Bazzar (in his Musnad) and its sub-narrators are all of Sahih (sound) hadith.

2.‘Iraqi has confirmed the soundness of its chain of transmission in his book Tarh-ut-tathrib fi sharh-it-taqrib (3:297).

3. Suyuti, recording it in al-Khasa’is-ul-kubra (2:281) and Manahil-us-sifa fi takhrij ahadith ash-Shifa (p.3), has commented that Ibn Abi Usamah in his Musnad has reproduced it through Bakr bin ‘Abdullah al-Muzani and Bazzar in his Musnad who have relied on its narration by ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud with a sound chain of transmission.

4. Nabhani related it in Hujjatullah ‘alal-’alamin fi mu’jazat sayyid-il-mursalin (p.713).

Now coming to the third and the main person (as) whose authority is bestowed by Allah (swt) to see the actions of the people i.e the ‘believers’ in the cited verse, we present the words of Ibn Abbas (r) to understand who ‘believers’ refers to in various verses of the Holy Quran.

“Allah did not reveal an Ayah beginning O you who believe..’ but that Ali is its Amir and its eminence. Allah reproached the companions of Muhammad in more then one place but he never mentioned ‘Ali but with approval”.

History of the Khalifas who took the right way, page 179 English translation of Tarikh ul Khulafa by al Hafidh Jalaladeen as Suyuti

Whilst the definition of ‘believers’ has been proven beyond reasonable doubt, let us substantiate our position by highlighting the fact that esteemed Sunni commentaries have stated that ‘believers’ in verse 4 of Surah Tahreem and verse 55 of Surah Maidah refers to Ali bin Abi Talib (as) so why the objection if we likewise believe that the word ‘believers’ used in the aforesaid verse of Surah Taubah also refers to Ali bin Ai Talib (as)? Along the same line why the objection if we believe that the word likewise refers to the other Imams from his linage who see the actions of the people of their (as) respective period?

This is all connected with Wilayat al-Takwiniya of the Imams of Ahulbayt (as) which we have discussed in chapter 4.

[9]: The role of Imam (as) during Laylatul Qadr (Night of Power)

Maulana Manzoor Numani advanced the following objections about the involvement of the Imams (as) in Laylatul Qadr/ Shab e Qadr (The night of power):

Numani states:

In the Night of Power (Shab-e-Qadr) every year God reveals a Book to the Imams through Angels and Ar-Ruh.In the Chapter, Babul Bada, of Usul-e-Kafi there is a tradition saying that Imam Jafar Sadiq, while explaining the Quranic verse 39 of Sura-i-Ra’ad.TRANSLATE ARABIC”What God pleaseth He will wipe out or confirm; and with Him is the knowledge of the Book” observed that “only that thing is obliterated which was existent already, and that thing is confirmed which was not existent previously”.The commentator of Usul-e-Kafi, Allama Qazwini remarks: “For every year there is a separate book. It means that book which contains exegesis of the commands. Imam of the day will need for the next year. The angels and Ar-Ruh descend with that book on the Night of Power on the Imam of the day”. (vol., II;P.129).

It is, further, related that Imam Baqar said: “It has been decreed by God that every year a night will occur in which a book will descend detailing all the affairs and events of the next year until the same night of that year”. P 153).

Reply

This topic has always caused indigestion to various Nasibi authors and have been raised by Maulana Azam Tariq (la) in ‘Khubaat e Jail’ pages 224-225, Maulana Yusuf Ludhiyanvi in ‘Shia aur Sunni Ikhtilaaf aur Siraat e Mustaqeem’ (Shia and Sunni dispute and the straight path), page 130 (Published in Binori Town, Karachi) and Ahl-Hadith scholar Molvi Ihtishaam-uddin Muradabadi in “Naseehat ush-Shia” pages 437-438 (Maktabah Sidiqiya, Multan). All of them have recorded the traditions in a distorted manner. It seems that they have plagarised each others works. All of them have tried to prove different points from the tradition. Anyhow, here we present the actual wordings of Allamah Khaleel Qazwini (rh) so that there remains no confusion:

“For every year there is a seperate book. That is a book which contains explanation and orders of the knowledge that Imam will require until the next year. And with that book angels and ‘Amr (ruh) descend during the night of Qadr to the Imam of the age (Imam al-Zamana). However, not as a revealation (wahi), because in that case it would be required for each Imam to be a Prophet, but as informing them, which means reminding of the known preliminaries in the concluded order, as it is understood from the Quran. As stated in Surah Qadr and Dukhan and as explained in the book of Hujjah in 8th hadeeth of 41st Baab, which is regarding the background of the revealation of the aya ‘we descend it down in the night of Qadr…’ that Allah the exalted, can dismiss what he wants from the book of beliefs that is for the Imam of the creation, and brings about that which is understood from the Quran, and therefore stated in Quran in Surah Nisa, ‘Certainly those will know who understand…’“.

Asaafi Sharah Usool al-Kafi, Kitab al Tawheed, Baab al-Bada’, Volume 2 page 229 (Lucknow)

Moreover, there is no disagreement about the fact that Allah (swt) sends all of his decisions in the form of affairs on the night of power which are then handed over to the relevant angels. Almost all the scholars of Ahle Sunnah under the commentary of Surah Dakhan and Surah Qadr have written to this effect. For example Allamah Shabeer Ahmad Uthmani records under the commentary of the word ‘Amr’ of Surah Dukhan:

[3]“Means all the absolute and rational decisions of the year in terms of Qaza and Qadr are copied from Loh al-Mahfooz in this sacred night and are handed over to the angels who work in the department of Takwiniya. According to some traditions that is the fifteenth night of the month of Shaban which is called Shab al-Barat. It is possible that this work begins in that night while it gets ended in the night of Shab al-Qadr.”

Tafseer Uthmani, page 659

Allamah Alauddin Ali bin Muhammad Baghdadi popularly known as al-Khazin records in his esteemed Tafseer:

“The absolute affairs are decided. Ibn Abbas has narrated that all the good and bad incidents due to happen in the year are copied from the Mother of the books (Ummul Kitab) on Laylat al-Qadr (night of power) like the provision (Rizq) of the people, their age etc, even this is written, that such and such persons will perform pilgrimage, it has also been stated that this is the fifteenth night of the month of Shabaan and the ultimate decision of all the incidents of the year are made on that night, separate lists are prepared for the people who have to die and those who have to live. Baghwi has narrated through his chain from the Holy Prophet (s) that He (s) said: ‘The ultimate decision about the age of the people are made from one Shabaan to the next Shabaan, even if a man gets married and when a child is born in his house, but his name has been listed amongst the dead ones in that very year’. Ibn Abbas narrates that Allah (swt) takes all the decisions on the fifteenth night of Shabaan and hands over the instructions and details of those decisions to those who are responsible for their implementation.”

Tafseer Khazin, Volume 5 pages 409-410

Angels are not exclusively responsible for the implementation of those instructions. Those perfect human beings who are superior to the angels are deployed over the angels and are provided with the knowledge of those instructions that are then passed on to the angels to enable implemention. Of course, the Imams from the Ahlulbayt of the Holy Prophet (s) are those human beings. Again this is related to the Wilayat al-Takwiniya of the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) that we previously discussed in detail in Chapter 4, we will however repeat one excerpt in order to close the topic. Shah Ismaeel Shaheed Dahalwi records from his master Syed Ahmad Barelvi:

“Likewise, the perfect from amongst the human beings performing regulatory actions can be the source of all the services of the angels. For example, the killing of pagans by the angels through fighting or prayers can also be done by the perfect people through fighting or prayers. The service of providing benefit by the angels can also be performed by these people, the prayers and remembrance of Allah (swt) attributed to a class of angels is also shared by these people, the services of teaching, preaching and discourses performed by the angels are also done by them. For the establishment of a just kingdom and lofty caliphate, spiritual imamate, prophethood, apostleship, and seal of prophethood, the services concerned to the angels can also originate from them and it should be thought that they can also perform all other services.”

Siraat e Mustaqeem, page 176 (Islami Academy Lahore)

Thus, in the light of the above discussion we know that the details of all incidents due to happen next year are decided on Laylat-al-Qadr they are then handed over to the the Imam of the time (as) who throughout that year make His (as) subordinate angles work for the implementation of those instructions/decisions.

[10]: The knowledge of unseen in respect of knowing the death of others

Islamweb states:

The Imams know when they will die, and they do not die except by their own choice” (Ibid, p: 258.) Now, this is a clear statement of kufr. Only Allah knows when a man will die! And these Shi’ites say that their Imams can control when they die?? This is major kufr and shirk for any one to believe in all the things that the Shi’ites say about their Imams!

Reply One

Knowledge of death is a Ghayb that is possessed by Allah (swt), as He (swt) says in Surah Luqman verse 34:

Verily, Allâh! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allâh is All Knower, All Aware (of things).

As we have already mentioned, this Ghayb is also bestowed on the elect of Allah (swt), as he says in Surah Jinn, 72:26-27:

“Allah Alone is the Knower of the Unseen. He never grants the Knowledge of his Ghayb to anyone but to His chosen Messengers and appoints guard before them and behind them.”

In relation to this Ghayb, Allah (swt) has granted people:

Knowledge of the death of others

Knowledge of their own deaths

Before refuting the objections of the Nasibi writers we shall first evidence the fact that Rasulullah (s) and our Imams possessed knowledge of ghayb in relation to the death of others

Reply Two: Rasulullah (s) foretold of the deaths of the Kufar of Badr that included where they would die

If we analyse no. 4 (no person knows in what land he will die) Rasulullah (s) was blessed with this power, evident from the fact that he pin-pointed the death of the kuffar before the Battle of Badr, not just the land but the very area wherein they would perish. This is what we read in Sahih Muslim Book 019, Number 4394:

It has been narrated on the authority of Anas that when (the news of) the advance of Abu Sufyan (at the head of a force) reached him. the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) held consultations with his Companions. The narrator said: Abu Bakr spoke (expressing his own views), but he (the Holy Prophet) did not pay heed to him. Then spoke ‘Umar (expressing his views), but he (the Holy Prophet) did not pay heed to him (too). Then Sa’d b. ‘Ubada stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, you want us (to speak). By God in Whose control is my life, if you order us to plunge our horses into the sea, we would do so. If you order us to goad our horses to the most distant place like Bark al-Ghimad, we would do so. The narrator said: Now the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) called upon the people (for the encounter). So they set out and encamped at Badr. (Soon) the water-carriers of the Quraish arrived. Among them was a black slave belonging to Banu al-Hajjaj. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) caught him and interrogated him about Abu Sufyan and his companions. He said: I know nothing about Abu Sufyan, but Abu Jahl, Utba, Shaiba and Umayya b. Khalaf are there. When he said this, they beat him. Then he said: All right, I will tell you about Abu Sufyan. They would stop beating him and then ask him (again) about Abu Sufyan. He would again say’, I know nothing about Abu Sufyan, but Abu Jahl. ‘Utba, Shaiba and Umayya b. Khalaf are there. When he said this, they beat him likewise. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was standing in prayer. When he saw this he finished his prayer and said: By Allah in Whose control is my life, you beat him when he is telling you the truth, and you let him go when he tells you a lie. The narrator said: Then the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: This is the place where so and so would be killed. He placed his hand on the earth (saying) here and here; (and) none of them fell away from the place which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had indicated by placing his hand on the earth.

If Salafis argue that this incident doesn’t show the knowledge of the unseen that the Holy Prophet (s) was blessed with and can be explained as a routine phenomena of normal people then can any Salafi/Wahabi take us to a place and foretell us about a death of any individual including the precise death spot? If not then these narrow-minded people have no right to degrade the esteemed rank granted to our Holy Prophet (s) by denying him the knowledge he was granted.

Reply Three: Rasulullah (s) foretold the land in which Imam Hussain (as) would be martyred

There are also clear traditions wherein the Holy Prophet (s) said Imam Hussain (as) would die in the land of Karbala. We read in Khasais al Kubra Volume 2 page 125 (Maktaba Nurree Rizvi Publishers, Pakistan)

‘Verily my son [Hussain] will be killed in a land called Kerbala, whoever amongst you is alive at that time must go and help him”.

Khasais al Kubra, Volume 2 page 125

This shall suffice as proof that even these secrets were unlocked as Allah (swt) bestowed this exclusive knowledge on the Prophet (s). When one has the keys to something, one has full, unrestricted and at their own will access that domain. The five things mentioned are those that Allah incorporated into the Knowledge of to the Prophet (as) at His discretion. It is important to point out, the Holy Prophet (as) does not know which land a person will die in of his own accord, but rather this Knowledge is granted to him by Allah.

Reply Four: Imam Baqir (as) foretold the death of Zayd ibn ‘Ali

We read in Shawahid un Nubuwwa page 318 under the topic ‘Karamaat e Hadrath Imam Baqir (ra)’:

“A thiqah narrator states ‘I was with Imam Baqir when his brother Zayd walked past us, he said ‘By Allah! He shall rebel in Kufah, the people shall kill him, and his head shall be paraded through the streets and then impaled on a spike”.

Shawahid un Nubuwwah, page 318

We know that historically Zayd was killed in this same brutal manner. This shows that Allah (swt) had blessed our Imams with the knowledge to foretell a person’s death.

Reply Five: Imam Kazim (as) foretold the death of his jailor

Shaykh Shablanji records in ‘Nur al Absar’ page 230:

“One night, whilst in the Baghdad prison Abu Yusuf and Muhammad bin Hasan visited [Imam Kadhim], they conveyed salutations and sat down. They wanted to test his knowledge via questions and answers. At that time the jail entered and said ‘My duty has expired, if you require anything tell me and I shall bring it tomorrow. The Imam said ‘I require nothing, you can go’. The Imam then said to Abu Yusuf and Muhammad bin Hasan ‘I am surprised that this man is stating that he shall bring something tomorrow, he is unaware that he shall die tonight’. Upon hearing this, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad bin Hasan obtained permission to leave and said to each other ‘WE went to asked questions on issues relating to Fardh and Sunnah, but he spoke on the knowledge of ghayb’. They then sent a man to keep watch on the jailor’s home so that the truth could be established. During the nigh he (the watchman) heard a loud noise from inside the house, as well as noise from the immediate neighbourhood. Upon inquiry he (the watchman) discovered that the man had died”.

Nur al Absar, by Shaykh Shiblanji, page 230

We see that Imam Kazim (as) foretold of the time of his jailer’s death and two Sunni Imams were witness to this knowledge of ghayb, our opponents will therefore have to accept that our Imams were blessed with this knowledge.

Reply Six: Imam Raza (as) foretold the death of another man

Maulana Nooruddin Abdur Rehman Jami records in Shawahid’un Nubuwwa page 349:

“One day he [Imam Raza] saw someone and said ‘O man of Allah! Whatever you desire, do it quickly, make a will and make preparations for that definite thing that no one can run from’. The man died three days later”

Shawahid un Nubuwwa page 349

We had cited the fact that Allah (swt) said that ‘and no person knows in what land he will die’ – the narrations that we have cited show that Rasulullah (s) and his Ahl’ul bayt (as) knew of the deaths of others, which proves that Allah (swt) had blessed with knowledge of the unseen in this regards. When we see that our Imams were endowed with knowledge of this Ghayb, then there should be no objection to our next belief i.e.

[11]: Imams knowing the time of their death and having authority over it

This is one of the most favorite topics of our opponents specially the najis Nasibies of Sipah-e-Sahabah (Hinda Haq Char Yaari) as raised by their late Maulana Manzoor Ahmed Numani:

Numani states:

Imams know their Hour of Death. Their death is in their control:A Chapter in Usul-e-Kafi bears the title “Imams (Peace be upon them) know when they will die and their death occurs at their own volition.” (p. 158).The same is the substance of the sayings of imam appearing in it. The last one, of course, needs particular attention, and, hence, we are reproducing it here.Imam Baqar is reported to have said: “God Almighty had sent down a force (of angels) from the heavens (to Karbala) to help Husain. It had reached (half-way) between the sky and the earth. Then, God gave option to Husain to accept the help and utilize the force or to meet Him (through death and martyrdom) whereupon he preferred meeting the Lord (i.e., martyrdom).” P. 159.

Since Nawasib deem everyone in this world including Prophets, Saints, Auliyah etc to be normal human beings like themselves they deem it Shirk to believe that someone besides Allah (swt) may know his time of death or has been given authority over his death by Allah (swt). The reality is Allah (swt) bestows His blessings on those whom he loves and chooses and opens the door of His blessings over them and accordingly grants qualities which a normal human being cannot even imagine. Inspiration about the time of death or granting authority over the death of a chosen one is also amongst such blessings bestowed by Allah (swt) and had this mullah and his adherents bothered to dedicate time to studying their own books without the spectacles of Shia-hatred he would have realised that this belief is also ascribed to by his school of thought.

Reply One: The Ahl’ul Sunnah themselves believe that all Prophets are given authority over their deaths

It is very strange that whenever our opponents find traditions about the Imams of Ahulbayt (as) being given the authority over their deaths they issue takfeer against us without bothering to know the stance of their own school in this regard which clearly affirms that all prophets were given authority over their deaths and Izrail (the angel of death) was able to seize their soul only after an indication of death from them. As evidence we would like to cite one of the legendry scholars of the Sunni school, Ibn Kathir:

Numerous Thiqa narrators have narrated from various authentic sources that when Izrail [angel of death] came to Musa (as) and told him the aforesaid instruction of Allah (swt), Musa (as) didn’t recognize him therefore Izrail once again came to him, appearing to be an Arab thus Musa (as) quickly recognized him because he had earlier came to Musa (as) for the delivery of revelation in this very appearance and it was then that he indicated Izrail to seize His soul.

It has been told in various traditions pertaining to the seizing the soul of the prophets that Izrail used to enter into their houses after taking their permission and would inform them about the instruction of Allah (swt) and he used to seize their soul after getting indication from them.

Al-Bidayah Wal-Nihayah (Urdu), Vol 1 page 315-316 Topic: ‘The death of Musa (as)’ (published by Nafees Academy Karachi)

If the comments of their hero aren’t sufficient then let us cite the very fact from that tongue deemed by our opponents to be exalted and trustworthy.

‘A’isha reported: I heard that never a prophet dies until he is given an option to opt the life of (this) world or that of the Hereafter. She further said: I heard Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) say in his last illness in which he’ died. I heard him saying in gruffness of the voice: Along with those persons upon whom Allah bestowed favours from amongst the Apostles, the testifiers of truth, the martyrs, the pious and goodly company are they (iv. 69). (It was on bearing these words) that I thought that he had been given choice (and he opted to live with these pious persons in the Paradise).

1. Sahih Muslim Book 031, Number 5988 to 5990 (3 traditions)

2. Musnad Ahmed bin Hanbal, Volume 6 Hadith: 23442, 24262, 24519 & 25142

3. Al-Bidayah Wal-Nihayah (Urdu), Vol 5 page 418-419 Topic: ‘The death of Prophet (s)’ Quoting from Abu Daud al-Tyalsi (2 Traditions).

If according to Sunni belief all prophets were given such authority then why the objection if the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) who are the successors of Holy Prophet (s) and his Sharyah (Tuhfa Asthna Ashariyah, page 75), and the leaders of all Awliyah (Maktubaat, 9:17 # 123) are also blessed with the same authority?

Whilst we have already proved that Sunnis believe that prophets are given the authority to live or die for those minds still clouded by their abhorrence of the Shi’a, we shall cite the episodes of two prophets separately in this regard.

Reply Two: The Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that Prophet Musa was given authority over his death and he was foretold his time of death time

We read the following in authentic Ahl’ul Sunnah work narrated from Abu Huraira:

The angel of death was sent to Moses and when he went to him, Moses slapped him severely, spoiling one of his eyes. The angel went back to his Lord, and said, “You sent me to a slave who does not want to die.” Allah restored his eye and said, “Go back and tell him (i.e. Moses) to place his hand over the back of an ox, for he will be allowed to live for a number of years equal to the number of hairs coming under his hand.” (So the angel came to him and told him the same). Then Moses asked, “O my Lord! What will be then?” He said, “Death will be then.” He said, “(Let it be) now.” He asked Allah that He bring him near the Sacred Land at a distance of a stone’s throw. Allah’s Apostle (p.b.u.h) said, “Were I there I would show you the grave of Moses by the way near the red sand hill.”

1. Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 423

2. Sahih Muslim, Book 30, Number 5851

The cited hadith gives the following two points:

1. Initially Musa (as) was given the authority over his death which made the angel of death went back successful in his task and he said to his Lord: “You sent me to a slave who does not want to die“. These words make it further clear that initially the task of the angel of death was dependant on Musa (as)’s wish i.e he was given authority over his death.

2. Allah (swt) then foretold Musa (as) the number of years he would survive i.e “number of years equal to the number of hairs”.

If a chosen one by Allah (swt) was given authority over his death and then was foretold about his death time then why do the Nasibi people have objection if Shia believes that the divinely appointed Imams of Ahlulbayt (as), the successors of Prophet (s) making them the successor of all Prophets were also granted such blessings by Allah (swt)?

Reply Three: The Holy Prophet (s) foretold his death and was also given authority over it

We read in Sahih al Bukhari Volume 4, Book 56, Number 820:

Narrated ‘Aisha: The Prophet in his fatal illness, called his daughter Fatima and told her a secret because of which she started weeping. Then he called her and told her another secret, and she started laughing. When I asked her about that, she replied, The Prophet told me that he would die in his fatal illness, and so I wept, but then he secretly told me that from amongst his family, I would be the first to join him, and so I laughed.”

The tradition makes it clear that the Prophet (s) knew about his death. When we turn the pages of history we see that the angel of death did not have the audacity to even enter the presence of our beloved Holy Prophet (s) without His (s) permission, seizing without His (s) consent does not even come into the equation. Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi records in his famed book:

“It has been narrated that the angel of death sought permission to enter and then came to the Holy Prophet (s) and stood before Him (s) saying: “O Holy Prophet! O Ahmed! Allah has sent me to you and has ordered me to obey whatever you say, if you grant permission then I may seize your soul and if you do not grant permission then I will not do so. Allah has given you authority in this regard”

Then Gibrail came and said to the Prophet (s): ‘O Muhammad (s)! Allah is happy with you and He calls you’. The Prophet (s) then said to the angel of death: “O angel of death! Get busy in the work you have been instructed to perform”.

Madarij un Nabuwwah, Volume 2 page 729 (published Madina Publishing Co. Karachi).

One can also see

Tabqat Ibn Saad (Urdu), Volume 1 page 304. Topic: Dikh Nazul al-Maut. (Nafess Academy, Karachi)

The tradition is self-explanatory but since our opponents have abandoned all aspects of justice and decency in their Shia-hatred we remain skeptical over the ability to understand the Shia stance about Imams of Ahlulbait (as). If the Holy Prophet (s) and Prophet Musa (as) were given authority over their death then why do Nasibi mullahs yap when it comes to the authorities granted by Allah (swt) to the successors of very Prophet (s) ? We have made it clear that Allah (swt) does grant such authorities to his chosen people and being submissive to their lord they submit back such an authority to their creator just like we see above in the case of Holy Prophet (s) and also in the case of Imam Hussain (as) which Maulana Numani tried to mock at.

Reply Three – Some incidents from Sunni sources wherein Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) foretold their own deaths

One – Maula Ali (as) foretold his death

We read the following account in Musnad Ahmed bin Hanbal that has been declared ‘Sahih’ by Shaykh Ahmed Shakir:

Zaid bin Wahb said that on one occasion Ali approacheda Khariji that resided Basra. There was a man named al-Ja’ad bin Ba’ja who asked Ali: ‘O Ali! Fear Allah, you have to die’. Ali replied: ‘No, rather I will be killed. I will be struck by the blow of a sword that will colour this beard, this is something decided…”

Musnad Ahmed, Volume 1 page 472

Maulana Abdur Rahman Jaami in Shawahid’un Nubuwwa pages 294-295 under the topic ‘Ameer Mu’awiya (ra) and Hadhrat Ali (ra)’ says as follows:

“On one occasion Hadrath Ameer Mu’awiya(ra) said to his close followers, ‘How will we know of our final destination? Can anyone tell us? People said, ‘We are unaware of any means’. Mu’awiya said ‘I know of a method to determine one’s final destination. I’ll ask ‘Ali who shall tell me of it, ‘Ali speaks the truth, whatever he states is true, Mu’awiya summoned three people with instructions that each attend Kufa on separate days, and tell the people of my death, funeral rites, all three must issue corroborate their statements. The three accordingly relayed the information to the Kufans on separate days. On the first day a companion of ‘Ali said to him ‘Mu’awiya has died, things shall become easier now’. ‘Ali gave no response. The same news was conveyed to ‘Ali the next day, but ‘Ali ignored it. On the third day when the matter was again passed back to ‘Ali, with the companion stating ‘O ‘Ali three reliable people have conveyed this information, it is confirmed that Mu’awiya is dead’. ‘Ali replied saying ‘You don’t know him’ ‘Ali then signalled at his head and beard and said ‘Mu’awiya shall not die until my head and beard is covered in blood’. He (‘Ali) then said ‘The son of a lover eater will be pleased at this’.

Shawahid’un Nubuwwah, pages 294-295

We see from this narration that Maula Ali (as) knew of his death, his state at the time and also knew that Mu’awiya would outlive him. This was an early prediction as the time came closer we see that Maula Ali (as) even knew the day on which he would be martyred. We read in Yanabi al Mawaddat (combined volume1-3) page 193:

“On the night of the 19th of Ramadhan he (‘Ali) was tense and kept coming out. He looked at the sky and said ‘I have never lied nor has anything that I have said ever been established as a lie, this is the night that was promised me. At sunrise as left for the mosque, the birds began to chirp loudly, he said ‘These birds are crying for me”.

Yanabi al Mawaddat (combined volume1-3) page 193

Also see Sawaiq al Muhriqah, page 453 (published in Faisalabad, Pakistan)

We can see from this narration that Maula Ali (as) was fully aware that this was his final night on the earth.

Two – Imam Baqir (as) foretold his death

We read in Shawahid’un Nubuwwah page 319 under the topic ‘Karamaat e Hadrath Imam Baqir (ra)’:

“Imam Jafar narrates ‘One day my father said to me, “Only five years remain of my life”. When he died we counted the years / days and it was exactly as he had said”.

Shawahid’un Nubuwwah page 319

We can see from this example that Imam Baqir (as) knew of his death, down to the exact date.

Three – Imam Kazim (as) foretold his death

Maulana Jaami in Shawahid’un Nubuwwah, pages 336-337 records:

“A Thiqah narrator states that when Imam Kadhim was summoned on the first occasion to Baghdad by the Abbaside Khalifa Mahdi, I was upset. The Imam asked ‘Why are you worried?’ I said ‘Why shouldn’t I be worried, you are entering a place that is the unknown’. The Imam said ‘Do nor worry I shall return on such a date and time, wait for me’. The Imam then was accompanied by a delegation of state officials to Baghdad. On his arrival Mahdi bin Mansur had him imprisoned, and conspired to have him killed quickly. Mahdi paid a specific person to kill him before sunrise and then went to sleep. Whilst asleep he [Mahdi] witnessed ‘Ali in a dream who read a Qur’anic verse to him ‘Then, is it to be expected of you, if ye were put in authority, that ye will do mischief in the land, and break your ties of kith and kin?’ He became fearful and told the man to refrain from the initial order. The next morning he [Mahdi] had the Imam freed, and the Imam retuned on the same date and time that he had told the man…The Madinans rejoiced ‘Alhamdolillah, the tyrant has freed you’. The Imam replied ‘I have been freed on this occasion, but he shall summon me once more and I will not attain freedom’’. The Khalifa accordingly summoned him a second time, and upon the order of Haroon Rasheed, he was given poisoned dates, whilst eating them he said, ‘From Allah we come and to Him shall we return’. He [the Imam] then said the jailer ‘I know that I have been given poisoned grapes, this shall be the cause of my martyrdom, tomorrow my body shall turn a yellow colour, and it will then turn red and black. I shall then die’. He died in exactly the same manner”.

Four – Imam Raza (as) foretold his death

Maulana Jaami in Shawahid’un Nubuwwah, pages 346-347:

“Babel bin Khuzai wrote a poem praising the Ahl’ul bayt and read it ‘This pure body of Nafs Zakiyya was buried in Baghdad, but Allah raised it to Arafat. The Imam then said ‘Babel add these lines ‘And there will also be a grave in Tus’. Babel; said ‘O son of the Prophet (s) ‘Whose grave is this?’ The Imam said, ‘It shall be mine. I shall soon be killed in a place where I will be an outsider my burial place shall become a place of pilgrimage for the lovers of the Ahl’ul bayt, those who attend shall be with me on the Day of Judgement, Allah (swt) will forgive them”.

Shawahid’un Nubuwwa pages 346-347

Five – Imam Taqi (as) foretold his death

We read in Shawahid un Nubuwwah, page 358:

“When Mamun died Muhammad Taqi said: ‘I shall die thirty months from today’, he died thirty months after the death of Mamun”

Shawahid’un Nubuwwa page 358

Reply Four- The Ahl’ul Sunnah have attributed knowledge of one’s death to Sahaba and scholars

We will respond to these Nasibis by pointing out that you believe that your Sahaba and Imams possessed such knowledge.

One – Umar knew when he would die

The following is narrated by Allamah Jalaluddin Suyuti in Tareekh ul Khilafa page 132:

“Ma’dan ibn Abi Talhah: ‘Umar gave a Khutbah and said, I saw (in a dream) as if a cock pecked me once or twice and I can only believe that it means that my term has come…”

Tareekh ul Khilafa page 132

If only Allah (swt) knows when a man will die then how did the Umar know when he would die?

Two: Abu Bakr knew when he would die

We have already cited the incident which according to Ahl’ul Sunnah proves the merits of Abu Bakar of knowing his death time and the gender of the baby in womb. We will cite that again very briefly here again. Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi while counting the miracles possessed by Abu Bakr quoted a tradition from Tarikh e Khulfa, page 57 and then records the views of Sunni scholars:

“Allamah Tajuddin Subki [rh] has stated that two miracles of Ameer al Momineen Abu Bakr (ra) are proved from this Hadith.

[1]. That he had come to know before his death that he would leave the word due to the illness he was suffering from that is why he stated in his will “My wealth has become the wealth of my heirs…(Izalatul Khifa, vol 2 page 21 & Hujatullah, vol 2 page 860)”

Karamaat e Sahabah by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Abdul Mustufa Aazmi, page 46

Here we present the online link of the reference from Tabaqat al Kubra by Imam Tajuddin Subki (727-771 AH/1327-1370 EC):

http://www.al-eman.com/Islamlib/viewchp.asp?BID=401&CID=15

From these narrations we see that ‘Umar and Abu Bakar knew exactly when they would die, by making such a claim Umar and Abu Bakar automatically fall under the Takfeer trap of Islamweb, we therefore invite them to issue an edict of apostasy for making such a divine claim. And if Nawasib really believe that their caliphs knew about their deaths then they have no right to point out fingers at Shia for the same belief held for their Imams.

Reply Five- The Ahl’ul Sunnah have attributed to their scholars the knowledge of their death as well as authority over it

Its not just Sahabah but when we ponder into the books of Ahle Sunnah we see that they believe that some pious scholars of their school were not only knew about their deaths but some of them even had authority over it.

One: Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah Muhammad bin Talha Shafiyee knew exactly when he was going to die

Imam Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Asad al Yameni (d. 768 H) popularly known as Al-Yaf`ee records in his prestigious work ‘Miraat al Jinaan’ Volume 4 page 128 under the topic ‘Events of year 652’:

“Muhammad bin Talha Shafiyee was a great scholar in Fiqh and debates, He was a vizier to the King but left this to pursue piety and practised control of the nafs (self). It is about home that Radhi bin Asma states “I was on the mountain of Lebanon a saw a Faqir. I met the Faqir who said ‘I witnessed a dream wherein I heard poetry but was unable to see the reciter, the poetry was ‘O Ibn Talha Allah’s pleasure be upon you. You abandoned the position of vizier so as to pursue the spiritual kingdom’. The second line said ‘What can we say of that individual who left Dinar’s / Dirham for treasure’. When I got off the mountain I approached Shaykh Muhammad bin Talha and witnessed the king requesting permission to enter his residence. He was granted permission after a little while, and benefited from meeting Muhammad bin Talha. I approached the Shaykh and told him about the dream of the Faqir. He said immediately, ‘O Radhi is this dream is true then I shall die within eleven days. He died within eleven days”

Miraat al Jinaan, Volume 4 page 128

Two – The Deobandis believe that one of their scholars not only knew the details of his death but possessed the authority to delay it

For this we have relied on a book which usually every Deobandi carries with him i.e. ‘Fazail-e-Sadaqaat’ by Shaikh ul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakkariya Kaandhlawi:

“Abul Husain Maliki Rahmatullah alaihe says that he associated with Shaikh Khair Nurbaf Rahmatullah alaihe for several years. The Sheikh said to him, eight days before his death. ‘I shall die on Thursday evening, at the time of Maghrib Salaat, and I shall be buried on Friday after Jumah Salaat.” Although, he advised me not to forget, but I forgot about it and, on Friday morning, a man told me about the Sheikh’s death. I immediately went to his place to attend his funeral prayers. One the way I met people coming back from his house who told me that burial would take place after Jummah Saalah.

Nevertheless I went to his house and asked people the details of the Sheikh’s experience of death. A person, who had remained with him till his last breath, narrated to me that the Sheikh swooned for a while just before Maghrib Salaat. Then, he recovered somewhat and said to someone in the corner of the room, who was invisible to others, ‘Stop for a while; you have been commanded to do a thing and I have been commanded to do a thing. That which you are commanded to do (viz. to take my life) will not escape you, but that which I am commanded to do (viz. to observe Maghrib Salaat) will escape me. Let me do as I am commanded.” He then called for water, made a fresh Wudhu and performed Maghrib Salaat. After this, he laid himself on the bed, closed his eyes and gave up his life.”

Fazaail-e-Sadaqaat (Virtues of Charity), [English Translation], Chapter IX, page 609-610, (2nd South African Impression 1414-1993. Published by Waterval Islamic Institute, Johannesburg)

The anti-Shia movements belonging to Deoband school of thought should take a good long look at this reference. Not only did one of their beloved Imams know the place and time of his death, he even made the Angel of Death wait until he finished his prayers. Next time the followers of Sipah-e-Sahabah (kr-hcy.com) while mocking at the Shia belief on Imamate should not forget to read the aforesaid capabilities and authorities of their revered scholar.

Three – Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani was given more authority over deaths than the angel of death

About Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani the ‘Ghaus al-Aazam’ we read in the Ahl’ul Sunnah’s text ‘Tafreeh al-Khatir fi Manaqib al-Sheikh Abdul Qadir’ as follows:

“It is narrated from Sheikh-e-Kabeer Syed Ahmed Rafa’i that once a servant of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani died and his wife came to Sheikh Jeelani and cried and lamented infront of him and demanded that her husband’s soul may be retrieved. Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani looked into the spiritual world and saw that the angel of death is going towards the skies with all the souls that he has taken out during the day.

Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani called upon the angel and asked for the soul of his servant, but the angel of death refused to comply and said that he had taken out the souls on Allah’s order and would only submit the souls to him, on this Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani used his divine powers and pulled the virtual container that was in shape of a sack that contained the spirits and took out the soul of his servant, just as the top of the sack opened, all the souls came out and went back to their respective bodies.

At this the angel of death started crying and pleaded to Allah and said that O Lord! You know that I had a dispute with your beloved and your Wali Abdul Qadir and he attacked me with his powers and took away all the souls that i had captured today. At this Allah said to angel of death that Ghaus-e-Azam is my beloved and my desire, why didnt you return his servant’s soul? And due to a single soul you had to lose all other souls too and now you are standing embarrassed.”

Tafreeh al-Khatir fi Manaqib-al-Sheikh Abdul Qadir, Volume 5, page 12 (published in Egypt in 1339 A.H)

If the Ahl’ul Sunnah have no objections in believing that Allah (swt) had given Shaykh Jilani more authority over deaths than the angel of death then why the objection if the Shi’a believe that the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) being the true successors of Holy Prophet (s) possessed a control over deaths?

[12]: The Imams knowledge over whether a person is destined for Heaven or Hell

In his article ‘Al-Kafi or Al-Kufr?’

Ibn al Hashimi states:

“By listening to the voice of a person, the Imams can tell if the person was destined to go to hell or to heaven; they would thus answer his questions accordingly.” (Usool Al-Kafi, p. 185)

As part of the inheritance acquired through the Prophet (s) the Imams (as) acquired possession of a text that provided the contents of all the people of Hellfire, that accordingly enabled them to respond to a question in a certain manner. We read this authentic Sunni hadithin Sunan Tirmidhi, Volume 4 page 449 Hadith No. 2141, narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-’Asi:

The Messenger of Allah (s) came out to us, and he was holding two books in his hands. He asked us: “Do you know what these books are?” We answered: “No, O Messenger of Allah, except if you tell us”. Then he said about the book in his right hand: “This book, from the Lord of the Worlds, contains the names of ALL the people of Paradise, their names, the names of their fathers and tribes. The book has compiled all their names from the first to the very last, and nothing more is added to it and nothing is missing from it!” Then, the Messenger of Allah (s) talked about the book in his left hand: “This book, from the Lord of the Worlds, contains the names of ALL the people of Hellfire, their names, the names of their fathers and tribes. The book has compiled all their names from the first to the very last, and nothing more is added to it and nothing is missing from it!”

It is also recorded in Musnad Ahmad, Volume 6 page 132 Hadith 6563 while its annotator Shaykh Ahmad Muhammad Shakir stated: ’Its chain is Sahih’. Moreover Shaykh al-Albaani too has declared it Sahih in his Mishkat al-Masabih, Volume 1 page 21.

This hadith demonstrates that the Holy Prophet (s) indeed had knowledge of who was to go to Paradise and who was to go to Hellfire! Besides, the books are written in spiritual codes, and revealed like the Qur’an. Thus, any successor of the Holy Prophet (s) that inherits the books too must be one pure enough for them, and able to decipher the spiritual codes. The Imams (as) were able to do just that and were accordingly equipped with the ability to ascertain whether a person was destined for Heaven or Hell merely through the tone of his voice.


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