Knowledge of the Unseen

Author: Abu Mus'ab

I was reading up on a couple of Ahadeeth on the virtue of charity, when I read this particular one:

It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri said:

The Messenger of Allah went out - on Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha - to the prayer place, and when he had finished (the prayer) he preached to the people and enjoined them to give charity. He said, "O people, give in charity!" Then he went over to the women and said, "O women, give in charity for I have seen that you are the majority of the people of Hell." When he went home, Zaynab the wife of Ibn Mas'ood came seeking permission to see him. It was said, "O Messenger of Allah , here is Zaynab." He said, "Which Zaynab?" It was said, "The wife of Ibn Mas'ood." He said, "Yes, let her in." So they let her in and she said, "O Prophet of Allah , today you enjoined charity, and I have some jewellery which I wanted to give in charity, but Ibn Mas'ood claims that he and his child have more right to receive it in charity." the Prophet said: "Give it in charity to Ibn Mas'ood, for your husband and your child have the most right that you should give it to them in charity."

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1393; Muslim, 80.

Apart from the lesson about charity in this hadith, there is another lesson. That Prophet Muhammad did not have knowledge of the unseen as is claimed by many Muslims, especially in the Indo-Pak subcontinent region. There is other evidence to prove this and this particular hadith highlights it as well.

If you haven't got it already, it is when the Prophet is told that Zaynab is here to see him and he asks 'Which Zaynab?'

Why, I ask, if he had knowledge of the unseen would he ask this question? And furthermore, if the sahabi knew that the Prophet had knowledge of the unseen, he should not have responded.

Proof again that the Prophet did not have knowledge of the unseen.

Source: http://islamblog.org/2009/01/13/knowledge-of-the-unseen/

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