—that this was something Allah had revealed to me; no human being had informed me of it—stood as a clear, decisive proof that these pieces of unseen knowledge, which no one can know except a prophet whom Allah has taught, or someone who has learned them from a prophet, are indeed among the matters that Allah disclosed to him, not something imparted by any human. This is part of the unseen about which Allah says—in the surah that tells of the jinn listening to the Qur’an and warning their people—

“Say: It has been revealed to me that a band of the jinn listened and said, ‘We have heard a wondrous Qur’an. It guides to righteousness, so we have believed in it, and we will never ascribe any partner to our Lord. Exalted is the majesty of our Lord; He has taken neither consort nor child.’” [72:1–3]

—up to His words—

“ And that when the servant of Allah stood up to call upon Him, they all but crowded around him. Say: I call upon my Lord alone and I do not associate anyone with Him. Say: I hold no power over you for harm or for right guidance. Say: No one can protect me from Allah, nor can I find any refuge apart from Him—my task is only to convey from Allah and His messages. Whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger will have the Fire of Hell, wherein they will abide forever. When they behold what they have been promised, they will know who is weaker in helpers and fewer in number. Say: I do not know whether what you are promised is near, or whether my Lord will set for it a distant term. [He is] the Knower of the unseen; He reveals His unseen to no one except to a messenger He is pleased with, and then He sends before him and behind him vigilant guards, so that He may know that they have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord. He encompasses whatever is with them and has enumerated all things in number.” [72:19-28]