Quran mentions in 27:40 about a man who had knowledge of book/scripture? What is this knowledge? Can it be learnt today?
Said one who had knowledge from the Scripture, "I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you." And when [Solomon] saw it placed before him
There are different interpretations about the person and the knowledge, as detailed in Medi1Saif's answer here.
The different interpretations about this knowledge is:
The knowledge was of the اسم الله الأعظم (Greatest Name of Allah). This is a Name of Allah by invoking which any supplication made to Him is fulfilled by Him. See (arabic) at islamqa.info here and here and some translated hadith here and here. In Islamic mysticism it is believed that this name is revealed to a person when they are extremely devout in worship and offer an excess of voluntary worship (Nawafil).
Knowledge of the Revelation and Wisdom.
Prophethood. This assumes that the person was Solomon himself and that he performed a miracle by Allah's leave.
Knowledge of the Book of Decrees, or Lawhe Mahfooz ... a tablet\book with Allah where He writes what is to happen and that Happens. This assumes that the person in question was an angel sent by God to aid Solomon.
From Tafsir Al Qurtubi:
أكثر المفسرين على أن الذي عنده علم من الكتاب آصف بن برخيا وهو من بني إسرائيل، وكان صدّيقاً يحفظ اسم الله الأعظم الذي إذا سئل به أَعْطى، وإذا دعي به أجاب.
The majority of the commentators have the opinion that the person who has knowledge of the book was Asif bin Bakiyar. He was a man from the Bani Israel. He was truthful and a guardian of the Isme Azam (Great name of Allah): When this name is used to invoke Allah, He responds. When this name is used to make a Dua it is fulfilled.
وقالت عائشة رضي الله عنها قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: " إن اسم الله الأعظم الذي دعا به آصف بن برخيا يا حيّ يا قيوُّم "
Aisha said: The Prophet Said: The Great Name with which Asif bin Barkiyar made a supplication was "Ya Haeeyu Ya Qayoomu".
قيل: وهو بلسانهم، أهيا شراهيا؛
One narration is that it is in their tongue: ehyeh asher ehyeh. [Yahweh \ Tetragrammaton].
وقال الزهري: دعاء الذي عنده اسم الله الأعظم؛ يا إلٰهنا وإلٰه كل شيء إلٰهاً واحداً لا إلٰه إلا أنت ايتني بعرشها؛ فمثُلَ بين يديه
Zuhri said: He who knew the Great Name, he supplicated: " Oh our God, and the God of every thing, The God who is One and except You there is no one other god, grant me the throne" and so it was brought infront of him.
وقال مجاهد: دعا فقال: يا إلٰهنا وإلٰه كل شيء يا ذا الجلال والإكرام
Mujahid said: He supplicated and used the words: O God and God of everything, O Lord of Majesty and Generosity.
قال السُّهَيليّ: الذي عنده علم من الكتاب هو آصف بن برخيا ابن خالة سليمان؛ وكان عنده اسم الله الأعظم من أسماء الله تعالى
Sohail said: The one who had knowledge of the book was Asif bin Barkhiya, and he was the cousin of Solomon. He knew the Great Name from the Names of Allah.
. وقيل: هو سليمان نفسه؛ ولا يصح في سياق الكلام مثل هذا التأويل.
[ Narration that it was Solomon himself ... and arguments for and against this interpretation ]
قال بحر: هو مَلَك بيده كتاب المقادير، أرسله الله عند قول العفريت.
Bahr said: He was an angel and he had in his possession the Book of Decrees [so what is written it it happens]. Allah sent him down when the the Ifrit was talking to Solomon.
ابن لهِيَعة: هو الخضر عليه السلام. وقال ابن زيد: الذي عنده علم من الكتاب رجل صالح كان في جزيرة من جزائر البحر، خرج ذلك اليوم ينظر من ساكن الأرض؛ وهل يعبد الله أم لا؟ فوجد سليمان، فدعا باسم من أسماء الله تعالى فجيء بالعرش
Ibn Lahiya said: It was Khizr ... he was wandering and was in Solomon's court at that time. He used God's name to supplicate and it was granted.
إنما كان رجل من بني إسرائيل عالم آتاه الله علماً وفقهاً قال: { أَنَا آتيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ } قال: هات. قال: أنت نبيّ لله ابن نبي الله فإن دعوت الله جاءك به، فدعا الله سليمان فجاءه الله بالعرش.
He was a religious man from the Bani Israel, who Allah had endowed with kowledge and wisdom. He said: " [ to Solomon] You are the Prophet of Allah and the son of a Prophet of Allah. If you supplicate to Him then He will bring it". Solomon supplicated and the throne was brought to him.
إنه جبريل عليه السلام؛ قاله النّخَعي؛ وروي عن ابن عباس. وعلم الكتاب على هذا علمه بكتب الله المنزلة، أو بما في اللوح المحفوظ.
It was (archangel) Gabriel. ... It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that the knowledge of the scripture means Book of Manazilah or the Lawhe Mahfooz.
This man was Asif Ibn Barkhia the successor of prophet Solomon a.s. who was chosen by God for as successor for leadership of believers after death of prophet Solomon a.s.
This knowledge is some special names of God that any miracle can be done by using them.
In the Dua Simaat some of these names and the works that can be done by them are described.
Some of those works that can be done by knowledge of book described in this dua are:
In short by having this knowledge every science and every part of nature and every miracle will be in your control.
this knowledge has different parts and all the prophets did not have all of it. in this verse it is said "knowledge from the book". the word "from" means he (the successor of prophet Solomon a.s. had only some of this knowledge.
In another verse Quran talks about another man who has the knowledge of book. but in this verse the term "from" is not used that means this man has all the knowledge of book. according to many different hadith this man is Imam Ali a.s.
وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَسْتَ مُرْسَلًا ۚ قُلْ كَفَىٰ بِاللَّـهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ ﴿٤٣﴾
And those who have disbelieved say, "You are not a messenger." Say, [O Muhammad], "Sufficient is Allah as Witness between me and you, and [the witness of] who has knowledge of the Scripture." http://tanzil.net/#13:43
Yes it can be learnt today but partially and the only required term is being pious. the complete knowledge of book is only with prophet and The Fourteen Infallibles.
Note: Many people may not understand this answer as it describes here Islamic theology, Theosophy, Higher Science.
"knowledge from the Book" is the knowledge of the "Mother Book" that is with God. This Book has been written by the noble angels those are closest to God. And the language of the Book? Nothing but a signal in the form of "FREQUENCY"
God is so Holy. It is because God need not to say anything as He is so Holy. Then how God instructs angels? The angels and the scribers of the book and those nearer to Him understand what God wishes with the signals they receive. And they received it in the form of frequency. And the Scribers placed the instructions in its proper place exactly in the form they receive it. Every creation thus connected with the Book of God. Thus it becomes true God says "Be" and it is. Do you Understand how the word "Be" creates a matter or a living thing? Actually, word "Be" contains some frequency, and the amount of energy that each frequency contains bonds a no of atoms to form a thing.
The Mother book is actually contained whole creation in the form of frequency. Matter created by atoms is a half truth actually proved false now. As Quantum Physics states Matter never created without energy in the form of frequency that needed to bond atoms to create a molecule of the matter. Thus we can say everything created by frequency.Those have knowledge of the Quantum Physics understand better what I am saying. [see my article for a better understanding- https://faruquez.blogspot.com/2016/08/reality-turns-to-myth-in-higher-science.html]
Quran sent down from the unseen world ie from the mother book to the real world in a night of decree. Language? As God need not to say anything, So the language of God, is nothing but signal, in the form of energy and "FREQUENCY" and that frequency sent down from the mother book to the sky of the 4th universe of the real world. And From there angel Gabriel brought that to the heart of Muhammad as necessary basis. And Muhammad understood that in his own language.
As the whole Quran sent down in the form of frequency, so it needed to protect from Jinns, the spirited creature, who have knowledge of the creation ie. knowledge of the frequency. [for a better understanding of Jinns- see my article- https://faruquez.blogspot.com/2016/10/dark-art-history-of-origin-of-black.html]
What we are going to say, "knowledge from the Book" ie. who have knowledge of the creation or in other words knowledge of the frequency. Thus the Jinn brought the Throne within a sec. from a distance more than 2000 miles. How? simple. He just need to know the exact shape and to create the bonding frequency of the materials within the shape.
Now for the case of "knowledge of the Scripture". ie. knowledge of Torah, Jabur, or Gospel. Now Who have pure knowledge of Torah?. Obviously it is Moses. Similarly, knowledge of Jabur?, it is David, knowledge of Gospel?it is Jesus.
And who have knowledge of the Scriptures? Those are Muslims, because they have uncrroupted Quran, the last of Gods Scriptures, which includes an uncorrupted form what was in those scriptures. Why Quran Include those? Because Muhammad is the seal of the prophets, ie no chance to have a guide from God ever after except the last scripture. if the previous scriptures shall Corrupt ever. But we know a scripture shall never come if the previous not corrupted. As quran the last, surely the previous one is corrupted. Then how they will be guided to the right path. Through Quran, which is the way of Mercy for them, and thus quran needed to include what is in those scriptures in a corrected form. Thus Muhammad is the Messiah of Mankind as he brought mercy to the mankind. [see my article-Muhammad: The Messiah to the Mankind.]
Again, as Muhammad is the the Mercy to creation ie. Messiah to the Mankind, then all the prophets shall know him properly and the scriptures they bears shall manifest him. and when a scriptures corrupted then a new appeared. Thus if Quran is the latest then obviously all before it were corrupted.
So Quran says, due to corruption or their haughtiness if Jews and Christians reject Muhammad, then it doesn't mean anything because, Moses, David or Jesus those have knowledge of scriptures fully, they shall not reject him, but will be the witness of Muhammad in the day of Judgement. and they were promised to God to do it in their earthly life, Qur'an says-
And recall when Allah took a covenant from the Prophets: 'This is the Book and the Wisdom which I have given you. But should a Prophet come to you confirming that which is already with you, you shall believe in him and shall help him. So saying, Allah asked: 'Do you agree and accept to take up the burden of the covenant?' They answered: 'We agree,' He said: 'Then bear witness; and I will be with you among the witness. -[al-Imran, 3:81]
And actually that too not necessary because God himself bears witness of Muhammad and that states the verse that we are analyzing here.
