What is the difference between miracles, karamahs, and knowledge of the unseen?
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Question:
In his second question, the questioner from Sudan asks: Are there people who know the unseen after Allah has chosen them, other than the messengers and prophets, and what is the difference between that?
And also regarding the karamahs of the prophets that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) performs through their tongues, which are in reality hidden from sight, like what 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “O Sariyah, the mountain,” and others like that?
Answer:
The unseen is known by none but Allah; the messengers do not know it, nor does anyone else. The unseen is known by none but Allah. The messenger only knows what is revealed to him. Allah the Exalted said: [Surat al-Naml: 65]. He said: except for whom He has chosen from among the messengers [Surat al-Jinn: 26-27]. He may inform him of some of the unseen, just as Allah informed our Prophet about the signs of the Hour and about some matters of Paradise and Hellfire, among other things.
So the unseen is known by none but Allah, but He (Glorified and Exalted is He) reveals some of the unseen to some of His prophets and messengers. The prophets have miracles, which are karamahs and miracles that indicate their truthfulness and that they are messengers of Allah. Such as the staff of Musa, and the hand that Musa presented to Pharaoh, which came out white without any defect, and the staff, which while it was a staff, became a moving serpent. These are two of the signs of Allah, and two miracles for Musa that he is a prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
And among that is what happened to our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding water gushing forth from between his fingers. Water gushed from between his fingers, and people saw it in the vessel and drank from it, and they took it in their containers.
And among them is that when he (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived at Tabuk, and the spring was flowing with a little water, he performed wudu' and poured water into it until it overflowed with water. And likewise on the day of al-Hudaybiyyah, when the lack of water was difficult for him, he threw his arrow into the well until it overflowed with water (peace and blessings be upon him). All of these are among the miracles of the prophets (peace and blessings be upon them).
And the awliya (close friends of Allah) have karamahs. The righteous have karamahs. The followers of the prophets (peace and blessings be upon them) have karamahs by which Allah honors them, which are supernatural occurrences, but they are not miracles. They are a karamah for the wali (close friend of Allah) who is among the righteous and is not a prophet. Just as happened to 'Abd ibn Bishr and Usayd ibn Hudayr during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When they went out with the Prophet in the last part of the night, they stood up from him (peace and blessings be upon him) after they had stayed with him, and they went out to their houses on a dark night. Their whips illuminated for them like a lamp. Each one's whip became a lamp for him. This is among the signs of Allah and among the karamahs of His awliya (close friends of Allah). And likewise al-Tufayl al-Sudusi, when he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for a sign by which he could call his people, he asked Allah to give him a sign, so it became light for him in his forehead (in his face). He said: “O Lord, not in my face.” So Allah made it in his whip. When he raised it, it shone. So he called his people and they became Muslims. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
In his second question, the questioner from Sudan asks: Are there people who know the unseen after Allah has chosen them, other than the messengers and prophets, and what is the difference between that?
And also regarding the karamahs of the prophets that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) performs through their tongues, which are in reality hidden from sight, like what 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “O Sariyah, the mountain,” and others like that?
Answer:
The unseen is known by none but Allah; the messengers do not know it, nor does anyone else. The unseen is known by none but Allah. The messenger only knows what is revealed to him. Allah the Exalted said:
Say, "None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah
قُلْ لا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُAnd He reveals not to anyone His unseen
فَلا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا So the unseen is known by none but Allah, but He (Glorified and Exalted is He) reveals some of the unseen to some of His prophets and messengers. The prophets have miracles, which are karamahs and miracles that indicate their truthfulness and that they are messengers of Allah. Such as the staff of Musa, and the hand that Musa presented to Pharaoh, which came out white without any defect, and the staff, which while it was a staff, became a moving serpent. These are two of the signs of Allah, and two miracles for Musa that he is a prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
And among that is what happened to our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding water gushing forth from between his fingers. Water gushed from between his fingers, and people saw it in the vessel and drank from it, and they took it in their containers.
And among them is that when he (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived at Tabuk, and the spring was flowing with a little water, he performed wudu' and poured water into it until it overflowed with water. And likewise on the day of al-Hudaybiyyah, when the lack of water was difficult for him, he threw his arrow into the well until it overflowed with water (peace and blessings be upon him). All of these are among the miracles of the prophets (peace and blessings be upon them).
And the awliya (close friends of Allah) have karamahs. The righteous have karamahs. The followers of the prophets (peace and blessings be upon them) have karamahs by which Allah honors them, which are supernatural occurrences, but they are not miracles. They are a karamah for the wali (close friend of Allah) who is among the righteous and is not a prophet. Just as happened to 'Abd ibn Bishr and Usayd ibn Hudayr during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When they went out with the Prophet in the last part of the night, they stood up from him (peace and blessings be upon him) after they had stayed with him, and they went out to their houses on a dark night. Their whips illuminated for them like a lamp. Each one's whip became a lamp for him. This is among the signs of Allah and among the karamahs of His awliya (close friends of Allah). And likewise al-Tufayl al-Sudusi, when he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for a sign by which he could call his people, he asked Allah to give him a sign, so it became light for him in his forehead (in his face). He said: “O Lord, not in my face.” So Allah made it in his whip. When he raised it, it shone. So he called his people and they became Muslims. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.
