‘Imran b, Husain told of two men of Muzaina who said, “Messenger of God, tell us whether what men do to-day and strive over is something which has been destined for them and has previously been decreed for them, or whether it is something their prophet has brought them with which they are encountered and which has become binding upon them.” He replied, “No, it is something which has been destined for them and previously decreed for them.” The verification of that is found in God’s Book which says, “By a soul and Him who formed it and implanted in it its wickedness and its piety.” 1
Muslim transmitted it.
1 Quran, xci, 7f.
Abu Huraira said: I told God’s messenger that I, being a young man, was afraid of committing fornication, and I had no means to enable me to marry a wife. (It was as though he was asking permission to have himself made a eunuch.) He gave me no reply, so I repeated what I had said, but he gave me no reply. I repeated it again, but he gave me no reply. I repeated it once more and the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Abu Huraira, the pen has written all it has to write1 about your destiny, so have yourself made a eunuch on that account, or leave things as they are.”
Bukhari transmitted it.
1 Lit. “the pen dried up”.
‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s messenger as saying, “The hearts of all men are between two of the Compassionate’s fingers as if they were one heart which He turns about as He wills.” Then God’s messenger said, “O God, who turnest the hearts, turn our hearts to Thy obedience!”
Muslim transmitted it.
Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Everyone is born a Muslim, but his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Magian; just as a beast is born whole. Do you find some among them maimed?” Then he was saying, “God’s pattern on which He formed mankind. There is no alteration of God’s creation. That is the true religion.” 1
(Bukhari and Muslim.)
1 Quran, xxx, 30. It is not quite clear whether these words were recited by the Prophet (ﷺ) or by Abu Huraira.
Abu'Musa said : God’s messenger stood up among us and made five statements, saying, “God does not sleep, as it is unfitting that He should do so; He lowers the scale and raises it up; the deeds done by night are taken up to Him before the day’s deeds are done; the deeds done by day before the night’s deeds are done; His veil is light, if He were to remove it His majesty would burn up all His creation which was reached by His glance.”
Muslim transmitted it.
Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “God’s hand is full, undiminished by any expenditure, bountiful night and day. Have you seen what He has expended since He created the heaven and the earth, for what His hand holds has not decreased? His throne was upon the water, and in His hand the scale which He lowers and raises.”
(Bukhari and Muslim.)
A version by Muslim says, “God’s right hand is full.” Ibn Numair said, “Full and pouring out blessings night and day, being decreased by nothing.”
He also reported that when God’s messenger was questioned about the offspring of polytheists he said, “God knows best about what they were doing.”
(Bukhari and Muslim.)
وعنه قال سئل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن ذراري المشركين قال الله أعلم بما كانوا عاملين
Hadith 94
Sahīh — Zubair `Aliza'i
Belief in the Divine Decree - Section 2
‘Ubada b. as-Samit reported God’s messenger as saying, “The first thing God created was the pen. He told it to write and when it asked Him what it should write He told it to write what was decreed, so it wrote what had taken place and what would take place to all eternity.”
Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying that this is a tradition whose isnad is gharib.
Muslim b. Yasar said that when ‘Umar b. al-Khattab was questioned about the verse, “When your Lord took their offspring from the backs of the children of Adam...” 1 he replied that he had heard God’s messenger say when he was questioned about it, “God created Adam, then passed His right hand over his back and brought forth from it his offspring, saying, ‘I have created these for paradise and they will do the deeds of those who go to paradise.’ He then passed his hand over his back and brought forth from it his offspring, saying, ‘I have created these for hell and they will do the deeds of those who go to hell’.” A man asked, “What is the good of doing anything, messenger of God?” to which God’s messenger replied, “When God creates a man for paradise He employs him in doing the deeds of those who will go to paradise, so that his final action before death is one of the deeds of those who go to paradise, for which He will bring him into paradise. But when He creates a man for hell He employs him in doing the deeds of those who will go to hell, so that his final action before death is one of the deeds of those who go to hell, for which He will bring him into hell.”
Malik, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.
‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr said: God’s messenger came out with two books in his hands and asked, “Do you know what these two books are?” We replied, “No, messenger of God, unless you tell us.” Of the one in his right hand he said, “This is a book from the Lord of the universe containing the names of those who will go to paradise, as well as the names of their fathers and their tribes. It is completed to the last man, so there will never be any increase or diminution in their numbers.” Of the one in his left hand he then said, “This is a book from the Lord of the universe containing the names of those who will go to hell, as well as the names of their fathers and their tribes. It is completed to the last man, so there will never be any increase or diminution in their numbers.” His Companions asked, “What then, messenger of God, is the good of doing anything if the matter is already decided?” He replied, “Follow a right course and keep as near to it as you can, for the last act of one who is to go to paradise will be an act appropriate for those who go to paradise no matter what he may have done; but the last act of one who is to go to hell will be an act appropriate for those who go to hell no matter what he may have done.” God’s messenger then made a gesture with his hands throwing the books away and said, “Your Lord has decided everything about mankind; a section will be in paradise and a section in the blaze.”
Tirmidhi transmitted it.
Abu Khizama said that his father asked God’s messenger, “Tell me whether invocations we invoke, medicine we apply and caution we practise can avert anything God has decreed.” He replied, “They are a part of God’s decree ’
Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.
Abu Huraira said: God’s messenger came out to us when we were arguing about God’s decree. He was angry and his face became so red that it looked as if pomegranate seeds had been burst open on his cheeks. He then said, “Is this what you were commanded to do, or was it for this purpose that I was sent to you? Your predecessors perished only when they argued about this matter. I adjure you, I adjure you, not to argue about it.”
Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted something similar from ‘Amr b. Shu'aib from his father from his grandfather.
Abu Musa reported that he heard God’s messenger say, “God created Adam from a handful which he took from the whole of the earth; so the children of Adam are in accordance with the earth, some red, some white, some black, some a mixture, also smooth and rough, bad and good.”
Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.
‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported that he heard God’s messenger say, “God created His creatures in darkness and cast some of His light upon them. Those on whom some of that light falls will have guidance, but those who are missed by it will go astray. On that account I say that the pen has no more to write about God’s knowledge.”
Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.
Anas reported that God’s messenger often said, “O Thou who turnest the hearts about, establish my heart in Thy religion.” Anas said, “Prophet of God, do you fear for us who believe in you and in your message?” He replied, “Yes. The hearts are between two of God’s fingers and He turns them about as He wills.”
Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.
Abu Musa reported that God’s messenger said, “The heart is like a feather in desert country which the winds keep turning over and over.”
Ahmad transmitted it.
‘Ali reported that God’s messenger said, “A man is not a believer till he believes in four things : he must testify that there is no god but God and that I am God’s messenger whom He sent with the truth ; he must believe in death and in the resurrection after death; and he must believe in the divine decree."
Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.
Ibn ‘Abbas reported that God’s messenger said, “There are two classes among my people who have no portion in Islam, the Murji’a and the Qadariya."
Tirmidhi transmitted it and said this is a gharib tradition.
Ibn ‘Umar said: I heard God’s messenger say, “Some of my people will be swallowed up and some will be metamorphosed. That will come about among those who declare God’s decree to be false."
Abu Dawud transmitted it and Tirmidhi transmitted something similar.
Isnād Da'īf and the Hadīth is Sahīh — Zubair `Aliza'i
Belief in the Divine Decree - Section 2
He also reported God’s messenger as saying, “The Qadariya are the Magians of this people. If they are ill, do not visit them, and if they die, do not attend their funerals."
Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.