Q:

Assalamu ‘alaikum. Recently I read a book related to aqidaah. I found there a title that Allah didn’t give any supernatural power to anyone. But it is clear from Hadith that our Prophet (peace be upon him) had a power to see behind him while performing salah. The angels also do supernatural work. Please explain the matter to me.

A:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

The matters of Ghayb are indeed the exclusive realm of Allah; and in so far as anyone else has been given access to something of it, it is an exception.

Allah orders the Prophet to declare that He is a mortal like everyone else and that he does not know the unseen realities. However, the verse does not contradict the fact that sometimes Allah chooses to disclose something of the hidden realities to His chosen messengers from among angels and humans: This is what we learn from the following verses:

“He is the One who knows what is hidden. He does not disclose it except to a messenger of His choosing.” (Qur’an: 73: 26-27)

Therefore, there is no contradiction: while the Ghayb or unseen realities are the exclusive realms of Allah; He may choose to disclose some knowledge of it to some of his chosen messengers.

Therefore, we need not be surprised if we learn that Allah allowed His Messenger to see what was happening behind him in Prayer.

In other words, they are part of this special favors bestowed on him by Allah.

The Quran tells us that the Prophet Ibrahim entered the blazing fire-pit and emerged out of it unscathed and unharmed;  the Prophet Musa parted the red sea and hit the ground with his staff transformed into a serpent; and the Prophet Isa was given the power to revive the dead, heal the leper and restore the eyesight to the blind. Likewise, the Prophet Muhammad was saved miraculously from his enemies’ many attempts to assassinate him.

However, nothing of this fact would contradict the principle we are to hold firmly to that the ultimate source of the knowledge of the unseen realities is Allah and Allah alone.

Almighty Allah Knows best.