What is the meaning of al-Ghayb (the Unseen) and al-Shahadah (the Witnessed)?

The questioner : Regarding al-Ghayb (the Unseen) and al-Shahadah (the Witnessed), what is the meaning of this phrase in this hadith?

The Shaykh : It clarifies the text of the hadith regarding the presence of people, in front of people, and in secret.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Al-Ghayb (the Unseen) is the secret, and al-Shahadah (the Witnessed) is the presence of people and their witnessing. It means that one should be sincere in his obedience and worship, and not be a show-off when people are present and see him doing good, otherwise he is not [sincere].

The questioner : Yes, is it possible, my Shaykh, that al-Ghayb (the Unseen) and al-Shahadah (the Witnessed) mean what is hidden from the person's own self?

The Shaykh : You are asking a question now that is the same question.

The questioner : No, another question.

The Shaykh : Another question.

The questioner : We have already given the answer to that.

The Shaykh : Of course, that is the principle. Al-Ghayb (the Unseen) is the unseen matters behind us, and al-Shahadah (the Witnessed) is this world.

The questioner : That is correct. I say, my Shaykh, regarding the same hadith.

The Shaykh : I am telling you this is a question about the previous question. You say, "No, we are finished."

The questioner : No, about the previous question, meaning about the previous hadith.

The Shaykh : No, we cannot.

The questioner : It is not understood as what is hidden from me and what I witnessed, but rather what is hidden from people, meaning the secret and the open.

The Shaykh : Subhan Allah, what is the meaning of the first answer?

The questioner : We understood, my Shaykh, the first answer.

The Shaykh : So now, what is the question?

The questioner : That some of the brothers, my Shaykh, said the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): what is hidden from me and what I witnessed. The fear, what is hidden from me, what is the relationship of fear to what is hidden from me?

The questioner : It has no relationship.

The Shaykh : I am telling you this is a meaning independent of the hadith. You told me, "Yes, it is separate from the hadith."

The questioner : No, we.

The Shaykh : You went back to connecting the topic to the hadith. The hadith means, as we mentioned, al-Ghayb (the Unseen) is the secret, which corresponds to al-Shahadah (the Witnessed), which is the open.

The questioner : The open, yes.

The Shaykh : But as for the principle, al-Ghayb (the Unseen), the unseen matters are those that require faith in them because they have no relationship to our reality, to what we witness, and so on.

The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The student : I will mention his name and his identity, you know him... They heard talk about you among the Shaykhs regarding the problems between the Shaykhs in Saudi Arabia, so they asked him, saying, "What is your opinion of the tape of Shaykh Nasser in which he praised the book of Salman? Look at how he answered. He said, 'Shaykh Nasser, may Allah guide him, has fallen into errors that contradict the methodology of the Salaf.' He said, 'We do not declare someone an innovator until the proof is established.' This is not correct, because establishing the proof removes the declaration of disbelief from him, but it does not remove the declaration of innovation from him. We will detail this issue in another session. He means now that he is carrying the banner of war against these Shaykhs. This...

The Shaykh : The saying of al-Maliki is his.
The student : It is his.

The Shaykh : Yes, may Allah guide him.
The student : You know him, you know how. In the journey, meaning.

The Shaykh : There is no power nor strength except in Allah. It was reported to me by some of them that a discussion took place between him and our brother Adnan Arour.
The student : A discussion, meaning they were present together and discussed.

The Shaykh : Was it not reported to you?
The student : No, it was not reported to me, but I was present in the story. You saw how Adnan acted toward Dr. Abdullah. Do you remember?

The Shaykh : I remember, yes.
The student : He was sitting next to you, asking questions. Do you remember?

The Shaykh : Who was asking the questions?
The student : Al-Maliki in Riyadh.

The Shaykh : ...
The student : Adnan said to him, "Please, give me the microphone. We need some questions regarding partisanship and groups to be asked by Shaykh Sa'd." You were present, right? So he did not agree, he refused.

The Shaykh : Who was present?
The student : I, the Shaykh.
Another student: He was in Riyadh, he was working.
Another student: I was next to you, on your right.
The student : So he refused. Adnan said to him, "Please, give me the microphone." He did not agree. He took the questions in his lap and tore them up, and no questions remained. He cut off the supply of questions.

The Shaykh : Who took the questions?
The student : Adnan tore them up, and then he also refused to hand over the microphone.

The Shaykh : No, no, not that session. This is recently, there was a discussion between them. Where is the tape?
The student : Whose tape?

The Shaykh : I am waiting to hear his words.
The student: No.

The Shaykh : Or what?
The student : We want to hear your words.

The Shaykh : No, may Allah guide you. There is no need for every word to be transmitted.
The student : He... there was scholarly talk, he would respond to it.

The Shaykh : There is nothing. I thought we wanted to hear something from him so that we could respond to it. As for me, I raised my voice around him, I have nothing.
The student : That is enough.