notifications_active Weekly Meshkat-e Noor Session: Thursdays at 20:30 at Haj Reza Mosque
Peace be upon you.
If prayer can change some destinies, does this change in destiny mean that God’s knowledge changes, or does it point to the manifestation of different levels of divine knowledge?
َّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ
A change in destiny does not mean a change in God’s knowledge; divine knowledge is unchanging. Change occurs within the sphere of the divine will before the decree takes effect, and even the possibility of *badāʾ* and erasure is already known to God. Divine knowledge encompasses all things and is beyond the limits of our understanding.
Divine knowledge is unchanging. Change unfolds within the span from will to decree; indeed, everything from will to decree, and from the possibility of *badāʾ* to its ratification, is encompassed by divine knowledge. This means that the possibility of confirmation and erasure is itself known to God. Divine knowledge cannot be grasped, because it is what brings about the very capacity to grasp; it encompasses all things, and knowing its very essence would require a perspective beyond that encompassing knowledge.