He says in his letter: What is your opinion regarding the weather forecast and all the weather predictions we hear daily on the radio broadcasts? May Allah guide you?
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The questioner : He says in his letter: What is your opinion regarding the weather forecast and all the weather predictions we hear daily on the radio broadcasts? May Allah guide you?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, the descent of rain is from the knowledge of the unseen, which no one knows except Allah. Allah the Exalted said:[Luqman 31:34] So whoever claims knowledge of the unseen regarding the rain that will fall in the future is a disbeliever, because he is denying the statement of Allah the Exalted: [An-Naml 27:65] As for the one who reports the descent of rain or predicts the descent of rain in the future based on what the precise instruments indicate, by which the conditions of the atmosphere are measured, and by which the experts know that the atmosphere is prepared for rain to fall, then this is not from the knowledge of the unseen, but rather it is based on a tangible matter.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And a matter based on a tangible matter is not said to be from the knowledge of the unseen. The predictions made on the radio are of this category and are not from the category of the knowledge of the unseen. Therefore, they deduce them through precise instruments that monitor the conditions of the atmosphere. They are not, for example, telling you that rain will fall after so many years and by a specific amount, because these means, these instruments, have not yet reached a level where they can perceive what will happen in the atmospheric events. Rather, they are limited to specific hours, and they may sometimes err and sometimes be correct.
As for the knowledge of the unseen, it is that which is based on mere knowledge only, without a tangible means.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And this is known by none except Allah (Mighty and Majestic). On this occasion, I would like to say that it must be known that what has come in the Book of Allah or in what is authentic from His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) of the matters of information, it is absolutely impossible for reality to contradict it, because reality is a matter of certainty, and what has come in the Book of Allah or what is authentic from His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is also a matter of certainty, provided that its indication of its meaning is not ambiguous. And it is not possible for two certainties to contradict each other.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because the certain is definitive, and there is no contradiction between two definitive matters. Accordingly, if we find a verse in the Book of Allah whose apparent meaning is such, but reality contradicts the apparent meaning as it appears to us, then it must be known that this apparent meaning is not what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) intended, because it is absolutely impossible for tangible reality to contradict the Qur'an. Rather, the Qur'an was revealed from Allah (Mighty and Majestic), who is the All-Knowing, the Expert, the Truthful in what He says. Some people think that these predictions contradict His statement, the Exalted:[Luqman 31:34] The truth is that they do not contradict it, because, as we have indicated, they would only contradict it if they were judging these matters by mere knowledge. But they are judging them by tangible instruments by which the state of the atmosphere is clarified, and whether it is prepared for rain or not.
And similar to this is what was recently reported about their knowing what is in the wombs, whether it is male or female.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : They know that it is male or that it is female. Some people think that this contradicts His statement, the Exalted:[Luqman 31:34] In reality, if this is established, it does not contradict this verse, because His statement: [Luqman 31:34] is a relative noun that implies generality, and it encompasses everything related to this fetus. It is known that no one can claim to know that this fetus will be born alive or dead, or that if it is born alive, it will remain for a long time or die after a short time, or that if this fetus comes into the world and lives, whether it will be rich or poor, whether it will be righteous or corrupt, whether it will be wretched or happy. And no one claims to know whether it is male or female before it is created and its maleness or femaleness is clarified.
So the object of the knowledge of what is in the wombs is not specific to maleness and femaleness after the fetus is created in its mother's womb, because if it is created, it can be known. The angel assigned to the wombs says: "Male or female?" and he knows that it is male or female. Thus, it is clarified that what was mentioned, if it is true that they are able to know whether the fetus is male or female, then it does not contradict the verse.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Due to the breadth of the object of the knowledge of what is in the wombs, because it is not specific to it being male or female. Yes.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, the descent of rain is from the knowledge of the unseen, which no one knows except Allah. Allah the Exalted said:
Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الأَرْحَامِ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُSay, "None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah
قُلْ لا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And a matter based on a tangible matter is not said to be from the knowledge of the unseen. The predictions made on the radio are of this category and are not from the category of the knowledge of the unseen. Therefore, they deduce them through precise instruments that monitor the conditions of the atmosphere. They are not, for example, telling you that rain will fall after so many years and by a specific amount, because these means, these instruments, have not yet reached a level where they can perceive what will happen in the atmospheric events. Rather, they are limited to specific hours, and they may sometimes err and sometimes be correct.
As for the knowledge of the unseen, it is that which is based on mere knowledge only, without a tangible means.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And this is known by none except Allah (Mighty and Majestic). On this occasion, I would like to say that it must be known that what has come in the Book of Allah or in what is authentic from His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) of the matters of information, it is absolutely impossible for reality to contradict it, because reality is a matter of certainty, and what has come in the Book of Allah or what is authentic from His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is also a matter of certainty, provided that its indication of its meaning is not ambiguous. And it is not possible for two certainties to contradict each other.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because the certain is definitive, and there is no contradiction between two definitive matters. Accordingly, if we find a verse in the Book of Allah whose apparent meaning is such, but reality contradicts the apparent meaning as it appears to us, then it must be known that this apparent meaning is not what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) intended, because it is absolutely impossible for tangible reality to contradict the Qur'an. Rather, the Qur'an was revealed from Allah (Mighty and Majestic), who is the All-Knowing, the Expert, the Truthful in what He says. Some people think that these predictions contradict His statement, the Exalted:
Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الأَرْحَامِAnd similar to this is what was recently reported about their knowing what is in the wombs, whether it is male or female.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : They know that it is male or that it is female. Some people think that this contradicts His statement, the Exalted:
and knows what is in the wombs
وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الأَرْحَامِand knows what is in the wombs
وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الأَرْحَامِnot
ماSo the object of the knowledge of what is in the wombs is not specific to maleness and femaleness after the fetus is created in its mother's womb, because if it is created, it can be known. The angel assigned to the wombs says: "Male or female?" and he knows that it is male or female. Thus, it is clarified that what was mentioned, if it is true that they are able to know whether the fetus is male or female, then it does not contradict the verse.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Due to the breadth of the object of the knowledge of what is in the wombs, because it is not specific to it being male or female. Yes.