5. Kitāb al-Tawḥīd. On Allah’s Knowledge

4.     On Allah’s Knowledge

[The discussion seeks to prove that Allah’s knowledge], blessed and exalted are His names, based on the book He revealed to His Chosen Prophet; the Book recited in the mosques (miḥrābs) and the schools (katātīb). [This oft-recited revelation] is the knowledge with the generality, [transmitted through generality to generality], not by specific individuals. The Mu‘aṭṭilah Jahmīs contradict this knowledge [on the question of Allah’s knowledge.] They do not have real faith in the Book of Allah. They remove the words from their context following the example of the Jews. These people do not believe in the fact that Allah possesses knowledge. They assume that, in such verses of the Book, Allah holds that He is a knower, He is an ‘Ᾱlim. They reject the view that knowledge can be attributed to Him as His personal attribute. Allah Almighty has said in His firm revelation, the Holy Qur’ān:

“But Allah bears witness to what He has revealed to you. He revealed it knowingly.” (Q 4:166)

He says:

“If they do not accept your call then know that Allah has revealed it knowingly.” (Q 11:14)

In these verses, Allah tells us that He has revealed the Qur’ān through His knowledge. Allah has also told us that He knows what female carries in her womb and what she bears. Here again, Allah attributed knowledge to Himself. For He has told us that He revealed the Qur’ān in knowledge and that a female does not carry a child in her womb but He knows that.

The Jahmīs, however, rejected these clear Qur’ānic assertions. They disbelieve the fact that Allah possesses knowledge which He attributes to Himself and it is one of His personal attributes. Far above is He what those challenging Allah’s knowledge hold. We would ask them to tell us, basing on the clear statements of the knower of all things, whether He possesses knowledge or not. If they said, in response to our question, that Allah knows the secrets and the whispers of the hearts and what is more hidden and that He knows everything, we would say, “Whether the one who knows everything including the secret whispering in the hearts possesses knowledge or not?” They would be confounded. They would have no intelligible response. The only thing they would opt for is dispute. Thus “the disbeliever was confounded. And Allah does not guide the unjust people” (Q 2:58).

Translated by Tariq Mahmood Hashmi

باب ذكر إثبات العلم لله (جل وعلا):

تباركت أسماؤه وجل ثناؤه، بالوحي المنزل على النبي المصطفى‘ الذي يقرأ في المحاريب والكتاتيب من العلم الذي هو من علم العام، لا بنقل الاخبار التي هي من نقل علم الخاص، ضد قول الجهمية المعطلة الذين لا يؤمنون بكتاب الله، ويحرفون الكلم عن مواضعه، تشبها بإليهود ينكرون أن لله علماء، يزعمون أنهم يقول أن الله هو العالم، وينكرون أن لله علماً مضافاً إليه من صفات الذات. قال الله (جل وعلا) في محكم تنزيله:

لكن الله يشهد بما أنزل إليك، أنزله بعلمه

 وقال (عز وجل):

فإن لم يستجيبوا لكم فأعلموا أنما أنزل بعلم الله.

فأعلمنا الله أنه أنزل القرآن بعلمه، وخبرنا جل ثناؤه أن أنثى لا تحمل ولا تضع إلا بعلمه فأضاف الله (جل وعلا) إلى نفسه العلم الذي خبرنا أنه أنزل القرآن بعلمه، وإن من أنثى لا تحمل ولا تضع لا بعلمه.

فكفرت الجهمية وأنكرت أن يكون لخالقنا علماً مضافاً إليه من صفات الذات (تعالى) الله عما يقول الطاعنون في علم الله علواً كبيراً، فيقال لهم: خبرونا عمن هو عالم بالاشياء كلها، أله علم أم لا؟ فإن قال: الله يعلم السر والنجوى وأخفى وهو بكل شيء عليم، قيل له: فمن هو عالم والنجوى وهو بكل شيء عليم، أله علم أم لا علم له؟ فلا جواب لهم لهذا السؤال إلا الهرب، (فبهت الذي كفر، والله لا يهدى القوم الظالمين).