Claiming knowledge of the unseen through experiments and reading thoughts
9-1-2014 | IslamWeb
Question:
Is there a contradiction between the fact that only Allaah Knows what people are thinking and the raised claims by some people that there are things that can read thoughts such as certain plants by means of which they know what people are thinking?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
The Knowledge of Allaah The Almighty is one of the Self-Attributes of Allaah and an inseparable Attribute. His knowledge is complete and cannot be affected by any imperfection. Allaah The Exalted Knows what happened, what will happen and what did not happen as well as how it would be if it had happened. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And even if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden; and indeed, they are liars.} [Quran 6:28] Allaah The Exalted Knows what His creatures reveal and conceal. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And I Know what you reveal and what you conceal.} [Quran 2:33]
Such knowledge is exclusive to Allaah because it is a form of the unseen which no one is allowed to know. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
· {Say, "None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allaah.} [Quran 27:65]
· {And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him.} [Quran 6:56]
· {[He Is] Knower of the unseen, and He Does not Disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen to anyone. Except whom He Has Approved of messengers, and indeed, He Sends before each messenger and behind him observers.} [Quran 72:26-27]
The knowledge of creatures is new and was preceded by ignorance. It is deficient knowledge because they are barred from knowing the unseen.
Therefore, the claims made by some people that they know the inner thought of people through reading their minds is an act of affectation, pursuing something that one does not know and false claiming of the knowledge of the unseen.
Allaah Knows best.