In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Did Muhammad know the future?
One of the criteria that God gave us to judge the truth about His words, is the fact that, God's words do not contradict themselves.
[4:82] ............. If it were from other than GOD, they would have found in it numerous contradictions.
While Quran has no contradictions, the sincere student of Islam (Submission in English), will find so many contradictions in the Hadiths books that will make him/her realize beyond any doubt that these books cannot be authored by the prophet Muhammed or approved by God Almighty.
One of the issues that always comes up when we discuss this great religion with some of the traditional Muslims, e.g. Sunni, Shia, Ahmadiyya, Ismaili,...etc., is the issue of future telling that fills the hadiths books. These books have so many hadiths in which the prophet Muhammed told of future events. It is interesting to know also that the same books contradict themselves and carry other hadiths that inform the reader that the prophet cannot tell the future.
It does not surprise us that these books that were never authorized by God or the prophet , contradict themselves and contradict the Quran.
The Quran emphatically confirmed that the Prophet Muhammed did not know the future. Even when God told us that he may gave some of the future knowledge to some of His messengers, God insisted on proving to us that Muhammed did not.
The Quran did that in a systemic approach. God told us that Muhammed is ONLY a human being like us.
[18:110] Say (O Muhammed), "I am no more than a human like you, being inspired that your god is one god.
We humans, and all those like us DO NOT KNOW THE FUTURE.
Then God informs us that al the messengers do not know what happened to the people who came after their death (future).
[5:109] The day will come when GOD will summon the messengers and ask them, "How was the response to you?" They will say, "We have no knowledge. You are the Knower of all secrets."
To emphasize that fact and give it to us straight forward, God tells us in 46:9
[46:9] Say (O Muhammed), "I am not different from other messengers. I have no idea what will happen to me or to you. I only follow what is revealed to me. I am no more than a profound warner."
To confirm it even more God repeat this information in 7:188;
[7:188 ] Say (O Muhammed), "I have no power to benefit myself, or harm myself. Only what God wills happen to me. If I KNEW THE FUTURE, I would have increased my wealth, and no harm would have afflicted me. I am no more than a warner, and a bearer of good news for those who believe."
[6:50] Say (O Muhammed), "I do not say to you that I possess the treasures of GOD. Nor do I know the future. Nor do I say to you
that I am an angel. I simply follow what is revealed to me." Say, "Is the blind the same as the seer? Do you not reflect?"
Despite these straight forward verses, many traditional Muslims refuse to believe the Quran and insist that the prophet Muhammed told of future events. One of their famous fabrications is a hadith in which there is a prediction of those who will uphold the Quran ALONE with warning to do like them. Another famous fabrication is the hadith telling about future sects and their number. Please review our hadith section on our web site to see for yourself.
We need no more proof than the Quran and when faced with those who claim to be Muslims but refuse to believe God in His own book, we remember 18:57;
[18:57] Who are more evil than those who are reminded of their Lord's proofs, then disregard them, without realizing what they are doing. Consequently, we place shields on their hearts to prevent them from understanding it (the Quran), and deafness in their ears. Thus, no matter what you do to guide them, they can never ever be guided.