Al-Ghayb (Arabic:الغيب) is an Arabic expression used to convey that something is concealed (unseen). It is an important concept in Islam, encompassing what cannot be perceived or known by humans.[1] This includesGod,the attributes of God, the Last Day and its events, and theheart (qalb).[2] Beyond the theological implications, it can also mean something "unseen" relative to an observer, in the sense that someone acts behind the perceiver's back.[3]
In general, creatures classified assupernatural in Western scholarship, such asJinn, are not considered to be part of al-Ghayb.[4]
In theQuran it has 6 forms and 3 meanings. But it can also be used in a general sense to refer to something that is known to some but concealed from others.
InArabic, al- Ghayb refers to anything that is hidden in some manner. The term is composed of two words (a definitive article and an adjective), "al" and " Ghayb", literally translating to "the" and "unseen" respectively. It possesses multiple intricate meanings stemming out from the figurative translation "the depth of the well."[5] Given that the bottom of the well is visually concealed as a result of its depth, its contents are generally undeterminable. Al- Ghayb therefore refers to that which is absent, hidden, or concealed.[6] Like majority of adjectives in the Arabic language, al- Ghayb has atriliteral ortriconsonantal root. It is composed of three root letters غ ي ب (gaain, yaa, baa), roughly tantamount to gh-y-b respectively in the English language.
In the Islamic context, al- Ghayb refers totranscendental ordivine secrets. It is mentioned in sixty different places in theQur'an, in six different forms. It has three primary meanings:[7]
There are two types of Ghayb:
1. Al- Ghayb al-Mutlaq (Arabic:الغيب المطلق) - Absolute Ghayb refers to all knowledge that is unseen or concealed and is only known to Allah. As stated in theQuran: "And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden), none knows them but He…"[11] (6:59)[12]
Examples of this form of Ghayb are illustrated in the narrations ofMuhammad: It is narrated thatAbdullah bin `Umar said that theMessenger of Allah said, "The Keys of the Ghayb (unseen knowledge) are five, nobody knows them but Allah. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow except Allah; nobody knows what is in thewomb except Allah; nobody knows when it will rain except Allah; nosoul knows at what place he will die except Allah; and nobody knows when the (Final) Hour will begin except Allah.)[13]
2. Al- Ghayb al-Nisbi (Arabic:الغيب النسبي) - Relative Ghayb is proportionate to an individual and their situation; hence it is apparent to some while hidden from others. An example to illustrate this notion is that of a class in which the students can see the lecturer, hear the content of the lecture, and the conversations that take place in the classroom, while those outside are unaware of the occurrences in the classroom.[12]
InIslamic context, (al-) Ghayb is (the)unseen andunknown, in reference toGod (Allah) and the forces that shape the world.[14] TheQuran states that man (mankind) is unable to see God and his attributes.Belief in al- Ghayb is considered an importantMuslim characteristic, as it allows for prayer and faith.
…قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ | Allah said, “O Adam! Inform them of their names.” Then when Adam did, Allah said, “Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you conceal?” |
| —Quran2:33 | —Sahih International English translation |
قُل لَّا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ | Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “I do not say to you that I possess Allah’s treasuries or know the unseen, nor do I claim to be an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me.” Say, “Are those blind ˹to the truth˺ equal to those who can see?" |
| —Quran6:50 | —Sahih International English translation |
وَعِندَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ ۚ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ | With Him are the keys of the unseen—no one knows them except Him.1 And He knows what is in the land and sea. Not even a leaf falls without His knowledge, nor a grain in the darkness of the earth or anything—green or dry—but is ˹written˺ in a perfect Record. |
| —Quran6:59 | —Sahih International English translation |
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