47/7. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 3068 — Truth About the Unseen
Regarding Surat Al-An'am
Hadith About the Prophet and the Unseen
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 3068
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 3068
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ الأَزْرَقُ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ أَبِي هِنْدٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، قَالَ كُنْتُ مُتَّكِئًا عِنْدَ عَائِشَةَ فَقَالَتْ يَا أَبَا عَائِشَةَ ثَلاَثٌ مَنْ تَكَلَّمَ بِوَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُنَّ فَقَدْ أَعْظَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْفِرْيَةَ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَأَى رَبَّهُ فَقَدْ أَعْظَمَ الْفِرْيَةَ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَقُولُ : ( لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الأَبْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ ) ، ( مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ وَحْيًا أَوْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ) وَكُنْتُ مُتَّكِئًا فَجَلَسْتُ فَقُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْظِرِينِي وَلاَ تُعْجِلِينِي أَلَيْسَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ : ( وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى )، ( وَلََقَدْ رَآهُ بِالأُفُقِ الْمُبِينِ ) قَالَتْ أَنَا وَاللَّهِ أَوَّلُ مَنْ سَأَلَ عَنْ هَذَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّمَا ذَاكَ جِبْرِيلُ مَا رَأَيْتُهُ فِي الصُّورَةِ الَّتِي خُلِقَ فِيهَا غَيْرَ هَاتَيْنِ الْمَرَّتَيْنِ رَأَيْتُهُ مُنْهَبِطًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ سَادًّا عِظَمُ خَلْقِهِ مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ " . وَمَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا كَتَمَ شَيْئًا مِمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فَقَدْ أَعْظَمَ الْفِرْيَةَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ : ( يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ ) وَمَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي غَدٍ فَقَدْ أَعْظَمَ الْفِرْيَةَ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَقُولُ : (قُلْ لاَ يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ ) . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَمَسْرُوقُ بْنُ الأَجْدَعِ يُكْنَى أَبَا عَائِشَةَ وَهُوَ مَسْرُوقُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَهَكَذَا كَانَ اسْمُهُ فِي الدِّيوَانِ .
Masruq Narrated from:
I Was Reclining In The Presence Of 'Aishah When She Said: 'O Abu 'Aishah! There Are Three Things, Whoever Speaks Of One Of Them, Then He Has Uttered One Of The Worst Lies Against Allah. Whoever Claims That Muhammad Saw His Lord. Then He Has Uttered One The Worst Lies Against Allah, Allah Says:No Vision Can Grasp Him, But His Grasp Is Over All Vision, And He Is The Most Subtle, Well-Acquainted With All Things (6:103).It Is Not For Any Human Being That Allah Should Speak To Him Unless (It Be) By Revelation Or From Behind A Veil (42:51).' I Was Reclining So I Sat Up An Said: 'O Mother Of The Believers! Take Your Time With Me And Do Not Be Hasty With Me! Did Allah Most High Not Say:And Indeed He Saw Him At A Second Descent (53:13). (And) 'And Indeed He Saw Him In The Clear Horizon (81:23).' She Said 'By Allah! I Was The First Who Asked The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) About This. He Said: "That Was Only Jibril. I Did Not See Him In The Appearance He Was Created In Except For These Two Times. I Saw Him Descending From The Heavens, And Due To His Tremendous Size He Filled What Was Between The Heavens And The Earth." "And Whoever Claimed That Muhammad Hid Anything That Allah Revealed To Him, Then He Uttered One Of The Worst Lies Against Allah. Allah Says:O Messenger! Proclaim What Has Been Sent Down To You From Your Lord (5:67)." "And Whoever Claimed That He (ﷺ) Knew What Would Be Tomorrow, Then He Has Uttered One Of The Worst Lies Against Allah. Allah Says:Say: 'None In The Heavens And In The Earth Knows The Unseen But Allah (27:65).'"
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3068In-book reference : Book 47, Hadith 120English translation : Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3068
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 3068
This hadith about the Prophet and the unseen records a strong statement from Aishah. She warned against three claims. First, claiming that Muhammad saw his Lord. She quoted verses that no vision can grasp Allah and that Allah speaks to humans only by revelation or from behind a veil. When Masruq asked about verses mentioning that he saw him, Aishah said she had asked the Messenger of Allah, and he said that was Jibril, whom he saw in his created form on two occasions. Second, she rejected the claim that the Prophet hid anything revealed to him. Third, she rejected the claim that he knew what would happen tomorrow, quoting that none knows the unseen but Allah. The hadith keeps knowledge of the unseen with Allah alone.
What we learn from this hadith
- The hadith rejects claiming that the Prophet saw Allah in the stated way.
- The Prophet explained that the vision in those verses was Jibril.
- The Prophet did not hide what Allah revealed to him.
- Knowledge of the unseen belongs to Allah alone.
