[Enfotanab]

Tenthly, it is mentioned in the hadith: “The keys of the ghayb are five,” the purpose of which is to exemplify, and thus it does not contradict what we mentioned, that the meaning is inclusive [of all ghayb].

Benefit: Our teacher [‘Allamah Shabbir Ahmad] al-‘Uthmani taught in his marginalia to the Glorious Qur’an that:

Ghayb divides into two types: hidden injunctions (ahkam ghaybiyyah) and hidden existents (akwan ghaybiyyah). Moreover, from the existents of them, there are their universals and from them are their particulars. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) discloses the hidden injunctions to His prophets and messengers, and He referred to this in His statement: “He does not let anyone know His ghayb, except a messenger whom He chooses” (72:26). Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) discloses from the particulars of the hidden existents whatever of them He wishes to whoever He wishes of His creation, while the universals of them He does not disclose to any of His creation. Thus all ghayb is exclusive to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) in the sense that it is not attainable by anyone except through His disclosure, and ghayb in the sense of total encompassing knowledge is exclusive to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), such that it is not possible for the creation to acquire it, whoever he may be and however and wherever he may be.

Furthermore, His (Exalted is He) statement, “And He knows that which is in the wombs” indicates, as al-Jassas mentioned, that the reality of the existence of conception is not known to us even if its existence dominates the mind, and this entails that the one who negates the conception of his wife from himself is not accusing her of adultery.

Ahkam al-Qur’an, 3:272-278

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For example, “He knows that which is before them and that which is behind them, and they shall not encompass it with their knowledge.” (Qur’an 20:110) [↩]

http://www.deoband.org/2011/12/aqida...of-the-unseen/