Prophet has knowledge of everything that will happen till the Last Day

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

Salutations and peace upon you, my master, Apostle of Allah

Definitionally, a Prophet is someone to whom Allah has revealed knowledge of the unseen [ilm al-ghayb]. Allah says:

عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا

Knower of the unseen; He does not manifest His unseen upon anyone

إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولٍ

Except one He is pleased with of a Messenger

(Surah 72, Ayah 26 & 27)

وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَجْتَبِي مِن رُّسُلِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ

And Allah does not inform you of the unseen; but He chooses of His Apostles whom He wishes

(Surah 3, Ayah 179)

The Holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was granted knowledge of the unseen by Allah. No created being possesses knowledge of the unseen from its essence, but rather Allah grants knowledge of the unseen to whom He wishes—His Apostles. Therefore, the Prophet, peace be upon him, is not a knower of the unseen by his person, but rather possesses knowledge of the unseen as a gift from Allah. Wherever in the Holy Quran there is an apparent denial of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم possessing knowledge of the unseen, it is with the meaning of him possessing knowledge of the unseen by means of his essence and not as a divine gift. It is impermissible to refer to the Prophet, peace be upon him, with the title عالم الغيب "Knower of the unseen" as this title is exclusively for Allah and as a term means the one who knows the unseen by means of His eternal essential attribute of knowledge. But it is certainly true that the Prophet, peace be upon him, possesses knowledge of the unseen. Commenting on the Ayah I quoted (Surah 3:179) Imam al-Maturidi says that knowledge of the unseen is one of the signs of the Prophet Muhammad's Risalah:

إذ علم الغيب آية من آيات رسالته

(Ta'wilat Ahl al-Sunnah, v.2, p.541)

Therefore, it is manifest heresy to deny that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was given knowledge of the unseen and such denial is tantamount to denying his blessed prophethood.

It is heresy and kufr to believe the Prophet, peace be upon him, has knowledge equal to the knowledge of Allah. The knowledge of Allah is eternal and infinite. And it is heresy and kufr to believe that the Prophet knows everything Allah knows. To hold such heretical beliefs is shirk in the attributes of Allah [shirk fil-siffat]. But we Sunnis believe that after Allah, the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم possesses the most knowledge and is therefore the most knowledgable of the creation. So while the knowledge of the unseen possessed by the Prophet is ultimately finite, it is so vast and deep that the knowledge of all the creation combined is like a drop compared to the ocean that is the Prophet's knowledge. We Sunnis believe that Allah granted knowledge of everything from the beginning of creation (the first day) till the end of this world (the last day) to His beloved Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Several Ahadith substantiate our doctrine that the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, possesses all the knowledge of everything that happened and everything that shall happen ما كان وما يكون till Judgment Day.

Sayyidina Umar al-Faruq رضى الله عنه narrates:

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, stood among us and told us about the beginning of creation until the people of Paradise entered their abodes and the people of Hell entered their abodes. Whoever remembered it, remembered it, and whoever forgot it, forgot it (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Sayyidina Hudhaifah رضى الله عنه narrates:

أَخْبَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ إِلَى أَنْ تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, informed me of what will happen till the establishment of the Hour (Sahih Muslim)

Sayyidina Buraid bin Abi Maryam, radi Allahu anhu, narrates:

ثُمَّ حَدَّثَنَا بِمَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ

Then he [Prophet Muhammad] narrated to us whatever will happen till the establishment of the Hour (Sunan al-Nasa'i)

Sayyidina Ibn Abbas, radi Allahu anhuma, narrates a vision of the Prophet, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, in which the Prophet saw his Lord in the best of forms. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ بَيْنَ كَتِفَىَّ حَتَّى وَجَدْتُ بَرْدَهَا بَيْنَ ثَدْيَىَّ أَوْ قَالَ فِي نَحْرِي فَعَلِمْتُ مَا فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ

"He (Allah) placed His hand between my shoulders until I felt its coolness in my chest," or he said, "in my throat, and I knew what is in the heavens and what is on the earth." (Jami al-Tirmidhi)

In summary we can say that Allah granted the knowledge of everything in Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth, and everything that shall happen in it till Judgment Day to our Master the Holy Prophet Muhammad صلوات الله والسلام عليه

Moses Heard the Speech of Allah

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

Salutations and peace upon you, my master, Apostle of Allah

Allah, holy and exalted is He, spoke directly to Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, without the intermediation of an Angel, as He says:

وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَىٰ تَكْلِيمًا

And Allah spoke to Moses with direct speech

(Surah 4, Ayah 164)

فَلَمَّا أَتَاهَا نُودِيَ مِن شَاطِئِ الْوَادِ الْأَيْمَنِ فِي الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ أَن يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنِّي أَنَا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ

So when he came to it he was called from the right side of the valley in a blessed spot from the tree, "O Moses, I am I, Allah, Lord of the worlds."

(Surah 28, Ayah 30)

And Moses heard the speech of Allah that was revealed to him through wahi:

وَأَنَا اخْتَرْتُكَ فَاسْتَمِعْ لِمَا يُوحَىٰ

And I have chosen you, so listen to that which is inspired to you

(Surah 20, Ayah 13)

The speaking of Allah to Moses through the burning bush is that form of divine speech which a mortal may hear which is termed "from behind a veil" in the Holy Quran:

أَوْ مِن وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ

Or from behind a veil

(Surah 42, Ayah 51)

I believe that Prophet Moses heard the divine speech of Allah at the burning bush, but we cannot comprehend its reality. Just as it is not necessary that Allah's speech consist of sound, it is not necessary that for Moses to have heard Allah's speech he had to have heard an audible voice or sound. Therefore, it is wrong for people to say that Moses did not hear the speech of God, but only heard a created voice expressing the divine speech. Although I do not like him, the misguided Abdullah al-Harari, founder of the Association for Islamic Charitable Projects (AICP) was correct when he said:

ذكر التفتازاني في شرحه على هذه العقيدة أن قولنا لموسى كليمُ الله ليس لأنه سمع الكلام الذاتي إنما معناه سمع صوتا دالًّا على كلام الله تعالى بغير واسطة ملك أو غيره لذلك سُمي كليمَ الله

وهذا غير مستحسن وذكر أنه لا يجوز أن يُسمع ما ليس بصوت وينقلُ هذا عن الماتريدي وينسبه إليه لكن الماتريدي لا يقول إن الكلامَ الذاتي الذي هو غير صوت لا يصح أن يُسمع أما فيما يتعلق بموسى فيحتمل أنه وُجِد ذلك في بعض عبارات الماتريدي فشهروا عنه هذا القول ونحن نقول سماعُ ما ليس بحرف ولا صوت جائزٌ ممكنٌ فكما أنه يصح أن يُسمع الحرف والصوت كذلك يصح سماع الكلام الذي ليس بحرف ولا صوت إذا أزال الله المانعَ من العبد

"Al-Taftazani, in his commentary on this creed [al-Nasafiyyah], stated that when we call Moses the one who spoke with Allah [Kalim Allah] it is not because he heard the divine speech itself, but rather because he heard a voice indicating the speech of Allah Almighty without the mediation of an Angel or anyone else. Therefore, he was called one who spoke with Allah [Kalim Allah]. This is not sound, and he [al-Taftazani] mentioned that it is not permissible to hear what is not a sound. He quotes this from al-Maturidi and attributes it to him. However, al-Maturidi does not say that the divine speech, which is not a sound, cannot be heard. As for what is related about Moses, it is possible that this was found in some of al-Maturidi's statements, and they popularized this statement to him. We say that hearing what is neither a letter nor a sound is permissible and possible. Just as it is possible to hear a letter or a sound, it is also possible to hear speech that is neither a letter nor a sound if Allah removes the impediment from the servant." (al-Matalib al-Wafiyyah Sharh al-Aqidat al-Nasafiyyah, p.120)

Tafsir al-Ishari of the Sufis

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

Salutations and peace upon you, my master, Apostle of Allah

The eminent theologian Abu Hafs Umar al-Nasafi (d. 537 H), to whom we owe the remarkable text of creed titled al-Aqa'id al-Nasafiyyah, has mentioned as one of its points:

وَالنُّصُوْصُ تُحْمَلُ عَلى ظَوَاهِرَهَا وَالعُدُولُ عَنْهَا إلى مَعَانٍ يَدَّعِيْهَا أَهْلُ البَاطِنِ إِلْحَادٌ

"The sacred texts [al-nusus] are to be interpreted according to their apparent meanings, and to turn aside from them to meanings which the people of esotericism [ahl al-batin] claim is deviation [ilhad]."

The Batiniyyah or esotericists mentioned here are primarily the Isma'ilis and some other antinomian sects who reject the Shari'ah and thereby commit Ilhad. For instance, they reject the apparent or understood meanings of Salah, Zakah, Sawm and Hajj, which are the five daily worship, the required alms of one-fortieth of one's wealth, fasting sunrise to sunset in Ramadan and making pilgrimage to the Sacred Mosque in Mecca once in a lifetime. The Batiniyyah take an esoteric meaning of these Islamic terms which is in opposition to the meaning understood and agreed upon by the Ummah. The Isma'ilis reject the understood meaning of Qiyamah, which is bodily resurrection at the end of the world, and instead replace it with their fabricated esoteric meaning first put forward by one of their imams, Hasan II, the 23rd Nizari Imam, at Alamut in 1164 CE, that the Qiyamah had just occurred and now they were no longer required to observe the Shari'ah. According to these Isma'ilis, the esoteric meaning of Salah which replaces its exoteric meaning is calling the people to their Imam. Likewise, they say that the esoteric meaning of Sawm is to perform taqiyyah, or conceal the knowledge and refrain from revealing the tenets of the Isma'ili call to their enemies! For them, the Hajj is to visit and be in the presence of the Imam who is the "spiritual Ka'bah". In summary, the Isma'ilis and other Batinis cease observing the Pillars of Islam and the laws of the Shari'ah by means of re-interpreting those pillars and laws with an esoteric meaning which according to them abrogates the apparent or understood meaning. It is this heresy that al-Nasafi has repudiated by saying that the sacred texts are to be understood with their apparent meaning and not the meanings of the the Batiniyyah.

The best explanation of al-Aqa'id al-Nasafiyyah is the one by Allamah Sa'd al-Din Mas'ud al-Taftazani (d. 792 H). In his explanation of this point in al-Nasafiyyah, Allamah al-Taftazani has removed a doubt of some of the literalists and opponents of Sufism who argue that the Sufis are also heretical like the Batinis because they have unveiled esoteric meanings for some of the sacred texts:

وَأمَّا مَا ذَهَبَ إِلَيْهِ بَعْضُ الْمُحَقِّقِيْنَ مِنْ أنَّ النُّصُوْص مَصْرُوْفَة عَلى ظَوَاهِرِهَا وَمَعَ ذَلِكَ فِيْهَا إشَارَاتٌ خَفِيَّةٌ إلى دَقَائِق تَنْكَشِف عَلى أَرْبَاب السُّلُوك يُمْكِنُ التَّطْبِيق بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ الظَّوَاهِر المُرَادة فَهُوَ مِن كَمَال الإيْمَان وَمَحْض العِرْفَان

"As for the view held by some researchers [al-Muhaqqiqin] that the texts are to be taken literally, yet contain subtle allusions to subtle points that are revealed to those on the spiritual path [al-suluk], and that these can be reconciled with the intended meanings, this is a sign of perfect faith and pure gnosis." (Sharh al-Aqa'id al-Nasafiyyah, Idara as-Siddiq, Dabhel, Gujarat, p.502)

This view is substantiated by the Hadith:

لِكُلِّ آيَةٍ مِنْهَا ظَهْرٌ وَبَطْنٌ

"For every Ayah in it is an apparent [meaning] and an inner [meaning]." (Sahih Ibn Hibban)

Likewise, Dr. Abd ul-Malik al-Sa'di (b. 1937), in his explanation of this point in al-Nasafiyyah, gives the example of the Ayah:

لَّا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ

None touch it (the Quran) except the purified

(Surah 56, Ayah 79)

فيها إشارة إلى أن القلب النجس لا يدرك معاني القرآن ولطائفه الدقيقة ولا يمسها كما أن الجسم غير الطاهر لا يمس القرآن الظاهري المادي

"This indicates that a defiled heart cannot comprehend or grasp the meanings and subtle nuances of the Quran, just as an impure body cannot touch the physical, outward form of the Quran." (Sharh al-Nasafiyyah, p.233)

This is known as tafsir al-ishari, which Dr. Abd ul-Malik al-Sa'di has explained:

وهو التفسير الإشاري الذي يفسر به السادة الصوفية والذي يحمل شيئاً من الدقائق اللطيفة مع الاعتراف بتفسير الآية الظاهر وعدم تعارضه معه فهو جائز ومقبول

"It is the tafsir al-ishari used by Sufi masters, which contains subtle nuances while acknowledging the apparent meaning of the verse and its lack of contradiction with it; therefore, it is permissible and acceptable." (Ibid, p.232)

The Hand of God

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

Salutations and peace upon you, my master, Apostle of Allah

The luminous Mujaddid of the 14th century Hijri was undoubtedly Ala Hadrat, namely, Imam Ahmad Rida Khan of Bareli, rahmatullah alaih. His translation of the Holy Quran, titled Kanz ul-Iman, is certainly the best such translation of the Scripture in the Urdu language and is a remarkable contribution to the legacy of Islam. Some contemporary scholars, particularly those of the Ash'ari school of theology, say that words that occur in the Quran in relation to Allah such as Yad should be left untranslated in keeping with the spirit of tafwid, or consigning the meaning and modality of those words and relation to Allah that are from the mutashabihat. But Ala Hadrat, rahmatullah alaih, did translate Yad in relation to Allah to hath (hand) in Urdu, for instance:

 بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ يُنفِقُ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ

اس کے ہاتھ کشادہ ہیں عطا فرماتا ہے جیسے چاہے

His Hands are wide open; He gives as He wills

(Surah 5, Ayah 63)

يَدُ اللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ

ان کے ہاتھوں پر اللہ کا ہاتھ ہے

Upon their hands is the Hand of Allah

(Surah 48, Ayah 10)

Like Ala Hadrat, I see no problem in translating Yad to hand in relation to Allah. Nor is it problematic to speak of God's Face or God's Eyes. But the meaning of Hand, or Face or Eyes in relation to God is obviously not literal, and to understand it as a bodily limb is surely heresy—the heresy of anthropomorphism. We either consign the true meaning of these words in relation to God to the knowledge of God and the knowledge of His Apostle, peace be upon him, or give a figurative interpretation of them that fits the context and is sensible. For instance, when Allah says His Hands are wide open and He gives as He wishes, it is quite apparent that the meaning is not that God literally has hands but that He possesses the faculty to grant generously. Likewise, when the Quran speaks of the Eyes of God is it obvious it means that God has the faculty of sight, and not literal eyeballs, certainly not like the eyes of humans and animals. 

Attributes of Allah in the Holy Quran

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

Salutations and peace upon you, my master, Apostle of Allah

One of the key differences between us orthodox Sunni Muslims and the heresy known as Mutazilism is concerning the divine attributes. We believe Allah is a single person with multiple attributes such as life, power, knowledge, speech, hearing, sighting, creativity and will. Allah's attributes are eternal and subsist within Him. They are neither Him nor other than Him, but rather inseparable from Him. Allah is alive by the attribute of life, powerful by power, knowledgable by knowledge, speaking by speech, hearing by the faculty of hearing, seeing by sight, creating by creativity and willing by will. The Mutazilites have deviated from this in the name of Tawhid; putting forth a radical interpretation of the doctrine of the oneness of God in which even multiplicity of divine attributes is polytheistic in their reckoning! This kind of radical "monotheism" is certainly not the monotheism brought by the Prophets of God. It is rooted in mental wrangling and an antiquated framework of ancient Greek metaphysics. According to the Mu'tazilah, Allah has no attributes whatsoever! He is powerful by His essence and not by an attribute of power and He is knowledgable by His essence and not by an attribute of knowledge. Mutazilites claim there is no proof that God has attributes since the word for attribute, siffah in Arabic, does not actually appear in the Quran in relation to Allah. Rather, He says:

سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

Sanctified is He and exalted from that which they attribute to Him

(Surah 6, Ayah 100)

In a recent debate with a Zaydi Shi'ite who subscribes to Mutazilite theology, I presented an Ayah from the Quran that substantiates our Sunni doctrine that Allah has attributes, such as the attribute of knowledge which cannot be said to be synonymous with His self or essence:

وَلَقَدِ اخْتَرْنَاهُمْ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

Indeed, We chose them upon knowledge above the worlds

(Surah 44, Ayah 32)

According to this Ayah, Allah chose the Israelites over and above all other nations of the time on the basis of His divine knowledge. The Mutazilites affirm Allah is knowledgable or knowing [alim] as an adjective to describe His essence, but deny that He has an attribute called knowledge [ilm]. Yet in this Ayah, knowledge [ilm] is affirmed for Allah, and definitionally is therefore an attribute of His. From the Sunnah too we come to know that Allah has divine attributes, and that, for instance, the Prophet, sall Allahu alayhi wasallam, would seek refuge in His attribute of glory and taught us to swear by His attribute of glory:

أَعُوذُ بِعِزَّتِكَ

I seek refuge in Your glory (Sahih al-Bukhari)

وَعِزَّتِكَ

(I swear) by Your glory (ibid)

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, used to seek refuge for his grandsons al-Hasan and al-Husain, radi Allahu anhuma, as Abraham sought refuge for his sons Ishmael and Isaac, peace be upon them, by saying:

أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّةِ

I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah (ibid)

Since it is impermissible to seek refuge in a creation of God, this Prophetic prayer is a proof that the words of Allah are not created but divine, and therefore the Quran is divine speech and not a creation, in contrast to the heresy of the Mutazilites. 

Epistle of the Prophet: "Your Kingdom Remains Yours"

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

Salutations and peace upon you, my master, Apostle of Allah

The Holy Prophet Muhammad صلي الله عليه وسلم had several epistles delivered to the various rulers of the world, inviting them to Islam. Among them was the chieftain of Yamama:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولِ اللهِ إِلَى هَوْذَةَ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ سَلَامٌ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَي وَاعْلَمْ اَنَّ دِينِي سَيَظْهَرُ إِلَى مُنْتَهَى الْخُفِّ وَالْحَافِرِ أَسْلِمْ تَسْلَمْ وَأَجْعَلُ لَكَ مَا تَحْتَ يَدَيْكَ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful. From Muhammad, Apostle of Allah, to Hawdhah bin Ali. Peace be upon the one following the guidance. Know that my Religion shall prevail into the furthest reach of the leather footwear and the hoof. Accept Islam and be safe and I will make for you what is under your hand (Zad al-Ma'ad, v.3, p.607)

In his epistle to the chieftain of the Ghassan, al-Harith bin Abi Shimr, the Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم said:

وَإِنِّي أَدْعُوكَ إِلَى أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللهِ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ يَبْقَى لَكَ مُلْكُكَ

Verily, I invite you to believe in Allah, alone, without any partner for Him, and your kingdom will remain yours (ibid, p.609)

Similarly, in his epistle to the chieftains of Oman, the two brothers Jaifar and Abd sons of al-Julandi, the Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم said:

وَإِنَّكُمَا إِنْ أَقْرَرْتُمَا بِالْاِسْلَامِ وَلَّيْتُكُمَا وَإِنْ أَبَيْتُمَا أَنْ تُقِرَّا بِالْإِسْلَامِ فَإِنَّ مُلْكَكُمَا زَائِلٌ عَنْكُمَا وَخَيْلِي تَحُلُّ بِسَاحَتِكُمَا وَتَظْهَرُ نُبُوَّتِي عَلَى مُلْكِكُمَا

If you confess Islam I will give you authority, but if you refuse to confess Islam then your kingdom shall be taken from you and my cavalry shall appropriate your land and my Prophethood shall prevail over your kingdom (ibid, p.605)

Amru bin al-As رضي الله عنه was given the duty of delivering this epistle to the chieftains of Oman. When he met Abd bin al-Julandi and delivered the Prophet's invitation to accept Islam, the latter said: "How excellent is this that he calls to! If only my brother would follow me in it, we would ride until we believed in Muhammad and accepted him.

وَ لَكِنْ أَخِي أَضَنُّ بِمُلْكِهِ مِنْ أَنْ يَدَعَهُ يَصِيرَ ذَنَبًا

But my brother is too attached to his kingdom to relinquish it and become a tail."

But Amru bin al-As informed him:

إِنَّهُ إِنْ أَسْلَمَ مَلَّكَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلى قَوْمِهِ

"If he embraces Islam the Apostle of Allah صلي الله عليه وسلم will confirm him as king over his people." (Ibid, p.606)

These blessed epistles make clear that if these chieftains were to accept Islam and believe in the Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم they would remain sovereign over their respective polities. The Holy Prophet Muhammad was first and foremost a Prophet and Messenger of God. His prophetic duty was to convey the Message and invite mankind to Islam. He was never obligated by Allah to conquer the world and establish an empire. There is nothing in the sacred Shari'ah that prohibits multiple Islamic kingdoms and states in the world that are independent of each other. And Allah and His Apostle know best!