The Prophet's Knowledge of the Unseen Paperback by Dr. Msallm Taibeh

Belief in the unseen, or ghayb, is a cornerstone of īmān. However, the ghayb is relative—what is hidden from one person may be seen or known by another. Perhaps it is the loss of īmān in the unseen world generally that has led to the juncture we are at—where the phantoms of ghosts and animated spectres crowd the screens of our young children’s excited minds. The degree to which our Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) knew the full extent of the ghayb has been controversial for centuries, sparking widespread discourse throughout. Among the most prominent discussions on this topic was the Baraylawī-Barzanjī dispute of the Fourteenth Century AH, which generated extensive literature and contrasting perspectives. In this paper, Dr. Taibeh seeks to navigate the issues of the ghayb raised by the ʿulamāʾ—identifying what all Muslims agree upon—while conceding room for scholarly differences from among the Ahl al-Sunna. Having established the core principles, Dr. Taibeh clarifies that secondary details remain open to legitimate debate.