I’ve received a forwarded message that tells us about some Sheikh who saw the Holy Prophet (sws) in his dream; he regretted the depraved situation of the Muslim ummah and beseeched them to mend their ways. In the end of this email, glad tidings have been announced for those who forward the message and death threats sounded for those who do not. Please guide me in the light of Qur’an and Hadith what should be done or how this kind of emails should be treated.
My recommendation to you is that you should not bother to respond to this message. There is no divine guidance promised to come to us directly after Prophet Muhammad (sws) left this world. The Qur’an tells us that the Prophet delivered to us a message that was complete for the purpose of religious guidance. It says:
Today I have completed your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and approved al-Islam as a din for you. (5:3)
Therefore, if anyone claims to have received any direct guidance from the Almighty which requires people to follow that message is claiming that the message of Islam as contained in the Qur’an and Sunnah was incomplete or insufficient.
In addition, such messages tend to make people superstitious, which is extremely damaging for the religiosity of a Muslim. We have been asked repeatedly in the Qur’an to trust Allah Almighty under all circumstances:
Allah! There is no god but Him, therefore, in Allah Alone let the believers put their trust. (64:13)
Why should we have a fear of punishment for no fault of ours? Is there anyone other than Allah ruling over this existence? If He is the only Ruler who is in charge of all the affairs and we are not doing anything against His commands that He sent to us through His messenger, why should we feel threatened of serious retributions for ignoring a message which carries no authority whatsoever from Him?