Christian apologists will cite Quran 46:9 and Saheeh Al-Bukhari Volume 5, Book 58, Number 266 which say: “Say, “I am not the first messenger ever sent, nor do I know what will happen to me or you. I only follow what is revealed to me. And I am only sent with a clear warning.” (Quran 46:9) Narrated 'Um al-'Ala: An Ansari woman who gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet that the Ansar drew lots concerning the dwelling of the Emigrants. 'Uthman bin Maz'un was decided to dwell with them (i.e. Um al-'Ala's family), 'Uthman fell ill and I nursed him till he died, and we covered him with his clothes. Then the Prophet came to us and I (addressing the dead body) said, "O Abu As-Sa'ib, may Allah's Mercy be on you! I bear witness that Allah has honored you." On that the Prophet said, "How do you know that Allah has honored him?" I replied, "I do not know. May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Allah's Apostle! But who else is worthy of it (if not 'Uthman)?" He said, "As to him, by Allah, death has overtaken him, and I hope the best for him. By Allah, though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me," By Allah, I will never assert the piety of anyone after him. That made me sad, and when I slept I saw in a dream a flowing stream for 'Uthman bin Maz'un. I went to Allah's Apostle and told him of it. He remarked, "That symbolizes his (good) deeds." Christians apologists try to prove from these two passages that Muhammad peace be upon him did not know whether or not he was going to Heaven and thus argue that if he didn’t know it then Muslims don’t have surety of salvation. However the Christian apologists are completely taking the Quran verse and Hadith out of context and are misinterpreting it. If they were to read commentaries of these passages they are quoting, there are two interpretations that completely refute what they are trying to insinuate. The first interpretation is that Quran 46:9 and the aforementioned Hadith are talking about an event before Allah informed Muhammad peace be upon him that he was going to Paradise. Imam At Tabari in his commentary of Quran 46:9 quotes Qatadah and states the following: "Nor do I know what will be done with me or with you", then he (peace be upon him) knew from Allah after that what he would do with him, for Allah said "Verily, We have given you (O Muhammad SAW) a manifest victory. That Allah may forgive you your sins of the past and the future" (Surah 48:1-2) Source: Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Jami' al-bayan fi ta'wil al-Qur'an, Commentary on Surah 46:9 What Imam At-Tabari was basically saying was that Quran 46:9 was abrogated by the ayat in Surah 48 which make it clear that Muhammad peace be upon him is going to Paradise. Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani states in his commentary: “As for his expression "By Allah, though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me", the Prophet (peace be upon him) uttered this in accordance with Allah's statement in Surah Al Ahqaaf "Say: "I am no bringer of new-fangled doctrine among the messengers, nor do i know what will be done with me or with you". This was before the revealing of the verse by Allah All Mighty "That Allah may forgive you your sins of the past and the future" (Surah 48:2) because Al Ahqaaf is a Makkan Surah, while Surah Al Fatah is a Madinan Surah and there is no contradiction between the two of them. And it has been established that he (peace be upon him) said "I am the first who will enter paradise" and there other reports which convey this meaning as well. So it is possible to sustain this (i.e. the fact that the Prophet doesn't know) on knowledge in a general sense, but negating the inclusiveness of the particulars.” Source: Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani, Fathul Bari, Kitab: Al Janaaiz, Bab: Al Dukhool 'Ala Al Mayyit Ba'd Al Mawt izhaa Adraja fi Akfaanihi, Commentary on Hadith no. 1166 ——- The second interpretation of Quran 46:9 and the aforementioned Hadith is that they are not referring to the afterlife rather they are talking about Muhammad peace be upon him’s life currently while he was still alive on Earth. Ibn Kathir says in his commentary quotes Al Hassan Al Basri and says the following: As for the Hereafter, I seek refuge in Allah and he (i.e. the Prophet) knew that he was going to paradise, but he said "I don't know what He (i.e. Allah) will do to me and to you in this life. Will I be kicked out just as the Prophets (may Allah bestow His peace and blessings upon them) before me were kicked out? Or would I be killed just as the Prophets before me were killed?" And this is the opinion that Ibn Jareer (i.e. Tabari) took and insisted that there should not be another opinion in this matter; for there is no doubt that this is the suitable explanation that suits the Prophet (peace be upon him). This is because in regards to the Hereafter it is certain that he (i.e. the Prophet) will go to paradise along with those who followed him. And in regards to this life, he didn't know what was going to happen to him or the polytheists of Quraysh. Were they going to believe, or disbelieve and be punished and extirpated for their disbelief? Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Commentary on Surah 46:9 Al Jalalayn says in his commentary: Say: 'I am not a novelty, unprecedented, among the messengers, that is to say, [I am not] the first to be sent [by God as His Messenger]. Already many of them have come before me, so how can you deny me? Nor do I know what will be done with me or with you, in this world: will I be made to leave my [native] land, or will I be slain as was done with [some] prophets before me, or will you stone me to death, or will the earth be made to swallow you as [it did] deniers before you? I only follow what is revealed to me, that is, the Qur'ān, and I do not invent anything myself. And I am only a plain warner', one whose warning is plain. Source: Tafsir Al Jalalayn, Commentary on Surah 46:9 And finally Al Qurtubi in his commentary quotes Abu Ja’far and states the following: “He (peace be upon him) doesn't know what would follow for him and them from sickness, health, authority, cheap prices, high prices, wealth and poverty.” Source: Abu 'Abdullah Al-Qurtubi, Tasfir al Jami' li-ahkam al-Qur'an, Commentary on Surah 46:9 Now that we established what Quran 46:9 and the aforementioned Hadith actually mean, let’s look at other Hadiths and Quran verses that prove that Muhammad peace be upon him will be in Paradise. Narrated Abu Hurairah [may Allah be pleased with him]: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "I am the first for whom the earth will be split, and then I will be adorned with garments from the garments of Paradise. Then I will stand at the right of the Throne. No one from the creation will in that place other than I." Source: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3611 Muhammad peace be upon him also said in an authentic Hadith: “Indeed, paradise is prohibited on all the prophets until I enter it. Likewise, it is prohibited for all the previous nations until my ummah enters it first.” Source: Narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Mu’jam al-Awsat (942) Anas b. Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I will come to the gate of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection. and would seek its opening. and the keeper would say: Who art thou? I would say: Muhammad. He would then say: It is for thee that I have been ordered, and not to open it for anyone before thee. Source: Sahih Muslim 197 Anas b. Malik said: The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) said: I would be the first intercessor in the Paradise and no apostle amongst the apostles has been testified (by such a large number of people) as I have been testified. And verily there woald be an apostle among the apostles who would be testified to by only one man from his people. Source: Sahih Muslim 196c Anas b. Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Amongst the apostles I would have the largest following on the Day of Resurrec tion, and I would be the first to knock at the door of Paradise. Source: Sahih Muslim 196b Anas b. Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I would be the first among people to intercede in the Paradise and amongst the apostles I would have the largest following (on the Day of Resurrection). Source: Sahih Muslim 196a ——- It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira and Hudhaifa that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, would gather people. The believers would stand till the Paradise would be brought near them. They would come to Adam and say: O our father, open for us the Paradise. He would say: What turned ye out from the Paradise was the sin of your father Adam. I am not in a position to do that; better go to my son Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: He (Ibrahim) would say: I am not in a position to do that. Verily I had been the Friend (of Allah) from beyond, beyond; you better approach Moses (peace be upon him) with whom Allah conversed. They would come to Moses (peace be upon him), but he would say: I am not in a position to do that; you better go to Jesus, the Word of Allah and His Spirit. Jesus (peace be upon him) would say: I am not in a position to do that. So they would come to Muhammad (ﷺ). He would then be permitted (to open the door of Paradise). Trustworthiness and kinship would be despatched, and these would stand on the right and left of the Path and the first of you would pass with (the swiftness) of lightning. He (the narrator) said: I said, O thou who art far dearer to me than my father and my mother I which thing is like the passing of lightning? He said: Have you not seen lightning, how it passes and then comes back within the twinkling of an eye? Then (they would pass) like the passing of the wind, then like the passing of a bird, and the hastening of persons would be according to their deeds, and your Apostle would be standing on the Path saying: Save, O my Lord, save. (The people would go on passing) till the deeds of the servants would be failing in strength, till a man would come who would find it hard to go along (that Path) but crawlingly. He (the narrator) said: And on the sides of the Path hooks would be suspended ready to catch anyone whom these would be required (to catch). There would be those who would somehow or other succeed in trasversing that Path and some would be piled up in Hell. By Him in Whose Hand is the life of Abu Huraira it would take one seventy years to fathom the depth of Hell. Source: Sahih Muslim 195 —— In Quran 108:1, it says that Muhammad peace be upon him will receive a river in Paradise called Al-Kawthar. “Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar.” (Quran 108:1) Every single commentary of this verse says that Al Kawthar is a river in paradise that Allah will give Muhammad peace be upon him. https://quranx.com/tafsirs/108.1