'Ilm Ladunni
Definition
'Ilm ladunni — knowledge from Our presence — is the type of knowledge Allah granted to al-Khidr, described in the Quran as directly given rather than acquired through human means. It is the ability to perceive the divine wisdom and ultimate purpose behind events as they unfold, seeing not only what is but what it will produce and what hidden mercy it contains. Ibn Kathir uses this concept to address a common theological question: can there be a form of divinely granted knowledge that is not prophetic revelation in the ordinary sense? His answer, consistent with classical scholarship, is yes — and al-Khidr is its primary example. The concept has been central to discussions of Sufi spiritual knowledge for centuries.
As understood in the classical tradition of Ibn Kathir and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
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