Fatwa #100763 December 2003United States of America
Are your mates chosen for you before-hand or can we change that with dua?
Question
I would just like to know what is destined for us and what is it that we can change. Like death is destined? But with regards to our spouses, can we change that with dua, or is the person we are suppose to marry chosen by Allah (swt) and no matter what we do or don't do we're gonna end up with them. I also wanted to get a reading on a istikhara. I did it for someone i thought i was gonna marry, but that person is having some confusing issues about us. I did it in halaal ways. I did istikhara and i felt the inclination was towards patience and sabr. The next day i had a dream, which had his parents coming over to my house for a proposal, I was told to wear white because it represents purity, and my mother made me go under the Quran before i went downstairs, and upon seeing me the guy's mother loved me. A'H. I would like to know whether this dream was good or bad. and which type of the 3 it is from.
Answer
Taqdeer means the perfect and complete knowledge of Allah (Allah already%0D%0Aknew what a person would do before he does it). It does not mean that Allah%0D%0Ahas not granted Human Beings a choice.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe Hadith wherein there is mention of dua changing Taqdeer is interpreted%0D%0Ain two ways.%0D%0A1) If anything could change Taqdeer, it would be Dua.%0D%0A2) Allah already knew that a person would make a certain Dua and based on%0D%0Athis Dua, Allah changed his original decree that would have taken effect had%0D%0Ahe not made Dua. So in actual fact, his Dua has not changed Taqdeer because%0D%0AAllah already knew of this dua.%0D%0A%0D%0ASome things, however, are decreed by Allah in which a person has no choice.%0D%0ADeath and the time of death are of this category. In the case of marriage,%0D%0Ait is obvious that a person has a choice in whom he%2Fshe chooses as a spouse.%0D%0A%0D%0AWith regards to your dream, it seems to be a positive response to your%0D%0AIstikhaarah. However, it is prudent to make enquiries about the intended%0D%0Aspouse and satisfy oneself with regards to their character before reading%0D%0AIstikhaarah.%0D%0A%0D%0Aand Allah Ta'ala Knows Best%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Bilaal Cassim%0D%0AFATWA DEPT.%0D%0A%0D%0A