A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn 'Isa from Mu'ammar ibn Khallad who has said that a man from Persia asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.) the following.
"Do you know al-Ghayb (the hidden facts)?" The Imam (a.s.) said, "abu Ja'far (a.s.) has said, 'It opens to us then we know it and it is withheld from us then we do not know." The Imam (a.
s.) then said, "It is the secret of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, who has secretly given to Jibril and Jibril has secretly given to Muhammad (s.a.) and Muhammad (s.a.) has secretly given
to whoever Allah wished."
H 664, Ch. 45, h 2
Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from 'Abdallah ibn Muhammad ibn 'Isa from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from Ali ibn Ri'ab from Sadir al-Sayrafi who has said that he heard Humran ibn A'yan ask abu
Ja'far (a.s.) about the words of Allah,
the Most Holy, the Most High Allah, ". . . One Who is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. . ." (6:101) Abu Ja'far (a.s.) said, "Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, originated all
things through His knowledge in unprecedentedly. He Invented the heavens and eath and there was heavens and earths before.
Have you not considered the words of Allah, ". . .His Throne existed on water. . ." (11:7) Humran then said, "Have you considered His words, Majestic is Whose mention, 'He knows the unseen
and He does not allow anyone to know His secrets. . ." (72:26). Abu Ja'far (a.s.) then said, " except those of His Messengers whom He chooses. (72:26) Muhammad (s.a.), I swear by Allah, was one
of those whom Allah had chosen. However, there are His words "He knows the hidden facts."
The fact that Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, through what is hidden from His creatures of the things that He measures and determines and decrees in His knowledge before creating it
and before assigning to the angels it is because of the following.
O Humran, there is the knowledge withheld before Him in which He has a wish. He then decrees it when He wills. Bada' may take place in it and He then will not decree it. The knowledge that,
however, Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, measures and determines and approves is the knowledge that reaches the Messenger of Allah and then it reaches us."
H 665, Ch. 45, h 3
Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from 'Abbad ibn Sulayman from Muhammad ibn Sulayman from his father from Sadir who has said that he, abu Basir, Yahya al-Bazzaz
and Dawud ibn Kathir were in the presence of abu 'Abdallah (a. s.). The Imam (a.s.) came to us while he was angry.
When he settled in his seat he then said, "How strange is it that certain people think we know the hidden facts. No one knows the hidden things except Allah, the Most Holy, the Most
High.
I thought to discipline our house maid, so and so, and could not find in which quarter she was." Sadir has said, "When the meeting was over and the Imam (a.s.) went home, I, abu Basir and
Muyassir went to his house.
We said to him, "May Allah take our souls in service for your cause, we heard you say so and so about the matter of your house maid but we know that you have a great deal of knowledge. We
do not say that you possess the knowledge of (al-Ghayb) hidden facts.
" The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) said, "O Sadir, Do you not read the Holy Quran?" I said, "Yes, I do read the Holy Quran." The Imam (a.s.) then asked, "In your reading have you
found the following words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High? "The one who had knowledge from the Book said, "I can bring it to you before you even blink your eye. . . ." (27:40) The narrator
has said that he said that he has read those words.
The Imam (a. s.) asked, "Do you know who the man is? Do you know how much knowledge of the Book he had?" The narrator has said that he asked the Imams (a.s.) "Please tell me about his
knowledge." The Imam (a.s.) said, "His knowledge of the Book was like one drop compared to the green ocean (Atlantic). The narrator has said that he said, "May Allah take my soul in service for
your cause, that is very little.."
The Imam (a.s.) then said, "O Sadir, say, "What a great knowledge is that when Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, would ascribe to a knowledge that I am about to speak of to you. Have you
found in the book of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, the following. "Say, "God and those who have the knowledge of the Book are sufficient witness (to my prophethood)." (13:43)
The narrator has said that he said to the Imams (a.s.), "Yes. "May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, I have read it."
The Imam (a.s.) then said, "Is the knowledge of one who possesses the knowledge of the whole book greater or that of the one who possesses some knowledge of the Book?" I said, "The
knowledge of one who possesses the knolwedge of the whole book is greater." The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) pointing to his chest said, "The knowledge of the whole Book, I swear by
Allah, is with us. The knowledge of the whole Book, I swear by Allah, is with us."
H 666, Ch. 45, h 4
Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from Ahmad ibn a1- Hassan ibn Ali from 'Amr ibn Sa'id from Musaddiq ibn Sadaqa from 'Ammar al-Sabati who has said that he asked
abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) the following. "Dose the Imam have the knowledge of the hidden facts?" The Imam (a.s.) said, "No, he does not have such knowledge but if he would like to know about a thing
Allah grants him such knowledge."
