Two Types of Knowledge

Here’s an important tradition that reminds us that Ahlul Bayt (as) know whatever that can possibly be known. It also points to the notion that there is a type of knowledge that neither the angels nor the messengers nor the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them all) can know. Only God is aware of all that is in the Mother Book and He is the only one that can carry out this hidden knowledge that everyone is blind to. 

            Here are a few interesting philosophical questions that are worth pondering upon:  There exists a type of knowledge that cannot be known by us. Can we consider this type of knowledge, knowledge to begin with? Knowledge by definition is something that can be known. How does this hidden type of knowledge fit in our definition and understanding of knowledge in general?  Perhaps knowledge shouldn’t be considered as something that is necessarily knowable?

The following tradition is authentic in its chain of narrators.

Arabic Text:

أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ عَنْ سُوَيْدٍ الْقَلَّاءِ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ:

إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عِلْمَيْنِ عِلْمٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهُ إِلَّا هُوَ وَ عِلْمٌ عَلَّمَهُ مَلَائِكَتَهُ وَ رُسُلَهُ فَمَا عَلَّمَهُ مَلَائِكَتَهُ وَ رُسُلَهُ ع فَنَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُ.

English Translation:

Abi Ja’far (peace be upon him) said:

 

Verily, for Allah, The Almighty, there are two [types of] knowledge: The knowledge that no one knows but He, and the knowledge that He has taught to the angels and messengers. So, what is taught to the angels and messengers (peace be upon them), we know, [too].

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 1, Page 256, Tradition #4

Here’s another similar tradition for which the chain of narrators is not evidently authentic. However, if we put this tradition side by side with two other almost identical traditions in the book بصائر الدرجات  (Basair Al-Darajat), and consider that its content is in harmony with the previous authentic tradition, we may come to view it as an acceptable tradition.

Arabic Text:

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ السِّنْدِيِّ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ عَنْ ضُرَيْسٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ:‏

إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عِلْمَيْنِ عِلْمٌ مَبْذُولٌ‏ وَ عِلْمٌ‏ مَكْفُوفٌ فَأَمَّا الْمَبْذُولُ فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ تَعْلَمُهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَ الرُّسُلُ إِلَّا نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُ وَ أَمَّا الْمَكْفُوفُ فَهُوَ الَّذِي عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي أُمِّ الْكِتَابِ إِذَا خَرَجَ نَفَذَ.

English Translation:

Aba Ja’far (peace be upon him) is heard to have said:

 

For Allah the Most Exalted there are two [kinds of] knowledge: Knowledge that is transferred and knowledge that is blind [or that we are blind to it]. The transferred knowledge is nothing from things known by angels and messengers except we know it. [All that the angels and messengers know, we know, too]. The knowledge that is blind [that we are blind to] is that which is with God, the Most Exalted, in the Mother Book, to be carried out.

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 1, Page 253, Tradition #3

In Basair Al-Darajat we can find the following:

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ ضُرَيْسٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُول:‏

إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عِلْمَيْنِ‏ عِلْمٌ‏ مَبْذُولٌ‏ وَ عِلْمٌ مَكْفُوفٌ فَأَمَّا الْمَبْذُولُ فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ يَعْلَمُهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَ الرُّسُلُ إِلَّا وَ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُ وَ أَمَّا الْمَكْفُوفُ فَهُوَ الَّذِي عِنْدَهُ فِي أُمِّ الْكِتَابِ‏  إِذَا خَرَجَ نَفَذ.

Source:

Basair Al-Darajat, Volume 1, Page 109, Tradition #3

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنِ الرَّبِيعِ الْكَاتِبِ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُول:‏

إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عِلْمَيْنِ‏ عِلْمٌ‏ مَبْذُولٌ‏ وَ عِلْمٌ مَكْنُونٌ فَأَمَّا الْمَبْذُولُ فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ تَعْلَمُهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَ الرُّسُلُ إِلَّا نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُ وَ أَمَّا الْمَكْنُونُ فَهُوَ الَّذِي عِنْدَ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى فِي أُمِّ الْكِتَابِ إِذَا خَرَجَ نَفَذ

Source:

Basair Al-Darajat, Volume 1, Page 112, Tradition #18