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No one knows what will happen tomorrow except Allaah

Question

Asalaamu alaikum. Way before my dad was married he was sitting on the seaside. An old man came to him, held his hand, then looked at him and told him that his daughter was going to be religious. When my parents got married the oldest child was my older sister who's more than 10 years older than me. They always thought it would be her, but she was never religious. So my dad began to think the man was lying. My dad doubted as me being religious, because I told my dad I was atheist (this was a couple years ago when I was atheist). He was so mad he stopped talking to me for a while. I don't know how or why this happened, but I met this amazing girl who was wanting to become a Muslim. I told her all and everything I knew about Islam for 6 whole hours. That's when I realized that I really loved Islam and was proud to identify myself as a Muslim. Because I met her, I was getting more into Islam like crazy. I started reading the Qur'an, trying to memorize it. Reading hadith's. Analyzing the Qur'an. I started talking about Islam to my Muslim friends every day. I made that girl convert, it's unbelievable. I made all the Muslims who were never sure of their religion into Muslims who were confident about their religion. I was a strong atheist, but now I'm religious. How weird is that? There are so many things I could say right now but not enough fit into this. All the events in my life are happening in such a way that it's coming clear to me that it's been planned for me from the start to be religious. That girl I met, it's like I was destined to meet her and she was destined to become a Muslim. When so and so happens in my life, I get closer to Allah. It became so clear to me. My life and my heart was so empty an atheist. The guy who came to my dad. How did he know about me? My dad wasn't even married. How did he know the future? Some people are telling me he might have been a Jinn. When I have doubts, the story of that man always brings me back into Islam.

Answer

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.

First of all, we praise Allaah, The Almighty, for guiding you after you were on the brink of a pit of the Fire. In addition, we ask Allaah to grant us all more guidance and make us steadfast on the straight path until death. As for what that man said, it is well known that there is no prophet after Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and that the revelations have stopped to come down from heaven and no one is able to know what will happen in the future. It was narrated in a Marfoo‘ (traceable to the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention )) Hadeeth: “What is in store of the unknown are five, which no one knows except Allaah: no one knows what will happen tomorrow except Allaah…” [Al-Bukhari]

However, a true believer may see a dream that something good will happen to him or to someone else. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, called such dreams “glad tidings”. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him said: “I heard the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, saying, ‘There shall be no prophecies except for glad tidings.’ They [his Companions] said: ‘What are the glad tidings?’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Good dreams.” [Al-Bukhari]

Imaam Ahmad reported another wording for this Hadeeth: ...They [his Companions] said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, What are glad tidings?’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, replied, ‘The good dream which a man sees or which is seen about him.

Hence, that man may have seen a good dream that your father would have a daughter who would be righteous. Nevertheless, you have to strive to attain piety and uprightness, regardless of that dream. You should not be seduced into thinking that it was you meant by it, for indeed people will be judged by their final deeds. One may do good deeds throughout his life and then relapse before his death - Allaah forbid - and do the deeds of the people of the Hellfire and thus enter it. It was narrated in Saheeh (sound) Ahaadeeth that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:

· A person may do the deeds of the people of the (Hell) Fire while, in fact, he is (in the Hereafter) from the dwellers of Paradise; and similarly a person may do the deeds of the people of Paradise while, in fact, he is from the dwellers of the (Hell) Fire: Verily, the deeds shall be judged by the last of them.” [Ahmad: Al-Musnad]

· One of you may do the deeds of the people of Hell until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit, then the Decree of Allaah overtakes him and he does a deed of the people of Paradise, and enters it. And one of you may do the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit, then the Decree of Allaah overtakes him and he does a deed of the people of Hell and enters it.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

· …for indeed the inhabitant of Paradise shall have his work sealed off with the deeds of the people of Paradise…” [An-Nasaa’i and At-Tirmithi]

Allaah Knows best.

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