Is Allah ignorant and thus imperfect?

A dilemma for Muslims…

Even though the Muslims are taught that Allah knows all things the fact is that their very own scripture contradicts this by admitting that Allah acquires knowledge from the events that transpire within creation;

If a wound has afflicted you, a wound like it has also afflicted the (unbelieving) people; and We bring these days to men by turns, and that Allah MAY KNOW those who believe and take witnesses from among you; and Allah does not love the unjust. And that He may purge those who believe and deprive the unbelievers of blessings. Do you think that you will enter the garden while Allah has NOT YET KNOWN those who strive hard from among you, and (He has not) known the patient. S. 3:140-142 Shakir

That which befell you, on the day when the two armies met, was by permission of Allah; that He MIGHT KNOW the true believers; And that He MIGHT KNOW the hypocrites, unto whom it was said: Come, fight in the way of Allah, or defend yourselves. They answered: If we knew aught of fighting we would follow you. On that day they were nearer disbelief than faith. They utter with their mouths a thing which is not in their hearts. Allah is Best Aware of what they hide. S. 3:166-167 Pickthall

Say: “I know not whether the (Punishment) which ye are promised is near, or whether my Lord will appoint for it a distant term. He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Secrets.- Except an messenger whom He has chosen:and then He makes a band of watchers march before him and behind him, That He MAY KNOW that they have (truly) brought and delivered the Messages of their Lord: and He encompasses all that is with them, and takes account of every single thing." S. 72:25-28

The language of these verses are plain and do not need explanation. The reason why Allah brings about trials and sends watchers is so that he can learn whether those who profess to believe truly have faith and whether the messengers have delivered his message. In other words, Allah’s knowledge is actually increasing with every passing moment and event that occurs within time and space!

In light of this some Muslim need to be consistent in the way they apply their criticisms and should acknowledge that Allah cannot be god, or at least fully divine, because he doesn’t know all things. This god must test people in order to acquire some new information or to learn something about their character, and is therefore not an omniscient being.

Now Muslims cannot appeal to Allah speaking as though he were a man, much like we find in the case of Yahweh, since none of these texts mention the Islamic deity assuming a human form in order to communicate with humans. There is nothing within the context to suggest that Allah is appearing as a man and thereby speaking as a human being so as to illustrate a specific point. They must accept that their god is ignorant and therefore cannot truly be God.

To read further concerning Allah’s ignorance and imperfections we suggest the following discussions and rebuttals:

http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/allahs_ignorance.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Qur’an/Contra/intercession_omniscience.html
http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/imperfection.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Abualrub/allahs_knowledge.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Menj/changing_allah.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/zawadi_mercy.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/zawadi_allah_needs_sinners.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/zawadi_god_repenting.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/smith_mixed_bag.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/smith_mixed_bag2.htm

Source: http://answering-islam.org/authors/shamoun/rebuttals/zaatari/jesus_omniscient1.html

IHS