FAQ in the category of Ghayb

Dreams, and News from the future

Nearly everyone dreams every night. Some of those dreams seem to be quite confusing. Some happen to be just the reflections of the daily events. And some dreams involve things that have never been thought or dreamed about before. We can group our dreams into three regarding the sources of them:
1. Divine
2. Self related
3. Devilish

Self-related dreams are the ones seen about the past, or the ones seen about the things the person wishes. Devilish dreams are the ones seen by the inspiration of the Devil. Divine dreams are the ones shown directly by Allah or his angels, and they have divine meanings. We will mainly mention about the divine dreams. Those dreams are also called loyal dreams or trusty dreams.

Before giving examples, we find it useful to mention an issue shortly: Freudian psychoanalysis does not take divine dreams into consideration. According to Freud, dreams are shaped by the inner or outer effects. Imagination gives shape to those effects. In our dreams there are traces of events that we live in the past. A child sees the things that he wants but cannot get, similarly, every man sees the desires that he could not satisfy in his dreams. Desires that are put in the subconscious because of religious beliefs or cultural pressure pop up in dreams. Dreams are especially like the symbolic appearance of sexual tendency.

When we look from an Islamic point of view, surely, it is not an acceptable idea to try to see a trace of sexual tendency in every dream, or thinking dreams take place only because of the effects of inner or outer surroundings. It may be correct to try to explain some dreams with subconscious, but it is not correct to explain every dream with it by making a generalization.

There are some dreams that are not reflections from the subconscious but are glitters that fall into the eye of the heart from ghayb (the unseen, unknown).

Thus, the view of the school of psychoanalysis can explain only some dreams, not all of them. Nearly everyone sees some divine dreams carrying messages and secrets, even if it is very rare. Dreams which exactly come true the other day or years after are not few. Those kinds of dreams occur as the things written in the Lawh Mahfuz (Preserved Tablet) are reflected onto the mirror of heart. Even though our senses are at rest, our imagination is active when we are sleeping. Therefore, things being reflected from the Lawh Mahfuz to our heart remain in our memory in the forms of symbols and shapes that our imagination forms. When we wake up, we remember those symbols and shapes.
An aspect of the loyal dreams is their giving consolation to the person and bringing divine good news. Prophet Muhammad talks about those kind of dreams as mubashshirat (glad tidings) and says:

"The Prophethood is over. After me there will come no any other prophet... However there will be " mubashshirat ". Sahabah (companions) asks "What is mubashshirat O Messenger of Allah". Prophet Muhammad says "Dream that a Muslim sees". It is a part from the parts of the prophethood." (Tirmidhi, Dream, 2)
The fact that the wahy (revelation) to Prophet Muhammad started in the form loyal dreams helps us understand the above hadith (word of Prophet Muhammad). As Hazrat Aisha informed, the dreams that Prophet Muhammad saw at the beginning of the wahy were clear and limpid like the light of the morning. (Bukhari, Bad'u'l wahy, 3).


When she was close to death, Hazrat Amina - mother of our prophet - tells his son:

My son, if the things informed to me in my dream are true, then you will be the person who will rescue the mankind.

In the holy Quran, especially in surah (chapter) Yusuf, dreams are mentioned quite often. In that surah, the first mentioned dream is a dream that Hazrat Yusuf sees when he was a child. In his dream, he sees eleven stars, the sun and the moon bowing to him. He tells his dream to his father. Then, his father says:

"And thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the interpretation of sayings and make His favor complete to you and to the children of Yaqoub, as He made it complete before to your fathers, Ibrahim and Ishaq; surely your Lord is Knowing, Wise." (Yusuf, 6).

The interpretation of sayings that has been taught to Hazrat Yusuf is explained as the interpretation of dreams in a way. It is also explained as to understand the details of the divine message or to feel the consequences of the events that will happen.


That dream becomes true after long years. Hazrat Yusuf becomes the minister of finance of Egypt after long adventures. He summons his parents and siblings to Egypt. They show respect to his spiritual highness and psychical dominion. Then Hazrat Yusuf reminds his father the dream that he saw years before and says:

"O my father! this is the significance of my vision of old; my Lord has indeed made it to be true" (Yusuf, 100).

As it is seen, Hazrat Yusuf sees his parents and siblings in the form of symbols in his dream. Eleven stars represent his siblings, and the sun and the moon represent his parents. Their bowing down to him represents Hazrat Yusufs spiritual and psychical highness.
Hazrat Yaqoob, solved the language of the symbols in Hazrat Yusufs dream, and caught the divine message in that dream.

The second dream told about in surah Yusuf is the dream of two people in prison. One of them sees himself as squeezing grapes, and the other one sees birds eating bread on his head. They want Hazrat Yusuf who was in prison then because of a slander to interpret their dreams. Hazrat Yusuf firstly tells them about the tawheed truth (oneness of Allah). Then, informs them that the one who squeezes grapes will get his old job, and the other one will be executed. (Yusuf, 36-41).
The last dream in that surah is the dream of the sovereign of Egypt. The sovereign sees in his dream that seven thin cows eats seven fat cows.He also sees seven green and seven dry ears of grains. He tells his dream to people around him. They think of them as meaningless dreams because they cannot comment on them.

The person who got out of prison tells the sovereign about Hazrat Yusufs dream interpretations and is sent to the prison to have the dream interpreted. Hazrat Yusuf tells him the seven years of shortage and hardship following the seven years of wealth and abundance (Yusuf, 43-49). That interpretation causes Hazrat Yusuf to become the minister of finance making it clear that he is innocent. The dream comes true as he described.

From the dream of the sovereign, it is felt that the people who think about the future of their country get messages about the issue in their dreams.

In the Quran, there also are some dreams of Hazrat Muhammad. One of them is the dream that Hazrat Muhammad saw before the Battle of Badr. He sees in his dream that the enemy is little in amount and gives the good news to his companions. The verse is as follows:

"When Allah showed them to you in your dream as few; and if He had shown them to you as many you would certainly have become weak-hearted and you would have disputed about the matter, but Allah saved (you); surely He is the Knower of what is in the breasts." (al-Anfal (The Spoils Of War), 43).

Even though the enemy is large in amount, it is shown little to Hazrat Muhammad in his dream. This made the believers join the war with courage. From another point of view, their being shown little in amount represents that they are spiritually weak and without support. They were large in amount but they did not have high values and exalted goals. When we think about it, we see that their real situation was shown to Prophet Muhammad.

Another dream of Prophet Muhammad that is told in the Quran is about the entrance of the Muslims to Makkah. He dreamed Muslims as entering Makkah and making tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka'aba) on the year of the treaty of Hudaybiya, and told his companions about it. Therefore, his companions, who thought that it will happen that year, were returning in grief after the treaty of Hudaybiya, when came the surah of the Victory, relieving their grief. The part of the surah related to the dream says:

Truly did Allah fulfill the vision for His Messenger. Ye shall enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, with minds secure, heads shaved, hair cut short, and without fear. For He knew what ye knew not, and He granted, besides this, a speedy victory." (al-Fath (Victory), 27).

That dream came true as umrah (pilgrimage to Makkah performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year) after one year, and as the conquest of Makkah after two years.

Those exemplary dreams mentioned in the Quran include news from ghayb, holy consolation or glad tidings. The dreams of two men in prison and the dream of the sovereign of Egypt show that people other than the prophets may have dreams that include messages related to ghayb too.

When Sayyid Qutb, one of the contemporary interpreters (mufassirs), was in the U.S., he dreamed his nephew as having blood in his eye. When he asked for the situation of his nephew via a letter he learned that his nephew had an internal bleeding and was having medical treatment. The bleeding that could not be seen with naked eye was shown to his uncle in his dream who were continents away. (Qutb, IV, 197)

In history, there are many dreams which became famous. One of them is as follows:

The President of the U.S., Abraham Lincoln, sees in his dream that he is killed when watching a performance in the theater. He tells his dream to his friends. The other day when he is in the theatre, somebody enters the theater during an exciting scene of the performance and kills him with his gun. (April 14 1865)

Interpretation of dreams

Tabir (interpretation) of dreams means transferring the meanings of dreams from the symbolic world to the physical world that we live in.

Those who do not know how to interpret a dream are bound to wait in the shores of the symbolic world. Traffic signs tell something to the ones who know the meaning of them, but they remain as symbols to the ones who do not know about them. Similarly, the symbols and signs in dreams are like the letters and words of the symbolic world. They need to be translated by the ones who know that language. Knowing the symbolic language of dreams makes it possible to catch some divine secrets.

Imam Al-Azam Abu Hanifa sees himself as entering Prophet Muhammads grave and putting together his bones in his dream. He wakes up in excitement and thinks have I shown any disrespect to our Prophet? He does not talk about that dream to anyone for a long time.

Finally, he cannot bear it and goes to the famous dream interpreter Ibn Sirin. When he listens to the dream, he says, Sir, I congratulate you, your dream is very nice. You will put together the sunnah(the way of the prophet) of Prophet Muhammad.. Indeed, Imam Al-azam is recorded in history as the first sect imam.

One day, someone comes to Ibn Sirin and asks, I saw myself as eating figs in my dream, what is the meaning of it? Ibn Sirin says fig is a fruit; it means you will be honored.

Months later, another one comes, tells that he ate figs in his dream and asks the meaning of this. Ibn Sirin says Beware, you can get a beating nowadays.

After the man leaves, students of Ibn Sirin ask him Sir, months ago, another man came, then you interpreted the same dream as getting honored. What is the reason for the difference? Ibn Sirin answers smiling:

When the first man had the dream it was summer. Fig trees had fruits then. However, the second man had the dream in winter. Only dry branches left on the fig trees in winter. And it is only used for beating.

There are dream sections in hadith books in which Prophet Muhammads dream interpretations are present. Hazrat Muhammad used to talk with people around him after the morning prayers, he used to talk about his dreams and interpret the dreams of other people in those sessions. We will mention some of them as examples:

Once Hazrat Muhammad says: Milk has been served to me in my dream. I drank it until I was full, and gave the rest to Umar.


Sahaba asked what does it mean O Messenger of Allah? Hazrat Muhammad said, science (ilm).

Once Hazrat Muhammad says in his dream, he saw an ugly and messy woman and she went to the such-and-such land of the Jewish people leaving Madinah. He interprets it as: The contagious disease seen in Madinah will end; the same disease will be seen in the land of the Jewish people soon.

One of the sahaba asks: O Messenger of Allah, I dreamed myself as my head going in front of me separately from my body, what does it mean? Hazrat Muhammad replies: The devil (Satan) seems to make fun of you, do not ever tell that dream to others!

Sometimes Hazrat Muhammad interpreted dreams based on the names. He narrates a dream as follows:

Some dates named taba were served in Uqba bin Nafis home. When sahabah asked O Messenger of Allah, what does it mean? he said:

Exaltation will be ours in the world. Glory will be ours in the afterlife. We will be ok from now on.

Hazrat Muhammad used names when interpreting that dream. The phrase be all right from now on takes place as taba amruna in the original hadith text. Hazrat Muhammad explained the meaning based on the name of the date.


For example, if someone sees in his dream a friend named Mateen (meaning strong) and asks him I cannot see brother Tawfeeq (meaning success), I wonder, where is he?, and his friend Mateen says him brother Tawfeeq passed away, do you not know?, then we can guess some meanings from the names in that dream. Probably the person having the dream will not be successful about an important problem. However, failure should not lead him to despair; he should be strong. If the same person knocks on brother Tawfeeqs door some other day, and brother Tavfeeq opens him the door, from that time on the door of success is open to that person, and he will be successful.

If someone sees in his dream that a good friend of him named Ismat (meaning chastity) falls from a cliff and dies, he can take it as a message that he committed a sin or will do so. If another time, he sees Ismat as alive; he can take that as recovering from the bad effects of that sin.

The Language used in dreams is symbolic. Those symbols may differ from person to person. Nearly everyone forms his own alphabet of dream, and dreams with those. For instance, it may not carry the same meaning to dream a pig or a dog for a Muslim and a Christian. It is because dog and pig are dirty for a Muslim, whereas they are cute for a Christian.

When we see a dog snarling at us in our dream, it may be a sign for somebody who will ask for trouble or at least it symbolizes our own nafs (self, soul).

It is because the nafs of man never calms down, it wants to lead the person to sins. Someone seeing himself going after a donkey in his dream should check himself asking, am I going after the illegitimate desires of my nafs? Someone seeing a white bird flying on his head may reach to some extraordinary facilities on those days.

Someone missing the train in his dream sees the sign of a missing opportunity. Someone who knows the train and the pain it gives to miss the train can see such a dream. Someone who never saw a train in his life cannot see that dream. The meaning of missing an opportunity is reflected in his dream in a way that he knows.

Is it all right to take action upon a dream?

Even though loyal dreams show us the way, direct us and sometimes give consolation, dreams are not considered as a source of information. It is because mostly someone can know that his dream was loyal only after the dream comes true. As a matter of fact, there are many dreams seemingly nice but never come true during the lifetime of the person and remain as a reflection of the persons wishes to his dreams.

In the Quran, Hazrat Abrahams dream is narrated. He sees in his dream as sacrificing his son. When he tells it to his son, he says with submission O my father, do what you are commanded; if Allah please, you will find me of the patient ones. (The Rangers, 102-107). Hazrat Abraham attempts to do it. However, because the divine willing was not the sacrifice of Ismael, but the test of the father and son, Hazrat Abraham is honored with a ram coming from the skies and he sacrifices it instead of Ismael.


At this point, we should not forget this aspect:
Dreams of the prophets are wahy (revelation) (Bukhari, Wudu, 5).

Therefore, Satan cannot interfere their dreams and give inspirations. However, there is no such a guarantee for other people. So if someone sees as sacrificing his son in his dream, he can not take action upon his dream. If he does, he becomes a murderer.


A dream cannot oblige another person to do something. For instance if someone says I saw in my dream that Hazrat Prophet wanted you to do these things, it is not considered as evidence for others. It may lead to abuse by malicious people. So, the person being said Hazrat Prophet wanted you to do this holds the right to say Then I will do that when I see the same dream.

As Imam Rabbani also pointed out, it is not right to act in accordance with the dreams and to depend on them. (Mektubat/Letters, Letter 32)

In the Surah Luqman, it is stated as, With God alone rests the knowledge of the Last Hour (when it will come). He sends down rain (just at the time and place He alone knows), and He alone knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will reap tomorrow, and no soul knows in what place it will die. Surely God is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Luqman Surah, 31:34) So, is there any contradiction between forecasting weather and the verse? Do weather forecasters know Gayb -the Unknown?

God did not leave the time of precipitation up with the general laws and causes, but He took its generation upon His Might and Will Power. Whereas, He does vice versa in His other acts.

Rain is the source of life, and the means of Mercy. There are no certain laws for rain. That is to say, Divine Wisdom did not enact a law for rain in order not to close the door of supplication. Water, which is a necessity for the survival of the most glorious creature and the Caliph of the earth, human, comes by Hydrologic Cycle, which is the constant circulation of water between hydrosphere, biosphere, and the atmosphere. The water vapor or steam leaves the certain area of the landscape, goes into the air and the rain falls onto the land. It is not known when rainfall an area will get.

In that case, can we talk about the accuracy of the weather science? Is it useless to spend huge amounts to prepare weather forecast reports?

In fact, weather science does not know the Unknown. It only allows prediction with the help of apprehension and science that God condescends to us. In addition, this is done by looking at the meteorological maps, not by looking into the sky. It is going to be understood clearly, if we go further into that.

Presently, meteorology of the whole world countries is like a family. Meteorological time, international observation codes, symbols of the meteorological events are all same in everywhere. Meteorology is almost like an individual language spoken in every country. In every main synoptical observation times 00 06 12 18, as we define it, Greenwich Mean Time, every observation station in the world send encrypted observation codes to their national centers and after checking the accuracy of the results, these are sent to International Meteorology Data Centers. And these centers send the observation data via radiofax and computers. Finally, these data are processed into meteorological maps by computers in which countries are only represented by numerical codes

At this point, it is now time for prediction. As it is clearly seen, there is no such a thing as knowing the Unknown. Interpreted data on the maps are collected from every station in the world at the same time. In other words, it is only predicting when will a certain point get rainfall, by measuring the speed of the air current that carries the rain at a more western longitude. Today, most developed countries have network of weather radars, which detect the signatures of air currents.

Although to the improvements in weather science, hundred percent right predictions are still so hard to make. Especially, as much as time delays, it is much harder to get precise predictions in forecast. One of the most confusing weather events is convectional rain, which precipitates indecisively in spring times. During those times, prediction accuracy of the weather forecasts percentage decreases to sixty percents.

Even if it is looked at it from weather science perspective, improvements in science and technology only show our insolvency. In conclusion, science can only detect symptoms, which can be seen in material world, not the Unknown that can be only known by God.

In a verse it is said that our one day is like your one thousand years (Hajj/The Pilgrimage 47, Sajdah/The Adoration 5), in another verse it is said that our one day is like your fifty thousand years (Ma’arij/ The Ways Of Ascent 4). Can you explain this time difference?
Yet they ask you to hasten on the Punishment! But Allah will not fail in His Promise. Verily a Day in the sight of your Lord is like a thousand years of your reckoning. (Hajj/The Pilgrimage 47)
In this verse it is told that unbelievers wanted Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to bring on the torment that they are threatened with quickly. As can be understood from the verse Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) warned the unbelievers that they will suffer torment if they do not believe. And since they didn’t believe in him they were making fun of him and saying “Where is the torment you are talking about, why does not it come; here we deny you. If you are a prophet do bring on us that torment you threaten us with!”
In the second sentence of the verse it is told that Allah (swt) will not give up his promise and a day in his presence is like one thousand years with humans’ calculation. What is understood from this is: Time given to the humans seems them as if it is long. Their not having the pain at once deceives them. They think that they will never have pain, they will get away with what they did, and always live in comfort. However it is a trial period given to them by Allah. Even it seems long to them, it is short for Allah and passes quickly. Human life is short. A day in His presence seems like a thousand years long to the humans. Commentators say about the last sentence that the pain they will have seems like one thousand years to them because of its severity.
In this verse, relativity of the time is expressed. Time runs differently in every universe. For instance one day of grave life is not same with the one day of the Judgment area. Moreover, even in this universe there are different times in different planets. And this show that time can change.
How will be the time for a dead person? Can you give information about the time in Heaven and Hell?
There is a time concept in the grave life and afterlife but it may run differently. Time runs differently in the earth and in the space. One year for our world is only a little time period for the sun. Also one day for us means a lifetime for some creatures.
Time concept is different in grave and afterlife. For instance a moment of the heaven may be equal to the thousands of years of our world. Also in the grave life time varies from person to person too. One thousand years seems like a moment to the ones who are in boon, and a moment seems like one thousand years to the ones who are in torment.
Time runs different for different people. Sometimes in a dream lasting for a couple of minutes we may feel like days, months or years passed away. And sometimes we can not understand how the night passes as if we went to the bed just now.
Like this, a person getting into the grave early may feel like he has just got into it when he wakes up for the afterlife. And some other one may feel like he stayed there for thousands of years because he was in pain, whereas he stays only for a couple of years.
Therefore going to the grave early or late is not important because the time being felt there varies from person to person according to his good and bad deeds. Allah can create a feeling like he is in sleep and dream for the person.
Actually it requires living them to understand and explain the heaven and the hell. Evaluating their conditions by comparing with this world is like explaining this world to the baby in the womb. Just as the baby in the womb can not understand this world, we also being in the womb of this world can not understand the heaven.

The Holy Quran demonstrates that the greatest quality that righteous people have is their having faith in the unseen. The scholars who interpret the verse, This is the (most honored, matchless) Book: there is no doubt about it (its Divine authorship and that it is a collection of pure truths throughout). A guidance for the God-revering, pious who keep their duty to God. Those who believe in the Unseen; establish the Prayer in conformity with its conditions, and out of what We have provided for them (of wealth, knowledge, power, etc.,) they spend (to provide sustenance for the needy and in Gods cause, purely for the good pleasure of God and without placing others under obligation.) (Al-Baqara Surah, 2:2-3), give two meanings to having faith in the unseen. First, They believe by resting on reasonable evidences although they have not seen anything. Secondly, they also believe while alone. That is, not only do they believe among Muslims but also while they are away from them.

The Unseen means two things: First are situations about which we know nothing but only Allah (SWT) knows, these have nothing to do with faith. Faith is in question not for this type of unseen, but for the unseen that the Quran announces and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) makes explanations about.

For us, the unseen does not mean that what cannot be seen, but what is not seen. We believe in not the unseen without proofs but in reasonable unseen with sound proofs. (Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır)

The first to occur to the mind as far as having faith in the unseen is concerned is having faith in Allah (SWT) and other pillars pertaining to faith. This all has to do with the unseen.

The first step in belief is to affirm wholeheartedly. The beginning of this affirmation is understanding. The five senses let us understand, and understanding lets us believe. People, who do condemn themselves only into the boundaries of the five senses and do not go beyond, have not truly saved themselves from being animal like. To know through senses is the field of animals; and to understand, to grasp, and eventually to believe by making his senses serve reasoning is the field of human beings.

Animals are no different from human beings in looking at a fruit-tree. However, it is only human beings who can understand that a marvelous factory is working in that tree, that photosynthesis takes place in its trees that its fruits bear from the tree and even from the universe.

Hence, when it is said human being in absolute meaning, a believer should come to mind that has faith in the unseen.

These believers are not drowned with bounties and they know their Provider. They would not be stuck to works, but know the Creator Who has made them. As for those who do not believe in the unseen, they, like an insect which wander about the plates of the table, the segments of the factory, and the leaves of the books, cannot fully make use of this world and what is in, and waste away their lives.

The Jinn are different from humans both with the length of their probable lifetime and their overwhelming speed while in movement. Hence, they know many things that a man cannot know. So, it is possible for them to find things that are missing. However, those are already existent things that we cannot see or lost items. Essentially, those are not the Unseen things, which can only be known by God. For, in the Holy Quran, it is announced that some subjects that are related with the Unseen cannot be known by anyone but God.

For example, With Him are the keys to the Unseen; none knows them but He. And He knows whatever is on land and in the sea; and not a leaf falls but He knows it; and neither is there a grain in the dark layers of earth, nor anything green or dry, but is (recorded) in a Manifest Book. (Al-Anam Surah, 6:59) Both with the above-mentioned verse and with the following verse, it is stated that cases such as the future of the cosmos and humans; judgment day, death, fate, livelihood, character of the baby cannot be known by anyone. With God alone rests the knowledge of the Last Hour (when it will come). He sends down rain (just at the time and place He alone knows), and He alone knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will reap tomorrow, and no soul knows in what place it will die. Surely God is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Luqman Surah, 31:34)

Again in the Quran, while it is repeated that God, alone, knows the Unseen, it is also announced that He may inform some of the messengers whom He has chosen of the Unseen. (He alone is) the Knower of the Unseen (what lies beyond human perception), and He does not disclose His Unseen to anyone. Except to a Messenger whom He has chosen (and is well-pleased with – He informs him of the Unseen as much as He wills –); and He dispatches a watchful guard before him (between him and his audience) and a watchful guard behind him (between him and the origin of the Revelation); In order that He may establish that they (the Messengers) have for certain conveyed the messages of their Lord. He encompasses all that they have (of the Revelation), and He has recorded everything one by one. (Al-Jinn Surah, 72:26-28) Even though it is mentioned in the surah Al-Jinn, it is not stated that jinn may know the Unseen or God may inform them. Besides, there are verses that announce that jinn cannot know the Unseen. Then, when We executed Our decree for his death, nothing showed them (the jinn who had been laboring at the tasks he assigned to them) that he was dead, except that a termite had been gnawing away his staff (until it broke). Then when he fell to the ground, it became clear to the jinn that if they had known the Unseen, they would not have continued in the tormenting toil that humiliated them. (Saba Surah, 34:14)

Thence, we can briefly say that jinn cannot know the Unseen. Merely, things that are not equivalent to the Unseen or lost things which belong to this world can be known by them. Their speed, probable life, and size have great effects with this.

In the verse in the Holy Quran, which mentions the death of Hazrath Suleiman, it is stated as, Then, when We executed Our decree for his death, nothing showed them (the jinn who had been laboring at the tasks he assigned to them) that he was dead, except that a termite had been gnawing away his staff (until it broke). Then when he fell to the ground, it became clear to the jinn that if they had known the Unseen, they would not have continued in the tormenting toil that humiliated them. (Saba Surah, 34:14)

As it is clearly understood from the verse, even to the death of Hazrath Suleiman, jinn thought that he was still alive, because ha was still standing and they went on the tormenting working that humiliated them. This clearly explains us that they do not know the Unseen. Leaving aside knowing the Unseen, they do not even understand what goes on in front of them.

Mufassir Razi says, Hazrath Suleiman was sometimes worshipping all day long, night and day, sometimes even more. He used to stand up in prayer holding his staff. One day, there he died, but, by God's will, did not fall. He remained in this position, and his soldiers and everyone including the Jinn thought that he was still alive. Months later, God ordered a termite to weaken the staff so that the body of Suleiman fell. It was thereafter believed that the Jinn did not know the Unseen. If they had known, they would not have labored in tormenting works. However, they do know things that humans do not, but it is not knowing the Unseen. Their knowledge is greater than humans are but still limited. Jinn can see only the outside of the objects. God, alone knows the Unseen.

Jinn live longer than we do. Moreover, if their speed is considered while they reach the sources, it is obvious that they are more intelligible than we are.

Just as, it is impossible for the ocean to fit into a glass, it is impossible for limited human mind to comprehend eternity. Nevertheless, even though he does not understand eternity, he can know that it exists. Understanding one thing, while believing and knowing another.

Humankind is limited in all aspects. There is a beginning of his life. As every beginning has an end, this life will end too. As you see, man can only perform limited works in his short life, which has a beginning and an end. His eyes can detect 2.5% of the all-existing beams. His ears can hear certain frequencies.

The truth that can be seen in material world is effective in spiritual world too. Human mind cannot understand everything. In fact, there is a beginning of his learning process. Knowledge that has a beginning cannot be infinite, just as life.

The starting point of insolvent human mind is his disability to understand himself. How dare the limited human mind can try to understand eternity without understanding himself at the first place? A human, who knows that numeral three is smaller than numeral four, definitely knows that if he subtracts four from three, he will get a negative number. Even though he knows that this is a fact, if he still insists to fit eternity into his limited mind, it means that he has accepted the negative result at the beginning; infinite negative.

Human cannot understand eternity but know it. And this is a divine grace to humankind. How could have we believed to our God, who has infinite number of attributes, otherwise? Humankind has given opportunity to make comparisons, to express opinions, and has given strength to make judgments. He, by the help of that power, knows well that as he has a beginning and an end, every other thing, which is created has a beginning and an end too.

Everything, which has a beginning, lectures us these two following truths: There is an Essence, who has created me from nothing and His being is eternal. Likewise, every end heralds about Him. Let us ask this following question to ourselves: Is it only eternity that we do not understand, or are there any other things such as, gravity, solar system, spirit, mind, imagination, and memory? Can you explain the spiritual factory in an apple tree? How come an egg becomes a flying bird? How does a semen walks, cries, hears after nine months? Unseen things are more than seen ones, miscomprehended things are more than comprehended ones, and unknown things are more than known ones in this world. Humans trying to understand eternity, as if he has already understood the mortal good, is burdensome if nothing else. I say, if nothing else, because there is a probability of going extreme and astray in the end.

Effort in understanding the eternity occurs in two different fields. One is, eternity of the divine attributes, the other is, eternity of the life in the Hereafter. There is an important difference, which should not be overlooked between these two. When eternity in the Hereafter is mentioned, time and space concepts recur to the minds. A ceaseless, boundless, immortal, and defect-free life Lives will not be taken in the Hereafter; it is eternal. And it is not unreasonable to expect minds to conceive this. As for the eternity of the attributes: To say that His might is infinite means, there wont be any deficiency of any sort in Gods might regardless of how many kingdoms He creates. His infinite knowledge means that He is considered free of ignorance. All His attributes should be evaluated in the same manner and respect. The truth, Pre-eternal is indeed post-eternal too is valid both for His Person and His attributes. That is to say, all his attributes are post-eternal. In fact, none is created later; they are all pre-eternal.

Baby in the mothers womb is surrounded by the liquid called amniotic fluid and he grows through umbilical cord. In this stage, it is possible to learn the gender of the baby by some scientific methods.

The most commonly used methods are ultrasound and taking amniotic fluid sample for measurements. Ultrasound vibrations are too high for human perception. These high frequency sound waves are transmitted though uterus to a baby. Gel is used to allow ultrasound waves to pass into the body. And by examining the organs which appear on a computer screen, babys gender is determined. In the second method, the cells, which are taken from the baby, cultured in amniotic fluid; the sample of about (20ml) amniotic fluid is taken and examined under microscope. In this way, a gender of the fetus is determined 80-90% in accuracy. In the verse at issue, what is in the wombs is mentioned, gender is not the matter.

With the expression, his special talents, features, personality, and emotions in the future are meant. Will he be very talented? What will be his state of mind and what will be the conditions of his organs? His face surely will be different than others but how will he look like?

We do not know these and such like features of him, but He alone knows what is in the wombs and everything that we could not know. Many other facts are meant in the verse. Even if we know a babys gender at a certain stage, there are many features of a baby that we cannot know. Besides, even after his coming to this world, we will continue not to know many things. Moreover, gender determination is only possible after four months.

If we say, The things that we know, compare to that we do not know is just like a drop of water from the Ocean it fits perfectly.

That is a truth that the realm of existence is not one of only what we can perceive with our five senses. Man, with his sense of sight, sees the material objects. He senses realm of tastes with his tongue, realm of voices with his ear, realm of smells with his nose. However, there are so many realities which man can neither see nor hear such as electricity, gravity, the power of a magnet to attract and push away. Moreover, they doubtlessly exist.

Some people who disregard these principles fall into a great mistake by saying, I do not believe what I cannot see or seeing is believing, and therefore reduce all beings to what they can see. Yet that something is not seen with eyes is not a proof for its non-existence. In this world, what we cannot see are far more than what we can see. Some invisible faculties in human body such as mind, imagination, memory are more than those visible ones in number.

It is the drive of loading the duty of mind onto eyes that underlies the sophistry of I do not believe what I do not see. Yet each sense opens the gate of another realm; the duty of each of them cannot be expected from another. For example, eyes cannot function as ears; likewise, a nose cannot function as a tongue. With his eyes, man cannot taste a meal, or the voice of a nightingale, nor the smell of a rose. While eyes cannot do the duty of these organs, of course, they cannot do the duty of mind as well. It is known that even though eyes see a masterpiece, its maker can be visualized only through mind. Someone who says, I do not believe what I do not see denies the master of a work of art. As seen in this example, someone who says I cannot see any maker, although seeing this universe, which is the product of an infinite power, knowledge, and art, becomes far away from knowledge and mind. How then will such a man be able to explain the infinite occurrences such as creation, giving bounty, giving life, which manifest themselves any moment and show the existence of Allah as clearly as the sun.

The fact that Allah is not seen through our physical eyes is because of His surrounding everything and His having no opposite equivalent. For example, as atmosphere surrounds the globe all over, if we suppose that the sun surrounds all space, then it would be impossible to see the sun with our eyes. Since everywhere is covered with the rays of the sun, it would be invisible. Since it has no opposite equivalent like night and because of its absence of opposite, the sun would not be seen and known. However, it would be a mere ignorance to deny the existence of the sun, which exists everywhere with its light and surrounds everything.

Yet within the same perspective of logic, the same situation can be also considered for Allah (SWT), Who surrounds everything with His names and attributes, Who exists everywhere, and Who has no opposite equivalent. Those who seek everything in the material objects have their minds in their eyes. And eyes are blind in metaphysical realm.

To know the unknown, to see the unseen, to grasp the secrets of the ghaib (unseen, unknown) are things that are desired by almost everyone. Especially the desire to understand the secrets of the ghaib about the future is one of the weaknesses of human beings. Throughout history many people like soothsayers, astrologers and magicians have taken advantage of this weakness of human beings. Nowadays all kinds of astrology and fortune–telling are common. Especially recently people called mediums claim they receive some ghaib news.

However, the future is veiled. Under normal circumstances human beings cannot know what will happen in a second let alone tomorrow and the future. There are several reasons why the future is veiled and why human beings are not informed about it.

1-First of all, the fact that the future is not informed is a necessity of Allahs mercy and compassion. If what will happen is known beforehand life will be a torture. There are a lot of events that grieve people in this world. To know about them before they happen will put men into great distress. It will inflict continuous agony on people like the agony a person condemned to death suffers. For instance, if the parents of a child knew that their beloved child would die when he became ten years old, they would undergo a psychological breakdown.

2- Another reason why the future is veiled is to ensure that human beings live in a balance between fear and hope. A person can lead a righteous life only by holding these two states in balance. A believer who sees that he will deserve to go to paradise through his worshipping can take pride in himself. If a person who commits a lot of sins sees that he will go to hell, he can give up hope and indulge in sins completely. The fact that the future is veiled protects the former from pride and the latter from hopelessness. If a person who worships regularly takes pride in himself, he may suffer a great harm as a person who indulges in sins may save himself in the last day of his life through a sincere repentance. The following verse in the Quran has a fine detail: be righteous, that ye may receive mercy (Al-Anaam,155). In verses like these the word (laalla) expresses hope. That is, it teaches a lesson: you may hope to get divine mercy if you do that, but do not be sure!

3- Furthermore, everybody cannot bear the burden of the knowledge about the future. Mawlana relates the following story in the Mathnawi:

A person living during the time of Hazrat Moses wants to learn the languages of the animals and the birds. He asks Hazrat Moses to pray to Allah to realize his wish. Hazrat Moses does not agree at first but he cannot put up with the mans insistence and prays for him. The man learns the languages of the cocks and the dogs. One day the servant drops a hard piece of bread onto the ground when he shakes off the tablecloth. The cock acts before the dog to take it. When the dog objects to it, the cock says:
Dont worry. Tomorrow the land owners horse will be injured. When it dies, there will be a feast for the dogs. When the man hears it, he sells his horse. Next day the dog that expects a feast is deprived of it but the cock says:
Tomorrow the mans slave will die. His relatives will give away food to the poor and the dogs. When the man hears it, he sells his slave too. When the dog suffers from starvation, the cock says:
Dont worry. Tomorrow the man will die. When he dies you will have a feast. The man saved his belongings but he caused the death of himself. If one of the living things he sold had died here, he would have saved himself.


Parts of Ghaib


The future is included in the ghaib. Ghaib is considered in two parts:

1. Absolute ghaib
2. Relative ghaib

The former is used to express the ghaib that only Allah knows. It is impossible for a person to know the ghaib unless Allah informs him. For instance the date of the Day of Judgment is included in this category.

Relative ghaib is used to express situations that some people know and others do not. That is, something may be ghaib for a person but not ghaib for another. For instance, the meanings inside a persons heart are known by that person but unknown by others, thus ghaib.

We regard it as useful to mention the following points about relative ghaib:

1. There is no ghaib for Allah. Everything is ready and witnessed in His knowledge. As He stated in the Quran: He knoweth the Unseen as well as that which is open. (Al-Anaam, 73)

2. As we will further see with the examples, prophets are acquainted with ghaib more than others. For instance, for a person at the foot of a mountain what is behind the mountain is ghaib. However for a person looking down from a plane no part of the mountain is ghaib. Prophets who had divine spirits had seen what others could not see and had heard what others could not hear thanks to their spiritual advancement.

3. Human beings are different from each other in terms of ghaib. For instance for a blind man the colours and for a deaf man the sounds are like ghaib. The reason why some people can be acquainted with some secrets like true dreams and inspirations is that they are able to see in comparison with the blind and able to hear in comparison with the deaf.

4. Some things that are ghaib for us are witnessed for some animals. For instance human ear can hear sound vibrations ranging from 16000 to 22000 hertz. Whereas animals like dogs, rats, etc are more sensitive than human beings regarding this aspect.

In terms of sight, many animals are more sensitive than human beings. For instance insects and bees can perceive the ultraviolet rays that human beings cannot see. Vulture can discern whether a gazelle lying on the ground is death or asleep from a distance more than 4000 meters away, which a human being cannot discern with double mirror binoculars.

As for smelling, some wild animals are 100 000 times or one million times more sensitive than human beings. Some animals can feel disasters like earthquakes and storms before they happen.

5. As the late Hamdi Yazır says,ghaib is not what cannot be seen but what is not seen. What is reasonable today may be witnessed tomorrow. (Yazır, I, 174). Something that is ghaib today can be seen tomorrow. For instance the Day of Judgment is ghaib today, but it will be seen when the time comes.
Can the future be known by foresight?

Human beings have some abilities regarding the ghaib and the future along with senses like sight and sound. One of them is foresight which was also called extrasensory perception in the past.

We can reach the things in front of us by using our hand, which is material, but we can watch the places that our hand cannot reach with our eye, which is half luminous and transparent. With foresight we may reach what is behind the wall or even beyond time and somewhat foresee the events that are about to happen.

Animals also have foresight. For instance, it is known by experience that animals utter strange sounds before earthquakes and some animals like cats and dogs that live in the neighborhood run away from the cities to the country.

A person can feel someone coming towards himself by foresight; he may even talk about him without noticing. When he comes, he says Talk of the devil, we were talking about you.

Similarly a person can feel some sorrowful or joyful events before they happen with foresight; they are reflected in his heart as sorrow joy.

Before the rain, its signs appear, people feel that it is going to rain by looking at its signs. Similarly before some important things happen to a person, its signs affect that him. People with strong foresight find themselves in the scope of the events and somewhat feel what will happen as people with rheumatism feel the coming rain.

The smoke we see on the sea is a sign of a ship we do not see, the vibration on the rails is a sign of a train coming. Similarly the waves of sorrow or joy that are reflected in the heart or soul are the harbingers of sorrowful or joyful events. People with sensitive souls can foresee some events and say this or that will happen.

However, these things that are felt by foresight may not be very clear. A person can feel something but cannot know every detail. The foresight of a person cannot always have the same sensitivity. Sometimes he can feel things that will happen in a few days time, sometimes he cannot feel things that will happen in a moment.

Both Quran and Hadith books contain extensive explanations about the Doomsday, one of the most important fundamentals of the revealed religions. Through these explanations, people are warned that it is not so far and that it is dreadful, and people are encouraged to get ready for the Doomsday.

In a hadith related by Anas bin Malik, our Prophet is said to have stated: The Doomsday and I have been created like this joining his forefinger with his middle finger. (1)

With those words, our Prophet implied that the Doomsday could occur soon. However, the fact that it has not occurred yet should not make people doubtful about the Doomsday despite of the statements in the Quran Doomsday is so close to come and the hadith of our Prophet Doomsday will come soon and though it has been 1400 years. Doomsday is a matter directly connected with the life of the world. Doomsday is the appointed hour of the world, and in relation to the life of the world one or two thousand years are like one or two minutes in relation to a year. The hour of Doomsday is not only the appointed hour of mankind that it should be related to it and seen as distant. (2)

Neither the Quran nor the Hadits revealed the exact time of the Doomsday and yet our Prophet constantly called the believers to be cautious about it and prepared them for the appointed time by mentioning the distinguishing signs, stated both in the Quran and the Hadith, which will happen at a time close to the hour of Doomsday.

As for the reasons and wisdoms why the Doomsday is kept secret:

There are plenty of reasons for it. If a person knew his last moment, he would spend half of his lifetime in an absolute heedlessness deprived of belief and Islamic consciousness, and in the other half, he would suffer excruciating torture and affliction just like a man waiting to step towards the gallows.

It is because of the same wisdom that calamities and disasters are kept secret because waiting for the definite catastrophe and tragedy is much more torturing than going through it.

Therefore, the Doomsday is kept secret because of many other similar wisdoms.

Just as what the appointed hour means for a man, so too does the Doomsday have the same meaning for the mankind. Badiuzzaman Said Nursi explains the subject in his book entitled Rays (Şualar) as follows:

If the appointed hour had been specified, the Early and Middle Ages would have been virtually unaffected by the idea of the hereafter, and they would have been lived in needlessness. And the humans of the last age would have no pleasure or value of worldly life because of waiting the specified last hour.

If the Doomsday had been specified, some of the truths of belief would have been clearly obvious and everyone would have affirmed them willy-nilly, the mystery of mans accountability and the wisdom and purpose of belief, which are tied to mans choice and will, would have been disappeared. It is for numerous benefits that the time of the Doomsday remains secret. Everyone, therefore, continually bears in mind both his death and continues life, and he works for this world and the Hereafter. (3)

The time of the doomsday is not going to be revealed until Doomsday occurs. When the sun rises in the west instead of the east, the door of trial and testing arena and repentance will be closed; everybody will have to believe in Doomsday. However, being regretful and believing at that time will be of no use.

References
1. Muslim, Fitan:135
2. The 24th Word.
3. The Fifth Ray

We do not have any clear verse or hadith regarding the issue. However, the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah agree unanimously that believers will see the face of Allah in the hereafter. That unanimous view is based on some verses and hadiths. Since the face of Allah, which is the greatest ghaib (unknown), will be seen, we can think that other unknown things will be seen, too.

The Doomsday, which is one of the most famous ghaibs, will be seen; angels, jinn, spiritual beings, Hell and Paradise will be seen, too. There is no doubt about them. However, we do not know whether some secret and unknown things to us like the realm of similitude (mithal), realm of sovereignty (jabarut) and realm of the unknown (ghaib) will be visible to us or not.

However, in some verse of the Quran, there are some expressions implying that everything that is secret to us will be revealed. For instance:

a. The first thing that is stated in the verse, “The Day that (all) things secret will be tested” (at-Tariq, 86/9), is that all of the good and bad deeds of human beings will be revealed. However, the fact that the word “sarair” (covered secrets) is used absolutely, without any conditions, suggests, in general, that all of the secret things will be revealed.    

b. In the verse, “To them will be passed round, dishes and goblets of gold: there will be there all that the souls could desire all that the eyes could delight in: and ye shall abide therein.”(az-Zukhruf, 43/71), it is stated that all kinds of views that eyes could delight in will be seen. The views that human eyes take delight in should be the views of the unknown world that they have heard about but that they have never seen. It is possible to understand this from the general expression of the verse. It is Allah who knows the truth about everything.

We will try to answer your question from the Risale-i Nur Collection, The Words written by Badiuzzaman Said Nursi

The Twenty-Eighth Word

[This Word is about Paradise and consists of two Stations. The First indicates some of the subtle wonders of Paradise. However, it does not prove the existence of Paradise, since this has been proved in most brilliant fashion with the twelve decisive Truths in the Tenth Word and with the most firm and clear consecutive arguments in Arabic which form the basis and summary of the Tenth Word and form the Second Station of this Word. This Station rather discusses a number of the aspects of Paradise which have been the cause of criticism, and of question and answer. If Divine assistance is forthcoming, a great Word will later be written about that mighty truth. God willing.]

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

And give glad tidings to those who believe and act righteously that their's shall be gardens beneath which flow rivers. Everytime they are fed with fruits therefrom, they will say: " Why, this is what we were fed with before." For they will be given things in similitude. And they shall have therein spouses pure, and shall abide there for ever.

The brief answers to a number of questions about eternal Paradise.

The descriptions of the verses of the Qur'an about Paradise, which are more beautiful than Paradise, more lovely than the Houris, and sweeter than the water of Selsebil, leave nothing to be said about it so that anyone should say it. However, in order to bring closer to the understanding those shining, pre-eternal, post-eternal, elevated and exquisite verses, we shall mention a number of steps, and, as samples of that Qur'anic Paradise, a number of fine points which are like samples of its flowers. We shall point to these through five allusive questions and answers. Indeed, Paradise is the means to all spiritual and non-physical pleasures, and so too it is the means to all physical pleasures.

QUESTION: What connection with eternity and Paradise has faulty, deficient, changing, unstable, and suffering corporeality? Since the spirit has elevated pleasures, that is sufficient. Why is bodily resurrection necessary for bodily pleasures?

THE ANSWER: Because, just as in relation to water, air, and light, earth is dense and dark, but since it is the source and means of all the varieties of Divine artefacts, in meaning it rises above the other elements, and just as in regard to the mystery of its comprehensiveness and on condition it is purified, the human soul, which is also dense, rises above all the other human subtle faculties, so too corporeality is the richest and most comprehensive and all-embracing mirror to the manifestation of the Divine Names. All the tools and instruments for measuring the contents of the treasuries of Mercy and reckoning their balance are in corporeality. For example, if the sense of taste in the tongue was not the source for scales to the number of the sorts of foods and their pleasures, it could not experience each and recognize them, and taste and measure them. Also, the instruments for experiencing and knowing the manifestations of most of the Divine Names, and tasting and recognizing them, are again in corporeality. And the faculties for experiencing the most various and infinitely different pleasures are also in corporeality.

Since, as is proved in the Eleventh Word, it is understood clearly from the disposition of the universe and man's comprehensiveness that the universe's Maker wants to make known all the treasuries of His Mercy, and all the manifestations of His Names, and to make experienced all the varieties of His bounties, for sure, the abode of bliss, which is a mighty pool formed from the flood of the universe and a great exhibition of the textiles woven on the loom of the universe and an everlasting store of the crops produced in the arable field of this world, will resemble the universe to a degree. And it will preserve all its fundaments, both corporeal and spiritual. And its All-Wise Maker, the Most Compassionate One, will give as recompense for the duties of the physical tools and instruments, pleasures worthy of them; and to His servants, as a wage and as a reward for the particular worship of each. Otherwise a situation would occur that was contrary to His wisdom, justice, and mercy, which is in no way fitting for the Beauty of His Mercy and Perfection of His Justice, and in no way compatible with it.

QUESTION: If a body is living, its parts are constantly being formed and dissolved; it is doomed to extinction and cannot be eternal. And eating and drinking are for the perpetuation of the individual, and sexual relations are for the perpetuation of the species. These are fundamental to this world, but there is no need for them in the world of eternity and hereafter. So why have they taken their place as the greatest pleasures of Paradise?

THE ANSWER: Firstly, the bodies of living creatures being doomed to extinction and death in this world arises from an imbalance in what is taken in and what is expended. From childhood until maturity much is taken in, and after this what is expended increases; the balance is spoilt, and so the body dies. In the world of eternity, however, the particles of the body remain constant and are not subject to formation and dissolution, or else the balance remains constant. [In this world, the bodies of humans and animals are like guest-houses, barracks, and schools for particles. The lifeless particles enter them and acquire worthiness to be particles for the everlasting realm, which is living and they then leave them. In the hereafter, however, according to the verse, The Abode of the Hereafter, that is life indeed, the light of life is general. There is no necessity for that travelling, drill, and instruction in order to be illuminated. Particles will remain constant as old timers.] Like a closed circle or perpetual motion, the body of the living creature becomes eternal together with the functioning of the machine of bodily life for pleasure. Although in this world eating and drinking and sexual relations arise from need and perform a function, various delights and pleasures have been left within them as an immediate wage for the duty performed, which are superior to other pleasures. Since in this abode of sorrows eating and sexual relations are the means to this many wonderful and various pleasures, for sure, in Paradise, which is the abode of pleasure and bliss, those pleasures will take on a most exalted form, and adding to them as pleasure the recompense of the duties pertaining to the hereafter performed here and adding also the worldly need in the form of an agreeable, otherworldly appetite, they will become an all-embracing, living source of pleasure worthy of Paradise and suitable to eternity. Indeed, according to the meaning of the verse,

And what is the life of this world but amusement and play? But indeed the Abode of the Hereafter, that is life indeed,

substances, matters, which are inanimate, and without consciousness and life in the abode of this world, there, are living and conscious. Like human beings and animals here, the trees and stones there will understand commands and carry them out. If you tell a tree to bring you such-and-such a fruit, it will bring it. And if you tell such-and-such a stone to come, it will come. Since stones and trees will take on an elevated form to this degree, it surely necessitates that, together with preserving their bodily realities, eating, drinking, and sexual relations also will take on a form higher than their worldly form, higher to the degree that Paradise is higher than this world.

QUESTION: According to the meaning of:

Everyone will be together with those he loves,

in Paradise, friend will be together with friend. So, a love for the sake of God is born in a simple nomad in one minute's conversation with the Prophet (PBUH), through which he has to be at the Prophet (Upon whom be blessings and peace)'s side in Paradise. But how can the effulgence of the Most Noble Prophet (PBUH), who receives limitless effulgence, be united with that of a simple nomad?

THE ANSWER: We shall point to this elevated truth with a comparison. For example, a magnificent personage set up a vast banquet and finely-adorned spectacle in a fine and splendid garden, and he prepared it in such a way that it included all the delicious foods that the sense of taste can experience, and all the fine things that please the sense of sight, and all the wonders that amuse the faculty of imagination, and so on; he included in it everything that would gratify and give pleasure to all the external and inner senses. Now, there were two friends and they went together to the banquet. They sat at a table in a pavillion. But the sense of taste of one of them was very limited, so he received only minor pleasure. His eyes could see only a little, and he had no sense of smell, and he could not understand the wondrous arts nor comprehend the marvels. In relation to his capacity, he could only benefit from and take pleasure at a thousandth or even a millionth of that beautiful place. The other man however had developed his outer and inner senses, his mind, heart, emotions, and subtle faculties so perfectly and to such a degree that, although he was next to his friend, he could perceive and experience all the subtleties and beauties and marvels and fine things in the exhibition, and receive their different pleasures.

Since this confused, sorrowful, and narrow world is thus, and although the greatest and the least are together, the difference between them is as great as from the ground to the Pleiades, for sure, in Paradise, the realm of bliss and eternity, while friend is together with friend, each will receive his share from the table of the Most Merciful and Compassionate One in accordance with his capacity and to the degree of his abilities. Even if the Paradises in which they are found are different, it will not be an obstacle to their being together. For although the eight levels of Paradise are one above the other, the roof of all of them is the Sublime Throne. If there are walled circles round a conical mountain, one within the other and one above the other from its foot to the summit, the circles are one over the other and look to one another, but do not prevent each other seeing the sun. So too there are various narrations of Hadiths indicating that the Paradises are in a manner close to this.

QUESTION: It is said in Hadiths: "Although the Houris are clothed in seventy garments, the marrow of their leg-bones may be seen." What does this mean? What sort of meaning can it have? What sort of beauty is this?

THE ANSWER: Its meaning is most beautiful and its beauty is most lovely. It is like this: in this world, which is ugly, inanimate, lifeless, and for the most part just a husk, beauty and loveliness only appear beautiful to the eye, and so long as familiarity is not an obstacle, that is sufficient. Whereas in Paradise, which is beautiful, living, brilliant, and entirely the essence without the husk and the kernel without the shell, like the eye, all man's senses and subtle faculties will want to receive their different pleasures and various delights from the Houris, the gentle sex, and from the women of this world, who will be like Houris and even more beautiful. That is to say, the Hadith indicates that from the beauty of the top garment to the marrow in the bone, each will be the means of pleasure to a sense and a subtle faculty. Yes, by saying, "The Houris wear seventy garments and the marrow of their leg-bones can be seen," the Hadith points out that however many senses, feeling, powers, and faculties man has which are enamoured of beauty, worship pleasure, are captivated by ornament, and yearn for loveliness, the Houris comprise every sort of adornment and exquisite loveliness, physical and spiritual and immaterial, which will please and satisfy all of them, and gratify and make happy each of them.

That is to say, since the Houris are of seventy of the varieties of the adornment of Paradise, and not of one sort, as they are clothed in garments which do not conceal one another, they display from their beings and selves and bodies, perhaps more than seventy of the different sorts of its beauty and loveliness. They demonstrate the truth indicated by the verse:

There will be there all that the souls could desire and all that the eyes could delight in.

Moreover, the Hadith indicates that since in Paradise there are no unnecessary, extraneous, waste-matters, the people of Paradise will not excrete waste after eating and drinking. Since in this lowly world, trees, the most ordinary of living beings, do not excrete despite taking in much nourishment, why should not the people of Paradise, who are the highest class of life, not excrete waste?

QUESTION: It says in Hadiths: "Some of the people of Paradise are given a place as large as the world, and thousands of palaces and hundreds of thousands of Houris are bestowed on them." What need has a single person of all these things, what necessity is there for them? How can this be and what does it mean?

THE ANSWER: If man was only a lifeless being, or was only a vegetable creature consisting of a stomach, or consisted only of a limited, heavy, temporary, and simple corporeality or animal body, he could not own many palaces and Houris, or be fit for them. But man is such a comprehensive miracle of power that even in this transitory world and brief life, if he is given the rule of all the world and its wealth and pleasures, in regard to the need of some of his subtle faculties which have not developed here, and even his ambition, he cannot be satisfied. Whereas, that a person possessing an infinite capacity in an eternal abode of bliss who knocks on the door of an infinite mercy with the hand of infinite desires and the tongue of infinite needs will receive the Divine bounties described in Hadiths, is reasonable, right, and true. We shall observe this elevated truth through the telescope of a comparison. It is as follows:

Although, like this valley garden,5 each of these gardens and vineyards of Barla has a different owner, each bird, each sparrow, each honey-bee in Barla, who possesses with regard to food only a handful of grain, may say: "All the gardens and orchards of Barla are my pleasant places of promenading and recreation." Each may take possession of Barla and include it in his property. Others sharing it does not infringe its rule. Also, a man who is a true human being may say: "My Creator made this world a house for me. The sun is my lamp, the stars my electric lights. The face of the earth is my resting-place spread with flowered carpets." And he offers thanks to God. The other creatures sharing it does not negate this statement of his. On the contrary, the creatures adorn his house and are like its decorations. And so, if in regard to his humanity, man in this narrow brief world - and even a bird - claims a sort of power of disposal over such a vast sphere and receives such a vast bounty, how can it be deemed unlikely that he is given the ownership of a property stretching a distance of five hundred years in a broad and eternal abode of bliss?

Moreover, just as in this dense and dark narrow world the sun is present in the same way at the same moment in numerous mirrors, so too, as is proved in the Sixteenth Word, a luminous being may be present in many places in the same way at the same moment. For example, Gabriel (Upon whom be peace) being on a thousand stars at the same moment, and at the Divine Throne, and in the presence of the Prophet (PBUH), and in the Divine Presence; and the Prophet Muhammed (Upon whom be blessings and peace) meeting with most of the righteous of his community at the resurrection of the dead at the same moment and appearing in this world in innumerable places at the same moment; and a strange group of the saints known as abdal, appearing at the same time in many places; and ordinary people sometimes carrying out as much as a year's work in one minute in a dream and observing this; and everyone being in contact with and concerned with numerous places at the same moment in regard to heart, spirit, and imagination – all these are well-known and may be witnessed. And so, most certainly, in Paradise, which is luminous, unrestricted, broad, and eternal, the people of Paradise, whose bodies are of the strength and lightness of the spirit and of the swiftness of imagination, being in hundreds of thousands of places at the same time, and conversing with hundreds of thousands of Houris, and receiving pleasure in hundreds of thousands of ways, is fitting for that eternal Paradise, that infinite mercy, and as told by the Bringer of Sure News (PBUH), is reality and the truth. Nevertheless, these vast truths cannot be weighed on the scales of our tiny minds.

This tiny mind cannot perceive the true meanings,

For such a scale cannot bear such a weight.

Glory be unto to You! We have no knowledge save that which You have taught us; indeed, You are All-Knowing, All-Wise.

O our Sustainer! Do not call us to task if we forget or fall into error.7

O God! Grant blessings to Your beloved, who opened the doors of Paradise through being Your beloved and through his prayers, and You confirmed its opening for his community due to their benedictions for him, on him be blessings and peace.

O God! Enter us into Paradise among the righteous, through the intercession of Your beloved, the chosen one. Amen.

* * *

A Short Addendum to the Word On Paradise

[On Hell]

As is proved in the Second and Eighth Words, belief bears the seed of a sort of Paradise, while unbelief conceals the seed of a sort of Hell. Just as unbelief is a seed of Hell, so too, Hell is one of its fruits. Just as unbelief is the cause of Hell being entered, so too it is the cause of Hell's existence and creation. For if an insignificant ruler of small dignity, small pride, and small loftiness is told impudently by some unmannerly person: "You may not punish me and you cannot", for sure, if there is no prison in that place, the ruler will have one built for him and will throw him in it. However, by denying Hell, the unbeliever is giving the lie to One of infinite dignity, pride, and glory, Who is most great and infinitely Powerful, and is accusing Him of impotence, lying, and powerlessness; he is severely insulting His dignity and offending His pride in awesome manner. He is rebelliously causing affront to His Glory. Certainly, to suppose the impossible, there was no reason for Hell's existence, it would be created for unbelief, which comprises denial and ascribing impotence to this degree, and such an unbeliever would be cast into it.

Our Sustainer! You did not create that in vain. Glory be unto You! Save us from the penalty of the Fire!

(Badiuzzaman Said Nursi- Risale-i Nur Collection, The Words)

Can the future be known?

The following verse declares using a majestic style that Allah’s knowledge surrounds everything:

“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)” (al-An’am, 59).

It is understood from the general style of the verse that ghayb is like a treasure whose doors are locked. Allah has the keys to this treasure. As a matter of fact, the following verse states as a general decree that only Allah knows the ghayb:

“Say: None in the heavens or on earth, except Allah, knows what is hidden.” (an-Naml, 65)

However, there may be exceptions to any general rule. When we say “Swans are white”, it is understood that “they are generally white” because there are some black swans though they are very rare.  

“Can anybody know the future? Can Allah not give the keys to the treasure of the ghayb He has to others?” The following verse clarifies the questions above:

“He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries ― Except a messenger whom He has chosen…” (al-Jinn, 26-27). That is there is an exception to the decree “Only Allah knows the ghayb.” If Allah informs a person about the ghayb, that person can know the ghayb to some extent.

The phrase “a messenger whom He has chosen” is interpreted differently in tafsir books.

According to some interpreters, what is meant by a messenger is a prophet. That is, Allah informs only a prophet about the ghayb. They reject the view that saints, magicians and soothsayers can know about the ghayb. For, magicians and soothsayers are the people that are the furthest away from the consent of Allah and nearest to His wrath. Saints are people that Allah is pleased with but they are not prophets.

We want to attract attention to the following issues:

1. The word “messenger” is not a word that is exclusively used for prophets. As a matter of fact, the following verse states it clearly: “Allah chooses Messengers from angels and from men…” (al-Hajj, 75)

2. Since the word “messenger” in the verse above includes angels, it is possible that some angels convey inspiration to some saints. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in a hadith: “Satan touches the son of Adam and the angel touches him.” (Tirmidhi, Tafsir 2/ 35) As it will be seen, some saints were informed about some secrets about the ghayb.

3. Being addresses by divine speech is not something that is peculiar to prophets. It is possible for some people to learn about some secrets about the ghayb through dreams or inspiration; there are examples of it. As a matter of fact, the following verse states the principle of Allah’s speaking to man:

“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 Allah's permission, what Allah wills...” (ash-Shura, 51)

In the verse, it is stated that “It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him through three ways” it is not stated that “It is not fitting for a prophet that Allah should speak to him”, which shows that other people can be addressed by divine speech. Accordingly:

a. Allah’s speaking through revelation can include various degrees of revelation like being strong and weak. It expresses receiving divine message while one is awake or asleep as it is the case in revelation to the prophets and to the mother of Moses. Therefore, the revelation here also contains the meaning of inspiration.

b. Allah’s speaking from behind a veil includes incidents like hearing the divine speech directly as it was the case when Moses received the first revelation.

c. Allah’s speaking by sending of a messenger expresses the incidents like sending Gabriel to Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) to reveal.

As it is seen, “the treasures of the ghayb” belong to Allah but Allah informs His prophets and some of His special slaves about some secrets.  
 

Hz. Isa (Jesus) giving information about the future

Prophets are people that receive information about the ghayb through revelation. God Almighty conveyed His message to people through these people that He chose among them.

These prophets are not the people who know the ghayb but they are the people who receive information about the ghayb. That is, these distinguished people do not know the ghayb on their own. They only know what is revealed to them.

It is seen in the Quran that prophets give some information about the future. For instance, Hz. Isa (Jesus) mentioned the name of the prophet to come after him:

“And remember Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah (sent) to you confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving glad Tidings of an Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad...” (as-Saff, 6)

The glad tiding that Hz. Prophet would be sent was expressed clearly by Jesus as it is seen in the verse above.

“Without doubt it is (announced) in the revealed Books of former peoples. Is it not a Sign to them that the learned of the Children of Israel knew it (as true)?” (ash-Shuara, 196-197) As it is stated in the verses above, the other heavenly books also mentioned Hz. Prophet and the Quran, which was sent down to him.

As a matter of fact, when Hz. Prophet became a prophet the scholars of Sons of Israel were talking about the advent of a prophet.

Jesus, who is one of the great prophets, states the following when he talks about the miracles given to him by Allah:

“…and I declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses...” (Aal-i Imran, 49).

A similar thing is valid for Hz. Yusuf (Joseph). When he was in the dungeon, he told his friends beforehand what food would come. Hz. Yusuf said the following to his two friends who came to him for the interpretation of their dreams: “Before any food comes (in due course) to feed either of you I will surely reveal to you the truth and meaning of this ere it befall you…” (Yusuf, 37) His statement that he knows some ghayb secrets does not indicate pride; it is preparation to call his friends to believe in Allah.  His following statement aims to declare that it is not fortune-telling or sooth-saying: “That is part of the (Duty) which my Lord hath taught me.” (Yusuf, 37)
 

Hz. Yaqub and Hz. Yusuf

Hz. Yaqub (Jacob) is one of the prophets that the Quran informs us about. He had a special love for Yusuf, who would be a prophet in the future. Yusuf's brothers were jealous of him and threw him into a well. They took his bloody shirt to their father and said to him, “A wolf ate Yusuf.” Afterwards, Yusuf was saved by a caravan from the well and was sold as a slave in Egypt. Then, he was sent to a dungeon due to a slander. He stayed there for a long time. Then, he was saved from the dungeon due to the interpretation of the dream of the king. Then, he was appointed as one of the highest administrators of Egypt.   

Meanwhile, Hz.Yaqub became blind due to his longing for his son, Yusuf. However, due to the knowledge coming from Allah, he believes that his son is alive. Then, Yaqub’s sons went to Egypt to get food due to famine. Hz. Yusuf recognized his brothers. When he found out about his father's situation, he said to them, “Go with this, my shirt, and cast it over the face of my father: he will come to see (clearly)” When the caravan left (Egypt), their father said: "I do indeed scent the presence of Joseph: nay, think me not a dotard." The people around him did not feel such a scent and said, “By Allah! truly thou art in thine old wandering illusion..” Then when the bearer of the good news came he cast (the shirt) over his face, and he forthwith regained clear sight. He said: "Did I not say to you, I Know from Allah that which ye know not?' (Yusuf, 93-96)

In this incident narrated in the Quran, it is an extraordinary state that Hz. Yusuf knows his father will start to see again thanks to the shirt he sends to him and that his father, Yaqub, receives the scent of his shirt from such a distance. Some people may think as follows: “Yaqub felt it because his longing and yearning for his son increased his sensitivity.” Hamdi Yazır, a great interpreter answers it as follows:  

“No matter how much Yaqub’s sensitivity and his sense of smelling increased after becoming blind, he did not feel the scent of Yusuf until the caravan left Egypt but felt it later, which shows that it is not based on his sensitivity.” (Yazır, IV, 1651, 1652)

That “Did I not say to you, I Know from Allah that which ye know not?” is stated in the verse shows that Hz. Yaqub received this information from Allah through a special way and that it does not originate from his material sensitivity.

Sheikh Sadi states the following subtle point regarding the issue:

“Somebody asks Yaqub, who has lost his son: You received the smell of Yusuf’s shirt from Egypt; why did you not see him when he was in a well in Kanan? Hz. Yaqub answers as follows: “We are like lightning. We sometimes see clearly and sometimes see nothing. We sometimes rise to the sky and sit there; we sometimes do not see our feet.” (Sadi, p. 50)

Hz. Yusuf received divine knowledge when he was a child. When his brothers were jealous of him and threw him into the well, God Almighty inspired the following into his heart:

“Of a surety thou shalt (one day) tell them the truth of this their affair while they know (thee) not.”(Yusuf, 15)

It is the manifestation of God Almighty's grace and mercy to send ease during hard times. It was the necessity of divine wisdom and mercy to please the sensitive heart of little Yusuf, who was betrayed by his brothers and thrown into the well. It is a reality experienced by many people that divine mercy comes to help people when they are in agony and trouble and when they are in need of holy consolation.   

That, Hz. Yusuf gave his shirt to his brothers and said to them “Go with this, my shirt, and cast it over the face of my father: he will come to see (clearly)” (Yusuf, 93) is a kind of news about the ghayb.

In addition, although Hz. Yaqub received the ill news that “a wolf ate Yusuf” with a bloody shirt, he knew that Yusuf was alive and said,

“I know from Allah that which ye know not” (Yusuf, 86), which shows the dimension of his knowledge about the ghayb.   

That is, prophets knew about some secrets about the ghayb with the permission of Allah. The examples in the Quran prove this reality clearly. These examples show that similar incidents are possible. That is, the knowledge about the ghayb sent to the prophets is not limited with the ones mentioned in the Quran; many similar events took place.    
 

Hz. Khidr
 

In verses 60 to 82 of the chapter of al-Kahf, the journey of Hz. Musa (Moses) with "a servant of Allah" is narrated. This journey includes very remarkable and interesting incidents regarding "knowledge about the ghayb". The journey of this unknown person with Hz. Musa takes place as follows:

After a long journey with the young man near him, Hz. Musa arrives at the place where he will meet Hz. Khidr.

“So they found one of Our servants on whom We had bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our own presence.

Moses said to him: "May I follow thee, on the footing that thou teach me something of the (Higher) Truth which thou hast been taught?"

(The other) said: "Verily thou wilt not be able to have patience with me!

"And how canst thou have patience about things about which thy understanding is not complete?"

Moses said: "Thou wilt find me, if Allah so will (truly) patient: nor shall I disobey thee in aught."

The other said: "If then thou wouldst follow me, ask me no questions about anything until I myself speak to thee concerning it."

So they both proceeded: until, when they were in the boat, he scuttled it. Said Moses: "Hast thou scuttled it in order to drown those in it? Truly a strange thing hast thou done!"

He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience with me?"

Moses said: "Rebuke me not for forgetting, nor grieve me by raising difficulties in my case."

Then they proceeded: until, when they met a young man, he slew him. Moses said: "Hast thou slain an innocent person who had slain none? Truly a foul (unheard-of) thing hast thou done!"

He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience with me?"

 (Moses) said: "If ever I ask thee about anything after this, keep me not in thy company: then wouldst thou have received (full) excuse from my side."

Then they proceeded: until, when they came to the inhabitants of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused them hospitality. They found there a wall on the point of falling down, but he set it up straight. (Moses) said: "If thou hadst wished, surely thou couldst have exacted some recompense for it!"

He answered: "This is the parting between me and thee: now will I tell thee the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience.

As for the boat, it belonged to certain men in dire want: they plied on the water: I but wished to render it unserviceable, for there was after them a certain king who seized on every boat by force.

"As for the youth his parents were people of Faith, and we feared that he would grieve them by obstinate rebellion and ingratitude (to Allah and man).

"So we desired that their Lord would give them in exchange (a son) better in purity (of conduct) and closer in affection.

"As for the wall it, belonged to two youths, orphans in the Town; there was, beneath it, a buried treasure, to which they were entitled: their father had been a righteous man: so thy Lord desired that they should attain their age of full strength and get out their treasure― a mercy (and favour) from thy Lord. I did it not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience."”(al-Kahf, 65-82)

We regard it useful to attract attention to some points related to this instructive story:

1. The name of the hero of the story, "a servant of Allah" is not mentioned. The atmosphere of obscurity in the ghayb is seen in the whole story and also in the fact that the name of the hero is not given. Therefore, some scholars did not mention the name of this hero in their tafsirs acting upon the point of living in the shade of the Quran. We will mention this person as "Khidr" since he is mentioned as "Khidr" in hadiths and since it will be more practical.

2. There is no clear expression in the verses whether Hz. Khidr is a prophet or a saint. However, those who say he is a prophet acting upon the fact that he knew some secrets about the ghayb that Hz. Musa did not know and that he said, “I did it not of my own accord”(al-Kahf, 82) are in majority.  

3. The knowledge of Hz. Khidr is known as ilm al-ladun (hidden knowledge). This term originates from the word ladun in the verse “whom We had taught knowledge from Our own presence”.

Although all sciences come from Allah, this knowledge is especially mentioned here, which shows that it comes directly from divine instruction without any reasons from outside. For, it is possible to learn the sciences like history and fiqh from books and by listening to a person. Ilm al-ladun is not a science that can be learned through the ways we have just mentioned. Even a prophet like Hz. Musa was not given this science directly. This science is also called the science of the truth, the esoteric knowledge and the knowledge of the ghayb. The following words of Hz. Khidr to Hz. Moses show the difference between their knowledge:   

“O Moses! I know a science taught to me by Allah that you do not know. And you know a science that I do not know.”

4. When we look at them in terms of their duties, we see that there is a difference between them.  Hz.Khidr is not appointed by Allah to lead people to guidance like Hz. Musa; he is appointed to fulfill the orders of God regarding people. Therefore, his killing the child is like the duty and responsibility of the angel of death, who is appointed to remove the souls of the children who die as a result of the order of Allah. (Yazır, V, 3273)

Or, we can resemble Hz Khidr to an actor that plays a role in the divine scenario. The actors play the roles assigned for them. They have no responsibilities and obligations other than that. (Albayrak, p. 245)

5. For us, this story includes several lessons to learn. The most important lesson for us to learn in terms of "the knowledge about the future" is not to be deceived by the outward appearances of the incidents. Many seemingly bad incidents may have nice outcomes. The following verse of the Quran expresses this reality clearly: “But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you.” (al-Baqara 216) This story is like the explanation of the verse above. Scuttling the boat and killing the child, which were seemingly bad deeds, brought about nice outcomes in the future.

Every human will definitely experience the life of grave, whether s/he is buried underground after death, stays deep down the sea having been drowned, or is eaten by a predator, or thrown as ash into air after being cremated... As the torment of the grave and questioning address the spirit, even if the corpse of the deceased is not in the grave, s/he will experience the questioning and- if s/he deserves-the torment of the grave. Even if corpses are buried underground, they rot after some time. Therefore, the life of the grave, questioning, reward or punishment (of the grave-life) should not be attributed only to the corpse buried underground.

After man dies, his spirit goes to the realm of barzakh. The person in the realm of barzakh opens his eyes when the angels start to ask him questions. That is, questioning in the grave starts when a person dies. Even if the dead body is put into the grave late, the human spirit enters the realm of barzakh and is questioned without any connection with the body.

As a matter of fact, though there are some differences, it is stated in various narrations having the same meaning that as soon as the spirit of a believer is removed, it will be given to the angels of mercy, who will elevate it and that the spirits of unbelievers and bad people will be given to the angels of torture and that the doors of the sky will not be opened for them. Meanwhile, the spirit is conscious and it knows that the worldly life ended and that it left the body. (see Ghazzali, Durratu'l-Fakhira. v. 311 b; Abdullah Sirajuddin., al-Iman bi Awalimi'l-Akhira, p. 47, Aleppo, 1977)

Death is the phenomenon of the spirit's leaving the body. It is body that dies, not spirit. Human is essentially spirit. Body is its home or garment. One's existence is not harmed through change of garment or through getting ripped off or exterminated. Our Lord, who makes us wear this body in this world's life, and who thus accommodates us in this universe, separates our spirit from that garment when He makes us emigrate from this world.

Death is not extermination. It is the door to a better world. A seed underground apparently dies, rots and becomes eradicated, but in reality, it enters a better life, from the life of a seed to a life of a tree.

Similarly, a person who dies goes under the earth apparently and rots, but in reality, s/he finds a more beautiful life in the intermediate realm and the realm of the grave.

Body and spirit are like a light-bulb and electricity. When the bulb is broken, electricity does not die out; it continues to exist. Even if we do not see it, we are sure that electricity is still existent. Likewise, when human dies, the spirit leaves the body but it continues to exist. Allah ensures the spirit's life in the realm of grave by making it wear a more appropriate and beautiful garment.

Thus, the prophet (pbuh) informs us about the existence of the life of grave life in detail by saying;

“The grave is either a garden of the gardens of Paradise, or a pit of the pits of Hell.” (Tirmidhi, Qiyamah, 26)

When man is put into the grave after he dies, two angels called Munkar and Nakir  go to him and ask him, "Who is your Lord? Who is your Prophet? What is your religion?" People with belief and good deeds answer these questions correctly. Doors of Paradise are opened to those people and Paradise is shown to them. While believers live in boons, without any problems and peacefully, unbelievers and hypocrites (munafiqs) will be tortured in grave. (see az-Zabidi, Tajrid Sarih, trnsl. Kamil Miras, Ankara 1985, IV/496 ff)

There are certain verses of Qur'an and hadiths which denote the presence of torment and of blessing in the grave. In a verse, the following is stated:

“In front of the Fire will they be brought, morning and evening: and (the Sentence will be) on the Day that Judgment will be established: "Cast ye the People of Pharaoh into the severest Penalty!” (Surah al-Mumin, 40/46)

According to that verse, there is torment before the Doomsday, too; in other words, in the grave. The Prophet explained that the verse:

"Allah keeps firm those who believe by the true, firm word in the life of this world and in the Hereafter.” (Abraham, 14/17)

was revealed about the blessing of grave. (Bukhari, Tafsir, Surah: 14).

There are many hadiths about the punishment of grave mentioned in books of hadith. Some of them are as follows:

While the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, was passing by a cemetery, he saw that two dead people in two graves were suffering torment for some petty things. One of the dead people in those two graves committed talebearing in the world and the other did not avoid urine (not paying attention to avoiding urine drops while urinating). Thereupon, Allah's Messenger, peace and blessings upon him, took a green branch, split it into two, and planted them each on the two graves. The Companions asked why he did so:

The Prophet replied: “As long as those two branches do not dry, the torment those two suffer is hoped to be alleviated.” (Bukhari Janaiz, 82; Muslim, Iman, 34; Abu Davud, Taharah, 26)

In another hadith, the Prophet says:

“When the deceased is put to grave, two dark blue angels, one named Munkar, the other Naker, come, and they say to the dead:

“What do you say about Muhammad (PBUH)?” And s/he answers: “He is the slave and Messenger of Allah. I witness that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.”  Thereupon, the angels say: “We already knew you would say so.” Then they widen his/her grave seventy yards. And then this person's grave is enlightened. Then the angels say to the deceased: “Lie and sleep!” S/he says: “Go to my family and inform them of my situation.”  The angels say: “Continue sleeping till the Day of Resurrection, just like the person who is in his/her wedding night and who is waken only by the person who s/he likes most.”

If the dead is a hypocrite, the angels say to him/her: “What do you say about Muhammad (PBUH)?” And the hypocrite answers: “I had heard people say some things about Muhammad, and I talked like them. I know nothing else.”  The angels say to him/her: “We already knew you would say so.” And then the earth is addressed: “Pressure this person as much as you can!” And the earth starts to pressure. It pressures to such an extent that that person feels as if his/her bones entangled each other. That torment continues till the Day of Resurrection.” (Tirmidhi Janaiz 70)

In the Qur'an, the following is stated about the grave life of the martyrs:

“Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay they live finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord.” (Aal-i ‘Imran, 3:169),

“And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah: "They are dead." Nay, they are living, though ye perceive (it) not.” (al-Baqara: 2/154).

The view that the torment will be suffered by both the spirit and the body is more preferable.However, it will not be the body which is put to earth that will be tormented, but the new luminous body, which is suitable for the realm of grave and which the spirit wears after leaving its worldly body. Some people from Ahl- as-Sunnah(mainstream Islamic sect) said, "Just as the essence of rose penetrates the rose, so too the spirit is an ore which penetrates the body." (Aliyyu'l-Qari, Explanation of Fiqh al-Akbar, trans. Y. Vehbi Yavuz, Istanbul 1979, p. 259).

The following is stated in a verse:

“Say: "The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you (O men!)” (al-‘Isra, 17/85).

The realm of similitude is described as the realm of transition between the realm of spirits and the realm of matter.

Like the other realms, a small example of this realm is present in man, too. We understand from Nur Collection that this example is “imagination”.

When we visualize a place we have been to before in our imagination, an example of that place forms in our realm of imagination. The origin of this world is in the visible realm but its form in the imagination is in the realm of similitude.

When we stand in front of a mirror, two people face each other. One of them is real and the other is imaginary.

Under the light of these examples, we can say that everything we see in this realm has a similar one in another realm. That realm is called the realm of similitude. The realm of similitude is denser than the realm of spirit but finer than the visible realm. In this sense, it is like a barzakh between two realms.

Unfortunately, some so-called scholars deny today that Allah will inform any of His slaves whom He wishes about about ghayb (unknown/unseen) and say, "Nobody except Allah knows ghayb."

First of all, we should say that the statement "Nobody except Allah knows ghayb" is true. However, it has two meanings:

1. Nobody except Allah knows all ghayb.

2. A person cannot know even a slight issue about ghayb. However, if Allah informs him about it, he will know.

The meaning of the statement of the Prophet (pbuh) "I do not know ghayb" means "I do not know all ghayb. I do not know even a slight issue about ghayb if Allah does not inform me about it." It does not mean "Allah does not inform me about ghayb." Yes, even a prophet does not know about ghayb if Allah does not inform him.

When we say, "Man may know some issues about ghayb", we do not mean "He knows on his own; he discovers himself." The meaning of our statement is as follows:  

Allah may inform any slave He wishes about any part of ghayb through revelation or inspiration.   

We will prove that statement with the verses of the Quran inshallah.

Those who deny that Allah will inform anyone He wishes about ghayb:

Before we start proving, we will mention the statements of some people who deny that Allah will inform anyone He wishes about ghayb:

- The Quran clearly states that nobody including the Messenger of Allah can know about the future.

- The ghayb that is informed to the messenger consists of the divine book revealed to the messenger. Ghayb exists only in the book, nowhere else.  

-  Can a person not know ghayb even if Allah informs him? Allah states the following "I do not inform anyone about ghayb.”

The owners of those views try to distort Ahl as-Sunnah creed and tell people about their wrong views as religion. This work will give a full answer to those wrong statements. Let us move on to the evidences from the verses of the Quran that Allah will inform anyone He wishes about ghayb:

Verses of the Quran stating that Allah will inform anyone He wishes about ghayb

 Our first evidence is verse 7 of the chapter of al-Qasas: We shall restore him to thee...  

Our Lord states the following in that verse:

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى أُمِّ مُوسَى أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ So We sent this inspiration to the mother of Moses (Musa): "Suckle (thy child).  فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ But when thou hast fears about him فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ cast him into the river وَلاَ تَخَافِي وَلاَ تَحْزَنِي but fear not nor grieve إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ for We shall restore him to thee وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ and We shall make him one of Our apostles. 

As the verse above clearly expresses, God Almighty inspires Hz. Musa's mother as follows:

Cast him into the river; We shall restore him to thee and We shall make him one of Our apostles.

Now we ask the following question:

- Is it not ghayb for Hz. Musa's mother that Hz. Musa will return to her and that he will be made a prophet? It is definitely ghayb and an issue about the future. Did Allah inform her about that ghayb? Yes, he did. They say Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb. However, He did as it is mentioned in the verse above.

Now we want to ask those who ignore that verse the following questions:

Does it not mean informing about ghayb to tell Hz. Musa's mother that his son will be returned to him and that he will be a prophet? Are those two issues not ghayb? Do you not read or see that verse of the Quran at all? How can you say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb; nobody can know about ghayb" though our Lord states in dozens of verses like the one above that He informs His slaves about ghayb? You easily deceive some people who do not know the Quran. How can you explain the verse above now?

Our second evidence is verse 45 of the chapter of Aal-i Imran: Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him.

Our Lord states the following in that verse:

إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلآئِكَةُ Behold! The angels said: يَا مَرْيَمُ O Mary! إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِنْهُ Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: اِسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ His name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary.

Let us analyze that verse a bit:

Is it not ghayb for Hz. Maryam (Mary) to have a child? It is definitely ghayb. It is absolutely ghayb because she was not married. Therefore, after that verse, she says,   

 رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?

Hz. Maryam was surprised that she would have a child and could not believe it. It means it is more than ghayb, it is something impossible for Hz. Maryam to have a child. Now we ask:

- Did the angels inform Hz. Maryam about that issue of ghayb or not?

 As the verse states, they did. They say Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb. However, He informed Hz. Maryam as it is mentioned in the verse above.

Now we ask those who state that Allah will not inform anyone about ghayb:

- Does it not mean informing about ghayb to tell Hz. Maryam that she will have a child? Is it not ghayb that Hz. Isa (Jesus) will be born? What is it if it is not ghayb?

How can you say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb; nobody can know about ghayb" though it is clearly stated in the verse that Allah informs Hz. Maryam about ghayb? Know it well that this slander of yours about Allah and the Quran will not go unpunished.

We will analyze a part from the chapter of al-Kahf as our third evidence: The story of Hz. Musa (Moses) and Hz. Khidr.

In the chapter of al-Kahf, the journey of Hz. Musa and Hz. Khidr is narrated. We refer the details of that journey to that chapter and attract attention to the part that is related to our topic:

It is mentioned in verse 71 of the chapter of al-Kahf that Hz. Musa and Hz. Khidr embarked a boat and that Hz. Khidr scuttled it. Hz. Musa could not bear it and said, "Hast thou scuttled it in order to drown those in it? Truly a strange thing hast thou done." Hz. Khidr explains the wisdom behind his scuttling the ship in verse 79 as follows:

The boat belonged to certain men in dire want: they plied on the water: I but wished to render it unserviceable, for there was after them a certain king who seized on every boat by force

That is, the reason why Hz. Khidr scuttled the boat was to prevent it from being seized by the cruel king. As a matter of fact, the cruel king wanted to seize the boat but when he saw that it was torn, he gave up. Then, the poor people who owned the boat repaired it and continued their voyage.  

Hz. Musa and Hz. Khidr got off the boat and continued their journey. It is stated in verse 74 of the chapter that Hz. Khidr killed a child. Hz. Musa could not bear it and said, "Hast thou slain an innocent person who had slain none? Truly a foul (unheard of) thing hast thou done."

Hz. Khidr explains the wisdom behind killing that child in verses 80 and 81: “As for the youth, his parents were people of Faith, and we feared that he would grieve them by obstinate rebellion and ingratitude (to Allah and man). So, we desired that their Lord would give them in exchange (a son) better in purity (of conduct) and closer in affection.”

After summarizing the story like that, we want to ask those who say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" the following questions:

1. You have seen the story and you already know the details. How can you say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" though you know the story? It is not ignorance but treason.

2. Hz. Khidr scuttled the boat and he explained the reason as the cruel king intending to seize the boat. So, it means Hz. Khidr knew that the king would seize the boat. Who informed him about that news related to ghayb? Did he himself guess it and did he scuttle the boat based on his guess? Is it possible to scuttle a boat based on a guess?

3. What about Hz. Khidr’s killing the child? Hz. Khidr explained the reason for his deed as follows: The child would have left his parents to rebellion and ingratitude if he had lived. How did Hz. Khidr know it? The only answer is as follows: He knew it because Allah informed him. They say Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb. However, He informed Hz. Khidr and Hz. Khidr informed Hz. Musa about it. We are astonished that you deviated from the truth though the verses are so clear.

Our fourth evidence is verse 49 of the chapter of Aal-i Imran: I declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses. 

Hz. Isa states the following in the verse above:

وَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ And I declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses 

As the verse clearly states Hz. Isa informed people about what they ate and what they stored in their houses. Let us analyze it a bit:  

Are what people ate and what they stored in their houses ghayb for Hz. Isa or not? They are definitely ghayb. Did Hz. Isa inform them about that news about ghayb? As the verse states clearly, he did.   

After this analysis, we address those who say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" as follows: You say Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb. However, He informed Hz Isa about it. He learned that news about ghayb as Allah informed him. How can you say "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" after seeing it? We ask you to act justly.

• So, it means Hz. Isa knew about that ghayb. Now we ask you: How did he know about that ghayb? There are two possibilities: Either he himself guessed it or Allah informed him. He probably did not guess because it is not possible for every guess to turn out to be true. In that case, we have to accept the other possibility: That is, Allah informed him.

Our fifth evidence is: “I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon prostrate themselves to me.” (Chapter of Yusuf)

We will analyze some verses of the chapter of Yusuf.

According to what is stated in the chapter of Yusuf, Allah taught Hz. Yusuf (Joseph) to interpret dreams. In verse 4 of the chapter, Hz. Yusuf tells his father about a dream. In the dream, he saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon prostrate themselves to him.

It is stated in verse 100 of the chapter that his father, mother and eleven brothers prostrated themselves to Hz. Yusuf. After that prostration, Hz. Yusuf states the following:

 “O my father! This is the fulfilment of my vision of old! Allah hath made it come true.”

Another dream that Hz. Yusuf interprets is mentioned in verse 36 of the chapter. Hz. Yusuf addresses the two people who told him about their dream as follows:

“As to one of you, he will pour out the wine for his lord to drink: as for the other, he will hang from the cross, and the birds will eat from off his head.”

Things turned out to be as Hz. Yusuf told them. One of them was hanged and the other returned to the palace and served the king.  

Another dream that Hz. Yusuf interpreted is mentioned in verse 43 of the chapter. The king narrates the dream he saw as follows:

“I do see (in a vision) seven fat kine, whom seven lean ones devour, and seven green ears of corn, and seven (others) withered. O ye chiefs! Expound to me my vision if it be that ye can interpret visions”

Hz. Yusuf interprets that dream in verse 47 and things turn out to be as he states.

We want to state the following based on what we have mentioned above:

- Hz. Yusuf interpreted dreams based on what Allah taught him and knew about some issues related to the future.

Let us think about the following:

1. Hz. Yusuf's father mother and brothers prostrated before him after so many years. Hz. Yusuf saw in his dream when he was a child that it would happen. How will those who say "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" explain that knowledge of Hz. Yusuf about ghayb?

2. Hz. Yusuf interpreted the dreams of two people in prison; that is, he gave them some information about the future and what he said turned out to be true. One of them was hanged and the other served in the palace. Does the information that Hz. Yusuf gives not mean knowing about the future? Yes, definitely. How did Hz. Yusuf know about the future then? Did he make a guess and was his guess correct? Or, did Allah inform him? You probably accept the second alternative, which proves that Allah may and does inform some people about the future.

3. The dream of the king was also interpreted by Hz. Yusuf and things happened exactly as he interpreted. There was abundance for seven years followed by seven years of drought. Then, there was abundance again.   

We ask the same question again:

- Does Hz. Yusuf's knowing them not mean that he knew about the future? Yes, definitely. How did Hz. Yusuf know about the future? Did he make a guess and was his guess correct? Or, did Allah inform him? You probably accept that Allah informed him. It proves that Allah may and does inform some people about the future.  

After those analyses, we ask those who say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" the following questions:

1. How did Hz. Yusuf know that his father mother and brothers would prostrate before him after so many years if Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb?

2. How did Hz. Yusuf know about the end of two people in prison if Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb?

3. How did Hz. Yusuf know that there would be abundance for seven years followed by seven years of drought and that there would be abundance again if Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb?

Our sixth evidence is verses 2, 3 and 4 of the chapter of ar-Rum: They, (even) after (this) defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious.

The following is stated in those verses:

“The Roman Empire has been defeated- In a land close by; but they, (even) after (this) defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious- Within a few years. With Allah is the Decision, in the past and in the Future: on that Day shall the Believers rejoice”

Before dealing with the aspect of those verses related to our topic, let us analyze a bit the reason why they were revealed:

In 613-614, Persian armies, who were fireworshippers, defeated the Byzantine armies, who were Christians, very severely. Makkan polytheists became very happy when the Christians, who were People of the Book, were defeated. The polytheists said to the Muslims, “If Allah were the only victorious power, He would have made the Byzantines victorious over the Persians.” Thereupon, the Quran informed them about something that seemed impossible but that would happen in the future as a miracle:

“Within a few years (three to nine years), the Byzantines will defeat the Persians and on that Day shall the Believers rejoice.”

As a matter of fact, Hz. Abu Bakr said the following to the polytheists who were happy about victory of Persians: “Allah will not let your happiness last so long because He informed that the Byzantine would be victorious again within a few years.”. Upon this statement of Hz. Abu Bakr, Ubayy B. Khalaf offered Hz. Abu Bakr to make a bet about it. They made a bet on ten camels whether the Byzantine would be victorious or not within three years.

When Hz. Abu Bakr told the Prophet (pbuh) about what had happened, the Prophet said: The word of “bid’” (بِضْعِ) (a few) in the verse does not express three years but between three and nine years; thus, he told Hz. Abu Bakr to increase the time period and the number of camels.

This time, they made a bet on whether the Byzantine could be victorious within nine years for one hundred camels. According to what Tirmidhi mentions in his Sahih, during the days of the Battle of Badr, the Byzantines became victorious over the Persians in the battle and the news of the Quran about ghayb turned out to be true. Hz. Abu Bakr gave the camels that he gained from the successors of Ubayy Ibn Khalaf to the poor upon the advice of the prophet (PBUH).

Let us return to our topic and ask those who say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" the following questions:

1. Is it something related to ghayb that the Byzantines would defeat the Persian in 3 to 9 years or not? It is definitely and absolutely related to ghayb because the possibility of it was not even one in one thousand. Besides, that news is related to the future; and future is ghayb.

2. Did Allah inform about that ghayb or not? He did. He informed all people, not one person, about it. Upon that news, Hz. Abu Bakr made a bet and won it.

Now we ask the 3rd question:  

How can you say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" though Allah informs people about ghayb clearly in the verse? Do you not read the Quran at all? Do you not know the above-mentioned verses of the chapter of ar-Rum? Do you not see that Allah gives information about ghayb? If you say, "No, it does not mean giving information about ghayb", about what does He give information then?

Our seventh evidence is verses 36 and 37 of the chapter of Hud: None of thy people will believe.

Allah Almighty states the following in those verses:

“None of thy people will believe except those who have believed already! So grieve no longer over their (evil) deeds. …for they are about to be overwhelmed (in the Flood).”

Let us analyze the aspect of the above-mentioned verses related to our topic:

Allah Almighty informed Hz. Nuh that his nation would not believe except those who believed before and that they would be drowned. Therefore, He prohibited Hz. Nuh from praying for them and ordered him to construct a ship. According to a narration, Hz. Nuh completed the construction of the ship in four years. And as Allah states, nobody from his nation believed in that period of time and all of them were drowned in the flood.

Now we will ask those who say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" the following questions:

1. Is it regarded ghayb for Hz. Nuh that his nation would not believe and would be drowned? News about something that would happen in four years is definitely ghayb.

2. Did Allah inform Hz. Nuh about that ghayb or not? As the verse states it clearly, He did; and He even prohibited Hz. Nuh from praying for them.

3. How can you say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" after you see that news about ghayb the Quran gives? You can see that Allah informed Hz. Nuh about ghayb.

Is it regarded ghayb to inform Hz. Nuh that his nation would not believe and that they would be drowned in flood? Is it regarded as ghayb for Hz. Nuh? How can they say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" though Allah Almighty informs Hz. Nuh about ghayb and how can they go astray and make people go astray?

Our eighth evidence is verse 27 of the chapter of al-Fath: Ye shall enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills.

Allah Almighty states the following in that verse:

“Ye shall enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, with minds secure, heads shaved, hair cut short, and without fear.”

Let us analyze the aspect of the above-mentioned verse related to our topic:

The believers who had migrated from Makkah to Madinah could not go to Makkah and longed for Makkah. Thereupon, Allah Almighty sent down the above-mentioned verse of the chapter of al-Fath and told them they would be able to enter Masjid al-Haram (the Kaaba) securely.  

Now we ask those who say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" the following questions:

1. Is the future ghayb? It is definitely ghayb.

2. Does giving information about the future not mean giving information about ghayb? It definitely means giving information about ghayb.

3. Is the news that the believers will enter the Sacred Mosque mentioned in the verse about the future? Yes, it is about the future. In that case, that news is related to giving information about ghayb.

4. Did Allah inform that ghayb? Yes, He did. He informed not only one person but all people about it.  

How can you say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" though you see the verse above? He informed us about it. Do you not see it? Or, do you not regard giving information about the future as giving information about ghayb? Then, tell us what you regard it as; then, we will learn it.

Our ninth evidence is verse 15 of the chapter of Yusuf: Thou shalt (one day) tell them...

The following is stated in that verse:

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ and We put into his -that is Yusuf's - heart (this Message): لَتُنَبِّئَنَّهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِمْ هَـذَا 'Of a surety thou shalt (one day) tell them the truth of this their affair – that is, their throwing you into the well and their bad deeds to you - وَهُمْ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ while they know (thee) not.

Let us analyze the aspect of the above-mentioned verse related to our topic:

When Hz. Yusuf was thrown into the well he was 6 years old according to Imam Dahhak and 15 years old according to Hasan Basri. There is a disagreement about his age but there is no disagreement that he was in his childhood. God Almighty sent revelation to him in the well and informed him that he would tell his brothers about their bad deed. Things turned out to be as Allah stated and Hz. Yusuf told his brothers about their bad deed 50 years later. When Hz. Yusuf met his brothers again, he was about 60 years old. It means Allah Almighty sent revelation to Hz. Yusuf in that well about an incident that would take place 50 years later.

Now we ask those who say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" the following questions:

1. Is 50 years later not ghayb? Yes, it is definitely ghayb.

2. Does giving information about something that will happen in 50 years not mean giving information about ghayb? Yes, it definitely means giving information about ghayb.

3. Did Allah inform Hz. Yusuf about that ghayb? Yes, He did. Allah informed him about it even when he was a child, not a prophet.  

How can you say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" though you see the verse above? He informed Hz. Yusuf about ghayb when he was a child. Do you not see it? When will you say ‘we have heard and obeyed’ for the verses of the Quran?

Our tenth evidence is verse 39 of the chapter of Aal-i Imran: ... Allah doth give thee glad tidings of Yahya.

The following is stated in the verse above:

فَنَادَتْهُ الْمَلآئِكَةُ The angels called unto him - that is, Zakariyya - وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي الْمِحْرَابِ while he was standing in prayer in the chamber: أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَـى  Allah doth give thee glad tidings of Yahya.

Let us analyze the above-mentioned verse a bit:

Is it ghayb for Hz. Zakariyya to have a child or not? It is definitely and absolutely ghayb because he was old and his wife was barren. Therefore, Hz. Zakariyya says,  

 رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي غُلاَمٌ O my lord! How shall I have a son وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِيَ الْكِبَرُ وَامْرَأَتِي عَاقِرٌ  seeing I am very old and my wife is barren?

The Prophet Zakariyya is surprised to hear that he will have a child and can hardly believe it. It means it is more than ghayb, actually something impossible, in terms of causes, for the Prophet Zakariyya to have a child.  

Now we ask the following question:

- Did the angels inform the Prophet Zakariyya about that ghayb? They did according to what the verse states. They say Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb but He informed the Prophet Zakariyya about it.  

Now we ask those who say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" the following questions:

- Does it not mean giving information about ghayb to tell Hz. Zakariyya that he will have a child? Is it not ghayb that Hz. Yahya will be born? If it is not ghayb, what is it? How can you say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb; nobody can know ghayb" though it is clear and is stated in the verse that Allah informed Hz. Zakariyya about ghayb? May Allah save the ummah of Muhammad from such wrong thoughts of yours!

Our eleventh evidence is five evidences: the Quran, hadiths, karamahs, true dreams and foresight (extra sensory perception)

It is definite through five evidences Allah may and does inform people about ghayb.

The first evidence is the Quran. Allah states in the Quran that He informs some of His slaves about ghayb. We analyzed many verses with the previous ten evidences and proved that Allah informed any of His slaves He wished about ghayb.

The second evidence that Allah may and does inform people about ghayb is hadiths.

The Prophet (pbuh) gave information about many things related to ghayb and they turned out to be true. You can find those hadiths in hadith books. In particular, the "Fitan" chapters of hadith books include information about things related to ghayb.

Those who do not accept that Allah may inform people about ghayb deny all of those hadiths. They reject the hadiths that Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Ibn Majah and other hadith scholars agree unanimously. Since they have said "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb", they feel obliged to deny all information that Allah gave to the Prophet (pbuh) about ghayb. However, he who shuts his eyes in the presence of the sun makes it dark only for himself.   

The third evidence that Allah may and does inform people about ghayb is the news given by saints as karamah.

Many saints (friends of Allah) gave some information about ghayb in their books and what they wrote turned out to be true. We want to give one example among those thousands of examples:  

Badiuzzaman Said Nursi states that his grave will not be known. He writes the following in his book titled Emirdağ Lahikası:

“My grave will be in a secret place. Nobody but one or two students of mine will know where it is because something that prevents me from preaching when I am alive will definitely oblige me about it after my death.”

He died on March 23, 1960 and was buried in the yard of the mosque in Halilürrahman Dergâh in Urfa. His dead body remained there for about 3.5 months until July 12. During that period, his students were surprised that his grave was in a place that was known because he had said, "The place of my grave will be unknown." On July 12 at night, the grave of Nursi was opened by the coup people suddenly and was taken to an unknown place to be buried. Nobody knows where the grave of Nursi is now.   

How will those who say, "Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb" explain this incident now?

The book of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi is known. It is clear that he wrote "Nobody will know the place of my grave" in it and nobody knows it now. Those who claim that Allah does not inform anyone about ghayb cannot explain this incident about Nursi. Besides, there are thousands of examples from other friends of Allah such as Muhyiddin Arabi and Hz. Ali. How will they explain all those examples about ghayb? Let them explain to us how the news that those saints wrote in their books turn out to be true.

The fourth and fifth evidences that Allah may and does inform people about ghayb are subjective. That is, even if a person denies the verses of the Quran, hadiths and the karamahs of saints, he cannot deny two things that happen in himself.

One of them is true dreams and the other is foresight/sixth sense (extra sensory perception).

Let us talk about true dreams first:

We all, or some of our close relatives and friends, have experienced something like that. Somebody sees a dream at night and exactly the same thing happens the next day. A person sees himself have an accident in his dream and the next day he has an accident. You see in your dream that someone dies and the next day you hear that he really died.  

They all mean Allah's informing people about the future through dreams. Even we, sinful slaves, see them; it is quite natural that saints receive such information.

The second subjective evidence is foresight (extra sensory perception). Foresight means feeling something before it happens. For instance, you think that a friend or a relative will knock on the door; somebody knocks on the door; you open the door and see that person. You think that a friend will call you; then, the phone rings and that person calls you. We experience hundreds of examples like that. Allah informs us about many things related to ghayb: through true dreams or foresight.   

Suppose that somebody denied the verses, hadiths and karamahs of saints; how can he deny himself? How can he explain the true dreams that he sees and comes true? How can he explain feeling some incidents before they happen? There are enough evidences for a person if he knows how to see them.

Our brothers! We thank and praise our Lord because he used us in an issue related to belief. The mistakes regarding the issue belong to us. If there are good things, they belong to our Lord. May Allah make this work atonement for our mistakes, sins and heedlessness! May he accept us as His slaves and the ummah of His beloved Prophet! Amin.

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Did the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) know about the future?

“And We shall try you until We test those among you who strive their utmost and persevere in patience.” (Muhammad, 47/31)

The phrase “...until We know (test)...” used in the verse above and similar ones does not mean that Allah does not know beforehand what will happen. In all tafsir resources, such phrases mean “the appearance - of the relevant thing - actually”.

For example, the explanation of the verse in the chapter of Muhammad can be explained as follows:  

“We definitely know very well what you will do and will not do. However, we will take into account your deeds and performance, not our all-encompassing, infinite and pre-eternal knowledge so that justice will become manifest in the test. Therefore, we will continue testing you until we see the results of the efforts of those among you who make jihad and persevere in patience.”

- Some scholars explain the issue with the concepts “knowledge of ghayb (unknown/unseen)” and “visible knowledge”. (see Razi, the interpretation of the verse in question)

The meaning of it is as follows: Allah, first of all, knows everything that took place, is taking place and will take place as “Allamul-ghuyub” (knower of all ghayb). However, in the test of people that will end in Paradise and Hell, Allah makes an evaluation -as a necessity of justice - based on His knowledge that is related to knowing a state that occurred (not that will occur) and that is called “visible knowledge”, and follows an objective line, not based on His knowledge that encompasses everything. It is a manifestation of His infinite justice.

 ”And whether ye hide your word or publish it, He certainly has (full) knowledge, of the secrets of (all) hearts. Should He not know,- He that created?” (al-Mulk, 67/13-14)

It is emphasized in the verses above that Allah knows all words of people, whether they hide or publish them, and that the creator everything knows everything.

- Many statements meaning “Allah has full knowledge of all things” and “all things Allah comprehends in His knowledge” in the Quran show that there is nothing that is outside the knowledge of Allah. When we think that Allah is the creator of this vast, endless universe, we understand that we have to accept the existence of such all-encompassing knowledge.  

In addition, since Allah’s statement that “nobody will be wronged” is expressed many times in the Quran clearly, it does not comply with a sound belief to say that Allah will act based on His knowledge and that He will not take the performance of anybody into account because Allah knows everything beforehand with His pre-eternal knowledge. He evaluates the test of people based on their success. He determines it according to the result of the test. The expressions in the verse in the chapter of Muhammad and similar verses attract attention to that result.   

After that short explanation, we regard it appropriate to quote some verses and attract attention to a few points:

“…That ye may know that Allah hath knowledge of what is in the heavens and on earth and that Allah is well acquainted with all things.” (al-Maida, 5/97)

“Allah doth know what every female (womb) doth bear, by how much the wombs fall short (of their time or number) or do exceed. Every single thing is before His sight, in (due) proportion.” (ar-Rad, 13/8)

“Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: ‘I will create a vicegerent on earth.’ They said: ‘Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?’ He said: ‘I know what ye know not.'“ (al-Baqara, 2/30)

“…And fear Allah, and know that Allah is well acquainted with all things.” (al-Baqara, 2/231)

“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 any one know what it is that he will earn on the morrow: Nor does any one know in what land he is to die. Verily with Allah is full knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things).” (Luqman, 31/34)

The verses above and similar ones show that “Allah knows everything.”

Besides, to confine Allah to the dimensions of “creatures/created beings” such as time and space indicates abdication of reason.

The claim that Allah cannot know the future is as wrong as the following statement: “Allah is limited with the boundaries that He created.”

Badiuzzaman Said Nursi expresses that fact as follows:  

“Also, pre-eternity is not the tip of a chain reaching into the past which should be considered the end point in the existence of things and a source of compulsion. Rather, pre-eternity holds the past, the present, and the future all at once, looking at them from above like a mirror. In which case, it is not right to imagine an end to past time which stretches back within the sphere of contingency and call it pre-eternity, and to suppose that things enter that knowledge of pre-eternity in sequence, and that oneself is outside it; to reason thus is not right.” (Sözler, Yirmi Altıncı Söz)

That is, Allah’s pre-eternity is not limited with the boundaries of the past and the future. All verses of the Quran show that Allah knows and informs about the past, the future and the present simultaneously.

In one verse, the most unknown points of the past are mentioned; in another verse, some thoughts and deeds of the people living at the time when the Quran was sent down are described; in yet another verse, the realms of the hereafter, the farthest dimension of the future, are visited. When we reach the doer from the things done, we definitely say that such an Allah observes the past, the present and the future simultaneously.

In fact, we see in the descriptions of the polytheists in the Quran that the polytheists doubt that Allah knows the future and whether what He says about the future is true:

“Still less can their knowledge comprehend the Hereafter: Nay, they are in doubt and uncertainty thereanent; nay, they are blind thereunto.” (an-Naml, 27/66)

In the Quran, Allah reveals many verses about the hereafter, which is going to happen in the future. Furthermore, our Lord shows clearly through His verses that He knows what will happen in the hereafter down to the last detail.

To claim that Allah will not know some actual states, i.e., “things” in the future means to state that all of those descriptions of Allah related to the hereafter, which is the farthest period of the future, are fictional and not real, which is a very dangerous thing meaning to deny hundreds of verses.   

Since Allah knows “everything”, He knows pre-eternally what His slaves will think and do in the future. What makes that slave responsible is not Allah’s knowing the sin he will commit but his preferring to commit that sin with his partial free will and tending toward that sin.

What we need to know in order to understand the issue is only this:

“Knowing that something will happen is not a cause that compels it to happen. Knowledge knows it because it will happen.”

There are so many things that we know or guess that will happen; our knowledge about them is never the cause of those things to happen.

There is no need to risk belief by denying that Allah’s infinite knowledge is all-encompassing. To claim that Allah, who knows the Day of Judgment and the hereafter down to the last detail, will not be able to know some “things” in the world is an indication of weakness of belief regarding Allah’s knowledge.

Lastly, we will summarize some examples expressed in the verses of the Quran:

- According to what we understand from the chapter of Yusuf, though Hz. Yusuf (Joseph) was a human being, he interpreted dreams thanks to the knowledge of “dream interpretation” Allah taught him and gave information about some events to take place in the future. If a human being can give information about the details of the things to take place in the future, it will nonsensical to claim that Allah does not know the details about the future.

- In the chapter of al-Kahf, a human being described as “on whom Allah had bestowed mercy” gives information about the future during the journey he makes with Hz. Musa (Moses) and does things that will change the course of the events in the future. The Quran clearly shows that that slave knew about the future thanks to the knowledge taught to him by Allah. That slave knew that Hz. Musa could not show patience, what would happen to the boat, what the future of the child be like and who would benefit from the treasure under the wall because Allah informed him about them:

- The Quran shows in verse 21 of the chapter of al-Hijr that everything is predestinated and then created:

“And there is not a thing but its (sources and) treasures (inexhaustible) are with Us; but We only send down thereof in due and ascertainable measures.” (al-Hijr, 15/21)

Verse 12 of the chapter of Yasin states clearly that everything to come into being exists in Allah’s knowledge:

“And of all things have We taken account in a clear Book (of evidence).” (Yasin, 36/12)

- Very detailed descriptions of the Day of Judgment, Paradise and Hell in the Quran show clearly that there is no limitation of place for Allah. He knows the past and the future simultaneously as a necessity of His names “Awwal (the First)-Akhir (the Last)”. That is, Allah does not inform us about His guesses or plans about the future; He informs us about the events in the future because he knows what will really happen from thoughts to talks.  Allah, who narrates the things to happen in very distant future in the hereafter, definitely knows what will happen in the future (according to us) in this short worldly life because he is Awwal and Akhir, pre-eternal and post-eternal; that is, he is completely free from the limitations of the past and the future.

- Information about the future is given very clearly in several chapters such as ar-Rum and al-Fath. There is no difference for Allah in terms of knowing a war or conquest in the future and life story of a person. Our Lord states very clearly in many verses that he knows the future.  

To claim that Allah will not be able to know some things that He Himself created can be possible only by denying those verses.

The baby in the mother’s womb is in a liquid called “amniotic fluid” and grows by being fed from the navel. At this stage, it is possible to learn the gender of the child with some scientific methods.

The most widely used methods are ultrasonography and the methods of examining the cells by extracting 20 cm³ of the liquid the baby is in.

Ultrasonography works with sound waves that are louder than we can hear. Those sound waves are passed through a substance and an image of the baby is obtained. The gender of the baby is determined through the examination of the organs on the screen.

In the second method, cells fall from the baby’s body into the amniotic fluid. 20 cubic centimeters are taken from this fluid. It is stained and examined under a microscope. The gender of the fetus is learned in this way. This method detects the gender of the child correctly with 80-90% probability.

In the verse in question, the phrase “what is in the wombs” is mentioned; and there is no mention of masculinity and femininity.

With the phrase in question, all aspects such as the special abilities of the baby in the mother’s womb, the shape it will take in the future, its face and emotions are meant. Will the baby to be born be a very talented person? What will it be like in terms of faculties such as mind and memory? How will its face, which we know will be different from all other people, be?

We do not know them and many other issues. However, Allah knows all of them, along with many things that we do not know and cannot yet know... In the verse, this aspect and many others are meant.

Thus, even if we know the gender of the baby to be born at a certain stage, there will still be so much we do not know about it... In fact, we will continue to be unable to know most of them after the baby is born.

What we know is only a drop from the ocean compared to what we do not know...

(Assoc. Prof. Mehmet GÜNDÜZ)

Believing in fortune telling and knowledge of ghayb (the unseen/unknown)

In Islam, it is not permissible to believe in the claim of knowing ghayb. Only Allah knows ghayb, and no one can know it unless Allah reveals it to them.

“Say: None in the heavens or on earth, except Allah, knows what is hidden.” (an-Naml, 65)

Therefore, believing in fortune telling, divination, or similar claims is haram.

Hadith about going to a soothsayer.

Our Prophet said:

مَنْ أَتَى عَرَّافًا فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلَاةٌ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً

“If a person goes to a soothsayer and asks him something, his prayers will not be accepted for forty nights.” (Muslim, Salam, 125)

Imam Nawawi, one of the great scholars of hadith, explains this hadith as follows:

“The prayer is not invalidated; the person is relieved of the obligation of prayer.” However, he is deprived of its reward for forty days. (Nawawi, Sharhu Muslim, Salam)

Fortune telling and divination in works of fiction.

Essentially, believing that a soothsayer knows ghayb is haram and problematic from a religious perspective. However, if one believes that jinn convey information to a soothsayer, he does not cease to be a Muslim.

Nevertheless, the presence of fortune telling or prophecy in fictional works such as novels, films, or games is evaluated differently:

If a person knows that it is entirely fictional and does not believe that it is true, it generally does not fall under the category of “going to a soothsayer” as mentioned in the hadith.

However, it is necessary not to make a habit of being interested in such things and to avoid tending to superstition.

Conclusion

It is haram to believe in fortune telling and divination. Going to a real soothsayer and asking questions is a major sin; it carries a religious risk and causes a decrease in reward for forty days.

Unless divination or prophecy found in fictional works is accepted as fact, it does not fall within the scope of this hadith.

First of all, we know that a significant part of the incidents shown as the reason for revelation in tafsir books did not reach us in a sound way. The reason for the revelation about the issue in question is generally expressed with the use of a passive word such as “it is narrated that, it is said that, according to what is narrated”, which shows weakness”. (See Tabari, Mawardi, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Razi, Baydawi, the interpretation of verse 34 of the chapter of Luqman) According to Ibn Kathir, it was reported by Ibn Abi Najih from Mujahid (the interpretation of the verse in question).

That is to say, there is no information here as to from whom Mujahid reported it and with what chain of narrators. As a matter of fact, Ibn Ashur (see the interpretation of the verse in question) “This news is based on Muqatil and Ikrima, but the original chain of narrators is unknown.” This point alone is an important indicator of weakness.

Even if this news is true, it is not appropriate to confine the broad expression of the verse only to the narrow question of the person asking the question. The Quran sometimes answers a question, not according to the outward appearance of the question shaped by the narrow capacity of the questioner, but by mentioning a scientific fact that is beneficial to everyone in a broad sense. It is called “wise style”. For example, in the answer to a person asking how the moon thins and takes the shape of a crescent, the Quran attracts attention to the calendar function of the crescent, which is beneficial to everyone, instead of describing an astronomical event that is difficult to be understood by him. The meaning of the verse in question is as follows:

“They ask thee concerning the new moons. Say: They are but signs to mark fixed periods of time in (the affairs of) men, and for pilgrimage...” (al-Baqara, 2/189)

Similarly, even if someone asked “whether his wife had a boy or a girl in her womb” regarding the issue we are talking about, the expression of the Quran is not based on his narrow capacity, but is a universal fact to all people who will come until the Day of Judgment. With this, the Quran not only satisfies the person who asks the question but also underlines a fact that is timeless by using a word that will always be fresh. That word is “ma (what)” in the verse. If “man (who)” was used and it was said “man fil-arham”, it could only be suitable for the perception of boys and girls since the word “man” is used for “living-intelligent beings”, whereas the actual meaning of the word “ma” is “thing” and is used for “inanimate-mindless beings” in principle.

So, whatever the reason for its revelation, the choice of “ma” in the Quran, which comes from Allah’s infinite knowledge, is definitely based on a reason, and that reason is to express the material-spiritual face and destiny program of the fetus in the womb.

To sum up, until now, many tafsir scholars considered the issue within the framework of the knowledge of their age and explained its absolute and concise expression of the Quran as “only Allah knows what is in the womb” as “female-male”. The gender of the child in the womb started to be determined with the advancing medical technique. It contradicts the outward statement of the Quran. According to Badiuzzaman said Nursi, who did not find it appropriate to consider the issue within the framework of “femininity-masculinity”, what is meant in the verse is the child’s spiritual face, such as his life program, special talents and abilities, which is a divine seal and is impossible to know because the word “ma” in the verse is the most comprehensive word in Arabic that expresses the absolute general. No one but Allah knows the spiritual face of a person, which is a divine art, as well as the physical and physiological face that distinguishes a child from others. If a hundred thousand human ideas were united, they would not be able to achieve it. (see Niyazi Beki, Kur’an’ın büyük ve parlak bir tefsiri, Risale-i Nur, 111; Lem’alar, 102)

"He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries― Except a messenger whom He has chosen (He informs them) ..." (al-Jinn, 72/26 and 27)

It is stated that only Allah knows the unseen and He informs nobody – including jinn – about it except the messenger that He chose. What is meant by the messenger He chose are prophets; the knowledge of the unseen He informs them is divine revelation and news, which shows that they are prophets. For instance, the Quran, which includes a lot of news about the unseen like the incidents that will take place on the Day of Judgment and the hereafter, was revealed to the Prophet (pbuh).  It is stated in the work of Shawkani that the Prophet (pbuh) was given some news about the unseen like tribulations (mischiefs) apart from the Quran and revelation and that the verse also indicates this.

As for the perfect guides that follow the way of the Prophet, God Almighty opens some doors of the unseen to them through the light of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). We call this «karamah». As a matter of fact, the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah said, «We believe in the karamah of saints», while Mutazila rejected it. The scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah used the following hadiths as evidence:  

«Amongst the people preceding you, there were people who received inspiration; they were not prophets. If there is one in my ummah, it is 'Umar bin Al-Khattab.» (Sahih Bukhari, Lubab at-Ta'wil: IV/317)

«Amongst the people preceding you, there were people who received inspiration. If there is one in my ummah, it is 'Umar bin Al-Khattab.» (Sahih Muslim, Lubab at- Ta'wil: IV/318)