What Does My Future Hold?

[SAFAH]

What does my future hold?

 

All of us think and dream of the future. We want to live long happy lives with spouses and nice careers. We want many good things in life and envision a blissful life full of good things, while not realizing that this world is not perfect and is not meant for eternity, rather the hereafter is. Not only do we want good things, we want to be certain what our future holds. We thus turn to various forms of divination's such as reading tea-leaves, drawing lines, writing numbers, palm-reading, casting horoscopes, and other means to predict our future—all of which have more false and deceptive information than truth of our future. We get bombarded with false hope that eventually leads to major disappointments and setbacks in our life. We stain our souls with sins and then we wonder why God did not help us from the deceptive lies we have pursued? It never is God, it is always us!

Forget the future. Lets turn to God and pray for guidance instead. His helps is better than any ways we seek on our own. Lets ask for His help to bless and guide us with the things we need to live satisfying and contentful lives now. Indeed, He knows every event that will unfold. Before He created the universe and everything in it, He wrote everything that will happen. That does not mean he dictates our lives rather, His knowledge encompasses everything. So He is not stranger to our future and is always waiting for our call. He controls the steering wheel of our life and will turn us when we need to if we allow Him, instead of pursuing our free will.

Before you resort to any forms of divination's, ask yourselves why? Why do you need to know the future if you can't control it? Furthermore, why do you need to know exact details that will unfold. How is that adding productivity and fun in your life? It is actually taking the beauty and mystery out of life. It is adding stress and anxiety because you are trying to prepare for something before its time. You have freewill to be tested not to cheat the test. Therefore, let God manage your affairs in the best way He knows how. Just live your life now—its better that way.

Know that all forms of divination's are wrong and inaccurate except what God sends to us via visions or what He communicates with us via circumstances. God has made forbidden predicting of the future to use it in decision making. In the glorious Qur'an, it is stated: "And (also forbidden) is predicting the future by means of divining arrows, for that is impiety. (5:4)" The unseen is for a good reason kept away from us. It is better that we do not know it, for it may be a burden rather than advantage. The more advantage you have by knowing the unseen, the greater the tests and trials you will face. So ask yourself what benefit do I gain from knowing the unseen?

Nobody truly knows the unseen except Allah. Any fortune telling that you seek will be false and deceptive, and will cause you more harm than good, for the outcome of the future cannot be changed unless Allah wills it. As it is explicitly stated in the glorious Qur'an:"Say (O Muhammad): None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah. (Qur'an: 27:65)" It has been made perfectly clear that nobody but Allah knows the unseen except what has been permitted to those authorized by God. So be careful what and who you believe.

Prophet Muhammad was further advised to recite to the ignorant believers who claim that: If they knew the timing of the day of the hour, they can prepare better for it today, by avoiding the bad and ensuring good. Prophet Muhammad recited: "I hold not for myself [the power of] benefit or harm, except what Allah has willed. And if I knew the unseen, I could have acquired much wealth, and no harm would have touched me. I am not except a Warner and a bringer of good tidings to a people who believe." Allah has made life a test and striving not a means of manipulation. And it has been made clear that we have no power to benefit or harm ourselves except what Allah wills. Not knowing the future actually benefits us. It allows us to strive harder rather than picking and chosing the things we want to endure or experience. If we knew what tomorrow holds, our striving may be limited and our reward as well.

Never approach a fortune teller and believe what they say because it contains all lies, and only the sinful and lying people engage in divination. Prophet Muhammad recited in the glorious Qur'an: "Shall I inform you (O people!) Upon whom the devils descend. They descend on every lying, sinful person who lends an ear (to the devils and they pour what they may have heard of the Unseen from the angels), and most of them are liars (because they speak that which they don't know and understand). (Qur'an 26:221-223)"

If you have relied on such forms of fortune telling in the past, repent to God and abstain from any form of fortune telling in the future. It is a grievous sin harmful to you, and may cause harm to others. Beware of staining your soul by engaging in fortune telling, because no good comes out of it. Realize that your prayers may fall on deaf ears if you engage in fortune telling. As Prophet Muhammad said: "The daily prayers of whoever approaches a fortune-teller and asks him about anything will not be accepted for forty days and nights." [Narrated Muslim]

Whatever your future holds cannot be changed by you. If you were to know the future, you would only confuse yourself but would not be able to change your future. If God were to reveal to you your future, embrace it knowing there is a purpose why He has given you a vision and knowledge of the unseen. If God gives you a great vision, there is a great mission for you and often times, God may reveal future things to us in order to keep us on track and encourage us. Impossible things require extra help, and God will provide the extra knowledge that we need.

God may also reveal to you your future if you insist but it will come with a price. You will encounter many difficulties that you will be the cause of it. God will use the knowledge of the unseen that He gave you to benefit others. He will subject you to more testing because you hold an advantage to those around you. But what good is knowledge that may be of no good use and only cause us more harm than good. Leave the unseen alone for God's justice will be served perfectly in proportion to what we know and posses. Whatever advantage you have will be offset with greater decisions and tasks. If you need to know the unseen, you don't need to be actively seeking it, for God will provide it at the best time.

Remember, to live is to embrace every moment now without worrying about the uncertain tomorrow. To work for God is to receive His vision and work for the future. Today is yours perfectly made easy and plain for you. Tomorrow God decides if He will allow you another day to life. Therefore, be careful what you ask for. It may come with a price and with no benefit to you.