The point here is simply that a person is conscious of possessing knowledge: he experiences this and knows it without anyone’s mediation, just as he is conscious of other things. Knowledge in the heart is like food in the body. The body senses food and drink; likewise, hearts sense the knowledge that descends upon them, which is their food and drink. As the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Everyone who hosts a feast wishes people to attend it, and Allah’s feast is the Quran.”

And as Allah Most High said:

“He sends down water from the sky, and valleys flow according to their capacity. The torrent carries swelling foam, and a similar foam rises from what they heat in the fire to make ornaments or utensils.”

In the two Sahīh collections, Abū Mūsā reports that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“The guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me are like rain that falls upon a land. One part of it absorbed the water and produced abundant pasture and grass. Another part retained the water, which people used for watering and cultivation. Another part was merely level ground that neither retained water nor produced pasture. This is the likeness of one who gains understanding of Allah’s religion and benefits from the guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me, and the likeness of one who pays no heed to it and does not accept Allah’s guidance with which I was sent.”

Thus, he compared the guidance and knowledge that descend upon hearts to the water that descends upon the earth. Just as Allah has angels entrusted with clouds and rain, He has angels entrusted with guidance and knowledge. The latter are the provision and nourishment of hearts, while the former are the provision and nourishment of bodies. Al-Hasan said