Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
The levels of belief in divine decree are four: knowledge, writing, will, and creation. The level of knowledge means that a servant believes that Allah’s knowledge encompasses everything: He knows what has been and what will be, and He knows what would have been if it had been, before things occur and come into existence.
What is meant by Allah’s knowledge is that it is comprehensive and encompasses everything. Nothing that exists, does not exist, is possible, or is impossible is hidden from Him, Glorified be He.
Shaykh Hafiz al-Hakami, may Allah have mercy on him, stated that belief in divine decree includes believing in Allah’s knowledge, which encompasses everything. He knew what His creation would do before creating them, and He knew their provisions, lifespans, circumstances, deeds, and which of them would be among the people of Paradise and which would be among the people of Hell.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“He is Allah; there is no deity except Him, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed.” [Al-Hashr: 22]
And He says:
“So that you may know that Allah is over all things competent and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge.” [At-Talaq: 12]
And He says:
“He has encompassed what is with them and has enumerated all things in number.” [Al-Jinn: 28]
And He says:
“Knower of the unseen; not absent from Him is an atom’s weight within the heavens or within the earth, nor anything smaller than that or greater, except that it is in a clear Record.” [Saba’: 3]
Thus, Allah knows things before they exist. He knows their details and particulars just as He knows their generalities, and neither their outward nor their inward aspects are hidden from Him.
Saying “Allah decreed the thing” does not make it unnecessary to explain the level of knowledge, because the subject of divine decree can be detailed into its four levels: knowledge, writing, will, and creation.
When we say “Allah knew the event before it occurred,” we are specifically speaking about the level of knowledge. Likewise, when we say “Allah wrote it,” we are speaking about the level of writing; when we say “He willed it,” we are speaking about the will; and when we say “He created it,” we are speaking about creation.
Each level has its own meaning and benefit in explaining the doctrine of divine decree.
When calamities befall a person, he may be reminded that what happened to him was already known to Allah and written down before it occurred. This can bring tranquility to his heart, help him remain patient, and lessen his grief and sorrow.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“No disaster strikes upon the earth or within yourselves except that it is in a Record before We bring it into being. Indeed, that, for Allah, is easy.” [Al-Hadid: 22]
Knowing that Allah already knew of this calamity before it occurred, and that it did not happen outside His knowledge and decree, helps the believer accept it and remain patient.
Allah’s prior knowledge is also mentioned to demonstrate that His legislation is based on complete knowledge of His servants and of what benefits them.
Allah says:
“Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the All-Aware?” [Al-Mulk: 14]
And He says:
“Perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. Allah knows, and you do not know.” [Al-Baqarah: 216]
Allah knows what benefits His servants and what harms them, what is good for them and what is not, whereas human knowledge is limited.
Some people may object to Allah favoring some of His servants or choosing them for a particular matter. Explaining Allah’s knowledge establishes that His choice is based on perfect knowledge and profound wisdom.
Allah says:
“Is Allah not most knowing of those who are grateful?” [Al-An‘am: 53]
And He says:
“Allah knows best where He places His message.” [Al-An‘am: 124]
Allah knows best who deserves what He chooses for him, and He knows best what benefits His servants. Nothing concerning their circumstances is hidden from Him.
One reason scholars have emphasized the level of knowledge is that some extreme Qadariyyah denied Allah’s prior knowledge and claimed that matters were newly determined, meaning that Allah had not known things before they occurred in the manner affirmed by the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah.
It is established in Sahih Muslim (8) that Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, dissociated himself from such people and explained that belief in divine decree is an indispensable foundation. He stated that a servant’s deeds are not accepted until he believes in divine decree.
Thus, believing that Allah knew things before they occurred is an important foundation of belief in divine decree. It is not merely a repetition of the meaning of writing or will.
The level of knowledge means believing that Allah has always known and will always know everything. His knowledge encompasses what has been and what will be, as well as what would have been if it had been. Thus, He knew the deeds, provisions, lifespans, circumstances, and destinies of His servants before their existence.
Then comes writing: Allah wrote what His knowledge had preceded.
Then comes will: whatever Allah wills occurs, and whatever He does not will does not occur.
Then comes creation: Allah is the Creator of everything.
Therefore, saying “Allah knew the thing before it occurred” is not a redundant statement without benefit. Rather, it independently explains one of the levels of divine decree. It has important implications for understanding Allah’s knowledge, wisdom, legislation, and management, and for refuting those who deny His prior knowledge.
And Allah knows best.