Did the Prophet Know the Future (Unseen)? (Quran vs. Hadith)

According to the following Hadith from Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, it claims that the prophet foretold every event that would occur until the end of time.

Narrated Hudhaifa: The Prophet (ﷺ) once delivered a speech in front of us wherein he left nothing but mentioned (about) everything that would happen till the Hour. Some of us stored that our minds and some forgot it. (After that speech) I used to see events taking place (which had been referred to in that speech) but I had forgotten them (before their occurrence). Then I would recognize such events as a man recognizes another man who has been absent and then sees and recognizes him.

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ لَقَدْ خَطَبَنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم خُطْبَةً، مَا تَرَكَ فِيهَا شَيْئًا إِلَى قِيَامِ السَّاعَةِ إِلاَّ ذَكَرَهُ، عَلِمَهُ مَنْ عَلِمَهُ، وَجَهِلَهُ مَنْ جَهِلَهُ، إِنْ كُنْتُ لأَرَى الشَّىْءَ قَدْ نَسِيتُ، فَأَعْرِفُ مَا يَعْرِفُ الرَّجُلُ إِذَا غَابَ عَنْهُ فَرَآهُ فَعَرَفَهُ‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 6604 https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6604

Hudhaifa b. al-Yaman reported: By Allah, I have the best knowledge amongst people about every turmoil which is going to appear in the period intervening me and the Last Hour; and it is not for the fact that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) told me something confidentially pertaining to it and he did not tell anybody else about it, but it is because of the fact that I was present in the assembly in which he had been describing the turmoil and he especially made a mention of three turmoils which would not spare anything and amongst these there would be turmoils like storms in the hot season. Some of them would be violent and some of them would be comparatively mild. Hudhaifa said: All (who were present) except I have gone (to the next world).

حَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى التُّجِيبِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَنَّ أَبَا إِدْرِيسَ الْخَوْلاَنِيَّ، كَانَ يَقُولُ قَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ بْنُ الْيَمَانِ وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَعْلَمُ النَّاسِ بِكُلِّ فِتْنَةٍ هِيَ كَائِنَةٌ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ السَّاعَةِ وَمَا بِي إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَسَرَّ إِلَىَّ فِي ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا لَمْ يُحَدِّثْهُ غَيْرِي وَلَكِنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ وَهُوَ يُحَدِّثُ مَجْلِسًا أَنَا فِيهِ عَنِ الْفِتَنِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ يَعُدُّ الْفِتَنَ ‏ "‏ مِنْهُنَّ ثَلاَثٌ لاَ يَكَدْنَ يَذَرْنَ شَيْئًا وَمِنْهُنَّ فِتَنٌ كَرِيَاحِ الصَّيْفِ مِنْهَا صِغَارٌ وَمِنْهَا كِبَارٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ فَذَهَبَ أُولَئِكَ الرَّهْطُ كُلُّهُمْ غَيْرِي ‏.‏

Sahih Muslim 2891a https://sunnah.com/muslim:2891a

These narrations claim that the Prophet had knowledge of the unseen (ghayb), including future events. However, this directly contradicts the Quran, where the Prophet is explicitly commanded to deny having any knowledge of the unseen (future) or what was to happen during the remainder of his life, let alone after his death.

[7:188] Say, "I have no power to benefit myself, or harm myself. Only what GOD wills happens to me. If I knew the future, I would have increased my wealth, and no harm would have afflicted me. I am no more than a warner, and a bearer of good news for those who believe."

قُل لَّآ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِى نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ ٱلْغَيْبَ لَٱسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِىَ ٱلسُّوٓءُ إِنْ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

[46:9] Say, "I am not different from other messengers. I have no idea what will happen to me or to you. I only follow what is revealed to me. I am no more than a profound warner."

قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعًا مِّنَ ٱلرُّسُلِ وَمَآ أَدْرِى مَا يُفْعَلُ بِى وَلَا بِكُمْ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

These verses unequivocally state that the Prophet was unaware of future events or the unseen. They emphasize his role as a messenger delivering divine revelation, not as someone possessing supernatural knowledge. This shows that the Quran and the Hadith are not compatible with one another. The contradiction is evident. While the Quran, commands the Prophet to declare his lack of knowledge about the unseen or the future, the Hadith claims that the Prophet foretold all events until the Hour.

Additionally, elsewhere in the Quran we are informed that the prophet was not a soothsayer like numerous Hadith make him out to be.

[52:29] You shall remind the people. With your Lord's blessings upon you, you are neither a soothsayer, nor crazy.

(٢٩) فَذَكِّرْ فَمَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَتِ رَبِّكَ بِكَاهِنٍ وَلَا مَجْنُونٍ

[69:40] This is the utterance of an honorable messenger. [69:41] Not the utterance of a poet; rarely do you believe. [69:42] Nor the utterance of a soothsayer; rarely do you take heed.

(٤٠) إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ

(٤١) وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍ قَلِيلًا مَّا تُؤْمِنُونَ

(٤٢) وَلَا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

This raises a critical dilemma where: if the Hadith is true, then the Quran and the statements that God commanded the prophet to say mentioned in the Quran are false. Alternatively, if the Hadith is false, this exposes the fallibility of ilm al-rijal (the methodology used to verify Hadith), even for narrations classified as authentic (sahih). These possibilities illustrate the fundamental incompatibility between the Quran and the Hadith on this matter.

The Quran prophecizes that people will abandon the Quran in favor of other sources (Q 25:27-30). In this case, those who choose to uphold the Hadith must deal with the dissonance between the Hadith and the Quran’s clear statements. Either the Prophet lied (which undermines his role as a truthful messenger), the Hadith is fabricated (undermining its reliability), or the Quran is incorrect (a position that invalidates the foundation of Islam). None of these options align with the principle of maintaining the Quran as the ultimate source of guidance. This underscores the incompatibility between the Hadith and the Quran, compelling individuals to choose which source they follow.

[6:112] We have permitted the enemies of every prophet—human and jinn devils—to inspire in each other fancy words, in order to deceive. Had your Lord willed, they would not have done it. You shall disregard them and their fabrications. [6:113] This is to let the minds of those who do not believe in the Hereafter listen to such fabrications, and accept them, and thus expose their real convictions. [6:114] Shall I seek other than GOD as a source of law, when He has revealed to you this book fully detailed? Those who received the scripture recognize that it has been revealed from your Lord, truthfully. You shall not harbor any doubt. [6:115] The word of your Lord is complete, in truth and justice. Nothing shall abrogate His words. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient. [6:116] If you obey the majority of people on earth, they will divert you from the path of GOD. They follow only conjecture; they only guess.