Is Allah's knowledge ancient in type but recent in instances?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. I am confused by what you mentioned, that the default is that the attributes of Allah are ancient in type but recent in instances.
The Shaykh:
It is not what confuses you; if you study this, if Allah wills, and reflect on it, it will remove many of your difficulties. This is the statement of the scholars of knowledge, not my own words; this is the statement of the scholars of knowledge. Yes.
The questioner:
Is the attribute great?
The Shaykh:
You do not understand it in one sitting, or when you first hear it. You must reflect on it and review it, and then it will become clear to you, if Allah wills. Yes.
The questioner:
Does the attribute of knowledge apply to this? So, is it said that Allah's knowledge is ancient in type but recent in instances?
The Shaykh:
Yes. Allah knows. Allah knows everything that happens; He knows it, and His knowledge is ancient, (Glorified and Exalted is He). It is not that His knowledge only occurred when the known thing occurred. It is not so. Allah's attribute of knowledge is eternal in its eternity, (Glorified and Exalted is He), and He knows everything at its time when it happens. Yes.
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. I am confused by what you mentioned, that the default is that the attributes of Allah are ancient in type but recent in instances.
The Shaykh:
It is not what confuses you; if you study this, if Allah wills, and reflect on it, it will remove many of your difficulties. This is the statement of the scholars of knowledge, not my own words; this is the statement of the scholars of knowledge. Yes.
The questioner:
Is the attribute great?
The Shaykh:
You do not understand it in one sitting, or when you first hear it. You must reflect on it and review it, and then it will become clear to you, if Allah wills. Yes.
The questioner:
Does the attribute of knowledge apply to this? So, is it said that Allah's knowledge is ancient in type but recent in instances?
The Shaykh:
Yes. Allah knows. Allah knows everything that happens; He knows it, and His knowledge is ancient, (Glorified and Exalted is He). It is not that His knowledge only occurred when the known thing occurred. It is not so. Allah's attribute of knowledge is eternal in its eternity, (Glorified and Exalted is He), and He knows everything at its time when it happens. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، [421 -1024] هل علم الله قديم النوع، حادث الآحاد؟ - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.