THE INACCESSIBLES IN ISLAM.(matters beyond our depth).
INTRODUCTION
All praise be to Allah the Lord of the world. We praise Him, we seek His help and we seek His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our souls and our evil actions. May the blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad (p.b.u.h), the chosen one, the apostle of mercy and the seal of the prophets; and upon his companions and the followers of Islam: a blessing lasting to the Day of Judgement. Indeed whomsoever Allah guides then none can misguide and whomsoever Allah misguides then none can guide aright. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah Alone, having no partners, and the Only One with the full knowledge of the Unseen and/or the inaccessible. And I bear witness that Muhammad (s.a.w) is His servant and messenger.
When Lord said to the Angels that He is going to create Adam, their response was:
"Wilt thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed
blood? Whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?"
But He (Allah) taught Adam the nature of all things; then He placed them before the angels and said: "Tell Me the nature of these if ye are right."
They said: "Glory to Thee of knowledge we have none save that Thou hast taught us: in truth it is Thou who art perfect in knowledge and wisdom."
Then He said: "O Adam! tell them their natures." When he had told them Allah said: "Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of heaven and earth and I know what ye reveal and what ye conceal?" (Quran 2:30-33)
This conversation between Lord and the Angels shows that knowledge all, is from Allah; and to his creatures (man in particular), He declared open the part of the knowledge He wished and withheld some part otherwise made it inaccessible. And He The Immortal said, "Nor shall they (humans) compass aught of his knowledge except as He willeth." (Quran 2:225)
We can also see this from the followings:
Allah the Exalted said:
"He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book: in it are
verses basic or fundamental (of established
meaning); they are the foundation of the Book:
others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is
perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical
seeking discord and searching for its hidden meanings
but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah
and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say:
"We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our
Lord"; and none will grasp the Message except men
of understanding."(Quran 3:7)
Concerning this verse, Sheikh Yusuf Ali commented as follows:
"....Broadly speaking Quran may be divided into two portions, not given separately,but intermingled; v.i.z (1) the nucleus foundation of the Book, literally "the mother of the Book", and (2) the part which is figurative, metaphorical, or allegorial. It is very fascinating to take up the latter and exercise our ingenuity about its inner meanings, but it refers to such profound spiritual matters that human language is inadequate to it; and though people of wisdom may get some light from it, no one should be dogmatic, as the final meaning is known to Allah alone. The commentators usually understand the verses "of established meaning" (muhkam) to refer to the categorical orders of the Shariat (or Law), which are plain to everyones understanding. But perhaps the meaning is wider: the "mother of the Book" must include the very foundation on which all Law rests, the essence of Lord Message, as distinguished from the various illustrative parables, allegories, and ordinances.
....The division is not between the verses but between the meanings to be attached to them. Each verse is but a Sign or Symbol: what it represents is something immediately applicable and something eternal and independent of time and space,-the "Form of ideas" in Platos philosophy. The wise man will understand that there is an "essence" and an illustrative clothing given to the essence, throughout the Book. We must try to understand it as best as we can, but not waste our energies in disputing about matters beyond our depth."-What an exellent commentary!
The above does not mean that the revelation is incomplete {after the Exalted said in the Quran : We have explained in detail in this Quran, for the benefit of mankind, every kind of similitude...(Quran 18:54)} Or that muslims are being denied the right to advance in knowledge {after both the Quran and the Sunnah required that we seek for knowledge}, but rather, shows the ultimate superiority of Allah, as All-Knower, over his creatures. Hence Allah completed the verse, Quran 18:54, by saying that ,"but man is in most things contentious." So if man had not cultivated the habit of contention and obstinacy, he would have found that the parables and similitude of the scripture had fully met his difficulties and hence stay where he was asked to stay, and gladly obey the call of Allah.
May be to some, this may seem like closing the gate of knowledge/research and opening the door of unquestioning submission and blind obedience. Then to them i say:
It is true that no rational person would accept a doctrine without understanding it, or follow a path unless it has proven to be the right one. But nevertheless, it is also true that in dispute one should begin by recourse to a judge and end by accepting his judgement: "No! by Thy Lord ! They cannot be true believers until they make thee a judge in their disputes, and feel in themselves no resistance to your decisions, but submit to them whole-heartedly." (Quran 4:65). And from this judge (prophet Muhammad), knowledge of certain things is inaccessible.
The prophet also said: "Distance yourselves from what i warned you; and for what i commanded you, observe it to the best of your abilities. Indeed it was too much enquiries and disobey to the prophets that destroyed the people before you." (Bukhari and Muslim).
Therefore our intention in this book is to introduce the reader to those things declared as inaccessibles by Allah and his Prophet. It is on those things that Imam At-Tahawi (in his book called Aqeedatut-Tahawiyyah) said:
"A mans Islam is not secure unless it is based on submission and surrender. So anyone who desires to know things which are beyond his capacity to know, and whose intellect is not content with surrender, will find that his desire veils him from a pure understanding of Allahs true unity, clear knowledge and correct belief. And that he veers between disblief and belief, confirmation and denial and acceptance and rejection. He will be subject to whisperings and find himself confused and full of doubt, being neither an accepting believer nor a denying rejector."
With hope reader will go through this book with a free mind, choosing not a sect for the author, but looking to accept even the glimpses of the truth and reject the odour of the mistakes, in which case i am ready to correct them if advised. And God will be our help.
...............................
Yahaya Sambo G.
Sokoto, Nigeria.
December 22, 2003.
PRELUDE I
Saying that certain matters are inaccessibles in islam does not mean in any way, denying the konwledge that Allah specified his messengers with or denying inspiration (Ilham). But rather, pointing on those things that are beyond our depth. On this we should know that:
(a). Allah specified His prophets with certain knowledge ( called Revelation) and this is the case with Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). However, this does not mean that the prophet knows the Ghayb (Unseen). This is due to the followings:
(i) Say: "I tell you not that with me are the treasures of Allah nor do I know what is hidden nor do I tell you I am an angel. I but follow what is revealed to me." Say: "Can the blind be held equal to the seeing?" Will ye then consider not? (Quran 6:50).
(ii )Say: "I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah willeth. If I had knowledge of the unseen I should have multiplied all good and no evil should have touched me, I am but a warner and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith." (Quran 7.188)
(iii) " Narrated Ubada bin As-Samit: "Allahs Apostle went out to inform the people
about the (date of the) night of decree (Al-Qadr) but there happened a quarrel between two Muslim men. The Prophet said, "I came out to inform you about (the date of) the night of
Al-Qadr, but as so and so and so and so quarreled, its knowledge was taken away (I forgot it) and maybe it was better for you. Now look for it in the 7th, the 9th and the 5th (of the last 10 nights of the month of Ramadan)." (Saheehul-Bukharee vol.1 no.46)
(iv) Narrated Masruq:
Aisha said, "If anyone tells you that Muhammad has seen his Lord, he is a liar, for Allah says: No vision can grasp Him. (6.103) And if anyone tells you that Muhammad has seen the Unseen, he is a liar, for Allah says: "None has the knowledge of the Unseen but Allah." (saheehul-Bukharee vol.9 no.477)
Thus anything of knowledge which is hidden before but later made accessible to the prophet by Allah becomes a Revelation/Message and is no more a Ghayb. Hence The All-Seer said:
"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 .That he may know that they have (truly) brought and delivered the Messages of their Lord: and He surrounds (all the mysteries) that are with them and takes account of every single thing." (Quran 72:26-28)
We can also understand that the prophets have no knowledge of the Unseen from the case of prophet Isah (a.s):
"And behold! Allah will say "O Jesus the son of Mary! didst thou say unto men `worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah"? He will say: "Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing Thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart though I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden."(Quran 5:116)
Moreover, specific gifts given to prophets (mujiza) are also to no degree, evidences that they have the knowledge of the Unseen; rather, they are Revelations too.
(b). There is inspiration . And this kind of revelation is for everybody: man and woman. And Allah says :"And behold! I inspired the Disciples to have faith in Me and Mine Apostle: they said `We have faith and do thou bear witness that we bow to Allah as Muslims. (Quran 5:111). "Some scholars even said that it (Ilham) is bestowed upon the animals also. E.g hunger feeling, the first cry of a baby, The revelation to the mother of prophet Moses (i.e to place him in river), e.t.c. But the inspiration of some people is above that of others.Let us take example with Umar (r.a):
It is related by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and Ahmad. It is elucidated by the two hadiths in Tirmidhi (which he graded hasan) whereby "Allah has engraved truth on the tongue of `Umar and his heart" and "If there were a Prophet after me verily it would be `Umar."
But this does not indicate that Umar received Revelations as he is not prophet. But rather, this is Ilham (inspiration) and Karama (gift) that Allah bestowed to him. Also, good Ilham is from God but bad/evil inspiration (e.g stealing) is from ourselves. Thus, the prophet says in a supplication, ".......And all the goodness is in your Hand; but evils/badness cannot be attributed to You.....". (Muslim, Abu-Uwainat, Abu-Daud, Nisai, Ibn Hibban, Ahmad, Shafii, Tabrani).
(c). Though some people are above others in position and knowledge, none knows anything concerning the knowledge of the ghayb or receives Revelation. This is because Revelation is conferred to the Prophet only, and he (the prophet) said during his last sermon:
"O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born."
But Ilham continues. Hence we shall weight every Ilham nowadays with Quran and Sunnah in order to authenticate it or not. This is because the sahaba used to refer to the prophet in such cases of the Ilham. Examples:
(1). Abubakar (r.a) requested from the prophet that he wants to interpret a dream of one man, and the prophet granted him his request. After the interpretation, he asked the prophet whether he was right or wrong.The prophet replied: "You are right in some of it and wrong in some." (Saheehul-Bukharee vol.9 no.170)
(2).Adhaan that was dreamt by Abdullah bin Zaid and the messenger of Allah (s.a.w) confirmed the dream to be true, and introduced the Adhaan as a call to the prayers.- (Ahmad, Abu-Daud andTirmizi; Ibn Khuzaim said it is Saheeh).
(3) E.t.c
Therefore the prophet was specified with wahy (Revelation) Ilham (inspiration) and mujiza; the rest of the ummah with Ilham (inspiration) and karama (gift) . But the Almighty specified Himself with the full knowledge of the inaccessibles. Hence He says:
It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration or from behind a veil or by the sending of a Messenger to reveal with Allahs permission
what Allah wills: for He is Most High Most Wise. (Quran 42:51).
PRELUDE II
TYPES OF KNOWLEDEGE BASED ON ACCESSIBILITY:
In Islam nothing suffices knowledge. This is why The Eternal said in a Hadith al-Qudsi:
"...know Me before worshipping Me..." I.e to know His Revelations to man. It is this faculty of knowledge bestowed to man by Allah that distinguished him from other creatures. Then Allah made everything in nature available for the use of man through the genius and faculties He has given to him (Quran 45:13, e.t.c), and He created man to serve Him (Quran 51:56). But if we cannot serve Allah without knowing Him, then true it is that knowledge articulates between worship and salvation.
"Glory to Allah Most High, full of grace and Mercy;
He created all, including man,
to man He gave a special place in His creation.
He honoured man to be His agent,
and to that end, endued him with understanding,
purified his affections, and gave him spritual insight;
so that man should understand Nature,
understand himself,
and know Allah through His wondorous Signs,
and glorify Him in truth, reverence, and unity."
However man has to bear in mind that knowledge all, is from Allah. Hence He said to His prophet (p.b.u.h): "Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful. He Who taught (the use of) the Pen. Taught man that which he knew not."(Quran 96:3-5).
The Eternal also said, "And Allah created you and what ye know."
And based on accessibility, knowledge can be classified into three v.i.z: (1) Accessible knowledge(2) Semi-accessible knowledge and (3) Inaccessible knowledge.
(1). ACCESSIBLE KNOWLEDGE:
This is the kind of which its literal and full explanation was given to man. E.g the knowledge of: marriage, prayers, evil and good, menstruation, gambling, farming, e.t.c. Knowledge found in the legal text is always accessible.
On this type of knowledge, we have the following verses:
* " Say those without knowledge: "Why speaketh not Allah unto Us? Or why cometh not unto Us a sign?" So said the people before them words of similar import. Their hearts are alike. We have indeed made clear the signs unto any people who hold firmly to faith (in their hearts)"
(Quran 2:118).
* "They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: "In them is great sin and some profit for men; but the sin is greater than the profit." They ask thee how much they are to spend; say: "What is beyond your needs." Thus doth Allah make clear to you His Signs: in order
that ye may consider" (Quran 2:219).
* E.t.c.
This kind of knowledge dominates the Revelation and is literal so that almost every man can grasp and assimilate.
(2). SEMI-ACCESSIBLE KNOWLEDGE:
This type of knowledge gave man a little insight into certain matters. The remaining part of this knowledge is with Allah only; and to the End of this World, man cannot have access to it (the part which is with Allah only).
This type of knowledge can be observed from the following Hadith:
Narrated Ibn Masud:
"While I was in the company of the Prophet on a farm and he was reclining on a palm leave stalk, some Jews passed by. Some of them said to the others. "Ask him (the Prophet) about the spirit." Some of them said, "What urges you to ask him about it?" Others said, "(Dont) lest he should give you a reply which you dislike." But they said, "Ask him." So they asked him about the Spirit. The Prophet kept quiet and did not give them any answer. I knew that he was being divinely inspired so I stayed at my place. When the divine inspiration had been revealed, the Prophet said, "They ask you (O, Muhammad) concerning the Spirit. Say: The spirit, its knowledge is with my Lord; and of knowledge you (mankind) have been given only a Little." (Quran17:85).-(Saheeh-al Bukhari, Eng. trans. vol. 6 no. 245).
In this Revelation, the knowledge of the spirit given to man, is only a little. Hence the knowledge of the spirit is semi-accessible knowledge.
"It is one one of those high spiritual mysteries which cannot be explained in the terms of our everyday human experience. It is spiritual....Of the sum total of the true spiritual knowledge, what a small part it is that ordinary mortals can understand!
And even the spiritual knowledge that came to us came because of the favour and mercy of Allah. If He is to withold it, then who can call Him in question?".
For this type of knowledge (semi-accessible), man should not delve too much into it. This is because even if he is to spend all his life searching for it, a little will he grasp. So why not freeing the body, mind and the soul by giving too much time to the accessible knowledge (which is the most important to know) and a little time to what Allah promised a little.
(3). INACCESSIBLE KNOWLEDGE:
And Allah The Cherisher said concerning the inaccessible knowledge:
. *"...but no one knows its hidden meaning except Allah...."(Quran 3:7)
*"With Him are the keys of the Unseen the treasures
that none knoweth but He."(Quran 6:59)
* "....Nor will He disclose to you the secrets of the Unseen...." (Quran 3:179)
*O ye who believe! ask not questions about things which if made plain to you may cause you trouble. But if ye ask about things when the Quran is being revealed they will be made plain to you: Allah will forgive those: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most
Forbearing. Some people before you did ask such questions and on that account lost their faith. (Quran 5:101-102)
On these verses (Quran5:104-105) Shaykh Yusuf Ali commentary is as follows:
"Many secrets are wisely hidden from us, if the future is known to us, we need not necessarily be happy. In many cases we should be miserable. If the inner meaning of some of the things we see before our eyes were disclosed to us, it might cause a lot of mischief. Allahs message, in so far as it is necessary for shaping our conduct, is plain and open to us. But there are many things too deep for us to understand, either individually or collectively. It would be foolish to pry into them, as some foolish people tried to do in the time of the Apostle. Where a matter is mentioned in the Quran, we can reverently ask for its meaning. That is not forbidden. But we should never pass the bounds of (1) our own capacity to understand, (2) the time andoccasion when we ask questions, and....
For example,the merely fractious questions asked of Moses by the jews:..."
A prophetic Hadith also thrown more light:
"Allah, the Most Honored, has ordained some obligations, so do not ignore them; has set some limits, so do not trespass them; has prohibited some things, so do not commit them; and has left some things without rulings, out of mercy for you, not that He forgot them, so do not ask about them."(Daral-Qutni and Others).
So from the above we can understand that the inaccessible knowledge is the Revelation to man on which no futher explanation was given about the inner meaning(s). For this kind of knowledge man should not enquire because there are no answers revealed. Hence he should be dogmatic on its inaccessibility following the way of his pious predecessors:
"....And they say: we hear and we obey: (we seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys." (Quran2:285)
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THE INACCESSIBLE 1: "Time of the Hour"
"Verily the Hour is coming My design is to keep it hidden for every soul to receive its reward by the measure of its endeavor."(Quran20:15)
The prophet told us many scenes of the day of judgement and pre-signs of the Hour. But for the actual time that it (the Hour) is going to be established, nobody knows except the All-Knower. And He said to the prophet (p.b.u.h):
"They ask: When will this promise be (fulfilled)? If ye are telling the truth.
Say: "As to the knowledge of the time it is with Allah alone: I am (sent) only to warn plainly in public." (Quran67:25-26)
So the Judgement day is certain to come. But when it will exactly come is known to nobody (including the prophet, p.b.u.h) except Allah (s.w.t). The prophet said to Angel Gabriel: "....And for the time of the Hour, the answerer (prophet) has no better knowledge than the questioner (Gabriel)."-(Muslim)
The messenger also said, "None knows when the Hour will be established, but Allah."-(Bukhari)
Allah (s.w.t) futher says:
*"They ask thee about the Hour `When will be its appointed time? Wherein art thou (concerned) with the declaration thereof? With they Lord is the Limit fixed therefor. Thou art but a Warner for such as fear it." (Quran79:42-45)
*They ask thee about the (final) hour when will be its appointed time? Say: "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord (alone): none but He can reveal as to when it will occur. Heavy were its burden through the heavens and the earth. Only all of a sudden will it come to you. They ask thee as if thou wert eager in search thereof: Say: "The knowledge thereof is with Allah (alone) but most men know not."(Quran 7:187)
THE INACCESSIBLE 2: "When it will Rain"
The metrologists do tell us that it will rain or not, tommorow. But is this really true? Do they have the knowledge to know such a wonderful secret? No! they dont. And Allahs prophet said: "None knows when it will rain, but Allah."-(Bukhari)
The Immortal also says:"...it is He who send down Rain..." i.e when He wishes (Quran31:34). But as for the circulation of water (water cycle), Quran23:18 and Quran39:21 may stand as reasons.
THE INACCESSIBLE 3: "What is in the Womb"
Allah says: " He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He pleases. There is no god but He the Exalted in Might the Wise."(Quran 3:6)
Then who can tell-to take man alone-whether the child concieved is male or female, how long it will remain in the womb, whether it will be born alive, what sort of a new individual it will be, -a blessing or a curse to its parents, or to society? No one except Allah The All-Knower of the secrets. And He further says:
"...and it is He Who Knows what is in the wombs." (Quran 31:34)
The messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h) said, "None knows what is in the womb, but Allah."-(Bukhari)
So it is not proper for a muslim to believe in the expected day of delivery (EDD) or the scanning/ultrasound of the womb made to know whether a child is male or female. Also believe in the words of the soothsayers on what is inside the womb is also Haram. How many times are these things inaccurate? Afterall, to which important are they to us.
Ibn kathir mentioned in his tafsir of Quran 13:9 that:
"Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, and no one knows by how much the wombs fall short, this refers to miscarriages, or exceed, this refers to carrying her fetus in her womb for the full term. Some women carry their fetus for ten months, while others for nine months. Some terms are longer or shorter than others. This is the falling short or exceeding that Allah the Exalted mentioned, and all this occurs by His knowledge. Qatadah commented on Allahs statement, (Everything with Him is in proportion.) For a term appointed. Allah has the records of the provisions and terms of His creation and made an appointed term for everything.
THE INACCESSIBLE 4: "What will happen Tommorow"
And Allah said: "Nor does anyone know what it is that he will earn on the morrow:" (Quran 31:34)
Therefore a person is no muslim if he believes in astronomy/magic/sorcery/e.t.c in knowing what will tommorow bring forth for him. Hence Allah said: "But the devils disblieved, teaching men magic..." (Quran 2:102). The prophet also said: "Whoever goes to a frortune teller or a soothsayer, and believes what they say, has rejected what has been revealed to Muhammad." -(Ahmad).
Furthermore, concerning the inaccessibility of "what will happen tommorow", the following ahadith explain:
*Aaishah, the wife of the prophet (r.a) says, "And whoever tells you that the prophet (p.b.u.h) knows what is going to happen tommorow, is a liar". She then recited the verse: "No soul can know what it will earn tommorow."(Saheeh Bukhari, eng. trans., vol. 6, no 378)
*When a few small girls were beating on the duff and singing in the presence of Allahs messenger (s.a.w), they said, "There is a prophet amongst us who knows what will happen tommorow." The messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h) said, "Do not say this, but go on saying what you have spoken before."-(Saheeh Bukhari, eng. trans., vol. 5, no. 336)
*The prophet said , "None knows what will happen tommorow, but Allah." (Bukhari)
THE INACCESSIBLE 5: "Destination of Death"
Death is enevitable. And Allah says:
"Nor can a soul die except by Allahs leave, the term being fixed as by writing." (Quran 3:145) . And the time of this leave is none to no one, but Allah.
He also said: "...nor does anyone know in what land he is to die..." (Quran 31:34).
Hence from these two verses we can say that the knowledge of when and where to die is an undisclosed secret, inacccessible and known to Allah alone. The prophet also said, "None knows where he will die, but Allah (knows that)."-(Bukhari)
Both the five inaccessibles discussed above are summed up in the following verse and hadith:
the verse The Verse:ttt
"Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). It is He Who sends down rain and He Who knows what is in the wombs. Nor does anyone know what it is that he will earn on the morrow: nor does anyone know in what land he is to die. Verily with Allah is full knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things)." (Quran31:34)
the hadith
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." (Saheeh Bukhari, Eng. Trans.,vol. 9, book 93, no. 476).
THE INACCESSIBLE 6: "The meaning of a Dream"
First of all, it is not every dream that is true. Hence the messenger of Allah said:"....Dreams are of three types; one good dream which is a sort of good tiding from Allah; the evil dream which causes pain is from shaytaan; and the third one is a suggestion of ones mind..."-(Saheeh Muslim, no. 5621). And it is only those dreams that come true are attributed to Allah. And on this, the Prophet (s.a.w) said, "A good dream that comes true is from Allah..." (Saheeh Bukharee, vol. 9, no. 170). This hadeeth shows that only after a dream comes true, it may be known for sure that it is a glad tiding and only then it may be attributed to Allah. In other words, there is no certain way of knowing whether the dream is true dream until it comes true.
So interpreting dreams, especiallly those that have a symbgolic messsage may not be completely correct. It is mentioned in Saheeh al-Bukharee (vol. 9, no. 170), Narrated Ibn Abbas that, "A man came to Allahs Apostle and said, "I saw in a dream, a cloud having shade. Butter and honey were dropping from it and I saw the people gathering it in their hands, some gathering much and some a little. And behold, there was a rope extending from the earth to the sky, and I saw that you (the Prophet) held it and went up, and then another man held it and went up and (after that) another (third) held it and went up, and then after another (fourth) man held it, but it broke and then got connected again." Abu Bakr said, "O Allahs Apostle! Let my father be sacrificed for you! Allow me to interpret this dream." The Prophet said to him, "Interpret it." Abu Bakr said, "The cloud with shade symbolizes Islam, and the butter and honey dropping from it, symbolizes the Quran, its sweetness dropping and some people learning much
of the Quran and some a little. The rope which is extended from the sky to the earth is the Truth which you (the Prophet) are following. You follow it and Allah will raise you high with it, and then another man will follow it and will rise up with it and another person will follow it and then another man will follow it but it will break and then it will be connected for him and he will rise up with it. O Allahs Apostle! Let my father be sacrificed for you! Am I right or wrong?" The Prophet replied, "You are right in some of it and wrong in some." Abu Bakr said, "O Allahs Prophet! By Allah, you must tell me in what I was wrong." The Prophet said, "Do not swear." So if a person like Abu Bakr (r.a) cannot be able to interpret a dream accurately, then who else can interpret it now.
However, dreams of the messengers are true. Revelations are sometimes conveyed through dreams. Theses dreams are indeed a source of accurate knowledge as Aaishah (r.a) narrates: "The commencement of the Divine inspiration to Allahs messenger was in the form of good righteous dreams in his sleep. He never had a dream but that it came true like bright day light." -(Saheeh-al Bukharee, vol. 9, no. 111).
Also those dreams that were interpreted by the messenger (s.a.w) are a source of guidance and true because, "Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him." (Quran 53:3). A good example of this is the Adhaan that was dreamt by Abdullah bin Zaid and the messenger of Allah (s.a.w) confirmed the dream to be true, and introduced the Adhaan as a call to the prayers.- (Ahmad, Abu-Daud andTirmizi; Ibn Khuzaim said it is Saheeh).
So for our dreams nowadays, the following words of the holy prophet of Islam, Narrated by Abu Salama are enough:
"I used to see a dream which would make me sick till I heard Abu Qatada saying, "I too, used to see a dream which would make me sick till I heard the Prophet saying, A good dream is from Allah, so if anyone of you saw a dream which he liked, he should not tell it to anybody except to the one whom he loves, and if he saw a dream which he disliked, then he should seek refuge with Allah from its evil and from the evil of Satan, and spit three times (on his left) and should not tell it to anybody, for it will not harm him. " (Saheeh-al Bukhari, vol. 9, no. 168). But not to go on searching for interpretation, because the question is that who can interpret it now?.Allah knows Best.
INACCESSIBLE 7: "Allah, His Wisdom and Why?"
Though we have answers to some of the why-questions concerning the wisdom of Allah, some are inaccessible. Let us see examples of the former before introducing the reader to the latter otherwise our inaccessible no. 7.
Examples of the why-questions we ask concerning the the wisdom of Allah that have answers are given below:
(1).Question: Why Allah placed men over women?
Answer: "Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient and guard in (the husbands) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct admonish them (first) (next) refuse to share their beds (and last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience seek not against them means (of annoyance): for Allah is Most High Great
(above you all)". (Quran 4:34)
(2). Question: Why Allah send trials or tests to the believers?
Answer: "Do men think that on their (mere) saying "We have attained to faith", they will be left to themselves, and will not be put to a test?
Yea, indeed, We did test those who lived before them; and so, [too, shall be tested the people now living: and] most certainly will Allah mark out those who prove themselves true, and must certainly will He mark out those that are lying. " (Quran 29:2-3)
(3). E.t.c
Now going back to the main subject, the inaccessible whys concerning the wisdom of Allah, i found the following excerpts from Kitab al-Milal Wan-Nihal of Shaykh Shahrastani very essential:
"AN EXPLANATION OF THE FIRST DOUBT THAT AROSE IN THE WORLD: FROM WHOM IT FIRST AROSE AND IN WHOM IT WAS FINALLY MANIFESTED:
The first doubt that arose in the world was the doubt of Iblis: may the curse of Allah be on him! Its source was his assumption of independence in opposition to a clear instruction; his preference for his own inclination over the command; his pride in the matter out of which he was created, that is, fire, in contrast to the matter out of which Adam was created, that is, dust. From this doubt seven other doubts arose which spred amongst men and permeated their thinking till they became sources of erroneous and false beliefs. These doubts are found mentioned in commentaries of the four gospels, namely Luke, Mark, John and Matthew; they are also mentioned in the Torah in various places in the form of dialogues between Iblis and the Angels after the command given to make obeisance, and his refusal to do so.
Iblis is reported to have said:
"I admit that God is my God and the God of creation, knowing and powerful; that his power and will cannot be questioned, and that whenever he wills a thing he says to it Be, and it becomes. I also admit that he is wise, but concerning his wisdom a number of questions can be raised.."
The Angels asked, what are these questions and how many are they? Iblis replied:
seven. He continued:
"The first question is, that as God knew before he created me what i would do and how i would act, why did he created me? And what is his wisdom in creating me?
Secondly. if he created me in accordance with his will and pleasure, why did he command me to to know and obey him? Moreover, since he does not derive any benefit from obedience, nor is he harmed by disobidience, what is the wisdom in this command?
Thirdly. when he created me and commanded me to acknowledge and obey him, i adhered to his command and obey him. Why, then,did he command me to obey Adam and make obeisance to him? What is his wisdom in this particular command, since it does not add to my knowledge of him, nor increase my obidience to him?
Fourthly, when he created me and not only commanded me in general, but gave me also this particular command, then, when i did not make obeisance to Adam, why did he curse me and cast me out of paradise? What is the wisdom in this? I commited no other evil than saying, I shall make obeisance only to you.
Fifthly, when he created me and gave me both a general and a particular command, and i did not obey him, he cursed me and drove me away. Why, then, did he give me access to Adam, so that i entered paradise a second time and decieved him by my evil suggestion? Adam consequently ate of forbidden tree, and God expelled him from paradise with me. What is the wisdom in this? Had he prevented me from entering paradise, Adam would have eluded me and would have been there for ever.
Sixthly , after God had created me and given me both a general and a particular command; after he had cursed me and given me re-enterance to paradise, where a dispute took place between me and Adam, why did he give me power over his descendents in such a way that i could see them but they could not see me? Why were my evil suggestions able to influence them, but they had no power or influence of any kind over me? What is the wisdom in this? If God had created them and given them their nature with no one seeking to make them deviate from it, they would have lived pure, attentive and submissive. This would have been more fitting for them and more in harmony with wisdom.
Seventhly, i admit all this, namely, that God created me, that he gave me both a general and a particular comand, and that when i did not obey him he cursed me and expelled mefrom paradise; also that when i wanted to re-enter paradise he allowed me to do so and gave me access to it; that when i did the thing i did he he cast me out but gave me power over mankind. Why, then, after that, when i asked him to give me respite, did he give me respite? I said to god,
My Lord, respite me till the day they shall be raised. He said, Though art among the ones that are respited unto the day of a known time.
What is the wisdom in this? If he had destroyed me at that time, Adam and the whole of mankind would have been beyond my power, and there would have been no evil in the world. Is not the enduring of the world in right order better than the world mixed with evil?
Iblis then added: So this is my arguement for what I maintain on each question.
The commentator of the Gospel says that God told the angels to say to Iblis:
Your first admission that I am your God and the God of creation was not truthful and sincere, for if you had indeed meant that i am the Lord of the universe you would not have asksed the question why; for I am God; and there is no god but Me. I am not to be questioned as to what I do, but men are questioned as to what they do.
What i have related is found in the Torah and also in [the commentaries on} the New Testament in the way that I have described them. I have often though and said that it is quite clear that every doubt entertained by the descendants of Adam was due to the misleading action of the accursed devil and his evil suggestions, and had developed from his doubts. As, however, his doubts are confined to seven, the major innovations and errors can also be reduced to seven. Indeed, the doubts of the hereticalb cannot go beyond these doubts, even though they are differently expressed and follow different paths; for these doubts are like the seeds of diffferent kinds of errors that are found, and they can all be summed up in non-acceptance of the command after the administration of thetruth, and in following personal inclination as opposed to clear instruction.
All those who dissputed with Noah, Hud, Salih, Abraham, Lot, Shuaib, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, all folowed the same pattern as the first accursed one in the manifestation of his doubt. These disputations may be summarized as the as a refusal to be subject to command and a refusal to accept all the lawgivers and the laws,..............
The first accursed one, then, when he imposed a judgement of reason on one who cannot be judge by reason, had either to apply the law of the Creator to the created being, or the law of the created being to the Creator. The first errs by excess, thge second by default. From the first error arose the following sects: the Incarnationists, the Transmigrationists, the Anthropomorphists , and the Exteremists among the Shia who went so far as to give a man the attributes of God. From the second error arose the schools of Qadarite, Jabarites and Mujassima who were remiss in their description of God, and bestowed upon him the attributes of created beings. The Mutazilites are anthropormophists in the matter of deeds, and the Mushabbiha are incarnationists in the matter of attributes. Each of them has one-eyed point of view, because whoever says, "what befits us befits God, and what does not befit us does not befit God", has made the Creator like the created; and whoever says, "God can be described in the same term in which man is described", or vice versa, hasstrayed from the path of truth.
The root of the Qadarite doctrine is in seeking the reason for everything. This in turn is rooted in the first accursed one demanding, firstly, the reason for creation; secondly, the wisdom of command; and, thirdly, the benefit of the command to make obeisance to Adam. From this root the sect of the Kharijites developed, because there is no difference between their saying: "There is no judgement but that of God, and we do not appoint men as judges", and the saying of the devil, "I shall not make obeisance except to you. Shall I make obeisance to a mortal you created from clay?"
Indeed, to go from the medium to either extreme is to be condemned. The mutazilites went to extremes on the question of the unity of God, and fell into tatil by denying Gods attributes. The ........
If you look, you will see that all these errors spring from the errors of the first accursed one. These first errors were the origins and the later ones their manifestations.The Quran refers to this in the words of God: "Follow not the steps of the Satan; he is a manifest foe to you."
The prophet compared each of the misguided sects of his community with a misguided people of the former times. Thus he said: "The Qadarites are the Magians of this community, the Mushabbiha the Jews of the community, and the Rafidites its Christians." Speaking in general terms he said, "You will walk along the path of former peoples in exactly the same way, so much that if they have entered the hole of a lizard you will enter it too." "
I think with the above, no one needs the accuracy of a third eye to see the dangers surrounding the inaccessible-whys. Hence Allah says: "He is not asked about what He does but they (humans) are asked" (Quran 21:23) . Imam At-Tahawi said in Aqeedatut-Tahawiyyah, ".....so any one who asks: why did Allah do that? has gone against a judgement of the Book, and any one who goes against a judgement of the Book is an unbeliever.
An example of the inaccessible why is that of the divine injustice.-subhanallah. Here you will find someone asking a question like this:
Allah said: "He leads as well as misleads the people and also causes to err whom He pleases and directs whom He pleases" (Quran 14:4). The prophet also said, (as regards your creation), every one of you is collected in the womb of his mother for the first forty days, and then he becomes a clot for an other forty days, and then a piece of flesh for an other forty days.
Then Allah sends an angel to write four words: He writes his deeds, time of his death, means of his livelihood, and whether he will be wretched or blessed (in religion). Then the soul is breathed into his body. So a man may do deeds characteristic of the people of the (Hell) Fire, so much so that there is only the distance of a cubit between him and it, and then what has been written (by the angel) surpasses, and so he starts doing deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise and enters Paradise. Similarly, a person may do deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise, so much so that there is only the distance of a cubit between him and it, and then what has been written (by the angel) surpasses, and he starts doing deeds of the people of the (Hell) Fire and enters the (Hell) Fire." (Saheehul-Bukharee vol4 no549). So why will God admits me into the hell fire if i refused to obey his commands as it is He Who caused me to err?-Subhanallah, "God has borne witness that there is no god but He" (Quran 3:18), and "Your God is not unjust towards His servants and verily He will not deal unjustly with men in any respect" (Quran 21:47)
Reader, may Allah guides you and me , read the next inaccessible which will further explains the above inshaAllah .
INACCESSIBLE 8: FREEWILL OR PREDESTINATION
The question that has been bothering many people for some time is whether man acts and behaves according to his own freewill or to what has been destined for him by Allah. In other words, is the choice in any given situation completely ours, or is it predetermined for us? Is there for everyone of us a destiny towards his life, and from which he cannot escape? Or is it true that by our own choices we mould our future?
Concerning this question, the following groups arose:
(1) The first group is so extreme in its attempts to prove pre-estimation that it has completely deprived man of any power and any ability to choose. For them, man has no independence but is coerced into doing all that he does; he is a helpless being at the mercy of fate. They are the predeterminists (mainly the Jabarites).
(2) The second group goes to the extreme of attributing complete power and freedom of choice to the individual, at the expense of denying Allah any role in the process, by saying that the Almighty does not know of an action until after it has occured! They are the freewill thinkers (mainly the Mutazilites).
The first group has as a proof, the followings:
-Verily all things have We created in proportion and measure (Quran 54:49)
-Who hath created and further given order and proportion; Who hath ordained laws. And granted guidance; (Quran 87:2-3)
-Say: "Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our protector": and on Allah let the believers put their trust. (Quran 9:51)
-We sent an apostle except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people in order to make
(things) clear to them. Now Allah leaves straying those whom He pleases and guides whom He
pleases: and He is Exalted in power Full of Wisdom. (Quran 14:4)
-(Unbelievers) whose eyes had been under a veil from Remembrance of Me and who had been unable even to hear. (Quran 18:101)
-If We had so willed We could certainly have brought every soul its true guidance: but the Word from Me will come true. "I will fill Hell with Jinns and men all together." (Quran 32:13)
-No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence: that is truly easy for Allah: (Quran 57:22)
-He knoweth the Unseen and that which is open: He is the Great the Most High.(Quran 13:9)
-Those who reject Our Signs are deaf and dumb in the midst of darkness profound: whom Allah willeth He leaveth to wander whom He willeth He placeth on the way that is straight. (Quran 6.39)
-A man said, "O Allahs Apostle! Can the people of paradise be known (differentiated) from the people of the fire"; The prophet replied, "Yes"......(Saheehul-Bukharee vol.8 no.595)
-The prophet said: "There is none of you but has his place assigned either in the fire or in paradise." (Saheehul-Bukharee vol.8 no.602)
TO BE CONTINUED
Last update : 29-01-2005 22:53
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