Peace be upon you, and God’s mercy and blessings.

My Dear Self-Sacrificing, Loyal, Conscientious Brothers, Hoja Sabri and Hâfız Your important question concerning the verse at the end of Sura Luqman about “the five hidden things”(31:34)16  deserves a serious reply, but unfortunately neither my present state of mind nor my physical condition permit it. I shall allude only ver y concisely to one or two points your question touches on.

Your question indicates that atheists who have deviated from the true path of religion have made objections and criticisms concerning the time of rain falling and nature of the embryos in the womb from among “the five hidden things.” They have said: “Instruments in  the observatory can discover when rain is to fall, so someone other than God knows. Also  the sex of embryos can be learnt by means of X-rays. This means it is possible to learn “the five hidden things.”

T h e   A n s w e r : The time rain falls is tied not to any law, but directly to divine  will. One instance of wisdom in its appearance from the treasury of mercy being dependent on a particular divine wish is as follows:

The most important things in the universe and the most valuable are existence, life,  light, and mercy. These look directly, without intermediary or veil, to divine power and a particular divine wish. With other creatures, apparent causes are veils to the disposal of divine power, and regular laws and principles screen the divine will and wish to an extent.  However,  no such veils have been placed on existence, life, light, and mercy, for the purpose they serve is not in force in those things.

Since the most important truths in existence are mercy and life, and rain is the source of life and means of mercy, indeed is pure mercy, of a certainty intermediaries will not veil it, nor will laws and monotony screen the wishes that are God’s alone. In this way everyone in every situation will all the time be obliged to offer thanks and worship  and  supplications  and  prayers.  If  rain  had  been  included  under  a  law, everyone would have relied on the law and the door of thanks and supplication would have been closed.

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16 See, Bukhari, Istisqa’, 29; Tafsir Sura 6:1; 13:1; 31:2; Tawhid, 4; Musnad, ii, 24; 52, 58, 122.