The first to speak on Divine decree in al-Basrah was Maʿbad al Juhani. I and Humaid b. ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Himyari proceeded to perform Hajj or ʿUmrah. We said : would that we meet any of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ so that we could ask him about what they say with regard to divine decree. So Allah helped us to meet ʿAbd Allah b. ʿUmar who was entering the mosque. So I and my companion surrounded him, and I thought that my companion would entrust me the task of speaking to him. Then I said : Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, there appeared on our side some people who recite the Qur'an and are engaged in the hair-splitting of knowledge. They conceive that there is no Divine decree and everything happens freely without predestination. He said : When you meet those people, tell them that I am free from them, and they are free from me. By Him by Whom swears ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar, if one of them has gold equivalent to Uhud and he spends it, Allah will not accept it from him until he believes in Divine decree. He then said : ‘Umar b. Khattab transmitted to me a tradition, saying : One day when we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a man with very white clothing and very black hair came up to us. No mark of travel was visible on him, and we did not recognize him. Sitting down beside the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, leaning his knees against his and placing his hands on his thighs, he said : tell me, Muhammad, about Islam. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said : Islam means that you should testify that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is Allah’s Apostle, that you should observe prayer, pay Zakat, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj to the house (i.e., Kaʿbah), If you have the means to go. He said : You have spoken the truth. We were surprised at his questioning him and then declaring that he spoke the truth. He said : Now tell me about faith. He replied : It means that you should believe in Allah, his angels, his Books, his Apostles and the last day, and that you should believe in the decreeing both of good and evil. He said : You have spoken the truth. He said : now tell me about doing good (ihsan). He replied: It means that you should worship Allah as though you are seeing him; if you are not seeing him, he is seeing you. He said: Now tell me about the hour. He replied : The one who is asked about it is no better informed than the one who is asking. He said : Then tell me about its signs. He replied : That a maidservant should beget her mistress, and that you should see barefooted, naked, poor men and shepherds exalting themselves in buildings. ‘Umar said : He then went away, and I waited for three days, then he said : Do you know who the questioner was, ʿUmar? I replied : Allah and his Apostle know best. He said : He was Gabriel who came to you to teach you your religion. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4695)   

فِي الْقَدَرِ فِي الْبَصْرَةِ مَعْبَدٌ الْجُهَنِيُّ فَانْطَلَقْنَا حُجَّاجًا أَنَا وَحُمَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا قُلْنَا لَوْ لَقِينَا بَعْضَ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَسَأَلْنَاهُ عَمَّا يَقُولُ هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمُ فِي الْقَدَرِ قَالَ فَوَافَقْنَا عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَاكْتَنَفْتُهُ أَنَا وَصَاحِبِي أَحَدُنَا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَالْآخَرُ عَنْ شِمَالِهِ قَالَ يَحْيَى فَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ صَاحِبِي يَكِلُ الْكَلَامَ إِلِيَّ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ إِنَّهُ ظَهَرَ قِبَلَنَا نَاسٌ يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ وَيَعْرِفُونَ الْعِلْمَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنْ لَا قَدَرَ إِنَّمَا الْأَمْرُ أُنُفٌ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمْ أُولَئِكَ فَأَخْبِرُوهُمْ أَنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْهُمْ وَأَنَّهُمْ مِنِّي بَرَاءٌ وَالَّذِي يَحْلِفُ بِهِ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ لَوْ أَنَّ لِأَحَدِهِمْ مِثْلَ أُحُدٍ ذَهَبًا فَأَنْفَقَهُ مَا قَبِلَهُ اللهُ ﷻ مِنْهُ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ كُلِّهِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِذْ طَلَعَ رَجُلٌ شَدِيدُ بَيَاضِ الثِّيَابِ شَدِيدُ سَوَادِ الشَّعْرِ لَا يُرَى عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ السَّفَرِ وَلَا نَعْرِفُهُ حَتَّى جَلَسَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَسْنَدَ رُكْبَتَهُ إِلَى رُكْبَتِهِ وَوَضَعَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِسْلَامِ مَا الْإِسْلَامُ؟ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الْإِسْلَامُ أَنَ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةَ وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ السَّبِيلَ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ صَدَقْتَ قَالَ عُمَرُ عَجِبْنَا لَهُ يَسْأَلُهُ وَيُصَدِّقُهُ؟ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ مَا الْإِيمَانُ؟ فَقَالَ الْإِيمَانُ أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْقَدَرِ كُلِّهِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ فَقَالَ صَدَقْتَ فَقَالَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِحْسَانِ فَقَالَ الْإِحْسَانُ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ قَالَ فَحَدِّثْنِي عَنِ السَّاعَةِ مَتَى السَّاعَةُ؟ قَالَ مَا الْمَسْئُولُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِهَا مِنَ السَّائِلِ قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ أَمَارَتِهَا قَالَ أَنْ تَلِدَ الْأَمَةُ رَبَّتَهَا وَأَنْ تَرَى الْحُفَاةَ الْعُرَاةَ الْعَالَةَ رِعَاءَ الشَّاءِ يَتَطَاوَلُونَ فِي الْبِنَاءِ ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ ؓ فَلَبِثْتُ ثَلَاثًا ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَا عُمَرُ مَا تَدْرِي مَنِ السَّائِلُ ؟ قُلْتُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ ذَاكَ جِبْرَئِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَتَاكُمْ يُعَلِّمُكُمْ دِينَكُمْ 20872 وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ أنبأ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ ثنا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ أنبأ كَهْمَسٌ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ فَذَكَرَ مَعْنَاهُ