Title of the Sermon: Allah is the All-Knower of everything
Elements of the Sermon
What does Allah know?
Belief in Allah’s knowledge leads to submission to His law.
Belief in Allah’s knowledge produces fear and hope.
Belief in Allah’s knowledge entails acceptance of His decree.
All praise is due to Allah, the Gentle and All-Knowing. Not even the weight of an atom in the heavens or the earth is hidden from Him, and He is aware of all things. May Allah exalt and send peace to our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions, the purest of blessings and the most complete peace. To proceed:
Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, as He should truly be feared, and be mindful of Him in both private and public, as He says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
"O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims" [Aali 'Imran: 102].
Servants of Allah:
Moses, peace be upon him, once stood as a preacher among the Children of Israel, and was asked, ‘Who among the people has the greatest knowledge?’ He replied, ‘I do.’ Allah reproached him for not attributing knowledge back to Allah. So, Allah revealed to him that ‘one of My servants at the junction of the two seas knows more than you.’ So Moses set out to find him, and when he met him, he asked, ‘May I follow you so that you may teach me from what you have been taught of guidance?’ Al-Khidr said, ‘You will not be able to be patient with me. I have knowledge from Allah that He has taught me which you do not know, and you have knowledge that He has taught you which I do not know.’ They set out together, and as they were on the boat, a bird came and perched on the edge of the boat, dipping its beak into the sea once or twice. Al-Khidr then said, ‘O Moses, my knowledge and your knowledge combined in comparison to Allah’s knowledge is like what this bird has taken from the sea.’” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
Do you see the vastness of the sea and the magnitude of its waters? And do you grasp what a single drop in the beak of that bird means in relation to that sea? The God we worship is the All-Knowing.
Do you understand what Allah knows? The All-Knowing has said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“And Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and Allah is the All-Knower of everything” [Al-Hujurat: 16].
He also says:
وَكُنَّا بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَالِمِينَ
“And We were of all things Knowing” [Al-Anbiya: 81].
Allah is All-Knowing, knowing every detail. He encompasses all things in knowledge; not even an atom’s weight in the heavens or on earth is hidden from Him.
There is no creature—be it angel, human, jinn, bird, or beast—except that Allah knows every detail about it even before He created it.
No leaf falls, no grain of sand or fruit exists, no female conceives or gives birth, except by Allah’s knowledge.
Allah is the Knower of the unseen and the seen. He knows what has been, what is, what will be, and even what has not been, and how it would be if it were to exist.
The All-Knowing has said:
وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا كُلٌّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ
“And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and its place of storage. All is in a clear Register” [Hud: 6].
Did you not hear the words of the All-Knowing:
وَعِنْدَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ
“And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it, and no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry thing but that it is in a clear Register” [Al-An’am: 59]?
Allah has spoken to us about Himself, saying:
اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْمِلُ كُلُّ أُنْثَى وَمَا تَغِيضُ الْأَرْحَامُ وَمَا تَزْدَادُ وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِمِقْدَارٍ * عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ الْكَبِيرُ الْمُتَعَالِ
“Allah knows what every female carries and what the wombs lose or exceed, and everything with Him is by due measure. Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Grand, the Exalted” [Ar-Ra’d: 8-9].
Not a single atom in the universe escapes Allah’s knowledge. Allah says:
وَمَا يَعْزُبُ عَنْ رَبِّكَ مِنْ مِثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَلَا أَصْغَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَلَا أَكْبَرَ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ
“And not absent from your Lord is any [part] of an atom’s weight within the earth or within the heaven or anything smaller than that or greater but that it is in a clear Register” [Yunus: 61].
Billions upon billions of stars and planets exist, and none of them exists without Allah’s knowledge. Each one moves in its orbit by His knowledge, recorded in a Book, and this is easy for Allah. Allah says:
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ فِي كِتَابٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ
“Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the heaven and the earth? Indeed, that is in a Book. Indeed that, for Allah, is easy” [Al-Hajj: 70].
Allah knows both secrets and whispers; He knows the innermost thoughts and even the furtive glances of the eyes.
وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُسِرُّونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ
“And Allah knows what you conceal and what you declare” [An-Nahl: 19],
And He says:
يَعْلَمُ خَائِنَةَ الْأَعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِي الصُّدُورُ
“He knows that which deceives the eyes and what the breasts conceal” [Ghafir: 19].
All of Allah’s actions are with knowledge. He creates, gives life, and causes death with knowledge. He made the night, day, sun, moon, and the movement of celestial bodies by His knowledge. He provides sustenance, grants, withholds, lowers, raises, constricts, and expands with knowledge. He chooses, loves, hates, is pleased, and is displeased with knowledge. Allah says:
فَالِقُ الْإِصْبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ سَكَنًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ حُسْبَانًا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ
“[He is the] Cleaver of daybreak and has made the night for rest and the sun and moon for calculation. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing” [Al-An’am: 95-96].
Not a single drop of water or grain of goodness is bestowed upon the earth from His treasures except by His knowledge. Allah, the Exalted, says:
وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا عِنْدَنَا خَزَائِنُهُ وَمَا نُنَزِّلُهُ إِلَّا بِقَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ
“And there is not a thing but that with Us are its depositories, and We do not send it down except according to a known measure” [Al-Hijr: 21].
Allah advances or delays none of His creation except by His knowledge, choosing by His knowledge, guiding, or leaving to stray according to His wisdom. He says:
وَلَقَدِ اخْتَرْنَاهُمْ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
“And We certainly chose them with knowledge over [all] the worlds” [Ad-Dukhan: 32],
And He says:
اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ
“Allah knows best where He places His message” [Al-An’am: 124].
He revealed His Book and established His religion and laws with complete knowledge. Allah says:
وَلَقَدْ جِئْنَاهُمْ بِكِتَابٍ فَصَّلْنَاهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ هُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
“And We had certainly brought them a Book which We detailed by knowledge as guidance and mercy to a people who believe” [Al-A'raf: 52].
Servants of Allah:
A true believer, who is certain of Allah’s complete knowledge, submits to Allah’s commands and law, even if they do not fully understand the wisdom or benefit behind it. Allah, the All-Knowing, created humans and knows them better than they know themselves. He knows what is beneficial for them and what is harmful:
أَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ
“Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?” [Al-Mulk: 14].
Fighting in Allah’s path may be burdensome, involving sacrifice of one’s life, possibly leaving loved ones orphaned, yet Allah says:
كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَكُمْ وَعَسَى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ وَعَسَى أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
“Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you do not know” [Al-Baqarah: 216].
And Allah concludes some rulings on divorce with:
ذَلِكُمْ أَزْكَى لَكُمْ وَأَطْهَرُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
“That is purer for you and more righteous, and Allah knows while you do not know” [Al-Baqarah: 232].
When Allah informs a believer that His laws are light and life, that usury removes blessings, that charity increases wealth, that hijab is purity and chastity, that justice brings reform, that oppression leads to ruin, and that the disbelievers are enemies, the believer affirms that Allah, who says this, is All-Knowing and Wise, and submits fully to His rulings.
Allah, the All-Knowing, knows who is misled and who is rightly guided, and thus, He is never deceived. He knows the faith of the believer and the falsehood of the hypocrite; He distinguishes the trustworthy from the treacherous. Allah says:
فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَى
“So do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him” [An-Najm: 32]
And He says:
وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْمُفْسِدَ مِنَ الْمُصْلِحِ
“And Allah knows the corrupter from the reformer” [Al-Baqarah: 220].
Some people who remained behind from fighting with the Prophet ﷺ swore that they were unable to join, but Allah exposed their lie, saying:
وَسَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَوِ اسْتَطَعْنَا لَخَرَجْنَا مَعَكُمْ يُهْلِكُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ
“They will swear by Allah, ‘If we were able, we would have gone forth with you,’ destroying themselves [through false oaths], and Allah knows that indeed they are liars” [At-Tawbah: 42].
Based on what Allah knows in people’s hearts, whether of good or evil, blessings or punishments descend.
The companions of the Prophet ﷺ at the Pledge of Ridwan demonstrated sincerity, loyalty, and steadfastness, so Allah granted them tranquility and a near victory. Allah says:
لَقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَنْزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَثَابَهُمْ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا
“Certainly was Allah pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you, [O Muhammad], under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquility upon them and rewarded them with an imminent conquest” [Al-Fath: 18].
Therefore, a believer who acknowledges Allah’s knowledge should hope for good from Allah for the sincerity and goodness in their heart, and fear His punishment if there is any evil within, for Allah rewards His creation in this world and the Hereafter according to His knowledge. Allah says:
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُ
“And know that Allah knows what is within yourselves, so beware of Him” [Al-Baqarah: 235].
May Allah bless me and you with the great Qur’an and benefit us with its verses and wise reminders. I seek Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah exalt and send peace to the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his companions.
Servants of Allah,
Every decree of Allah is set with knowledge and wisdom; He neither errs nor forgets nor acts in vain. The believer submits to Allah’s decree and rulings, trusting in the All-Knowing, the Acquainted. Thus, they turn to Him, seek His guidance, and are content and patient with His decree, affirming their faith in His wisdom and knowledge.
The Prophet ﷺ taught his companions the prayer of seeking Allah’s guidance (Istikhara) for every matter, as the servant opens their supplication saying, “O Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge and I seek ability by Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. For indeed, You are capable, and I am not. You know, and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs, then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless me in it. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree for me the good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.” (Reported by Bukhari).
You ask your Lord for what is good through His knowledge and submit, certain that He is the Knower of the unseen, the One who knows while you do not. How often has a person desired something that brings them harm or disliked something that was actually for their benefit?
The Prophet ﷺ would also pray with complete reliance upon Allah, saying, “O Allah, by Your knowledge of the unseen and Your power over creation, give me life as long as You know life is better for me, and cause me to die when You know death is better for me.” (Reported by An-Nasa’i).
Allah has promised guidance and tranquility to those who believe in Him, accept His decree, and rely on His knowledge, as He says:
مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
“No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah. And whoever believes in Allah, He will guide his heart. And Allah is Knowing of all things.” [At-Taghabun: 11].
O Allah, fill our hearts with faith in You, certainty in Your knowledge, trust in Your wisdom, and submission to Your laws and decree.
O Allah, grant relief to the oppressed among Your servants in Gaza and in every place, ease the distress of the believers, and grant victory to Your monotheistic servants over the criminal Zionists.
O Allah, grant us security in our homelands, reform our leaders and those in authority over us, and place our governance in the hands of those who fear You, are pious, and seek Your approval.
Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
