Denial of Normal Channels of Knowledge for Unseen News

To know about an event, one must either hear it from someone, read it in a book, or witness the event personally. The Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.) neither heard these unseen accounts from anyone nor read them in any book: “Neither you nor your people used to know them before this”,(199) “You did not know what the Book is, nor what is faith”,(200) “It is He who sent to the unlettered [people] a messenger”,(201) meaning the Prophet (s.a.w.) arose from among the unlettered ones (ummiyyīn), so he did not know, nor was there anyone to teach him, nor did he witness these events: “And you were not present with them…”

On this basis, accusations such as that a Roman blacksmith taught him(202) are groundless: “The language of him to whom they refer is non-Arabic, while this is a clear Arabic language”.(203) That blacksmith could barely speak simple Arabic, let alone eloquent Arabic and explain spiritual knowledge and unseen mysteries. However, those afflicted with obstinacy, enmity, rigid prejudice, and who are far from logic and reasoning, will not accept the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) words even with any miracle: “Even if you bring those who were given the Book every [kind of] sign, they will not follow your qiblah. Nor shall you follow their qiblah, nor will any of them follow the qiblah of the other. And if you follow their desires, after the knowledge that has come to you, you will indeed be one of the wrongdoers”.(204)