The Knowledge of Allah
Most of the people in the world say
that they believe in God, but
their
interpretations of God are extremely different from each other. In
the Hindu
religion, one God is known as Chalia,
the deceiver, i.e., the
one who cheats
the people to get his tasks done.
The Eeman in Allah is one of the
fundamental principles of Islam. He is the creator of all life, including
humanity. He cannot be unaware of humanity’s conditions. The Quran gives an
elaborate description of God’s knowledge, because He has created everything in
the universe. Therefore, His knowledge is the most perfect and complete in all
its aspects and beyond reproach. It is
beyond any doubt and guesswork. It is no doubt the real, clear, unambiguous and
the perfect form of knowledge. The Quran
summaries all of Allah’s knowledge in a concise verse: “He has full knowledge
of all things” (2:29). The Arabic word Aleem,
which signifies the One with deep and solid comprehension, also indicates that
His knowledge is constant, without any fail or break, and doubt.
This concept is repeated in different
ways throughout the Quran. “He is the First
and the Last, His creations manifest His attributes, but His personality
remains hidden, He has full knowledge of all things” (57:3). Abraham said to the king, “My Rabb’s knowledge encompasses everything
in the universe” (65:12). The Quran
further emphasizes the concept as follows: “With Him are the keys of the Ghaib.
None but He knows them. He knows whatsoever is in the land and in
the sea; nor a leaf fall but He knows it.
Nor there is a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor any thing wet or
dry, but it is noted in a clear record” (6:59).
Here I will explain
the word Ghaib which is translated in
the English language as “unknown” or unseen. The unique and everlasting miracle
of the Quran is the selections of its words.
There are many words in Arabic language to express the unknown. Why does the Quran select this word, Ghaib?
It is due to the fact that it is necessary for Ghaib to exist in reality, though out of sight for a specific period
of time. Therefore, the word Ghaib cannot be used for an entity which
does not exist in reality.
Mashood is the antonym of Ghaib, meaning something that can be
observed. For example, the knowledge of
space, black holes, and galaxies was once Ghaib;
all these objects existed in the universe, but they were not known. However, now they are Mashood and in the known sphere of human knowledge.
Past, present, and future are the
limitations for a finite human mind. But for infinite Allah it is eternal
now. “Allah has knowledge of whatsoever
is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth” (5:99). ‘’And Allah knows your averting actions as
well as your secret designs” (6:3).
The complete
knowledge of Ghaib is only for
Allah. The Quran says, “Allah is the
knower of Ghaib; and He reveals it to
no one, except to His chosen prophets, He reveals the knowledge of Ghaib through revelation”
(72:26-27). The truth through deduction
and historical events in the Quran are revealed through revelations, and there
is no part of any revelations outside the Quran. The Quran encompasses all the revelations. Allah
is omnipotent and omnicompetent. He is the almighty and the most powerful. Our
belief or disbelief in Him is of no consequence in regard to His knowledge and
supremacy. Our acknowledgement does not
make any difference for Him; but His acknowledgement by human beings makes a
phenomenal difference in their character, personality, and behavior.
The Quran wants
to inculcate in the human mind that they cannot hide anything from Him. When we think that no one is looking at our
actions, He is watching them. The Quran
emphasizes that wherever we go and whatsoever we do; He is with us and
knows what we are doing. “And know that
Allah is the Seer” (57:4). The word that He is Baseer —the One who sees is repeated 40 times. He is Sami—the
One who hears; the word Sami is repeated 42 times, He is Khabir – One who has the knowledge of
everything. The word Khabir is
repeated 45 times, and that He is Aleem
– all knowing One—has been repeated one hundred and twelve times in the Quran.
The human beings enjoy
the privilege of freedom of choice.
Nonetheless, they are also accountable for their actions. Therefore, all deeds, whether big or small,
bear their respective consequences and results. Allah’s law of requital will
make him or her bear the inevitable result of their actions.
