Bismillaah
Sharh as-Sunnah : Lesson 52: Point 89
Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]
Imaam Barbahaaree rahimahullaah said:
And to have eemaan that Allaah, the Most High, showed His Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam what was going to occur in his nation until the Day of Resurrection.[1]
Transcribed Audio:
The Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallamdoes not know the ghayb (hidden and unseen) and no-one from the created beings knows the hidden and unseen (ghayb).
قُل لَّا يَعْلَمُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ
Say, no-one in the heavens or on the earth knows the hidden and unseen except Allaah. (Sooratun-Naml (27), aayah65)
And al-ghayb (hidden and the unseen) is that which is hidden from us, whether it be in the past or in the future, we do not know it. However, the Prophets `alayhimussalaatu wassalaam, Allaah shows them something from the hidden and the unseen for the benefit of the da`wah (call to Allaah, the Perfect and Most High). And from them was our Prophet Muhammad sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam for Allaah showed him some of the matters of the unseen and he sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam informed of them for the benefit of the nation.
He, the Most High, said:
عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا
إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولٍ
Allaah is the Knower of the unseen so He does not reveal what He has kept hidden to anyone except to a messenger whom He is pleased with. (Sooratul-Jinn (72), aayah 26-27)
Except to a messenger He is pleased with; meaning that Allaah shows to him whatever He, the Perfect and Most High, wishes. For e.g. the Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam was walking along with his companions and they passed by two graves so he said:
“These two are certainly being punished.”[2]
The companions were not aware that the two inhabitants of the graves were being punished. Allaah revealed it to His Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam, the punishment of the two deceased. So he said:  “These two are certainly being punished.”
This was something which Allaah made him aware of and this was from the khasaa·is, from the matters specific to the Messengers `alayhimussalaatu wassalaam. And Allaah made him aware of events that were going to occur in the future and he sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam informed us about Ashraatis-Saa’ah (The Signs of the Last Hour). He informed us about the fitan(trials and tribulations) in order that we should beware and have fear lest these matters come upon us so that we could be upon clear insight.
He informed us for our benefit from the angle of warning so that we could safeguard ourselves. He sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam also said:
“This nation will split into 73 sects, all of them will be in the Fire except one.”[3]
This was news for him (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) that splitting would occur in the nation and it occurred just as he (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) informed so that we should remain firm upon the truth and not go off along with those who contradict the truth.[4]
Footnotes:
[1] Translator’s side point: Allaah Bi Annallaaha Ta`ala and in some of the versions it has Bi Annallaaha Tabaaraka Wa Ta`ala (Allaah, the Exalted and Most High). Just a slight one addition word; Tabaaraka Wa Ta`ala.
[2] Reported by Al-Bukhaariyy (218) and Muslim (292) from a hadeeth of Ibn `Abbaas radiyAllaahu `anhumaa.
[3] Translator’s side point: In the footnote it mentions checking of this has preceded and it will follow in the next point inshaaAllaah also.
[4] Translator’s side point:
Firstly, with regard to the main point that Allaah, the Most High, shows His Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam what will occur in his nation until the Day of Resurrection and the reference for this as some of the verifiers mention is a hadeeth reported by al-Bukhaariyy (6604) and reported by Muslim (2891) as a hadeeth of Huthayfah radiyAllaahu `anhu who said:
“The Prophet gave us an address; khutbah, he did not leave anything out of it that will happen until the establishment of the Hour except that he mentioned it. Whoever knew of it, knew it and whoever was ignorant of it was ignorant of it and I used to see things happening, which I had forgotten so then I would recognise them just as a man recognises when something has been absent from him then when he sees it again, he recognises it.”
Also, Shaykh Ahmad an-Najmeerahimahullaah made an important point also with regard to this point that “Allaah, the Most High made His Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam aware. He showed him things that would happen in his nation until the Day of Resurrection”. Shaykh Ahmad said,
“I say, this saying contains some degree of generality. So Allaah, the Perfect and Most High did not show His Prophet everything that was going to occur in his nation until the Day of Resurrection because this is from ilm ul-ghaib (the knowledge of the hidden and unseen), which is specific to the Lord of Might and Majesty. However, He showed him some events and some matters that were going to occur. And therefore, there occurs in the two saheehs from a hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah radiyAllaahu `anhu that:
“Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam came to the graveyard and gave the greeting, “May Allaah grant you security O believing people and we will if Allaah wills be joining you.” Then he said, “I would have loved that I would have seen my brothers.” So they (the companions) said, “Are we not your brothers Oh Messenger of Allaah?” So he said, “You are my companions and my brothers are those who have not yet come.” So they said, “How will you recognise those who have not yet come from your nation O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, do you see if a man had some horses with white marks upon their heads and their arms and they were amongst some dark horses, would he not recognise his own horses?” So they said, “Yes indeed O Messenger of Allaah”. He said, “Then they will come with white marks on account of the wudu and I will precede you to the hawd (the great reservoir). Indeed some men will be repelled away from my reservoir just as a stray camel is repelled away. I will call to them, Come. So it will be said, they changed after you. So then I will say, suhqan, suhqan, be away, be far away.” 
[Reported by Al-Bukhaariyy and Muslim]
“So this is a proof that he was not informed of everything that would occur in his nation but rather, he was informed of some things that were going to have a serious effect. So the Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam informed of some of that just as is written in the books of the Sunnah and that does not mean that he became aware of everything that was going to occur in his nation and everything that would occur amongst them and to them as is believed by some people and I have researched this matter of my refutation of Ibn ul Haaj in the book Awza hul al ishaarah fir raddi ala man ajaza mamnu minal ziyaara, the clear indication in refutation of those who make permissible the forbidden type of visitation of graves.”
“So refer to that treatise because it is beneficial in its topic and that is from the bounty and beneficence of Allaah and His grant of success. And beware O student of knowledge of being slow or being too lazy to digest this matter because it is something that has great importance and by researching it and understanding it, you can become free from the beliefs of shirkand you can come to know the position of the Salaf well in this matter and Allaah is the one who grants success.”
Then finally on this point, Shaykh Saalihas-Suhaymee hafizahullaah summarised this point by saying the ghaib (hidden and the unseen) is of two categories. He mentioned:
  • Firstly, Ghaib ul-Mutlaq: That which is totally hidden and unseen and that is known only to Allaah, nobody else knows it, and,
  • Ghaib ul-Nisbee: That which is partially hidden and unseen.
That which is partially hidden and unseen refers to that which Allaah has made His Prophets aware of just as, He, the Most High said, the aayah that came at the beginning:
عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا
إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولٍ
Allaah, the Most High, is the Knower of the hidden and unseen so He does not reveal that which He has kept hidden to anyone except to a messenger whom He is pleased with. (Sooratul-Jinn (72), aayah 26-27)
So the Ghaib ul-Mutlaq; that which is unrestrictedly hidden and unseen is something specific to Allaah and the Ghaib ul-Nisbee; that which is partially hidden and unseen is that which He made His Prophets aware of.
—
Ithaaful-Qaaree bit-Ta`leeqaat `alaa Sharhis-Sunnah
(A Gift To The Reader In Annotation Of Sharh As-Sunnah)
by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah
Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah
Transcribed by Saima Zaher.
Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah
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