Allah’s Ignorance: The Quran’s Open Theism
The Quran presents Muhammad’s god as a being who learns over time by placing people in particular situations to learn what they will do:
If a wound has afflicted you (at Ohud), a wound like it has also afflicted the (unbelieving) people; and We bring these days to men by turns, and that Allah MAY KNOW those who believe and take witnesses from among you; and Allah does not love the unjust. And that He may purge those who believe and deprive the unbelievers of blessings. Do you think that you will enter the garden while Allah has NOT YET KNOWN those who strive hard from among you, and (He has not) known the patient. S. 3:140-142 Shakir
That which befell you, on the day when the two armies met, was by permission of Allah; that He MIGHT KNOW the true believers; And that He MIGHT KNOW the hypocrites, unto whom it was said: Come, fight in the way of Allah, or defend yourselves. They answered: If we knew aught of fighting we would follow you. On that day they were nearer disbelief than faith. They utter with their mouths a thing which is not in their hearts. Allah is Best Aware of what they hide. S. 3:166-167 Pickthall
O you who believe! Allah will certainly try you in respect of some game which your hands and your lances can reach, that Allah MIGHT KNOW who fears Him in secret; but whoever exceeds the limit after this, he shall have a painful punishment. S. 5:94 Shakir
Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, "We believe", and that they will not be tested? We did test those before them, and Allah WILL CERTAINLY KNOW those who are true from those who are false. S. 29:2-3
And most certainly We will try you until WE HAVE KNOWN those among you who exert themselves hard, and the patient, and made your case manifest. S. 47:31 Shakir
He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;- S. 67:2
Say: "I know not whether the (Punishment) which ye are promised is near, or whether my Lord will appoint for it a distant term. He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Secrets.- Except an messenger whom He has chosen: and then He makes a band of watchers march before him and behind him, That He MAY KNOW that they have (truly) brought and delivered the Messages of their Lord: and He encompasses all that is with them, and takes account of every single thing." S. 72:25-28
He frowned and turned away. Because the blind man came unto him. What could inform thee but that he MIGHT grow (in grace) Or take heed and so the reminder might avail him? S. 80:1-4 Pickthall
It is an interesting fact that there have been Muslims who have used these Quranic passages to prove that Allah doesn't know the future.
For instance, the late Muslim scholar Mahmoud M. Ayoub quotes Ar-Razi's response to those who used Q. 3:140 as proof that Allah learns and acquires knowledge over time:
"Razi is interested in the theological problems raised by the phrase ‘in order that God may know.’ He argues that ‘the literal sense of God's saying, "in order that God may know" would suggest that God alternated [the days] in order to acquire knowledge. Obviously, this is impossible of God.’ Razi cites verse 143, and a number of other verses where this phrase, or one like it, occurs. He alleges that Hisham b. al-Hakkam, a well-known disciple of the Sixth Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, used such verses to argue that God does not know incidents until they occur. ‘The answer of the theologians to this argument," Razi says, "is that rational proofs have conclusively established that no change ever occurs in God's knowledge. The linguistic usage of calling something that is known with the metaphor "knowledge," or something that is subject to power with the metaphor "power" is well known. Thus any Qur'anic verse the literal sense of which indicates acquisition of knowledge [by God] actually means the occurrence of a known.
Razi then presents several possible interpretations of this phrase. ‘First that sincerity may be distinguished from hypocrisy and the person of faith from the rejecter of faith. Secondly, that the friends (awliya’) of God may know, though He attributes this knowledge to Himself by way of exalting them. Thirdly, that God may judge in accordance with this distinction, but such judgment cannot happen except with knowledge. Finally, that God may know this [i.e., faith and patience] to have actually occurred from them, although He knew that it would occur. This is because recompense must be accorded for something which actually is, and not for something which is known to occur in the future.’ Razi seems to prefer the first of these interpretations (Razi, IX, pp. 14-18)" (Ayoub, The Qur'an and Its Interpreters, Volume II, The House of Imran [State University of New York Press, Albany, 1992], p. 330; bold emphasis mine)
Another Muslim commentator troubled by Q. 3:140 was Tabarsi. Ayoub writes:
"Tabarsi is specially concerned with the theological implications of the phrase ‘in order that God know’...
“Tabarsi offers a number of explanations of God's knowledge as described in this verse, all aimed at affirming God's absolute and eternal omniscience. ‘In order that God may know those who truly have faith’ means ‘in order that He may know them as being distinguished by their faith from all others.’ Hence, the words ‘in order that He may know’ do not mean being informed, for the meaning is not that He does not know them as objects of knowledge in themselves, but that He may know them as distinguished by faith. They may also mean ‘in order that God may know those who have faith’ by the manifestation of their steadfastness in striving against their enemies. ‘This is to say, God would treat them as one who knows them to be in this condition, even though He knows them before the manifestation of their faith as He does after it. It is that he knows before they had manifested their faith that they will do so. When they had in fact manifested their faith, He knew them as such; hence change occurs, not in the knower, but in the known.’ The words may also mean ‘in order that the friends of God may know,’ though God attributed this knowledge to Himself by way of honoring them. It is also possible that they mean ‘in order that the patience of those who shall be patient, the fright of those who are cowardly, and the faith of the faithful may appear and be known.’ They may also mean ‘in order that sincerity and hypocrisy of the people may be manifested’ (Tabarsi, IV, pp. 208-210)." (Ibid., pp. 331, 332)
To complicate matters, the Quran employs a specific term in regard to Allah’s knowledge of how the future will unfold which highlights his uncertainty and doubts concerning it:
And when My servants question thee concerning Me -- I am near to answer the call of the caller, when he calls to Me; so let them respond to Me, and let them believe in Me; perhaps (laallahum) they will go aright. S. 2:186
And warn therewith those who fear they shall be mustered to their Lord; they have, apart from Allah, no protector and no intercessor; perhaps (laallahum) they will fear. S. 6:51
Say, 'He is able to send torment on you from above you and from beneath your feet, and to confuse you in sects, and to make some of you taste the violence of others.' See how we turn about the signs, that perhaps (laallahum) they may understand. S. 6:65
The righteous are not responsible for the utterances of those people, but it may help to remind them; perhaps (laallahum) they may be saved. S. 6:69 Khalifa
And We cut them up into nations in the earth, some of them righteous, and some of them otherwise; and We tried them with good things and evil, that perhaps (laallahum) they should return. S. 7:168
We provided them with the proofs and the scriptures. And we sent down to you this message, to proclaim for the people everything that is sent down to them, perhaps (laallahum) they will reflect. S. 16:44 Khalifa
And now verily We have caused the Word to reach them, that perhaps (laallahum) they may give heed. S. 28:51
Every sign we showed them was bigger than the one before it. We afflicted them with the plagues, perhaps (laallahum) they repent. S. 43:48 Khalifa
And verily We have destroyed townships round about you, and displayed Our revelation, that perhaps (laallahum) they might return. S. 46:27
If We had caused this Qur'an to descend upon a mountain, you verily have seen it humbled, rent asunder by the fear of Allah. Such similitudes do We coin for mankind that perhaps (laallahum) they may reflect. S. 59:21
See also the following: Q. 2:187, 221; 6:154; 7:26, 94, 130, 164, 176; 8:57; 9:12, 122; 14:25; 20:113; 21:31, 58; 23:49; 28:43, 46; 30:41; 32:3, 21; 39:27-28; 43:28; 44:58.
To better appreciate the implications of this Arabic word, notice how the following lexical source defines laallahum:
= Lam-Ayn-Lam = Perhaps; may be that; it is hoped; to be happy. It is used to denote either a state of hope or fear, whether that state pertains to the speaker or to the addressee or to someone else, expectation. LL, V8, p: 265 (Project Root List)
The very fact that this term is used to describe Allah’s wishes indicates that the author(s) and/or editor(s) did not think that Allah knows all things. S/he/they actually thought that Allah wasn’t certain about what the future would bring, and could only hope that it would unfold according to his desires.
That the author(s) and/or editor(s) actually believed that their deity could only hope and wish that things turned out his way further means that s/he/they didn’t think that Allah had complete and total control over the affairs of creation.
To further prove that this specific Arabic word implies an imperfection in the knowledge of Allah, I will cite a few verses where this term is used for creatures:
Joseph, you the always very truthful, give us your opinion/clarify for us in seven fat/fleshy cows, seven weak/bony/starved eat them (F), and seven green ears/spikes of wheat, barley etc. and others dry, maybe/perhaps I (la'alli) return to the people, maybe/perhaps (laallahum) they know. S. 12:46 Ahmed Ali
And he (Joseph) said to his youths/servants: "Put their (Joseph’s brothers) goods/merchandise in their packsaddles, maybe/perhaps (laallahum) they know (recognize) it when they returned to their family/people, maybe/perhaps (laallahum) they return." S. 12:62
And when a community among them said: “Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment?” (The preachers) said: “In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allah), and perhaps (laallahum) they may fear Allah.” S. 7:164 Hilali-Khan
Said they: Then bring him before the eyes of the people, perhaps (laallahum) they may bear witness. S. 21:61 Shakir
And they have taken besides Allah aliha (gods), hoping (laallahum) that they might be helped (by those so called gods). S. 36:74
No Muslim would deny that laallahum in these verses points to the individuals being uncertain whether their desires and wishes would come to pass. These folk could only hope that things would turn out the way they planned and hoped for.
Yet the Quran uses this very term to depict Muhammad as hoping that his will will come to pass!
Thus, Islamic scripture likens Allah’s knowledge of the future to that of imperfect, finite beings, since, like them, the Muslim deity can only hope that events will unfold according to his will.
As it couldn’t get any worse for the Muslims, the Quran even depicts Allah as repenting and changing his mind. This is because the Muslim scripture describes the Islamic deity as literally repenting and changing his mind:
Then Adam received commandments from his Lord, and his Lord repented (fataba) towards him; for He is Oft-Repenting (huwa al-tawwabu), Most Merciful. S. 2:37
Our Lord! And make us submissive unto you and of our seed a nation submissive unto you, and show us our ways of worship, and repent (watub) toward us. Lo! You are the Repenting (anta al-tawwabu), the merciful. S. 2:128
Except those who repent (taboo) and make amends and openly declare: To them I repent (atoobu); for I am Oft-Repenting (wa ana al-tawwabu), Most Merciful. S. 2:160
Do they not know that Allah accepts repentance (al-tawbata) from his servants and takes the alms, and that Allah is the Oft-returning (huwa al-tawwabu), the Merciful? S. 9:104
And to the three who were left behind, until the earth became strait to them notwithstanding its spaciousness and their souls were also straightened to them; and they knew it for certain that there was no refuge from Allah but in Him; then He repented (taba) to them that they might repent (liyatooboo); surely Allah is the Oft-repenting (huwa al-tawwabu), the Merciful. S. 9:118
The above references clearly present Allah as a deity who turns towards his creatures by repenting, or changing his mind or the course of action he intended to take against them.
Just in case Muslims want to deny that their god literally repents, I will now quote examples where this word is used to describe the repentance of creatures:
As if this weren’t enough to prove that Allah literally changes his mind according to the Quran, we will now see how the very words used in connection with Allah repenting, i.e. taba and tawwab, are used to denote actual repentance or change of one’s mind and/or actions:
They will question thee concerning the monthly course. Say: 'It is hurt; so go apart from women during the monthly course, and do not approach them till they are clean. When they have cleansed themselves, then come unto them as God has commanded you.' Truly, God loves those who repent (al-tawwabeena), and He loves those who cleanse themselves. S. 2:222 Arberry
And when two of you commit indecency, punish them both; but if they repent (taba) and make amends, then suffer them to be; God turns, and is All-compassionate. S. 4:16 Arberry
And to Thamood their brother Salih; he said, 'O my people, serve God! You have no god other than He. It is He who produced you from the earth and has given you to live therein; so ask forgiveness of Him, then repent (tooboo) to Him; surely my Lord is nigh, and answers prayer. S. 11:61 Arberry
Save him who repenteth (taba) and believeth and doth righteous work; as for such, Allah will change their evil deeds to good deeds. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. And whosoever repenteth (taba) and doeth good, he verily repenteth (yatoobu) toward Allah with true repentance (mataban). S. 25:70-71 Pickthall
Believers, turn (tooboo) to God in sincere repentance (tawbatan); it may be that your Lord will acquit you of your evil deeds, and will admit you into gardens underneath which rivers flow. Upon the day when God will not degrade the Prophet and those who believe with him, their light running before them, and on their right hands; and they say, ‘Our Lord, perfect for us our light, and forgive us; surely Thou art powerful over everything.’ S. 66:8 Arberry
I now cite the story of Moses and the golden calf to prove that Muhammad’s god literally repents and changes his mind:
And remember We appointed forty nights for Moses, and in his absence ye took the calf (for worship), and ye did grievous wrong. Even then We did forgive you; there was a chance for you to be grateful. And remember We gave Moses the Scripture and the Criterion (Between right and wrong): There was a chance for you to be guided aright. And remember Moses said to his people: "O my people! Ye have indeed wronged yourselves by your worship of the calf: So turn (in repentance) (fataboo) to your Maker, and slay yourselves (the wrong-doers); that will be better for you in the sight of your Maker." Then He turned (fataba) towards you (in forgiveness): For He is Oft-Returning (huwa al-tawwabu), Most Merciful. S. 2:51-54 Y. Ali
Moses tells the people to turn or repent of their sins, which would result in Allah repenting of the destruction that he was to bring on them.
Note how the Muslim exegetes interpret this passage:
And when Moses said to his people, those who worshipped the calf, 'My people, you have done wrong against yourselves by your taking the [golden] calf, for a god; now turn to your Creator, away from that worship [of the calf] and slay one another, that is, let the innocent of you slay the guilty; That, slaughter, will be better for you in your Creator's sight', who made it easier for you to accomplish this and sent down a dark cloud over you, so that none of you was able to see the other and show him mercy, such that almost seventy thousand of you were killed; and He will turn to you [relenting], before your [turning in] repentance; truly He is the Relenting, the Merciful. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn; source; emphasis mine)
However, it is stated elsewhere in the Quran that Allah promised to pour out his wrath upon the calf worshipers:
Those who took the calf (for worship) will indeed be overwhelmed with wrath from their Lord, and with shame in this life: thus do We recompense those who invent (falsehoods). S. 7:152 Y. Ali
Allah clearly didn’t do this since he ended up forgiving them.
Therefore, since no Muslim denies that the Israelites were called to actually change their thoughts and actions, they must then be consistent and admit that Allah literally changed his attitude towards them by refraining from carrying out the destruction he intended to bring.
Allah also repented from destroying the people of Jonah:
If only there had been a community (of all those that were destroyed of old) that believed and profited by its belief as did the folk of Jonah! When they believed WE DREW OFF FROM THEM THE TORMENT OF DISGRACE in the life of the world and gave them comfort for a while. S. 10:98 Pickthall
So also was Jonah among those sent (by Us). When he ran away (like a slave from captivity) to the ship (fully) laden, He (agreed to) cast lots, and he was condemned: Then the big Fish did swallow him, and he had done acts worthy of blame. Had it not been that he (repented and) glorified God, He would certainly have remained inside the Fish till the Day of Resurrection. But We cast him forth on the naked shore in a state of sickness, And We caused to grow, over him, a spreading plant of the gourd kind. And We sent him (on a mission) to a hundred thousand (men) or more. And they believed; so We permitted them to enjoy (their life) for a while. S. 37:139-148 Y. Ali
I cite, once again, the Islamic exegetes’ interpretation of these specific passages:
(If only there had been a community (of all those that were destroyed of old) that believed) if only the people of a township believed when the punishment befell them (and profited by its belief) He says: their faith did not benefit them upon the descent of punishment (as did the folk of Jonah) except the folk of Jonah who benefited from their belief. (When they believed We drew off) WE DIVERTED (from them the torment of disgrace) the severe punishment (in the life of the world and gave them comfort for a while) We left them without punishment until they died. (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs, Q. 10:98; source; emphasis mine)
If only there had been one town - meaning its inhabitants - that believed, before chastisement befell it, and profited by its belief - except for the people of Jonah: when they believed, after seeing a portent of the chastisement, for they did not wait [to believe] until it came to pass, We removed from upon them the chastisement of degradation in the life of this world and We gave them comfort for a while, until the conclusion of their terms [of life]. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Q. 10:98; source; emphasis mine)
And they believed, after they saw [with their own eyes] the chastisement WHICH THEY HAD BEEN PROMISED. So We gave them comfort, We kept them alive to enjoy their wealth, for a while, until their terms [of life] would be concluded [while they took comfort] therein. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Q. 37:148; source; emphasis mine)
… Then he mentioned the multitude of followers that Musa had, peace be upon him, then that he saw his nation of people filling from the west to the east. The point is that between Musa and Yunus, there was no nation, in its entirety, that believed except the people of Yunus, the people of Naynawa (Nineveh). And they only believed because they feared that the torment from which their Messenger warned them, might strike them. They actually witnessed its signs. So they cried to Allah and asked for help. They engaged in humility in invoking Him. They brought their children and cattle and asked Allah to lift the torment from which their Prophet had warned them. As a result, Allah sent His mercy AND REMOVED THE SCOURGE from them and gave them respite. Allah said…
<Except the people of Yunus; when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while.> In interpreting this Ayah, Qatadah said: "No town has denied the truth and then believed when they saw the scourge, and then their belief benefited them, with the exception of the people of Yunus. When they lost their Prophet and they thought that the scourge was close upon them, Allah sent through their hearts the desire to repent. So they wore woolen fabrics and they separated each animal from its offspring. They then cried out to Allah for forty nights. When Allah saw the truth in their hearts and that they were sincere in their repentance and regrets, He REMOVED the scourge from them." Qatadah said: "It was mentioned that the people of Yunus were in Naynawa, the land of Mosul." This was also reported from Ibn Mas`ud, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and others from the Salaf. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Q. 10:98: https://www.alim.org/quran/tafsir/ibn-kathir/surah/10/98/; emphasis mine)
Even though Allah swore to punish Nineveh, he nevertheless repented from destroying them when he saw their repentance.
The foregoing proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that when taba and tawwab are used of the Islamic deity, we are to interpret this as Allah literally changing his mind and course of action.
Amazingly, one of the ninety-nine names of Allah is the One who repeatedly repents!
At-Tawwâb: The Ever-Returning
Allah TURNING to man is by pardoning him; One WHO RETURNS OFTEN to forgiveness towards His servant WHO RETURNS TO HIM, One who forgives much and saves from acts of disobedience, WHO REVERTS FROM SEVERITY TO MILDNESS OR RETURNS TO HIS FAVOUR. He returns blessings to those who turn to Him from wrong actions by pure bounty and care. He accepts the tawba of His slaves.
At-Tawwab is one of the Ninety-Nine Names…
Qâbil at-Tawb: He Who Accepts Repentance
"It is He who accepts repentance from His slaves and pardons evil acts and knows what they do." (42:23)
"The Forgiver of wrong action, the Accepter of repentance, the Severe in retribution, the Possessor of abundance. There is no god but Him. He is the final destination." (40:3) (Aisha Bewley, The Divine Names; capital emphasis mine)
Note the difference between Allah being called “the ever-returning” and being described as the one who accepts repentance. This shows that the phrase at-tawwab does not refer to Allah as he who accepts a person’s repentance.
The evidence from the Quran is explicit and overwhelming in showing that Muhammad’s deity is a being who grows in knowledge and changes his mind over time.
The Muslim scripture clearly teaches open theism, since it shows that the future is not fixed or settled. Rather, it presents Allah as readjusting his will and changing his mind in response to what his creatures do.
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