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- IE Article – What is Gifted Knowledge or al-‘ilm al-ladunnī (Knowledge Received by the Immaculates (a) Directly from God Almighty)?
The Meaning of al-‘ilm al-ladunnī
The term “al-‘ilm al-ladunnī” is derived from the Arabic word “ladun” as it occurs in the following verse of the Holy Quran:
﴾وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِنْ لَدُنَّا عِلْمًا﴿
“…and We taught him a knowledge from Our own”1
In the Arabic lexicon, the word “ladun” signifies “proximity” and “nearness”2. The term “al-‘ilm al-ladunnī”, however, bears several different definitions. A summary of these various meaning is that “al-‘ilm al-ladunnī” signifies knowledge that is bestowed directly by God Almighty upon some of His most deserving servants3. When we say that it is “bestowed”, we wish to indicate that it is not acquisitional in nature and cannot be attained through human effort. Similarly, by using the qualifying clause “directly”, we seek to negate the role of any and all intermediaries, thereby creating a clear distinction between al-‘ilm al-ladunnī and all other types of knowledge which are invariably and without exception attained by human beings via the intercession of some intermediary or the other. These two attributes emphasize the extraordinary and supernatural manner in which al-‘ilm al-ladunnī is made available to any individual. Likewise, this knowledge is not restricted to al-‘ulūm al-ghaybiyah or “knowledge of the unseen”, rather it encompasses matters that are essentially concealed from the human senses, as well as those that may be learnt via physical perception and material means but have become available to the knower without him having used these faculties. Other terms employed to indicate this particular kind of knowledge are: al-‘ilm al-mawhūb or al-‘ilm al-mawhūbī (gifted knowledge), al-‘ilm al-mawhibatī (endowed knowledge), al-‘ilm al-wahbī (granted knowledge), al-‘ilm al-ifāḍī (divinely effused knowledge), and al-‘ilm al-irthī al-ilāhī (divinely inherited knowledge). These various titles are used to describe this form of knowledge because it comes in to being for the Almighty’s chosen servants exclusively through direct effusion from God Himself or through divine tutelage4.
Types of Knowledge
By one particular classification, knowledge is divided into the following two categories:
The Characteristics of al-‘ilm al-ladunnī (Knowledge Received Directly from God)
According to the teachings of the Holy Quran and narrated traditions, al-‘ilm al-ladunnī possesses the following attributes:
Those Who Possess al-‘ilm al-ladunnī (Knowledge Received Directly from God)
Although the “absolute unseen” is concealed from everyone except God and only He has knowledge of all unseen matters, however based on certain Quranic verses21 and narrated traditions22, the Almighty can choose to bestow a portion of this hidden knowledge upon selected individuals who deserve and enjoy His divine pleasure. As such, God Almighty sometimes gifts such knowledge to His most pious servants:
﴾عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا إِلاَّ مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِن رَّسُولٍ﴿
“Knower of the Unseen, He does not disclose His (knowledge of the) Unseen to anyone, except to an apostle He approves of”23
According to the teachings found within the verses of the Holy Quran and narrated traditions, God’s angels24 (a), His prophets (a), their divinely ordained successors (a) and the Almighty’s revered saints are amongst those who possess al-‘ilm al-ladunnī. However, these individuals enjoy varying degrees and magnitudes of this knowledge. Obviously, God’s Final Prophet (s) and his sacred successors, the Immaculate Imams25 (a), are at the very forefront of those who possess al-‘ilm al-ladunnī26.
The Various Types of al-‘ilm al-ladunnī (Knowledge Received Directly from God)
Divinely gifted knowledge can be of three types:
﴾عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا إِلاَّ مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِن رَّسُولٍ﴿
“Knower of the Unseen, He does not disclose His (knowledge of the) Unseen to anyone, except to an apostle He approves of”27
Within academic discussions related to ‘ilm al-ghayb (knowledge of the unseen), instances of knowledge granted to individuals in this manner is called “bestowed knowledge” and “information about the absolute unseen”. Examples of such knowledge are:
﴾وَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ﴿
“I will tell you what you have eaten and what you have stored in your houses”29
In the context of this example, knowing what people have consumed or have stashed away within their homes does not represent knowledge that is in itself supernatural or special in nature. One can gain such information by searching the houses in question or by other natural investigative means. However, that which constitutes a supernatural occurrence is having information about such matters, and giving news of it to others, without having employed any natural or standard procedure or method of exploration. Consequently, this is deemed as divinely gifted knowledge. Within the academic study of ‘ilm al-ghayb (knowledge of the unseen), this particular category of knowledge is called “information about the relative unseen”.
The Relation Between al-‘ilm al-ladunnī (Knowledge Received Directly from God) and ‘ilm al-ghayb (Knowledge of the Unseen)
“Knowledge received directly from God” or al-‘ilm al-ladunnī and “knowledge of the unseen” or ‘ilm al-ghayb are simply two expressions that point towards a single core reality. The fundamental characteristic of this reality is that it is hidden from others. Similarly, another commonality between these two forms of knowledge is that their bestowal is based on meritoriousness. This meritocracy is either rooted in the very essence of the knowledge involved or in the consequences and results that it may beget30. Spiritual capacity and aptitude as well as worthiness are the preconditions of receiving such knowledge. Gaining passage into and attaining the esteemed rank of sincere servitude towards the Almighty provides a person with the merit required to receive this unique instance of divine mercy. The Holy Quran speaks of this rank when it says:
﴾فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا﴿
“Thus, they found one of Our servants whom We had granted a mercy from Ourselves, and taught him a knowledge from Our own”31
The term ‘ilm al-ghayb applies to this knowledge since it cannot be acquired through normal and natural means, and similarly it is called al-‘ilm al-ladunnī because it is gifted by God onto His selected servants by way of divine effusion32
Nevertheless, one must bear in mind that every instance of ‘ilm al-ghayb (knowledge of the unseen) is also an instance of al-‘ilm al-ladunnī (knowledge recieved directly from God). This is because only God Almighty has essential and independent knowledge of the “unseen”, while it is hidden from every other entity, unless God wishes to grant such knowledge to one of His servants as a divine gift33. However, not every instance of al-‘ilm al-ladunnī constitutes an instance of ‘ilm al-ghayb. This is due to the fact that God may bestow a certain piece of knowledge upon one of His chosen saints, without the latter having engaged in any form of learning or endeavour, even though the same knowledge could also be attainable for all human beings through natural and normal means. Such an instance of bestowed and divinely gifted knowledge is considered al-‘ilm al-ladunni even though it does not qualify as ‘ilm al-ghayb because it is not essentially hidden and inaccessible for other beings. Examples of this phenomenon include instances wherein an illiterate person suddenly gains the ability to read and writes through divine blessing, or if an individually instantaneously and miraculously memorizes the entire Quran. In short, all instances of ‘ilm al-ghayb are invariably instances of al-‘ilm al-ladunnī without the opposite being similarly true. As per the terminology employed within the study of Logic, the relationship between these two is one of absolute generality wherein al-‘ilm al-ladunnī represents a general concept while ‘ilm al-ghayb is the particular one34
Conclusion
The term al-‘ilm al-ladunnī is derived from the Holy Quran35, and it signifies a direct bestowal of knowledge from God Almighty upon some of His selected servants via divine effusion. Instances of this knowledge may encompass instances of “hidden sciences”, “knowledge about concealed secrets” as well as knowledge about perceivable realities which is not attained through any normal or material means of learning and research. Furthermore, such knowledge bears certain special characteristics and attributes e.g. it is not attained via natural processes and methods, and it is immutable etc. Even though a collection of Quranic verses declare that the “unseen” is hidden from everyone except God36, certain other verses of the Holy Quran37 tell us that the Almighty, by His divine will, has granted a portion of this knowledge to a selected few from amongst His chosen servants including His prophets (a) and the Immaculate Imams (a).
[1] The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Kahf, verse 65
[2] Ibn Manẓūr, Muhammad ibn Mukarram, Kitāb al-‘Ayn, vol. 8, pg. 40; Rāghib Iṣfahānī, Ḥusayn ibn Muhammad, Al-Mufradāt, pg. 739
[3] Ibn Qayyim Jawziyah defines “al-‘ilm al-ladunnī” as such:
» والعلم اللدنيّ هو العلم الذي يقذفه الله في القلب إلهاماً؛ بلا سبب من العبد، ولا استدلال، ولهذا سُمّي لدنيّاً … يشير القوم بالعلم اللدني إلى ما يحصل للعبد من غير واسطة، بل بإلهام من الله، وتعريف منه لعبده، كما حصل للخضر عليه السلام بغير واسطة موسى«
“Al-‘ilm al-ladunnī is knowledge that Allah places within the heart through divine inspiration. (This knowledge occurs) without any cause created by human beings, nor is it derived from argumentation, and therefore it is named ladunnī … People employ the term al-‘ilm al-ladunnī to point towards knowledge which is received by a human being without any intermediaries, rather it is an inspiration from Allah, and is made known by Him for His servant. Just as such knowledge was (automatically and immediately) attained by Khiḍr (a) without Mūsā’s (a) intervention” (Ibn Qayyīm Zar’ī Damishqī, Muhammad ibn Abī Bakr, Madārij al-Sālikīn, vol. 2, pg. 399, 446)
The Sufi scholar, ‘Abd al-Karīm Jīlī or Jīlānī, writes:
»العلم من غير معلم غير الله وهو العلم اللدني«
“The knowledge that is attained from no other teacher except Allah and is al-‘ilm al-ladunnī” (Jīlī, ‘Abd al-Karīm, Al-Asfār, pg. 201)
In his commentary upon the book Al-Uṣūl al-Kāfī, the renowned Shi’ah philosopher and mystic scholar, Mullā Ṣadrā explains:
»العلم والحكمة لا يأتي إلا من قبل الله بالوحي أو الإلهام؛ وهو المسمّى بالعلم اللدنيّ«
“(True) knowledge and wisdom does not come except by way of divine revelation or inspiration from Allah. This is called al-‘ilm al-ladunnī” (Shīrāzī, Muhammad ibn Ibrāhīm, Sharḥ al-Uṣūl al-Kāfī, vol. 2, pg. 523)
Zarqānī, a scholar from the Mālikī school of Islamic thought, writes:
»العلم اللدني يراد به العلم الحاصل بلا كسب ولا عمل للعبد فيه، سمي لدنيًا لحصوله من لدن ربنا لا من كسبنا … ومعلوم أن عليًا – كرم الله وجهه – إنما أخذه من لدن ربه لا من تعليم بشر«
“(The term) al-‘ilm al-ladunnī signifies knowledge that is attained without acquisition and without effort from a human being. It is called ladunnī because it is received (directly) from our Lord without any acquisition (or effort) on our part … and it is clear that ‘Ali (may Allah honour his visage) obtained it solely from his Lord and not from any kind of human tutelage” (Zarqānī, Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Bāqī, Sharḥ al-Mawāhib al-Ladunniyah, vol. 1, pg. 39)
[4] Mīrturābī Ḥusaynī, Zahrā Sādāt, ‘Ilm-e Ladunnī dar Qurān wa Ḥadīth, pg. 63; ‘Irfānī, Muhammad Naẓīr, Barrasī-e ‘Ilm-e Ghayb-e Ma’ṣūmān dar Tafāsīr-r Farīqayn, pg. 188
[5] Ḥusaynī Shāhrūdī, Sayyid Murtaḍā, Āshnāyī bā ‘Irfān-e Islāmī, pg. 45; Ṣadīqī, Kāẓim, Sīmāye ‘Arshiyān, vol. 1, pg. 158, 160; ‘Aẓīmī, Muhammad Ṣādiq, Sayr-e Taṭawwur-e Gustareh-e ‘Ilm-e Imām dar Kalām-e Islāmī, pg. 112; Bāqirī, Sayyid Muhammad Fā’iz, Barrasī-e ‘Ilm-e Awliyā-ye Ilāhī, pg. 7
[6] Within the following verses, amongst others, the Holy Quran speaks of this attribute:
﴾وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِنْ لَدُنَّا عِلْمًا﴿
“And We taught him a knowledge from Our own” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Kahf, verse 65)
﴾وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ﴿
“And He has taught you what you did not know” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Nisā, verse 113)
﴾وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا﴿
“And He taught Adam the Names, all of them” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Baqarah, verse 31)
﴾وَإِذْ عَلَّمْتُكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَالتَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ﴿
“And when I taught you the Book and wisdom, the Torah and the Evangel” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Mā’idah, verse 110)
﴾عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا إِلاَّ مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِن رَّسُولٍ﴿
“Knower of the Unseen, He does not disclose His (knowledge of the) Unseen to anyone, except to an apostle He approves of” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Jinn, verse 26-27)
Ghazālī, the renowned Asharite Sunni scholar, writes:
»اعلم أن العلم يحصل من طريقين: أحدهما التعلم الإنساني، والثاني التعلم الرباني. الطريق الثاني: إلقاء الوحي، وهو ان النفس إذا كملت ذاتها يزول عنها دنس الطبيعة ودرن الحرص والأمل الفانية، وتقبل بوجهها على بارئها ومنشئها، وتتمسك بجود مبدعها وتعتمد على إفادته وفيض نوره، والله تعالى بحسن عنايته يقبل على تلك النفس إقبالا كليا، وينظر إليها نظرا إلهيا ويتخذ منها لوحا، ومن النفس الكلي قلما وينقش فيها جميع علومه، ويصير العقل الكلي كالمعلم والنفس القدسية كالمتعلم، فيحصل جميع العلوم لتلك النفس، وينتقش فيها جميع الصور، من غير تعلم وتفكر، ومصداق هذا قوله تعالى لنبيه(ص): ﴿وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ﴾ «
“Bear in mind that knowledge is obtained from two avenues: One of them is human learning, and the second is divine tutelage. The second avenue; the casting of revelation: This is when a soul becomes fully developed in its essence, material pollution and the filth of avarice and mortal longing are cleansed away from it, and it turns its face towards its Creator and its Source, and reaches out to clutch at the munificence of its Maker, and places its trust in His bestowal and the emanation of His divine radiance. Then, Allah, the Most High, by the grace of His consideration, turns towards this soul, a complete turning, and looks upon it with a divine gaze, and wields it like a slate while grabbing a pen from within the universal soul and inscribing upon it all His knowledges. The universal intellect becomes like the teacher and the sanctified soul becomes like the student. Thus, all knowledges are made available to this soul, and all images manifest themselves within it, without any education or contemplation. An instance of this phenomenon is mentioned within the Most High’s words when he addressed his Prophet (s) and said:
﴾وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ﴿
“And He has taught you what you did not know” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Nisā, verse 113)
(Majmū’at Rasā’il al-Ghazālī, Al-Risālah al-Ladunniyah, vol. 3, pg. 69; Awjāqī, Nāṣiruddīn, ‘Ilm-e Imām az Dīdgah-e Kalām-e Imāmiyah, pg. 41-42)
[7] In a narrated tradition, Imam Bāqir (a) is reported to have said:
«اَلْعِلْمُ عِلْمَانِ فَعِلْمٌ عِنْدَ اَللَّهِ مَخْزُونٌ لَمْ يُطْلِعْ عَلَيْهِ أَحَداً مِنْ خَلْقِهِ وَ عِلْمٌ عَلَّمَهُ مَلاَئِكَتَهُ وَ رُسُلَهُ فَمَا عَلَّمَهُ مَلاَئِكَتَهُ وَ رُسُلَهُ فَإِنَّهُ سَيَكُونُ لاَ يُكَذِّبُ نَفْسَهُ وَ لاَ مَلاَئِكَتَهُ وَ لاَ رُسُلَهُ وَ عِلْمٌ عِنْدَهُ مَخْزُونٌ يُقَدِّمُ مِنْهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَ يُؤَخِّرُ مِنْهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَ يُثْبِتُ مَا يَشَاءُ»
“All knowledge is (divided into) two categories of knowledge. (The first is) knowledge that is reserved and safe-guarded with Allah and no one from amongst His creatures knows about it. (The second is) knowledge which is known to His angels and His messengers, and surely, He would not belie Himself nor His angels and His messengers. (As for) the knowledge that is reserved and safe-guarded with Him, He moves forward whatever He wishes from within it, and delays whatever He wishes from within it, and establishes firmly (and enforces) whatever He wills” (Kulaynī, Muhammad ibn Ya’qūb, Al-Kāfī, vol. 1, pg. 147)
[8] This is because God’s holy saints and apostles are duty-bound to act in accordance with common and apparent knowledge. Under normal circumstances, they bear no responsibility to act according to special knowledge bestowed upon them by God as a divine gift. This behaviour is designed in order to furnish definitive proof and an irrefutable argument for people in general. In a narrated tradition, we are informed about what Imam ‘Ali (a) is reported to have said after he was forced to accept Abū Mūsā Ash’arī as his representative in negotiations with Mu’āwiyah’s representative during the battle of Ṣiffīn. In this tradition, Imam ‘Alī is narrated to have declared:
«كَأَنِّي بِهِ وَ قَدْ خُدِعَ، قُلْتُ: فَلِمَ تُوَجِّهُهُ؟ فَقَالَ: لَوْ عَمِلَ اَللَّهُ فِي خَلْقِهِ بِعِلْمِهِ مَا اِحْتَجَّ عَلَيْهِمْ بِالرُّسُلِ»
“It is as if I see him right now being played for a fool!” The narrator asked, “So, why do you send him?” The Imam (a) replied, “If God (deemed it appropriate to) act with His creatures (and judge them) in accordance with His knowledge (of the unseen), He would not have argued against them through His messengers” (Ḥurr ‘Āmulī, Muhammad ibn Ḥasan, Ithbāt al-Hudāt, vol. 3, pg. 553)
Ṭabaṭabāyī, Sayyid Muhammad Ḥusayn Barrasī-hāye Islāmī, vol. 1, pg. 196; Hāshimī, Sayyid ‘Alī, Māhiyat-e ‘ilm-e Imām Barrasī-e Tārīkhī wa Kalāmī, pg. 383; Mūsawī, Sayyid Amīn, Gustareh-e ‘ilm-e Ghayb za Dīdgāh-e Adyān-e Ibrāhīmī, pg. 37, 252
[9] As is mentioned in this Qurānic verse:
﴾ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ﴿
“These accounts are from the Unseen, which We reveal to you” (The Holy Qurān, Surāh Āl-i ‘Imrān, verse 44)
[10] For instance, the Holy Qurān speaks of knowledge that was taught by God’s angels to the Blessed Lady Maryam (a):
﴾وَإِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَى نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ﴿
“And when the angels said, ‘O Mary, Allah has chosen you and purified you, and He has chosen you above the world’s women” (The Holy Qurān, Surah Āl-i ‘Imrān, verse 42)
[11] In a narrated tradition, Imam Ṣādiq (a) is reported to have said:
«إِنَّ مِنَّا لَمَنْ يُعَايِنُ مُعَايَنَةً وَإِنَّ مِنَّا لَمَنْ يَنْقُرُ فِي قَلْبِهِ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ وَإِنَّ مِنَّا لَمَنْ يَسْمَعُ كَمَا يَقَعُ اَلسِّلْسِلَةُ كُلُّهُ يَقَعُ فِي اَلطَّسْتِ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: فَالَّذِينَ يُعَايِنُونَ مَا هُمْ؟ قَالَ: خَلْقٌ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ جَبْرَئِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ»
“Verily, there are those amongst us (the Ahl al-Bayt) who witness a special witnessing, and indeed there are those amongst us who experience (divinely inspired) whisperings within their hearts (saying) such and such, and indeed there are those amongst us who hear sounds (clearly and explicitly) like the sound of a chain dropped in its entirety into a metal trough.” The narrator asked, “What is it that you see?” The Imam (a) replied, “A creation (of God) greater than (the archangels) Jibrā’īl and Mīkā’īl.” (Ṣaffār, Muhammad ibn Ḥasan, Baṣā’ir al-Darajāt, pg. 231; Ṭūsī, Muhammad ibn Ḥasan, Al-Amālī, vol. 1, pg. 407)
In another narration, Imam Ṣādiq (a) is reported to have said:
«لَكِنَّ اَللَّهَ يُلْهِمُ ذَلِكَ اَلرَّجُلَ بِالْقَذْفِ فِي اَلْقَلْبِ حَتَّى يُخَيَّلَ إِلَى اَلْأُذُنِ أَنَّهُ تَكَلَّمَ بِمَا شَاءَ اَللَّهُ [مِنْ] عِلْمِهِ»
“However, Allah inspires that individual by way of projecting (His message) into the heart until it presents itself to the ears (in a manner resembling) Him speaking (and conveying) whatever Allah wishes from amongst His knowledge.” (Ṣaffār, Muhammad ibn Ḥasan, Baṣā’ir al-Darajāt, pg. 223)
[12] In a narrated tradition, Imam Bāqir (a) explains the exegesis of the following Quranic verse:
﴾وَكَذَلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا﴿
“Thus have We imbued you with a Spirit of Our command” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Shūrā, verse 52)
In this narrated tradition, the Imam (a) is reported to have said:
«منذ انزل الله ذلك الروح على نبيه ما صعد إلى السماء و انه لفينا»
“Since the time that Allah sent down that Spirit onto Muhammad (s), it has not ascended back to the heavens, and surely it remains within us (the Ahl al-Bayt).” (Ṣaffār, Muhammad ibn Ḥasan, Basā’ir al-Darajāt, pg. 457)
The words employed in this narrated tradition demonstrate that the Spirit, which constitutes a principle vessel for the knowledge enjoyed by the Holy Prophet (s) and the Immaculate Imams (a), is a sacred entity different from the archangel Jibrā’īl (a) and represents a sublime reality that exists within the very being of the Holy Prophet (a) and the Imam (a). Furthermore, it is transferred from one imam to the other as the previous imam departs from this world.
[13] The Holy Quran speaks about how the prophet Ibrāhīm (a) received divine commandments via truthful and immaculate dreams:
﴾فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَى فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ﴿
“When he was old enough to assist in his endeavour, he said, ‘My son! I see in dreams that I am sacrificing you” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Ṣāfāt, verse 102)
[14] Based upon the following Quranic verse:
﴾وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا﴿
“And He taught Adam the Names, all of them” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Baqarah, verse 31)
[15] Based upon the following Quranic verse:
﴾وَكَذَلِكَ نُرِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ﴿
“Thus did We show Abraham the dominions of the Heavens and the Earth” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-An’ām, verse 75)
[16] As mentioned in the following Quranic verse:
﴾وَوَرِثَ سُلَيْمَانُ دَاوُودَ وَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عُلِّمْنَا مَنْطِقَ الطَّيْرِ﴿
“Solomon inherited from David, and he said, ‘O people! We have been taught the speech of the birds” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Naml, verse 16)
[17] As indicated by the following Quranic verses:
﴾وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ﴿
“And He has taught you what you did not know” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Nisā, verse 113)
﴾وَإِذْ عَلَّمْتُكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَالتَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ﴿
“And when I taught you the Book and wisdom, the Torah and the Evangel” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Mā’idah, verse 110)
﴾ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ﴿
“These accounts are from the Unseen, which We reveal to you” (The Holy Qurān, Surāh Āl-i ‘Imrān, verse 44)
Pārsānasab, Gulafshān, Pijūhishī dar Maqām-e ‘Ilmī wa Maqām-e Taḥdīth-e Haḍrat-e Fāṭimah Zahrā, pg. 30
[18] Ibn Qayyim Jawziyah writes:
»والعلم اللدني ثمرة العبودية والمتابعة، والصدق مع الله، والإخلاص له، وبذل الجهد في تلقي العلم من مشكاة رسوله. وكمال الانقياد له. فيفتح له من فهم الكتاب والسنة بأمر يخصه به … والعلم اللدني الرحماني: هو ثمرة هذه الموافقة، والمحبة التي أوجبها التقرب بالنوافل بعد الفرائض«
“(Being granted) al-‘ilm al-ladunnī is the result of worship, steadfast pursuance, honesty towards Allah, sincerity with respect to Him, tireless struggle in acquiring knowledge from the lantern of His Prophet (s), and perfect submission toward Him. (Under these conditions) comprehension of the Quran and the Prophet’s tradition, at a level that rests exclusively with God, is opened up … and al-‘ilm al-ladunnī al-raḥmānī is the fruit of such compliance and love that is made incumbent by the performance of recommended prayers after obligatory ones” (Ibn Qayyīm Zar’ī Damishqī, Muhammad ibn Abī Bakr, Madārij al-Sālikīn, vol. 2, pg. 446-447)
Similarly, the Holy Quran says:
﴾إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ﴿
“There are indeed signs in that for the percipient” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Ḥijr, verse 75)
In exegesis of the above Quranic verse, it is said that the word “tawassum” (a verbal noun that forms the morphological source of the word “mutawassimīn” which occurs within this verse) signifies “sagacity” and “perceptiveness”, and thus “mutawassimīn” denotes people who are deeply contemplative and seek to discern the inner reality of existence. Without doubt, the Final Messenger of God (s) and the Ahl al-Bayt (a) represent the most significant and perfect instances of such individuals. However, this characteristic is not exclusive to them and can, therefore, be attributed to other sincere and pious believers. A narrated tradition states:
»فِي قَوْلِ اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: ﴿إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ﴾، قَالَ: هُمُ اَلْأَئِمَّةُ عَلَيْهِمُ اَلسَّلاَمُ؛ قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ: اِتَّقُوا فِرَاسَةَ اَلْمُؤْمِنِ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْظُرُ بِنُورِ اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ«
“In the statement of Allah, the Venerable the Majestic, wherein He says: “There are indeed signs in that for the mutawassimīn (or percipient)”, (the mutawassimīn) are the Imams (a). The Prophet of Allah (s) said: “Be wary of the sagacious from amongst the believer, for indeed he sees (the world) by way of light that belongs to Allah, the Venerable the Majestic”.
Similarly, Imam Ṣādiq (a) is narrated to have said:
»إِنَّ اَلرَّجُلَ لَيَدْخُلُ إِلَيْنَا بِوَلاَيَتِنَا وَ بِالْبَرَاءَةِ مِنْ أَعْدَائِنَا فَتَرَى مَكْتُوباً بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ مُؤْمِنٌ أَوْ كَافِرٌ وَ قَالَ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: ﴿إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ﴾ نَعْرِفُ عَدُوَّنَا مِنْ وَلِيِّنَا«
“Indeed, a person comes before us, professing his obedience to our wilāyah (divinely ordained authority) and affirming his repudiation with regards to our enemies, and you can see inscribed between his eyes: believer or disbeliever. Allah, the Venerable the Majestic, said: “There are indeed
signs in that for the mutawassimīn (or percipient)”, (and thus) we discern our enemy from our friend” (Ṣaffār, Muhammad ibn Ḥasan, Baṣā’ir al-Darajāt, pg. 358)
Ṭabaṭabāyī, Sayyid Muhammad Ḥusayn, Tafsīr al-Mīzān (Farsi translation), vol. 12, pg. 272; Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir, Tafsīr-e Namūnah, vol. 11, pg. 113
[19] The Holy Quran reports how the Holy Prophet (s) prayed for Allah to increase his knowledge:
﴾رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا﴿
“My Lord! Increase me in knowledge” (The Holy Qurān, Surah Ṭā-hā, verse 114)
In a narrated tradition, Imam Muhammad Jawād (a) is reported to have quoted the Holy Prophet (s) as having said:
«قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ: إِنَّ أَرْوَاحَنَا وَ أَرْوَاحَ النَّبِيِّينَ تُوَافِي الْعَرْشَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةِ جُمُعَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُ الْأَوْصِيَاءُ وَ قَدْ زِيدَ فِي عِلْمِهِمْ مِثْلَ جَمِّ الْغَفِيرِ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ»
“The Messenger of Allah (s) said: Indeed, our souls and the souls of all the prophets ascend to God’s Throne every Friday eve. Thus, the saints begin the (subsequent) mornings in a state wherein their knowledge has been increased abundantly.” (Ṣaffār, Muhammad ibn Ḥasan, Baṣā’ir al-Darajāt, pg. 132, hadith no. 7)
Yārmuhammadiyān, Muhammad Taqī, Izdiyād-e ‘ilm-e Imām az Dīdgāh-e Kitāb wa Sunnat, pg. 118-186
[20] Narāqī, Mullā Aḥmad, Rasā’il wa Masā’il fī Ḥal-i Ghawāmiḍ al-Masā’il, vol. 3, pg. 52-56; Ṣāliḥī Mālistānī, Ḥusayn, ‘Ilm-e Ghayb wa ‘Ilm-e Ladunnī-e Payāmbar az Manẓar-e Imām Khumaynī, Huḍūr Periodical, issue 88
[21] The following Quranic verses are testament to this fact:
﴾وَعِندَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَا إِلاَّ هُوَ﴿
“With Him are the keys to the Unseen; no one knows them except Him” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-An’ām, verse 59)
﴾وَيَقُولُونَ لَوْلاَ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَا الْغَيْبُ لِلَّهِ فَانتَظِرُواْ إِنِّي مَعَكُم مِّنَ الْمُنتَظِرِينَ﴿
“They say, ‘Why has not some sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say, ‘(The knowledge of) the Unseen belongs only to Allah. So wait. I too am waiting along with you’.” (The Holy Qurān, Surah Yūnus, verse 20)
﴾قُل لّا يَعْلَمُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ﴿
“Say, ‘No one in the Heavens or the Earth knows the Unseen except Allah, and they are not aware when they will be resurrected’.” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Naml, verse 65)
﴾هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ﴿
“He is Allah – there is no god except Him – Knower of the sensible and the Unseen, He is the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Ḥashr, verse 22)
[22] In a narrated tradition, the Commander of the Faithful (a) is reported to have said:
«إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عِلْمَيْنِ عِلْمٌ اسْتَأْثَرَ بِهِ فِي غَيْبِهِ فَلَمْ يُطْلِعْ عَلَيْهِ نَبِيّاً مِنْ أَنْبِيَائِهِ وَ لَا مَلَكاً مِنْ مَلَائِكَتِهِ وَ ذَلِكَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَ يُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَ يَعْلَمُ ما فِي الْأَرْحامِ وَ ما تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ ما ذا تَكْسِبُ غَداً وَ ما تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ (سورة لقمان، الآية 34). وَ لَهُ عِلْمٌ قَدِ اطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِ مَلَائِكَتُهُ فَمَا اطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِ مَلَائِكَتُهُ فَقَدِ اطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِ مُحَمَّدٌ وَ آلُهُ وَ مَا اطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِ مُحَمَّدٌ وَ آلُهُ فَقَدْ أَطْلَعَنِي عَلَيْهِ يَعْلَمُهُ الْكَبِيرُ مِنَّا وَ الصَّغِيرُ إِلَى أَنْ تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ»
“Indeed, God Almighty has two kinds of knowledge. (The first is) knowledge that is exclusive only to Him and He has not shared it with anyone, not even with any prophet from amongst His
prophets, nor any angel from amongst His angels. This is what God says in the Holy Quran when he states:
﴾إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ﴿
“Indeed, the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah. He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Indeed, Allah is all-knowing, all-aware.” (The Holy Qurān, Surah Luqmān, verse 34).
(The second category of God’s knowledge is) knowledge that is known to His angels and, as such, is definitely known to Muhammad (s) and his sacred progeny (a), and that which is known to Muhammad (s) and his sacred progeny (a) has certainly been transferred to me. The elderly and the young from amongst us (the Ahl al-Bayt) hold this knowledge till the Hour (of final reckoning) is established”. (Ṣaffār, Muhammad ibn Ḥasan, Baṣā’ir al-Darajāt, pg. 131).
[23] The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Jinn, verse 26-27.
[24] The Holy Quran says:
﴾عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا إِلاَّ مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِن رَّسُولٍ﴿
“Knower of the Unseen, He does not disclose His (knowledge of the) Unseen to anyone, except to an apostle He approves of” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Jinn, verse 26-27)
Within this Quranic verse, the word “rasūl” or “apostle” is general in its meaning, encompassing all of God’s emissaries, be they angelic or human in nature. Thus, the word in question indicates all messengers sent forth by the Almighty, even His angels. Holy Quran says:
﴾اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ﴿
“Allah chooses messengers from angels and from mankind” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Ḥajj, verse 75).
[25] Narrated traditions demonstrate that the Immaculate Imams (a) were divinely endowed with al-‘ilm al-ladunnī, and that their attainment of such knowledge was based on some personal effort or endeavour. Similarly, God gifted them the ability, by His divine will and pleasure, to know whatever they needed or wished to know whenever they wanted to do so. For instance, Imam al-Riḍā (a) is narrated to have said:
«وَ مَا تَرَكَ لَهُمْ شَيْئاً يَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ الْأُمَّةُ إِلَّا بَيَّنَهُ»
“(The Holy Prophet) did not abstain from teaching them (i.e. the Muslim nation) anything that they required except that he explained it in utmost clarity” (Kulaynī, Muhammad ibn Ya’qūb, al-Uṣūl al-Kāfī, vol. 1, pg. 199)
Even though this tradition speaks particularly about the Holy Prophet (s), the principle being presented within it is general in nature and applies equally to all of the Almighty’s divinely ordained leaders and imams. Whenever God appoints one of His servants to the rank of imamate, he bestows upon him divine knowledge so that he may be equipped with all that he needs to know in order to answer all of his nation’s questions and queries, while also being able to teach them everything that they require for this life and the hereafter. Thus, the knowledge enjoyed by an imam is granted to him by God, and this knowledge is al-‘ilm al-ladunnī. Such knowledge is a divine gift from the Creator, and it is bestowed directly or indirectly upon His prophets (a) and their divinely ordained successors (a).
[26] Qāḍī Ṭabāṭabāyī, Sayyid Muhammad ‘Alī, Risāleh-yī dar Dalālat-e Āyah-e Taṭhīr bar ‘Ilm-e Gustardeh-e Payāmbar wa Imām, pg. 482; Awjāqī, Nāṣiruddīn, ‘Ilm-e Imām az Dīdgah-e Kalām-e Imāmiyah, pg. 42; Mūsawī, Sayyid Amīn, Gustareh-e ‘Ilm-e Ghayb az Dīdgah-e Adyān-e Ibrāhīmī, pg. 252
[27] The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Jinn, verse 26-27
[28] Ḥakīmī, Muhammad Riḍā, Nahj al-Balāghah – Kalām-e Insān-e Hādī, pg. 75-76; Raḥmān Satāyish, Muhammad Kāẓim, Shahīdī, Rūḥullah, Bāz Shanākht-e Niẓām-e Andīshgī-e Naṣgirāyān wa Muḥaddithān-e Mutaqaddim, pg. 123-126; Ghulāmī, Aṣghar, Āfāq-e ‘Ilm-e Imām dar al-Kāfī, Collection of Articles from the International Conference on Thiqqat al-Islām Kulaynī, pg. 493; ‘Ābidī Shāhrūdī, ‘Alī, Naẓriyeh-e ‘Adl-e Jam’ī-e Ilāhī, Kayhān-e Andīsheh Magazine, issue 52, pg. 93; Shāh Manṣūrī, ‘Abbās, Irtibāṭ-e ‘Ilm-e Pīshīn wa Ikhtiyār-e ‘Ibād dar Āthār-e Marḥūm Mīrzā Mahdī Iṣfahānī, issue 53, pg. 111-121
[29] The Holy Qurān, Surah Āl-i ‘Īmrān, verse 49
[30] Shākir, Muhammad Taqī, Mas’aleh-e Āgāhī az Ghayb wa Imkān-e Ān az Nigāh-e Mufassirān, Exclusive Correspondence by the Imamate and Wilāyat Virtual Encyclopedia
[31] The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Kahf, verse 65
[32] Mahdīfar, Ḥasan, ‘Ulūm-e Ahl-e Bayt Wījigīhā, Ab’ād wa Mabādī, pg. 24, 25
[33] Holy Qurān, Surah al-Jinn, verse 26,27
[34] Hāshimī, Sayyid ‘Alī, Exclusive Correspondence by the Imamate and Wilāyat Virtual Encyclopedia, Researchers of the Pursimān website
[35] The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Kahf, verse 65
[36] For example:
﴾وَعِندَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَا إِلاَّ هُوَ﴿
“With Him are the keys to the Unseen; no one knows them except Him” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-An’ām, verse 59)
[37] For instance:
﴾عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا إِلاَّ مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِن رَّسُولٍ﴿
“Knower of the Unseen, He does not disclose His (knowledge of the) Unseen to anyone, except to an apostle He approves of” (The Holy Qurān, Surah al-Jinn, verse 26-27).
References:
