We have been taught the language of the birds.

We have been taught the language of the birds." (27:16) 4. According to the Qur'an, Allah had bestowed 'ilmu 'l-ghayb upon the Prophet of Islam as can be seen in the following verses: Referring to the events of the past, Allah says, "These are the news of the ghayb that We reveal unto you..." (11:49) Refering to the story of Prophet Yusuf, Allah says: "These are the news of the unseen (ghayb) that We reveal unto you..." (12:102) Allah informed the Prophet about the on-going war between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sasanid Persian Empire: "The Romans are vanquished in a nearby land; and they, after being vanquished, shall overcome (the Persians) within a few years..." (30:1-4) On the conquest of Mecca at the hand of the Muslims, Allah said, "Certainly Allah had shown to His Apostle the vision with truth: you shall most certainly enter the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca), if Allah pleases, in security..." (48:27) The Prophet is also informed about the inner most thoughts of the hypocrites: "...And they say in their own hearts, 'Why does not Allah punish us for what we say?'..." (58:8) As you can see, these examples cover all aspects of ghayb: history of the past, events of the future, language of the birds, and also the intentions of other people.

The Prophet is described as someone "who was not niggardly of the ghayb," (81:24) he used to share the information with others. Before we end this section, let me remind the readers that the knowledge of ghayb of a human being or an angel is not his own but is always and constantly dependent upon the will of Allah. That is why the Messengers were instructed to say that they do not possess 'ilmu 'l-ghayb.

( 6:50 ; 11:3 ) It is for the same reason that (s.a.w.) was instructed to say: "Had I knowledge of the ghayb, I would have acquired much good, and evil would not have touched me." (7:188) This is not a denial of having 'ilmu 'l-ghayb; it is affirmation of the belief that whatever knowledge he has is according to the wish and pleasure of Almighty Allah.[^3] 'Ilmu 'l-Ghayb of the Imams Imam 'Ali was also blessed with the 'ilmu 'l-ghayb as attested by verse 13:43 discussed in the last chapter on wilayat .

It was on the basis of the "knowledge of the Book" that Imam 'Ali has the universal wilayat. Moreover, according to Shí'a ahadíth, Allah had instructed the Prophet to convey whatever knowledge was given to him to 'Ali bin Abi Talib. After all, the Prophet " was not niggardly of the ghayb.