Is it lawful to think that some righteous persons have the ability to look at Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooth (Preserved Tablet) and know the unseen? Someone alleges that this happened to Al-Jilaani, Ash-Shaathili and Ibn Taymiyyah.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

It is prohibited for anyone to think  that a righteous person has the ability to see Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooth, or that this happened to anyone, because this is a matter of the unseen, that is, it cannot be proved except by a Shar'i (Islamic legislation) text. 

Besides, there is no evidence in the Quran or Sunnah (tradition) indicating that a person can see Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooth.  However, Allaah The Almighty gives His messengers miracles by informing them about some matters of the unseen through revelation.  Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {[He is] Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen to anyone, Except whom He has approved of messengers, and indeed, He sends before each messenger and behind him observers.}[Quran 72:26, 27]

Allaah The Almighty may let righteous believers who adhere to the Quran and Sunnah know some matters of the unseen through inspiration, but, even in this case, it is impermissible to say that a righteous person  has seen Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooth. 

This kind of knowledge was bestowed on ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab when he addressed Saariyah, one of the leaders of his army in the battlefield in Iraq, while he was delivering a sermon in the mosque in Madeenah.  [Abu Bakr ibn Khallaad in Al-Fawaa’id, Al-Bayhaqi in Dalaa’il An-Nubuwwah, and Ibn Katheer in Al-Bidaayah Wa An-Nihaayah]

Nevertheless, no one has said or has the right to say that ‘Umar saw Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooth or knew what it contains.

Knowing some matters of the unseen is an exception and is not subject to the will of the righteous person. Moreover, this kind of knowledge does not necessarily mean that the one who possesses it is necessarily favored by Allaah The Almighty over other righteous people.

Finally, a Muslim should not enquire too much about this issue or be preoccupied with knowing how such inspiration occurs.