Part-1 | What Is Belief in the Unseen | غیب پر یقین کیا ہے؟

#BeliefInTheUnseen #Faith #Spirituality #Religion #Worldview #Reality #Perception #Collective

What Is Belief in the Unseen?

Asslamoalaikum sisters brothers friends and elders, Belief in the unseen is a fundamental concept in many religions and spiritual practices. In this question wa answers video, we explore the meaning of belief in the unseen, its significance, and how it shapes our worldview and actions. We are answering in light of Quran wa Hadith into the idea of having faith in things that cannot be perceived by the senses, and how this belief impacts our lives on a personal and collective level. please be with us upto end of in this insightful video on the power of faith and the unseen forces that influence our reality.

heard a shaykh say that if it was possible for us to see Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, there would be no test. Thus we may understand His words (interpretation of the meaning): {… who believe in the unseen} [Al-Baqarah 2:3].

As we cannot see Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, this is the test. For the person who is not certain of himself, whether he is really a believer or has true faith, is that part of his test? Meaning, for example, `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to ask Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him): am I a hypocrite?

Belief in the unseen is the test of a person’s faith. The unseen includes everything that people cannot grasp with their senses. It refers to everything of which the Revelation has told us, what happened in the past and what exists now but is hidden from us, such as the world of the angels, Al-barzakh, and what will happen in the future, such as the Day of Resurrection, and what will happen on that Day of the reckoning, punishment and bliss.

Undoubtedly belief in the unseen is the test of a person’s faith. Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

[Al-Baqarah verse 1-3] {Alif, Lam, Meem. This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah, Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.}

The unseen includes everything that people cannot grasp with their senses. Here it refers to everything of which the Revelation has told us, what happened in the past and what exists now but is hidden from us, such as the world of the angels, Al-barzakh, and what will happen in the future, such as the Day of Resurrection, and what will happen on that Day of the reckoning, punishment and bliss.

So the unseen has to do with the fundamentals of faith.

Al-Wahidi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“The word {… the unseen} refers to that which is hidden from you, so you cannot see it, thus it is unseen. Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): {[He is] Knower of the unseen and the seen} [Al-An `am 6:73]. The Arabs call low-lying land Al-ghayb because it cannot be seen…

Abu Al-`Aliyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said regarding the verse {… who believe in the unseen}: They believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, His Paradise, His Fire, the meeting with Him, and the resurrection after death.

It is as if this is a summary of what is explained in more detail in the verse in which He says (interpretation of the meaning):

[Al-Baqarah verse 285] {All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.”}

Abu Ishaq (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Everything that is hidden from them of what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told them is unseen.

This is the way in which the commentators explain the meaning of Al-Ghayb (the unseen)." (Al-Basit 2/68-71)

Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“This is the prescribed belief referred to in the Hadith of Jibril (peace be upon him), in which he said to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Tell me about faith (Iman). He said: “It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in the divine decree, both good and bad.” He said: You have spoken the truth." (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi 1/252)

Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“The basis of faith is belief in the unseen, as Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

Al-Baqarah verse 1-3] {Alif, Lam, Meem. This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah, Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.} [

The unseen in which one must believe is what the Messengers have told us of general aspects of belief, which include believing in Allah and His names and attributes, and in the angels and in Paradise and Hell. Believing in Allah, His Messengers and the Last Day includes believing in the unseen, for the message itself is a matter of the unseen, and the details of that include belief in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day, as Allah, may He be Exalted, mentions in the verses (interpretation of the meaning):

[Al-Baqarah verse 177] {but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets.}

{And whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray.} [An-Nisa’ 4:136]” (Majmu` Al-Fatawa, 13/232-233)

Belief in the unseen is the test which makes the one who truly believes stand out from the one who is doubtful.

Shaykh `Abd Ar-Rahman As-Sa`di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“He says (interpretation of the meaning): {who believe in the unseen}. The true meaning of belief or faith is complete affirmation of what the Messengers taught; this also includes physical actions. It does not refer to believing in things that are visible or may be known through any of the physical senses, because in that regard there is no difference between the Muslim and the disbeliever. Rather the issue here is belief in the unseen, which we cannot see or know through any of the physical senses; rather we believe in it because Allah and His Messenger have told us of it. This faith is what distinguishes the Muslim from the disbeliever, because it is believing and affirming, with no hesitation, what Allah and His Messenger said. So the believer believes everything that Allah or His messenger have told him, whether he sees it or not and whether he understands it and comprehends it or not.

This is in contrast to the heretics and those who disbelieve in the unseen, because their limited intellects could not grasp it, so they rejected what they could not comprehend. Thus their intellect was corrupted and their thinking was flawed, whilst the thinking of the believers, who were guided by Allah, was sound.

Belief in the unseen includes belief in everything that Allah and His messengers have told us about unseen matters in the past and in the future, events of the hereafter and the reality of the divine attributes and their essence. So they believe in the attributes of Allah in a true sense and with certain faith, even if they do not understand their essence." (Tafsir As-Sa`di p. 40-41)

So the one who believes in what the Messengers have told us of matters that he has not seen is the sincere believer whose faith is proven to be sound.

Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

[Al-Hujurat verse 15]. {The believers are only the ones who have believed in Allah and His Messenger and then doubt not but strive with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah. It is those who are the truthful}

As for the disbelievers, many of them are certain that their Messengers never lied, but they deny the unseen, and they give excuses for that. Then when they see the Angel of death with their own eyes and they see the hereafter, their belief will not benefit them in that situation, because it is faith by compulsion and is not sincere belief. Hence if they were to be sent back to this world, they would go back to disbelief.

Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

{If you could but see when they are made to stand before the Fire and will say, “Oh, would that we could be returned [to life on earth] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers.”

But what they concealed before has [now] appeared to them. And even if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden; and indeed, they are liars.

And they say, [Al-An`am verse 27-29] “There is none but our worldly life, and we will not be resurrected.”}

Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“What is meant by saying {But what they concealed before has [now] appeared to them} is that they will not ask to return to this world out of love for faith; rather it will be out of fear of the punishment that they have seen with their own eyes, as a requital for their disbelief. Hence they will ask to go back to this world so as to be safe from what they have seen of the Fire. Therefore Allah says: {And even if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden; and indeed, they are liars}. In other words, they are lying when they claim that they wish to return to this world because they want to be believers.

Then Allah tells us that if they were returned to this world, they would go back to what was forbidden to them of disbelief and disobedience: {and indeed, they are liars} when they say {“Oh, would that we could be returned [to life on earth] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers”} and {“There is none but our worldly life, and we will not be resurrected”}. In other words, they would go back to what was forbidden to them, and they are indeed lying when they say {There is none but our worldly life”}, meaning that there is nothing but the life of this world, and there is no resurrection after that. Hence they said {“and we will not be resurrected”}." (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 3/249)

This does not mean that there is no benefit in seeing the unseen; rather it is beneficial for those with sound hearts who desire and love faith, as seeing it will increase in faith and certainty.

We see this in the story of Ibrahim (peace be upon him), as Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation and meaning):

[Al-Baqarah 2:260]{And [mention] when Abraham said, “My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.” [Allah] said, “Have you not believed?” He said, “Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied.” [Allah] said, “Take four birds and commit them to yourself. Then [after slaughtering them] put on each hill a portion of them; then call them - they will come [flying] to you in haste. And know that Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise”}

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