The Belief of the Sufis that the Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) is in Every Place and that he Knows the Unseen
Question: Is the Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) in every place? And did he know the Unseen?
Answer by Imām Ibn Bāz: It is know in the Religion by necessity and by the Shariah proofs that Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) is not in every place—rather his body is in his grave in al-Madinah. As for his soul, it is in the highest company in Paradise. This is proven by his (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) saying at the time of his death: “O Allāh! Place me in the highest company.” (Bukhārī, no. 4437, Muslim, no. 2444). He said it three times and then died. The scholars of Islam from the Sahābah and those who came after him have agreed unanimously (ijmā‘) that the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) was buried in the house of ‘Ā’ishah (radiyallāhu ‘anhā) next to his noble Masjid—and his body has not ceased to remain their throughout history. As for his soul, and the souls of the rest of Prophets and Messengers, and the souls of the believers—all of them are in Paradise. However, they are in their places of bliss and in levels according to what Allāh has appointed for each of them due to their knowledge, imān and patience upon bearing the hardhships in cause of calling to the Truth.
As for the affairs of the Unseen, then none knows them except Allāh alone. The Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) and others among the creation only knew what Allāh (the Most High) had informed them of the Unseen—from that which is found in the Qurān and the pure Sunnah, such as the affairs of Paradise, Hellfire, the Day of Resurrection and so on—that which is proven by the Qurān and the authentic Hadeeths such as news about the Dajjāl, the rising of the Sun in the West, the appearance of the Beast of the earth, the descent of ‘Isā Ibn Maryam (‘alaihis-salām) at the end of time and what is similar to that. This is due to the saying of Allāh (the Most High):
قُل لَّا یَعۡلَمُ مَن فِی ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ ٱلۡغَیۡبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُۚ وَمَا یَشۡعُرُونَ أَیَّانَ یُبۡعَثُونَ
“Say, O Muhammad: ‘None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (Unseen) except Allāh, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected.’” (An-Naml: 65)
And His (the Most High) saying:
قُل لَّاۤ أَقُولُ لَكُمۡ عِندِی خَزَاۤىِٕنُ ٱللَّهِ وَلَاۤ أَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡغَیۡبَ وَلَاۤ أَقُولُ لَكُمۡ إِنِّی مَلَكٌۖ إِنۡ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا یُوحَىٰۤ إِلَیَّۚ قُلۡ هَلۡ یَسۡتَوِی ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ وَٱلۡبَصِیرُۚ أَفَلَا تَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴿ ٥٠ ﴾
“Say O Prophet: ‘I do not say to you that with me are the treasures of Allah, nor that I know the Unseen—nor do I say to you that I am an angel. Rather, I only follow what is revealed to me.’ Say: ‘Are the blind one and the one who sees the same? Will you not think?’” (Al-Anʿām: 50)
And likewise His saying:
قُل لَّاۤ أَمۡلِكُ لِنَفۡسِی نَفۡعࣰا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُۚ وَلَوۡ كُنتُ أَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡغَیۡبَ لَٱسۡتَكۡثَرۡتُ مِنَ ٱلۡخَیۡرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِیَ ٱلسُّوۤءُۚ إِنۡ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِیرࣱ وَبَشِیرࣱ لِّقَوۡمࣲ یُؤۡمِنُونَ﴿ ١٨٨ ﴾
“Say, O Muhammad: ‘I possess no power of benefit or hurt to myself except as Allah wills. If I had knowledge of the Ghaib (Unseen), I could have have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil would have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe.’” (Al-Aʿrāf: 188) Verses that carry this meaning are numerous.
And there are authentic Hadeeths reported from the Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) that prove he did not know the Unseen. For example, when Jibreel (‘alaihis-salām) asked him: “When is the Hour?” He (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) responded: “The one being questioned about them knows no more than the questioner.” He (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) also said: “There are five things that none knows besides Allāh.” Then the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) recited:
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥ عِلۡمُ ٱلسَّاعَةِ وَیُنَزِّلُ ٱلۡغَیۡثَ وَیَعۡلَمُ مَا فِی ٱلۡأَرۡحَامِۖ وَمَا تَدۡرِی نَفۡسࣱ مَّاذَا تَكۡسِبُ غَدࣰاۖ وَمَا تَدۡرِی نَفۡسُۢ بِأَیِّ أَرۡضࣲ تَمُوتُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِیمٌ خَبِیرُۢ﴿ ٣٤ ﴾
“Verily, Allah! With Him alone is the knowledge of the Hour: He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in which land he will die. Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware.” (Luqmān: 34)
From the proof also is when the false accusation of fornication was made against ‘A’ishah (may Allāh be pleased with her), he (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) did not know of her innocence from the slander except through the sending of revelation in Surah an-Noor. And he (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) did not where ‘A’ishah had lost her necklace during one of the journeys. Instead, he sent a group of Companions to search for it but they were not able to find it—however, when the camel [that was carrying the howdah of ‘A’ishah] stood up, they found her necklace underneath it. These are just a few Hadeeths that prove the point.
As for that which the Sufis believe—that the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) has knowledge of the Unseen and that he attends their Mawlid and other celebrations—then all of that is falsehood having no proof for it. It is their ignorance of the Quran, the Sunnah and what the Righteous Salaf were upon that has led them to this belief.
So, we ask Allāh, for ourselves and for all the Muslims wellbeing and safety from that which they (the people of superstition) have been trialled with just as we ask Allāh (the Most Perfect) to guide us and them to His Straight Path—indeed He is the Hearer, the One who responds.
(Al-Mujāhid no. 66 / 3rd year — nos. 34-34 / Muharram — Safar 1412 H)
