How do we reconcile the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And He knows what is in the wombs” with what has occurred in our era regarding doctors examining the fetus and determining its sex?
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The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh: And upon you peace.
The questioner : I ask your permission, Shaykh, to discuss the interpretation of the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic):[Luqman 31:34]. We hear some Shaykhs say that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) challenged humans with some of these matters using a device, and with others without a device. Is their statement correct?
The Shaykh : I do not think anyone says this. Allah challenges them? How does Allah challenge them?
The questioner : No, they are in the context of responding to those who say that now, with devices, one can see the fetus during...
The Shaykh : Yes, Allah is challenging them.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Or are they challenging Allah?
The questioner : I do not know, by Allah, I heard it this way and I wanted to verify, meaning, is their statement correct, or is there evidence for it, or something?
The Shaykh : You want to speak the words so that I know how to answer you. But a person who speaks about Allah—you, or anyone else, cannot speak about Allah and say He challenges humans. However, perhaps some disbelievers among humans may challenge Allah with their disbelief, just as Pharaoh did in his time with Moses (peace be upon him).
The questioner : Yes, Shaykh, the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in the verse:[Luqman 31:34].
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Do the devices now that have become available, by which one looks at the fetus in its mother’s womb, fall within the scope of this verse, or do they not?
The Shaykh : No, they do not. Do you see how your question has developed?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Your question now has developed from before.
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The questioner : In this context, meaning...
The Shaykh : Yes, yes. To say that Allah challenges humans is incorrect.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : You say there is a difficulty for you or for others: How can Allah say:[Luqman 31:34] and now the doctors, through these devices, know what is in the wombs? You can say that because this is a reality. But attributing the challenge to Allah, that He challenges humans, is a grave, very great error.
The questioner: All right, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Divine knowledge, my brother.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not like human knowledge. Human knowledge does not know anything, as He (the Exalted) said:[Al-Baqarah 2:255]. So it is from the will of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that He teaches humans through the means that Allah has made easy for humans.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Were it not for that, humans would not have been able to know what is in the wombs.
The questioner : Yes, well, Shaykh, some people say in this area, meaning they say: It is not here, meaning, does it mean good or evil, meaning, wretched or happy, or similar. Is there evidence for their statement?
The Shaykh : What do you mean? I did not understand.
The questioner : I mean they say: The knowledge of the doctors now is knowledge of who is in the wombs, not what is in the wombs. What is your opinion on this?
The Shaykh : No, the verse includes everything.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It includes what is in the womb: a living or dead fetus, male or female, complete or incomplete, and so on.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And when the spirit is breathed into it, whether he is happy or wretched, or so on.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It includes everything, and there is no need for such specification to get out of the objection that you raised, which you thought contradicts Allah’s exclusive knowledge of what is in the wombs. And what do they say: “And He sends down the rain.” Also, humans in some circumstances apply heat to the unseen and bring down rain. Does this also need interpretation?! The radical answer is that all of this is by Allah’s teaching to humans. Do you not know that astronomers now make forecasts for twenty years later, showing you today and the day?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And the time of day when the sun will be eclipsed in such a country, a total eclipse in such a country, a partial eclipse in such a country, and so on. Is this not unseen?
The questioner : Yes, it is unseen.
The Shaykh : Well, yes, this poses a problem regarding His saying (the Exalted):[An-Naml 27:65]. There is no problem because they did not know that except through this precise divine system that He established for the sun and moon in the sky. So by precise astronomical calculations, they were able to know what most people are ignorant of. This does not negate that Allah alone knows the unseen. By this path, it is possible for the Muslim to refute the doubts and difficulties raised by some of the doubters or those who harbor suspicion. And peace be upon you, so that we can give the turn to someone else.
The questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh: And upon you peace.
The questioner : I ask your permission, Shaykh, to discuss the interpretation of the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic):
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 الْأَرْحَامِ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُThe Shaykh : I do not think anyone says this. Allah challenges them? How does Allah challenge them?
The questioner : No, they are in the context of responding to those who say that now, with devices, one can see the fetus during...
The Shaykh : Yes, Allah is challenging them.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Or are they challenging Allah?
The questioner : I do not know, by Allah, I heard it this way and I wanted to verify, meaning, is their statement correct, or is there evidence for it, or something?
The Shaykh : You want to speak the words so that I know how to answer you. But a person who speaks about Allah—you, or anyone else, cannot speak about Allah and say He challenges humans. However, perhaps some disbelievers among humans may challenge Allah with their disbelief, just as Pharaoh did in his time with Moses (peace be upon him).
The questioner : Yes, Shaykh, the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in the verse:
and knows what is in the wombs
وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Do the devices now that have become available, by which one looks at the fetus in its mother’s womb, fall within the scope of this verse, or do they not?
The Shaykh : No, they do not. Do you see how your question has developed?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Your question now has developed from before.
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The questioner : In this context, meaning...
The Shaykh : Yes, yes. To say that Allah challenges humans is incorrect.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : You say there is a difficulty for you or for others: How can Allah say:
and knows what is in the wombs
وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِThe questioner: All right, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Divine knowledge, my brother.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not like human knowledge. Human knowledge does not know anything, as He (the Exalted) said:
and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills
وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Were it not for that, humans would not have been able to know what is in the wombs.
The questioner : Yes, well, Shaykh, some people say in this area, meaning they say: It is not here, meaning, does it mean good or evil, meaning, wretched or happy, or similar. Is there evidence for their statement?
The Shaykh : What do you mean? I did not understand.
The questioner : I mean they say: The knowledge of the doctors now is knowledge of who is in the wombs, not what is in the wombs. What is your opinion on this?
The Shaykh : No, the verse includes everything.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It includes what is in the womb: a living or dead fetus, male or female, complete or incomplete, and so on.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And when the spirit is breathed into it, whether he is happy or wretched, or so on.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It includes everything, and there is no need for such specification to get out of the objection that you raised, which you thought contradicts Allah’s exclusive knowledge of what is in the wombs. And what do they say: “And He sends down the rain.” Also, humans in some circumstances apply heat to the unseen and bring down rain. Does this also need interpretation?! The radical answer is that all of this is by Allah’s teaching to humans. Do you not know that astronomers now make forecasts for twenty years later, showing you today and the day?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And the time of day when the sun will be eclipsed in such a country, a total eclipse in such a country, a partial eclipse in such a country, and so on. Is this not unseen?
The questioner : Yes, it is unseen.
The Shaykh : Well, yes, this poses a problem regarding His saying (the Exalted):
Say, "None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah
قُلْ لَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.