What does “أحصیناه” mean in the verse “کل شیء أحصیناه فی إمام مبین”?

Question

Esteemed Teacher,

We warmly congratulate you on your blessed return from the spiritual journey of Hajj. We hope this accepted pilgrimage has found favour with God and that its blessings will become ever more evident in your blessed person and in your illuminating lessons.

As always, we look forward to the grace of your presence and your profound insights.

I have a few questions on my mind. I would be grateful if you could answer them in detail, if possible:

کُلَّ شَیْءٍ أَحْصَیْناهُ فِی إِمامٍ مُبِینٍ
1. The meaning of “أَحْصَیْناهُ” and its implications  
- Does “أحصیناه” mean “to count,” “to encompass through knowledge,” or “to record precisely”?  
- Does this act of enumeration or reckoning refer to immediate knowledge, or simply to writing down and preserving something?  
- Is there a conceptual connection between this verse and other Quranic verses, such as “کِتَابٍ مَّکْنُونٍ” (al-Wāqiʿa, 56:78)?

2. What is meant by “کُلَّ شَیْءٍ” in the verse?  
- Does “کل شیء” include “all forms of knowledge,” encompassing both the unseen and the seen?  
- Is this universality absolute, or is it limited to a particular scope, such as matters concerning the guidance of human beings?  
- Can this verse be compared with “وَمَا مِنْ غَائِبَةٍ فِی السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِلَّا فِی کِتَابٍ مُبِینٍ” (al-Naml, 27:75)?

3. The meaning of “إِمَامٍ مُبِینٍ” and the scope of its knowledge  
- Does “Imam Mubīn” refer to the Preserved Tablet or to the infallible Imam (peace be upon him)?  
- If it refers to the infallible Imam, is his knowledge intrinsic, or bestowed by God?  
- Is the Imam’s knowledge of the unseen independent, or is it by God’s permission, as in “عَالِمُ الْغَیْبِ فَلَا یُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَیْبِهِ أَحَدًا إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِنْ رَسُولٍ” (al-Jinn, 72:26–27)?

4. Reconciling verses that appear to conflict regarding knowledge of the unseen  
- How do you reconcile the verse “کُلَّ شَیْءٍ أَحْصَیْناهُ فِی إِمامٍ مُبِینٍ” with verses such as “قُلْ لَا یَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِی السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَیْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ” (al-Naml, 27:65)?  
- Does God’s granting knowledge of the unseen to others, such as prophets and Imams, conflict with the claim that knowledge of the unseen belongs exclusively to God?  
- Does “إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِنْ رَسُولٍ” (al-Jinn, 72:27) indicate a conditional exception concerning knowledge of the unseen?
َّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ

Accepted Answer

“Enumeration” can encompass the following meanings and interpretations when understood comprehensively:

The enumeration of any thing =
a quantitative and qualitative record, with all its calculations and properties;
a complete and precise profile, down to every subtlety and nuance;
a comprehensive, complete and scientific record;
a record of scientific reality;
an all-encompassing record;
full knowledge and mastery of every general principle and detail;
the order governing each thing;
being enclosed and encompassed;
a record of the laws governing everything;
a comprehensive system of divine record;
a written document;
from the divine will to the decrees concerning each thing;
the known identity and measure of a thing, in terms of its parts, weight, quality, quantity, and so forth.

Put simply, the Imam of Clear Manifestation is like divine hardware, with the information about every thing as software embedded within it. The Imam of Clear Manifestation is, as it were, an immense divine computer.

A “thing” is only one manifestation of knowledge; “all things” does not mean “all knowledge,” even though applying the word “all” to “knowledge” is itself incorrect.

When the expression “غَائِبَةٍ فِی السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ” is used, it refers to what is bounded within those limits, not to knowledge in its absolute sense.

The expressions “the Hidden Book,” “the Clear Book,” and “the Clear Imam” concern the attributes of God’s book of the unseen and the witnessed.

According to some narrations, the Clear Imam is that very reality of identity embodied in the wilayah of the pure Imams, peace be upon them!

عنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْبَاقِرِ ع قَالَ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ كُلَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ أَحْصَيْناهُ فِي إِمامٍ مُبِينٍ قَامَ رَجُلَانِ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِمَا فَقَالا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هُوَ التَّوْرَاةُ قَالَ لَا قَالا فَهُوَ الْإِنْجِيلُ قَالَ لَا قَالا فَهُوَ الْقُرْآنُ قَالَ لَا قَالَ فَأَقْبَلَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص هُوَ هَذَا إِنَّهُ الْإِمَامُ الَّذِي أَحْصَى اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى فِيهِ عِلْمَ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ.
Al-Amali (al-Saduq), text, p. 170

(Abu al-Jarud relates: Imam al-Baqir narrated from his father, from his grandfather: When this verse,  وَکُلَّ شَیْءٍ أحْصَیْنَاهُ فِی إِمَامٍ مُبِینٍ , was revealed to the Prophet, Abu Bakr and Umar rose and said, “O Messenger of God! Is the Clear Imam the Torah?” The Prophet replied, “No.” They asked, “Is it the Gospel?” Again, the Prophet replied, “No.” They asked, “Is it the Qur’an?” The Prophet replied, “No.” At that moment, Ali entered, and the Prophet said, “This is the Clear Imam: an Imam in whom God, Blessed and Exalted, has gathered knowledge of all things.”

No one possesses any independence whatsoever. All are fashioned, created, known, and provided for by God, the Great and Exalted!

Granting any privilege, blessing, grace, power, or strength does not diminish the reach of the hand of the All-Knowing, All-Wise. Nothing comes to pass without the permission of the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the Sovereign, the All-Powerful.

What does “أحصیناه” mean in the verse “کل شیء أحصیناه فی إمام مبین”?

The essence and first answer at a glance (60-word summary)

Answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat)

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